Sunday, February 22, 2015

Oscar nominated animated shorts: The Dam Keeper

The Dam Keeper

Synopsis (from The Dam Keeper IMDb page):
A young pig with an important job, and a new friend who changes everything. In a desolate future, one small town has survived because of a large windmill dam that acts as a fan to keep out pollution. The dam's operator, Pig, works tirelessly to keep the sails spinning and protect the town, despite abuse from classmates and an indifferent public. When a new student joins Pig's class, nothing will be the same again.


Credits:
Robert Kondo
Dice Tsutsumi
(A bunch more people helped produce it, but the above two are the ones nominated for an oscar.)


Trailer (from The Dam Keeper youtube page, which has loads of videos to offer!!!):


The art of collaboration:




Artwork (check out more on their website):































My personal opinion (no spoilers):
I've been following this one for some months, so I'd been looking forward to seeing this very much. When I'd finally seen it I loved it as much as I hoped I would! This is just one of those you have to see to understand how special it is. Plus, it's just so darn cute!

Let me start off by saying that this short film looks like it has been drawn in a style suitable for a kids' story, but it must certainly is not a childish story. This story will touch you whether you're a child or an adult. The art style is simple, but so beautiful at the same time. They were really clever about getting the most out of the simplicity. As for the audio, it has the same kind of simple appeal that the art direction has.

Quite simply put, this short flm has a lot of heart. The story is full of heart, but when you watch it you can just feel that this was a work of love.

Now to judge the chances for this to win an Oscar. This lived up to my high expectations, and I expect this will win at the Oscars tonight. I think this one has the advantage because of its simple beauty and appeal, and the fact that it has so much heart.

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