Day 1 - The Talented Mr. Roman

The week before I started my Understanding Animation class, my father showed me a video by an extremely gifted man. It deserves to be recognized due to its striking cinematography and the abstract architectural world created. The Third & The Seventh, a short film by Alex Roman, is one of the most realistic digitally-animated films you will ever view.

Upon the first viewing, The Third & The Seventh appears to be a photographer's study of captivating architecture from around the world. However, when the credits roll, you realize that the film was completely created in CGI. The photographer and the sky were the only realistic parts of video; everything else was created at the fingertips of Alex Roman. He even created the music by mixing, sequencing and designing it based on scores by Michael Laurence, Edward Nyman, and Charles-Camille Saint-Saens.

At first, I was disappointed that the beautiful cinematography was an illusion, but the more I thought about the short film, the more I appreciated Roman's aptitude. To create an image this beautiful and realistic takes amazing skill, patience, and pure talent. He created abstract buildings that can easily be assumed to be located somewhere in our world; you find yourself racking your mind, trying to decide what country he's filming in. All the while, you're subconsciously realizing that these places do not exist on our planet. His creation of the objects located in these architectural phenomenons, such as the photographer's camera, are pure perfection and keep you believing this surreal realm is right next door.

Submit yourself to his world; visit http://www.vimeo.com/7809605 to view Alex Roman's The Third & The Seventh.