A vision of Los Angeles from the perspective of a service industry worker is, in fact, a gloomy and towards the end also tragicomic story of this metropolis that doesn’t even try to hide its dark sides. This film was made at CalArts and Shaffner not only directed it, but also composed the score and engineered the sound.
The disturbing and surreal, traditionally animated film Flaws depicts the intransigence of the labour process in which people are trapped, confined, psychologically tortured and denied of any hope of a free life. The author uses an extraordinary animation technique – all of the stages of animation in a given sequence are drawn on a single piece of paper.
A time-lapse oil-painting animated film about an insomniac guy and what he dreams when he finally falls asleep. In addition to atypical animation techniques, this conceptually daring film also uses enhanced naturalistic sound, making the protagonist’s insomnia even more unbearable and the whole film more disturbing.
This abstract music video by a young Czech animator pleasantly visualises a song by (also young) Czech band, Ida the Young. To create the transforming images, the director used stop-motion animation of shapeable material. She creates various motifs by scratching into it and subsequently shaping it.
Compound animation loops filmed on a single canvas depict an immensely playful, colourful and abstract whirlwind of various particles perfectly harmonised with Bach’s excellent composition. This one-minute-long abstract film in which Josh Shaffner made good use of his experience with painting was made at CalArts in a programme for experimental animation.
This narrative music video with elements of fantasy was made for the catchy song ‘My Way’ by the Argentinian electro pop-rock band Siamés. Regina makes her way to the ritual of initiation into magic. Makeup, glitter and a blood pact define a new attitude in Regina, who is now ready for anything.
For this largely abstract music video, the experienced director of non-narrative films chose a piano composition. This music video is a dreamlike journey through cosmic landscapes, reflecting the themes of exploitation and transformation. While creating this music video in shades of blue, the director combined several animation techniques, both manual and computer-generated.
This film examines the psychological consequences of sexual violence and stalking. We follow Zora, a young girl working the night shift at a petrol station. Her shift is interrupted by a visit from her ex-boyfriend, which triggers a panic attack. Nearby reflects the imminence of danger and the availability of support. The film was made in collaboration with experts on sexual violence.
Pinocchio felt a longing deep within him. Someday, he would become a real girl and live a life beyond the confines of make-believe. Animating directly on film stock, the renowned American experimenter updates and strongly condenses the famous story.
One day, while scrolling through his Instagratte feed, Benjamin Efrati meets his algorithm, a giant cosmic cat in neon colours. A pure reverberation of his behaviours, the algorithm is a golden prison that reinforces his beliefs and both alienates and comforts him. ‘Mon Algorithme à Moi’ is a contemporary fable in the form of a psychedelic odyssey into the virtual space of social networks.
