What up Strange Kids!? Today is another day that Eyes Open Wide – your bi-weekly series oftrippy and twisted animation – dons it tattered cape and mask and swings into action with another brain melting installment – this time featuring Life Is Flashing (Before Your Eyes) by legendary animator Vince Collins.
THE VIDEO
THE VISUALS
Boasting classic, hand drawn animation the short opens by following a singing blue-haired character amongst shape shifting colors. The character quickly disappears from focus as the video transitions onto warping shapes and colors in a transdimensional-style mindtrip experience. Collins is a great animator, I would go as far to say one of the greats, that has been around for a LONG time and has made a lot of great hand drawn tripy videos. He is definitely someone I would say to make sure you check out on Facebook.
In fact, this video was featured in Entertainment Weekly on May 1st 1992 and was reviewed by
Timothy Leary (a very famous figure head in the hallucinagenics world) who called it “a sweet, gentle introduction to the voyage with cheery pop images and mellow lyrics. A soft landing.”
THE SOUND
Not much is on record about the track featured in this short, but as far as I can tell
it was written and recorded by Collins himself. It is very much a “feel good” song with a message of appreciating life before it is gone and comprises of some digital effects reversed strings and smooth piano.
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Don’t fall off the world… and when you’re through to the other side, remember to keep your Eyes open Wide!
