Stunning Abstract Short: The Clockmakers/Les Horlogers

Cogs in a vast machine
Arts • Views: 36,321

In this experimental animated short from Renaud Hallée, we travel inside a mysterious mechanism made up entirely of revolving gearwheels, triangles and lines. In this whirling, hypnotic world, dozens of tiny gymnasts leap, somersault and twist through the air. Their spirited acrobatics trigger both narrative and musical sequences that are mesmerizing and, at times, dizzying. Half-figurative and half-abstract, The Clockmakers is a playful creation that is sure to captivate and dazzle its audience.

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68 comments
1 prairiefire  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:07:19pm

Happy Friday!

2 darthstar  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:13:04pm

Bad lighting moment on Chris Hayes show…the woman on his monitor looks like she has a goatee beard due to the shadow cast on her chin.

3 klys  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:14:51pm

I am off this weekend for my surprise birthday trip (my husband promised this for my birthday and we just finally got it scheduled - I have no idea where we’re going or anything). It is my relaxing weekend, so I’m packing my current major cross stitch project.

Hopefully it’ll be a little farther along than this when we get back. :)

4 Vicious Babushka  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:15:12pm

Tonight’s menu:

Home baked challah
Gefilte fish
Broiled rainbow trout
Romaine/avocado salad w/raspberry vinaigrette
Chicken noodle soup
Burnt sugar noodle kugle

Dessert: chocolate fudge walnut brownies

Wine: Herzog Zinfandel

5 Charles Johnson  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:15:36pm
6 Amory Blaine  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:17:18pm

re: #4 Vicious Babushka

Dang makes my puny menu look pathetic.

Garden salad.
Baked pollock.
Microwaved potato.
Mixed veggies.

Hey Mrs. B, can I come over (peering through the screen door).

7 Decatur Deb  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:17:36pm

re: #5 Charles Johnson

Breitbart.com gets even creepier and more disgusting:

What the fuck is wrong with these people?

I’m sure their doctors will tell us in 70 years or so.

8 darthstar  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:19:14pm

This video is what happens if you let your fractals design themselves.

9 darthstar  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:20:08pm

re: #6 Amory Blaine

I’m throwing together a spinach souffle…yeah, bachelor night.

10 Stanghazi  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:20:40pm

I have a/c repair guy here. Taking forever. Starving. Got to go shop, sometime tonight…….

Bitch moan grumble.

11 sattv4u2  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:23:43pm

re: #9 darthstar

I’m throwing together a spinach souffle…yeah, bachelor night.

You’re doing it wrong!

“Bachelor Night” SHOULD include MEAT ,, RED BLOODY MEAT,,,, a HUGE slab of RED BLOODY MEAT

12 Charles Johnson  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:25:45pm

Yikes, my refrigerator started making loud buzzing noises last night. It’s still working but I think the compressor is on its last legs. It’s more than 10 years old. Time to bite the bullet and throw down some digits for a new one before this one dies.

13 GeneJockey  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:28:38pm

re: #9 darthstar

I’m throwing together a spinach souffle…yeah, bachelor night.

My recipe for Spinach Souffle:

Buy a Stouffer’s Spinach Souffle.

Bake according to package - don’t even think of f-ing MICROWAVING IT!

Eat.

14 GeneJockey  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:29:24pm

re: #12 Charles Johnson

Yikes, my refrigerator started making loud buzzing noises last night. It’s still working but I think the compressor is on its last legs. It’s more than 10 years old. Time to bite the bullet and throw down some digits for a new one before this one dies.

10 years is too young for a fridge to die. Maybe there’s a bee hive in it?

15 Charles Johnson  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:29:25pm

Yeesh. If you haven’t bought a refrigerator in a while, like me, be prepared for some sticker shock. For a decent side-by-side you’re looking at about $1500 minimum.

16 darthstar  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:29:55pm

re: #11 sattv4u2

You’re doing it wrong!

“Bachelor Night” SHOULD include MEAT ,, RED BLOODY MEAT,,,, a HUGE slab of RED BLOODY MEAT

Yeah, but it makes my wife happy when I eat well and have leftovers she’ll like when she gets home from the ballgame. There’s plenty of time to eat meat later.

17 GeneJockey  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:30:58pm

re: #16 darthstar

Yeah, but it makes my wife happy when I eat well and have leftovers she’ll like when she gets home from the ballgame. There’s plenty of time to eat meat later.

U R Doing It Wrong!
//

18 Charles Johnson  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:31:13pm

re: #14 GeneJockey

10 years is too young for a fridge to die. Maybe there’s a bee hive in it?

I’m not sure how old it is - 10 years is just a minimum. It was here when I bought the house, and they told me it was getting old, so it’s not really a surprise.

19 sattv4u2  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:32:13pm

re: #18 Charles Johnson

I’m not sure how old it is - 10 years is just a minimum. It was here when I bought the house, and they told me it was getting old, so it’s not really a surprise.

Two words (or rather,, letters)

L
G

20 BigPapa  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:32:23pm

Don’t get a side by side if it’s in a corner.

Slide out freezer drawers: sweet. But they cost $.

21 klys  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:33:33pm

re: #20 BigPapa

Don’t get a side by side if it’s in a corner.

Slide out freezer drawers: sweet. But they cost $.

I lust after the bottom freezer drawers with the French doors on top.

Next house, probably.

(This is how I know I’m an adult. I drool over appliances now.)

22 JeffFX  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:35:26pm

re: #3 klys

I am off this weekend for my surprise birthday trip (my husband promised this for my birthday and we just finally got it scheduled - I have no idea where we’re going or anything). It is my relaxing weekend, so I’m packing my current major cross stitch project.

Hopefully it’ll be a little farther along than this when we get back. :)

Cool husband to take you on a surprise trip. It sounds like you have a pretty great marriage.

23 Decatur Deb  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:37:17pm

re: #12 Charles Johnson

Yikes, my refrigerator started making loud buzzing noises last night. It’s still working but I think the compressor is on its last legs. It’s more than 10 years old. Time to bite the bullet and throw down some digits for a new one before this one dies.

Should last 15 years. Before panic, check to make sure it’s not just the air-moving fan at the bottom rear—that’s the thing that makes the most hellish noise if it is deflected a little. The fix is just to bend it back into a harmless path.

24 klys  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:37:53pm

re: #22 JeffFX

Cool husband to take you on a surprise trip. It sounds like you have a pretty great marriage.

We’re trying. :) I’ve done a few for him, where I’ve planned camping trip locations and he finds out where we’re going as we get there.

He likes travel, and experiences, so it tends to be a good birthday bet for him versus things.

25 Kragar  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:38:18pm

My plan was to leave LA no later than 11am to avoid traffic.

Instead, I didn’t leave until 1:30 and I think I managed to run into every bit of traffic I possibly could.

I’m wiped out.

26 sattv4u2  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:38:22pm

re: #21 klys

I lust after the bottom freezer drawers with the French doors on top.

Next house, probably.

(This is how I know I’m an adult. I drool over appliances now.)

And power tools ,,,,,

27 klys  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:39:04pm

re: #26 sattv4u2

And power tools ,,,,,

[Embedded content]

I do have the power tools. I like drills.

28 darthstar  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:39:58pm

re: #20 BigPapa

Don’t get a side by side if it’s in a corner.

Slide out freezer drawers: sweet. But they cost $.

Why choose? Get both! Slide out drawers and side-by-side.

subzero-wolf.com

29 klys  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:40:41pm

re: #28 darthstar

Why choose? Get both! Slide out drawers and side-by-side.

subzero-wolf.com

And Charles thought the $1500 one was expensive…

;)

30 Charles Johnson  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:40:45pm

re: #23 Decatur Deb

Actually, this is kind of the second escalation of noisiness with this fridge - last year the compressor suddenly got noticeably louder, and I made a home warranty call and got a repair guy to check it out. He told me it was in the early stages of wearing out, so I think we’re now seeing the not-so-early stages.

31 BigPapa  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:40:50pm

re: #25 Kragar

My plan was to leave LA no later than 11am to avoid traffic.

Instead, I didn’t leave until 1:30 and I think I managed to run into every bit of traffic I possibly could.

I’m wiped out.

Then I won’t tell you I’m knee deep through an expensive bottle of cab and a huge pile of stinky cheese. And it’s barely 3.

Just try and abide, brother.

32 sattv4u2  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:42:34pm

re: #27 klys

I do have the power tools. I like drills.

Mrs. Satty gets mad when I buy a new one

(her)”You already have one of those”

(me)”Yeah, but mine only does ‘x’ and ‘y’,, THIS one does ‘x, y AND z’”

(her)”Do you need one that does ‘z’?”

(me)”No,, but I might, and it was on sale”

33 darthstar  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:43:07pm

re: #25 Kragar

My plan was to leave LA no later than 11am to avoid traffic.

Instead, I didn’t leave until 1:30 and I think I managed to run into every bit of traffic I possibly could.

I’m wiped out.

LA has special traffic jams designed for people trying to game their freeways. The airport is the only realistic exit.

34 darthstar  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:44:20pm

re: #29 klys

And Charles thought the $1500 one was expensive…

;)

I know…and if he looks at the one I linked, he’ll thank me for saving him over 13,000 dollars when he buys the $1500 one.

35 EPR-radar  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:44:35pm

re: #33 darthstar

LA has special traffic jams designed for people trying to game their freeways. The airport is the only realistic exit.

Leaving by road at 4 AM can also work.

36 GeneJockey  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:45:13pm

I envy those who can pick and choose among different varieties of refrigerators. Ours has to fit a hole that limits us severely. Even so, the door can only open to slightly less than 90 degrees before it hits the counter.

No pull-out drawers for us.

37 Kragar  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:45:22pm

On the bright side, when I got home, I got gang hugged by 5 grade school girls and a toddler.

38 klys  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:45:32pm

re: #32 sattv4u2

Mrs. Satty gets mad when I buy a new one

(her)”You already have one of those”

(me)”Yeah, but mine only does ‘x’ and ‘y’,, THIS one does ‘x, y AND z’”

(her)”Do you need one that does ‘z’?”

(me)”No,, but I might, and it was on sale”

I may have heard this conversation between my parents a few times.

I confess, at this point I have most of the main power tools I need for the stuff I’ve tackled around the house so far. Although a power washer is kind of tempting…

39 Decatur Deb  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:46:21pm

re: #30 Charles Johnson

Actually, this is kind of the second escalation of noisiness with this fridge - last year the compressor suddenly got noticeably louder, and I made a home warranty call and got a repair guy to check it out. He told me it was in the early stages of wearing out, so I think we’re now seeing the not-so-early stages.

Ah. So you’re the guy who sets the low end of the mean-time-between-failures. When I worked for GE we had an anniversary contest to find the oldest working model. Guy turned in a ‘monitor top’ from the 1930s, and GE traded him a new side-by-side.

40 JeffFX  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:46:23pm

re: #5 Charles Johnson

Breitbart.com gets even creepier and more disgusting:

NEW EVIDENCE FROM HIS DOCTORS SHOWS HITLER WAS GAY!!!

What the fuck is wrong with these people?

The people commenting there are astonishingly stupid, and clearly lack the ability to even understand that they’re idiots.

The Internet has been great for increasing the self-esteem of dimwits, who until now had no community of their own where they can be proudly foolish.

41 klys  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:47:24pm

re: #36 GeneJockey

I envy those who can pick and choose among different varieties of refrigerators. Ours has to fit a hole that limits us severely. Even so, the door can only open to slightly less than 90 degrees before it hits the counter.

No pull-out drawers for us.

At this point I am resigned to no new fridge until we move. I dream of a built-in icemaker.

42 PhillyPretzel  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:48:13pm

re: #30 Charles Johnson

Check Consumer Reports for refrigerators. consumerreports.org

43 freetoken  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:48:38pm

PaleoPat, if anything on top of being paleolithic racist, is also consistent.

Today he is ranting about…. BROWN PEOPLE!

From “Requiem for a Grand Old Party”:

[…]

America’s white majority, which accounts for nine in 10 of all Republican votes in presidential elections, is not only shrinking as a share of the electorate, but it is declining in numbers, as well.

The Balz-Mellnik piece was primarily about the black vote.

Sixty-six percent of the black electorate turned out, to 64 percent of the white electorate. Black turnout in 2012 was higher by 1.7 million than in 2008. Hispanic turnout rose by 1.4 million votes.

But from 2008 to 2012, the white vote fell by 2 million.

This is the crisis of the Grand Old Party:

[…]

It’s only a crisis of the Republicans insist on GOP == white folk.

Oh, that’s right… that’s what PaleoPat wants.

44 Iwouldprefernotto  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:49:01pm

re: #40 JeffFX

The people commenting there are astonishingly stupid, and clearly lack the ability to even understand that they’re idiots.

The Internet has been great for increasing the self-esteem of dimwits, who until now had no community of their own where they can be proudly foolish.

Hitler was gay—and a Democrat.

45 kirkspencer  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:49:41pm

re: #27 klys

I do have the power tools. I like drills.

And some hand tools. I admit to drooling over a plow and rabbet paired plane set.

46 freetoken  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:50:04pm

re: #44 Iwouldprefernotto

Hitler was gay—and a Democrat.

… and a…

DARWINIST!!

47 darthstar  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:50:43pm
48 GeneJockey  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:52:05pm

re: #39 Decatur Deb

Ah. So you’re the guy who sets the low end of the mean-time-between-failures. When I worked for GE we had an anniversary contest to find the oldest working model. Guy turned in a ‘monitor top’ from the 1930s, and GE traded him a new side-by-side.

My parent’s place use to be where we kids dumped our old refrigerators when we bought new ones. Dad’s cleaning up the place a bit with the help of my siblings who DON’T live 3000 miles away, and they just pulled 5 fridges out of the basement. The oldest one was one of those round-topped ones with the tiny freezer box inside, which I’d bought for $25 senior year in college (1979), already old.

It was the only one that still worked.

49 Kragar  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:52:13pm

Bachmann: 9/11 and Benghazi Were God’s Judgment

Bachmann: It’s no secret that our nation may very well be experiencing the hand of judgment. It’s no secret that we all are concerned that our nation may be in a time of decline. If that is in fact so, what is the answer? The answer is what we are doing here today: humbling ourselves before an almighty God, crying out to an almighty God, saying not of ourselves but you, would you save us oh God? We repent of our sins, we turn away from them, we seek you, we seek your ways. That’s something that we’re doing today, that we did on the National Day of Prayer, it’s something that we have chosen to do as well on another landmark day later this year on September 11. Our nation has seen judgment not once but twice on September 11. That’s why we’re going to have ‘9/11 Pray’ on that day. Is there anything better that we can do on that day rather than to humble ourselves and to pray to an almighty God?

50 darthstar  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:52:19pm

re: #47 darthstar

Hilarious…the stupid fucker shot himself causing him to shoot his girlfriend.

He said Green and her boyfriend, Gary Fairbanks, 24, had taken a 9 mm handgun into the county for her to practice shooting. He said Fairbanks fired the gun a couple of times in an abandoned railroad right of way to show her how to do it.

He said Fairbanks reported that something ricocheted and struck his hand, causing him to jerk the gun and strike Green in the foot. Kochanowski said the deputy observed a cut on his hand, which could have been caused by an object striking him or his skin being caught in the gun’s slide.

51 BigPapa  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:52:22pm

I, for one, welcome all the brown and yellow and (other) people who don’t buy into the crass intellectualism of the GOP.

52 freetoken  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:54:09pm

re: #49 Kragar

Why does Bachmann’s “time of decline” sound and awful lot like PaloePat’s lament of “few white voters”?

53 JeffFX  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:56:06pm

re: #49 Kragar

Of course it never occurs to her that elevating religion above science can cause a civilization’s decline.

54 freetoken  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:56:07pm

re: #51 BigPapa

I, for one, welcome all the brown and yellow and (other) people who don’t buy into the crass intellectualism of the GOP.

They should, though, buy into eco-friendly refrigerators.

55 Stanghazi  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:56:17pm

re: #50 darthstar

Hilarious…the stupid fucker shot himself causing him to shoot his girlfriend.

I bet it was this

his skin being caught in the gun’s slide.

Idiot

56 Stanghazi  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:57:20pm

Why did I say yes to a Friday afternoon repair appointment. whyyyyyyyy

57 EPR-radar  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:57:20pm

re: #52 freetoken

Why does Bachmann’s “time of decline” sound and awful lot like PaloePat’s lament of “few white voters”?

Because the essential racism at the core of movement conservatism becomes more and more clear each day Obama is in office.

58 JeffFX  Fri, May 10, 2013 5:59:13pm

re: #55 Stanghazi

Sadly idiots can’t self-assess and realize they’re idiots, so they think they’re capable or teaching people to use a dangerous weapon. I really hope she leaves him.

59 Kragar  Fri, May 10, 2013 6:00:06pm

re: #53 JeffFX

Of course it never occurs to her that elevating religion above science can cause a civilization’s decline.

God is punishing us for the sin of letting religious zealots dictate policy for the nation.

60 Amory Blaine  Fri, May 10, 2013 6:01:37pm

re: #44 Iwouldprefernotto

Hitler was gay—and a Democrat.

That’s how you could tell he was bad./

61 sattv4u2  Fri, May 10, 2013 6:02:16pm

re: #56 Stanghazi

Why did I say yes to a Friday afternoon repair appointment. whyyyyyyyy

Unless it’s an emergency,, NEVER schedule a repair appt. for a Friday after noontime

You think YOU don’t want to be there?? At least YOU’RE at home!

The repair person is DREAMING about being home (or already out with friends/ family) Their mind is not 100% on your problem!!

62 goddamnedfrank  Fri, May 10, 2013 6:05:23pm

re: #50 darthstar

Hilarious…the stupid fucker shot himself causing him to shoot his girlfriend.

Shooting from or across a railroad right-of-way constitutes criminal discharge in KS, and a lot of other states too. Stupid, the raised bed a railroad sits on is usually made of hard rock, so the ricochet should have been expected.

63 GeneJockey  Fri, May 10, 2013 6:05:36pm

re: #49 Kragar

Cripes. You know, back when we were all godly and shit, we had this big war that killed 600,000 Americans, largely at each other’s hands. Then we had a couple more wars. Then a big depression where 1/4 of American workers couldn’t find work. Just as we were coming out of that one, we got into ANOTHER war where half a million Americans died, which we followed with 40-some years of expecting to be annihilated at any moment. Throughout most of this time we treated certain of our fellow Americans little better than animals while committing genocide on the people who were here first.

So, tell me, when did we turn away from God? Were we godly when we exterminated other, less technologically advanced humans? Were we godly when we bought and sold humans like cattle? Were we godly when we denied the descendants of the ones we’d enslaved the same rights the rest of us had?

In short, what the hell is she talking about?

64 EPR-radar  Fri, May 10, 2013 6:08:19pm

re: #63 GeneJockey

There you go again, using logic and reason on a wingnut hate screed.

Michelle’s ‘god’ is a twisted thing of her own creation, and naturally fears and loathes the very same things she does.

65 klys  Fri, May 10, 2013 6:09:16pm

The reward for scratching a cat a millisecond after it’s done: being clawed in the leg hard.

Thanks, kitten.

66 Joanne  Fri, May 10, 2013 6:10:06pm

re: #4 Vicious Babushka

Oooooh! Noodle kugle! Mmmmmmmm!!

67 Stanghazi  Fri, May 10, 2013 6:10:09pm

re: #61 sattv4u2

Unless it’s an emergency,, NEVER schedule a repair appt. for a Friday after noontime

You think YOU don’t want to be there?? At least YOU’RE at home!

The repair person is DREAMING about being home (or already out with friends/ family) Their mind is not 100% on your problem!!

He just left. Whoop!

68 Joanne  Fri, May 10, 2013 6:14:43pm

re: #20 BigPapa

Don’t get a side by side if it’s in a corner.

Slide out freezer drawers: sweet. But they cost $.

Freezer on the bottom. Best invention ever! And the new ones with two pull out fridge drawers without opening the main fridge is a huge energy saver. I want one really bad.

On the down side, the one I want is $2800 bucks.


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