\"If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn\'t need to lug around a camera.\"
-- Lewis W. Hine (1874-1940)
Super Baozi vs Sushi Man! (Funny 3D Short)
I promised some folks I would follow up “Last Minutes with ODEN” with something a lot lighter, and here it is:
Super Baozi vs Sushi Man: animated short by Sun Haipeng. Martial arts showdown between two classic Asian food favorites…
Baozi is a kind of steamed stuffed pastry common in Chinese cooking, and the Sushi Man has got red fish eggs on top…just a really funny idea.
“Last Minutes with ODEN” — raw, powerful short film
The video in this post is two things: the best short documentary film I have ever seen, and a very raw look into one of the saddest days of a man’s life. A man whose life once meant only desperation, fear, crime and prison, but it was turned around by a faithful dog who showed him constant devotion and loyalty, and taught him the meaning of love and friendship. A dog now in too much pain so suffer any more.
This beautiful film is not easy to watch, and if you love dogs, it will be harder. If you have ever lost a beloved pet, you will probably be weeping by the end of it. It may be hard to watch if you are sensitive to rough language; the “F” word is a turn-off for some people (I’m looking at you, Mom), but you will come to understand this is a man who has been to Hell and back, and has found a new life, in part because of Oden.
Inside look at Lucasfilm’s fabled “Skywalker Ranch”
Not long ago in a galaxy not far away…
Star Wars fans, get ready for a rare glimpse of how legendary filmmaker George Lucas and his friends get away from it all at his private ranch. Cutting edge cinematographer Philip Bloom recently spent a week there, wowing Lucas, Quenton Tarantino and many of their movie making friends with the stunning quality of HD video produced by Canon DSLR still/video cameras. In his blog, Philip confessed: the invitation and chance to show his work to Lucasfilm and company is the highlight of his career.
Click on the video title “Skywalker Ranch” to see a larger version on Vimeo.com or watch it right here:
Sightless Man’s Inner Vision (“Hatteberg’s People”)
Probably few of you have heard of Larry Hatteberg, and fewer still of Bill Craft. But if you take a couple of minutes to watch this short feature about a sightless man from Kansas who wouldn’t let a war or the loss of his eyesight prevent him from achieving his goals, you probably won’t forget either one anytime soon.
Click here for a link to Larry Hatteberg’s feature story about Bill Craft, or click the image below.
Click the DVD cover image to watch Larry Hatteberg's feature on Bill Craft
Larry Hatteberg is sort of a Renaissance man in the TV industry…
Alone in the big city, will she notice him? (short film)
On the lookout for more great short internet stories, I found a real gem today. It’s already gotten more than 3.3 MILLION views on YouTube, and has its own facebook fan page. You might have seen it already. In case you haven’t, I have included this link to the facebook video version of “Signs,” which has better resolution than the YouTube version (which is a little blurry). The film runs just over 12 minutes, making it the longest one I have posted so far, but I can guarantee if you like good stories and great cinematography and editing, it will be worth your time to watch.
Click the poster to watch the film (12 min)
This short film by Patrick Hughes is one of the 2009 Cannes Lions winners. Here’s a link to the director’s website if you want to see more of his work.
“Signs” has many things going for it:
Hospice teen’s wish fulfilled by Fiero fans
A teenager, with his whole life in front of him, found out just after his 18th birthday that most of it was already behind him. But thanks to family, friends, and faith, he’s enjoying the time he has left, with 24 newfound friends who helped him fulfill one of his life’s dreams.
KARE-11’s Boyd Huppert brings us a powerful story about living life to the fullest, no matter what. Click here to read the story or click the photo to go straight to the video:
Click here to view "Fiero Dreams Come True" by Boyd Huppert of KARE-11
Funny Cardboard iPod Short Animation
Every time I watch this quick animated short it makes me laugh:
Even though it’s 3D animation, it’s made with printed cardboard boxes. I love the “cardboard iPod” the main character pulls out to drown out the annoying record player. I never imagined you could get so much expression and character out of such simple shapes and artwork. But film and animation student Rob Diaz really captured the personalities of his cut-out characters, and here’s what else he got right:
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