Monsieur Cok

Mister Cok is the owner of a large bomb factory. Looking for efficiency and profit, he decides to replace his workers by sophisticated robots. The formers stare helplessly at the toil of the robotic labourers. But one of the workers does not accept being discarded so easily.

Ecirava (Animated Short Film)

An animated short film about a covetous homeless and a mysterious mirror.

"Coin" (EXIT 73 Studios)

“Coin” begins as a rather humble homage to fighting games of yesteryear, an 8-bit nod at nostalgia with lovingly crafted keyframes.

Then things get awesome.

More than just an epic fight scene, “Coin” is an odyssey told through the language of kicking ass. While mopping up the screen with hundreds of foes, the short’s hero journeys underwater, into outer space, through the belly of a whale and into the circles of hell. There are plenty of references to video games from my childhood, but even without that esoteric knowledge, it’s a wildly fun ride. 

“Coin” was directed and animated by Chris Burns (Exit 73 Studios) with music, sound design and compositing by Bob Fox.

Sandy (Short Film)

Joseph Mann’s perversely cute (and NSFW) stop-action short, “Sandy.”

The Renter

Do yourself a favor: Stop what you’re doing and, for the next 9 minutes devote your attention to “The Renter,” an animated short by CalArts alum Jason Carpenter.
Powered by a haunting score from Jeff Shiffman, “The Renter” gets under your skin. The relationships between the characters are fraught with ambiguity, making them feel more authentic than the tidy roles often found in student films. From the animal-like prowling of the old man to the cowering hesitancy of the little boy, each movement of each character imparts dramatic weight, even as it stokes uncertainties about the characters’ motivations.

The Look

Despite the film’s painterly look and bounty of textures, the process behind it was nearly all digital:

Except for some early drawings and thumbnails, I didn’t use any paper. I really tried to approach the digital production the same way I would if I were using traditional mediums. Before I started the animation, I blocked out rough layouts and animatics in Flash. With some basic brushes and a couple of paper textures I got from a friend, I started working on the backgrounds in Photoshop. The “texture” of the film results more from how I worked with the tools I had and not so much what tools they were.

In a time of backlash against digital processes and stilted romanticism for analogue techniques, I find Jason’s attitude refreshing. All tools, whether digital or analogue, are tools. Their superiority is only judged by the artist who wields them and the purposes to which they are applied.
For more information, check out the official site.

Star Wars Fan Made Short

Apparently working by himself, Otaking77077 created this inspired animated short that shows us the people behind the masks of The Empire. The original version had no audio, so YouTuber SuperMulciber added Sleigh Bells “Born,” which works surprisingly well.

Life By A Thread (Animated Short)

Animator Jim Segrue is part of the award winning team at Titmouse, the folks responsible for shows like Metalocalypse, Superjail and Black Dynamite, but this time he's stretching out his wings and flying solo.

His newest short Life By A Thread details an alley cat's search for warmth during those cold winter months, and the only thing this squashy, stretchy character animation smearfest seems to be missing is a suitable soundtrack.

Anybody have access to a theremin? Or a musical saw and trombone?

--via Cartoon Brew

Primus 'Lee Van Cleef'

Chris Lenox Smith makes his solo director debut with this awesome take on the Western for Primus’ ‘Lee Van Cleef’

Apocalypse Pizza Video

It’s good to know that if we ever find ourselves in the midst of a zombie apocalypse we’ll still be able to order out for pizza and a video!

The team behind Apocalypse Pizza Video are hoping to turn their project into a feature film, and by the look of this trailer it could be a lot of fun to watch! (NSFWish due to coarse language and humor)

–via Nerd Bastards

The Chase

Philippe Gamer (Nexus) writes and directs, The Chase, a Bruckenheimer-esque short with a twist ending. Production by Space Patrol.

Nullarbor

Nullarbor is a 10-minute video written by Patrick Sarell and directed by Alister Lockhart. One of the best animations I've ever seen.

FriendSheep

A short film made entirely by students from the Valencia-based school of animation PrimerFrame , pre-production began in March 2010, completing a year later and has since received numerous awards, nominations and national projections and internationally.

Ride Of Passage

Toki's tribe expects him to bring home the head of the biggest animal possible. In return, he will receive honor and respect. However, this rite of passage does not turn out as planned. With the help of a colorful new friend, he achieves something much bigger.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

I was introduced to “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” iPad app by my friend’s five-year-old son while traveling the North Island of New Zealand at the end of last year.

I remember being amazed by the quality and detail that went into this interactive narrative experience. Created by Moontbot Studios and directed by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, the app is an adaptation of the award-winning short-film of the same name that, as of last week, has been nominated for an Oscar.

Inspired in equal measures by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz and a love for books, “Morris Lessmore” is a story about a man’s love for books. After a huge storm that takes everything from him, the protagonist finds himself in a magical place where books are alive and become his friends. The rest is a journey worth watching. Enjoy.

The app | Official site | Moonbot Studios

Oscar Nominees 2012: Best Animated Short Film

The nominations for the 84th Academy Awards are in, and although they were announced last week, we thought we’d dig up snippets of each flick for Best Animated Short Film to share with you today. Say hello to the contenders!

Animated Short Film Nominees:

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg)



Dimanche/Sunday (Patrick Doyon)



La Luna (Enrico Casarosa)


Clip from Pixar's short film La Luna por animatieblog

A Morning Stroll (Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe)



Wild Life (Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby)

The Discovery Of Fire

A pack of 'Cromags' obtains fire without knowing how to make it. The 'Neandert' family is cold. The father sees a smoke in the distance and decides to go... A short film directed by Mickaël Bellamy.

Gom

In a circus, Gom, a rubber-boy, has to replace the artist's assistant during the show.
Directed by Anthony Delliste.

Vampire Bash - Five Second Project Winner for “Monster Bash”

António Silva, maker of Vampire Bash animation.

More: Five Second Project Winner for “Monster Bash”

Goose

Goose by Dor Shamir, Shai Halfon and Oryan Medina.

Address Is Approximate

Office toys go on a road trip the only way they can, with the help of Google Street View and stop-motion animation in this animation by Tom Jenkins. Read more about this video at the Atlantic. Link -via Metafilter