Amos Lee - Flower

Any time I see a cut-paper animation, I'm astounding by how much work must have gone into creating it. This one seems to be a combination of some different mediums though primarily paper and a mix of stop action and digital animation, though lately, it's getting harder and harder to tell where the line is drawn between the two. LINK

Kurzschluss

This well-done animation tells the story of a robot who sets off to the distributor in search of more beverages only to find love instead. LINK

Origami In the Pursuit of Perfection

Of course I dig both animation and origami so this advertisement appeals to me. It the history of the ASICS athletic shoe company illustrated with folded paper. Watch for yourself on vimeo. LINK

Iron Man 2 Special Effects :: Prologue

I have to admit that it wasn't until I later saw an article featuring the graphics and effects created by Prologue for Iron Man 2 that I realized that I had taken for granted some pretty stunning visuals. Sure we think of flying or explosions when we remember the movie, but what about the holograms, computer interfaces, and process animations which are amazing in their artistry? Head on over to the Prologue site and check them out again. And don't miss the navigation to view stills from all of the different scenes. I think the Process Montage is my favorite with wonderful geometrics, detail, and color. LINK

LOOM

Though I could have saved this for a future insect theme, I enjoyed the animation too much to wait. The combination of super realistic microscopic detail and cinematic effects and lighting is very dramatic. Don't forget to view it full screen to see every hair and texture. LINK

Hemlock :: Tyson Ibele

Hemlock is a cautionary tale about greed. See this interesting take on what happens when a man seeks the fountain of youth. LINK

Inception Done in 60 Seconds

Line-art engravings are used to create this 60-second version of the movie Inception. I'm not sure if my suspension of disbelief can carry over to a Victorian-era version of dreams within dreams, but still interesting. LINK

Phantom Inventory - L'inventaire Fantôme

This animated short film is in French, but not being able to understand doesn't take away from the fantastic visuals. For those who would like more help, the basic gist is that a tax collector comes knocking on an old man's door only to find empty rooms. When asked what he collects, the old man answers "Memories, memories no one wants anymore." The tax collector spies a hidden doorway only to discover what appears to be a massive collection of treasures large and small. But after spending some time in the aisles, tagging items, the tax collector discovers that the collection is not what he first imagined. As he leaves, he is confronted by his own unwanted memories. LINK

Mainstream

Any time you feel pressure to do "what everyone else is doing" remember this animation and revel in your unique color! Nice simple concept with quality animation. LINK

Paint Chips

I wish I had been watching when this advertisement aired because the concept is pretty cool. Animated paint chips create a fabulous, colorful world. LINK

Megalomancy :: Eyal Degabli

This animation is the final graduation project of Eyal Degabli. Gold flying machines, purple worms, and green aliens vie for territory in this fast-moving animation with a built-in morality tale. Watch to see what color wins it all! LINK

Natural Resasters

After today's 5.8 earthquake (the first I've actually felt) I figured I'd see if I had any appropriate creativity to share. And so we have Natural Resasters. The illustration on these is rather cool and I love the color palettes. It is definitely worth the watch and good for anyone here on the East Coast looking for a different take on today's trembling. More information about the creators can also be found at Aaron Becker's site. Choose Natural Resasters from the left-hand navigation. LINK

Threads

This commercial for WWF uses string to illustrate living creatures, visually demonstrating how we are all connected. Credits go to Olgilvy & Mather Mexico and troublemakers.tv. It's short, but worth the watch. LINK

Partitura 001

This animated piece was created using custom software that generates graphics to visualize sound. It is the result of an ongoing collaboration between Abstract Birds (Pedro Mari and Natan Sinigaglia), who refer to themselves as visual music artists, and Quayola, a visual artist. Though at first the music is pretty calm, as it procedes, variety of tones produces a myriad of results. LINK

ShapeShifter

This animation is visually stunning. Fast moving and exciting, it is definitely worth a viewing. LINK

Warm Signal :: Silja

This student animation project is interesting, primarily black and white and making use of shape and form to represent sea creatures. LINK

Between Bears :: Eran Hilleli

This animation was the winner of the Best Animation Award at vimeo's first film festival this past year and was Eran's graduation film. Surreal and beautiful, this animation is a must see for style alone. LINK

Don't Go

This animation is both cute and clever, combining 3-D animation with live action, and a bit of 80s music as well. LINK

Catwalk - Black Cat Crossing

The style of this animation is wonderful! Hand-drawn elements were scanned and then manipulated digitally. Beautifully done and a quirky storyline as well. LINK

Hooked

This is a sweet little animation of a fish who thinks he has found a way to outsmart the fisherman. LINK