David Michôd is a writer/director (and also actor) who has made his presence known to me through a few very intriguing, if not quite brilliant shorts. He also has a co-writing credit on last year’s Hesher, which is quite impressive.
His two shorts can be found below. Bear in mind both contain adult language and situations:
Spider
Crossbow
Crossbow from Aquarius Films on Vimeo.
David Michôd is a writer/director (and also actor) who has made his presence known to me through a few very intriguing, if not quite brilliant shorts. He also has a co-writing credit on last year’s Hesher, which is quite impressive. His two shorts can be found below. Bear in mind both contain adult language and situations: Spider
Crossbow from Aquarius Films on Vimeo.
OK, I know that I promised that I wouldn’t let 61 Days of Halloween interfere with normal posting activities. For a while, I was keeping up on this series at least. Then last weekend I slipped.
To make up for it. I figured I’d choose a great film that needs minimal introduction. We recently lost Chris Marker the director of La jetée one of the most influential shorts in the history of film. It’s composed of stills. It’s certainly inspired me (examples here and here), countless others and was one of my favorite discoveries last year. Enjoy!
Here’s another short that comes from a cinematic legend’ school days. This is a silent (the score, which is very appropriate was added later on), surrealist piece by Orson Welles made when he was 19.
There are commonly referred to images throughout and it’s tonal more than anything else and effective being as such. There will be some discomfort for modern viewers as there is an actor in blackface, my assumption is that it’s done for effect and commentary.
Here’s the blurb from the site that hosts it:
The Hearts of Age is the first film made by Orson Welles. The film is an eight-minute short, which he co-directed with William Vance in 1934. The film stars Welles’ first wife, Virginia Nicholson, as well as Welles himself. He made the film while attending the Todd School for Boys, in Woodstock, Illinois, at the age of 19. The plot is a series of images loosely tied together, and is arguably influenced by surrealism. This once-rare film is easily seen today thanks to DVD extras and sites such as YouTube. Many point to it as an important precursor to Welles’ first Hollywood film, Citizen Kane. Welles and Vance were college friends. The latter’s only other film on record is another student short – an adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 1932.
To view click the link below:
There’s not going to be a lot of lead-up to this short. First, I must thank one of my frequent readers for suggesting it to me, as it is a short I truly enjoy. As for the film itself, this is what happens when Salvador Dali meets Walt Disney, literally.
Destino
This is a short film that was created for a contest Quentin Tarantino ran as part of a promotion for his upcoming Django Unchained. Below you will find the winning entry by Brazilian student filmmaker Edson Oda. Oda, per reports, is heading to USC for his masters.
Here is Oda’s Vimeo blurb:
This is a short film a created for the Quentin Tarantino’s Emerging Artist Contest to promote the film Django Unchained.
“The Writer” tells the story of Pedro, a young cowboy who defies the writer of the short film (me). I used the footage of the film “Day of Anger” and changed the dialogues in order to create this comic book world ruled by the sacred script.
It is a really fun, insightful and creative short. I hope this film is allowed an Academy Award qualifying festival because it’s certainly deserving. I do recommend you watch fullscreen to not miss any of the text.
Enjoy!
The Writer from Edson Oda on Vimeo.
Here’s a film that very quickly proves that shorts can have layers to them and also have pretty interesting structures. There’s flashback in here but it’s not in your face about it, there’s a precise trigger but that comes later and there’s a bit of psychology at play too as the subject of this piece is re-examining his life because of a rather mundane, yet significant moment he’s going through.
I also enjoy that this short was created based on a monologue and produced by a theatre program for young people. All in all it serves everyone who comes in contact with it, artists and viewers alike.
A classical animation style rendition of Red Riding Hood wherein the Big Bad Wolf has the nursery rhyme equivalent of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome? That’s what Disney’s Oscar nominated Red Riding Redux offers. It’s a hilarious tale with workplace teasing, the wolf married to a sheep, a celebrity voice cast, modern twists, pop culture allusions and much more. It’s a wonderful marriage of Disney fairy tale-telling and Looney Tunes style zaniness.
NOTE: Please forgive the inconsistent quality as it appears to be a dub of a VHS screener that has seen some degradation over time (Ah, the wonders of VHS).
Typically, these shorts come to my attention on Twitter either randomly or directly from feeds I follow. As I was watching many a short one day to make these posts I noticed many of them cam from Short of the Week. They really do have great stuff and post great blurbs. I really adore this short and the blurb that accompanies it by David Masters, so I have quoted it below. Enjoy!
Living in an average British suburb, Barney drives an average car to an average office where he works an average job. He’s an average bloke, with one important exception: he lives life upside down.
On a technical level, Reverso gets everything right—quality 3D animation, realistic lighting, and complex yet easy-on-the-eye rendering. Yet in today’s democracy of filmmaking, technical ability isn’t enough to stand out from the crowd. What makes this film special is its bold visual storytelling.
Reverso is a masterclass in how to tell a story without dialogue. Strong characters and visual cues are used to establish viewer expectations, build the conflict, and draw the story to an inevitable conclusion that despite its sadness, is also uplifting (both literally and figuratively).
The filmmakers devoted careful thought to establishing characters through visuals. Barney, the lovable protagonist who navigates his upside-down world with a cheeky smile, and moves his too-long limps with lolloping grace, is based on a chimpanzee. Barney’s Dad, a soft, kind, maternal man has the rounded belly of a greedy gorilla, and spends his whole life wearing pink slippers. The office bully, Humphrey, is petty and mean, with the ugly face and sharp features of a rodent.
In its visual-only storytelling, its choice of office setting, and its thematic focus on difference, Reverso is reminiscent of the Jaime Maestro animation FriendSheep.
Reverso is a playful story with a serious message. Launched as part of the ArtFx school’s 2012 promotion, this is the first animation featured on Short of the Week from the Montpelier-based school of special effects and 3D animation. If it’s a sign of what’s to come from ArtFx, I’m excited to see more.
A film actually bereft of dialogue that beautifully captures not only a ghost town but communicates a longing that is beyond words. Through the old man’s attempt a past that is forever lost is communicated and an impact is created in three minutes that many features cannot accomplish.
