Oscar-nominated live-action short films often tackle human-rights violations and other issues plaguing society. The animated shorts tend to lean toward lighter fare, such as a celebration of Black hair and single fatherhood in Mathew Cherry’s 2019 winner “Hair Love,” or Pixar’s fanciful 2018 winner “Bao.” However, short-form animation also has a unique ability to spin visual poetry on hard-hitting issues. Speaking to grief, school shootings, and racist violence, an eclectic group of three animated shorts from Netflix prove the power of animation to go deep.
After video of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery went viral months after his death, writer/performer Timothy Ware-Hill dusted off an old poem and filmed himself reciting it while running in his neighborhood, as Arbery was doing when he was killed. The video gained attention of many, including director Arnon Manor, who had the idea to transform the poem into a collage of different animation styles.
After video of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery went viral months after his death, writer/performer Timothy Ware-Hill dusted off an old poem and filmed himself reciting it while running in his neighborhood, as Arbery was doing when he was killed. The video gained attention of many, including director Arnon Manor, who had the idea to transform the poem into a collage of different animation styles.
- 1/22/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Frank Abney says the idea for his animated short feature and Oscar hopeful “Canvas” was born out of a need to make a film that was personal.
Six years ago, the animator, whose credits include Pixar titles “Soul,” “Coco,” “Toy Story 4” and “Incredibles 2,” felt he was nevertheless experiencing a rough patch creatively. “I was trying to navigate the industry, and we struggle as artists,” Abney says. “I knew when I created something, I wanted it to be unique to my situation.”
Watching his young niece and observing her carefree nature, he devised a family film in which generations help each other. Abney lost his father when he was 5 and witnessed his mother sharing his grief, his grandfather at her side. “I was curious [about my grandfather] because he was always quiet and withdrawn when I was around him,” Abney says.
The nine-minute “Canvas” tells the story of an older wheelchair user...
Six years ago, the animator, whose credits include Pixar titles “Soul,” “Coco,” “Toy Story 4” and “Incredibles 2,” felt he was nevertheless experiencing a rough patch creatively. “I was trying to navigate the industry, and we struggle as artists,” Abney says. “I knew when I created something, I wanted it to be unique to my situation.”
Watching his young niece and observing her carefree nature, he devised a family film in which generations help each other. Abney lost his father when he was 5 and witnessed his mother sharing his grief, his grandfather at her side. “I was curious [about my grandfather] because he was always quiet and withdrawn when I was around him,” Abney says.
The nine-minute “Canvas” tells the story of an older wheelchair user...
- 1/22/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
View Conference has set its first three PreVIEW events for 2021. The free virtual talks feature the gamut of animated films: shorts, VR and feature.
First up, on Friday, Jan 15, will be the filmmakers behind Netflix’s three animated shorts: “Canvas,” directed by Frank Abney and produced by Paige Johnstone; “Cops and Robbers,” directed by Arnon Manor and Timothy Ware-Hill; and “If Anything Happens I Love You,” directed by Will McCormack and Michael Govier. The shorts employ three different styles, but each tell powerful and socially relevant stories.
“Canvas” follows a grieving grandfather who learns to embrace his creativity again with the help of his young granddaughter. “If Anything Happens” examines the aftermath of a school shooting. And “Cops and Robbers” uses animation to illustrate Ware-Hill’s poem about racial injustice and the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. The virtual talk, dubbed “Go Behind the Scenes of Netflix’s First Three Animated Shorts,...
First up, on Friday, Jan 15, will be the filmmakers behind Netflix’s three animated shorts: “Canvas,” directed by Frank Abney and produced by Paige Johnstone; “Cops and Robbers,” directed by Arnon Manor and Timothy Ware-Hill; and “If Anything Happens I Love You,” directed by Will McCormack and Michael Govier. The shorts employ three different styles, but each tell powerful and socially relevant stories.
“Canvas” follows a grieving grandfather who learns to embrace his creativity again with the help of his young granddaughter. “If Anything Happens” examines the aftermath of a school shooting. And “Cops and Robbers” uses animation to illustrate Ware-Hill’s poem about racial injustice and the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. The virtual talk, dubbed “Go Behind the Scenes of Netflix’s First Three Animated Shorts,...
- 1/14/2021
- by Terry Flores
- Variety Film + TV
"If you have an idea, if you have something you want to work on, you owe it to yourself to try to make it happen." Netflix has unveiled an official trailer for an animated short titled Canvas, debuting streaming on Netflix this December. Directed by Frank E. Abney III (who worked for Pixar as an animator before this) and produced by Paige Johnstone. "After suffering a loss, a painter finds his inspiration to create again." Canvas tells the story of a Grandfather who is sent into a downward spiral and loses his inspiration to create. Years later, he decides to revisit the easel, and pick up the paint brush... but he can't do it alone. Well this looks just lovely. "What I hope people take away from Canvas is that, no matter what you're going through, you can get through it and you don't always have to do it alone.
- 11/16/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
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