Tag Archives: animated short

JibJab presents “2014: You Are History!”

Entertainment, Video, , , ,

Nobody closes out the year like the uniquely entertaining animators at JibJab. The Interview fallout, the heated turbulence in the Middle East, Ferguson, ebola, marijuana legalization, NFL woes, The Fappening, the Bill Cosby scandal, NFL woes, Shia LaBeouf’s meltdown, Kim Kardashian’s ass breaking the Internet, our fascination with space…even Renée Zellweger’s new face gets a memorable mention. From politics to pop culture, JibJab covers nearly all the bases here in its comprehensive blazing fast Year In Review retrospective.

Enjoy, and Happy New Year!

TV parodies: ‘Breaking Bad’: The Musical, ‘Arrested Development’, the video game, ‘Walking Dead’ bad lip-reading & more!

Hilarity, Television, Video, , , , , , , , , , ,

There’s TV and then there’s the Internet. The two make quite the couple. Here are some fascinating offspring I’ve hand-picked for your viewing pleasure.

The first two videos come from the world of Breaking Bad. Hanging above is “Breaking Bad: The Middle School Musical” starring kids cooking meth blue rock candy. Yes, it is twisted and it is also brilliant and hilarious. It also does a pretty great job at summing up seasons one through five so spoiler freaks beware.

Click after the break for more. Continue reading TV parodies: ‘Breaking Bad’: The Musical, ‘Arrested Development’, the video game, ‘Walking Dead’ bad lip-reading & more! →

Mickey Mouse is going back to his roots in a new series of animated shorts

News, Television, , , , ,

Mickey Mouse is making a comeback and in a big way. Disney’s mascot introduced himself to a new generation of kids in the Epic Mickey games and now he’s returning to his original medium in cartoon shorts. Nineteen brand-new cartoon shorts are releasing this summer and they will feature 2D animation that are reminiscent of the art direction and storytelling of Walt and his animators in the 1920s and 1930s. Each contemporary ‘toon finds Mickey in a different setting including Santa Monica, New York, Paris, Beijing, Tokyo, Venice and the Alps, facing a silly situation, a quick complication and an escalation of physical and visual gags. The Mouse will interact with his friends Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, and Pluto.

This exciting new Walt Disney Television Animation project is headed by executive producer and director Paul Rudish, the talented animator behind Dexter’s Laboratory and The Power Puff Girls. The shorts will roll out beginning June 28 on Disney Channel, Disney.com, and the company’s Watch Disney Channel app.

“By bringing Mickey’s comedic adventures to life with vitality, humor, inventiveness and charm, the entire Disney Television Animation team of artists, animators and directors have worked to capture the essence of what Walt Disney himself created 85 years ago,” said Disney Channels Worldwide President and Chief Creative Officer Gary Marsh in a statement.

A preview installment called “Croissant de Triomphe” is already up at Disney.com. The three-and-a-half minute ‘toon invites Mickey to Paris as he attempts to deliver a fresh batch of croissants to Minnie’s cafe. The short features fun, fast-paced action sequences, humor for all ages, an unexpected homage to a Disney classic, and obviously the animation style is beautiful and nostalgic. Watch it here.

[Via Disney]

Disney Animation’s ‘Paperman’ short will make your day

Movies, Video, , ,

A cute little animated short called Paperman played in front of Wreck-It-Ralph back when it was in theatres and now Disney Animation has released the six-and-a-half minute black-and-white clip for all the world to see. If you haven’t seen it yet, set aside that short amount of time and literally get swept away by this romantic tale that doesn’t require dialogue to get its whimsical and charming point across.

JibJab sings “The End Is Here” in their 2012 Year in Review animated clip

Hilarity, Video, , , ,

The creative minds at JibJab decided to take advantage of the Mayan calendar end of the world theme when putting together their year-end animated short for 2012 appropriately titled “The End Is Here!” Somehow they manage to squeeze in most of the biggest stories that gained traction this year in under two minutes. Politics, world news, pop culture–it’s all here. So sit back, relax, and take it all in with a wide-eyed smile because that’s the JibJab style.

Happy New Year!

JibJab pokes fun at politics and pop culture in 2011 with year-end video

Hilarity, Video, , , , ,

The creative clan at JibJab claim that “the whole world went nuts in 2011” and so they put together this elaborate Year in Review musical to cover all the insanity (read: Rebecca Black’s stardom) that went on. “The goal was to create the typical “JibJab-look” but to step away from the computers for a bit and do it all in-camera,” shares the team behind the clip. “Ya know… the good ole fashioned way.” So using popsicle sticks, cut paper, and hands JibJab has developed another catchy video that succinctly summarizes 2011 for the masses. Head over to JibJab’s blog to peruse their detailed making-of section.

Happy New Year!

Animated short: ‘Follow the Sun’ intermission reel takes a turn for the highly disturbing

Design, Video, , , , ,

From design and filmmaking collective MK12 comes this disturbingly bizarre short film that serves as “an homage and/or affront to a great American tradition: the Intermission Reel.” MK12 further explains the inspiration behind this odd masterpiece:

Those who weren’t making out in the back of the family Buick between films at the drive-in will remember them: poorly-spliced, underexposed & overplayedgrindhouse reels of sickly green hot dogs,unprovoked pizza-groping, ice cream sundaeswith a vomit of pale, lifeless toppings, and perversesight gags featuring animated snacks in PG-13scenarios. MK12 interested themselves in this format, and envisioned its slightly darker, but perhaps more-to-the-point, R-rated cousin.

MK12 teamed with cel-frame animator TJ Fuller to give birth to the cast of live-action and stop-frame characters featured in the short Follow the Sun. It was made to serve as an opening act to FITC’s tenth anniversary conference in Toronto. They were also commissioned to brand the design and technology-based festival.

Glean what you will from this disturbing tale of dancing snack foods. A making-of video lingers after the break.

[Via FollowTheSun] Continue reading Animated short: ‘Follow the Sun’ intermission reel takes a turn for the highly disturbing →

Animated short: ‘Mac ‘n’ Cheese’ is a psychedelic chase

Design, Video, , ,

A group of students at the Utrecht School of Arts in the Netherlands spent five months creating this visually stunning animated short titled Mac ‘n’ Cheese. They say the visuals were inspired by Valve’s Team Fortress 2 and the short film Meet Buck. The synopsis goes like this:

When you find yourself running scared and running out of energy, there’s only a few options left to outrun your opponent through the southern desert. Stopping at nothing, watch these two guys wear each other out and rip through boundaries hitherto unbroken. Enjoy the ride!

It’s trippy, man.

Short film: Something Left, Something Taken

Art, EXPERIENCE, Video, , , ,

Something Left, Something Taken.  By Max Porter & Ru Kuwahata.

This beautifully designed animated short is a “dark comedy” that follows “a vacationing couple’s encounter with a man they believe to be the Zodiac Killer.”  It’s funny, engaging, suspenseful, and smart.  What’s the phrase again?  Oh right–sit back, relax, and enjoy.

[Via @kpereira]