Spotlight: The Forge

THE FORGE is one of those videos that had me watching over and over again.  There’s something captivating about it. Yes, the visuals were cool, the narration was emotional, and the soundtrack – hauntingly beautiful. But beneath all that, there’s something much deeper. Something larger than just being a cinematic masterpiece. There was a message.

My sister committed suicide, hurting us all. To bring creation from destruction, we used money inherited from her personal savings to create a message that both honors her and serves as a piece we wished she saw when she was in a dark place. - Eric Lim

Eric Lim made THE FORGE in memory of his late sister, whom sadly committed suicide two year ago. It takes a lot of courage to share such a personal story and I thank Eric for having the courage to do so. May your story continue to inspire and bring life to those who are hurting.

For more info, visit www.ForAnybodyHurting.com. To download a free copy of the soundtrack, click HERE.

Watch THE FORGE:

Behind-the-Scenes:

Spotlight: Paperman

I know I’ve already shared this on facebook but I loved it so much, I’m going to share it again! This short’s been generating a lot of buzz and rightfully so. Disney’s Oscar-nominated short, “Paperman” is a story about a young man who gets a second chance to meet his dream-girl through his determination, a stack of papers, and a little bit of magic.

“Paperman” marks the first time that Disney has merged classic animation with 3D animation. And it looks brillant! The character models rather than looking “flat” are more robust like a 3D model whilst retaining its traditional animation. You can watch the making of “Paperman” here.

Kudos to Disney for making this short available for us to watch (again & again)!

EDITED: Bummer! Disney has since made the video private. But I’m sure you’ll be able to find it floating around on YouTube.

Spotlight: After DayZ

For those unfamiliar with CorriderDigital, most of they work are action-oriented featuring lots of guns and videogame references. Their latest work, ”After DayZ”, is set in a post-apocalyptic world infested by zombies. Besides the zombies, the main protagonist must also deal with the threat of other survivors who are better equipped and are only looking out for themselves.

Great pacing, love the character interactions, and the environment that they chose to shoot in, simply beautiful. Plus, it’s got a great soundtrack.

WARNING: Contains blood, violence, and zombies!

Don’t forget to check out the behind the scenes.

Spotlight: Dol (First Birthday)

(Image via Andrew Ahn Films)

Dol (First Birthday) is a very personal story about identity and acceptance. It is a semi-autobiography about a Korean-American who struggles to find a place in his family due to his homosexuality. On the occasion of his nephew’s Dol, a traditional Korean first birthday celebration, he finds himself yearning for a life just out of reach.

You can read more about the story behind Dol here.