Forgive my dismal POV of the story here. It is probably just coincidence due to the way things seem to have gone in recent years. This choice of endings hit me as significant. From my point of view the karma could have gone a different way.
When the bird seemed to befriend the orange fish everything could have been sunshine and rainbows. I thought it would go that way. Everything seemed to suggest it. I saw the potential in the bird. Everything seemed to be building evidence revealing how the bird was more than just a dumb one-track minded predator seeking to indulge in a feast of fishes. The bird's behavior up to the moment of decision suggested it had it in it to see the light, to recognize there is more to life. But the bird was a disappointment taking the dark path of selfish-gratification throwing everything else away. The karma could have been good cultivating good. Instead it was bad being met with bad, triumph over enemies, an endless cycle of gratification causing pain and death.
There is too much hate being expressed these days. Shame on Dreamworks. Pre-Disney Pixar would have produced something which generated warmth and laughter in contrast to what is happening in real life. Unfortunately post-Disney Pixar is mostly doing sequels.
The animation itself is amazing!!! This is the best looking TVPaint product I have seen. It suggests there are no limits to what can be done with TVPaint in the hands of masterful artists.
Bird Karma, new short by Dreamworks
Re: Bird Karma, new short by Dreamworks
Main System: Mac Mini running OS X: Big Sur | M1 | 16GB RAM | have not installed TVPaint on new M1 need to update to current as of 9/2022 ...pending non-dongle license 1/2023 | iPad Pro, Apple Pencil and Astropad | Wacom Intros Pro
Re: Bird Karma, new short by Dreamworks
Let me put my 2 cents, if you don’t mind. I’m at the very beginning to learning TVPaint. Actually, my decision to try is inspired by animation of Pixar, DreamWorks…Especially, after I learned that “Kitbull” and “Burrow” were animated with TVPaint. Just because they’re perfect! (IMHO) The Bird Karma is one of those awesome examples of excellent traditional animation too. Although, in spite of so brightly illustrated plot, the “after-taste” of its ending, took out all my positive impression of the cartoon. I was also badly surprised by so trivial end…Anyway, perhaps, it’s also necessary to show people how we can “eat the soul of ourselves” by consuming approach to the life. The Bird Karma has shown that contrast perfectly, guess, thanks to TVPaint’s features mastered by DreamWorks animators.
Re: Bird Karma, new short by Dreamworks
Incredible!!