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About the Author /

Obsessed with film, the internet and WordPress, Directors Notes is the place Rob gets to brings all his interests together and really geek out. When not writing for DN he can be found on Short of the Week or Vimeo.

The Song of a Lost Boy Short Film Daniel Quirke

Animation, Awards

Daniel Quirke Explains How Wax, Religion & DIY Instruments Inspired NFTS Short ‘The Song of a Lost Boy’

NFTS grad Daniel Quirke joins us to discuss his BAFTA-nominated stop motion short about a young choir boy's crisis of faith and journey to self-acceptance.

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salvation-has-no-name joseph Wallace

Animation

How Joseph Wallace Created a Modern Folktale with a Timeless Message in new Short ‘Salvation Has No Name’

Joseph Wallace returns to DN with his most ambitious work yet, a 17-minute stop-motion folktale exploring the refugee crisis and xenophobia.

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Nick Roney The Flute

Live Action

How “Being Trapped in a Perpetual Dick Joke” Inspired Nick Roney’s SXSW Award Winning Short ‘The Flute’

Dir. Nick Roney returns to DN to discuss prosthetic skin flutes and taking inspiration from the classic monster movie for his unforgettable dark comedy.

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Wild Summon Karni and Saul

Animation

“Pirate Filmmaking” Heads to Cannes in Karni&Saul’s Fishy Road Trip Short ‘Wild Summon’

Filmmakers Karni&Saul return to DN to discuss seamless blending live-action and CGI for their Cannes 'in Competition' love poem to nature short film.

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Salt and Pepper Shakers Meredith Moore SXSW Short Film

Film Festival

The Best Short Films at SXSW 2023

If you're heading to SXSW 2023 we've got a list of 10 short films that should be top of your watchlist.

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Drone Sean Buckelew

Animation

The Unintended Consequences of Technological Evolution are Unravelled in Sean Buckelew’s ‘Drone’

Sean Buckelew joins us to explain how the phrasing of an online headline inspired his narrative about an AI drone with a conscious.

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Black Slide by Uri Lotan

Animation, Film Festival

Manchester Animation Festival 2022 Preview: “The Biggest and Most Exciting Edition Yet”

With Manchester Animation Festival returning for its 8th edition, we explore the packed programme and pick out our favourite short films.

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Film Festival

Manchester Animation Festival 2021 Preview: “Animation For All” in First Ever Hybrid Edition

Festival Director Steve Henderson shares what we can expect from this year's Manchester Animation Festival, as we preview the latest hybrid edition.

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Still from Toby Auberg's short film Pile

Animation

Toberg Takes Viewers on a Lo-FI 3D Journey Through the History of Human Constructs in ‘Pile’

Toberg joins us to discuss assembling a human habitat in order of “critical” to “superfluous” in his epic continuous shot RCA short 'Pile'.

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The Lonely Orbit Team Tumult Short film

Animation

How Friendships “Shifted into the Digital Realm” Inspired Satellite Sci-Fi Short ‘The Lonely Orbit’

Frederic Siegel explains how the isolated feelings associated with leaving his student-life led him to create celestial sci-fi short 'The Lonely Orbit'.

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Nod-Wink-Horse-Ollie-Magee-Animation

Animation

Ollie Magee Embraces His Self-Destructive Urges in Equine-Obscured Animated Short ‘Nod. Wink. Horse.’

RCA graduate Ollie Magee joins us to discuss how his attachment to a horse character inspired him to let it "ruin" his animated short 'Nod. Wink. Horse.'

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Na Kyung Kim Just a Small Animation Short Film

Animation, Premiere

How Feeling Small led Na Kyung Kim to Create a Giant Animation About a Tiny Eel

Filmmaker Na Kyung Kim joins us to explain how feelings of inadequacy led her on a journey to prove her worth with animated short film 'Just a Small'.

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