weird beauty of hand creatures
Duration: 05'15"
Technique: 2D hand-drawn(Photoshop & After Effects), Rotoscoping
Director and Animator: Tsz-wing Ho
Music: "Sekktortjek Ft. Tone" by Mads Lindgren
Special thanks: Max Hattler and my family & friends
Artist Statement:
Hand is a 5-minute 2D digital abstract animation which is accompanied by the song, “Sekktortjek Ft. Tone” composed by a Danish artist, Mads Lindgren. It is in 24 fps and Full HD. The idea of the work is to present the weird beauty of hand creatures composed of gestures, geometric shapes and abstract patterns in order to create a surreal journey for the audience. The creatures undergo different transformations such as phenakistoscopes in synchrony with the music.
The project is completed in Photoshop and After Effects. Applying the rotoscoping technique to draw the sequences of hand gestures in Photoshop. Then, insert those colored elements in After Effects for editing and finalizing the work.
According to the rhythm of the sound, the film is divided into two parts. The film begins with white background and black and white colored hand creatures. The female soft vocal gives people a sense of calm so the hand moves at a slow speed. For example, the hand creature goes down gently. When the beat comes in, the background turns black and numerous variations of the colored hand movement will be shown like spinning, enlarging and phenakistoscope, etc.
Awards
2022
- Vimeo Staff Pick, 2022
- Winner of the Open Call Contest, Kinomural 2022
- Merit, 3x3 International Illustration Show No.19 Student Show, 2022
- Award of Excellence, Communication Arts Illustration Competition 2022
2021
- Best Abstract Animation Award, London International Animation Festival 2021
"A film that turns a beautifully simple concept into a hypnotising and psychedelic journey full of an amazing range of symbols, patterns and colours. Its incredible use of the craft of animation across a wide variety of techniques and styles, producing a visually rich, constantly unfolding experience, left us mesmerised from beginning to end."
Simon Ball and Michelle Brand
- Grand Prize for Student Shorts, Supernova Digital Animation Festival 2021
- Applied Arts Student Awards 2021
Press & Review
2022
- "Tsz-wing Ho’s Student Short ‘Hand’ Is A Gripping Musical Trip" (Cartoon Brew) (18 Oct 2022)
- "Tsz-wing Ho Explores the Abstract Beauty of Hands in Award-Winning Short Film" (Stash Magazine) (14 Oct 2022)
Screening
2024
- Relentless Melt No. 32: Hong Kong Abstracted (Listasafn Árnesinga - LÁ Art Museum, Iceland) (02 Mar - 31 March 2024)
- Short film exhibition for Kunstmuseum Brandts (the art exhibition museum in Odense) under the name “Body” (all through 2024)
2023
- Relentless Melt No. 31: Abstract and Experimental Animation from Hong Kong (Close-Up Film Centre, United Kingdom) (07 Dec 2023 & 28 Jan 2024)
- the 28th Canberra Short Film Festival (Official Selection in Experimental video category) (Canberra, Australia) (10 Nov - 26 Nov 2023)
- Pukkelpop 2023 video wall projection (17 - 20 Aug 2023)
- Cardiff Animation Nights Online (29 Jun 2023)
-14th Roanne animation short film festival – Ciné court animé (Official Selection in the experimental competition) (20 Mar - 26 Mar 2023)
- Animation Nights New York 2023 January Program “NIGHT FALLS” (Program #78 | Season 8 | In Competition Films) (Official Selection) (Virtual) (22 Jan 2023)
2022
- CutOut Fest International Animation and Digital Art Festival 2022 (Official Selection in the Animated Music Video) (Querétaro, México) (08 Dec - 10 Dec 2022)
- 2022 Montreal International Animation Film Festival - ANIMAZE (Official Selection in International Student Film Contest) (Montreal, Canada) (11 Nov 2022)
- Animatou 2022 (Official Selection in the International Competition for Experimental Animated Shorts) (Geneva, Switzerland) (06 Oct -15 Oct 2022)
- Kinomural 2022 (Official Selection) (Wrocław, Poland) (24 Sep 2022)
- OFF - Odense International Film Festival 2022 (Official Selection in the Animation Competition) (Odense, Denmark) (29 Aug & 31 Aug 2022)
- Imaginaria 2022 (Official Selection in Graduated Film Competition) (Conversano, Italy) (22 Aug - 27 Aug 2022)
- Animist Tallinn 2022 (Official Selection in the program Night Cinema: SURREALITY) (Winkel, Tallinn) (19 Aug 2022)
- La Guarimba Film Festival 2022 (Official Selection in the La Grotta dei Piccoli Competition Category) (Amantea (Calabria, southern Italy)) (07 Aug - 12 Aug 2022)
- 15th International Animated Film Festival Animator (Official Selection in International Short Film Competition) (Poznań, Poland) (08 Jul - 20 Jul 2022)
- 2022 deadCenter Film Festival (Official Selection in Awesome Animations program) (Rodeo Cinema & Harkins Bricktown Theatres, Oklahoma, United States) (11 June & 12 June 2022)
- Sydney Film Festival 2022 (Official Selection in SFFTV program) (Martin Place & the Pitt Street Mall, Australia) (08 Jun - 19 Jun 2022)
- Animafest Zagreb 2022 (Official Selection in STUDENT FILM COMPETITION) (Zagreb, Croatia) (06 Jun - 11 Jun 2022)
- 19th IN THE PALACE Short Film Festival (Official Selection in Best Student Experimental Film) (Pernik, Bulgaria) (02 Apr - 09 Apr 2022)
- Cardiff Animation Festival 2022 (Official Selection) (Wales, United Kingdom) (Chapter Arts Centre & Online) (7 Apr - 24 Apr 2022)
- 34th Filmfest Dresden 2022 (Official Selection in Open Air Programme 08: Animated) (Neumarkt, Germany) (05 Apr , 10 Apr 2022)
- 49th Athens International Film and Video Festival 2022 (Official Selection in Animation Short) (The Athena Cinema, United States) (04 Apr 2022)
-60th Ann Arbor Film Festival (Official Selection in Competition 2: Music videos) (Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, United States & Online) (22 Mar - 27 Mar 2022)
- Tricky Women / Tricky Realities Animation Festival 2022 (Official Selection in Up&Coming Competition) (Online) (09 Mar 2022)
- 14th PIAFF Festival International de Films d'Animation 2022 (Official Selection in Student competition) (Cinema Studio des Ursulines, Paris, France) (19 Jan - 23 Jan 2022)
2021
- 2021 London International Animation Festival (LIAF 2021) (Best Abstract Animation Award) (London, United Kingdom) (27 Nov 2021)
- GIRAF17 Independent Animation Festival (Official Selection) (Calgary, Canada) (Online) (19 Nov - 28 Nov 2021)
- 59th Golden Knight Malta International Short Film Festival (Nominated) (The Malta Experience Theatre Valletta, Valletta, Malta) (28 Nov 2021)
- Relentless melt No 24: Hong Kong Experimental Animation (Screening Program) (Mediatheque, PNCA - Pacific Northwest College of Art) (Portland, Oregon, US) (15 Nov 2021)
- 2021 Sweaty Eyeballs Animation Festival (Official Selection) (SNF Parkway Theatre, Baltimore, United States) (13 Nov 2021)
-CINANIMA 2021 (Official Selection in International Competition Student Films) (Espinho, Portugal) (08 Nov - 13 Nov 2021)
- Manchester Animation Festival 2021 (Official Selection) (Manchester, United Kingdom) (14 Nov - 30 Nov 2021)
- 2021 Cucalorus Film Festival (Official Selection) (Downtown Wilmington, United States) (14 Nov 2021)
- 2021 TIAF - Tbilisi International Animation Festival (Official Selection in the Experimental and Abstract Animation Program) (Tbilisi, Georgia) (30 Oct - 2 Nov 2021)
- 2021 Animest – Bucharest International Animation Film Festival (Official Selection in International Student Competition) (Bucharest, Romania) (11 Oct 2021)
- The International Short Film Festival of Cyprus 2021 (Official Selection) (Limassol, Cyprus) (09 Oct - 15 Oct 2021)
- SICAF 2021 International Animated Film Festival (Official Selection) (Seoul, Korea) (01 Oct - 04 Oct 2021)
- 2021 Supernova Digital Animation Festival (Official Selection in Student Shorts program) (Denver, United States) (17 Sep 2021)
- 2021 IV ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival (Official Selection in Best Short Experimental or Abstract Animated Film) (Baku, Azerbaijan)
- 2021 Encounters Film Festival (Official Selection in Animation Category) (Bristol, UK) (Online) (01 Sep - 30 Sep)
- 2021 Ottawa International Animation Festival (Official Selection in Student Animation Category) (Ottawa, Canada) (22 Sep - 03 Oct)
- Short to the Point ISFF AWARDS June 2021 (Official Selection) (Brașov ,Romania)
