"life on the edge" - About the Film:

Strangely enough this short preceding the main film has been produced by me after the release of 18 Months Later. Out of the blue I had the vision of making that chessman in shot # 4.5 of 18 Months Later the hero in a film of his own!

In contrast to 18 Months Later I didn't start with a complete story, but made it up as I drew along the sketches, which weren't even full-fledged storyboards either...

Since the film had been triggered by a call for entries to the Underground Film Festival in the Berlin subway, it had to meet the following criteria:
no longer than 90 seconds (which suited me, because it would not be as much work as 18 Months Later)
comprehensible without sound (so I kept the sound design to a minimum; no music)
not offensive to anybody - Martinland hasn't had problems with this since its inception???

life on the edge
Computer-Animation-Film - Austria 2002 - Length: 1:13 - Format: PAL - Ratio: 1/1.85 - Producer: Martin of Martinland

"18 Months Later" - About the Film:

Within 18 Months Later I am toying a lot with interpretation: The current situation of mankind gets interpreted by my very personal vision of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Additionally one of the main characters, the nameless "Monster", happens to be a three-dimensional interpretation of a 2d cel animation I did over ten years ago! [which by the way can be spotted in the film]

The main characters are as follows:

"Murx" . . . . . Astronaut
"Monster" . . . His Mascot and Pet
(The Monolith) . . .

It is worthwile to mention that the spoken dialogue in my film is taken from the original actor's voices in 2001: A Space Odyssey: Some viewers with intimate knowledge of Kubrick's film might notice some interesting alterations of the dialogue.

I tried to evoke some kind of odd insect by applying certain "modifications" to the spaceship design of the original Discovery One: The long, thin spine is similar; limb-like solar-panels have been added; the pod bay doors and the panoramic window have been swapped; the result is a kind of face: "Murx" playing chess on the bridge represents the only "tooth" in the mouth of that face.
More details like that could reveal themselves with repeated viewings of both 2001: A Space Odyssey as well as 18 Months Later!

Finally, my film has the same aspect ratio as the 70mm original.

This film is a true Martinland production, since all the design, storyboards, models, animation, sound and music have been created by me except for the actor's and my daughter's voices plus the design and story elements of Stanley Kubrick's classic.

I hope both the excerpts presented here as well as the completed film to be enjoyable.

18 Months Later
Computer-Animation-Film - Austria 2001/2002 - Length: 2:32 - Format: PAL - Ratio: 1/2.1 - Producer: Martin of Martinland

Screenings

18 Months Later screened quite recently at:

 
ASIFA AUSTRA - Trickplattform No.7, Vienna 2009

 

Both animation films were shown as part of the official selections at:

 
KiG! - Open Air Sommer Kino III, Graz 2005

W.I.R. Open Air Cinema, Graz 2003

Comic Festival, Graz 2003

Media Festival E-Phos, Athens 2003