Aug 19

Helen Clemens: Eskimo Joe “Losing Friends Over Love”

Posted in: 3d, Cute, General, music video, narrative


Plaza Films’ Helen Clemens directs a curious odyssey for Eskimo Joe’s “Losing Friends Over Love” music video. The project’s gentle ambiance is shot through with streaks of tension, creating a compelling narrative arc within a claustrophobic world.

Animated by Pete Commins (Partizan), the video’s faux stop-motion feel, electro-mechanical props and use of room-based vignettes remind me a little of the classic Super Furry Animals “It’s Not the End of the World” video (created by David and Laurent Nicolas), but “Losing Friends” has a look-and-feel all its own, driven as it is by the innocent exploration of the lead character.


Credits
Music Video Directed By Helen Clemens
3D Animation By Pete Commins
Produced By Jamie Hilton
June 2009 © Helen Clemens / Warner Music

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Jul 14

Mesai: Alarm

Posted in: 3d, character animation, Cute, funny, General, korea, rendering, short film


I gotta be honest, the real reason I was first attracted to Mesai’s “Alarm,” was for its beautifully soft lighting and rendering. On second pass, I noticed some of subtle character animation. But the story, I felt, dragged.

After talking it over with fellow Motionographer Greg Herman, though, I realized that was exactly the point. We’re pulled into this world where everything is punctuated by alarms, where every moment of stillness is just a preamble to the spine-wrenching squeal of a bell. Thus, the near real-time toaster sequence feels excruciatingly slow, the long ride in the elevator feels like a devilish trick.

Watching it a third time with this in mind, I found myself grinning wildly, enjoying the entire experience immensely.

You can download a 720p version of the film from Mesai, the animation partnership of Moohyun Jang and Jungoo Choo that created “Alarm.” You’ll also find some pre-production stills and a bevvy of test renders in the Alarm Introduction area of the site.

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Jul 10

Baptiste Sola: L’échange (The Exchange)

Posted in: Cute, funny, General, minimal, simple, squares


Although the end falls just a little flat for me, I’m still in love with Baptiste Sola’s “L’échange.” It’s a brilliant testament to a kind of Mondrian-esque minimalism, showing just how much can be said with so little.

The main drivers of narrative here are the sound design; slight variations in animation (the square’s ever so subtle hesitation is loaded with meaning); and, of course, the introduction of the pink square. Everyone who’s had a pink square in their lives know how they can so happily upset your routine, how they stick with you, how they keep you up at night.

L’échange reminds me a bit of Grant Orchard’s “Love Sport” series, which used a similar minimalist approach.

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