Arjen Klaverstijn "Manfred" (2010)

Here is something nice and light to re-establish myself after so long away, my vacation, professional and personal circumstances taking a strange turn, not entirely planned. Arjen Klaverstijn graduated from the Utrecht School of Arts with Manfred, an amalgam of Maya’s 2D and 3D technology. The short is a simple, humorous piece in which Manfred queues at a bus stop only to be out manoeuvred and lose his place to others, bad enough at any time but worsened by a deluge of rain, albeit a situation our guy turns to best advantage. In an age where reality of animated figures can be absolute, Arjen has rectangular characters, some taller or squarer than others, but imposing a satisfying chunkiness, the endearing central character a hoped for model for other proposed episodes. Click here to view a series of clips revealing the making-of secrets. Expressions of concern for my welfare have been welcome though, as I have been quick to reiterate, for the past fortnight I have been somewhere mid-Mediterranean, or was it the Aegean? Anyway it was hot.