The Bear And The Hare

Animated by two Disney veterans Dominic Carola and Aaron Blaise in collaboration with British department store John Lewis, The Bear and the Hare is an ambitious £1 million (Damn) hand animated Christmas project directed by Yves Geleyn and Elliot Dear. If the bear animation looks somewhat familiar, no surprise there as Dominic and Aaron spent quite a bit of time studying them while working on Brother Bear.

The animators noted that they hadn't had a chance to work with each other, let alone on their traditional animation desks until now, seeing that the short wanted to preserve that classical hand animated look mixed with hand crafted backgrounds. What is it about animated animals that brings back such a strong pang of nostalgia in me? Hornet Inc. was nice enough to share the making of The Bear and the Hare, which you can check out right after the break.

The Super Rope Solution

Dutch animator Auke de Vries created this awesome tongue-in-cheek short called 'The Super Rope Solution.' Telling the story of a lazy man who orders a Rube Goldberg-type machine from a late night infomercial, he finds himself regretting his decision (as is probably the case with most late-night infomercial customers).

It's a fun, lighthearted way to poke fun at all of those useless devices that end up being more hassle than convenience.  The desaturated, crosshatch art-style reminds me of children's books from the 70's and 80's; Something similar to Shel Silverstein.  

Hammer & Hand

It's short, but definitely pretty sweet.  From the work of Creative Director/Animator Colin Hesterly comes the animated short about a man, just a regular man. But one who sets out to create something, well, let's say it's larger than life (like all good innovators, eh?). This short kinda gets right to the point, and ends on an interesting note.  I'd love to see a longer version of this!

Second Wind By Ian Worrel

Ian Worrell's animated short about two friends and their spiritual journey becomes one of life and death when they encounter a force that has the power to cause a rift between them. The beautifully hand animated piece has a wonderful quality that is both subtle and beautiful, emphasizing its grit and hand drawn origins while managing deliver a self contained narrative devoid of the need of dialogue.

The surreal 4th year Calarts short is truly taken to another level thanks to the amazing music by James Mark, which unlike some student shorts at times managed to perfectly harmonize with the animation. On a positive note though, the conflict that threatens to ruin everything thankfully ends up strengthening the bond between the two companions.