SSF: “Head Over Heels”

In early 2013, director Timothy Reckart’s wonderful stop-motion short, Head Over Heels, was part of a ridiculously good class of Best Animated Short nominations at the 85th Academy Awards. John Kahrs’ Paperman (the clear front-runner in the days leading up to the show and the eventual winner) remains the most widely-known of that year’s offerings, while Minkyu Lee’s Adam and Dog was the one that most stuck with me in the days after the show.

Now, however, Reckert’s film is making a strong case for the creation of a three-headed “Best-in-Show” monster — Sorry, PES! — in part because he’s decided to do something pretty unusual. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone do this with a short film: He’s released it online (which isn’t unique), for free (which is a bit less common, especially for Oscar-nominees, but still not unheard of), and included a ton of commentary — more than three times as much, in fact (including a director’s track, a lengthy piece on the short’s music, and a “reverse-image” of the final short itself.)

Yes, you’re right. It’s not the availability or the free-ness that’s got me all shook up today. It’s the bonus features. A really fun peek behind the creative curtain, and a reminder of all the thoughts and collaboration and leg-work and good, ol’ fashioned blood/sweat/tears that goes into something like this. (Also, the website title’s great: HeadOverHeels.tv. You know what to do, people.)

For those who are not yet sold, here’s the short itself. I dare you to watch it and not be curious about additional commentary. (Which, again, is happening over at HeadOverHeels.tv. You still know what to do, people. Do it.)

A husband and wife can’t agree which way is up. He lives on the floor, she lives on the ceiling, and their marriage hangs in the balance.

Here, from the ShortOfTheWeek post that alerted me to Reckart’s commentary, a point on how well this particular film lends itself to “Special Features,” and a plug that this becomes more of a “thing” in the short community. I concur (on both).

The insight this provides into the creative process is really quite fascinating, especially for a film such as Head Over Heels, where Reckart needs to juggle the demands of the film’s concept alongside the more basic demands of storytelling. Lots of thought went into the representation and ordering of the two worlds his character’s live in, which is clear from these extras. We love commentary tracks, wish more short films would make them, and Head Over Heels is a good example going forward of their effectiveness.

Attribution(s): All artwork, publicity images, and stills are the property of Timothy Reckart and all respective creators and/or distributors.