Sure, we got Studio Ghibli, Pixar, and Disney. But short animation films are largely just ignored. Big screen animations aren’t that hard to miss but short animations on platforms like Youtube and Reddit are the ones you really need to dig for, cause boy are they a gold mine.
1. Cream by David Firth
David Firth is known for his crude animations and Cream (2016) is amongst his best work. This demented short 10-minute animation, to put it simply is a glimpse into the future. Near future. It’s about an invention, a product which we’re all essentially looking for. A product that can solve all our problems, correct all the wrongs, and satisfy all our needs. Sounds promising, doesn’t it? Well, if only it were that easy.
Watch now - https://youtu.be/0UgiJPnwtQU
2. Afternoon Class by Osro
We all know the feeling that creeps in during afternoon class. For the larger lot of us, this feeling lingers around for pretty much the entire day but we can all agree it hits the hardest during afternoons. Directed by Seoro Oh as his graduation film, he manages to perfectly encapsulate that terribly difficult struggle to stay awake during a class. Afternoon Class is a short 4-minute film that is incredibly captivating. This film is such an amusing watch, the animation is truly expressive and innovative. It’s something we’ve all gone through. And as kids these days would like to say, it’s hella relatable.
Watch now - https://youtu.be/CAYDRIbXFAc
3. Alarm by Mesai
This silent 10-minute animation is produced by a South Korean animation company, Mesai. It’s about the war most of us have every morning with our alarm clocks. Snooze after a snooze. But what’s so special about this animation? It manages to cross off the most vital things a good animation film should have; great design, an interesting story, and smooth movement. For an animation made in 2009, it certainly doesn’t look the part. It could easily pass off as something made in 2022.
Watch now - https://youtu.be/vN83DfmH9Tw
4. In the tall grass by Alexii Muftoll
This 8-minute CGI 3D animation is produced by Alexii Muftoll. It’s a psychological horror film about a troubled man who is stuck in the cruel maze his own mind has laid down for him. This film is a fine example of the kind of things our minds can do to us. And others. There is quite a lot to unpack in this film which again has brilliant graphics for something that came out 7 years ago. The ending is quite ambiguous and leaves you wondering about what the heck really happened.
Watch now - https://youtu.be/th4z9wh3Lk4
5. Model Citizen by David James Armsby
This 5-minute dystopian animation film is about the lives of model citizens in Autodale. It’s quite similar to Orwell’s 1984 but with a modern twist to it. The horror unfolds to Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers, almost as though these events are the most normal and trivial thing one could find under the sun. And as the saying rightly goes; True horror, is not knowing that something is wrong.
Watch now - https://youtu.be/mVLrBJYGxk4