Short Film - Storm

This is a short film that was released in 2011 and has had a 'long tail' as it has become an internet phenomenon, gaining 3 million views.  The comedian Tim Minchin explains,

 'Tracy King and DC Turner told me they wanted to animate my poem. They were asking for nothing but permission. They didn’t want to make money out of it. They just wanted to help me spread the message. So – like I always do when someone offers to enhance my work for free – I said yes. After two years’ work, Storm the Animated Movie was uploaded to YouTube in April 2011. To date it’s been viewed around three million times.
I wrote Storm because I thought it would be funny, because I needed material, because I’m incredibly interested in how people form ideas and the way these ideas affect others, and because I passionately believe we need to find more attractive ways to teach young people how to think critically. The superhuman dedication shown by Tracy and Dan, and the wonderful support of the community of humanists, sceptics, secularists, scientists and atheists worldwide has turned a poem about a slightly annoying dinner party into something of a critical-thinking anthem ... and an incredible source of joy and pride for me.'

A graphic novel has also been created.

This text is interesting for us in a number of ways;

Ways of counting audiences has altered as new media platforms for what were once considered niche mediums or art forms replace traditional platforms.

Audience viewing patterns have changed as social media impacts upon the way we share texts. 

This text found a wide audience because it went 'viral'

The text has found a global media audience

Although released in 2011 an article in a newspaper in October 2014 revives interest and it becomes the most viewed item

The creativity and imagination involves a number of artists working in a rnge of foms and mediums. Short film-makers / animators / graphic novelists. 

Short films are often based on a simple idea, like a good piec of observational comedy.  Basing writing on your own experiences is an oft quoted piec of advice. 'Write about what you know'.  A short film is often a vignette or a slice of life.

Artists can flourish in the new media environment and find a wide audience which would have possibly been denied them in a traditional media environment

The comedian Tim Minchin benefits as his routine finds a new and wider audience

There is a blend of artistic forms beat poetry, jazz,  animation and comedy.

Further research

This Guardian article  by Tim Minchin discusses the short film further

This link will take you to a time lapse video showing the level of detail in the animation of the host.