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Fifty Percent Grey
By Andrew S Allen | July 24, 2008
dir: Ruairi Robinson, 3min—Now is a good time to catch up on some of the greats that we may have missed. For example, the Oscar-nominated animation, Fifty Percent Grey. This dark comedy explores the age-old question of what happens after death. A recently deceased soldier finds himself in a serene grey paradise with nothing but a TV set playing a welcome video reminiscent of old corporate promotional videos. When the soldier discovers the cruel realty of the grey paradise and wants to get out, there’s only one answer.
The 3D animation, done in 2001, holds up extremely well today. In full effect is the natural, handheld camera look that’s become a necessity in quality 3D animation today. Even the main character’s facial expressions, the bane of most 3D animators, are appropriately exaggerated to express emotion.
Ruairi is a director with great foresight and a strong understanding of the medium in which he dabbles, be it pixels or people. His latest short, The Silent City, is a live-action that dwells in the same sinister science-fiction realm. Ruairi’s next film is rumored to be a live action adaptation of the well-respected 1988 anime, Akira.
Watch Fifty Percent Grey online: YouTube | Spike
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