Apparently this amateur animated film was made at Florida State University by one of the students in the School of Motion Picture, Television and Recording Arts. It's amazing how these days thanks to very powerful computers and amazing rendering software that even non-professionals can make professional quality films. While the animation is a tiny bit rough compared to products from Pixar and Dreamworks, it isn't appreciably different. Plus, they get so much out of the story thanks to exceptional writing and wonderfully evocative music. In fact, the music was so perfect and lovely that my wife, who wasn't even in the room with me when I was watching this film said "wow--that music is BEAUTIFUL". This, combined with all the other factors make this a really nice film--one that Wes Ball should be proud for creating. I sure hope to see more from this very talented man.
2 Reviews
Understands its aims and audience not my thing but it wasn't meant to be (SPOILERS)
bob the moo14 October 2007
Warning: Spoilers
A young girl sits alone under a tree, not involved in the games of the others out in the field. While they play she sits and sketches, making up a story about a bear who himself had no friends and was left hanging around under a tree by the tyre swing, trying to figure out how he can get some company in life.
When I saw this short film there was a warning from the maker that if you didn't like children's books or Disney then you just clear head off right now before this even starts and indeed he was correct. This film is just what you expect from this type of product and this can be taken both ways as positive and negative, dependant on the viewers point of view. The narrative is a simple and rather obvious tale of being oneself rather than trying to be what you think others want you to be to make them your friends. It is spelt out in a way that even a three year old might think heavy handed (by having a girl say "hey, I think the bear should just be himself") but I suppose for target audience this will work.
The animation is pretty good considering the budget and the amateur nature of the film and younger children will still like it as it is soft and non-threatening. The music I thought was one area where ti did better than the genre norm. The choice was classy, not obvious or exploitative and it was used with restraint in key scenes. The child acting is mixed. Nobody is actually much good but it does vary from the main girl who is just plain simple, made to order "all-American-cute" through to some annoying precocious children whose preening mothers were probably mere inches behind the camera, urging their darlings on no matter what (not that I'm trying to generalise or anything).
Anyway, for what it was this film was a perfectly sweet little kids short film. Simple animation, easy emotions, soft, friendly characters and a message-driven narrative where everything turns out just peachy in the end. I'm a cynical broken old man so it is not intended for me, but even I have to concede that if this is your type of thing then it is well aimed at you.
When I saw this short film there was a warning from the maker that if you didn't like children's books or Disney then you just clear head off right now before this even starts and indeed he was correct. This film is just what you expect from this type of product and this can be taken both ways as positive and negative, dependant on the viewers point of view. The narrative is a simple and rather obvious tale of being oneself rather than trying to be what you think others want you to be to make them your friends. It is spelt out in a way that even a three year old might think heavy handed (by having a girl say "hey, I think the bear should just be himself") but I suppose for target audience this will work.
The animation is pretty good considering the budget and the amateur nature of the film and younger children will still like it as it is soft and non-threatening. The music I thought was one area where ti did better than the genre norm. The choice was classy, not obvious or exploitative and it was used with restraint in key scenes. The child acting is mixed. Nobody is actually much good but it does vary from the main girl who is just plain simple, made to order "all-American-cute" through to some annoying precocious children whose preening mothers were probably mere inches behind the camera, urging their darlings on no matter what (not that I'm trying to generalise or anything).
Anyway, for what it was this film was a perfectly sweet little kids short film. Simple animation, easy emotions, soft, friendly characters and a message-driven narrative where everything turns out just peachy in the end. I'm a cynical broken old man so it is not intended for me, but even I have to concede that if this is your type of thing then it is well aimed at you.
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