Welcome to Now Streaming in Austin, highlighting locally made titles to watch while self-quarantining.
Folklore says that samurai would sharpen their blades by polishing the edge with silk to razor fineness. It’s not true, but its metaphorical meaning – that the greatest work is achieved by being methodical – is correct.
That’s the lesson to be found in the work of Austin artist Eric Power. He’s a master of cutout animation – a mix of collage and stop-motion, and the oldest form of cinematic cartooning – and he perfected his work in his 2011 short “Path of Blood – Demon at the Crossroads of Destiny.” Most amazing of all, he cut and shot every frame, every piece of paper, every moment all himself.
A miniature epic drawing from classic samurai cinema, he later adapted the short into a full feature just called Path of Blood. Since then, he’s completed a zombie feature in the same form (Attack of the Demons), and has plans for multiple more features, including a family-friendly title (and he’s looking for backers right now).
Read our 2018 interview with Power about how he puts his incredible works together here, plus catch five of his personal favorite music videos that he has created for local bands and performers in this curated list (and definitely find more about his work at www.ericpowerup.net).
But there are few better introductions to his work than this short. If you like what you see, then pick up the full feature version on Blu-ray over at Amazon.
“Path of Blood – Demon at the Crossroads of Destiny”
• Vimeo (Link)
This article appears in May 1 • 2020.
