Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 3 augusT 2017
Crowd-funded animated short about gay love goes viral

JOSEPH LONGO rylines are way underrep-
Associated Press resented in both short and
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An feature length films.
animated short film about In 2016, only three out of
an adolescent gay couple 4,544 speaking charac-
has gone viral, roughly 8 ters in the top 100 grossing
million views on YouTube in films were LGBT teenagers
just two days. or younger, according to
“In a Heartbeat” follows an a reportreleased Monday.
elementary school boy ad- There was just one out of
dressing his sexuality after 4,370 in 2015, according
falling in love with a male to data compiled by the
classmate. Filmmakers Beth Media, Diversity, & Social
David and Esteban Bravo Change Initiative at the
University of Southern Cali-
This image released by Ringling College of Art and Design fornia’s Annenberg School
shows a scene from the animated short, “In a Heartbeat,” by for Communication and
filmmakers Beth David and Esteban Bravo. Journalism.
Associated Press Project administrator Marc
released the film Monday hours. A total of $14,000 Choueiti said younger LGBT
online. was raised. characters are also rarely
The short quickly began “In a Heartbeat” is a semi- seen in short films.
trending, gaining a par- finalist for best animated In a separate study, the re-
ticular following amongst domestic film at the 2017 searchers evaluated films
LGBT advocates including Student Academy Awards. screening at Lunafest, a
singer Adam Lambert and The filmmakers produced national short film festival.
actor Ashton Kutcher. The the short at Ringling Col- They found that between
Human Rights Campaign lege of Art and Design in 2002 and 2015, 115 short
posted the video on Twit- Sarasota, Florida as their se- films had four characters
ter Tuesday afternoon and nior thesis. They did not re- who identified themselves
praised the film for its relat- spond to online messages as LGBT teenagers.
ability. Hayley Miller, the seeking an interview. Lead researcher Stacy
organization’s senior digital Paul Dergarabedian, com- L. Smith said shorts often
media manager, said the Score senior media analyst, showcase different world-
film is a testament to say- said it’s not surprising the views than in top grossing
ing, “Love is love.” film found success through full-length features.
“We’ve all had a crush or a the crowd-funding website. Smith said “In A Heartbeat”
broken heart,” Miller wrote Calling the short a picture- is an outlier along with “The
in an email. “Using no words, perfect scenario, he said Imitation Game,” ‘’Moon-
it validates this young boy’s the most successful Kick- light” and the Freeform
experience and the way starter campaigns go viral. show “The Fosters” in show-
all LGBTQ youth should be “It shows the power of utiliz- casing experiences of LGBT
embraced.” ing social media as a way youth. “People aren’t see-
The filmmakers launched to provide resources to re- ing rich, complex and com-
a Kickstarter campaign in alize people’s creative vi- pelling LGBT youth,” she
November 2016 to fund the sion,” he said. said. “The short should be
project, reaching the ini- Research shows young applauded for represent-
tial goal of $3,000 in three LGBT characters and sto- ing the world we live in.”q

Review: Dan Wilson revisits

his hits for Adele, John Legend

By PABLO GORONDI including Adele, John Leg- her feelings about her real-
Associated Press end, the Dixie Chicks, Chris life affair with future hus-
Dan Wilson helped write Stapleton and Taylor Swift. band Eddie Cibrian.
that tune? And that one, Adele’s “Someone Like Wilson proves his empathy,
too? If you still read album You” and the Dixie Chicks’ especially on “Someone
credits or liner notes, you “Not Ready To Make Nice,” Like You” with backing from
may find Wilson’s name at- both Grammy winners, as The Kronos Quartet, his ver-
tached to some of your fa- well as LeAnn Rimes’ “Bor- sions conserve the originals’
vorites songs. rowed,” came with very intimacy with time healing
Formerly of Trip Shake- personal stories. some of the wounds.
speare and Semisonic, the For Adele, it was the end of Other highlights include
Minnesota-born Wilson has a relationship, while the Di- “All Will Be Well” (The Gabe
collaborated with an im- xie Chicks sang about the Dixon Band),
pressive array of musicians. controversy after Natalie “Landing” (brother and for-
On “Re-Covered,” he per- Maines’ critical comments mer bandmate Matt Wil-
forms his songs made fa- of President George W. son) and “Home” (Dierks
mous by a dozen artists Bush in 2003. Rimes bared Bentley).q