Micro to macro...but in between--
reaching out for that hand to hold--
reaching out for the star--
"On Being" by Max Cooper & Felix Gerbelot.
Max Cooper says:
"I asked the public "what do you want to express that you feel you can't in everyday life?".
I hadn't expected too much to come back, but when I had a look after some months I was floored by what people had been submitting.
This database of thoughts and feelings became the source of the "On Being" album, installations and website (onbeing.maxcooper.net). Most of the tracks on the album concern themselves with a single quote, but for one piece, I wanted to tackle the feeling of the whole collection. There's so many beautiful, scary, funny, sad, horrific, mundane and absurd expressions of our shared humanity in there, there's a very particular emotional impact of reading through the collection. It's very hard to put into words because of that range of emotions it contains, but somehow music is able to capture all of that in a way that language cannot. That's what the piece of music is about. It started from the sound of Felix Gerbelot's viola, and eventually became the title track of the album."
Video by:
Masanobu Hiraoka
https://onbeing.maxcooper.net/
https://www.instagram.com/masanobuhiraoka
Showing posts with label animation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label animation. Show all posts
Sunday, November 30, 2025
Saturday, November 8, 2025
"Au 8ème Jour"
This beautiful, profound short film from France, "Au 8ème Jour" ("On the eighth day" in English) is moving and offers no answers, because, well, we are not sure there are any.
And here is an interesting look at the CGI used to make this multi-award winning short film.
https://www.piktura.fr/projets/au-8eme-jour-79.htm
And here is an interesting look at the CGI used to make this multi-award winning short film.
https://www.piktura.fr/projets/au-8eme-jour-79.htm
Friday, October 25, 2024
"Little Shrew (Snowflake)" An Animation by Kate Bush
Kate Bush released a beautiful animated video today. She tells the story at her site:
"In 2022, with war breaking out in Ukraine, I decided I wanted to make an anti-war animation. In particular, I hoped to draw attention to the children caught up in war.
I based the storyboard around the song, Snowflake, which was sung by my son when he was a child. I think his performance is extremely moving and although I‘d originally written the song to capture his beautiful descant voice before he entered adolescence, it has taken on a haunting new meaning within the context of this animation.
The original track runs for over seven minutes, but as animations take a long time to make, it made a lot of sense to shorten it to three or four minutes. I was concerned that the song might lose something by being edited so intensely but actually it’s held up pretty well.
I knew I wanted the featured character to be a child caught up in war, so I made a very rough, off the cuff story board.
Although I’d initially thought to make the character a human child – a little girl – I settled on the idea of a Caucasian pygmy shrew (Ukrainian shrew): a tiny, fragile little creature. I felt that people might have more empathy for a vulnerable little animal than a human…
This little shrew would take a journey on a moonlit, winter’s night through a war-torn city, initially unaware of what was going on around her in this land of the giants. She can sense that she’s being called by a kind of spiritual presence… HOPE.
She starts to search for HOPE. Sometimes hope is all there is to hang on to."
The wonderful story of the artist and animation team continues on her site here.
Kate concludes:
"There’s not meant to be an exclusive focus on the war in Ukraine, but it was that war that instigated the making of this animation. All wars leave horrific scars: ruined lives, families ripped apart, life-changing injuries, trauma and loss on a massive scale – but it’s the children who suffer the most in so many ways. Their past, present and future melt away into fear and uncertainty.
I would like to ask that if you watch the animation, please make a donation to War Child, or to another charity that aids children in war.
Even a tiny donation will help enormously. War can be an unimaginable horror for a child.
You could be hope for that child caught up in war. You could make a real difference.
Thank you for supporting this project,
Kate"
https://www.warchild.org.uk/
https://www.katebush.com/
"In 2022, with war breaking out in Ukraine, I decided I wanted to make an anti-war animation. In particular, I hoped to draw attention to the children caught up in war.
I based the storyboard around the song, Snowflake, which was sung by my son when he was a child. I think his performance is extremely moving and although I‘d originally written the song to capture his beautiful descant voice before he entered adolescence, it has taken on a haunting new meaning within the context of this animation.
The original track runs for over seven minutes, but as animations take a long time to make, it made a lot of sense to shorten it to three or four minutes. I was concerned that the song might lose something by being edited so intensely but actually it’s held up pretty well.
I knew I wanted the featured character to be a child caught up in war, so I made a very rough, off the cuff story board.
Although I’d initially thought to make the character a human child – a little girl – I settled on the idea of a Caucasian pygmy shrew (Ukrainian shrew): a tiny, fragile little creature. I felt that people might have more empathy for a vulnerable little animal than a human…
This little shrew would take a journey on a moonlit, winter’s night through a war-torn city, initially unaware of what was going on around her in this land of the giants. She can sense that she’s being called by a kind of spiritual presence… HOPE.
She starts to search for HOPE. Sometimes hope is all there is to hang on to."
The wonderful story of the artist and animation team continues on her site here.
Kate concludes:
"There’s not meant to be an exclusive focus on the war in Ukraine, but it was that war that instigated the making of this animation. All wars leave horrific scars: ruined lives, families ripped apart, life-changing injuries, trauma and loss on a massive scale – but it’s the children who suffer the most in so many ways. Their past, present and future melt away into fear and uncertainty.
I would like to ask that if you watch the animation, please make a donation to War Child, or to another charity that aids children in war.
Even a tiny donation will help enormously. War can be an unimaginable horror for a child.
You could be hope for that child caught up in war. You could make a real difference.
Thank you for supporting this project,
Kate"
https://www.warchild.org.uk/
https://www.katebush.com/
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
"I Think We're Past That Now" by Antonio Sánchez with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Take a look at this fabulous video for jazz drummer Antonio Sánchez' new song "I Think We're Past That Now" featuring Trent Reznor and his musical partner Atticus Ross. The stop motion action is based on Mexican Day of the Dead imagery and Huichol Shamanism...which is today. Feliz Día de los Muertos!
https://www.antoniosanchez.net/
https://www.nin.com/
https://www.antoniosanchez.net/
https://www.nin.com/
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
BEAUTY: Man For Winter--Alexandr
Beautiful hunky ginger man Alexandr (@personalkrampus) looks just like Kris Kringle from the classic 1970 stop motion animated holiday classic television special "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town!"
https://www.instagram.com/personalkrampus
Saturday, February 6, 2021
"3:45" by Alisha Liu
CalArts animation student Alisha Liu created a gentle, optimistic short film called "3:45." I will say that I do what the young character in this film does, but instead of seeing one side or the other, I usually see both...at the same time...macro and micro...welcome to my head...
https://alishaliu.com/
https://alishaliu.com/
Saturday, January 2, 2021
"Freeze Frame" by Soetkin Verstegen
This beautiful, chilly stop motion short film, "Freeze Frame" is by Soetkin Verstegen. She says:
https://www.soetkin.com/Freeze-Frame
"Freeze frame: the most absurd technique since the invention of the moving image.
Through an elaborate process of duplicating the same image over and over again, it creates the illusion of stillness.
Identical figures perform the hopeless task of preserving blocks of ice. The repetitive movements reanimate the animals captured inside."
Friday, September 11, 2020
"The Remedy" by French 79
I just can't get enough of this song, "The Remedy" by French 79 (the nom de musique of gorgeous ginger-blond Marseille-based Simon Henner). What is it about the French and electronic music...they make awesome sounds.
https://www.facebook.com/french79music
https://www.facebook.com/french79music
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
BEAUTY: Clothing--KidSuper
Alrighty then, Paris Fashion Week has wrapped and we move on to Milano Moda Uomo...but let's look at a last few fun moments from France.
Colm Dillane's KidSuper brand is a collective--while he is the Creative Director, he collaborates on not only his clothing line, but also his many other ventures: he paints and does art shows, records music, and makes music videos. So this video for his Springs Summer '21 collection for virtual Paris Fashion Week is pretty kicky, not only because this is his debut collection accepted under The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode--during a global pandemic no less--but also because the video is a delightful stop motion animated runway show with famous people in the audience as well as on the runway (keep an eye out for the Obamas, Picasso, Salvador Dali, Jackie Chan, Muhammad Ali, Stephen Hawking, Freddie Mercury, and of course Anna Wintour!). And the patchwork, hand painted pieces, once they are human-sized, will be wild and fun.
https://kidsuper.com/
Colm Dillane's KidSuper brand is a collective--while he is the Creative Director, he collaborates on not only his clothing line, but also his many other ventures: he paints and does art shows, records music, and makes music videos. So this video for his Springs Summer '21 collection for virtual Paris Fashion Week is pretty kicky, not only because this is his debut collection accepted under The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode--during a global pandemic no less--but also because the video is a delightful stop motion animated runway show with famous people in the audience as well as on the runway (keep an eye out for the Obamas, Picasso, Salvador Dali, Jackie Chan, Muhammad Ali, Stephen Hawking, Freddie Mercury, and of course Anna Wintour!). And the patchwork, hand painted pieces, once they are human-sized, will be wild and fun.
https://kidsuper.com/
Sunday, October 13, 2019
The Charming Animation of Mattijn Franssen
These charming, odd, short animated films by Mattijn Franssen (accompanied by his original songs) are populated by quirky people and monsters, and are full of love, loss, humor, and yearning.
http://www.mattijn.com/index.htm
http://www.mattijn.com/index.htm
Wednesday, July 3, 2019
"ELI" by Nate Milton
"ELI" is written and directed by Nate Milton who says, "'ELI' is a true story based on my experiences within the realms of High Strangeness, Magical Thinking and Manic Delusion."
I get it.
https://natemilton.com/info
I get it.
https://natemilton.com/info
Sunday, May 7, 2017
"Everything"
"Everything."
How to describe it?
Created by animator David O'Reilly.
Appears like a video game.
Is not a video game as there are no goals.
Is an interactive experience.
Is about...well, everything.
A "player" (to use the term loosely) can explore the universe from the point of view of any living creature or non-living object.
Ambient soundtrack can include audio of lectures by the great philosopher and writer Alan Watts.
Listen to him speak beautifully about "The Game" (of The Universe, not this video game, although it is a perfect explanation of the game as well) while watching a sample of what "Everything" can look like.
"What are you afraid of losing when you die? Yes, everything that you have acquired as an individual and stored in your brain is dissolved and distributed. But at the same time it is equally obvious that when you die, there won’t be following the moment of death everlasting nothingness. So you can become aware of this tremendous interconnectedness of everything. Just as fronts go with backs and tops with bottoms, insides with outsides, solids with spaces, so everything that there is goes together. It makes no difference whether it lasts a long time or whether it lasts a short time. A galaxy goes together with all the universe just as much as a mosquito."
--Alan Watts
To purchase and experience "Everything," visit the website below.
http://www.everything-game.com/
http://www.alanwatts.com/
How to describe it?
Created by animator David O'Reilly.
Appears like a video game.
Is not a video game as there are no goals.
Is an interactive experience.
Is about...well, everything.
A "player" (to use the term loosely) can explore the universe from the point of view of any living creature or non-living object.
Ambient soundtrack can include audio of lectures by the great philosopher and writer Alan Watts.
Listen to him speak beautifully about "The Game" (of The Universe, not this video game, although it is a perfect explanation of the game as well) while watching a sample of what "Everything" can look like.
"What are you afraid of losing when you die? Yes, everything that you have acquired as an individual and stored in your brain is dissolved and distributed. But at the same time it is equally obvious that when you die, there won’t be following the moment of death everlasting nothingness. So you can become aware of this tremendous interconnectedness of everything. Just as fronts go with backs and tops with bottoms, insides with outsides, solids with spaces, so everything that there is goes together. It makes no difference whether it lasts a long time or whether it lasts a short time. A galaxy goes together with all the universe just as much as a mosquito."
--Alan Watts
To purchase and experience "Everything," visit the website below.
http://www.everything-game.com/
http://www.alanwatts.com/
Friday, December 30, 2016
"Perfect World" by Katie Melua
This video for Katie Melua's "Perfect World" touched me deeply. It reminds me of the true, unconditional love I felt from my mom, and the state of innocence of childhood. She has been gone for 14 years now and I miss her still, every single day.
You're precious
I can't stand seeing you cry
It hurts
Watching you get what you don't deserve
I tell myself
You don't belong in this rough life
You should have a perfect world
You should have a perfect world
You're too gentle
And much too quick to forgive
Every slight
And blow you've ever been dealt
Well who knows
If the world will ever deserve you
You should have a perfect world
You should have a perfect world
And who knows
If the world will ever deserve you
You should have a perfect world
You should have a perfect world
http://katiemelua.com/
Exquisite video images by Karni & Saul of the BAFTA-award-winning Sulkybunny:
http://www.sulkybunny.com/
You're precious
I can't stand seeing you cry
It hurts
Watching you get what you don't deserve
I tell myself
You don't belong in this rough life
You should have a perfect world
You should have a perfect world
You're too gentle
And much too quick to forgive
Every slight
And blow you've ever been dealt
Well who knows
If the world will ever deserve you
You should have a perfect world
You should have a perfect world
And who knows
If the world will ever deserve you
You should have a perfect world
You should have a perfect world
http://katiemelua.com/
Exquisite video images by Karni & Saul of the BAFTA-award-winning Sulkybunny:
http://www.sulkybunny.com/
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Happy Holidays 2016: "December Song" by George Michael
As has become tradition here at "Oh, By The Way," we open the holiday season with the loveliest and saddest holiday song ever written... the beautiful "December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas)" by George Michael.
"Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
May your every New Year dream come true
Sweet December song
The melody that saved me
On those less than silent nights
When snow would fall upon my bed
White sugar from Jesus
And take me to the day
She could always smile
The Virgin Child would always show, you see
Just to save me
(Just to save me)
There was always Christmas time
To wipe the year away
I guess that morning they’d decided
That the war would have to wait
There was always Christmas time
Jesus came to stay
I could believe in peace on Earth
And I could watch TV all day
So I dreamed of Christmas
Maybe since you’ve gone
I went a little crazy
God knows they can see (the child)
But the snow that falls upon my bed
That loving I needed
Falls every single day
For each and every child
The Virgin smiles for all to see
But you kept her from me
There was always Christmas time
To wipe the year away
I guess that morning they’d decided
That the war would have to wait
There was always Christmas time
Jesus came to stay
I could believe in peace on Earth
And I could watch TV all day
And so I dreamed of Christmas
Yes, I dreamed like you
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
May your every New Year dream come true"
http://www.georgemichael.com/
"Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
May your every New Year dream come true
Sweet December song
The melody that saved me
On those less than silent nights
When snow would fall upon my bed
White sugar from Jesus
And take me to the day
She could always smile
The Virgin Child would always show, you see
Just to save me
(Just to save me)
There was always Christmas time
To wipe the year away
I guess that morning they’d decided
That the war would have to wait
There was always Christmas time
Jesus came to stay
I could believe in peace on Earth
And I could watch TV all day
So I dreamed of Christmas
Maybe since you’ve gone
I went a little crazy
God knows they can see (the child)
But the snow that falls upon my bed
That loving I needed
Falls every single day
For each and every child
The Virgin smiles for all to see
But you kept her from me
There was always Christmas time
To wipe the year away
I guess that morning they’d decided
That the war would have to wait
There was always Christmas time
Jesus came to stay
I could believe in peace on Earth
And I could watch TV all day
And so I dreamed of Christmas
Yes, I dreamed like you
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
May your every New Year dream come true"
http://www.georgemichael.com/
Friday, October 28, 2016
Thursday, May 5, 2016
"Burn The Witch" by Radiohead
Brand new dark sonic intensity (tense, pizzicato strings!) from Radiohead. "Burn The Witch." Amazing.
And the Radiohead Doll Theater presents "The Wicker Man" with a twist.
!!!
Stay in the shadows
Cheer at the gallows
This is a round up
This is a low flying panic attack
Sing a song on the jukebox that goes:
Burn the witch
Burn the witch
We know where you live
Red crosses on wooden doors
And if you float you burn
Loose talk around tables
Abandon all reason
Avoid all eye contact
Do not react
Shoot the messengers
This is a low flying panic attack
Sing the song of sixpence that goes:
Burn the witch
Burn the witch
We know where you live
We know where you live
http://www.radiohead.com/
And the Radiohead Doll Theater presents "The Wicker Man" with a twist.
!!!
Stay in the shadows
Cheer at the gallows
This is a round up
This is a low flying panic attack
Sing a song on the jukebox that goes:
Burn the witch
Burn the witch
We know where you live
Red crosses on wooden doors
And if you float you burn
Loose talk around tables
Abandon all reason
Avoid all eye contact
Do not react
Shoot the messengers
This is a low flying panic attack
Sing the song of sixpence that goes:
Burn the witch
Burn the witch
We know where you live
We know where you live
http://www.radiohead.com/
Monday, March 28, 2016
"Perfect Houseguest" by Tiny Inventions
"Perfect Houseguest," a very sweet, very short film by Tiny Inventions (Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata). Just adorable.
http://www.tinyinventions.com/
http://www.tinyinventions.com/
Monday, March 21, 2016
"The Nomadic Alternative" by Delta Club
London-based Italian producer and musician Mattia Del Moro's nom de musique is Delta Club and he has released "Fortitude," an EP featuring this marvelous song "The Nomadic Alternative." Digital snippets arranged in layers of swirling world music while at the same time an expansive, yearning ballad floats below...
Speaking about the track, Del Moro told the website goiongsolo, “The song is inspired by Bruce Chatwin’s book ‘The Nomadic Alternative’ in which the author explores the concept of a new nomadism. The fact that the book has never been published gave us a chance to think about the impossibility for the art to fully represent such an experience as traveling. The music of Delta Club lies on this contradiction.”
On a related note, Bruce Chatwin inspired not only Mattia Del Moro's song, but a marvelous collection of clothes by Christopher Bailey at Burberry, previously here.
https://www.facebook.com/deltaclubsound/
Speaking about the track, Del Moro told the website goiongsolo, “The song is inspired by Bruce Chatwin’s book ‘The Nomadic Alternative’ in which the author explores the concept of a new nomadism. The fact that the book has never been published gave us a chance to think about the impossibility for the art to fully represent such an experience as traveling. The music of Delta Club lies on this contradiction.”
On a related note, Bruce Chatwin inspired not only Mattia Del Moro's song, but a marvelous collection of clothes by Christopher Bailey at Burberry, previously here.
https://www.facebook.com/deltaclubsound/
Friday, January 15, 2016
"Huggin & Kissin" by Big Black Delta
Intense, powerful, sweeping track: "Huggin & Kissin" from Big Black Delta (Jonathan Bates) (previously here). The video plays like an animated episode of "The Twilight Zone."
http://bigblackdelta.com/
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Happy Holidays 2015: "December Song" by George Michael
As has become tradition here at "Oh, By The Way," we open the holiday season with the loveliest and saddest holiday song ever written... the beautiful "December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas)" by George Michael.
"Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
May your every New Year dream come true
Sweet December song
The melody that saved me
On those less than silent nights
When snow would fall upon my bed
White sugar from Jesus
And take me to the day
She could always smile
The Virgin Child would always show, you see
Just to save me
(Just to save me)
There was always Christmas time
To wipe the year away
I guess that morning they’d decided
That the war would have to wait
There was always Christmas time
Jesus came to stay
I could believe in peace on Earth
And I could watch TV all day
So I dreamed of Christmas
Maybe since you’ve gone
I went a little crazy
God knows they can see (the child)
But the snow that falls upon my bed
That loving I needed
Falls every single day
For each and every child
The Virgin smiles for all to see
But you kept her from me
There was always Christmas time
To wipe the year away
I guess that morning they’d decided
That the war would have to wait
There was always Christmas time
Jesus came to stay
I could believe in peace on Earth
And I could watch TV all day
And so I dreamed of Christmas
Yes, I dreamed like you
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
May your every New Year dream come true"
http://www.georgemichael.com/
"Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
May your every New Year dream come true
Sweet December song
The melody that saved me
On those less than silent nights
When snow would fall upon my bed
White sugar from Jesus
And take me to the day
She could always smile
The Virgin Child would always show, you see
Just to save me
(Just to save me)
There was always Christmas time
To wipe the year away
I guess that morning they’d decided
That the war would have to wait
There was always Christmas time
Jesus came to stay
I could believe in peace on Earth
And I could watch TV all day
So I dreamed of Christmas
Maybe since you’ve gone
I went a little crazy
God knows they can see (the child)
But the snow that falls upon my bed
That loving I needed
Falls every single day
For each and every child
The Virgin smiles for all to see
But you kept her from me
There was always Christmas time
To wipe the year away
I guess that morning they’d decided
That the war would have to wait
There was always Christmas time
Jesus came to stay
I could believe in peace on Earth
And I could watch TV all day
And so I dreamed of Christmas
Yes, I dreamed like you
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
May your every New Year dream come true"
http://www.georgemichael.com/
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