Anything with the word "short" in front of it is automatically taken for granted. Short people are often looked down upon, and nobody really expects them to reach great heights. Short stories are often seen as "lazy," or "just quick reading",and people usually think little of them. Short films get the least credit of all. There are so many fantastic short films that are hidden in the great space that is YouTube, and they are often overlooked. Short films have the ability to impact the viewer in a strong way, and in such a short amount of time. That's the beauty of it all. A funny quirk of mine is sitting on my phone, going on YouTube and finding various short films by animation students. Sometimes I can go an entire day just watching different animations. It's a fascination of mine! One day I would like to minor in Digital Illustration and Animation, so I'm really inspired by these films! Here are just some of my favorites that have nothing short of brilliance about them.

1. In Between

"In Between" is a French short film produced by Gobelins Productions. It's about "A young woman is being followed by a crocodile who represents her shyness. As he makes her life a living hell, she tries by every means to get rid of him." This was one of the first short films I discovered one lazy morning, and has quickly become a part of me (I'm currently writing a rhetoric paper on it). The animation's sketchy style is absolutely perfect for the story's setting and theme, and the content is just pure gold. That crocodile is just so cute!

2. High Tide

High Tide is a thesis film by Kristen Kemper, a student at the School for Visual Arts. It's a quick story about a young girl who stumbles upon a merboy stuck in a tidal pool, and is set on helping him back to the ocean. However, the merboy becomes fascinated with the world beyond the sea, and is set upon learning more about it. This film is really sweet and I love the use of pale colors (so much aqua!). Even though there is no dialog (just a beautiful composition by Clark Powell), the emotions and actions visually tells the story you can't hear. The film is actually the very first animated short film (on YouTube at least) that I found (thanks to Tumblr), and it really needs more attention. Besides, look at that merboy! He's just so precious!

3. One Day

One Day is another short film by Gobelins, but instead of being in French, the film is actually in English with French subtitles. The film is about "One man always on the move will have an encounter that puts into question everything he knows." The idea of the short film is FANTASTIC! And the ending made me squeal, I couldn't help it. If you want to know what I'm talking about, you'll have to watch it!

4. Wolfsong

Here's a heart-wrenching-fetal-position-worthy-and-tear-inducing short film that I literally can't watch without turning into a sobbing mess. Every. Single. Time. Wolfsong is a short film by Toniko Pantoja and features music by Denny Schneidemesser. It's about (without giving too much info as to spoil the plot) a mother wolf and a young hunter as nature goes. If you watch this, I suggest having tissues handy.

5. Adam and Dog

Although still considered a short film, Adam and Dog is actually about fourteen minutes long. Even so, the film is definitely worth the time to watch. As the title clearly states, the film is about "The Beginning" of the world and is centered on the first dog as he finds man for the first time. Instead of having just one animator, this film is actually a collaboration by Disney Feature, Dreamworks and Pixar. The animation is done by Minkyu Lee, Jennifer Hager, James Baxter, Mario Furmanczyk, Austin Madison and Matt Williames. It's a really adorable film and I highly recommend it.

6. Second Wind

"Second Wind" is a a short film by Ian Worrel featuring music by James Marcus. It tells the tale of a elderly man and his gigantic cat as they find a magic windmill pixie.The music in this film is absolutely beautiful. It definitely has a Celtic sound to it. I also really enjoy the stye of animation in this film, and the characters are just darling. I mean, GIGANTIC CAT. If not the plot, then you should certainly watch the film just for the sake of the cat.

7. Crayon Dragon

"Crayon Dragon" is a super sweet film by Toniko Pantoja, a student at the California Institute of the Arts. It's about an artist who is commissioned to paint over an old concrete illustration and ends up sinking into the painting. Here, she befriends a painted dragon who is missing a wing. I ADORE this film so much. The color is so vivid and rich, and the amount of detail of the "crayon" magic is spectacular! It's such a fun film and the imagination behind it is incredible. Also, the dragon is one of THE BEST animation characters I've see besides the crocodile from In Between. I must have a thing for blue reptiles...

8. Switch

"Switch" is a hilarious short film by Tyson Hesse, a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design. The film is about a guy who get's dropped into a dark room with one light switch, and every time he turns the switch on and off, someone (or something) new appears in the room with him. The expressions of the character are priceless! Who knew such a simple idea could be so great!

9. Welcome to Hell

OKAY, before you immediately turn away at the title, just let me explain this. "Welcome to Hell" is a COMEDY about a "demon" (the one in the stupid outfit) named Sock who is given a job to haunt Jonathan, an apathetic teenager. The only thing is, Sock is SO BAD AT IT. The sorry excuse for a demon is actually pretty nice (if not social awkward), and is a MAJOR dweeb. I love this film so much, and I highly recommend getting over your fear of anything with the words "hell" and "demon" in it and watch it.

11. Red

"Red" is an adorable take on the familiar story of Little Red Riding Hood. In this version, the scary wolf is actually a young awkward wolf-boy who has a crush on Little Red. This film (by Hyungjoo Song) is another super sweet and super cute one that I recommend! I love the "red" color scheme of the entire piece, and the style is really nice.

12. Entropy

"Entropy" (produced by Rhubarb Zoo) is a surreal and dreamlike short film about a girl (Harmony) who, while sitting alone one night, hears a Melody that leads her to the moon. The film's theme is all about loneliness, hope and love. The style and animation is absolutely breathtaking and unique, and composition is enticing and hauntingly beautiful! All in all, this film is just so emotional and inspiring!

13. Kindling

"Kindling"is an "origins" story about a young element named Smoke who only wants to be useful. One day, he finds a spark and meets Fire, but only destruction can come of this. This short film is really neat in it's animation of Smoke, and it's idea. Smoke is too precious of a child!

14. Squishy

"Squishy!" is a funny short film about an unhappy boy who works in the food industry (I don't know what exactly he makes, but it deals with squid/octopi), and sees a girl on his was across the street (pictured). It's love at first sight, but things certainly don't go his way when things get a little...squishy. I thought this was super cute and funny! It reminds me of a plot line for an anime.

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These are just some of the amazing short films that are out there! And even if we don't see eye to eye on all of them, I suggest you take some time and discover your own favorites! I promise you won't be disappointed in the end!