Short of the Week

Special FX

Horror about Growth in Special FX

On this Labor Day I hope your holiday goes better than Señor Olivares’. While trying to relax on the beach, Sea Monsters come to slaughter everyone.

Sci-Fi about Other Worlds in Special FX
Dan Trachtenberg / 6 min / USA / 2011

Impressive effects highlight this fan-film for the hit 2007 puzzle video game. Dan Trachtenberg, host of the hit “Totally Rad Show” directs.

Comedy about Loss in Special FX
Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan / 1 min / USA / 2011

The latest, hilarious viral short from DANIELS the team behind the amazing Dogboarding!

Branded Film about Other Worlds in Special FX
Seth Worley / 9 min / USA / 2011

When activated, the “plot device” spontaneously transforms our hero’s world into any number of cliched film scenarios. A hit branded film for software company Red Giant.

Thriller about Crime in Special FX
Ruairi Robinson / 13 min / USA / 2011

Boy wants the latest toy for Christmas, a friendly robot to fill the love left by his parents’ broken marriage. But when the boy loses interest in Blinky, one final request remains.

Action about Revenge in Special FX
Sol Friedman / 11 min / Canada / 2011

A young warrior seeks vengeance in this comic book style short.

Sci-Fi about Desperation in Special FX
Grzegorz Jonkajtys / 15 min / USA / 2011

High-level CG is married to live-action in a haunting dystopian vision of a world where humans utterly depend on bio-mechanical alterations to withstand a deteriorating climate.

Sci-Fi about Other Worlds in Special FX
Mamoru Oshii / 7 min / Japan / 2010

A female warrior battles an unstoppable foe in this sci-fi film from Ghost in the Shell creator Mamoru Oshii with an ending that’s difficult to explain.

Film Noir about Crime in Special FX
Andrew Jones / 8 min / USA / 2010

Reporter, Holly Malone, is out to bring down drug lord, Dancoolo, and break the story of her career. It’s a fan film masterpiece with the perfect mix of wacky characters, memorable one-liners, and over-the-top effects.

Parody about Friendship in Special FX
William Campbell / 5 min / USA / 2010

Relive the teen serial dramas of the 80′s with a decidedly modern twist in this short made by special effects mavens Team G.

Action about The End in Special FX
Michael David Lynch / 10 min / USA / 2010

Alien attackers, supernatural defenders, an effects-laden battle in downtown Chicago, and more in this epic sci-fi extravaganza.

Documentary about Life & Society in Special FX
Gavin Kelly / 4 min / Ireland / 2010

What if fantasy characters from World of Warcraft existed in our world? That’s what this documentary from Dublin explores, and I in turn explore how the film is perfect representative of short film today.

Film Noir about Crime in Special FX
Matthew Savage / 6 min / UK / 2010

1940′s visual styling combines with a futuristic setting in this sci-fi take on the hardboiled gumshoe. Now in development as a feature.

Sci-Fi about Conspiracy in Special FX
Ricardo de Montreuil / 6 min / USA / 2010

A mystical man escapes the eye of the law in this low-budget but special-effects driven film.

Branded Film about Greed in Special FX
Carl Erik Rinsch / 5 min / USA / 2010

A mysterious box brings misfortune to all who touch it in this film from the Parallel Lines series—a collaboration between Ridley Scott and Philips.

Sci-Fi about Redemption in Special FX
Axel Ricke / 29 min / Germany / 2010

In a bleak future, a lost soul seeks desperate measures to escape his luck. The punishment if caught? Years spent locked up in his own personal nightmare.

Drama about Love in Special FX
Arev Manoukian / 4 min / Canada / 2010

A passing moment between two strangers becomes unforgettable as this film shows us what love at first sight must truly feel like.

Fantasy about Inspiration in Special FX
Doug Purver / 3 min / USA / 2009

A young boy dreams or rather wakes and then rides his way into the clouds.

Sci-Fi about Conquest in Special FX
Fede Alvarez / 5 min / Uruguay / 2009

Vengeful robots pummel downtown Montevideo in this surprisingly realistic sci-fi/lo-fi film whose $300 budget puts Hollywood blockbusters to shame.

Experimental about Reality in Special FX
Tim Bollinger / 5 min / USA / 2009

A stylistic look at the bizarre moments between moments.

Action about Growth in Special FX
Jarrett Lee Conway / 20 min / USA / 2009

A futuristic fighting flick superior to anything in theaters—narratively and visually.

Experimental about Reality in Special FX
/ 1 min / USA / 2009

A visual magic trick that bends the mind.

Music Video about Love in Special FX
Chris Milk / 3 min / USA / 2009

A harsh breakup served up with a side of brutal honesty and a walking, singing heart that will have you saying, “That’s so true.”

Branded Film about Nothing in Special FX
CISMA / 4 min / France / 2009

Young girl lives in a fantasy world in this effects-laden film meant to show off Adobe’s creative suite.

Experimental about Love in Special FX
CISMA (Denis Kamioka) / 7 min / Brazil / 2009

This surreal, design-inspired film, blends live-action and animation to illustrate the emotions of new love and heartbreak.