Tag Archives: Short Films

Nature & Wildlife Films: ‘Wild Slovenia’ (Trailer)

“Wild Slovenia ” A film by Matej Vranič. World Premiere at the 2021 WCFF.

SYNOPSIS:
The documentary WILD SLOVENIA visually presents the very diverse fauna and flora of Slovenia, focusing on mammals and birds, and shows some particularly interesting species of amphibians, fish, insects and plants.

In the film, we venture among the highest Alpine peaks and into the remote Dinaric forests; we travel across the Pannonian plains, descend into the underground caves of the Karst world and dive into the Adriatic Sea. The film offers the insight into the secret life of some animal species that live in close proximity to humans, often even in an urban environment, but never quite come to our sight. We witness individual interactions between humans and animals. Throughout the 83-minute film, stunning details from the animal world emerge, combined into compelling and unobtrusively instructive stories shown through interesting footage. More than 50 animal species are presented; monitored over a period of one year and presented in different roles, as dictated by their life cycle – hunting and eating, courting, fighting, mating, and caring for the offspring. With the more common species, that we see frequently, the film introduces some lesser-known features.

The film, which takes place over a period of one year, also takes the viewer through typical Slovenian landscapes and briefly introduces their main characteristics. The plot crosses between the provinces and occasionally returns to the same area in order to show what is happening in the animal world in the second part of the year. A very rich ecosystem diversity, rarely seen recordings, and scientifically verified information weaved into the intelligible text are key attributes of this film.

Animated Short Films: ‘Ozymandias’ – A Poem By Percy Bysshe Shelley

Directed and animated by Alvaro Lamarche-Toloza

“OZYMANDIAS” is the animated 3D adaptation of a poem written by English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in December 1817. It was created with a series of wash paintings animated with the Unreal Engine and EbSynth to test an experimental 3D animation pipeline.

Additional info:
Using EbSynth, a texture synthesis / transfer tool created by Secret Weapon, we applied wash paintings to 3D scenes created in real-time with the Unreal Engine. The result is a unique look and a promising experimental pipeline which dramatically speeds up the production of 3D animation stylized with traditional 2D art.

About the poem:
Written in 1817 by Percy Shelley, “Ozymandias” refers to pharaoh Ramesses II and was perhaps inspired by the acquisition of a large Ramesses statue by the British Museum the same year. References to this poem have often appeared in pop culture, though Shelley himself might not have considered it to be one of his major works.

It was first published in the 11 January 1818 issue of The Examiner of London. 

Credits:
Directed and animated by Alvaro Lamarche-Toloza
Wash paintings by Estelle Chauvard
Voice by Bryan Cranston, taken from the Breaking Bad Teaser Trailer
“Menkaure colossal statue base” model by Zhejiang University
“Ramses II” model by Taoetsia
“Horse Skeleton” model by Diego Luján García

‘OZYMANDIAS’ By Percy Bysshe Shelley

I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

Short Films: ‘Wild Ireland – The Edge Of The World’

Emmy-award-winning nature cameraman Colin Stafford-Johnson takes a long trip along Ireland’s coastline, one of the most beautiful in the world. As he travels he visits wild locations and happens across a variety of wildlife, which are all captured using the latest in filming techniques and technology, such as high-speed footage and Cineflex. Also in his journey Colin will visit a gannet colony, see humpback whales and basking sharks surface, and uncover some of the early Christian history of the island, amongst much more.

Poetic Nature Films: ‘I Am The Spirit’ – Poland (Video)

“I Am The Spirit” is a Cinematic Poem Short Film Directed by Krystian Artur Bielatowicz.

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Krystian Artur Bielatowicz

The film “I am the spirit” is the second part of the “I am” trilogy.
Film by Krystian Artur Bielatowicz / Light Keeper.
lightkeeper.pl

“I am”, part I:

Travel Film: ‘PARENTHÈSE – Postcard from Madeira’

Filmed and Edited by: Gilles Havet

A parenthesis is a more or less long episode of existence, which is considered to be outside the normal course of existence. Going to discover Madeira was our parenthesis in this year 2020. Getting away from the bad news and rediscovering the joys of marveling at nature. This is the real meaning of life. We take you to discover the garden island, its reliefs bathed in clouds, its lush nature and its sparkling night sky.

Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal, is an archipelago comprising 4 islands off the northwest coast of Africa. It is known for its namesake wine and warm, subtropical climate. The main island of Madeira is volcanic, green and rugged, with high cliffs, pebbly beaches and settlements on deltas of the Fajã River. Capital Funchal has botanic gardens and is known for its harbor and a large New Year’s fireworks show. 

Short Films: ‘Vastness’ – A CGI Exploration Of Deep Space Nebulae (Video)

Directed and Designed by: Teun van der Zalm

VASTNESS is a short film where we explore new designed nebulas with more detail, scale and color variations.

To achieve this I developed a new process that pushes the hardware memory limit. By using more particles than before, I tried to get more detail, light/color variations and scale still maintaining the overall natural feeling.

Music by LIMINA

Violinist – Emily Kriner
Mixed by Michael Bouska

Top Short Films: ‘Treeline’

Directed by Jordan Manley

Patagonia Films presents: Treeline. Follow a group of skiers, snowboarders, scientists and healers to the birch forests of Japan, the red cedars of British Columbia and the bristlecones of Nevada, as they explore an ancient story written in rings.

Producers: Laura Yale, Monika McClure

Executive Producers: Alex Lowther, Jimmy Hopper, Josh Nielsen

Cinematography, editing, principal sound design: Jordan Manley

Additional Cinematography: Scott Secco

Associate Producers: Garrett Grove, Lisa Ida, Soichiro Uchino, Mie Sawatari

Editorial Advisors: Daniel Irvine, Chad Manley

Motion Graphics: Daniel Irvine

Additional Sound Design and Mix: Jeff Yellen / Ridgeline Sound

Cast & Athletes

Taro Tamai
Hidehiko Wajima
Kazushi “Orange Man” Yamauchi
Yuki Miyazaki
Alex Yoder
Leah Evans
Carston Oliver
Laura Yale
Connie Millar
Diane Delaney
Michael Cohen
Deb MacKillop
Suzanne Simard
Akihiko Tamaki
Konami Tsukamoto

Still Photographer: Garrett Grove

Additional Audio Recordings: Travis Rummel / Felt Soul Media