Hand Crafted Films

thinkings by Evan Mather

  • Ma Nuit Chez Lobot

    In this autobiographical essay video, the narrator re-creates a classic foreign film, using his childhood action figures, in an exploration of the decay of analog and digital media.

  • Sanctum

    Highlighting the revitalized Magic Johnson Park in south Los Angeles County, this video is a powerful expression of the meaning of parks to urban communities in challenging times.

  • A Missal For Rapid City

    A programming guide is created for a neglected television market in this deconstruction of the late-1960’s American media landscape.

  • My Two Kentuckys

    TV Guide unifies and distinguishes the American cultural landscape in this exploration of childhood memories and sensory perceptions.

  • Sic Erat Scriptum

    An exploration of a seemingly controversial theory that the development of the Interstate Highway System can be traced back thousands [sic] of years to the time of the dinosaurs.

  • Hringvegur

    This is Iceland at the speed of sound (768 mph): a time-lapse circumnavigation via the Hringvegur (Ring Road) that circles the island.

  • S,M,L,XLA

    A two-hour circumnavigation of Los Angeles, via the freeways that encircle the metropolis, is compressed into this seven-minute video tour.

  • From Sea To Shining Sea

    A time-lapse drive on the US Interstate Highway System showcases the American landscape, coast-to-coast, offering a contemporary portrait of the nation.

  • Olympic & Western

    A manifesto on the proper usage of type in the built environment, tightly adapted from a mysterious analog audio tape found on the side of the road.

  • I Am An Artist

    A romantic mix-up unfolds between a Serbian artist, her Mon Calamarian ex, and a Dutch architect, brought to life with vintage Star Wars figures in animated storytelling.

  • Telly

    This is a bedtime horror story, an animated cautionary tale, and a hypnotic meditation on the allure of television.

  • A Plea For Modernism

    In New Orleans, advocates attempted to restore a historic African-American school with unique modern design that was damaged during Hurricane Katrina, through adaptive reuse efforts.

  • The Patron Saint of Television

    A handcrafted animated short retells the mystical deathbed vision of a thirteenth-century nun, blending spirituality and imagination in a captivating and artistic portrayal.

  • 39-A: Een Reisverhaal Van Eindeloos

    Home movies of a family vacation to the Kennedy Space Center are deconstructed and reconstructed in this mashup of childhood memories, found footage, animated cartography, and Dutch pidgin-speak.

  • A Necessary Ruin

    A documentary about Union Tank Car Dome (ostensibly designed by the visionary design scientist Buckminster Fuller) which upon its completion in 1958 was the largest clear-span structure in the world.

  • So What?

    Using its own shredded paper waste, a landscape architecture firm creates an art installation that explores the concept of sustainability.

  • Scenic Highway

    Part-travelogue, part-memoir – a darkly affectionate essay film about growing up in Baton Rouge.

  • The Image of the City

    In this freewheeling (unauthorized) adaptation of the classic urban design text, downtown Los Angeles serves as a learning laboratory for a new visual language of the built environment.

  • Expressions

    In this documentary portrait, the design process of a landscape architect is revealed through three award-winning projects, showcasing their harmonious fusion of nature, innovation, and visionary creativity.

  • A Fool’s Errand

    Drawing upon the Korean penchant for elaborate public art, A Fool’s Errand documents the construction of a recent installation by artists to celebrate the season of Lent and the temporal nature of decay.

  • “My Big Fat Independent Movie” (Title Sequence)

    Story of an aspiring filmmaker and his journey through the creative process outside the Hollywood studio system.

  • Take a thrilling journey with Aimee Mann through the immersive experience of a pop-up paper airplane book set to the tune of her song "Pavlov's Bell”.

    Pavlov’s Bell

    Take a thrilling journey with Aimee Mann through the immersive experience of a pop-up paper airplane book set to the tune of her song “Pavlov’s Bell”.

  • Icarus of Pittsburgh

    Archie McNally is known as the greatest Pittsburgh Steelers fan ever because of his daring exploits during the 1979 AFC Championship game when – using a suit of his own construction – he attempted to fly to heaven to visit his dead father.

  • Fansom the Lizard

    Based on family folklore, “Fansom the Lizard” is the true story of a pet lizard who travels from his home in Louisiana to Las Vegas in search of adventure. This film dramatizes these adventures of Fansom and is characterized by a vibrant fusion of hand drawn and computer generated animation. Shot on Super-8.