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:

NSPCC Cartoon (2002), 1 min., directed by Russell Brooke (live action directed by Frank Budgen), UK. Info: Sian Rees, Passion Pictures. Tel.:+44-207-323-9933. Email: sian@passion-pictures.com. Web: www.passion-pictures.com

A Pesar de Todo (In Spite of Everything) (2003), 6 min., directed by Walter Tournier, Uruguay. Email:tournier@adinet.com.uy

Mickey’s Buddy (2003), 1:41 min., directed by Pete Paquette, USA. Email: pete_paquette@yahoo.com

Line of Life (2002), 12:07 min., directed by Serge Avedikian, France. Info: Dora Benousilio, Les Films De l’Arlequin 23 Rue Meslay 75003, Paris, France. Tel.: 0142772055; Fax: 0142772056;

Show and Tell (2002), 4:04 min., directed by Mark Gravas, Australia. Info: Phil Klaunzer and Sandra Walters, Kapow Pictures. Tel.: 9929445455. Fax: 99294755. Email: info@kapowpictures.com

Placing cartoon violence in the real world shakes up viewer complacency in NSPCC Cartoon. © Saatchi & Saatchi. Courtesy of Passion Pictures.

NSPCC Cartoon
NSPCC Cartoon is a public service TV campaign from London’s Passion Pictures. In the :60 spot, a father comes home to his son and proceeds to scream and smack him around for watching TV all day, leaving his toys lying about and other domestic sins. The boy retreats to his room, but the father continues his attack, ending by throwing him down a flight of stairs. What gives this dire scenario its power is that the boy is the only animated character in an all-live-action environment. He squashes, stretches, wets himself and bounces off walls, all to the accompaniment of laugh track. It’s appropriately horrifying for a general audience, surely more effective as a hybrid than it would have been in 100% live action.

It’s also a head-turner for people in the business of animation -- by re-contextualizing cartoon violence in the real world, the directors have not only freshly conveyed the terror of domestic abuse, they’ve taken a generation raised on Looney Tunes and put it through some changes as we are forced to re-register the kind of cartoon violence that we’d previously brushed off. The short’s technique is impeccable, with the cartoon-styled main character flawlessly integrated into the live-action background.

The hand-drawn animation was directed by Russell Brooke; the live action was directed by Frank Budgen at Gorgeous Enterprises. The campaign was commissioned by Saatchi & Saatchi, London, for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. It has won seven awards, including Grand Prix for Best Commissioned Film/Video at the Ottawa International Animation Festival, and it was nominated for Cartoon D’Or in 2003. (Recommended)