I worked at Filmex (the Los Angeles International Film Exposition) in the early 80s and had the opportunity to watch this little masterpiece with a friend on an editing machine prior to its screening. It's a affectionate tribute to the classic Warner Brothers Merrie Melodies cartoons of the 30s and 40s, and succeeds on every possible level. We were both smiling within seconds. As soon as it finished, we rewound and went through it almost frame by frame just to marvel at all the intricate stuff happening on the screen. If you ever get the chance to see it, do so. I'm willing to bet that for the few short minutes Sunbeam is running you'll forget your troubles and simply be happy.
4 Reviews
Sunbeam was another pleasant surprise of a unique animated short
tavm18 November 2008
Just found on Cartoon Brew TV this tribute to classic animation of the '30s by Brithsh artist Paul Vetter. The song "Sunbeam" dominates the short while we see various splashes of color paint dropping on the scene with lots of people dancing and singing. They look a little like caricatured black people but they don't seem so offensive here especially since they're not dressed in what such stereotypes would look like during that time and they don't do stuff that was associated with them then like eating watermelons, etc. Anyway, this animated short isn't very easy to describe so all I'll say is go to Cartoon Brew and watch one of the most wonderfully abstract animated shorts I have seen yet!
Outstanding and original with a really great song
tigerchick0714 September 2008
This cartoon is a rather psychedelic and modern tribute to the Fleischer/Disney/Iwerks cartoons made 40-50 years prior. It is has a cheerful and memorable tune, loads of color, and an assortment of delicious animation styles that are pure pleasure. Too bad there isn't a better quality copy on YouTube. Watch the sparkle to go with the color in some of the scenes, check out the musical notes that leap off the page and dance (very Fleisher-esquire). I love the splatter-paint scenes and how they suggest 3 dimensions. The brush that's visible at the beginning reminded me immediately of the out-of-the-inkwell scenes from the Koko the Clown animations from the late 1920s and early 30s Fleischer. Are there artists doing anything like this now? Let's hear about them!
If you have a chance to see it, see it!
rzajac5 March 2010
I first saw this back in the late '80s, on one of the Tournee of Animation reels. It is one of the zaniest, funnest, heartwarming bits of animation you will *ever* see.
How to describe? In a nutshell: In an age of cheap, computer-aided animation, "Sunbeam" is a reminder that human being used to lavish vast quantities of nuanced creative energy on fleeting flurries of celluloid.
I was so moved back then that I figured out how to play the featured song on guitar, and sang it at a company talent show! It's one of the sweetest invitations to spiritual progress I've ever heard.
Someone else mentioned: You can find it on cartoonbrew.com. This is one for the archives; I hope it stays around for future generations to see.
((2014 01 15 addendum))
Hey! Vimeo has a HD version on-line!:
http://vimeo.com/47898871
How to describe? In a nutshell: In an age of cheap, computer-aided animation, "Sunbeam" is a reminder that human being used to lavish vast quantities of nuanced creative energy on fleeting flurries of celluloid.
I was so moved back then that I figured out how to play the featured song on guitar, and sang it at a company talent show! It's one of the sweetest invitations to spiritual progress I've ever heard.
Someone else mentioned: You can find it on cartoonbrew.com. This is one for the archives; I hope it stays around for future generations to see.
((2014 01 15 addendum))
Hey! Vimeo has a HD version on-line!:
http://vimeo.com/47898871
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