So many superb animations on the POCKETMOVIES website

[Mohlar]

A friend of mine uses and teaches basic film-making techniques to his year 6 primary pupils. (10-11 yr olds). He mentioned one particular film he uses and this caused me to search the POCKETMOVIES website for others. At first glance, this site seems to be filled with promos for commercial films, but it pays to dig deep. In the end, I produced a document which listed a massive number of fascinating films - all from that site. Some are traditional 2D animation, others are 3D.

So here, for anyone who wants to spend an idle few minutes, are the best of that crop. I've copied the notes and URL's for each one. I've left in any comments I made about films as possible teaching resources - maybe other teachers share my friends' interests?

In their individual ways, every one of the following films is a little masterpiece. In my opinion, all have the potential to be very useful as a teaching resource. There are a range of styles and a range of themes, from ethereal/enigmatic to simple, solid story-telling.

19 PEEL STREET
http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_146.html
2min 53sec
Enigmatic and mysterious. Dark without being threatening. The animators wanted to present two separate realities: one realistic (the street and house) and one fantastic (the 3 dancing animals).
Is it a dream - or daydreaming - or memories of childhood - or drugs? - or the clash of different dimensions - or what?

BERT
http://whiteboard.bristol-lea.org.uk/nw ... d%20Films/
4min 21sec
So many possible themes and interpretations in this amusing cartoon ..... rejection - bullying - loneliness - mental cruelty - peer group pressure - trying to be what you aren't - family - love - differences and similarities etc. etc. Wonderful.

ENDLESS LOVE
http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_247.html
2min 25sec
A truly strange and yet compelling little film. You end up feeling a sense of sadness and horror .... for a tomato and a potato!!! The ending has a lovely touch of irony. Good example of film-making.

FIN D'ÉTÉ
http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_357.html
5min 40sec
The total lack of sound on this beautifully evocative animation has a very strange effect - it somehow intensifies the whole thing and you find yourself waiting for something that never comes. In a totally empty city and landscape, a storm approaches and a woman wanders around. She seems anxious but not fearful - what on earth is happening - has happened - or is about to happen? The ending provides no answers but simply provides another striking image.
There MIGHT be scope here for pupils to try creating a soundtrack for parts of the film.

FLOATER (64mb)
http://www.medialogi.aau.dk/samples.html
6min 22sec (actual running time 5min 18sec without end credits)
An excellent, very well worked out and very amusing story about a man adrift in the ocean who finds refuge on an island .... except that maybe all isn't what it seems. The ending is particularly subtle and doesn't labour the joke. This is one of a set of movies created by students at Aalborg University. They retain copyright.

INCULTA
http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_239.html
5min 18sec
At times ethereal; at times disturbing; at times downright dark - this is a truly amazing little film with a gentle, hypnotic soundtrack. A little girl wanders through a devastated industrial landscape, encountering both violence, beauty and hope. The final image is partly enigmatic and partly obvious. The only down-side is that having been made in 2001, the picture quality of the animation is somewhat weak at times.

JOUST
http://amf.pocketmovies.net/detail_122.html
3min 50sec (Longish credits at the start and end)
I haven't the faintest idea what this film is about. It's obviously a mixture of a chase and a fight in some future time or place. The task of interpreting it might well prove interesting. The quality of animation and film-making is very high.
The highest resolution version can be downloaded from the animator's website: http://www.happyship.com/_projects/index.html

KONG AND THE BIRD
http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_289.html
3min 55sec
WONDERFUL elements of cartoon violence in this excellent animation about a laconic gorilla who encounters a feisty little bird. The characterisation and storytelling are brilliant and the final resolution is superb. The use of music is outstanding.

LIFE AS A POPULAR KEY
http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_187.html
3min 00sec
Utterly brilliant, and a totally unique idea. A very funny little story with superb music and sound effects. Nothing enigmatic or ethereal - just darn good animation of a really good idea and a perfect resolution.

MIGRATORY_BIRD - A penguin's tale (52mb)
http://www.medialogi.aau.dk/samples.html
5min 11sec
A forlorn little penguin wishes that he could join the other birds who fly overhead on their way to sunnier places, Although slightly slow and over-long, this gentle little film charts his progress through a serious of disasters until love literally gives him wings.
This is one of a set of movies created by students at Aalborg University. They retain copyright.

MOONDREAM
www.pocketmovies.net/detail_183.html
1min 37sec
The moon falls in love with the sun, but tragedy follows. A little film that might be about love and disappointment - or maybe the fact that once you get what you've always wanted, it may not actually BE what you expected or wanted.

ONJE
http://ww.pocketmovies.net/detail_308.html
7min 22sec (actual playing time without credits 6min 41sec)
A family of creatures (with more than a passing resemblance to The Clangers) enter the territory of a fearsome predator (who looks a lot like a draught excluder). But who gets eaten and who does the eating?
A strange yet interesting film with quirky use of music. The story is well told with a happy (if slightly burpy) ending.

OPEN BOOK
http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_346.html
1min 18sec
This is simpler than 'The Piano' - but the ending has an intriguing link back to a scene at the start which significantly opens up the scope for interpretations.

ORNAMENTS
http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_112.html
5min 39sec
Charming and accomplished animation about a Santa Christmas decoration on a tree who gets a hankering for some cookies. Excellent use of music and a story well-told. Almost Aardman and Grommit-like in the way things escalate.

ROBOTS
http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_105.html
2min 20sec
Two musical robots with different tastes find a common enemy in a commercial mainstream-style musical robot. (Contains moderately strong cartoon violence) I've put this in the 'A2' category because it may suggest interpretations such as intolerance, bullying, how arguments can start etc. etc.

SCENES FROM A PARKING LOT
http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_287.html
3min 50sec
An entrancing, ethereal and highly unusual (almost surreal) way to explore the themes of love and courtship in a way that doesn't get all icky or suggestive. Gorgeous use of music.

SEED (Recommended for upper primary or secondary pupils.)
http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_152.html
11min 47sec (actual playing time without credits 10min 55sec)
Likely to be most suited to upper primary or secondary pupils.
A haunting and yet bizarre film about the environment. The first 2min 45secs are gently pastoral with film of seeds being dispersed. It's a clever mix of reality and animation. Suddenly, the music from 'Scherazade' changes to plinky piano as animated seed-creatures appear. Thereafter the film moves through a range of environments, themes and seasons. Normally, I'm critical of mini-movies that are too long and make poor use of time. In this instance, however, the 11 minutes are necessary for what is really a very intriguing and complicated film. It could generate a LOT of discussion.

STATUES QUO (no, that's not a spelling mistake)
http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_167.html
4min 46sec
An intriguing idea as two famous statues come to life and battle for supremacy. The film could have several interpretations and might well generate good discussions.

SWING
http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_149.html
4min 00sec
Haunting and enigmatic. An old man, barely able to walk, struggles up a hill towards a forest where a swing hangs from the branch of a tree. Overhead, a yellow balloon hovers and dances. The ending is no great surprise, but it lends itself to several interpretations.

THE BEAUTY OF LIFE
http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_290.html
9min 11sec (actual film itself runs 7min 27sec)
STUNNING - There's no other word for it. There are so many elements to consider apart from the beautiful story .... the changing styles of drawing - the use of music - the repeating motif of the artist's hand - the significance of the final, simple picture that is hung on the wall - the thoughts that are inside the head of the artist as he studies his painting ...... Blurb from the website .... Lars Keagan is an ordinary farmer who paints the most important moments of his life. We witness his artistic progress from infancy to old age as he reflects on his life.

THE INTRO
http://whiteboard.bristol-lea.org.uk/nw ... d%20Films/
Stunningly exciting chase sequence involving a jet fighter and a Ferarri. Is it a race or an attack? Does the fighter want to take out the car or is the pilot just desperate to win? If this is the intro - what could come next?
Anyone who knows film music will recognise the pounding style of Hans Zimmer long before the credits appear.

THE PIANO
http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_353.html
2min 22sec
TRULY AMAZING and moving film about an old man playing the piano and remembering his past ..... but what of the present? And is what happens to the wedding ring significant or a mistake?

WAITING FOR DAD
http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_189.html
3min 02sec
In a series of flashbacks, a small boy thinks about the happy times he has spent with his father - but where is the Dad and what might the boy be writing or drawing on the paper? Once the clean shirt arrives and you see the final shot, the solution becomes clear .... but you still never see what's on the paper. The visuals are occasionally very dark and hard to see - but it's certainly worth watching. The use of greyscale and colour are interesting.

WISHFUL THINKING
http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_140.html
4min 05sec
A tired turtle finds a magic lamp and gets the traditional 3 wishes. A simple story, well told with good animation and characterisation AND (for a change) a nice snappy ending.

The homepage for the website is ---

http://www.pocketmovies.net/movie_list.php
You can work forwards or backwards through the entire archive, or select specific categories of film.

[Genete]

Holy cow! how many time did you spend to create this post?!
More than 100 minutes of animation to watch! Where can I find the time to watch all of them?!

If I would watch only one, what would you reccomend me?

Thanks anyway!
-G

[toonertime]

hey mr mohlar

Thanks for sharing all your research!
I am in your same age bracket
but I haven't much time for this, so
I appreciate your efforts, very much!

[Mohlar]

If I would watch only one, what would you reccomend me?

Depends, of course, on your tastes, but I think 3 stand out.

If you want animation which also features the process of drawing whilst telling a very moving story, go for THE BEAUTY OF LIFE. If you want a wonderfully warm example of 3D animation, go for THE PIANO. If you want a classic-style animated cartoon with a great visual ‘punchline’ in the final scene, go for KONG AND THE BIRD.

However, all the films in the longer list that I posted are excellent – but if you’re limited for time, go for one of those 3. It's a shame you have to download them and can't view them as you can on YouTube.

Thanks for all the help you’ve already offered following my own newbie posts.

As for how long the post took .... not very long. I just had to extract the notes from the document that I produced for my friend and choose just the first section. There are LOADS more ..... but as you say, the list I gave is probably more than enough for most people !!

[Mohlar]

I am in your same age bracket

Mmmm - so that makes you either 10 or 11, or 61.
The post I've just added following Genete's question might help you decide which film(s) to look at first. You can't view them online, they have to be downloaded and watched via a viewer, but that shouldn't be a problem. Once downloaded, of course, you can watch them again and again whenever you want, and not bother about having to be online.

Hope you find something to enjoy.