Cubism

1981
Sound
2m

The puzzle that kick-started the 1980s comes to life in this amateur animation.

Few objects look as simultaneously futuristic and old-fashioned as the Rubik's Cube. Add in a touch of stop-motion magic via a Super 8mm camera and you have an abstract amateur opus. Inspired by the Star Wars franchise, Laurie Calvert set out to make his own films, mostly science fiction shorts. His techniques evolved from jiggling action figures in front of the camera to using CGI in the feature The War of the Starfighters, finished in 2003.

Animated dance of three Rubik's cubes.

DIY Animation

Amateur animation auteurs bring their homegrown creations to life

The requirements for making an animated film are pretty low. With a camera that shoots in single frames and an idea in your back pocket, you're well on your way. This collection showcases an assortment of dining table Disneys, who combine homebrewed talent with the all-important dedication and patience required to bring a story to life one frame at a time. Not that this was necessarily a solitary pursuit. From the 1950s onwards networks of amateur animators like The Grasshopper Group collaborated on filmmaking and distribution, and animated shorts were often a highlight of the amateur filmmaking scene.