Birdsong (CalArts Film 2022) 

This is too difficult to notice unless you know exactly what you're listening for, so I'll put it here: at the very end of the film, we close with the sounds of mosquitoes humming. This is a small reference to a major factor of why the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō went extinct. In the 1800s, mosquitoes were accidentally introduced to the Hawaiian Islands via ships. They brought with them avian malaria, a disease many birds were not able to defend against. In this sense, island life is incredibly fragile, and human actions (intentional or not) can drastically change the equations of their surrounding environments. Btw - thank you for all for the sweet comments. As of posting this I have read every single one and I'd like each of you to know that they mean so much, from the bottom of my heart ❤

as a biologist, this short is so, so touching to me personally. this film is absolutely stunning and heartbreaking. i'm so impressed by not only the visuals but the storytelling and sound design as well. the inclusion of the mosquito buzz at the end is so ominous knowing what it represents, and a chilling reminder of what we've lost. this is the story of too many species - of species preserved only in sound and photos. i'm just so blown away by this. i adore this short so much

"I thought about it often: if it went back to its nest, if it kept looking, if it kept singing... but more than anything, I hoped it passed away, softly. Peacefully, in the middle of a dream." this makes me weep over how beautifully masterful this short film is. Nothing can come close to this. The Kaua'i 'o'o have always fascinated me and their stories -- _his_ story -- a painful one. But you managed to capture it and give out to the world in such a beautiful way. Man, this is amazing, thank you for sharing this with us

Oh my GOD. That recording of the last Kauaʻi ʻōʻō has always haunted me. I think that's the most intense representation of loneliness I've ever heard, and ever since I heard it and learned the history behind it, I've thought of writing a short story or animation around it. Really cool job on the animation, and now you've started stirring ideas in my head again. Beautiful design and setting, you did an awesome job! Thanks for bringing this story to light again

When they started responding to the recording, I cried. This was beautiful yet heart breaking

"and i hoped it passed away softly. peacefully. in the middle of a dream" beautiful, sensitive writing. from start to finish ♥️😭

Hello! You may not see this comment but I just would like to sincerely say, thank you. This made me cry as I am native Hawaiian! Ever since I was little I would listen to the last recording of the Kauaʻi Ōʻō in museums. I would often dream of our native birds when I was little. Imagining a little black bird with vibrant yellow feathers and red iʻiwi in the ʻōhiʻa lehua. I’d listen to their songs on RU-vid knowing that I would never hear them. Not in my lifetime. It’s rare or impossible now. I always dreamt of going to CalArts. Though now I’ve switched from pursuing a fine arts major to a creative writing major. I always wondered when I would see an animation from home. You have no idea how important, how beautiful, how extraordinary this animation is. Not only because you took our birds and made them fly but because of the story that it carries along with it. Mahalo nui loa, thank you for bringing the ōʻō back to life and for making my dreams come true.

The part where the birds standing on the side of the staff and sings a tune as the musical notes indicates their voices and morphed into a wing is visually remarkable.

YOU GOT ME CRYING OVER A BIRD!!!! anyway this was beautiful! everything about it was so eye-catching and it was melancholy but also soothing.

As someone who grew up in Hawaii and is now far away in the Midwest this beautiful film makes me intensely homesick. I remember sitting in class when our teacher played the song for us. Every once in a while I'll see or hear something that reminds me of the 'aina and this made the homesickness hit like a tsunami.

i love the animation style, the colors, the voice acting, the smoothness of it all the overall the theme as well and is it absolutely stunning!!! tysm for the food

As someone from Hawaii, I am glad this song and the story of these birds are being discussed more. We have lost so many of our native bird species already. The animation was absolutely gorgeous!

This is one of those endings that swells and deepens as it sits with you. I've gone from quiet to starting to weep. The image of the lonely, sleeping bird resonates not only with the heartbreaking irreversible loss of species, but with human aging, isolation, and grief. Thank you for this film.

My girlfriend and I are watching several student-made films as she considers going to Cal Arts. This is such a wonderful animation! It brought us both to tears. Edit: just got home and watched it again, really got a chance to take in every little detail. I’m teary eyed and at the same time rejuvenated in the soul, thank you for making this.

The art, the voice acting LITERALLY EVERYTHING WAS SO BEAUTIFUL. This must have been really hard and we all appreciate your beautiful works of art❤

Oh man, I’ve listened to John Green talk about the Kaua’i ‘ō’ō in his “The Anthropocene Reviewed” podcast. When I heard the narrator say that name I knew it was going to be solemn. This is a very lovely film, the softness and gentleness in the narration and the animation work together really well with the subject of the story. Every frame is so nice to look at, and the colors are so bright without being too overwhelming. This really did bring tears to my eyes. Wonderful work to you and those who helped make this. Edit: After a second watch I want to mention just how much I love the contrast between the light and shadow too. Seeing Sinecock and Jacobi standing against this bright yellow-green while the bird and the tape recorder appear bold in the darker foreground. The last lines of the narrator hit me as well. It’s just so heartbreaking that the best he could wish for is that the bird passed away peacefully, because he knows it is too unreasonable to hope it finds a mate. Really sad, but also somehow… hopeful, or optimistic, in a way. I love it.

Tears in my eyes. This is masterful. The birdsong is so wonderfully melancholy, too.

So amazingly happy to have had the privilege of voice acting for this 🖤🖤 CONGRATS

First time I watched this, the film rendered me speechless and having watched it over, it's so beautiful seeing all of the details and intricacies put into making this storytelling masterpiece. On top of this film being visually gorgeous, the way you made me feel such connection and empathy for the birds and their history is incredible. STOP BEING AMAZING MICHELLE!

It is beautiful to see a creature of this beauty done justice in a way like this. Many of those animals lost to us sadly do not get the privilege to have themselves acknowledged this beautifully. Thank you for telling its tale, even though it is tragic. A most incredible animated film, kudos!

This is so beautiful and heartwrenching. The colors are perfect for this, and the voice acting is amazing. I hope to make something like this some day :)

"I hope it passed away softly, peacefully, in the middle of a dream"

This is absolutely gorgeous. I'm not great with hidden messages, but the bird lying alone in its nest, I'm sure that meant something sad. Like Death alone or without another half. Now that I think about it it's not really hidden that's the whole point isn't it. Lol

this hits incredibly, and literally close to home. If you're in the comment section of this video, you've doubtless seen the comment already written by a biologist and theirs helped get me to write this one. Living in Hawai'i, being Hawaiian we are surrounded by the sheer lack of indigenous life in our islands, especially our birds. To anyone who knows the story just hearing the bird sing half it's song is powerful already, but the way I've seen it discussed online before never felt like it got past just being sad. But your animation really feels like it captures the depth of how much it hurts to see how life has changed here as a result of colonization, disease, poaching, all of it. Thank you for giving your time and talents to something like this from my home, and for bringing it to a wider audience.

This is beautifully done. I learned about invasive species a few years ago and how even the smallest creature in the wrong place can make all the difference. I love that his sorrow is subtly acknowledged in not just the extinction of the species but his powerlessness to stop it, though it is his species that eventually caused it.

Ecologist and evolutionary biologist here. It reminds me so much of the species I am working on - the regent honeyeater of Australia - it is critically endangered and we are expecting that it will soon meet it’s fate of extinction no matter how much effort we put into, partly because the population density is so low that they can’t even find each other to mate among all. Exactly what happen in this short animation. This really reminds us that to prevent a species is not to prevent the last few individuals from dying, but to retain a healthy population size and density, and to protect the whole ecosystem that the species is living in. Well done!❤❤

As someone who’s going into studying wildlife conservation and loves birds this touched my heart on a deep level and makes me cry. And as an artist I appreciate everything of your art, the backgrounds, the framing, the lighting and the colors. It all tied together beautifully with the audio and every time I think of this bird I can’t help but cry and you’ve captured it all beautifully

Soo beautiful. I was at your SJSU presentation and you talked a bit about this film. I just wanted to say that all the thought and care you put into your work does not go unnoticed. This film is so extremely authentic and I can feel the heart you put into it woven into every detail. You and your work are a huge inspiration. Thank you for sharing it and I look forward to the process video!

This bird’s song always makes me sob, the gentle melody, just the way that last bird sang for a reply that would never come; this is one of the reasons why I started pursuing my degree, I want to help make a world where we keep those songs alive in the animals that create them, not just in quietly dying recordings

Never cried so much with a short animation. It's flawless in all its aspects: story, dialogues, music, design, animation, aesthetics... all is love and perfection. Hope you get your dreams. Sure you will.

i got so immersed and now i'm crying! over a bird! it's funny how small, trivial things can become so big when you frame them differently. by which i mean that your storytelling in so many mediums is always! chefs kiss!!! it feels so tangible to me. this made me have a lot of emotions and it was amazing to watch thank u for sharing your art with us.

omg i missed you edit: im crying bc of a bird

whenever i need a good cry, i come back to this and bawl my fuckinng eyes out it's amazing

The animation breathes like a somber and yet familiar sadness as it whispers goodbye. I get that were trying to save animals that are going extinct but it's sad when we get to that point because of human intervention through negligence and or ignorance. Thank you so much for making this it lives on through this animation too.

It’s a rare artist that can make me feel something in three minutes. In such a short time, you made me feel sorrow for the ‘ō‘ō and also for the biologist. The last bird seemed to symbolize his own feelings of loneliness and loss.

I’m absolutely in love with your use of color and abstract themes in art, especially the way the forest was painted! The story itself as presented here was also absolutely amazing as well and incredibly heart-wrenching (you had me tearing up a bit with that ending monologue…like WOW.) I could just scream into the void about awesome this film is, straight-up.

I'm literally crying over a bird... when I was a lonely homeschooling kid, I spent a lot of time in the forest, and I had a love for it to the point where a tree cut down or a road killed animal would haunt me for days. This film brought a small part of who I was back to the surface.

i cried over a 3 minute animation. this is beautiful and the small implied story is gorgeous and so well done. you know your good at writing and telling a story when you can make multiple people cry 2 minutes in.

I love so much about the art style of this. Familiar yet exotic and foreign. I broke my collarbone last week and have been immobile, bored of everything I see. I was greatly missing my late grandfather who passed in 2019 when I came across this film. He would have loved this. He was a wise, quiet man who loves science and math. I was missing him so badly, almost wishing to be a child again clutching onto a stuffed animal toy he'd gifted me, watching nature documentaries in his living room as he sat silently in his reclining chair. This made me cry and feel so close to him. He lives on in my memories, and this film really fanned the flames of his essence in my heart. Thank you for this. I've been in need of something, but I never thought it would be a film a stranger made. I love birds and art, and I am so grateful this film exists. Thank you for publishing it. It's so deeply beautiful and immersive.

*When the bird came back after the recording, my heart was broken in thousand pieces.*

Oh my god, this is enlightening! So beautifully put together, the screenplay is stunning! I thank you for being able to witness this masterpiece!

I haven't sobbed over a RU-vid video in a long time, but I bawled my eyes out for this. Once I heard the bird's name I knew where this was going, but the story still hit me like a freight train all the same. Bravo, fantastic work!

Thanks, I cried :')) working on my bio degree right now and the amount of species were loosing is absolutely soul crushing. I'm glad we have beautiful art like this to keep their memories alive

Very touching. I live in Hawaii, and remember hearing this call at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Maybe it’s just because they’re rare, but Hawaiian bird calls are so unique! I wish I could hear them more in everyday life.

It’s so hard to put into words how this video made me feel. Others have made comments about the art, the storytelling, the recording and how it made them cry… I agree with it all. I started bawling. I think… as a musician, it hurts knowing that this adorable, loving call and response has been forever removed from the music of this sphere. To hear the one call, and not have the “resolution” of the response just… hurt. Then to see the bird react to the recording, hopefully as first then slowly coming to the realization it wasn’t who it was looking for… broke me. Thank you for your artistry and for stewarding this tragic and beautifully woven account. May it give pause to all who see and hear it.

lost count how many times I've rewatched this🥹every time I notice something new, but I always leave feeling incredibly inspired and grateful for this video's existence. thank you💕

MICHELLE!!! 💚💛🧡 ily!!! from the moment I first saw this at open show, literally on the edge of tears, this film is so beyond beautiful In every single way. You inspire me so deeply !!!

I first learned about the O'o in 4th grade. One of my teachers (I had three) taught us Hawaiian studies, and we eventually reached the topic of the native bird species. It felt weird, learning about how different the Hawaiian Islands used to be. I grew up surrounded by cities and suburbs and tourism, but there are now only a few scattered pockets of wilderness on the islands, and the island I live on has no native species of birds, and they're all either threatened, endangered or extinct. It's been a decade since, and sometimes the O'o and its story crosses my mind. Imagine calling out into the wilderness, calling out to your kind, but one day never getting a response back ever again. Even if their minds work differently from ours, that still sounds like a scary way to die.

I shed a tear. It's wonderfully made.

Can't tell you how hard I started weeping. I have a huge love for animals, and watching this broke my heart. 💔

I come back to watch this film so often. It's such a sad story... it leaves me with a warm, lonely feeling that I keep with me always. I'd like to think that by watching this we're not only reminding ourselves to not repeat mistakes that have led to the extinction of this beautiful bird, but we're also keeping the memory, although melancholic, of the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō alive. Thanks to everyone who worked on this, it's truly a gift.

So beautiful. I cried with it's message. What have we done to this planet, our home, their home....?

oh my god. this almost made me cry. so well done; the animation was perfect and the style was perfect and i loved the story. thanks for making my morning just a little brighter 🙌

As someone that grew up in the bush and learn to mimic bird sounds this short touch my soul. I remember mimicking Raven calls and a raven soaping down from the treetops to landing next to me and sang to me as I did to the raven♡

I haven't cried like this in so long. Beautifully told and animated, this is an amazing work, congratulations.

i have been sobbing to my friend about this for the past 10 minutes. I've seen this short 4 times and each time it's just more and more heartbreaking to watch

That ending absolutely shattered me. This was such a thoughtfully created work of art. Every scene and every sound is so touching and beautiful, almost hauntingly so. And the contrast of the melancholy narration and sounds with the seemingly bright colors is mesmerizing. So much said in three minutes. Kudos to you 💙 p.s. that sundial (was it a sundial in the beginning there?) is so so pretty

It’s crazy, because I’ve not only dreamed of going to CalArts from the start, but I’ve also had an undying obsession with birds and animation. So glad this came up on my feed.

Just noticed the paper-like style, typed words blending into the forest, and numbers in the sky fit the inspiration being Jacobi’s journal. Brilliant and beautiful. I cry every time I watch this. I didn’t think it was possible for a student short film to achieve that so so consistently, so now I have a new goal to pursue if I ever get to make one. Thanks for that.

that bird recording always breaks my heart, thank you for this short film

welp… now im crying and thinking bout birds. the animation, music, sounds, voice acting was all *chefs kiss*

This made me bawl😭😢💔 Thank you so much for capturing this, the bird will live on in our memories~

Wow when I clicked on this i really wasn’t expecting this 3 minute animation to make me tear up….. amazing story telling for just 3 minutes, captivating so many emotions, joy and happiness for finding the birds at first, then loneliness, shock, sympathy and responsibility when there was only one bird left, followed by grief, sorrow, but also warmth, how the bird still remembers and calls for it’s partner, and in the end a release, forgiveness, and hope….

Just came across this beautiful and heartbreaking film and am crying silent tears in my office. Thank you for this masterpiece, every image and word is beautifully crafted and the message also gently crafted, but unmistakable.

The execution was perfect. I love how you integrate words, or pieces of text into the animation! This brought me to tears. Amazing work as always. Mad respect. :))))

AAUAUUUGHGHGHHH oh man… oh man this touches my heart so much. As an avid bird lover, the story of extinct birds always makes me sob, and this one the most so. This is beautiful. I really truly love that this is about birds… I thought it would use the birdsong as a symbolic thing, but no it’s… it’s about birds. And our impact on them as well as our relationship with them. I really love this.

i cried when he realised that it was just a tape recorder... such a beautiful film!

Every part of this film is beautifully made. It had such a strong effect on me. After wiping my eyes and writing a comments I’m going to watch it over a few times more. Well done.

I have no words to describe how it made me feel. Every shot is not only beautiful, but precisely selected to let you into the emotion of the story, which is so hard to convey in 3 minutes. You are indeed an amazing director.

It gets me every time. I have a connection with birds. I have a chicken in my room whom follows me even up mountains. I collect feathers and put them in every nook and cranny of my house. I dream to be an ornithologist and to protect and raise birds. Not only does the guy in the film make me yearn for that future, but also saddens me me with the sight of a bird whom cannot be saved.

The voice of the narrator is touching and beautiful, he drew our emotions towards the story. This is a very loving film.

Thank you for this video, I saw the documentary Racing Extinction in my 3rd year of High school in Environmental science and at the scene of the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō I sobbed. I have loved animals my entire life but at that point I knew I wanted to do everything to protect and preserve every single one that I could. I stop and save as many injured animals that I can as I try and go for my degree... I have found a huge love for birds and I spend countless hours every week studying them, drawing them, and watching them. I want to fight for them and all other creatures on this earth. Truly... watching them and other animals it seems as if people do not realize that we are just like them. I hope one day there is a good amount of people in the world who realize that we need to fight for them too because these animals no matter how big or small we are creating a world that they are forced to live in and adapt... if they can in time. Im not sure if you know of the art display 'The Most Dangerous Animal in the World' that was on display at the Bronx Zoo in New York in 1963.... but when people see me helping animals, teaching about them, and the importance of preserving them I hear so many people tell me "They're just animals" and I say so are we and show them the image of that art display. Thank you for capturing Sincock's experience, I can not imagine the pain he must have felt but the way you ended this short film is just absolutely phenomenal and moving, I hope this film has such a huge impact on those who watch it just like it did for me. I hope this film sparks hope in people that we still can save so many species, so truly thank you. 💛

I am love with this ❤️ The first time I heard about the story of the Kauai O’o and the last song I sobbed uncontrollably just from the audio. With this the animation/art style, the story, everything is absolutely beautiful 💕

The most heartbreakingly beautiful thing I've watched in a long, long time. Thank you, thank you for this. Out of words really ❤

Bro, I'm a bird lover and I can say that... this video gave me goosebumps... I really love birds... I can't stand seeing birds becoming extinct, that's extremely horrible, if anyone is watching this, and If you are a bird lover... please don't let them die! please..

I did not expect to cry over this but here we are

I wasn't expecting to learn so much about a bird and a species in just 2 and a half minutes. This was something I wasn't ready for, but I clicked on the title anyways hoping for something simple to watch.. only to sit here in silence reading the comments and feeling just as everyone else.. touched and saddened. What a powerful moment. Thank you for your work.

I loved every single thing about this short film. I've been watching your videos for quite some time now, and I can confidently say that your art has been a huge inspiration for me during the last 2 years. It's amazing to see how you manage to portray your vision in every image you create, yet you can spot the dedication and passion placed into every small detail. I'm truly amazed by the visual language that the short film uses, giving it a sense of being the "journal" where John Sincock would have wrote his thoughts, but also how everything feels like his distant and nostalgic memory of Kauai. Also, it's incredible how much you've made us care about this bird, the scenes where very emotional and spiritual for me, and I think that's wonderful. The colors, the animation, the bird designs, the music, I loved every aspect of it. Again, I'm in love with how this short film turned out! Thank you for bringing this film to life and to put so much effort into it :'D Without a doubt you're a big inspiration to a lot of us, and I can't wait to see what you come up with next! 💙✨

I didn't see this video for a long time, and yet I genuinely cryed when I heard the responding to the call, and tried cuddle with the recorder, as if another bird was inside. I still love it to this day, and I'm sure that even if I re-watch it in a few month, I will definitely cry again

This was animated so well. You are an inspiration to me, and all the animation students out there. The Kaua'i 'o'o definitely has one of the most painful stories out there. Everytime I revisit its story, i can't help but feel my heart hurt. This film is so beautifully crafted, with amazing animation sequences and scenes. I found myself crying by the end. The worst bit is knowing that they were not the last of their species; but the entire 'o'o family. Thank you for this animation. It was beautiful and heartbreaking. i’ve rewatched it countless of times, and i cry my eyes out every time.

not me crying as the bird snuggle to the recorder TT_______TT . The mix between design elements and illustrations (plus the style is magnificent) is just breathtaking.

This is incredible. That’s all I can put into words. I want to be able to tell stories like you one day.

In a few short minutes you captured something so fragile, heartbreaking, and devastating. Beautiful and powerful. I know and love Kauai and feel like I know this bird's song. It must be from a distant past. Grateful to those who cared enough to record things that would soon be lost to history so that we may know and understand them today.

This gave me chills. Every part of it. The beauty and color and style of the artwork, the fluidity of the animation, the crisp music and sounds, and the sad story being told. You truly are the most artful storyteller.

This is one of my favourite works of Art out on the internet, this is the second time I’ve returned to watch it, I know it won’t be my last. There are so many things I love about this short, I don’t even know where to start. All I can say now is, Thank you 🙏🏾 ❤

I had to go back to the part where the pair is still alive to sing together, because to sit with the ending just hurts too much. As someone who loves nature and art (and their song is one of the most artful things i've ever heard, as is this short one of the most artful things I've seen made by people) above all else, my heart is absolutely broken. May someone see and be moved by this gorgeous, bleak story who is in a position to help stop the misuse of the planet on a mass scale.

My goodness I cried, the audio and the animation style sit so perfectly together

This is fantastically touching. It captures the feeling of loss, of looking for someone who will never return. Not only did this tug at my heartstrings, but it served as a beautiful reminder of the impact that humans have on the earth's ecosystem. Your choice of colors and artistry have brought this story to life, in a meaningful and impactful way. Incredible work

I listen to this beautiful bird call often. Heartbroken I will never hear it without my phone. Shattered we lost such a beautiful bird.

This was beautiful oh god. Your animations just keep getting better and better and your creativity and care can be seen in every detail of this 🥺 every little thing just has *meaning*

this is one of the most beautiful things i’ve ever seen. barely three minutes and i am genuinely weeping. i will never forget this

This is just a masterpiece. The soft voice acting matched with the style of animation... ✨perfect ✨

not me crying, this is one of the saddest stories. I learned about these birds in sophomore year of high school and it still breaks my heart anytime I think about them. This is beautiful work, you should be immensely proud

Truly moving. I’m so sorry the world has lost them.

I’m studying biology now, and this film is so hauntingly beautiful for me. Watching birds in my backyard is part of what got me so in love with the natural world. I found out about this bird before seeing this, and hearing it’s call along with this animation feels like an homage to the species and to the biologists and naturalists grasping at fading species. Such an amazing animation!

Hi Michelle ! Congratulations on finishing such a beautiful animated short. The story reminds me of an chinese experiment I've seen of a zoo having their monkeys depressed, trying to go to a jungle, thousands of kms away, and record the sounds of the monkeys from there to try an cheer up the ones in captivity. Soon enough, they realized recordings only are limited in the dialogues, and decided to made it live recordings from both sides, like a phone call on megaphone. And apparently, it worked ! The monkeys in captivity seemed to sparkle again, due to their newborn "social" life. Back to your movie, it must have been quite the ordeal to do it mostly all on your own, and the result not only looks very pro visually (the colors and art direction alone would already make this movie a very pleasant one to watch), but the storytelling is great as well. We can certainly feel you're a director with a lot of delicateness and sensibility. The final shot of that missing Yang definitely plays tricks on my mind. Once again, massive congratulations. I hope this movie will have a great career in festivals, and even better, end up at Annecy next year. Totally worth it !

There something so human in the way the bird approached the recorder. To have spent probable most of it's adult life allow. it hares a response and rushes over only to be connived by the cold metal box speaking to it. Then how it takes comfort in it's own song being played back to it. I think we can all say we would have done the same, in it's place. In the end it just died out quietly, allow, never knowing it was the last one. ~ I'm as I wright this. This film was beautiful

Woaaaah! I almost missed this! It’s so beautiful it brought me to tears. This is incredible: the art and the story. The wish of the bird passing away calmly in its sleep is the only good ending that can come out of this. It’s so sad to see how much of a bad impact we have on wildlife. As the bird lives eternally in the recording, it also lives eternally through this animation. No matter your professional background this shows that anybody can fight to bring awareness. Again, this was beautiful! Never stop making art 😭😭😭

im constantly rewatching this i dont really know why, but i had a dream about these birds once and ever since then Its been on my mind constantly.

Wow… absolutely gorgeous… The colors of this film are so whimsical and warm and really elevate the lonely emotions. Really nice framing and composition on every shot, it was always clear what was happening on screen. I can totally see your improvements and what you have learned at calarts. Beautifully executed!