When you are wanting to create an idea for a feature film, it's great to start somewhere small. That small start comes in the form of a short film, which can introduce not only the primary idea or concept of the story but it also can introduce a wide range of elements. When an aspiring filmmaker introduces these elements in a short form first, it allows them to create a blueprint for something even bigger- "The Feature Film". Shane Acker's thesis project from his time at UCLA film school, brings about the beginning of something he would build upon later to the 2009 feature length film version.
9 takes animation to a dark and bizarre realm where a living rag doll like being struggles to survive and fight against an enemy of terrifying proportions. Acker's dark animated world gives off such a ruined and atmospheric world resembling that of the apocalypse, where a world has ended and what remains struggles to survive. In the midst of this apocalyptic realm, there is a little more being offered to us here in terms of mystery and science fiction, but it's explored only to a certain point. Despite not going to extreme lengths in those areas(being that it is a short film and time is limited) it still manages to feel compelling and intriguing all the way through its 11 minute runtime. It is not in any way a perfect short film or concept, but having said that 9 is an excellent model for a short to feature film process.
Shane Acker created this all computer generated world that is both visually creative and detailed with stunning visuals and sound design. The animation appearing on screen is well detailed with very clear textures and modeling, but what enhances that animation is the lighting. Just like in live action and non-animated films, the right lighting setup can have a great impact on what's being shown on scree- creating mood, emotion, atmosphere and so on. Lighting throughout the film acts as a constant reminder of the darkness of the world and how fearful the characters are in this world. Then one of the last things to notice in 9 is the sound design, which is quite good. Each and every sound feels right on point with the interactions between characters and environment. Even though there is no actual dialogue being spoken, the film's sound design and visuals all come together to tell an interesting story.
Once 9 has ended you are left with an interesting concept for a story, where you might be asking yourself, "Is there more to this world?". The answer to that is yes there is, which came as Shane Acker's 2009 full-length feature film version. As I said earlier in this review that this film is in no way a perfect idea, but it does show great promise for future endeavors to further explore the world of 9. Overall Star Rating: 8/10
9 takes animation to a dark and bizarre realm where a living rag doll like being struggles to survive and fight against an enemy of terrifying proportions. Acker's dark animated world gives off such a ruined and atmospheric world resembling that of the apocalypse, where a world has ended and what remains struggles to survive. In the midst of this apocalyptic realm, there is a little more being offered to us here in terms of mystery and science fiction, but it's explored only to a certain point. Despite not going to extreme lengths in those areas(being that it is a short film and time is limited) it still manages to feel compelling and intriguing all the way through its 11 minute runtime. It is not in any way a perfect short film or concept, but having said that 9 is an excellent model for a short to feature film process.
Shane Acker created this all computer generated world that is both visually creative and detailed with stunning visuals and sound design. The animation appearing on screen is well detailed with very clear textures and modeling, but what enhances that animation is the lighting. Just like in live action and non-animated films, the right lighting setup can have a great impact on what's being shown on scree- creating mood, emotion, atmosphere and so on. Lighting throughout the film acts as a constant reminder of the darkness of the world and how fearful the characters are in this world. Then one of the last things to notice in 9 is the sound design, which is quite good. Each and every sound feels right on point with the interactions between characters and environment. Even though there is no actual dialogue being spoken, the film's sound design and visuals all come together to tell an interesting story.
Once 9 has ended you are left with an interesting concept for a story, where you might be asking yourself, "Is there more to this world?". The answer to that is yes there is, which came as Shane Acker's 2009 full-length feature film version. As I said earlier in this review that this film is in no way a perfect idea, but it does show great promise for future endeavors to further explore the world of 9. Overall Star Rating: 8/10