Short yet cute tale of Daydreaming and Imagination

Directed by Sae Okamoto which is also her first independent work and music provided by Shouta Murasato comes 11:08. This short 2 minute video from November 7th 2012 tells a tale of how the mind can wander from just a simple glance.

General Story:
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It begins in a grey and bland classroom with a student fiddling with his notes. Suddenly his gaze hovers over to one of his classmates. A girl who is fixated on her notes. On closer inspection the boy realizes that she is putting a front and is actually drawing cute imaginary creatures and animals with a more fantastical feel to them. Entranced by his classmates drawings he slyly spies on he but is less subtle about his own yawing. Which in turn get him a book slap at the back of his head by his teacher and continues his lesson.
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The girl when the boy looks back was switched over to her notes when the teacher passed by so she was free from his scorn yet immediately switches pages back to her drawings. As the boy stares at the doodles the girl is making, his reality suddenly switches over to the school hall has all of these beings come to life. And thus a colorful and playful interactions the boy has commences all the while the boy see glimpses of the girl from above the building, observing and giving a small, reversed yet satisfied smile. And as his interactions with the creatures are at his peak, it suddenly ends with the teacher yet again giving the boy a smack with the book, the girl slyly switching over to her notes but back to her doodles when the teachers leaves and it ends with with the boy staring again at her doodles. Which snaps with the tittle card 11:08, just another day.
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Art and Animation:__

For context, it is really good for the tools that the director had. Let's talk it's use of colors. Simple use of them with the beginning showing a more grey aspect of school life. Repetition and board aspects of class life as represent with the boy character but as the little video progresses and his classmates continues to draw. His imagination starts to lighten up with the characters from her book and what she is drawing coming to life.

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I especially like the sequence in the hallway. The girls creations from her doodles, who not only are full of life but it's use of those animation frames are used really well. It does get choppy at points but honestly that's hidden with a good art direction and general flow. Again, impressed again for using limited resources in a fun yet simple way.

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Sound and Music:

Might be the weakest point but not by much. Don't get me wrong the music by Shouta Murasato is really good and has a nice funky beat to it. But to me it seems a bit forced on like a theme meant for a celebration and has a lot of energy yet lacks in the videos themes of imagination. Probably just own taste but it feel a bit off at points and it seems more so that it is compensating. I do like in some segments the animation matches with the beat it terms of cuts and what not so that a plus but that's more so points on animation

As a whole:

Short, sweet, and for what it was enjoyable. Although I personal felt the music was slightly off and could have been a bit more experimental, it's harmless yet innocent concept won me over. Give 11:08 a watch as it's only 2 minutes. It call back a simple days that we can relate too with how the mind can wander off into so more from so little.

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