Topic of the Day: Animation

Since the opening of Luminary View last year, I’ve covered many artistic fields including film, theatre, one book, and a tv show (one fragment of motivation I’m still working on). Great works indeed; the goal of which is to endlessly explore and discuss with my readers as many aspects of the wide creative industry. And add upon this initiative is a new series I am dubbing The Short Film Anthologies; a place where I am able to uncover, break down, and promote the best of short form cinema and experimental storytelling (a smaller relative of film, I believe, could be experienced much deeper. Away from the fantastic mainstream content offered by giants, such as Disney and PIXAR (among others), I will do my best to promote the voices of independent creatives and studios through their films (Vimeo is my friend)! So with that, I have decided to begin with the animation genre, but as we move on, I may delve into other types productions, genres, etc. (e.g. live action, musical). So, in an effort to make this a more “bite-sized” segment of my writing, here we go!

The Short Films:

(NOTE: The discussed films below are not set in any order/ranking system)

My Mother's Eyes •

2018 ( 4 minutes )

Directed by Jenny Wright

Winning the award for “Best Animated Short Film” at Tribeca Film Festival earlier in the year, this nicely minimalistic and down to earth film was a real stand out amongst the rest of this batch I undertook. In this tale, we watch as a mother gives birth to a son, naturally, forming a unique connection with him from birth. This strong link is represented literally and figuratively as a string; a lasting umbilical cord of sorts. Anyway, as the boy begins to learn and grow and react to the world around him, he moves bit by bit away from his mother with each life event, though never fully leaving her loving and generous arms. And mom, in every opportunity to be supportive and excited for her child’s bittersweet progression, and in spite of the exhaustions of everyday life and parenting that mount against her, we see, always manages to wear a great big smile on her face.

But one day, her son’s progression leads to the next big step (not really, but in this film, it is). College. He eventually goes away, and while meeting new people and learning in a time of great absorption, his mother waits fervently for any call from her dear boy, and in this state of loneliness and sadness she continues to wait until she finally passes on, the physical link thus severed. The boy returns, to discover that his mother is no longer waiting for him, or there to comfort him. And as he wanders, and finds a lone seat alone in the park (a common destination of peaceful bonding between the two) he feels despair, but he also begins to think of how his mother opened his eyes to the wonder and hope above all, obscure to those who don’t see it, and through that, he is once again able to see, by remembering his mother’s eyes.

(Hats off to Jenny Wright, and composer Matt Huxley. Great collaboration!) The ending of this film can be interpreted in a variety of different manners (as many things can), but I just thought this was such a beautiful narrative that showcased both the ups and downs of motherhood, the responsibilities of being a son, and remembering never to take for granted the people and little things in life; concealed, but precious. I was able to somewhat relate this story to my own life, being the oldest brother of six kids, and son to one remarkable mother. As a younger person (maybe its the same for everyone until a certain age or stage in life), it is an almost incomprehensible concept to raise one child (let alone six!), and lend 100% of yourself to that small (or big) being. It’s pretty tremendous! So, through this insightful film (tear-inducing, I might add), I have been well reminded of the great role my relationship with mom plays in my life, my work, and the pure enjoyment I get just watching a movie or laughing her.

Wayne the Stegosaurus •

2014 ( 2 minutes )

Directed by Aran Quinn and Jeffrey Dates

This is a short, sweet, and simple little film that showcases some really fun and flexible animation, accompanied by a strange rhyme (from ‘children’s poet’, Ken Nesbitt) about the huge mass of the extinct Stegosaurus (which reached almost 30 feet long, and 13 feet high) in comedic contrast to the tiny brain it carried around (which was about the size of a walnut). The colors that glisten and glitch in this visual venture tread into rather psychedelic bounds, and the absurdity of the Dino, the words; everything makes it a delectable nugget of a film, deserving of being a nice addition to this list. Enjoy!

La Noria •

2018 ( 12 minutes )

Directed by Carlos Baena

Now this dark story is rather a unique selection in this curation (though I’ll probably repeat that, unapologetically I might add, throughout this article). We will begin with an intro first, however, as we follow a young boy lingering in the shadows of his bedroom. He gloomily constructs a carousel, a present from his recently departed father, and, with each of piece of the shaky model assembled, the painful memories of happier and stronger times, continuously wash over him, with crippling effect. But in this emotionally void state, strange sounds suddenly seize our boy character’s attention, which leads to a cautious venturing outside into the eerie hallway. And as further exploration prompts even more of the terrible noises to rouse, what he eventually finds aims to petrify and strike fear deep into the heart of those it curses (in this case, the boy). And upon his horrifying discovery, the boy is faced with a critical decision; he will either continue to wallow in his grief and fear, forever curling up in the darkness, or he will decide to take a stand, changing the outlook of his dim fate in the process.

So, the cool thing about this film is that, apart from showcasing some absolutely stunning visual and graphic design, it was made by an array of collaborators across the world. Rather than working in one studio (for example), the piece was sent back and forth and away to different different countries for artists, riggers, animators, and technicians (and so on) to work on until a completed work came into existence. Pretty amazing! A very commendable work, vividly profound, that really portrays the grief of losing a parent from the the impressionable and freshly uncertain eyes of a child. And with beautiful and haunting contrasts between pure darkness and light (an interesting balance that we all experience in our own lives) I say sit back, prepare to experience something serious, and definitely enjoy! (The link above is only for the teaser, as they haven’t actually released the full film to the public yet).

The Yorkshire Sound •

2017 ( 3 minutes )

Directed by Marcus Armitage

This audio-visual work is a portrayal of all of things that go on, good or bad, loud or quiet, plainly noticeable or ever so subtle; this is a interesting glimpse into a day in the life of Yorkshire (a town in the UK). I love the originality of this film, both the animation and concept; swift angles and views of everything relative to the place (birds, bars, families, hatching fights, food, night life, etc.) are given to the viewer in a nice and moderate and diverse balance. This was made in collaboration with the BBC Four, and (with no relation in topic) I think the subtle choice to work with a smaller (maybe more obscure) area like Yorkshire, over often used cities like London, or what have you, is cool. It’s kind of random (unless it’s not, if you know what I mean), charming, and very immersive in that way, with colors, that vary in levels of atmospheric comfort, and stimulate the eye in a most fascinating manner (in short: it’s super ‘rad’). I really love the blending of different hues and lifelike movement of things as they slowly progress from the morning into nighttime. I’ve never been to Yorkshire, but I’ve always longed to go and explore the big and small parts of “the old country”, and I am now very excited in adding it as a great stop due to this soulful and personal painting of the wee county! (Oh, I also recommend checking out the co-animator’s profile on this project, Diana Gradinaru. Great stuff!)

Nocturne (Nachtstück) •

2017 ( 5 minutes )

Directed by Anne Breymann

I think this to be a fitting conclusion to our animation shortlist. I was excited to discover this just recently, and urge you to watch it (as well as the rest of these works) and give me your thoughts (it doesn’t need to be super deep, you know? Just an impression).

The introduction to this story shows the darkness and the obscure beauty of the woods. Slowly, strange, eerie creatures begin to emerge from their hiding in the shadows, making their eventual way to a small clearing, with a stone table set in the middle. Out of the group of authentically and uniquely designed creatures, two of the figures step to the forefront, where they begin to play a little something. A cup with small rocks is spun, set down, and then lifted to see whether or not they are stacked, which determines the winner. The two make this gamble over and over again, each betting something of their inner soul with every match (in the shape of glowing orbs), and each game ending with same champion (the success of which is internalized and bestows “add-on” features to the winner). And as the tallies of both victories and losses start to mount, the more deprived of the two fosters a rising frustration, in accordance with the event’s great level of opportunity and risk.

Now, though what I usually do consists of me giving an individual interpretation, I hate to be the one who is always breaking down stories for their hidden meanings, all of the time. Sometimes I enjoy just basking in the many unknowns of a piece, just kind of savoring it and watching, you know? That abstraction is often the beauty of any art, and I feel that is enough for me.

However, I do want to briefly focus on the beautiful work displayed on the puppets and their surroundings. I love the originality of each character (unique variations of elephants, deer, birds, and other untold beings). They hold a slightly creepy, though curious tone about themselves, leaving me interested to uncover more about their likes and manners (just a thought). Their forms of storage are very interesting and creative, taking place in eggshell heads (non-repairable, looks like), chest cabinets, and who knows what else. This film connects with me in the similar way that the chilling iOS puzzle game Year Walk did a while back (read my review here). I love the mystical aspects present in storytelling; a concept exhibited rather universally in cultures around the world, and have always gravitated toward magical, whimsical, and beautiful tales.

I added this entry to reiterate a notion of balance between dark and light in pretty much everything. Looking at my own tendencies, I love watching comedies and adventures; lighthearted stories that just make me leap, giggle, and weep. But I know that, to claim a view (hopefully) worthy of others’ attention and consideration, that I must be versed in the negative areas of cinema to a point where I can backup my stances with circumstance and “proof” (so to speak), while speaking to the reader on an equal level of comprehension, trying to teach a little something along the way. (Back on the rails now) Praises to the creator and designer Anne Breymann (she’s got some other fabulous work, so check it out), and, simply, just a great little film!

Conclusion:

So there we have it. A look at five unique short films, brought to beautiful fruition through the hard teamwork of many talented artists, showcasing a variety of distinctive stories alongside their novel designs (great thanks and congrats to everyone involved! Nice work). With these small works, we’ve embraced comedy, endured struggles with darkness, and been reminded of the gift that motherhood is; taking quick strolls with characters and worlds never seen. It’s always amazing to see how limitless film can be, good or bad. Even if I see a terrible film, I think to myself “Well, there’s another example of the unreal possibilities this medium. And this is why I absolutely love it!”.

We have a nice little number of segments going on now (‘Spotlight Series’ and ‘Festival Review’), with this, hopefully, being a warm keeper among those. And though I enjoy making these watchlists, and writing these reviews (‘finishing them’ is more like it), I also love hearing from others (you), whether they have film recommendations, opinions, or an idea of their own to share, so don’t hesitate to comment below, or contact me if you have any questions! Make sure to check out these artists sites and portfolios (really great aesthetic. Very inspiring), make sure to share this site with your friends, and hope you have great autumn week. Until then, cheers!

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