More (short)

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More
Directed by Mark Osborne
Written by Mark Osborne
Music by New Order
Release date(s) 1998
Running time 6 min
Country United States
Official website
IMDb profile

More is a stop motion short film created by Mark Osborne in 1998.

Contents

[edit] Summary

More tells the story of an inventor who lives in a drab, colorless world. Day by day, he toils away in a harsh, dehumanizing job, his only savior being the memories of the bliss of childhood. But at night, he works secretly on an invention that could help him relive those memories and spread their joy to everyone in his despair-filled life.

When he finishes his invention, it changes the way people look at the world. But his success changes him, for with it, he loses an important part of himself.

[edit] Production and publication

More was written and directed by Mark Osborne, and created by a team that included, among others, Keith and Shannon Lowry, Rick Orner, Nick Peterson, and David Candelaria. Although it was only a 6-minute short, it was, as Osborne put it, an "absolutely massive undertaking"—as it was the first short to be shot using the IMAX format. In addition, it was filmed using stop motion, a much more time-consuming method than live-action filming techniques.

Filming More took nine months, and it was first screened in fall of 1998. While it had a positive critical reception—including an Academy Award nomination—it soon became apparent that there was little that could actually be done with it in the range of publicity. The hype died down eventually, and Osborne was left with a highly acclaimed six-minute piece of art in his hands.

Osborne decided to upload More to iFilm, which hosts thousands of short films online. Osborne had fears about his work being exploited and redistributed, or audience acceptance given the small size of a computer display.

Almost immediately after putting it up on iFilm, More was voted the most popular clip on the site, and it held that position for nearly a year.[citation needed] Although More was included in the Short Cinema Journal #7: Utopia DVD, Osborne was receiving e-mails daily, asking for the short to be released on DVD. One of these was a writer from Despair, Inc., complimenting him on his work. A few months later, the same writer proposed that Despair sell DVDs on their website, and agreed to fund the production. The DVD comes with two commentaries and an hour-long documentary on the creation of More.

More was also featured on Exposure.

More has gained reputation for being one of the greatest short movies ever created, and was for a long time ranked as the best short movie at IMDb's top short list. As of June 2008 it is placed eighth.

[edit] Soundtrack

The song featured as background music is titled "Elegia". It was recorded by the band New Order on the 1985 album Low-Life.

A music video also featured More to the song of "Hell Bent" by Kenna which was aired on MTV2 in 2001.

Composer and remixer Justin Lassen created two very-rare and intensely orchestral remixes and reversions of "Elegia" for the DVD.

[edit] Awards

More was awarded the following honors:

  • Sundance Film Festival - Special Jury Prize for Short Films
  • South by SouthWest - Best Animated Short
  • Academy Award (1999) - Nominee - Best Animated Short
  • ResFest – Audience Award for Best Film, Grand Audience Prize for Best Film
  • Aspen Shorts Fest - Special Jury prize
  • World Fest Houston - Gold / Special Jury Prize for Shorts
  • USA Film Festival - Dallas - Grand Jury Prize for Shorts
  • Toronto International Short Film Fest - Best Animated Short, Best Short Overall
  • Stony Brook Film Fest - Best Short Film
  • Message to Man International Film Festival - Russia – Best International Debut Film
  • PhilaFilm - Philadelphia – Best Animated Short
  • Annie Awards – Nominee for Best Animated Short Subject
  • St. Louis International Film Festival - Best Short Film
  • Upsalla International Short Film Festival/Sweden - Audience Award for Best Film
  • San Francisco Indie Fest – Audience Award

[edit] See also

[edit] External links