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The Prix Ars Electronica Archive is a collection enabling search and viewing of all the submissions since 1987. The award-winning projects are documented with catalogue texts and audio-visual media. All other submissions can be searched by title/artist and displayed with year, category in list form. Please cite the credits (artwork name, artist and photographer) and only use the materials if your article is related to Ars Electronica.
Subconscious Password
Chris Landreth
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In the middle of a crowded bar Charles finds himself feeling increasingly desperate. The cause of his misery is an old friend he’s just run into; his old friend … you know ... what’s-his-name ...
In _Subconscious Password_, Oscar-winning director Chris Landreth uses a common social gaffe—forgetting somebody’s name—as the starting point for a mind-bending romp through the unconscious. Inspired by the classic TV game show *Password*, the film features a wealth of animated celebrity guests, plus Charles’s mother and his childhood babysitter, who try (and try, and try) to prompt him to remember his friend’s name. Charles, Landreth’s alter ego, somehow fails to grasp even the most obvious clues. As his frustration increases, the film’s 3D effects become more pronounced, mirroring his growing psychological imbalance. Finally, he realizes he will simply have to surrender himself to his predicament.
_Subconscious Password_ is a playful and irreverent take on a familiar experience. It may not help you jog your own memory, but it will make you more inclined to forgive yourself for struggling with the dreaded question: “What’s his name? What’s his name?”
In _Subconscious Password_, Oscar-winning director Chris Landreth uses a common social gaffe—forgetting somebody’s name—as the starting point for a mind-bending romp through the unconscious. Inspired by the classic TV game show *Password*, the film features a wealth of animated celebrity guests, plus Charles’s mother and his childhood babysitter, who try (and try, and try) to prompt him to remember his friend’s name. Charles, Landreth’s alter ego, somehow fails to grasp even the most obvious clues. As his frustration increases, the film’s 3D effects become more pronounced, mirroring his growing psychological imbalance. Finally, he realizes he will simply have to surrender himself to his predicament.
_Subconscious Password_ is a playful and irreverent take on a familiar experience. It may not help you jog your own memory, but it will make you more inclined to forgive yourself for struggling with the dreaded question: “What’s his name? What’s his name?”
Chris Landreth (CA) is one of Canada’s most celebrated animation directors, and the creator of a style he calls “psychorealism.” Landreth studied theoretical and applied mechanics before taking up animation. His first short film, _The Listener_, was released in 1991. It was followed by the Oscar-nominated _The End_ (1995) and the Genie winner _Bingo_ (1996). In 2004, the NFB released Landreth’s film _Ryan_, which won more than 60 awards, including the 2005 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Landreth’s animated short _The Spine_ (2009) continued his exploration of the human psyche. It was nominated for a Genie and was named one of Canada’s top ten films of the year by the Toronto International Film Festival. Striking a lighter tone than his earlier films, _Subconscious Password_ continues to demonstrate his remarkable evolution as an artist.