World of Tomorrow

Unfortunately the film I will be blogging on today is not available for free, it may be found on Netflix or Vimeo (I'm going to do this blog like the most recent ones, so if you don't have access to it then too bad for you (you really don't know what you're missing)).

    I went to the oscar nominated animated short films and saw this there, and I immediately knew I had to do a blog on it. I'm in a weird situation here because there is actually a storyline to the film, and the underlying message is literally stated in the script (so not much analysis to do there). (Assuming you were able to watch it) The main point made in the movie is: "Do not lose time on daily trivialities. Do not dwell on petty detail. Live well and live broadly. You are alive and living now. Now is the envy of all the dead.", anyone who watched the movie knows this, but what I find interesting is the underlying tone of the movie. All of the entities are animated in this ever-shifting squiggly line style, but the environments tell a different story. The current time environment is done in the same style as the characters, but the future time environment is done in this sci-fi perfect line style. With these two styles I would say the animator is heavily hinting at a difference between the world now and then (then being the future). I would say the difference hinted at is perfection vs. imperfection, the future is inhabited by seemingly "perfect" beings (i.e. clones/immortals). I say "perfect" because humans aren't perfect, but their programing can be pretty close (i.e. the monotone voice gives a perfectly dull feeling (therefore humans are now perfectly dull)). Anyways, this movie has a funny satirical view on where we as a species are headed, and that is always good.

Emily Prime: right, Emily 3G Clone: left (cloning can be confusing)

Balance

Please click here to watch Balance

     I thought this short film might be interesting to do a blog on, but as time goes on I'm starting to think that might not have been a good idea. I am thinking this because there isn't much content to discus, there is nothing to connect it to (unlike my last post which turned out to have a very interesting background to it, the only thing I can really talk about is the symbolism I can see.
     The film starts with perfect balance, all characters happily adjust to maintain balance because they each want to fish. But then one finds a box and they each individually inspect it while the others provide counter balance. After they have inspected the box and found out that it makes music the trouble starts. One of the characters attempts to tip the box over the edge, in response to this the character inspecting the box keeps it from falling off by moving forward. When they meet they have a minor scuffle. Some stuff happens, people get knocked off, some purposefully kicked off, and the film ends with one single character balancing the weight of the box unable to reach it and unable to hear it's music.
   Here is the symbolic  version: people living in harmony; balance. Something new/exciting appears, might as we let everyone investigate it. Then one decides that if he can't have it no one can. Then we "dispose" of each other, and one is left without fulfillment. I know this is a shoddy review, but there really isn't much to say. There is an unanswered question though: why are each of the characters numbered, and in such a random pattern no less? The obvious reason is to identify them, but I would like to think there is a better, more deeper reason for the numbering.

Ironic ain't it?

The God and the Fly

(This post is bit of an experiment for me so just try to bear with me)

Please click here to watch the video (it's only about 4 minutes long)

I stumbled apron this one day and thought I might try to write a blog about it (lets see how this turns out)

    The first thing I thought I would do was find out if this was any specific deity (just to be safe because this was made by a Russian). Interestingly enough I almost immediately found it, the god portrayed in this animation is Shiva. After a little more digging I think that the Shiva in this animation is portrayed as the Trimurti version (I'll get to why later). Also the actual image of shiva in this animation is a Nataraja depiction (see photo below) This version of Shiva is the "destroyer or transformer". Also a fly-whisk is associated with Shiva which might explain the characters. Great now that you know the back ground of the deity in question on to the actual animation.
    First off: great use of non lingual forms of communication throughout the piece. You could almost write a script just by watching it. Secondly: very insightful into the deity represented (according to my research). Now there is one thing my research seems to show incorrect: Shiva has four arms not six, which I am sure is just a artistic liberty on the part of the creator (but still nice to know the actual portrayal of a deity). Just watching this it is a interesting animation, but dig a little deeper and it is actually intricate with its symbolism.
    And now for the big mind bender: what does the ending mean? The truth is I don't know. Shiva falls and the fly turns into a spider, this leads me to assume that the super is actually Shiva (god of transformation and destruction ring a bell?),  but then what does this mean? Does it mean that the "statue" was a fake Shiva and the fly was the real one? I just don't know, I have a feeling I just don't know enough about the religion to know. Of course maybe it's supposed to be inconclusive , maybe you're supposed to decide which is the god and which the fly.

Likely the type of statue Shiva was based off of.