My thoughts on Shorts

February still feels like December!

This year was a different year at the Oscars for me, because I took initiative to see the three Oscar Nominated Short Film categories: Documentary, Live-Action, and Animation.  Even better?  The ones I ended up rooting for won!  =D 

Here's something to think about:  big-time directors Quentin Tarantino and George Lucas got their careers because somebody in Hollywood liked their short films.  And the guys who won last year's Animated Short got a call from Dreamworks eventually, to extend one of their short film ideas into a full feature-length film.  It became Rise of the Guardians.  0_0  Which... in my opinion, should've taken all the animation glory awards this past year, because it was amaaaazing.

Another thing:  Adventure Time!  It's a 2D animated TV show on Cartoon Network that's garnered a huge fanbase for the past  because of the wacky characters and its ridiculous, nonsequitir story-telling.  It also began as a short!  The real kicker?  Most animated programs on CN, WB, Nickelodeon and Disney have all started out as short-form animation.  It's all about getting the audience intrigued, then seeing the story as a profitable product to put on a regular 30-minute time slot. 

I'll make this post short (haha) and sweet... and just say that there's amazing amounts of talent out there by people - young and old - who are striving to make their lives be about telling stories.  My favorite short (perhaps because it was a reflection on myself) was an Oscar Nominated Documentary short about a fifteen-year-old homeless girl named Inocente whose been painting in happy colors and creating amazing artwork despite the less-than-happy lifestyle she's had.  It's the most remarkable example of hope that there is in the art world, and I remember vividly how when the film-makers received their award, all they could say was that this girl was a brilliant artist, and that the arts are dying and that we need to do what we can to keep artists alive.

I'm not sure what kind of future I have with animation, as I feel that everywhere I go, I feel like somebody's telling me a different take on the business... but I do know that I enjoy watching animated films, and just films in general.  I love the magical element of storytelling, how one thing can lead to another and before you know it, you're hooked on the characters and plot, and you're rooting for them.  I think it's because at the end of the day... reality can always get you down... and you need a good story to inspire you to get through it.