Computer Animation Showcase

Only a few of the shorts, commercials, and student films in this anthology actually tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Made for Sesame Street, "Light and Heavy" puts an idea across simply and clearly, while preserving the personalities of the lamps from the award-winning "Luxo, Jr." "Juju Shampoo" spoofs hair-care ads and showcases a then-new technique for rendering hair. "Time for Love," a tale of affections lost and won, displays a genuine charm that is all too rare in computer animation. In each case, the creators used the medium to express an idea, rather than allowing the computer to dictate the look and content of the film. In contrast, "Dreamaker" features shimmering surfaces that suggest Tiffany glass, but it remains an exercise in technique. "Fan-tasy" tries very hard to copy "Luxo," but the animation lacks the nuances that brought the lamps to life. In "Tosio," the gargoyle atop a walking stick literally coughs its lungs out—although the entrails look like plastic, the effect is sophmoric at best. The crashingly unfunny "Dutch Nelson, Galaxy Guy" is a trailer for a nonexistent film—an idea many students entertain, but usually outgrow by their second year of film school.