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:

Hessi James (Cockney James, Germany, 2000). 6 min. Dir: Johannes Weiland (Germany). Script and Voice: Badesalz. Producer: Martin Burkert. Score: Thomas Mehlhorn. Produced at Filmakademi Baden-Wuerttemberg. Web: http://www.hessi-themovie.de .

Katedra (The Cathedral, Poland, 2002). 6 min. Dir: Tomek Baninski (Poland). Story: Jacek Dukaj. Prod: Jarek Sawko and Piotr Sikora. Music: Adam Rosiak. Produced at Platige Image. Contact: Piotr Sikora. Tel: +48 60 134 30 09. Or contact: Platige Image, Pilicka 58, 02-613, Poland. Tel/Fax: +48 22 844 64 74. Email: info@platige.com. Web: http://www.platige.com/katedra.

The Lark (USA, 2002). 10 min. Dir: Gil Kenan (USA). Music composition and orchestration: Douglas Pipes. Produced at the University of California, Los Angeles. Contact: Gil Kenan. E-mail: gkenan@attbi.com.

Passing Moments (USA, 2002). 2.5 min. Dir: Don Phillips (USA). Produced at the Ringling School of Art and Design. Music: Pat Osborne. Contact: Don Phillips, Jr., 1914 Shadowood Court, Spartanburg, SC 29301 USA. Tel: +01 941 266 6983. E-mail: dphillips@ringling.edu. Web: www.rsad.edu/~dphillip .

Orange (USA, 2002). 11 min. Dir: Slava Ushakov (Russia). Prod: Mikhail Shindel. Produced at Kinofilm. Contact: Kinofilm and Slava Ushakov, 10980 Ohio Ave. #202, Los Angeles, CA 90024 USA. Tel: +01 310 444 9367. E-mail: slavaushy@cs.com. Web: http://www.slavaushakov.com .

Hessi James features bug action set in the desert. © 2000 Ascaland Animations.

Hessi James
Two major influences have shaped the 6-minute Hessi James, a student project directed by Johannes Weiland at Filmakademi Baden-Wuerttemberg. Most significant is the German comedy duo Badesalz, which have been performing since the mid-1980s and have recorded CDs, videos and a feature film based upon their work. Weiland’s film is an adaptation of one of their most famous sketches, originally recorded in 1993, the story of a small Cockney bug who overpowers all he meets with his unceasing chatter. Set in a desert town, the film attempts to recreate the atmosphere of Oliver Stone’s film, U-Turn, employing Maya to create the dusty gas station where the action takes place. The textures employed in the work were painted onto paper.

Harmonica music sets the scene as the action opens on two bugs lingering in the filling station. One, the owner, warns the other, a tough roach who goes by the name John G. G. Tucker, that he should not provoke the puny bug who madly drives up to a pump, careening across the open desert landscape. Action is captured in what might be called an ‘MTV style,’ with ‘hand held’ looking zooms and blurs. Not heeding the advice, Tucker meets his destiny when his eardrums explode from the non-stop, unintelligible banter spewing forth from the chatty, strongly-accented little insect. Dialogue, originally in German, has been dubbed into English.

Before he entered the Filmakademie in 1998, Weiland worked at the Städtische Bühnen Freiburg as assistant stage designer and assistant director. He also worked on several animation-related projects with production companies on a freelance basis. One year in the making, Hessi James was released on 35mm film. It has won several awards at festivals, as well as a Student Academy Award nomination (from the USA).