The Drop

The Drop is a wonderful short film by Maxime Helier that offers a true appeal to the senses. It provides a multitude of sensory images, describing the beginning of a storm through the origin and metamorphosis of a drop of water, and its trip down to earth. The film was made by French artist Maxime Helier during his studies at Supinfocom Valenciennes.

Staged in an urban setting, The Drop uses a stylized aesthetic that hints, rather than defines the environment and main character. The parallel editing that alternates between a moving camera that tracks the drop and overhead shots of the main character helps build the space and suspense for the collision (marked by the opening of the umbrella). The wide shots of the city and the character watching the sky help expand the environment of the short and its poetic intent, with music and sound potentiating the visuals. But what really makes the short shine is its use of sensory images and its reference to nature (this and its brevity almost turn it into a visual Haiku).