Shadowplay

Just watched this on the Vimeo site as linked from Cartoon Brew. It was Dan Blank's depiction of what happened in Hiroshima in August 1945 as we see a shadow of a boy in a soldier's hat playing his own game of war and trying to get someone to play an American "victim". We also see his family as they decide to move after other casualties happen around them which is too much for his soldier father. This boy doesn't seem to want to resettle with them though so he seems to go it alone. Most of what is depicted is portrayed as silhouettes or "shadows" with occasional segments done in claymation. There is also some drawn animation on poster walls that are pasted after it's all over. Quite a hauntingly moving animated short. So on that note, I highly recommend Shadowplay.

I was fortunate enough to see this film and it is truly a work of art. I was enthralled, not only by Blank's amazing animation, but also by the intriguing story that packs so much into it. The combination of stop-motion and 2d animation is amazing and the stop-motion characters look eerily realistic. Blank succeeds in all aspects of this film. It is a must see!!