If you’re more than ready for the beautiful dresses, golden statuettes and large bowls of popcorn with your roommates on Oscar Sunday, there is at least one way to get your Oscar party started early.
Oscars shorts. If you haven’t fallen in love with the charm and beauty of the 2013 animated shorts, then take a half hour and check them out for yourself.
Started in 2006, the shorts come in three categories: live action, documentary and animated. Anyone can relate to an animated short. They’re fun and playful, yet they also have a very serious side.
Five shorts, all under 15 minutes and filled with creativity, emotion and great passion.
After watching all five, there was one thing that stood out to me: the music.
Each film has its own personality, but all share in the fact that there is hardly any dialogue. All of the films are artfully created and showcase amazing talent and production skill.
And, because life is short…why don’t we check out the best one first?
1. I’d give the Oscar to “The Paperman,” if it were up to me. A Disney film, set in 1940s NYC. While it is hard to find on the Internet, it is well worth your time. The black and white film centers on a look, a glance and a fleeting moment on a windy day between two strangers. It completely melted my heart. I think by the end you’ll be wishing you could be the young lady with the red lips in this film…just like I did. Hands down my favorite!
2. Coming in a close second is “Head Over Heels.” Clocking in at nearly ten minutes, this story is real life. A couple has grown apart. They can’t relate. They don’t want to be on the same page anymore. Their relationship is represented by an artfully constructed world where he lives on the floor, and she lives on the ceiling. Literally 180 degrees apart. They live in a strange harmony of sorts, but that all changes when their home comes crashing down, literally. This film held my attention, and is certainly Oscar-worthy, as well.
3. Even if you’re not a fan of “The Simpsons,” much like myself, you’ll likely love “The Longest Daycare.” Maggie Simpson has been dropped off at a nightmare of a daycare where she can only manage to get grey and black paint. If that’s not enough to depress you, she finds a devious classmate who is looking to crush every ounce of fun she’s set out to have for the day. This is the quickest five-minute film you’ll ever see. It also has a sweet ending that will leave you making faces at that mean boy, too.
4. A very clever, yet odd video is titled “Fresh Guacamole.” At just under two minutes, the film is incredibly creative, turning ordinary objects into a tasty chip dip. There is really no storyline to the film. It’s more like a highly anticipated Super Bowl commercial for chip dip. It has great sound and features some really awesome editing. While it’s a neat idea, there really isn’t much to hang on as far as story goes…but still worth a view.
5. Finally, “Adam and Dog.” The story is just as it sounds. Adam (yes, Adam featured in “The Bible”) meets a dog for the first time. It’s a nice story, but it is over 15 minutes long…and just didn’t hold my attention. There is plenty of beautiful, natural sound, but just not as exciting as the others. It’s slow to start, but depending on your taste…you might enjoy it. If you can’t take the entire 15-minute film, watch the trailer.
This year the best films are coming in shorter form. If you haven’t had the time, money or interest to see all the big ticket films in theaters, check out the shorts below and decide which one you’d give the Oscar to!
The Paperman: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disneys-paperman-short-floats-online-416850
Head Over Heels: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMJ4fTb6K1o
The Longest Daycare: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL2I_8q3zrY
Fresh Guacamole: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQMO6vjmkyI
Adam and Dog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV0PJKgFIUs
The official Oscar Shorts page: http://ons.shorts.tv/index.php