Geist

Geist is an intense short film produced by artists from Irish studio Giant Animation. Two main characters, supernatural elements and an accent on the use of offscreen space are the ingredients of this remarkable thriller.

Staged in a house located in an island, engulfed by stormy weather, the story is told from the POV of the main character, a fisherman who has survived a shipwreck. The directors use a semi-subjective camera that follows the main character closely and reveals the surroundings at the time he sees them. This, together with sound design, is used to create suspense and build offscreen space, a device the short employs frequently.

Visual rhythm shows marked changes of pace, and is usually handled through editing (a few hand-held camera shots and fast camera moves are also used in some scenes). Strong contrasts startle the audience and augment rhythm.

The highly psychological atmosphere is created through the semi-subjective POV, use of internal sounds (breathing, etc.) and changes of subjectivity in narration, which show the fisherman haunted by the spirit witnessing events that are not present in reality.

Also worth noting are the great effort dedicated to aesthetics, environment and character design, framing, composition, color and lighting, as well as character performance and outstanding 3D work.

According to the authors of Geist, they wanted to make a short film that pushed animation out of its comfort zone and towards more mature content, giving audiences something unexpected.