With 2009 now behind us, it’s time to look at the great shorts and animations that have inspired us throughout the year.
10. Fallen
Fallen features the most unlikely of main characters: a falling asteroid. The short follows his quick descent down to earth as he deals with the concept of life and death. The ending is executed perfectly, and more than nails home the point: Live your life to the fullest, regardless of the end.
9. French Roast
Winner of several major film festivals, French Roast focuses on a quiet restaurant patron who wants nothing more than to enjoy his coffee and read his paper. It’s a fun little short with a great ending, that manages to fit a complicated story into almost only one camera shot.
8. Ataque de Pánico!
Ataque de Pánico! plays like a 10 year old boys wet dream: Giant robots blowin’ up a city. But whilst it wins no points for it’s story, it more than makes up for it with it’s impressive special effects. The variety of locations and quick cuts means the viewer doesn’t get a chance to get bored. The amount of work that went into rotoscoping and filming all this is worth the watch on it’s own. But what blows my mind is that all this was shot on $300 budget, and yet it still manages to pack the punch of a major hollywood blockbuster.
7. Spec Ops: The Line Trailer
This beautifully crafted trailer paints the scene of a deserted Dubai after cataclysmic sandstorms have blown in, scaring away the once thriving population. The amazing visuals combined with haunting soundtrack of Bjork build an eery tension that leave you wanting more.
6. Blood Trails
(Viewer Discretion is Advised – Extremely Violent)
Blood Trails, is definately the most disturbing animation I’ve ever seen in my life, but it’s also one of the best. The trailer was produced and directed by Nathan Love who was asked by Perspective Studios to create an engaging trailer for a feature length script to help sell the concept to investors. Whether or not this will one day be made into a film is beyond me, but the sheer excitement and terror contained in this trailer makes me think it probably will. For more info on this short, check out this interview with Nathan Love.
5. Please Say Something
This isn’t your typical short, and it’s not for everyone either. Please Say Something, follows the story of a troubled relationship between a cat and a mouse. The fast paced abrupt editing can at first be hard to follow, but by the end you’ll be completely drawn in. The character building is absolutely fantastic and the old school stylized video game look is the icing on the cake.
4. Yankee Gal
Set in World War II, Yankee Gal shows a pilot’s dream-like moments between life and death. The amazing visuals combined with the superb audio effects, make for an amazing short that stays in your mind long after it’s finished.
3. Alma
Certainly a late comer to the party, Alma was released less than 2 weeks ago in time for Christmas. This amazing short was created in 2 years by an enomously talented team of artists. The ending was predictable, but with the creepy sounds, brilliant colors, and steady pacing, it didn’t matter: my eyes were peeled to the screen from start to finish.
2. Partly Cloudy
Partly Cloudy Movie Animated Trailer HD by hasagsdahg
It shouldn’t surprise you that Pixar’s Partly Cloudy got a mention here. It’s comical enough to entertain children, yet wholesome enough to give the adults the warm and fuzzies. This charming tale about personal responsibility is told without a single line of dialogue, but thanks to Pixar’s knack for story telling we know exactly what’s happening.
1. Steel Life
Steel Life is a visually stunning masterpiece that takes the viewer on a journey of life’s deepest emotions. It’s not the sort of movie you’d put on to entertain your friends, this particular short is best viewed by yourself, in a dark room, with the volume up. Steel Life is a truly engaging experience, and in my opinion is the best animation of 2009.
Honourable mentions:
So there you have it, the cream of the crop of 2009. If you think I missed one, please point it out in the comment section!
If you liked this post you might also like my list of 6 more Amazing Animated Shorts.
Wow! Some of these are just amazing!
I have the impression that some of these movies aren’t made with blender… if any, which ones are made with blender? French Toast if i’m not mistaken?, any other?
@JotaSolano
As far as I know, none of them are. It’s a roundup of the best 3d animations of the year – not just restricted to blender.
@Andrew … Thanks !… Not very encouraging though lol
OMG… Blood Trails is horrendous! yet I watched it twice lol… guess we all like dark things from time to time… but really… poor guys lol.
Very impressive !
I am very surprised you didn’t include the Suzanne award-winning “Memory”, which was also fantastic.
On YouTube it’s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Si5-Xjf8xE
Really nice selection here…
Loved, Blood Trails, Yankee Gal, Alma is cute n very well textured and Steel Life is a pretty impressive and beautiful way to use graphics and designs.
Thanks for sharing your top 10 animations Andrew
PS. A Blender selection could be nice.
…where is The Passenger?
http://chrisj.com.au/thepassenger/
Utterly impressive selection. No wonder you placed “Fallen” on the first step, it is deep. And visually very advanced, from my standpoint, that is. Appreciating the fine selection (well, in most cases…), I agree pure Blender collection would hit the spot even better on this site.
Thanks.
i really enjoyed pigeon: impossible => http://pigeonimpossible.com/
you have some heavy stuff here… not my style.
@marijn
Whilst I enjoyed the podcasts the pidgeon impossible guys made, I wasn’t actually a fan of the short.
I think it was the main character. His face was awkwardly modelled and just didn’t look right. I didn’t warm to him at all.
However the scene and the lighting looked spectacular so I’ll give them that.
It was definately a huge achievement to finish, but I think they bit off a little more than they could chew.
Just to correct one small thing.. Ataque de Pánico! cost $300 dollars only for the live shooting, which if I remember correctly mostly went to the extras. Everything else in the short is made with professional production grade equipment by professionals from a commercial studio who donated their free time to the project.
not all of these r from blender but fallen, French Roast, yankee gal Ataque de Pánico! and Steel Life.
ive talked to the creators of them and the videos r from blender
I think you missed the point on attaque de panic, It seems the director is commenting on the media selling fear of terror for their own gains.
@nerin
Really? I didn’t get that vibe at all. To me it was just giant robots tearing a city apart. Everyone interprets things differently though.
No video made with Blender? That’s sad.
But the videos are indeed impressive.
Personally, I didn’t like Steel Life and I did’t think it was a journey of life’s deepest emotions. It’s extremely difficult for a short to affect viewers emotionally if it’s just a montage of flashy demoscene. I loved the rest of the list, though.
It seems the video “ 2. Partly Cloudy ” is gone now. It is no more available.
I loved Steel Life. Thanks for making this list!
all are fantastic work….but no “the third and the seventh”?
http://www.thirdseventh.com/
http://www.thirdseventh.com/index.php?/4thdimension/film/
@mike
It it were made in 2009 it would definitely be #1
@ Andrew
Have you seen the short film ‘Delivery’? Its the best one I’ve ever seen, not just in technical terms, but also the moral and meaning of the story..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59ucBUrQ_U8&feature=related
Good choice of shorts, definitely. I found myself clutching my hands with jaw dropped while watching steel life. Beautiful and amazing experience…
OMG Blood Trails… Wow that is graphic… Can you place the viewer discretion is larger, bolder text, I didn’t see it and add do not watch if you have a weak stomach? Wow I felt like vomiting especially with that part where the monster rips his jaw off =O
A fantastic list of animated shorts. I do hope you will continue this type of list for 2010 and beyond.
are a good 3d video collection… i loved blood trails…. i cant stop watching it despite its horrendous!!!
this was poo
how can a pixar animation by copyrighted by disney WTF IS GOING ON HERE ON THE INTERNETS
best of 2009? “yankee gel” made in 2008!!
Wow, thanks a lot for this list man….A really overwhelming source for inspiration….
The art of the short is going to be more and more important and movies continue to move to the internet, rather than cable and DVD.
All had good graphics, but simply showing a series of disconnected but really cool renderings does not a great video make. Steel Life was, frankly, boring, no connection between the shots, and really jerky editing. But yes, really, really cool surface and flow animations. Alma was brilliant, even with it’s now rather familiar rendering style.
Wow, I LOVED Please Say Something. I really liked the creepy glitch effects and how it showed something so very sad but then it would flip it and….agh just a great video!
Too many links are broken or forbidden. I love the ones that aren’t though!
awesome collection. I especially liked Ataque de Pánico! and partly cloudy. I made a short as a beginner (definitely not top ten stuff but it was made completely in blender and I thought some of you might like to see it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AIsz2waRSw
I was impressed by these… but why no Sintel? THat was an excellent short film.
You’re a interesting bloke I have to say so I will.
Ataque de Panico is a Uruguayan Short. All scenes where filmed in Montevideo, Uruguay Capital. It shows some very important building being destrid, such as Palacio Legislativo and Palacio Salvo, Teatro Solis, between others.
If you like to see some other art work made in Uruguay you can also chech Coca Cola Cada Vez que Sale el Sol advertise wich also have some nice CG generated effects and also was filmed in Montevideo, Uruguay.