By Grace Madover
I am Odd began as a poem written by a 10 year old autistic boy, Ben Giroux. The poem went viral and inspired producer Mike Connaris to turn it into a song and eventually a video. The poem is about Ben’s life as an autistic boy, feeling out of place and different around other kids his age. Rory Russell, a 20 year old student animator, was commissioned to create an animated 2D music video to complement the song’s message.
The song is upbeat and has a positive, catchy tone to it. The artistic decision was made to produce the video in black and white to represent the sadness the boy was feeling. Once the boy accepts himself and discovers other kids like him, the video transitions to color to illustrate the transformation of the boy’s feelings about himself. The transition to color is a great addition to the already powerful message of the lyrics. This video has a strong message for all kids to treat everyone the same. I really enjoyed this video because it gave me a different perspective on what kids with autism may feel and go through in social settings. I think this film is important for people of all ages to watch in order to understand how autistic kids feel, when treated differently.
I rate this film 5 out of 5 stars.
Grace Madover is a senior at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is majoring in Communications and minoring in Leadership. She is a Communications Intern at CMRubinWorld working with our website and social media accounts. Besides film and writing, her interests include reading, cycling, and baking.
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