Bye Bye Bunny

There is so much happening in Bye Bye Bunny, a degree project animated short by Rubika students, that it could easily be extended into a full-length feature.  Having said that, it would probably give the world’s children nightmares as although the colour palettes are what you might expect from an animated escapade, it has moments which can only be described as incredibly dark.  As such it’s my kind of animation!

It tells the story of a magician and his friend, assistant and, well, prop, a rabbit.  Their joint career is going swimmingly until the day that all the rabbits on the planet disappear. Unfortunately, this world event happens in the middle of the magician’s performance, and he is howled off stage.  However, that isn’t the end of  that – watch the animation below to see what happens next!

Bye-Bye Bunny was directed by Julia Bueno, Cheng Li, Catherine Lepicard, Inès Pagniez, Julien Roguet and Paul Torris. It features music by Kenny Wood and Florian Calmer, with sound mixing by Kamal Ouazène, bringing together a small but carefully crafted team behind its production.

Wolf, Are You There? (Loup, y es-tu?)

This is dark.  Created by a group of Rubika students, this animated shorts tells the story of Mischa, a girl who seems to be left pretty much to her own devices by the adults who surround her.  The short is symbolicaslly rich – Mischa makes a violin out of paper, which perhaps shows the fragility of anything beautiful or special in her world.  As she proceeds around the apartment in a vain attempt to play for the “monsters” who inhabit the apartment (ie the adults) she is met with ill-temper, disregard and finally interest, but not in her music.

The wolf of the title is always there and always closing in… “Loup, y es-tu ?” (“Wolf, are you there?”) is a very well-known French children’s game and song. It’s commonly played in nursery and primary schools in France and other French-speaking places. The game works a bit like “What’s the Time, Mr Wolf?” in English-speaking countries.  Whether or not the wolf will eat Mischa in the end, you must discover for yourself.  This is an incredibly striking animation, which will stay with you afterwards.  The design, from characters to backgrounds is outstanding.

Well done to the Rubika students involved in the creation of this remarkably mature yet sombre piece of art with deep psychological undertones.  It was directed by Louise Laurent, Alizée Vandevalle, Emma Fessart, Jeanne Galland, Célina Lebon and Annouck François, with music by Mathis Coopman and sound design by Louise Laurent. This is a challenging watch but a rewarding one.

Alien Ant Farm – Reason (Official Video) - An Emotional Rock Track with Creeptoons Animation

My maths is not very good at the best of times, but if Alien Ant Farm formed in 1996, then this year is their thirtieth anniversary as a band.  That’s a long time to hold down the same job, but as this song – and the gloriously macabre Creeptoons animation that goes with it – shows, the band can still pump out a banger after three decades.  The end of that sentence sounds a little bit rude, reading it back, but no innuendo was intended, promise.  Some people are calling Reason a return to form (or just a return, frankly).  However, to most people, this will sound exactly like what it is – a great rock and roll number.

The lyrics center on themes of accountability, healing, and personal demons, with the singer expressing sincere apologies to a partner – “I swear to God, I won’t break your heart” is a great line by its virtuoso simplicity.  The song has emotional rock vocals from Dryden Mitchell paired with driving guitar and rhythm sections. The animation mirrors the intensity and raw emotion of the lyrics, particularly highlighting the struggle to overcome internal obstacles and the desire for reconciliation. It is a great accompaniment to the track - and the band look great with a zillion teeth each.  Plus the sight of a giant alien ant rampaging through a city is something to behold!

Watch Alien Ant Farm’s Reason below.