TED Blog

More TED2018 conference shorts to amuse and amaze

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