Joseph Pierce has a knack for not only coming up with powerful stories, but also making them ever more indelible through his grotesque animation. In his latest release, “A Family Portrait”, a photo shoot turns to chaos when the bottled up emotions of a dysfunctional family are released.
If you like what you see here, and aren’t offended by adult content, be sure to check out Pierces’ previous short “Stand Up” (2008).
Under the alias BiPolar, Dirk Driesen has released a number of animations which are often accompanied by a calm, mysterious soundtrack. His latest video, “The Zebras from Peenemuende”, consists of several dark images including a futuristic pilot, a missile being launched, and, of course, a herd of zebras.
Since the release of his Academy Award nominated short “Rejected” (2000), Don Hertzfeldt has become something of an Internet icon. The Internet Movie Database even dubbed “Rejected” the third most popular short film in Internet history.
While still keeping true to his darkly humorous style, Don used a slightly more serious approach when creating “Everything Will Be Okay”. Rather than child abusing balloons and self-aware bananas, this short tells the story of a man’s emotional breakdown.
Content Warning: This short contains some mildly offensive violence, humor, and language.
“Everything Will Be Okay” is actually the first segment in a three-part narrative. Together, it and the second segment, “I Am so Proud of You” (2008) have received many awards from various film festivals. The currently unnamed third segment is expected to be released late this year.
“Afterlife” is a dreamlike interpretation of what happens during death. While sharing the same topic as “The Art of Drowning“, “Afterlife” contains a meditative soundtrack instead of dialog, and promotes the idea of quickly revisiting life experiences just before passing away.
One aspect of Phoebe Parsons’ work is its tendency to skip from different animation styles to live-action. “The Fantastic Adventures of Cloudman” is no exception. In its thirteen-minute length, no one animation style prevails. Even the live-action sequences are spiced up with fireworks, Styrofoam, paper-mache, and sometimes even animation, making them vary considerably.
CONTENT WARNING: This short contains brief drug use, and some mild violence.