by Brad Chmielewski
Avoid Eye Contact, Volume 1, Square Footage Films is titled “The Best Independent Animation of New York City;” I would firmly have to say that this is a title well devised to stand along side each piece on the DVD. The DVD contains a number of animations dating back to the early 1980’s that can not be seen together anywhere else but on this DVD. Avoid Eye Contact features thirteen animations from eleven animators; Aleksey Budovsky, Patrick Smith, Signe Baumane, John Dilworth, Geroge Griffin, Bill Plympton, Fran Krause, Jesse Schmal, Michael Overbeck, John Schnall and PES. Each bringing something a little out of the ordinary. The DVD was created by all of the eleven animators; this creates a distinctive look the could have not been created by anyone else. Avoid Eye Contact features a total of seventeen animations; most of the animations are 2-D in technique, still, there are a few computer-based shorts. One is Mike Overbeck’s “Tongues and Taxis” which was produced using the programs Maya and Macromedia Flash. Patrick Smith’s “Drink” was drawn traditionally, but colorized using a computer, which is the case in most animation these days. Both, Mike Overbeck’s and Patrick Smith’s works can be viewed on the Animators Unite website, but the quicktime versions do not do these animations justice. This is the case with PES’s short “Roof Sex.” The first time I saw the quicktime version of this short, I was unimpressed. Now to see the 16mm film version in its full glory on DVD is remarkable. For anyone who missed out when the film was posted check the archive and see PES’s first film and first animation.

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