The Opposites Game
Each month, we show you a short film that’s moved us beyond the day – meaningful stories that inspire us to pause, think and feel.
A classroom erupts into a war of words as students grapple with a seemingly simple prompt: what is the opposite of a gun?
This short film is based on the poem “The Opposites Game” by Brendan Constantine. The animation for the film was entirely hand-crafted by Anna Samo and Lisa LaBracio, created by drawing in nine hand-painted volumes of Emily Dickinson’s poetry and then brought to life through stop-motion animation.
This film is part of the TED-Ed series, “There’s a Poem for That”, which features animated interpretations of poems both old and new that give language to some of life’s biggest feelings.
“It’s everyone on campus and at the mall, and all the people
Brendan Constantine, “The Opposites Game”
waiting at the hospital. And at the post office. And, yeah,
it’s a flower, too. All the flowers. The whole garden.
The opposite of a gun is wherever you point it.”
A TED-Ed Production
A film by Anna Samo & Lisa LaBracio
A poem by Brendan Constantine
Performed by Brendan Constantine
Animation & Design by Anna Samo and Lisa LaBracio
Sound design by Weston Fonger
Produced by Gerta Xhelo
Associate Producer: Bethany Cutmore-Scott
Editorial Producer: Alex Rosenthal
Executive Creative Director: Logan Smalley
Executive Producer: Stephanie Lo
Producer: Sarah Kay
Special Thanks: Jessica Ruby & Tom Bergmann
