WORTH WATCHING

Watch: Worldwide Animation Collaboration 'Pass the Ball' Short Film

by Alex Billington
February 7, 2022
Source: Vimeo

One of the first things animators learn when starting out is how to animate a bouncing ball, an important part of mastering the techniques. This entertaining animation project continues that intriguing concept by inviting collaboration worldwide with a simple pitch: pass the ball. Created by animation filmmaker Nathan Boey, Pass the Ball features a total of 40 unique animated segments. His idea: "I always liked how rappers were able to collaborate with other rappers by featuring them on their songs. That doesn’t exist the same way in the film world." So he got 40 different animators to create a 3 second animation of a ball, then pass it on to someone in another country. Each person "picks up where the other left off" and continues. And after years of working on this, the final film is ready! It's terrific! And features so many different animation styles. My favorite segments are: the planets, yarn & phone, volleyball, and the art track one (2:11) at the very end.

Thanks to Kottke for the tip on this one. Here's the official intro from Vimeo: "Idea: 3 second animation of a ball. Pass it to someone in another country. They pick up where you left off. 40 animators, 40 months in the making…" The project and concept was arranged and edited together by Nathan Boey - you can see more of his work on his Vimeo or visit his official website or follow him on IG @boeyman. Featuring sound design & mix by Jose Correa, with music courtesy of Sanctus Audio. Boey explains his idea behind this: "Years ago I came up with an idea that would allow animators to work with other animators they admired from around the globe on the same project… months and months and months later, this is that film." The enitre list of animators included in this video is listed on Vimeo. To discover more shorts, click here. How cool was that?

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