Within the world of animation, most experimentation occurs within short format productions, whether they be high-budgeted commercials, low-budgeted independent shorts or something in between. The growing number of short film festivals around the world attest to the vitality of these works, but there are few other venues for exhibition of them or even written reviews. As a result, distribution tends to be difficult and irregular. On a regular basis, Animation World Magazine will highlight some of the most interesting with short, descriptive overviews.

If you have the QuickTime plug-in, you can view a clip from each film by simply clicking the image.

This Month:

Plugs McGinniss, Seeing Eye Dog (2003), 4 min., directed by Aaron Augenblick, USA. Info: Aaron Augenblick, Augenblick Studios. Email: info@augenblickstudios.com. Web: www.augenblickstudios.com.

Requiem (2003), 3.25 min., directed by Roger Oda, USA. Info: Roger Oda. Email: roda92@yahoo.com.

Ski Jumping Pairs (2002), 5.5 min., directed by Riichiro Mashima, Japan. Info: Riichiro Mashima. Email: info@jump-pair.com. Web: www.jump-pair.com.

The Toll Collector (2002), 10 min., directed by Rachel Johnson, USA. Info: Rachel Johnson. Tel: 917-549-1979. Email: rachel@thetollcollector.com. Web: www.thetollcollector.com.

Tunanooda (2002), 10 min., directed by David Zackin, USA. Info: David Zackin, 459 3rd Ave., Apt. 3, Brooklyn, NY 11215. Email: djzackin@hotmail.com.

Plugs McGinniss gets his blind owner into trouble. All characters, stories and art © 2003 by Augenblick Studios.

Plugs McGinniss, Seeing Eye Dog
Inspired in part by Budweiser's idiotic "Spuds McKenzie" campaign (and in particular the disturbing suggestion that its canine protagonist "was a heavy drinker who was apparently mating with human women"), director Aaron Augenblick has created an agreeably jaundiced sketch about a dissolute canine and his supercilious blind owner. The film, which was hand-drawn in Flash MX, is as rich in visual design and attitude as it is thin in content, although there are a few funny ideas floating around, and the hyper-literate VO sustains one's interest when the visuals flag. Augenblick's professed love of Fleischer Studios cartoons and other early animation is evident in his retro style, which is generally very effective and needs only a stronger narrative structure to support it.

Aaron Augenblick attended the School of Visual Arts in New York, where he made the award-winning shorts, The Wire (1995) and The Midnight Carnival (1997). After working for several years at MTV Animation, he founded Augenblick Studios, which has produced shows for the Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, PBS, Nickelodeon and many others. The studio's own productions include Ramblin' Man (2000), Drunky (2001) and the upcoming series, House Arrest. Plugs McGinnis has screened at Annecy, the Annapolis Film Festival and the Filthy Animation Festival.