Age of Sail (Chinese translated as The Age of Sails) is John Kahrs' debut in VR animation, produced by Google Spotlight Stories and premiered at the Venice Film Festival in August 2018.
In January 2019, the film was nominated for the 2019 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. On February 3, 2019, at the 46th American Animation Annie Awards, he won the Award for Best Art Direction (Television Animation/Radio Production).
Set in the early 20th century, Age of Sail tells the story of veteran sailor William Avery (voiced by Ian McShane) drifting alone in the North Atlantic. During the rafting, William meets Lara, a young girl who accidentally falls into the water from a luxury cruise ship.
Pictured: Lara (left) and William Avery (right)
The story unfolds on Avery's galleon.
Old sailors sang old songs on the sailboat and drank white wine. Lara awoke from her slumber and asked the old sailor where he was going.
There was a steamship not far away, but the old sailor had no intention of chasing.
And Lara wanted to go back, and she wanted to catch up with the ship. Persuaded by Lara, the old sailor raised his sails and began to chase the steamship not far away.
Just as the ship was approaching, the old sailor was knocked off the ship by the waves. In order to save the old sailor, Lara changed the direction of the sailboat. Due to the lack of skill, the sailboat was overturned. In order to save Lara, the old sailor was trapped by a rope and fell to the bottom of the sea.
The story ends with the old sailor freed from the ropes and rescued along with the girl Lara.
By this time the world had begun to use new steamships and ocean-going passenger ships, and sailing ships had become old-fashioned. In the VR short film, you will sit side by side with the two protagonists, searching for lost memories, feeling the dangers of the North Atlantic, and experiencing a thrilling and legendary journey.
The elderly captain is difficult to abandon the glory of the past, the cruise ship of the times has passed by, and the sailboat has withdrawn from the important position of the original ocean voyage, but the sailing ship still has strength, although it is sad, but the memory is not lost.
Pictured: Steam cruise vs galleon
Pictured: William Avery