9 (2005 short)

SPOILER WARNING!

This article contains plot details!

9 is a 2005 computer animated short film by Shane Acker. It was made as a student project while Shane Acker was in college.

It was directed, written, and produced by Shane Acker; it runs at about 11 minutes and was released on April 21, 2005. The short film was distributed by Sundance Film Festival and UCLA's School of Art and Architecture and was released through a company founded by Shane Acker himself called 9LLC.

Plot

The film opens to shots of 9 making simple constructs out of scrap metal, an upright book with string tied to it, and a makeshift dummy full of tar. He uses a lightbulb staff to help him see in the dark. As the opening scene progresses, it is easily inferred that 9 appears to be the last of his kind, living in the ruins of a post-apocalyptic Earth. What was hunting 9 relentlessly was the Cat Beast, guided by the Talisman adorned around its neck, being held by the Beast's claws; its motives are unknown. As the title screen fades away, 9 is shown to be out in the ruins of the world, sitting on a doll's leg with the lightbulb staff propped against the foot of the doll. As he wipes the Mirrored Talisman — which he has in his possession — he stares at it, noticing his reflection on the mirrored side. He stares into its depths, losing himself in his thoughts, and begins to have a flashback.

Before the current events of the film, 9 was once accompanied by 5 — an older, grumpy and one-eyed mentor — as they struggled to hide from the Cat Beast. They gathered useful bits and pieces and stored them within the fastenings of their own skin. From what the audience can see, 5 had come across a dusty, discarded lamp with its lightbulb still intact. 5 noticed 9 playing around with a magnifying glass and whacked a rock with his cane to catch his attention, motioning 9 to come over. As 5 inspected the lightbulb, he mimed grabbing the lamp joint and yanking it on his command, which 9 obeyed. Working together by 5's instruction, they managed to successfully pry the lightbulb free, although not without some repercussion of falling back as a result of the applied force. When 9 came over to 5, 5 gave 9 the lightbulb and rummaged around inside his fastening for a piece of wire and a small battery. As 9 held the lightbulb, 5 connected the lightbulb to the battery using the wire, causing the lightbulb to illuminate. Surprised and amazed by the results, 5 gave the wire, the battery, and the lightbulb to 9 for safe-keeping.

Unfortunately, the Cat Beast was nearby, using the Talisman to guide it to the stitchpunks. 5's right eye glowed a light green and as it faded, 5 immediately yanked out the Mirrored Talisman out from his fastening, which faintly glowed in a pulse, alerting 5 and 9 of the Cat Beast's approaching presence. 5 immediately urged 9 to flee, giving him the Mirrored Talisman for safe-keeping. As 9 gazed at it, 5 equipped himself with his homemade folding spear and pushed 9, motioning him to hide. 9 complied, hiding himself inside of a broken can and watched as 5 extended his spear, stepping out to confront the Beast. Unfortunately, the Cat Beast had circled around 5, and just as he realized the Beast was behind him, he had turned around too late. The Cat Beast snatched 5 off the ground, disarming him as 9 watched helplessly. Satisfied that it had caught its prey, the Cat Beast opened its Talisman, catching 9's attention. 9 noticed the Mirrored Talisman he held was glowing much brighter than before, due to the presence of the Cat Beast's Talisman, and just before 9's horrified eyes, 5's soul was sucked out from his mouth into the Talisman, leaving 5 as a lifeless rag doll.

Shocked over his mentor's death, 9 quickly slipped down to hide, but accidentally scraped the lightbulb against the interior wall of the can. Hearing the scraping, the Cat Beast turned around, but just before the Cat Beast could notice a shaking 9 inside, 5's cane fell off from its foundation (which was against a rocky brick) and caused a clanging sound. The Cat Beast turned around but didn't see anything there, it then turned back to investigate the can. While the Cat Beast had been distracted by the cane, 9 had fled, carrying the lightbulb, wire, and battery.

As the flashback fades, 9 is also in the same area where he fled from the Cat Beast. As he continues to stare off, the Mirrored Talisman glows once again, snapping 9 out from his trance. He looks at the Mirrored Talisman, it continues to glow, alerting 9 over the Cat Beast's presence once again. Immediately, 9 grabs his lightbulb staff, crafted from the lightbulb, wire, and battery, and flees to a ruined building. As the camera pulls back, the Cat Beast is seen to be approaching but when the camera pans to the Cat Beast's back, it is seen that the Cat Beast had skinned the numbered fabrics of his victims and wore them as clothing for its bare back. 5's numbered skin being the primary focus of the shot.

As 9 enters and flees into the building, the Cat Beast steps into the opening. Unable to see in the dark well, it activates the flashlight in its right eye, and investigates the inside of the building. The Cat Beast then notices what appears to be 9 and heads towards it. The lightbulb staff was left on the ground to make the dummy visible enough for the Cat Beast to pounce it, only for it to realize that its prey was merely a decoy. The Cat Beast struggles to free itself from the dummy, due to the sticky tar inside the dummy. 9 jumps onto the Cat Beast's back from above, cutting the Talisman off the Cat Beast's neck. As 9 jumps off from the Cat Beast, the Beast manages to free itself and 9 leads the Cat Beast on a panicked chase throughout the ruined building. The pursuit soon comes to a stop as 9 nearly falls off a lone plank several-floors above the ground floor, and a large gap spanning ahead of him. 9 prepares to turn around, but the Cat Beast appears. Thinking it got 9 at bay, it creeps towards him and attempts to grab 9 with its claws, only to have the plank nearly fall off of its foundation.

Little did the Beast know, 9 had led it to his trap, which was what he had been shown to have been concocting since the beginning of the film.

Nearby was another plank, with the armature and the book on it. 9 jumps onto the armature's arm and manages to have just enough momentum for him to kick the book off of the other plank. The string attached to the book had also been tied to the plank that the Cat Beast stood upon. Realizing that it was a trap, the Cat Beast attempts to flee, but it was too late, for the plank collapses from the book's weight. As it roars in defeat, it falls through the hole and impacts the ground, the fallen plank follows after and impales the Beast, killing it and putting an end to its reign of terror.

9 manages to salvage the numbered skins of his fallen kind from the Cat Beast's back and prepares them to be ceremonially burned. As 9 looks at 5's numbered skin sorrowfully, he hears both the Talisman and the Mirrored Talisman pulsing. Placing the numbered skin on its stand, 9 walks over to the two Talisman and as he inspects the bottom of them, it opens its extra connecting arms. Noticing the Mirrored Talisman still glowing, he combines the two Talisman together and the connecting arms strap onto the Mirrored Talisman. It immediately shakes out of 9's hands and opens, freeing the souls of the fallen stitchpunks as 9 watches. As the souls return back to their numbered skins in order, 9 notices 5's soul heading to his designated numbered skin. Before disappearing into the skin, 5 turns around and nods in approval for 9 to move on.

In the morning, as the ashes of the numbered skins and wood cooled, 9 — bearing the lightbulb staff, which now stands as a symbol of the persistent light of knowledge and learning — walks off into unknown parts of the wastelands, leaving the combined Talisman behind in the sands.

Main cast

Stitchpunks

1
2
3 and 4
5
6
7
8
9

Machine(s)

The Cat Beast

Soundtrack

The music for the film was composed by Eric Olsen.^{[citation needed]}

Production

It took Shane Acker about four and a half years, on and off, to create the short film. Shane Acker originally planned to have the film in stop-motion, but realized how costly stop-motion would be. He then turned to CGI for his film's medium. The credits show that beyond Acker, there were five other animators and three other lighters that worked on the film.^{[citation needed]}

Awards

Awarded

Student Academy Award - Gold Award for Animation
SIGGRAPH - Best in Show
Animex - First prize, 3D Character Animation
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation College Awards - First prize, Non-Traditional Animation
Florida Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival — Best Animated Short