BEACON - Animated Scifi Horror Short Film

[@animatrocities]

Hi Yall! I just wanted to say thanks so much for getting Beacon to over a million views. It's honestly a huge milestone for me. I started this channel nearly a decade ago and I always wanted to make films but it took nearly a decade to get there. So thank you so much! If you'd like to support future films I have a patreon here! www.patreon.com/animatrocities Hoping to get you guys films every 1-2 months. Some longer or shorter than others. There's a mythos to Beacon I'd like to continue with and as much as I've slipped hints and elaborated on things I'll just have to let the story develop its self. Almost 10 years of stories in the making I started in High School will start to take shape. In the meantime I can't wait to show you the anthology F3ROCIOU5. Thank you for watching it's first kick off entry and again thanks for taking interest in Beacon! We have such sights to show you...

[@DGBomber]

Congrats and very well deserved!

[@HeathMartinVO]

thank you for letting me tag along! you are so damn talented ! can't wait for more! 🎉 congrats on the million views!

[@animatrocities]

@@James-to7piso on top of all the other school work we had we started animation in October I wanna say and finished animation around late March/early April with our main crew of 3 people

[@woomynation]

so glad I found this and your channel, looking forward to whatever you are doing in the future even if it has been a while

[@MerkwuerdigerHannes]

plz be a graühic designer to participate in upcoming videogames. nice artwork!

[@larubric]

What I really like about this is how quiet the protagonist is. A lot of shows have the MC constantly talking while they're alone cos they don't trust the audience to pay attention all the time. For this it works super well; it makes when the character does speak extremely valuable and also benefits the dread. It emphasises how alone the protagonist is, how vacant the planet is, and how vulnerable any survivors are when they're always being watched by the rabid wildlife.

[@HeathMartinVO]

thank you for noticing! I did alot of crying and panting 🙃

[@dbboy2133]

This is increadible! It gives me some serious Primal vibes

[@WeirdFaden]

I have a tendency to talk to myself when I'm alone as a processing mechanism, I wish that element was played with more because as it stands it is mostly an attempt to keep audience attention rather than really adding anything to the character themselves, which overall really hurts the mood and experience. My attention becomes sharper when I actively verbalize the voices in my head and I become aware of details in the environment that I overlooked before hand, which could also be a great way to build tension in a piece like this, but it's rarely ever used as such in media XC

[@allimaleada270]

@@WeirdFaden hehe same, talking to myself everytime I'm alone specially for a long time,, This show how vacant mind the main character is, or at least for me

[@poggersdude1067]

I agree with DBoy. gives off big primal vibes.

[@zombiepopi]

Real sucker for the gore, but also the fact that it's acknowledged and then ignored for the horrors of the monsters and being abandoned, fantastic animation, i'd kill to have a longform series with the concept

[@shardinhand1243]

hell yeah same. could be done like the primal series where all the cast ether speak a different language or cant speak at all. that kind of story done well is timeless and unbound by things like cultural language barriars... awesome.

[@semi9316]

Have you seen love, death, robots? It's a bunch of short films and there's at least one of the episodes in there matches what you're looking for in 3rd season titled jibaro. The overall vibe of the series also matches this animation.

[@Zanzabarchocolate]

Stellaris Player: "Oh, so THAT'S where my science ship went! Alright, time to build another one."

[@shitonabrik13times]

Average Stellaris playthrough

[@Gracie-rr4ut]

This is a senior film? This is clean as hell, everyone who worked on it should be so proud!

[@ImperialKnight770]

You know that "last crew" that's always mentioned in space horror games? This is them.

[@Helldiver-4U]

Jesus, watching the dude in the first sequence rip out that shrapnel and I am just sitting here going..."Dude, you are NOT supposed to do that!"

[@flocoflame2236]

Not saying you’re wrong, you’re absolutely right that he should not have taken out that shrapnel, but at the same time I sympathize with his mindset, a blade in the arm can be ignored and allowed to stay in, but a sharp object in the eye? That’s not something you can simply ignore and your brain will constantly nag you about until you inevitably do something stupid

[@gmork1090]

@@flocoflame2236 Sure you can. Just like you can ignore the urge to get revenge against a probably mindless creature that ate a crash survivor you don't even know instead of waiting for rescue. Can't rescue anyone if you're dead.

[@fearsomejinn2807]

This looks like something on par with Love, Death and Robots. both in tone and animation style. well done.

[@opposumness3107]

Better even than many episodes

[@kris-wx9cs]

@@opposumness3107 I wouldn't say better than many but rather, it would fit in perfectly.

[@shardinhand1243]

damn, your right.

[@bradpotts1747]

i was just gonna rant about this being better than dlr. but i really gotta know why do you like that show. i obviously dont but theres gotta be something there that YOU do, so would fill me in cause im in the dark here.

[@fearsomejinn2807]

@@bradpotts1747 I don't like every episode of ldr but the ones I do like is really down to personal preference. But the episode of Sonnies edge is what got me curious enough to watch the other episode.

[@CosmicFlora]

Absolutely beautiful in its bleakness. I love sci-fi/horror concepts where the antagonist is just nature in all its brutal indifference. The terrain and ruins all serve to make the viewer feel very small. Phenomenal work! If you ever consider a Kickstarter or something to take this project further, I’ll be the first to sign up.

[@pipipupu5104]

Can you please suggest more such movies please

[@matthewallers6501]

@@pipipupu5104 scavengers reign, for sure

[@lucafernandes3411]

He really said ​@@pipipupu5104

[@rrk8779]

I like how he gives up in the end unlike other videos or movies where the mc is injured and their only means of escaping is gone but still think there's hope, but in this the mc knows it's over and chooses to end his suffering quickly

[@dand1253]

Beautifully animated. The survivor of the Archimedes ultimately getting himself and a rescue team killed seeking pointless vengeance on the local wildlife is... frustrating, but believable.

[@elementblue780]

When your wrist thingy says stay in the pod, STAY IN THE DAMN POD. I agree with everyone about the amazing animation, but I also wanted to mention how great the sound is. Those were some top notch effects! Awesome job!

[@pannik_lucas]

"Next time, stay in the car".

[@pedrorecomenda]

If he had stayed at the pod instead of disturbing the monster or trying to be a hero he would have served

[@joshmartin2744]

I really liked the quality, but man this guy was dumb. DON'T give yourself an open wound you can't stitch by pulling out shrapnel. DON'T leave the pod when the rescue ship is on the way, just log the location and go there with the rescue ship - which is equipped to actually affect a rescue, unlike the guy. And most of all, DON'T go on a 4 hour trip to *anywhere* when the rescue ship is 6 hours away!

[@typhonna5352]

@@joshmartin2744and when you see a Lovecraftian Old One chilling and the only thing separating you is ice, DON’T shoot that ice. That said, I do kind of like the idea that the ship would’ve gotten blown up anyway, and that no rescue could’ve ever been successful. That’s cosmic horror right there.

[@petalpotionsart]

The sense of pure dread this gives is amazing. What a genuinely great animation!

[@cinemartin3530]

I completely agree with you, after watching, you involuntarily get into the feelings that the main character is experiencing, and you sit for a long time under the impression of this masterpiece. It's amazing how a short animated film could be made better than many full-length projects! It seems like a lot of people and a budget are not the main thing at all, the main thing is talent and enthusiasm, and knowledge of how to evoke the right feelings and thoughts in the viewer.

[@HeathMartinVO]

I love what you all did with this film! it was a great joy for me to be a part of it! p.s. I'd be cool with continuing this story or making a prequel. - The Survivor

[@animatrocities]

Was a pleasure working with you Heath. We'll be in touch :D

[@ir1334]

you sound EXACTLY like Dave Bautista lol, great work!

[@HeathMartinVO]

@@ir1334 I love Bautista! thanks.!

[@user-op4ft4yh5f]

Soldier poor :)

[@user-op4ft4yh5f]

Soldier poor OK :D

[@Jinx_you_lose]

6:51 i love the little detail of him ever so slightly being pushed back due to the firearm

[@LaitoChen]

Don't leave pod under any circumstance Leaves pod and disturbs hostile wildlife Everybody dies MC is has room temperature IQ

[@HeathMartinVO]

dang I thunk I wuz smertar then thet! - The Survivor

[@el_wumberino]

And shooting the ice you're walking upon is a similarly cunning idea.

[@jewilliams13jw]

I think everyone in that verse has the same IQ 😂😂 like why would would the rescue ship land so far way and who piloted the ship thru a Saiyan battle 🤣

[@richardmcleod2791]

Bunch of geniuses in here 😆 🤣

[@NoahCheruk]

The strength of the overall tone is so impressive in this film, and feels so fresh! This film paves the way for a sense of atmosphere that is rarely touched on in animation. Congrats to all the crew involved! Was a pleasure to help out on this film even if only a little bit, and inspiring to work alongside you night after night for the college film grind. Looking forward to what you make next!

[@DagobahResident]

Reminds me of a Carl Sagan quote: "Extinction is the rule, survival is the exception." I feel like if we ever achieve interplanetary travel and exploration, that mantra will become painfully familiar...

[@animatrocities]

Definitely the basis for this short and other shorts that may or not be connected ;)

[@CougarMacDowall]

Dude this came out awesome!

[@andrewler13theundeadwarrior]

Wow It really u

[@BerzklTheDragon]

We're you also binging animations?

[@C.A.M584]

It's very good so many things are here that lots of animation studios could use talents like this.

[@kdeathwing]

Can we all take a moment to appreciate the sheer balls on this guy for even attempting a rescue after hearing those screams.

[@lazarys86]

With one MF eye no less!

[@RashaKahn]

It’s actually stupid and predictable. Smart would be making sure the rescue team finds you so you would have the actual resources to rescue someone.

[@StephanieFlynn-y3i]

He has to try. Jesus.

[@jacobpeterson4071]

The monster at the end like "Dude, what happened to your arm! That looks like some nasty business let me take care of that for you. " *boop*

[@inputusername4763]

holy crap it’s so detailed it even showed him getting pushed back from the recoil of his rifle

[@temporaryalien5573]

This was a great work on a dreadful experience of being stranded on a alien world with the character trying to gain hope in finding others he only finds more fear in his own surroundings only to react unreasonably when approached with such strangeness on this world.

[@socha9084]

the detail on the arm 8:34 was very nice

[@SearTheo]

The hopeless struggle of cold and survival that this film evokes is very well done. I like how the film is bookended by both explosions of the two different ships. Definitely a very good film to have special effects shine- which they do. I love the take on horror and suspense in animation.

[@finalfroggitapproaches6418]

Damn dude.. This was really, really good! Terrifying, yet gorgeous- my favorite kind of media. That shot of him looking down through the ice was so choice! And the sound design.. Good Lord did that ever tie the visuals and the story together! Not to mention some nice gore, and a protagonist that I want to root for despite seeing so little of him, and a freaking great concept. Nature is.. Kinda twisted. Foreign planet nature when you’re all alone? THAT is true, unfathomable horror. Amazing job to everyone involved. Absolutely incredible!

[@minnion2871]

And this is probably why you're not supposed to leave the rescue pod, moving around tends to attract unwanted attention...

[@camilaalmiron5588]

@@minnion2871 yes...

[@wongmatthew7215]

even if they don't leave the pod, the creatures will find them

[@animatrocities]

Apologies yall! Working on getting subtitles into the video. Been extremely busy. Thank you for your patience and the response. It's been incredible! There are a multitude of projects in the works and they all relate to Beacon. Stick around. We're just getting started.

[@CryptTheNecromancer]

You wouldn't happen to be looking for any 3d animators would you? I think it'd be cool to help work on a project like this!

[@animatrocities]

​@@CryptTheNecromancer Not looking for character animators quite yet but modeling, definitely!

[@CryptTheNecromancer]

@@animatrocities where do I apply?

[@CryptTheNecromancer]

@@animatrocities I'm an animator, but I can model as well. How do I contact you for an application?

[@animatrocities]

@@CryptTheNecromancer you can send an email to [e-mail] or [e-mail]. We'll be making a project specific email soon.

[@ianfleischer3532]

This is absolutely incredible, the storytelling is on point and the animation is really the standout. Every single background is detailed, each scene is perfectly colored, the character movements are completely fluid .... just amazing. Excellent work, and wether you to continue working in animation or not, know that you should be proud of this

[@oneframesam]

You can genuinely feel the fear and all of his emotions. I love the beginning where he’s taking the rock out of his eye, like he’s hyping himself up and I immediately could feel my hands sweat. Really awesome

[@mcswaggermcmuffin69]

Morale of the story: The more you fuck around, the more you find out

[@StarkSpider24]

And the more you’ll wish you hadn’t…

[@clairesholar2208]

Beautiful animation!! All nine minutes felt like a held breath in the best way possible. Great job to the crew :)

[@TheJ3llyboy]

For some reason... I felt that same wonder and helplessness watching this as when I saw the Gears of War ad featuring Mad World by Gary Jules.

[@Bonewerkz]

I had an accident with the left eye. If you have so strong pain in one eye,you can't open the another eye, you are practically blind. My left eye healed about 90%, i was no blinded.

[@MagnanimousEntropy]

Talk about a bad day at work. An excellent animated short. It would fit nicely in a series like Love, Death and Robots.

[@leonefurlan137]

True

[@Hazmat2977]

We can feel and see the fear in the eyes of the protagonist when the last survivor die, when the rescue ship explode and when at the end the giant alien prepare to kill him.

[@HeathMartinVO]

it was one thing after another! how much is one man to endure? -the Survivor

[@bradrankin844]

Great job on the animation, and that really sucks for the guy! He almost got away, and then the very end die.

[@Commissar_Eiven]

Imagine if this was a whole series like primal or we see this character explore this desolate ice planet with thousands of hostile creatures and this short film was more fleshed out as a series I would pay for that

[@camilaalmiron5588]

Yes, very great

[@namvo3013]

Made in abyss but space haha

[@johnlang2293]

Dude must have a robot arm, it was sliding off when he kneeled down? This is an amazing short film, Outstanding !!! I loved it !

[@Kalinel_]

The atmosphere is amazing and super immersive! The feeling of the mc losing all hope as his last chance of survival is blown up in front of him hits really well. Fantastic job!

[@vinny8589]

very Dead Space vibe to this. I dig it. This would totally make for a cool PC or Xbox indie game.

[@dwarvishwarrior7339]

He really should have stayed with the ship… fantastic work on this by the way very well made!!!!

[@jailcatjones3250]

What I love about sci-fi horror is the complete unknown, never know what's out there

[@vincentgonzalesb1728]

I love the attention with the adrenaline! Dude forgot bout the pain at the sight of being truly alone.

[@cgfocus]

The storytelling, thee visuals, the lighting, and the colours are just beautiful. These kinds of animations always catch our attention, and we’ve featured stories with this level of storytelling, and it’s always exciting to see new ones like yours.

[@shardscale2934]

DUDE- the sheer magnitude of talent put into every single frame of this is jaw dropping!! unbelievable job everyone involved!

[@Nomadith]

Holy shit, it's ICE SPACE SWANS I hate how amazingly you and your team have done this, if I didn't love it so much I'd ask for the planet to be glassed to keep those monsters away from all sentient life

[@Acatpiestuff]

YEAAAAHHH BEACON'S FINALLY RELEASED!!! It was so cool seeing this at senior showcase for the first time! Yall deserve everything and more for how hard you guys worked on this. - a person who worked on Celestial Transits

[@zebedeebones8685]

As a jaded old sod when it comes to media and modern animation, I must say I’m genuinely impressed by this. I’m a fan of old school sci fi horror and lovecraft too, so this felt like a trip down memory lane and a love letter for such fans all in one.

[@JD_comicotaku]

Noice lovecraft monster and the dreaded existentialism of being left alone on an hostile world can do to someone

[@1Eddie4u]

Give us More Please!!!, that was completely awesome.

[@wallykimball8829]

I wonder if he could have avoided all the trouble by not shooting the whatever it was when he first saw it. It might not have been what killed the others. Those birds seemed potentially dangerous. Beautifully done! 👍

[@animatrocities]

You figured out the twist!!

[@wallykimball8829]

@@animatrocities I initially felt like the thing he shot was approaching him simply out of curiosity. Granted it looks scary AF, but it wasn't acting necessarily predatory.

[@animatrocities]

@@wallykimball8829 yep! And it’s with its family so naturally it’s going to respond by removing the threat from its territory

[@miklyways]

Leaving a comment to help the algorithm. This was great mate, im sure it must have been a ton of work.

[@trevorlooney6674]

Well done! Fits in with Love Death Robots, very alien meets Cthulhu vibes! Fantastic job!

[@ryanbigg7389]

still watching it, but an absolute beautifully done moment was when the transmission reconnected to a roar and scream. absolutely top

[@DadandThad]

Brilliant! Had me on the edge of my seat!!

[@techpriest6962]

With that sound design and bright color choices: What about that was suppose to be horror? Just some food for thought.

[@thepalaeo3830]

This might be my sci-fi bias speaking, probably is, but this has to be the best short film I've seen in ages. The visual effects were wonderfully executed, the creature design was solid, and the sound design was equally so. The minimization of dialogue made it a lot more interesting, because it was dialogue that conveyed what the protagonist was feeling.

[@shannonpotter1233]

Wow, this was really awesome. This is my new favorite animation. I also feel awful for the Mechanic. I just want to hug him. ❤

[@backdoorbutcher]

I got pure 'The Revenant' vibes, and from a 9min animated short, well that is really impressive. Well done to everyone involved.

[@ericpowell4350]

Couple of things that takes you out of the story. The pod tells him not to leave under any circumstances. He's out in the cold with very little protection. He doesn't bleed to death after receiving catastrophic injuries. The rescue vessel doesn't scan to see that he's nearby.

[@lukozi01]

Excellent movie! An obvious influence of Genndy Tartakovsky! Well done!

[@Harbinger_of_Doom146]

I love that they had the opportunities to use simple jump scares and chose not to, it makes the tension more… tense for lack of a better term because we get these half glimpses that only deepen the mystery and horror. Good job, loved it!

[@ijlayugan4149]

This is NEEDS more attention! Its so beautiful ohmygod and the story-! So much hours and work must be put into this Yall should be proud!

[@n7sorcerer419]

Never been in a situation like this but I’d like to think I’d have the sense to stay put like I was told. You can always do your part by sharing the location of the other pod AFTER you get picked up. Also, don’t get distracted by scenery if you MUST go out. Get/do what you need, head STRAIGHT back. If you want to explore, mark the planet’s location and come back properly equipped LATER! All that being said, the fact that I’m invested enough in this film to be nearly yelling that at the screen means it’s really well done!!

[@Here_is_Waldo]

Yeah. Basic rule of first aid: Make sure you're safe before worrying about other people.

[@ratheonhudson3311]

First he yanks a piece of glass or metal out of his face, which is enough to shock anyone. Next he's introduced to whatever is out there. This man would naturally be shellshocked or something. Well done keeping this man feel like he's feeling it. It's one thing to make a super brave muscly man, it's another to make him get affected by events he lives through

[@HeathMartinVO]

thank you for your empathy! - The Survivor

[@Sephiroso.]

This is the training video shown to people about the importance of never leaving the safety pod under any circumstances.

[@2andri]

This really needs more views and attention.This is so incredible!

[@hardcorex2.0]

wow amazing! and i love the fact that its not a disney end like in a lot of shows

[@Nikua13]

Better than hollywood products. I was invested and enjoyed the story, as short and simple as it was.

[@doggodingus3555]

I love how much emotion you can get from the film with so little words.

[@swarple]

This was so awesome, I loved everything about it. Has a great cosmic horror vibe, I really like how even the rescue ship got destroyed. Makes me wonder how many other ships might’ve crashed on that planet. Awesome soundtrack too. Just awesome everything. Congrats to you guys, you did fantastic.

[@dantrun457]

This place looks like the planet Tau Volantis. I love that

[@gasparmeco7445]

Absolutely masterful sound design, was some of the best i have ever heard in a long time.

[@londonlekhula8730]

This gives me Love,death and robot vibes. The story is impactful and excellent

[@runner6404]

that was f,cking awesome i loved it . quiet and mysterious just the way i like it

[@dalaanibombina8822]

You only had to wait a day and a half for the rescue ship; why tf would you leave the pod? 😑

[@krazykuz13cmc]

Vengeance dummy

[@joeysonofjohn]

Im seeing this a year later and I gotta agree. Wtf did he try and rescue other people for when he himself needed rescue as well.

[@cernunnos_lives]

I would've waited till the rescue came to my downed local, and told them there was someone else stranded. You are absolutely correct.

[@kristiantumber1564]

Because the threat for the others was more imminent, and he wanted as many saved as possible.

[@RashaKahn]

Yeah, it’s just standard bad writing tropes, I don’t get why you would waste your time animating a bad unoriginal story.

[@TheMightyN]

Desolate frigid Tundra with a Cthulu night crawler. Just another reason to never swim towards the light.

[@lawrenceordone6136]

That was FUCKIN AMAZING I loved it. I abr another one. I wish it was a full movie. Great job to everyone involved

[@indiemedley1209]

This was absolutely absurdly fantastic, an amazing ride from start to end. This was spectacular!

[@Velossitee]

I thought at the end... "The last thing you see on this planet before you die... pure MADNESS..." due to it being a cthulu creature. The animation is beautiful and fluid and the emotion in his voice are excellent. You are a great artist.

[@HeathMartinVO]

thank you! - The Survivor

[@tiredman99]

Man this was amazing. Would be cool to get a full series out of this. Glad to see more independent animation

[@kingprice35]

Make a short movie at least 30 to 40 mins. Left me wanting more of this short film

[@thaimolpiyas]

this is absolutely beautiful, i especially love the enviroment this takes place in. its very well painted and the character belongs so well

[@guyfawkes4963]

I don't think there is ever going to be enough praise for the absolutely gorgeous environments that were made for this. I would absolutely love to buy a book featuring just those backgrounds alone. Absolutely a worthy project rival for the first animated Dead Space movie. Crisp, simple and effective character design, good feeling of weight and realism in the movement, and unbelievable wreckage and planet.

[@TopsyTriceratops]

Dude you have no idea how EXCITED I was to see this get released! Your works are just so amazing! And that body sent chills right up my spine, especially the eye staring us down even though she was dead long before. And the monsters beneath the ice, man that was terrifying! I love your designs and attention to detail, like morbid candy to the eyes!

[@jamesmorgan1063]

The theme is defiance, despite unavoidable doom. I liked it.

[@Jigensama]

This is great! Really love the background designs as well as the character/creature designs.

[@Renserin]

Not usually my thing, but good Lord, it was worth stumbling on, because it was beautifully done.

[@mrmagoo.3678]

excellent work.. you can almost feel the "aloneness" .. (I'm only a cople of minutes in too! lol.. right..enough chat!.. back to it!)

[@CryptTheNecromancer]

I love the art direction you went with this. I don't know what it is about sci-fi and horror, something about those 2 genres just blend so well! But the color pallette is just amazing! I know it mustve taken forever to make this. But please make more! I love the story too! The whole aspect of hopelessness within the main characters situation is just too good. I mean really, the guy can't seem to catch a break!

[@notpg13]

Outstanding work. Id love to see this on Netflix one day

[@that1aliendragonjack627]

This turn out amazingly, the scenery and ambience is great, the sound design too, just a great animation overall. Gives me a bit of dead space vibes too, more specifically 3 since that one takes place on a icey planet.

[@williamwarg6882]

Oh wow, this one is better than whole second season of "Love, Death + Robots"

[@Joepiez]

i loved every single bit of it! noticed there was a lot of attention to detail to the ice, phenomenal!

[@ratheonhudson3311]

The slow reveal adds to the creepiness and fear of the demise. Well done. Also, that thing is huge! It sliced through the ship so easily.

[@PepeGomezAnimation]

This gives Love Death & Robots a run for its money!

[@emmanueljoseej8220]

DAMNNNNNNN LIKE WOAH, THIS SHOULD BE LOVE DEATH AND ROBOTS IN NETFLIX, like bruhhhhhhhhhhh this is dome good s-tier animation

[@studiobezz]

Wow 😲, as an animation student I was impressed, as an animation enthusiast I was amazed by every frame I saw, I paid attention to every detail, the quality that is impressive. If there's something I really liked, it was the composition and setting of the scenes, the Line Blur effect is something I really enjoy using. A big hug from your viewer and newest subscriber.

[@boxertest]

Gotdamn is the adjective best suited for this with a hard exclamation ❗ at the end

[@vezoth6055]

Holy shit, I want more. This was fabulously done