Horror or just plain creepy is something many think can only occur in live action but all forms of animation, with their ability to render into existence whatever can be dreamed of in a style that can evoke feeling can do just the same.
Or it can produce something with a horror or disturbing aesthetic in an unexpected way. It is perhaps a better medium (in the right hands) to evoke feelings of dread than live action since it is crafted by artists over performers. The goal of art has always been to stir emotion from the earliest days.
Presented here are three short films that seek to frighten, unnerve, or entertain the viewer with their spooky vision.
Enjoy!
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The Kid and the Camera
- Written, Directed, Animated, Scored and Edited by Braiden Ortiz
- January 15, 2023
Voice Cast
- Narrated and Voiced by Richard Stibbard
A young boy with a broken camera is visited by a sleep fairy, but he’s never heard of a sleep fairy.
The Kid and the Camera is a short little story that I found reminiscent in its presentation of those bargain basement direct-to-video animated fair that you found in your finer discount retailers back in the early days of the VCR market. While it begins very friendly in a way like it’s going to teach a simple lesson, it progressively feels darker and more unsettling-especially with the advent of the sleep fairy called a Cipsneed.
As designed the Cipsneed is very much what you might find in a children’s show. Inoffensively colored with a mildly whimsical look capped off by butterfly-like wings. It maintains a brightly happy expression as the narration and shown events hint at an increasingly darker tone.
There aren’t many scares, but the ending is what sells it. It was just so unwholesome in contrast to the animation style which is rather light and sweet. It is that brief moment when you know there is doom played very straightforward. It’s all done with a boy and his camera. And the ending where they use the broken imagery of individual shots just adds to the horror feel of all this.
The Kid and the Camera has a dark and unsettling vibe to it. It may not be scary, but it is disturbing and well worth your time.
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Moving Parts
- Directed, Written and Produced by Hugo Docking
- September 22, 2025
Cast
- The Saleswoman-Eloise Martin
- The Artist-Hugo Docking
- The Goblin, The Art-Henry Blackaller
A travelling salesman encounters a singing behemoth who tempts him with a terrifying yet lucrative proposal.
Though billed as a stop motion animated horror short, Moving Parts is a short musical interlude that is entertaining and quirky. If anything, it draws inspiration from Tim Burton by evoking the likes of The Corpse Bride or The Nightmare Before Christmas. It’s dark yet not inappropriate for children. Maybe occasionally a little intense by modern standards but nothing that’s going to frighten the young
It has a rather catchy tune showing these people knew their inspirations and knew how to craft something that needed no explanation. You will not watch or finish with questions. It is all just accepted as a given. Done in a style still largely kept alive by the likes of LAIKA, something that could be darker borders on family oriented.
Not frightening or scary, Moving Parts certainly is entertaining. It’s a good song that reminds you of classic animated bits. Great Halloween music if you have trick-or-treaters coming over.
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Theodor
- By Maraike Kraemer, Susanna Orincsay, Alexandra Lermer, and Katrin Mader
- 2019
A young vampire loses track of time.
Theodor is a short little animated film making it more a little vignette or gag. In it a vampire is trying to sun in the moon. One of things that helps this is that the jokes are well-worn territory-at least for their foundation. Any number of classic animated shorts that once dominated theaters before features used what was done here make the short easily accessible while preventing it from being derivative with its unique twist.
Dialogue is absent. Just grunts and other noises as the central character struggles to get to the only available spot. It is very cute and almost sweet. With a near throwback plot, it’s comfort food with a Halloween covering. What you see is the environment and the title character. I don’t think we even see anybody really lounging around. Just the hints of them. This helps keep the runtime short but also keeps it to the point.
Theodor gets you to want more, which is probably the main problem here. I was hooked and then it ended. Not pretentious nor condescending with no need to subvert expectations.
Theodor on YouTube as a as an award-winning short theater certainly deserves the award. It’s cute and fun and a great Halloween treat.
View it through the link here!
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Here we had three distinct visions that I feel succeeded more often than not. Some were influenced by other works or took a novel approach with what they did. All were good and show there are gems available on YouTube that you can enjoy during Halloween.
