"The Machine", animation, Rob Shaw, 2009, USA

[Airicist]

"The Machine" on Singularity Weblog

Synopsis: “The Machine” is an animated fable following the path of an innocently forged mechanical creature. As his independence and knowledge of the world grows on his journey, as does his desire to conquer all that we encounters, from the pastures of a farmer to the realm of man’s entire world.

The story is in itself a mechanized apparition, the characters and scenery exisiting inside of an early 20th century nickel arcade and being driven forward by the gears of this machine.

The main character, the innocently created, human like mechanism whose power knows no bounds, thinks of himself as invincible, that no man or spirit could ever overpower him. Yet, the irony is that he himself is only a small part of a greater device, and in this case, a mechanized stage for passers by to waste a nickel in.

[Airicist]

"The Machine"
October 8, 2009

Director - Rob Shaw
Animation Studio - Bent Image Lab

"The Machine" is an animated fable following the path of an innocently forged mechanical creature. As his independence and knowledge of the world grows on his journey, as does his desire to conquer all that we encounters, from the pastures of a farmer to the realm of man's entire world.
The story is in itself a mechanized apparition, the characters and scenery exisiting inside of an early 20th century nickel arcade and being driven forward by the gears of this machine.
The main character, the innocently created, human like mechanism whose power knows no bounds, thinks of himself as invincible, that no man or spirit could ever overpower him. Yet, the irony is that he himself is only a small part of a greater device, and in this case, a mechanized stage for passers by to waste a nickel in.
This film was shot over many hours at Bent Image Lab over the course of several months in 2008-2009. Animated using stop-motion puppets and sets, then composited together in After Effects, the film has a mixed media presence to it that is accentuated by the machine's own collage like form.

CREDITS:
Film by Rob Shaw
Narrator - Andrea Schuch
Voice recorded by Angela Poschet
Animators - Rob Shaw, Sarah Hulin, Sound Design, Brian Kinkley
Music - Sirrobrob
Color Correction - Orland Nutt
Additional effects - Fred Ruff