Th1ng Creates A Futuristic Short For Getty Images Film Challenge

Director Jasmine Jodry of th1ng, an award-winning mixed media and animation studio, has created a short film, 'Star Games', for the Getty Images film challenge, held last week at the Short & Sweet screening special in London.
The film is also a video clip to an electronic music track by DJ Scanone out on a DVD release in December.
The film challenge was organised by Getty Images and Short & Sweet to illustrate the many ways in which Getty's Hulton Archive could be used. Other filmmakers included Laurie Hill, Ian MacKinnon and directing team Big Red Button.
Jodry's clip 'Star Games' is a visual narrative of a surreal galactic ballet that aims to explain the origins of stars. It is inspired by a diverse array of Getty's archival footage and builds on a selection of images brought to life in a retro sci-fi execution.
The film is set at a futuristic metropolis portrayed as a mechanic clockwork with robots and skyscrapers. All its inhabitants train in their hundreds to contest in the Star Games and some are selected to take part.
The patrolling zeppelins select individual gymnasts with a UFO-styled light beam. The gymnasts are first gently pulled up towards the sky only to ascend to perform a beautifully organic ballet. Caught in the spirit of this poetic galactic Olympiad, the gymnasts then dissolve into starlights.
The film ends with an image of a young energetic woman dressed in Olympic swimming gear. She looks up into the sky and smiles at stars to indicate that she senses the universal life force manifested through its stellar community.
The film's emotive meaning is that each star symbolises a past human life. Its message is that human beings are never alone but embedded, just like stars, in a community of others celebrating life with each other.
Jasmine Jodry said: "The underlying intent for this film was to create a surreal and nostalgic collage out of a carefully selected Getty's material. In achieving the effect of a retro visual look, I sought to juxtapose images of nostalgic skyscraper texture mixed with geometric minimalism and iconic zeppelins. I hope that through this film I was able to demonstrate the versatility and richness of photo and video material available through the Getty's image collection."
(KMcA)