Mood: Vladimir Samsonov
Samsonov is another pain on glass animator. Not as well known as Petro, but still his work is gorgeous.
Gone with the wind: Alexander Tatarsky
A work by a Russian Master. Tatarsky passed away in 2007 in his sleep. Born in Kiev in 1950, Tatarsky worked as a critic before enrolling at the Kiev Institute of Theatre and Film, inspired by the master animators Yuri Norshtein and David Cherkasky, with whom he studied. One of his materials of choice was plasticine, though he was equally adept in other media and recently had moved into computer animation.
Bird in the Window: Igor Kovalyov
A man returns to visit a woman who lives with a gardener, two Chinese men, and a small child. The man, frustrated by his inability to see what is being hidden from him, leaves. Bird in the Window is the final chapter of an ideal trilogy started with Hen his Wife and Andrei Svislotski. What follows is an excerpt from an article by Christopher J. Robinson appeared on ASIFA but (at the moment) available only thru Google cache. "Like all of Kovalyov's work, Bird in The Window is extremely personal. The house is based on the home Kovalyov lived in with his third wife and daughter. The father / husband is a stranger in his own home and he sees that he no longer belongs there. He is as much a stranger as the Chinese borders. He did not understand the people he was supposed to love and protect. He does not understand himself. The child, who needs him most, is abandoned and left to die. By the time Bird in The Window was complete, Kovalyov left his wife."
Balance: Wolfgang and Christoph Lauenstein
From Wikipedia... Balance is a German animated film, released in 1989. It was directed and produced by twin brothers Wolfgang and Christoph Lauenstein. The film depicts five individuals living on a small platform floating in space. Whenever one of them moves, the others must do so as well to ensure that the platform does not tip over. The group works cooperatively to maintain a "balance" until one individual pulls a box onto the platform. Since all are curious as to what the box is, the individuals try to inspect the box and their actions disrupt the balance of the platform. All but one of the individuals falls off the edges of the platform. In the end, the lone individual must maintain a balance with the box, which is well out of reach. Balance won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short of 1989. You can visit Lauenstein web site here [1]. [1] http://www.lauenstein.tv/profile/index.html
The Mighty River: Frédéric Back
Back is a master and The Might River is another inspiring short. Completed in 1993 Might River tells the story of the St. Lawrence River, and the impact human beings have had upon it.
Casino Royale Title: Framestore CFC
I have always been a fan of Bond title sequences. The graphic motive of playing cards is just a pleasure to watch. I was happy to find it on web ( The Art of Title Sequence ).
Dead Water: Banoczki Tibor
Banoczki left the Hungarian Academy of Applied Arts in 2001. Dead Water (Holtágban) was his graduation movie .
Insight: Salvador Simó Busom
More at Salvador's website [1]. [1] http://www.salvadorsimo.com/Insight.html#
The Ultimate Break :Akama
This beautifully crafted short was created as a viral promotion for a competition for Nestlé Kit-Kat in France. Initially, the agency J. Walter Thompson Paris approached his beautifully crafted short was created as a viral promotion for a competition for Nestlé Kit-Kat in France. Initially, the agency J. Walter Thompson Paris approached Akama Studio with the idea to make a short animated movie about a broker working in a cubicle office, needing to take a break. This commercial for Kit-Kat was for Internet distribution, so there was no constraint on its duration. “The goal was to create a good comedic story, with an open end,” explains Alexandre Ada from Akama Studio. “This would lead people then to go to the Kit-Kat web site to discover the "Ultimate Break" concept. The production challenge was the deadline. They gave us only eight weeks to finish.”Studio with the idea to make a short animated movie about a broker working in a cubicle office, needing to take a break. This commercial for Kit-Kat was for Internet distribution, so there was no constraint on its duration. “The goal was to create a good comedic story, with an open end,” explains Alexandre Ada from Akama Studio. “This would lead people then to go to the Kit-Kat web site to discover the "Ultimate Break" concept. The production challenge was the deadline. They gave us only eight weeks to finish.” More at this link [1] from CG Society website. [1] http://features.cgsociety.org/story_custom.php?story_id=4444
Carmen Torero: Aleksandra Korejwo
From an article by Korejwo.. For me, it all started with salt. Everybody knows salt. It is a common material. But for me, it is more than just salt. In this material, I discovered my new way for Art, my new way for animation. There were many years of research and hard work. People often ask me, "How can you do such difficult animation so fast? It is impossible." But I have been working for this moment all my life. Before my great meeting with animation, I studied painting. I learned to play the violin and I wrote poetry. My first thought was to create unity between painting, music and poetry. I could see that it was possible in animation art film. It was a great event in my life. But it was not enough just to know about it, I wanted to do it. I have been developing my own technique for many years. The most important thing was finding the method of coloring salt. I found it. It is a complicated process, but the effect on film is great. The next task was finding special tools for my unique material. It happened suddenly when I visited the zoo. I don't like looking at animals behind bars, but I know that some animals need man's protection. It was spring and the bird's feathers were dropping down onto the grass. They were long, strong feathers. I picked up a few and said, "Thanks" to the condors. After that, I formed the feathers in many ways and I have chosen the best ones, which I use to this day. Sometimes, the direction of your search can lead you to a surprise!
Saturn,Evolution Technology: Carl Erik Rinsch
The coolest spot I have seen for a while. You can play games based on the concept at http://evolution.saturn.de/ Here is the flash from from Scholz & Friends Berlin's website The new seasonal campaign from Scholz & Friends Berlin for Saturn, the electronic goods retailer, starts on October 24 and covers TV, daily newspapers, cinema and radio, along with City Lights posters and POS communications. Scholz & Friends has also conceived and designed a microsite for the campaign. An action-packed 60-second TV and cinema commercial will dramatise Saturn’s technical expertise, kicking off the season in highly vocal style with the line “Die stärkste Technik aller Zeiten! Gnadenlos günstig!” (“The strongest technology of all time! Pitilessly low prices!”). Conceived by Scholz & Friends Berlin, the commercial tells the history of the evolution of technology, using as an analogy the merciless Darwinian selection found in the animal kingdom. The creative strategy to date has been further developed, while the world of Saturn has become both more fascinating and more technology-based: the established advertising motif of Saturn remains central, augmented here by wholly new, hitherto unseen computer-designed characters. Menacing, animal-like technological beings contend against each other, from prehistory right through to the present day. As we watch this, not only do the animals evolve, step by step, but so does the technology. At the end of this technological evolution we meet Blu, the living embodiment of Saturn’s technological supremacy. Helmed by director Carl Erik Rinsch (Markenfilm Berlin), the lavishly-produced commercial took almost three months to create. It was shot in New Zealand during the antipodean winter, and in the crater of the Mount Teide volcano on Tenerife. Post-production lasted several weeks, and was handed by Big Lazy Robot and Furia in Barcelona. Agency: Scholz & Friends Berlin Partner and Managing Director: Stefanie Wurst Creative Director: Oliver Handlos Art: James Cruickshank, Michael Hess Text: Felix Fenz, Sebastian Plum, Bastian Engbert Account Director: Uli Schuppach Consulting: Sandra Ortmann, Jürgen Fink Film, radio, TV: Claudia Knipping, Nina Heyn, Mathis Rekowski Art Buying: Kirsten Rendtel, Adriana Meneses von Arnim Scholz & Friends Interactive Business Director: Mario Gamper Head of Unit Account Management: Katja Klüh Creative Director: Fabian Roser IT Director: Christo Zonnev Project management: Alexander Hubitsch Art: Jessica Braham Animation Artist: Israel Martin Production: Markenfilm Berlin Director: Carl Erik Rinsch Executive Producer: Lutz Müller Producer: Tobias Steinhauser Camera: Javier Aguirresarobe Post production: Alex Grau Design of characters: Jeff Julian, Big Lazy Robot Sound design: Audioforce
