Even in the Age of Amazement, sometimes you need a break between talks packed with fascinating science, tech, art and so much more. That’s where interstitials come in: short videos that entertain and intrigue, while allowing the brain a moment to reset and ready itself to absorb more information.
For this year’s conference, TED commissioned and premiered four short films made just for the conference. Check out those films here!
Mixed in with our originals, curators Anyssa Samari and Jonathan Wells hand-picked even more videos — animations, music, even cool ads — to play throughout the week. Here’s the program of shorts they found, from creative people all around the world:
The short: Jane Zhang: “Dust My Shoulders Off.” A woman having a bad day is transported to a world of famous paintings where she has a fantastic adventure.
The creator: Outerspace Leo
Shown during: Session 2, After the end of history …
The short: “zoom(art).” A kaleidoscopic, visually compelling journey of artificial intelligence creating beautiful works of art.
The creator: Directed and programmed by Alexander Mordvintsev, Google Research
Shown during: Session 2, After the end of history …
The short: “20syl – Kodama.” A music video of several hands playing multiple instruments (and drawing a picture) simultaneously to create a truly delicious electronic beat.
The creators: Mathieu Le Dude & 20syl
Shown during: Session 3, Nerdish Delight
The short: “If HAL-9000 was Alexa.” 2001: A Space Odyssey seems a lot less sinister (and lot more funny) when Alexa can’t quite figure out what Dave is saying.
The creator: ScreenJunkies
Shown during: Session 3, Nerdish Delight
The short: “Maxine the Fluffy Corgi.” A narrated day in the life of an adorable pup named Maxine who knows what she wants.
The creator: Bryan Reisberg
Shown during: Session 3, Nerdish Delight
The short: “RGB FOREST.” An imaginative, colorful and geometric jaunt through the woods set to jazzy electronic music.
The creator: LOROCROM
Shown during: Session 6, What on earth do we do?
The short: “High Speed Hummingbirds.” Here’s your chance to watch the beauty and grace of hummingbirds in breathtaking slow motion.
The creator: Anand Varma
Shown during: Session 6, What on earth do we do?
The short: “Cassius ft. Cat Power & Pharrell Williams | Go Up.” A split screen music video that cleverly subverts and combines versions of reality.
The creator: Alex Courtès
Shown during: Session 7, Wow. Just wow.
The short: “Blobby.” A stop motion film about a man and a blob and the peculiar relationship they share.
The creator: Laura Stewart
Shown during: Session 7, Wow. Just wow.
The short: “WHO.” David Byrne and St. Vincent dance and sing in this black-and-white music video about accidents and consequences.
The creator: Martin de Thurah
Shown during: Session 8, Insanity. Humanity.
The short: “MAKIN’ MOVES.” When music makes the body move in unnatural, impossible ways.
The creator: Kouhei Nakama
Shown during: Session 9, Body electric
The short: “The Art of Flying.” The beautiful displays the Common Starling performs in nature.
The creator: Jan van IJken
Shown during: Session 9, Body electric
The short: “Kiss & Cry.” The heart-rending story of Giselle, a woman who lives and loves and wants to be loved. (You’ll never guess who plays the heroine.)
The creators: Jaco Van Dormael and choreographer Michèle Anne De Mey
Shown during: Session 10, Personally speaking
The short: “Becoming Violet.” The power of the human body, in colors and dance.
The creator: Steven Weinzierl
Shown during: Session 10, Personally speaking
The short: “Golden Castle Town.” A woman is transported to another world and learns to appreciate life anew.
The creator: Andrew Benincasa
Shown during: Session 10, Personally speaking
The short: “Tom Rosenthal | Cos Love.” A love letter to love that is grand and a bit melacholic.
The creator: Kathrin Steinbacher
Shown during: Session 11, What matters