Friday, August 19, 2011

Fantastic Short Film Friday - Hello (animated)
















And we are back with another installment in our Fantastic Short Film Friday series, as we continue to showcase films released in the "lesser" known form of cinema- the short film.

This week we have for you a wonderfully animated look at love and self-expression in its many forms, a look at how finding the right words to say can be the hardest thing imaginable. Here is a 6-minute romantic animated short called, Hello from filmmaker, Jonathan Nix. What I find so amazing about this short is its ability to convey so much heartfelt emotion from characters who can't speak or talk for themselves.

Imagine a world where everyone's head is a boombox, and the only way anyone can talk is by placing mixtapes into their boombox and play pre-recorded songs. Enter a young man who falls in love with his lovely and hip neighbor, but everytime he tries to say something he can't find the right tape to convey his feelings in their brief encounters. Through perseverance he finally finds the right song for the right moment. This is the kind of animated feast for the eyes that also has a story to make you fall in love with it over and over again. The animation style is unique, breathing life to a world of boombox heads and mixtape hearts and is the perfect compliment to an amazingly well crafted narrative, that may seem simple at first since no one actually talks, but it belies some truly hidden joy and warmth. It's a well understood premise. Before the advent of mp3's, I grew up making mixtapes, and there was no higher calling for a high school student, no other self assured reason, then creating a mixtape for the girl you liked. This brings back those memories, makes a world of those memories and I couldn't help but smile from beginning to end.

Check this out if you're in the mood to see some fantastic animation filled with heartfelt emotions. The music is just so right, the story is just so on-key, that it's a wonderful reminder of simpler and more innocent days. Enjoy this weeks dose of short form goodness in, Hello.


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