The Daily Gamecock

Oscars nominated animated short films go playful, somber

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This year, the Oscars are going to see some brilliant animation short films, as well as some less impressive ones. Tuesday night, the Nickelodeon Theater screened this year’s nominees for best animated short films.

The animation techniques on display were impressive. Some of these techniques mimicked watercolor or oil paintings, such as “The Dam Keeper,” and it definitely adds to the somber mood of the piece.

While many of these short films are rather, well, short, “The Dam Keeper” is an exception. With a runtime of 18 minutes, this heartwarming story touches in the issues of bullying and loneliness.

It seems that the use of dark humor was largely apparent in this year’s Oscar animated short films. Two of the final nominations go for the sad, funny soft spot: Dutch short “A Single Life” and the peculiar and captivating “The Bigger Picture.” 

“A Single Life” has no narration or dialogue, but it still manages to get its point across very effectively. Without revealing too much, it tells the story of a young woman who receives a record that allows her to skip time. “A Single Life” is simple, yet gives a poignant message: live in the moment. 

“The Bigger Picture” recounts the uncomfortable and heart-wrenching process of putting an elderly relative in an assisted living facility. This animated short powerfully showcases the often-overlooked process — for instance, “The Bigger Picture” examines how the lives of the younger relatives, in this case the elderly woman’s two sons, unravel and are equally affected.

“The Bigger Picture” deserves as much recognition for its animation style as it does for its subject matter. It is made with life-sized stop motion paintings, seemingly of the oil variety. But that’s not all — often the arms of the individuals in the film will become three-dimensional and be constructed of clay.

While many of the animated shorts seem to be serious, that isn’t the case for all of them. “Feast” is a delightful, playful piece that mimics the shorts you might see at the beginning of “Toy Story.” Another lighter short, “Bus Story” tells the tale of a young woman who always wanted to be a school bus driver so she could wave to people. As it turns out, being a school bus driver can get you into a few shenanigans. 

Refreshingly, there appears to be a lot of female representation in the animated shorts category this year. And, though it's typical of this Oscar category, the shorts come from a variety of countries. Someare more hard-hitting than others, but together they’re a strong showcase of talented, experimental animation artists. 


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