MetaFilter posts tagged with shortfilms

The Lords of Cardboard

Rhaomi — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:57:14 -0800

Off Planet Films makes stuff with cardboard. Crafted by hand on a minuscule budget, the award-winning animations of the small Tasmanian studio have titillated crowds from Hobart to Sundance. Thankfully one no longer has to attend a festival to catch their work, as most of their films are now available on video sites across the interwebs (as well as on their main site). Some highlights:

Tortures for Flies - A series of shorts exploring the magical world of insect genocide.

Wolf Boy - A nerd-turned-werewolf rampages through the hinterland in this fluidly animated music video for Tasmanian band "The Phibes".

The Physique of the Christ - The story of Easter... on steroids. (mildly NSFW)

Dracenstein - From the creators: "A mad scientist's life turns pear-shaped after accidentally installing a vampire brain in his monster creation. Filmed mostly in real-time using our 2D cardboard puppetry technique, a couple of scenes were still shot single frame. We experimented in 'Dracenstein' to see if we could pull-off a comedic fight scene using the puppets. Nothing deep is intended in this particular film, its just popcorn entertainment. Entirely handmade in Tasmania by Off Planet Films on a shoestring budget of under $50 (fuel, food, cardboard and the occasional aspirin.)"

My One and Only - From the creators: "Made in 24 hours for the Launceston "Take That" short film festival, in which the film was required to include the following elements:

- a lollipop (provided)
- set in Launceston in the year 2058
- one specific genre selection (comedy)
- the word "quintessential"
- the Launceston City Council Town Hall steps
- G rated restriction

The competition began at 9:00 am 12th January 2008. We shot the Town Hall steps first, arriving home at 9:45am. Storyboards and script were completed by noon. Sound narration recorded by 12:30pm. Puppets drawn, coloured and cut out throughout the afternoon and night, until 2:00am. Filming commenced & was completed at 5:30am. Edited until 8:00am. Music and foley was added until 8:35am. Film was then rendered and submitted before the deadline. (phew!!) ... It was a very close call for us to finish. The first screening and awards ceremony was held at the Launceston School of Art at 2:00pm on the 13th.... and to our surprise our film was awarded first place!"

Off Planet also publishes independent comics, one of which doubles as a cartoon series called Inspector Crikey. There's a lot more to be found on their archives page, and most of their stuff is mirrored on their official YouTube account. Like what they do? Then why not purchase a DVD? Ignoring the fact that they ship from Australia, and that most of the films are available free on their site anyway...

2008 Animated Short Film Oscar Noms

jonson — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 11:31:26 -0800

The 2008 Oscar nominated animated shorts are online. Via.

I'm too sad to tell you...

dobbs — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 17:08:30 -0800

A site for artist Bas Jan Ader (wikipedia) who was last seen in 1975 when he took off in what would have been the smallest sailboat ever to cross the Atlantic. Site includes his most famous piece, I'm Too Sad to Tell You.

MST3K: The Shorts

cog_nate — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:38:10 -0800

During its run, Mystery Science Theater 3000 riffed on over 50 short films. Almost all of them are now on YouTube or Google Video. See the list (shamelessly cribbed from here) inside for links. Alphabetical list with episode information shamelessly cribbed from here, then chopped and channeled. (It was actually missing a couple.)

A
Alphabet Antics: 308, Gamera vs. Gaos
Appreciating Our Parents: 320, The Unearthly
Aquatic Wizards: 315, Teenage Caveman
Are You Ready for Marriage? (in sequence here and here): 616, Racket Girls
Assignment Venezuela: Never aired

B
Body Care & Grooming: 510, The Painted Hills

C
Case of Spring Fever, A: 1012, Squirm
Catching Trouble: 315, Teenage Caveman
Century 21 Calling: 906, The Space Children
Cheating: 515, The Wild Wild World of Batwoman
Chicken of Tomorrow, The: 702, The Brute Man
Circus on Ice: 421, Monster a Go-Go
Commando Cody (Part 1): 102, The Robot vs the Aztec Mummy (link goes to episode)
Commando Cody (Part 2): 103, The Mad Monster (link goes to episode)
Commando Cody (Part 3): 105, The Corpse Vanishes (not online, unMST'd version here)
Commando Cody (Parts 4 and 5 in sequence here, here and here): 107, Robot Monster
Commando Cody (Part 6): 108, Slime People (not online, unMST'd version here)
Commando Cody (Parts 7 and 8): 109, Project Moonbase (not online, unMST'd versions here and here)
Commando Cody (Part 9): 110, Robot Holocaust (link goes to episode)

D
Date with Your Family, A: 602, Invasion U.S.A. (1952)
Day at the Fair, A: 608, Codename: Diamondhead
Days of Our Years, The: 623, The Amazing Transparent Man
Design for Dreaming: 524, 12 to the Moon

G
General Hospital (Parts 1, 2 and 3 in sequence here and here): 413, Manhunt in Space; 415, The Beatniks; and 417, Crash of the Moons

H
Here Comes the Circus: 422, The Day the Earth Froze
Hired! (Parts 1 and 2): 423, Bride of the Monster and 424 Manos the Hands of Fate
Home Economics Story, The: 317, Viking Women and the Sea Serpent (not online, unMST'd version here)

J
Johnny at the Fair: 419, The Rebel Set
Junior Rodeo Daredevils: 407, The Killer Shrews
Juvenile Delinquency?, What About: 518, The Atomic Brain

K
Keeping Clean and Neat: 613, The Sinister Urge

L
Last Clear Chance: 520, Radar Secret Service

M
Mr. B Natural: 319, War of the Colossal Beast
Money Talks: 621, The Beast of Yucca Flats

O
Once Upon a Honeymoon: 701, Night of the Blood Beast
Out of This World: 618, High School Big Shot

P
Phantom Creeps, The (Part 1 in sequence here, here and here): 203, Jungle Goddess
Phantom Creeps, The (Part 2 in sequence here, here and here): 205, Rocket Attack U.S.A.
Phantom Creeps, The (Part 3): 206, Ring of Terror (not online)
Posture Pals: 320, The Unearthly
Progress Island U.S.A. (Part 1, Part 2): 621, The Beast of Yucca Flats

R
Robot Rumpus: 912, The Screaming Skull

S
Selling Wizard (in sequenc here and here): 603, The Dead Talk Back
Snow Thrills: 311, It Conquered the World
Speech: Platform Balance & Posture: 619, Red Zone Cuba
Speech: Using Your Voice: 313, Earth vs the Spider

U
Uncle Jim's Farm: 607, Bloodlust!
Undersea Kingdom, Chapter 1: 406, Attack of the Giant Leeches (link goes to episode)
Undersea Kingdom, Chapter 2: 409, The Indestructible Man (not online, unMST'd version here)

W
Why Study Industrial Arts?: 609, The Skydivers

X
X Marks the Spot: 210, King Dinosaur

Y
Young Man's Fancy: 610, The Violent Years

NYMag's Top Five Tribeca Film Fest shorts

mediareport — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 07:28:41 -0800

New York Magazine's top five shorts from the Tribeca Film Festival, presented in full, including the 25-minute documentary "Someone Else's War," about third-world contract employees in Iraq. A bit more inside. [via Nerve's Screengrab]

Nude Caboose gets a big WTF

dobbs — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 21:03:18 -0800

The Shorts In Motion site has content some may find interesting, including some short films by Guy Maddin (nsfw; wtf), Mark McKinney, Denis Villeneuve (one of my fave Canadian filmmakers), Ann Marie Fleming, Issabella Rossellini and some cute quizzes/extras. (Flash, and I haven't viewed everything so consider it nsfw).

Please pass the syrup...

rfbjames — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:36:08 -0800

"A Ninja Pays Half My Rent" (YouTube 5:23) A short film directed by Steven K. Tsuchida.

What time is it? Adventure Time!

dobbs — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:18:14 -0800

Adventure Time is an awesome animated short by Pendleton Ward, who also has a site with some cartoons, animation, comics, and a blog.

It ain't human but we loves it just the same.

dobbs — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 18:51:42 -0800

My Misio - a site for a ~~pet~~ crochet ~~bear~~ cat. Some nice pics in the diary section and a vid, too. {It be Flash}

30 short films...

dobbs — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 06:02:04 -0800

CON-CAN Movie Festival is an online international short film festival connecting creators and viewers all around the world. (Win/Mac compatible)." Thirty international short films available in the screening room.