Klotz & Klumpen (2008)

Directors:

Michael Herm
Stephan Sacher

Writers:

Michael Herm (story)
Michael Herm (written by)

Release Date:

12 August 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Short

Plot:

Chump & Clump meet at a bus station. While waiting for the bus, which drives only once a week, a bizarre and wonderful friendship develops, that still prevails when all odds turn against our heroes. |

Plot Keywords:

Bus Station | Geometry | Snow | Winter | Drug Abuse

Cast

Michael Herm	...	Clump
Volkram Zschiesche	...	Clump

Also Known As:

Chump and Clump (International: English title)

Runtime:

Germany:11 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Company:

HFF Konrad Wolf

Trivia:

This short subject is the graduation film of Stephan Sacher and Michael Herm. Please visit the film's website for further information.

it's about the eyes

Here is one the funniest ways to attempt humour through animation: character development. Now, when i talk about character development, it's not with the usual meanings that one gives to the expression when it comes to cinema. It's not about depth, about knowing motivations, about having people perform an arc of evolution. In animation, to me, developing a character means to explore the expressions, in faces, in body movements, allowed by the shape chosen for every character. It's about digging into the plastic possibilities of the shapes the creators choose. This funny film is a simple exercise in that kind of exploration.

So check the template. A vast landscape of snow, a road, and a bus stop. All rendered in a very simple way, i think there was an intention to uncomplicate the elements we see, so we can concentrate on what matters, the characters, Chump and Clump. One is a soften parallelepiped, the other one is simply round. By itself, this gives them different characteristics. Than, most of the fun lies in what they do with their eyes. The expression in the eyes, the red capillaries of the hung over, smiling eyes, desperate eyes, sad eyes, crying eyes. Funny, very funny. Great job. See, this short is miles away from the rendering perfection of the big studios that work animation theses days (Pixar and Dreamworks). But these guys know what makes characters funny, they need no more than the basic tools.

The story fits well what they wanted to do with the characters and to the set. So we have the magic mushrooms placed to allow them to build a hallucinogenic fiction with the characters. Nice.

My opinion: 4/5 Cinanima 2009 http://www.7eyes.wordpress.com