Oblique

Autumn adventurers unite! "Leaf Peeper" takes you on a frantic frolic of Fall foliage until your eyes pop out. Shot on Super 8 in single frames with pixilation, puppet stop motion, frenetic pans, and plenty of plaid, this very short short film packs every second with as many picturesque and picaresque frames as possible, turning leaf peeping into equal parts immersion therapy and extreme sport to capture the sublime bliss of a lovely day out and about.

Taking inspiration from 20th-century avant-garde experiments in graphical sound generation, the entire image in O/S functions as an optical soundtrack. Abstract motion becomes sound.

A visual reinterpretation of dance and animated found footage.

The animation, music, and optical printing of Kitsch in Synch was produced by Beckett and the students in two classes he was teaching at CalArts. Although a group project, it is clear that Beckett was the director. The playful, catchy soundtrack is used to create a cycle of building tension and release. The brightly colored shapes create approximate symmetrical formations and become more densely layered, with glimpses of iconographic objects and even live footage near the end. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive, in partnership with the iotaCenter, in 2007.

Flowers dance and transform in water, using strobe effects and superimposition. A meditation on life cycles through botanical animation, continuing Jodie Mack's material exploration.

Whereabouts is a riso-printed animated short that follows a woman’s journey through New York City, unfolding through small, intimate moments. From sunrise to sunset, Whereabouts becomes an observation on presence, connection, and the quiet magic of simply moving through the world.

A short experimental film that thematizes dreams and nightmares in a surrealistic way. The basis of the movie is found in the poetry created by the two directors, so the film partly seems like stringed lyrical motifs, open to arbitrary interpretation, giving the impression of poetic images arranged in sequences. Combined techniques were used, so in addition to recording with a camera, pixilation, object animation, collage and liquid animation are featured.

Filmed on 16mm film, this visual expression is rooted in its archival materials and backed up by the poem by Hans Magnus Enzensberger. It speaks of the forgotten people, their lives and their deeds. These two Archives have been found on the flea market in Zagreb. One is of a famous architect and the other one is of a famous composer. This film ponders on this occurrence, on the vanishing of and forgetfulness of humans.

A life, seen through paper.

Direct animation on 35mm.

Threnody emphasises some of the madness and instability of a year filled with fires, infections and general disarray.

A vibrant animation by Patricia Marx. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2000.

A chain reaction as a new Olympic sport.

Experimental animation film, with a visual focus on geometrical shapes and straight lines

A lensless exploration of hair on 35mm film.

This is a didactic film in disguise. A progression of brilliant geometric shapes bombard the screen to the insistent beat of drums. The filmmaker programmed a computer to coordinate a highly complex operation involving an electronic beam of light, colour filters and a camera. This animation film, without words, is designed to expose the power of the cinematic medium, and to illustrate the abstract nature of time.

In this short film, a young man, a girl and a dog attempt to fly with wings more symbolic than practical.

An animated poem about a dog, her human, and the consequences of a nasty habit.

A lone passenger is reflected in the windows of a train crawling through layers of textures towards Minsk. During his absence, the city has not changed: all the streets are frozen, long-gone voices can be heard in the empty rooms and around the corner you can find yourself in a video game from your childhood.

An experimental short from Oskar Fischinger