Recently, we launched the most recent animated film by Renaud Hallée, the Montréal filmmaker who’s been making waves on Vimeo.
Titled The Clockmakers, this experimental short produced by the NFB’s Marc Bertrand sweeps us into a vast and enthralling cogs and wheels mechanism where notions of right side up and upside down no longer hold. Dozens of trampolinists evolve in this orderly structure entirely made up of lines and triangles, triggering narrative and musical plots with each jump and rebound.
Watch The Clockmakers for free here:
We were most pleased to produce this most recent animated film by Renaud Hallée, whom we believe exhibits a creative genius reminiscent of Norman McLaren’s. Hallé, who trained in classical music, also composes his own scores.
In fact, this talented filmmaker elaborates his films much like a musician with his instrument. Without a large team, he creates remarkably coherent systems of sounds and visuals. His films have been described as “a way of listening to music with your eyes.”
This first collaboration, The Clockmakers, plunges us into a graphic, almost mathematical world where everything is symmetry and geometry. Half-figurative and half-abstract, both experimental and powerful, this acrobatic number is a playful creation, a sort of methodical parade that sparks unusual emotions.
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Viral hits
Renaud Hallée is one of those Web artists who turn everything they touch into Internet gold. His first three films, Sonar (2009), Gravity (2009) and Combustion (2011) – produced independently by his production company Possible Metrics – were all selected as “Staff Pick” by Vimeo’s editorial team. Since then, each film has racked up hundreds of thousands of views, for a total of nearly 2 million views to date… and counting.
Sonar (2009)
Gravity (2009)
Combustion (2011)
The Clockmakers installation
If you happen to be in Montréal’s Quartier des spectacles this spring, stop to visit the NFB’s The Clockmakers installation (French link) at Place des Arts. The free installation runs until June 10, 2013. Click here for more details.
And remember, as always, to let us know what you thought on Twitter and Facebook.
