Category: Animation

Sci-Fi Short Film Uncanny Valley – Future of Virtual Reality

Sci-Fi Short Film Uncanny Valley is set in the slums of the future where virtual reality junkies satisfy their violent impulses in online entertainment. An expert player discovers that the line between games and reality is starting to fade away. 3DAR’s latest short film explores the frightening potential of our next technological revolution.

Neat concept, great animations!

The feature adaptation of Uncanny Valley is planned as part of a unique multimedia production that will see a series of innovative VR experiences made available via virtual reality platforms as the film nears release. In support of this effort, private screenings have included proof of concept demonstrations of virtual reality segments inspired by the film and accessible on the Oculus Rift headset.

A short film from Argentina’s Federico Heller that’s on the fast track to becoming a feature, thanks to the efforts of Independence Day: Resurgence writer Carter Blanchard.

Official Page

Film is removed as it is becoming a Feature Film!

The Leviathan (2015) is a spectacular-looking sci-fi thriller

The Leviathan (2015) is set at the early 22nd century when mankind had colonized many worlds. Faster than light travel was made possible by harvesting exotic matter from the eggs of the largest species mankind has ever seen. Those that take part in the hunt are mostly involuntary labor.

A web sensation!

The Leviathan (2015) comes from the minds of Academy Award nominated short film director Ruairi Robinson and Fight Club and Jumper screenwriter Jim Uhls. Robinson directed a previous sci-fi short titled The Silent City, which actually starred the then up-and-coming Cillian Murphy. Neill Blomkamp and Simon Kinberg joined the project as producers. Now Fox has bought the The Leviathan movie pitch and the script for the film

You might be surprised to know that 300, Sin City, District 9, Deadpool and even Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow – all started life as proof-of-concept short films.

PG-13 CGI Anime 2D/3D Short

Awesome work! I like how the main character at first appears to be your average spunky, fresh-faced, amateur treasure hunter; my first impression was “Ah, good-hearted but hapless kid gets in way over his head.” However as the video goes on, you start getting some foreshadowing (“whoa what the heck– o-oh. O-okay so that was just getting dinner…I guess there is nothing wrong with that…”). Then it starts showing up more and more in his actions and expressions. It isn’t until near the very end that you realize just what kind of person this guy is.

The little flashback at the end was fantastic, I was wondering why the dealer gave him the map, was he promised a sizable cut if the treasure? Did the main character dump his piggy bank and entire life savings on the table to buy it? Now we have come full circle with the real answer.

On the technical side of things your entire team has done spectacularly! The scenery, the characters’ motions and style, the ambient worldbuilding, the music and sound design, the transitions and “camera work” for lack of a better term, all of these gave life to the story and strengthened each scene and each shift in tone. – more comments

Vitaliy Shushko — art, story, directing

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Amazing Animated Film

One More Page (2015) is a short animated film that follows the exhilirating adventures of a young girl, through the pages of a bedtime story. It is amazingly well done film about our imagination when reading. Through young girl’s imagination as she reads her book of extraordinary adventures late at night, we explore the power of fantasy, imagination, creativity, dreams and conscience with one question in mind – where is the border between reality and imagination.

Reading while dreaming is entirely possible. It is a common sensory experience and dreams are based on imaginary facsimiles of sensory experiences. I’ve dreamed, for example, that I’m listening to a symphony orchestra playing a beautiful piece of music I’ve never heard before.

Cast and Crew:

Directed by Sam Osborne, Nicholas Deary, Jay Stewart, Gary Pogue and Matthew Cooper

Plot:

Logorama explores the extent to which logos are embedded in our daily existence. Police chase an armed criminal in a Los Angeles comprised entirely of corporate logos.

Production:

This is a short film that was directed by the French animation collective H5. It was presented at the Cannes Film Festival 2009. Logorama opened the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and won a 2010 Academy Award under the category of Animated Short. In this film there are two pieces of licensed music, in the beginning and in the end. All the other music and sound design are original. The opening track (Dean Martin “Good Morning Life”) and closing track (The Ink Spots “I don’t want to send the world on fire”) songs are licensed pre-existing tracks. All original music and sound design is by, human (humanworldwide.com). The film won the Prix Kodak at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 82nd Academy Awards.

Logorama Review

If you are looking for a short with a deep story or that makes a lot of sense, then do NOT watch LOGORAMA. It will probably make your brain hurt if you try to make too much sense out of it. However, it is one of the most stunning films visually and the concept is just brilliant. It consists of a magical land where everything is logos–advertising signs and figures used throughout the world. Here, the AOL man, Bic pen man, Bob’s Big Boy and many others live and the buildings, wall, etc. are all advertising logos. And, interestingly enough, Ronald McDonald is an evil psychotic!! This, however, is not the reason that this film was shown last after a special warning appeared on the screen indicating this last film was not appropriate for children. It’s because the film is very violent and the language is amazingly harsh. Little kids might be traumatized to see the characters acting in a very R-rated manner! – planktonrules

Directed by François Alaux and Hervé de Crécy.

“Oktapodi,” a 2007 animated short directed by Julien Bocabeille, François-Xavier Chanioux, Olivier Delabarre, Thierry Marchand, Quentin Marmier, and Emud Mokhberi, is a whirlwind of emotion and adventure. In just under three minutes, it delivers a heart-pounding chase and a touching love story.

freemoviescinema

The Story

The film tells the story of two octopuses in love, separated by fate. When one is taken by a seafood delivery truck, the other springs into action. What follows is a frantic, high-speed chase through a Greek seaside village.

Simple but Engaging

The plot is straightforward but gripping. It’s a classic tale of love and determination, executed with perfect pacing and style.

The Animation

The animation is vibrant and fluid. The bright colors and detailed textures bring the underwater world and the village to life. Every frame is a feast for the eyes.

Visually Stunning

The film’s visual appeal is undeniable. The expressive characters and dynamic backgrounds make it a joy to watch.

The Characters

The two octopuses are wonderfully animated, their expressions and movements full of personality. Without a single word, they convey love, fear, and determination.

Expressive and Relatable

You quickly become invested in their plight. Their expressive eyes and daring antics make them easy to root for.

The Humor

“Oktapodi” is filled with humor. The chase sequences are not only thrilling but also packed with comedic moments. The filmmakers balance tension and humor perfectly.

Laughs Amid the Tension

The humor lightens the mood without undermining the stakes. It’s a delightful blend of suspense and comedy.

The Music

The score by Kenny Wood enhances the action. It’s energetic and playful, matching the frantic pace of the chase. The music adds an extra layer of excitement to the film.

Perfectly Paired

The soundtrack elevates the film, syncing perfectly with the animation and adding to the overall enjoyment.

The Emotion

Despite its short runtime, “Oktapodi” packs an emotional punch. The bond between the two octopuses is touching, and their struggle to reunite is genuinely moving.

Heartfelt Moments

The film’s emotional core is strong. It’s a testament to the power of animation to convey deep feelings in a short span of time.

The Conclusion

“Oktapodi” ends on a high note, with a twist that leaves you smiling. It’s a satisfying conclusion to a perfectly paced story.

A Fitting Finale

The ending wraps up the adventure in a way that feels both surprising and inevitable, leaving you with a sense of joy and fulfillment.

The Legacy

“Oktapodi” has left a lasting impression in the world of short films. Its combination of stunning animation, humor, and heart has earned it a place among the best animated shorts.

A Modern Classic

This film is a must-watch for animation lovers. Its charm and craftsmanship make it a standout piece that continues to delight audiences.

Conclusion

“Oktapodi” is a triumph in short-form animation. Directors Bocabeille, Chanioux, Delabarre, Marchand, Marmier, and Mokhberi have crafted a film that is both entertaining and touching. With its stunning visuals, engaging story, and heartfelt emotion, “Oktapodi” is a delightful experience that leaves a lasting impression. It’s proof that great storytelling doesn’t need a long runtime to make a big impact.

Trashonauts – Animated Delight

Trashonauts is made by a Filmmaker Jack Corpening. This fantastic short is dedicated to human space flight, animal rescue, and cleaning up pollution, with a nifty musical homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is the most adorably animated little magnet ever.

About Project:

Kickstarter funded 3D animated short film thesis about a grumpy space garbage man who happens upon a spunky magnetic alien. Produced in Ringling College of Art + Design’s Computer Animation Major using Maya, ZBrush, RenderMan, Nuke, Photoshop, Substance Painter, Premiere Pro, and 3D-Coat. 40 backers pledged $2,351 to help bring this project to life. An epic score was made by Corey Wallace, which combines Strauss’s Blue Danube with trash-based percussion and spacey synth for a unique effect, a sort of cartoony homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Directed by Jack Corpening

Plot:

Sintel follows a girl who is searching for a baby dragon she calls Scales. A flashback reveals that she found Scales with its wing injured and helped care for it, forming a close bond with it. By the time its wing recovered and it was able to fly, Scales was caught by an adult dragon. Sintel has since embarked on a quest to rescue Scales, fending off beasts and warriors along the way. She eventually comes across a cave housing an adult and baby dragon, the latter of which she believes to be Scales. The adult dragon discovers and attacks Sintel, but hesitates to kill her. She slays the dragon, only to recognize the scar on its wing and realize the dragon is an adult Scales, and that she too has aged considerably. Sintel leaves the cave heartbroken, unknowingly followed by Scales’s baby.

Sintel (2010) Review:

Third short film by the Amsterdam-based Blender Foundation. Sintel is partly meant to promote the open source animation software Blender and to be used for demo-purposes by it’s sponsors. The animation, the music, and the story is simply amazing. This short film shows how powerful the Blender application is with hard work and determination. With more work, more workers, and more money, this could have been a feature-length production.

Seattle International Film Festival 2011
Best Short Animation – Audience Award

Washington DC Independent Film Festival 2011
Audience Award – Best International Animation
Grand Jury Award – Best Animation

Cast and Crew:

Directed by Colin Levy
Starring Halina Reijn, Thom Hoffman

Plot:

850 meters tells a stroy of a not-so-brave knight who is on a quest for Fame and Fortune – legend says rescuing a princess is the way to go. And in those same fairy tales, there’s only one way to slay the dragon that hold the fair lady captive : find the invincible sword. To reach his goal, the knight is ready to go far. Maybe even as far as 850 meters…

850 meters (2013) Review:

850 METERS is an animated comedy short produced by THURISTAR in coproduction with Lunanime, currently screening in festivals. The short has also aired on CANAL+ in France and will soon be shown on Ketnet (VRT) and Ouftivi (RTBF) in Belgium.

Cast and Crew:

A THURISTAR — Lunanime short film
Starring Roger Flambé
Written and directed by Joeri Christiaen
Co-written and produced by Perrine Gauthier
Coproduced by Annemie Degryse
Music by Frederik Segers
With the participation of CANAL+, pmG Worldwide (messiahStudio) and Temple of Tune
With the support of the Flanders Audiovisual Fund and Provinciebestuur Oost Vlaanderen
Taxshelter partner : BUSI (Business & Systems Integration)

Image by Joeri Christiaen
With help from Olivier Thill, Julien Schmitt, Wouter Aarts, Michael Mahy and Mette Tange
2D artwork : Andry Rajoelina
Programming and rigging : Vegard Myklebust
messiahStudio support : Fori Owurowa
Sound design and mix : Temple of Tune / Fredo Gevaert and Jorka Decroubele
Voice recording : Piste Rouge
With the voices of : Manu Garijo, David Gasman, Mirabelle Kirkland and Barbara Beretta
Music recording and premix : Boma Studio
Lab : Studio L’Equipe

http://www.850meters.com
http://www.facebook.com/850meters
http://twitter.com/850meters
http://www.THURISTAR.com

Plot:

Cupido – In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupido, meaning “desire”) is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the war god Mars, and is known in Latin also as Amor (“Love”). His Greek counterpart is Eros.

Although Eros is in Classical Greek art as a slender winged youth, during the Hellenistic period, he was increasingly portrayed as a chubby boy. During this time, his iconography acquired the bow and arrow that represent his source of power: a person, or even a deity, who is shot by Cupid’s arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire. In myths, Cupid is a minor character who serves mostly to set the plot in motion. He is a main character only in the tale of Cupid and Psyche, when wounded by his own weapons he experiences the ordeal of love. Although other extended stories are not told about him, his tradition is rich in poetic themes and visual scenarios, such as “Love conquers all” and the retaliatory punishment or torture of Cupid.

In art, Cupid often appears in multiples as the Amores, or amorini in the later terminology of art history, the equivalent of the Greek erotes. Cupids are a frequent motif of both Roman art and later Western art of the classical tradition. In the 15th century, the iconography of Cupid starts to become indistinguishable from the putto.

Cupido draws his bow and the love is born!

Cupid continued to be a popular figure in the Middle Ages, when under Christian influence he often had a dual nature as Heavenly and Earthly love. In the Renaissance, a renewed interest in classical philosophy endowed him with complex allegorical meanings. In contemporary popular culture, Cupid is shown drawing his bow to inspire romantic love, often as an icon of Valentine’s Day.

This is the story of Cupid from France, confronted with a modern Narcissus and lived his worst day ever.

Directed by Simon Bau, Clémentine Choplain, Marie Ecarlat, Benoît Huguet, Julien Soulage

Web: https://www.facebook.com/CupidonLeFilm

Plot:

Brain Divided follows a guy meets a blind date in a restaurant and his brain goes into overdrive, with an epic struggle between the logical and inhibited left side and the emotional, impulsive right side. The place is great and the girl is beautiful. If only the two sides of his brain (seen here as two tiny creatures running the brain’s command center) could work together for once.

Brain Divided (2013) Review:

Incredibly well done CGI animated short film. Inside Out Looks Suspiciously Similar to Brain Divided Inside Out is another Pixar film where the studio takes on the task of balancing a serious drama with cartoon hijinks. Imagine my surprise when I found the following student film from 2013. Brain Divided put a smile on my face and gave me a decent laugh. I can’t say the same from the incredibly similar themed of Inside Out. The Pixar film feels like an Adam Sandler comedy trying too hard to be serious, like Big Daddy. Where Wall-E delivers a subtle message of hope as we watch characters grow on screen, Inside Out feels like a tale of stereotypes. Up carries deeply charged emotional content thanks to the multidimensional characters. Inside Out gives you a cast that is completely the opposite. The little girl, the parents and the “real” world are never really flushed out well in sacrifice for the singularly-focused “emotions” in her head. Sure, in the end there is some growth, but to me it just wasn’t as powerful as the other Pixar films I mentioned. Thus, I prefer the yucks of Brain Divided. And, I get the message of teamwork without any real dialogue from the “emotions” in the brain. –

Directed by Josiah Haworth and Joon Shik Song
Starring Sarah Young, Kristen Gish, Christine Kim

While his wife is undergoing slimming treatment, Andre goes on a discovery tour of this very unusual center. Weight loss resort implements a large scale and complex treatment process on weightwatchers, comprising disinfestation bath, twisting and pumping, all these process are shown in-depth however the transformation from fat to fit occur all of a sudden; so then why pointlessly all the redundant advancement is screened? One more thing is why that woman was not able to be transformed into a fit body whereas all other women had been succeeded. I have questioned that may it was due to eating this pink cake but, the woman who eats that cake is blond while the woman who could not be transformed has brown-haired.

Directed by Bertrand Avril and Pierre Chomarat

Plot:

First Fall follows Abel who lives in the winter and Apolline who lives in the summer. Isolated in their “natures”, they never met each other. They are not even supposed to meet. So when Abel crosses the border and discovers Apolline, curiosity is overwhelming. Their encounter soon becomes more complicated than they could imagine. Both of them will have to learn compromise to protect the other…

First Fall (2013) Review:

In terms of narrative this is a simple little short film which is delivered without dialogue and is very much about the fairytale of the separation of these two seasons and their clashing characteristics – it is simply told as a story although it does have a certainly touching beauty to it. Most of this comes from the visual design and delivery, which is just incredibly good looking. The world of summer is green and lush, with that warm light that you really only get in lush climates towards the end of a great day; meanwhile the world of winter is cold, dead and clean in its whiteness. – bob the moo

Cast and Crew:

Directed by Carlos De Carvalho & Aude Danset

Plot:

L3.0 follows Leo, a Hi-Tech pet robot, that wanders alone in Paris investigating the mysterious disappearance of nearly all living species. He spends his days trying to entertain himself but to no avail. Then one day he meets a new living being.

L3.0 (2014) Review:

This short film does seem to be mostly about the way that it has delivered in terms of technology, but there is just about enough to it to make the viewer look beyond this. The arresting shots of an empty Paris are a good start, and we have a sharply animated little robot who looks cute but is also alone – triggering the Wall-E empathy before it actually does anything. From here the film leaves us wondering about the bigger picture but instead looks to Leo in particular, seeing him silently struggling with his programming in this new reality. At only a few minutes long it is not too much before we are at the end. The ending could be taken two ways – although one is less likely than the other. I chose to take the pain of the character from the final images – and as such I ended the film with a dark sense of loss that was an odd feeling to have, but one that worked in the film. – bob the moo

Cast and Crew

Directed by Alexis Decelle