Horror Short Film "The Mechanical Dancer" | ALTER

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As an eccentric showman takes drastic steps to achieve fame, the fates of several characters will be decided over the course of one perilous night in his mechanical theater.
"The Mechanical Dancer" by Josh & Jenna Jaillet
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#ALTER #horror #shortfilm
Connect with the Filmmakers:
www.mechanical...
/ mechanicaldancerfilm
/ thundercrab_studios
x.com/TCrabStu...
More About "The Mechanical Dancer":
Back in the early 1900s, the world got its very first taste of horror in cinema with German expressionism, and audiences have been covering their eyes with delight ever since!
100 years later, we're working with today's techniques and tools in animation to bring you a new, original story told in this spirit. This is the Mechanical Dancer - an animated twist on the classic horror of long ago.
"The Mechanical Dancer" Credits:
Jenna Jaillet // Writer, Director, Lead Animator, Editor
Josh Jaillet // Co-writer, Producer, 3d Modeler, Sound
Steven Rodriguez // Concept Artist, 3d Modeler
Allen Zaborski // 3d Character Sculptor, Concept Artist
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[@thundercrabstudios1303]

Hello from the makers of the Mechanical Dancer! We hope you enjoy our film, inspired by German Expressionism and particularly The Cabinet of Dr Caligari. If you have any questions, reach out in the comments and we'll do our best to answer. And thank you ALTER for hosting our short!

[@Jimbo1221]

I love the look and animation of the short!!!!!!! Nice work :-))

[@O5-XIV]

That was absolutely Amazingly well done, Bravo

[@rockwall1986]

What else have you made? and what are you making next? Is there a way I can follow your work?

[@kinderblutsaufenderreptiloide]

Wow, you created a masterpiece!

[@jenniferkovalick2959]

That was beautiful! I absolutely loved it! Bravo!

[@TheNonameHousehold]

If Lillian was the first doll... she must have decayed to dust until there was nothing but the doll, she literally became a shell of her former self. -Tucker

[@chipkid]

Wait aren’t you the person who acts as a teen who is in a relationship with an adult??? Isnt that illegal??? I’m 13 and was groomed, I would know.

[@colonelhermesl.1710]

I am a dancer and a lover of all things steampunk, and robots too... This was awesome and entertaining! The animation was smooth and the music choice excellent ❤😊

[@toysvilltvstudios2.072]

Same here, Honey. ^^

[@rooster56100]

I thought the animation and the lighting used to create the 'noir' effect were absolutely brilliant. Well done, and thanks for sharing.

[@toysvilltvstudios2.072]

Finally! The Sequel to the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari we all wanted! You guys captured the Spirit of the Original film PERFECTLY! Bravo! :D PS: It's one of my favorite Silent films. ^^

[@assmane999]

What a brilliant tribute to the silent film era, while being an amazing animated short in its own right

[@Yetionthemic]

the style reminds me so much of the movie Egor I LOVE IT.

[@KiriEclipsa]

That made me tear up a bit i wanted them to live happily ever after... but i guess sometimes things dont work that way...

[@Queen_Cnidarian]

Personally, I think it’s only fair. Being complacent in evil and doing evil are the same things. If the boy really wanted to save her, he would have never kidnapped her.

[@Mindfulme95]

Right women always have this simplistic fantasy of love for ever after where the mysterious stranger appears in the night and takes her away to fall in love but when this is applied to reality it's a predator taking advantage of a poor feminine victim.

[@MREmusique]

I have to say, the use of the Brahms symphony was... brilliant! I've always had a particular affection for that theme from the 1st movement, and it was so fittingly dramatic and tragic in your film. Overall an excellent use of music. Thank-you.

[@hamilton9076]

Very beautiful animation. Tim Burtons style, and we definitely need more full- screen of it

[@azadalamiq]

ya if you look up his early works he was inspired by German expressionism. vincent being a big one

[@americangirl6654]

I loved everything about this film. The aesthetic and the animation was fantastic. The way the faces and eyes of the characters emote reminds me of Disney. I hope to see more like this in the future.

[@SirAndacar]

Genuinely brilliant. The inspiration from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is clear and fantastic. Silent titles, the same expressionist gesture and sets. It's great to see something genuinely different.

[@OchilovNurbek]

In the beginning I thought this man was a robot maker , but then I noticed that he made a dancer robot by the real body of the real dancers

[@VictorReynolds]

Love the weaving of German Expressionism into such a beautiful story, even though it’s Horror. Beautiful work!

[@MarieStone-y5j]

Beautiful full of sorrow but beautiful

[@martinegauthier9081]

Superbly made, absolutely wonderful!!! ❤❤❤

[@krezen3588]

it was like a Love, Death and Robots episode. Love it!

[@JManthegamerdude]

That show blows

[@tsubasa1885]

Beautifully animated! This looks like it was a LOT of work.

[@darda2449]

With shades of silent masterpieces such as "Das Cabinet der Dr. Caligari", (Characters and backgrounds, visuals.) "Phantom of the Opera", (The stage setting) "Metropolis" (Gears and mechanisms) your film is haunting, beautiful... and tragic. Without giving anything away, the assistant is a more romantic Caesere, and Adelaide a most beautiful heroine. The lighting effects and use of shadow are absolutely brilliant.What an incredible tribute to "The theater of the mind" and expressionist film in general. I would love to see more from you!

[@thundercrabstudios1303]

Hey there! Thanks for taking the time to watch the short and share your thoughts. Really appreciate it from someone who sounds like a real fan of silent film :)

[@grinningbuck]

Not sure "heroine" is the word I'd use for the dancer 😅 But the movie is worth a watch.

[@Math-un1xu]

This is AMAZING. Truly a homage to the era of silent movies 🎥. So well made. A MASTERPIECE

[@roxyabrooks864]

This was an elegantly crafted film and I thoroughly enjoyed it 🖤

[@kathleencross-cj1xd]

Wonderful. Nothing unnecessary. Beautifully done.

[@sarahartz1721]

Wow. That was so well done. Bravo!

[@tats763]

That was amazing! Did you design the "mad doctor's" gloves to look reminiscent of the ones Mickey Mouse and the gang wear? Some of the music reminded me of "Peter and the Wolf." It was beautifully orchestrated. I loved the details, like the bandaids on the assistant's fingers. Brava! 🎉🎉🎉

[@thundercrabstudios1303]

Thanks so much, we're glad you enjoyed it and took the time to appreciate the smaller details too! The visuals of the film were heavily inspired by "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," and yes the mad doctor of the film does have Mickey Mouse gloves - common of the era 😂. If you ever care to watch the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, it's not hard to find and we highly recommend it. Thanks again!

[@KingAJRocksTheWonderGod]

Ballora??? From FNAF???? IN ALTER?!?!?? YO GIVE THIS VIDEO 1M VIEWS ON THIS

[@KingAJRocksTheWonderGod]

Well the first clip was Fnaf related to be honest

[@susanpalmer3796]

Beautiful! Using the silent film style was genius. It was perfect for the story, and I loved it!

[@scruffygremlin]

Incredible! Beautiful! I loved every moment of this short. One of the best on Alter

[@geinikan1kan]

It’s CGI silent with tinted celluloid. Brilliant!

[@themz-fitg-mrs5621]

This was an incredible story.

[@frankstoeknife3685]

So cool! It’s hard to believe but silent movies can still be really engaging and the animation is great, all of it so good, definitely had to be a lot of work but so worth it ❤❤

[@sergioreyes298]

Now I want to watch The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Der Golem.

[@lucathompson7437]

Very interesting silent movie concept

[@GOTHIBORZOI]

Aaaaand this instantly goes on my favorite short films playlist

[@Phattymia]

I love Alter❤❤❤ it’s so thrilling and different, you really do not know what to expect next with their ideas. Excellent!!!

[@csosa68]

That was amazing. An incredible homage to thrillers during the silent era of cinema.

[@soaphia1987]

I can't wait to show this to my kids This animation is beautiful

[@thejaanusha9838]

Beautiful short film.

[@Mooncake2k-li1sx]

I love this film,, I'd like to see more of these

[@kristge7273]

I just love this film! I love writing this sort of fiction, and the reaction is always interesting to see when people ask what genre fiction and I say "horror". Mostly, their initial thought is more traditional, but this sub-trope of Tragedy / Only The Innocent Shall Survive is delicious. Your film does an immaculate job of making things worse every step of the way, and the redemption arc for the assistant actually worked well. I was skeptical, because, I mean, he DID kidnap her so it wasn't looking good at first. Also, I like how the expectation of a dramatic twist was subverted at the end and served as a more subtle and gentle twist. I'm curious -- SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER -- was your choice intentional to have the villain fall instead of being turned into a marionette? It seemed like the obvious ending to have him suffer the fate of his victims and I wonder if you meant to guide us into that expectation? Intentional or not, I thought it made for a stronger emotional payoff the way it happened. It was easier to feel empathy and a little sad about the assistant when he didn't repeat the villain's evils. Although, a dark part inside my heart thinks the villain deserved to suffer. lol

[@thundercrabstudios1303]

Thanks for the comment! Really appreciate your thoughts and insight as a viewer and true fan of the macabre :) The marionette idea is quite interesting, but despite the simplicity of the Director's demise, there are subtle hints and easter eggs throughout the film that tell more (but I'm not about to spoil the fun by giving them away). Appreciate your time and your thoughts, and good luck to you in your writing as well!

[@kristge7273]

@@thundercrabstudios1303 "subtle hints and easter eggs throughout the film that tell more"...Haha! Love it!

[@anubisdragon8119]

1924 meets 2024. Gorgeous work!

[@ArtemisiaJ]

1920

[@nganphamngoc3964]

3D animated German expressionist film? Holy shhhhhhh----- This is refeshing.

[@midwestdocumentarycenterin1680]

Simply amazing! What a treasure.

[@CIoudsky]

The thumbnail reminds me of identity V dancerrr

[@Karomix3]

That was amazing. You did everything right!

[@VerzweifelterHaifisch]

A regular like for this artwork is not enough, so I'll say, "This is cool." P.S. I'm sorry for my poor English

[@honors619]

I'm glad it ended the way it did. Both men were monsters, saving the 2nd woman wouldn't absolve him of what he had done. Brava 👏

[@debralerner8298]

i enjoyed this the silent movie era is not dead beautiful artwork and beautiful camera work bravo!!!!

[@jblue6820]

Absolutely Love 💙 this silent movie approach .. reminds me of Frankenweenie ... the orchestration.. all a great combination. Thanks ALTER for All you guys do! ✌️ ☮️ 💙

[@lola_nas.7749]

It's hard for me to describe, but this spectacular.

[@MerryKeli]

This was really lovely. i hope to see more of this style in the future.

[@User2929-k5e]

This gave me Tim Barton vibes

[@BwaKay3]

This was beau😢tiful

[@IDVTuber]

Love this amazing film

[@aliensstolemybeer5362]

What an excellent short film, very captivating.

[@paullevine1813]

You guys knocked this one right outta the ballpark !!!!

[@Vampyre86]

C'est esthétiquement magnifique et très poétique

[@richarddeleon3558]

I’ve seen dr caligari I have the movie you’ve done an impressive work keep it up ❤

[@cynthiaatallah5054]

MASTERPIECE 🥺💖💖💖💖

[@bigbevakaheavybevy7913]

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾😢❤

[@eleanorburns8686]

This must have been a labour of love, but so worth it. x

[@thundercrabstudios1303]

Happy to hear you enjoyed it!

[@GingerSnape46]

For creeps and scares, you can't beat German Expressionism!

[@only_one2302]

The movie reminds me of charlie chaplin's movies

[@Single.White.Female]

This is beautiful. ❤ and if it's on Alter, then it's EPIC, too.

[@recolletsmanoir]

That was brilliant! Bravo!

[@69KFIZZLE]

That was beautifully sad. Thank you. The music was ❤superb

[@alang.bandala8863]

A love letter to german expresionism. Magnificent work!

[@ionacjohnj.59]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@layliansherlynteh8786]

Nice horror movie ❤😍

[@shaydystheshadowqueen9584]

This is such a love letter to the silent film genre that's beautiful in every way

[@katythepsychiclady2342]

WOW, JUST WOW!!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@AlexandraPrater-e1q]

That was pretty sad

[@chaoswolf0832]

Interesting 🤔 something new in old style , masterpiece 👍✨️💎

[@The_Silver_Spider]

Beautiful work 👏🏻

[@HandgunSafe]

This is beautiful work! I'm blown away.

[@matthewalexanian2108]

This was beautiful. I love the animated short films on this channel, but I never knew a silent one would be just as amazing.

[@antiquemacabre]

Love this! 😍

[@thomasnicastro673]

I’m introduced to this from what I looked at Johannes Brahms’ list of credits on IMDB. I did not know this existed and it’s silent-digital-cinematography-celluloid tinted-based on the iconic silent picture that was the first horror film ever made. I love it already! Good thing I have Shazam so I can review what music title I’m listening too and this is visually astonishing to me. It’s like Fantasia combined with horror and the music of Brahms is brilliant.

[@TaneKarnes]

Everything about this should win awards 😃

[@iole96792]

The second dancer had Stockholm Syndrome, having sympathy for her abductor. And poor thing, such weak ankles for a dancer! Such was the era where women needed men to survive LOL. Beautifully done animation none the less.

[@davejackson9016]

Magnificent! Look forward to seeing more of your work!

[@MimikyuCookie]

Reminds me of The Cabinet of Dr Caligari.

[@blackxshinobi]

Hey I was looking for horror and ended up with tragedy. And baby girl was so cute. It had charm. Good Job Creators.

[@raineshawaddell5439]

I loved it !

[@kriegsherrcult178]

Felt like a Tim Burton film...I liked it...

[@amandafrazier9724]

This was gorgeous! Some of the most beautiful animation I've ever seen.

[@CoryAnn666]

Very beautiful peice of work

[@GigiGartenberg]

Beautiful

[@anarchistangler]

I enjoyed it. Thanks for the entertainment.

[@deadpoolchimichangas7111]

Ey this is pretty good

[@ManuelGustavoGarcia]

Recuerdo del expresionismo aleman. Magnifico!

[@0_dearghealach_083]

I like the German expressionist style. Very good work!

[@trishazechel8402]

A very sad ending.

[@tracyrobinson9442]

I have never enjoyed a silent film so much! I was very emotionally involved and cried out several times and the suspense was killin me! Bouncing on the edge of my seat for the battle to live! Lol thanks very much for the most entertaining short! Well done you!🍀🤍

[@thundercrabstudios1303]

Thank you for such a wonderful compliment! We're so happy to know you enjoyed it :)

[@TooLateSmart]

Thank you so much! This is a beautiful homage to a great film that is o e of my favorites. So well done! 😍

[@leeplay4914]

AWESOME!

[@alexismariaotero]

I have no words..

[@coras5079]

Bravo Le style et les couleurs sont superbes Et l’histoire intéressante Merci 🙏🏻

[@falteredegg1535]

That was absolutely beautiful

[@jezevecmartin6122]

Beautiful

[@tombarter3287]

I love it! Very Metropolis!