Product Details

• Format: Animated, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Image Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: November 28, 2000
• Run Time: 62 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004Z4WA
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,014 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

These student films and portfolio pieces showcase the strengths--and weakness--of contemporary computer animation. The computer can be an effective tool for creating clouds, realistic sets, palm trees, and tracking shots in three dimensions. But computer graphics remains far less effective than drawn or stop motion animation for producing an effective illusion of weight, a believable human face, or a convincing walk. Neither the skeleton in "Teaspoon" nor the winged statue in "Migrations" convey a sense of weight, so when they fall, it's no scarier than seeing a balloon bounce off the floor. The realistic skies and fields of wheat in "Tribu" clash with the awkwardly moving little figures. "Butterflies in the Rain" has believable shots of the inside a of piano, but the butterfly looks like a toy on a string. An exercise in lighting, "Fiat Lux" boasts handsome metallic and marble surfaces, but it's a technical demonstration with no story. Weak direction compounds the technical problems in several selections. "My Lucky Day" is just a prosaic retelling of an old joke; the cliché-ed (and sexist) "Ronin Romances" resembles a bad reworking of an old George Pal "Puppetoon." A collection for students of the medium, not general audiences. Not rated; suitable for ages 15 and up: violence, nudity, and sexual/toilet humor. -- Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overall quite fun, December 19, 2000

By 

Buzz Lightyear (Starfleet Command) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Computer Animation Extravaganza (DVD)

This is the latest compilation of computer animated short films from Odyssey Productions (known for its popular "Mind's Eye" videos). Presented are sixteen short films from commercial and independent animators: Tightrope, Ronin Romance Classics, Fiat Lux, Pings, Teaspoon, My Lucky Day, Un Temps Pour Elle, Migrations, Fat Cat on a Diet, Ombre Portee, Hollow, La Stele, Tribu, Apples and Oranges, Playground Zero, Butterflies in the Rain. The video quality varies based on the source material of each film, but most of the films look pretty decent.

Parents, be warned that the DVD comes with a sticker on the front warning of "mature programming", although there is nothing that terrible here... just a non-gory gunshot in Tightrope and some minor PG-rated sexual innuendo/bathroom humor in other films.

The totally innocent and playful film "Butterflies in the Rain" and the dazzlingly beautiful "Un Temps Pour Elle" are two highlights of this very enjoyable DVD.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive collection of short computer animations, July 11, 2004

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Computer Animation Extravaganza [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This collection of sixteen short computer animation films is very impressive. My wife is an art major with an emphasis in graphics arts and she was also amazed at the quality of the animation. As someone who goes back to making images with the basic four colors and with pixels that looked like small dominoes, I paid very close attention to details such as the shadows, not only in the main, but also on faces and other small crevices. In most cases the details were there, closely mimicking life.
The sixteen films also tell stories, some of which are old, but all are told with great originality and creativity. Themes such as attempts to achieve freedom, the endless cycle of birth and death; religion as an uplifting and unifying force and simple play all appear in a film. My children, ages 10 and 11, also watched much of the tape with me and they were as fascinated as I was.
If I ever teach computer graphics again, I will start and end the class by showing this tape as a before and after example. At the start, I will use it to demonstrate what can be done and at the end, use it to point out what they can now do after learning the principles covered in the course. It should also be required viewing for all art majors.

Published in Mathematics and Computer Education, reprinted with permission.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Really Enjoyed It, March 8, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Computer Animation Extravaganza [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I really enjoyed this video.The graphics were cool and I enjoyed how some of the stories were told by just music.My favorites are ping(which really made me laugh),teaspoon,apples and oranges,tightrope,fat cat on a diet and butterflies in the rain. I really suggest if like something different to buy this video,It's worth it.