I’m incredibly excited that DC Turner’s wondrous animation of my large and ranty beat-poem, Storm, has finally been released online.
Two and a half years in the making, it is the result of epic dedication from DC and from the producer, Tracy King, who has driven the whole thing from day 1.
The film was long-listed for an Animated Short Film BAFTA and has played to great acclaim at festivals, but it hasn’t actually been completed til, well… today actually.
Tracy says:
“When we first started Storm we had no idea how big it would become, but it was always our intention that this would be a free film for YouTube, and I’m so proud that that day is finally here. One of the best ways to get people to listen is to give them something to see, and I like to think of Storm as a gateway for ideas as well as a piece of entertainment, which is why we wanted to make this film. The fact that we were still making tiny changes a few hours before it went live is testament to the passion that has gone into the film and the justice we want to do to the source material. While I still maintain the best way to see Storm is to see Tim perform it live, I hope you enjoy our animated version as much as we enjoyed making it.”
Dan says:
“Making Storm has been an exhilarating, terrifying experience, and I am endlessly grateful to everybody who worked on the film.
Now stop reading this and watch the film.”
If you want to learn more about how this all came to be, try here. I hope you love it as much as I do.
xt
139 Comments
David Wegert on 4th of November 2019
I love science, but I am also interested in the paranormal. From my point of view, however, just because something is not scientifically valid does not necessarily make it invalid, at the moment.
Science has a way offering valid solutions to many questions which were formally considered paranormal, an will probably considered so in the future.
I am reminded of Authur C. Clark’s third law ” any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”
Menakshi on 8th of December 2015
That’s 2 clever by half and 2×2 clever 4 me. Thakns!
ANDY on 27th of February 2014
ITS BRILLANT BUT YOU ALL GUYS ARE ATHEOS WTF???
Ronny on 24th of February 2014
The fact that there are things that science has not yet explained does not mean that it cannot explain them; just that there is insufficient evidence (or not yet a good enough theory) for scientific testing to occur. It can also occur if an event is not reproducible, since the scientific method depends on duplication of results. This does not mean that there is no rational, science-based explanation for an event, just that the explanation cannot be formally proven.
Anyone who thinks that science claims to explain everything has not been paying attention.
On the other hand, making up fairy stories to fill in the gaps tells us nothing useful. Science is about seeking explanations that can be independently tested and confirmed, then refining those tests to gain a better explanation for the reality we all observe. Good science also has a way of demonstrating that a theory is false, a feature typically lacking in most “alternative” approaches.
@Mick Arnott: The belief that faith or religion is a prerequisite for wanting a better world and attempting to work towards it is simply mistaken. There are “good” and “bad” people on both sides of the faith/science divide. It’s not difficult to come up with examples.
Mick Arnott on 22nd of January 2014
G’day Tim! Enjoy your raw emotional outbursts, possibly because I enjoy my own… hahahaha! Then again, yours are perhaps longer than mine, and well, better put to music that mine, nevertheless, if I was to (put mine to music), you might enjoy them as much as I enjoy yours… My outbursts, on the contrary, would probably be orientated towards knocking God, Jesus, etc, for a little, because I too get upset with the state of my mind, and hurts, the church, world, etc, which I sometimes/often blame God for. Expressing a scientific understanding of God, as well as realizing the evidence I’ve been feed by other people is sometimes their hurts, just proves their faith in science requires a solid faith in science! Yes! Science can be just as much a misnomer to pure scientists, as faith can be to pure believers, well… if you have discovered pure, that is!! :-) Faith evolves, just as you point out in your poem… If faith is a gift, then perhaps science is too, and like musical talent, it can be developed or lost… Faith, music, science, money, outbursts, all live within our perceptions, but our perceptions live with a greater reality, one we might chose to believe works together for good in our lives, or even works towards knowing God… If I didn’t believe that, then I’d have no hope that my hurt; expressed in my outbursts, subsides through forgiving God, myself, and the whole rest of the human race for the awful things we try to blame God, perhaps neglecting humanity (as a whole) for. Having faith is an opportunity to at least try to live and fix our world towards the better one Jesus, and many great people, before and after, speak of, and well, forgiveness reduces my hurtful outbursts towards God too… <3 Mick
JCM on 15th of September 2013
warmed my heart, unfortunately they don’t realize that they are fuzzy thinkers.
Peter K on 12th of September 2013
The song on the end is “Hot Mama” by Fess Williams.
Brent Powell on 15th of April 2012
I’d love to stay and discuss Tim’s genius,
but to praise him incessantly, I find, would be erroneous.
YES, he’s fantastic, quite critically inclined,
but by any single definition one cannot be defined.
A hundred or more comments I feel should be panned,
for some are quite tiny, irrefutably bland.
No thought given whatsoever, merely a type and a click
before sending it off to forget about it.
But I won’t dwell on those trifles, however obnoxious,
lest the trolls become irate, those lurking foxes.
For instead of leaving some short incendiary
but crude comment, quite ordinary
I’ll be so kind as to leave you with a salute, to all the same.
…
Except for the trolls. To you?
Here’s
THE GAME.
Natalia (Russia) on 3rd of February 2012
“By definition, alternative medicine has either not been proved to work, or been proved not to work. Do you know what they call ‘alternative medicine’ that’s been proved to work? MEDICINE”
“I am a tiny, insignificant, ignorant bit of carbon. I have one life, and it is short and unimportant… But thanks to recent scientific advances I get to live twice as long as my great great great great uncleses and auntses..”
““Life is full of mysteries, yeah. But there are answers out there. And they won’t be found by people sitting around looking serious and saying ‘Isn’t life mysterious?’ ”
Thank you, you formulated and designed it perfectly :)!!!
James on 2nd of September 2011
Thank you for giving me a way to explain to all my friends and family how I feel about their beliefs.
Richard on 31st of May 2011
Very good.
Preaching to the choir here though. (Now where did that term come from? And is it accurate? I think most choirs just go for the singsong. Oh well, you possibly know what I meant.)
Richard on 31st of May 2011
Very good.
Preaching to the choir here though.
Jonathan Mason on 27th of May 2011
Fantastic, thanks.
Juno Gemes on 18th of May 2011
Trivia – why? All this for nothing worthwhile really. Not an idea – just a vacuum , endlessly articulated!
Francis on 6th of May 2011
Awesome! I’d rather be intolerant than ignorant, but I accept that there will always be people who don’t have a head for sense.
Lisa on 6th of May 2011
Why do I get the impression that his has really happened to you….many times.
Alice on 27th of April 2011
Brilliant piece but wow it must be a burden being so intolerant. There will always be people who don’t have a head for science (insert any topic) or acceptance of the status quo. *shrugs* It takes all types right?
Mandy May Fisch on 25th of April 2011
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! I love you man!
Chris on 24th of April 2011
I love Tim’s passionate search for a rational, left-brain explanation for everything…but, mate, there are just too many mysterious and supernatural things happening out there for you ever to be satisfied in your search. Luv ya work!
Martin Svennes, Hamar, Norway on 23rd of April 2011
Ever had people translating your work into other languages. I’ve taken the (time and) liberty of actually translating Storm into rhyming, functional Norwegian, and it’s been a huge success at work and at parties. And don’t worry! I’m not taking credit for it. I rather belive that you are getting quite a lot of Norwegians fans around the place I live! Keep it up Tim! Love your work!!!
Victoria Cox on 21st of April 2011
Love the animated “Storm”–and all other versions. Sure wish you could perform in the Minneapolis area this year. Looks like you could fit in a concert in between Chicago and Oregon. Pretty please?
Marcio Gualtieri on 18th of April 2011
That’s about one of the most significant pieces of work ever produced by an insignificant and unimportant piece of carbon. :)
Robbie on 15th of April 2011
SmotherTeresa just YouTubed you mate (pm)…
Simply giving you my support, respect, admiration and in the same breath… acknowledging you as a strong source of inspiration.
Take care!
xxx
Brewers Wife on 15th of April 2011
I think I know a few ‘Storms’, wish I could find those words. Just great, thanks
Pedro on 13th of April 2011
There’s a Storm living in Byron hinterland who must be the archetype for this film…
Shan Jayaweera on 13th of April 2011
Its a wonderful short film – loved it.
Warbz on 13th of April 2011
Thank you for articulating this so well for all of us who have been unable to do so.
Vernonsgirl on 13th of April 2011
Why is Storm so ….. Sagittarian? Hmmm. Great animation.
Richard on 13th of April 2011
I loved this video, well done!!!! thank you for putting a smile on my face
Nick's Mum on 13th of April 2011
love your work Tim – and v.much enjoyed your SSO performance.
Andy on 13th of April 2011
I forgive people their beliefs. To be a tiny, insignificant, unimportant piece of carbon is overwhelming for many. After having their dreams crushed (a statistical certainty), they go to the grindstone so the piece of carbon they birthed out can also have their dreams crushed… I can understand why people search every corner for a promise for something more to… just… this…
However, they must promise to not try to convert me to their delusion. I have enough entities in my life, seeking my patronage/money.
Great film, by the way. Very stylish, and the facial animations really brought the characters to life. Brilliant work.
anne on 12th of April 2011
Fucking brilliant.
Alex on 12th of April 2011
Actually what I should say is congrat Tim and co. xx
The animation is awesome.
Alex on 12th of April 2011
Wowowowoow….
I am amazed.
Congrats Tim. xx
Hamish on 12th of April 2011
your a legend. and the animation was awesome as well. top effort, you never fail to disappoint :)
NeeNee Newing on 11th of April 2011
I love the scooby doo bit where the guests are the characters. Also well animated and so clever…x
Pati.Feliz on 11th of April 2011
you’re the best :-)
simply brilliant
cazz on 11th of April 2011
all I can say, is its brilliant, I forgot from the ‘Premiere’ just how good it is, i’m just happy now that everyone can see what I was raving about.
Charles S. Love on 11th of April 2011
Please, please tell me the name of the piece of music and band which was played at the end over the credits?
Shannon on 11th of April 2011
Storm is absolutely brilliant. I was only just introduced to your work recently, and wow.. I’m hooked.. from Confessions, to White Wine in the Sun to Storm and all the others in between. Bloody amazing.
Andrej Panjkov on 11th of April 2011
Dear dear Tim,
Thank you for this. Thank you for answering every astrology-believing, homeopathy-believing, etc-believing arsehole.
Max
Craig b on 11th of April 2011
* Incredibly (sigh….see what i mean)
Craig b on 11th of April 2011
You have put into words everything i have been unable to write down for quite some time now and i am incredible grateful for that. Thank you.
James on 10th of April 2011
That is amazing!
morten lindhard on 10th of April 2011
So many applauses that I have to write something yang so you dont loose your grounding and float to heaven. I am an ateist, darwinist etc, but I think too many scientists discount any fenomen that seems to contradict their basic world view- instead of being curious.Many ARE AFRAID TO EVEN SHOW INTEREST IN ODD FENOMENA, and in that way they will never make any real breakthroughs in understanding the world. The very essence of particle physics is the uncertainty. Bells theorem and the experiments to test it done by Alain Aspect forces us to think in dimensions beyound the four known dimensions, but where is the fifth and what does it hold ? Common doctors often refute so called alternative medicine, yet I know countless people who have been helped by it and eventually acupunkture has been more or less accepted- but didnt it work before it got accepted, and does it have to bee understood and explained before it can work ? In that case my pc shouldnt work because I do not understand it ? So your hero is maybe a smuck who thinks he and science knows it all. And the alternative who thinks all that is conventional is wrong is just as much or more to laugh at, which you make us do. So it is fun and refreshing to see a square world view presented with the eloquence of an excellent rap. Fun done.
Beth on 10th of April 2011
Ok Tim, you have officially gotten me into trouble (ok I did it myself) I downloaded “Storm” to my PSP and took it to work to share with all of my coworkers. Unfortunatly I go caught “loitering for at least 10 minutes” Oh well, just another piece of paper in my ever increasing file. Well worth it if you ask me. Everyone loved Storm!!!
Charles S. Love on 10th of April 2011
I really enjoyed “Storm” and thought it was well put togehter and obviously well thought out. The only minor criticism I would make, and that goes for a lot of animation/documentary-type films, is the background music was intrusive and made it difficult to concentrate on the commentary.
Tracy Fitzgerald on 10th of April 2011
Infinitely BRILLIANT!
Vishal on 10th of April 2011
Hilarious! Absolutely loved it!
Jennie on 10th of April 2011
Worth the wait :)))))
Jeimuzu on 9th of April 2011
One of, if not THE best short film I have EVER seen. :)
Richard S on 9th of April 2011
My Saturday night has been ruined by a migraine however now it’s subsided, at 11pm, you’ve sprinkled a little bit of gold on my senses. Thank you, so very much x
Alan on 9th of April 2011
That was rather splendid. I have at various times probably partaken in both belief systems to some extent, and recently I have been re-evaluating most of the beliefs I hold. They seem to be in a position of constant flux, so now I don’t believe in my beliefs I just try to take interest in everything I hear and see. Science is a fantastic system, however it is definitely arguable that many “scientists” are guilty of being dogmatic (and therefore unscientific) in their approach. Similarly democracy seems a good idea in principle, however as in so many aspects of life there is often a dichotomy being the rhetoric and the reality.
Tracey/rm on 9th of April 2011
Wow. Fuck me, that was incredible.
2years, now that’s what I call dedication. I can barley commit to writing this comment… My favorite part of the film is your/Tim’s wife’s facial expressions, bloody hilarious.
How amazing would it be to have this as a backdrop to a live performance? (answer below)
Hats off to all involved in making this. I felt almost guilty watching it as I can never truly appreciate/understand the mammoth amount of work that went into making this, but I enjoyed it immensely.
Tx
Answer: Very
Kristy on 9th of April 2011
absolutely brilliant… worth the long wait.
Terry on 9th of April 2011
Very, very funny. Brilliant animation and awesome lyrical dexterity. Thanks for a great ten minutes of thought provoking laughter.
jane on 9th of April 2011
this is amazing. i’ve been waiting for this movie and i am not disappointed. i think i’m going to share it with all my friends, even though most will get offended cause they’re pretty religious :P
it’s just that good.
Galen on 9th of April 2011
I found Tim’s site recently due to the advice if a friend. The new animated video is simply amazing.
The humor, the animation and the music are perfectly blended into an intensly entertaining introduction to skepticism.
BRAVO!
Chrissy on 8th of April 2011
Nice one Mr Minchin……well said
Jane Malick-Nugent on 8th of April 2011
Love it!!! Such a gift.Thank you for making my life sweeter.
Andy on 8th of April 2011
Just AWESOME dude, LOVE IT
J on 8th of April 2011
It’s ACE mate… you’ve got it all right.
Sini on 8th of April 2011
Well worth waiting for, hubby and I loved it, thanks to all involved!
Sarah Bass on 8th of April 2011
Utterly awesome. However, if you’re thinking of making any more last-minute changes, you might want to insert the missing “r” into “embarrassed”. xxx
Angela on 8th of April 2011
Love the poem, love the video, love you. And Tim: please remember you are far less insignifiant than some of us, because of your incredible talents!
mario on 8th of April 2011
where can we get a trancript?
yaya on 8th of April 2011
It’s great that you made it into a film! “storm” is great. Also loved the animation :)
LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!
Natalie on 8th of April 2011
I stood up and applauded my laptop and by extension the lovely Mr Tim and the team.
a mouse on 8th of April 2011
Great!
ArcherCAP on 8th of April 2011
This is FUCKING GREAT!
Danimal on 8th of April 2011
7.30 in, THAT is exactly what I see in my head when I heard this for the first time.
Beautiful poem, music and art, amazing. Bring on the next tour :)
lovelovelove
Katya LLoyd on 8th of April 2011
Superb ….. love the pace …… I am into alternative medicine ….spirituality …. I am a kind of storm …… no tattoos though … it is so clever …. absolutely hilarious …..Love it!!! Congrats!!!
Marina Stern on 8th of April 2011
Great stuff.
Chris Knox on 8th of April 2011
I love it! you have put what I wish I could put together. I grew up in a puritanical Christian life. Now im 23 been through the army witch shook my believe system. Now im agnostic and thats what i think. Thanks
Julia on 8th of April 2011
Excellent! Could someone please name the song in the closing credits. Thanks.
ferdie b washington on 8th of April 2011
Very entertaining
Atheist MC on 8th of April 2011
Brilliant, well worth the wait
Becca on 8th of April 2011
Wow, that is so cool!
The facial expressions were great and the Scooby Doo bit cracked me up.
So good to finally seeing it :3 Well done!
Victoria on 8th of April 2011
Waiting, waiting, waiting, and now it’s here and worth every second of impatience! It’s BRILLIANT! And I enjoy it more every time I watch it!
Lou on 8th of April 2011
Wonderful wonderful stuff – well worth the wait. Huge congratulations to all those involved. :)
Beth on 8th of April 2011
Wonderful, thank you so much! What a great way to start the weekend.
joe s on 8th of April 2011
I did not want this to end!
Big Yellow Kingswood on 8th of April 2011
Brilliant! Next….
Cynthia Henriquez on 8th of April 2011
I loved it!!
Ryan on 8th of April 2011
Fantastic
Stu on 8th of April 2011
Brilliant! ‘Nuff said!! ;)
Jess mossyrock on 8th of April 2011
I love it. That’s all I can say. Well done on a brilliant video.
Tom on 8th of April 2011
It’s been worth the wait! Love love love this, massive congrats to all involved.
Rune on 8th of April 2011
Brilliant, but The caduceus is mistakenly used as a symbol of medicine. The rod of Asclepius would be correct.
iain on 8th of April 2011
hi this is fantastic is it available for download because i have a crappy internet connection and it won’t run all the way through
Reed Braden on 8th of April 2011
Genius! The long, long wait was totally worth it!
Fraser's Dad on 8th of April 2011
Fantastic work by all involved
KP on 8th of April 2011
Fantastic. I loved hearing the poem in concert – and am thrilled to be able to see it in this wonderfuly animated form. Hooray! What a pleasure to share this with my friends
Pål Dahle on 8th of April 2011
Beginners guide to science. Simply, fabulous!
kristina on 8th of April 2011
it’s wonderful!!!
Jenny on 8th of April 2011
And to think I woke up this morning, feeling quite pissy and grumpy. What a wonderful surprise! Great job. Loved it.
Jeff Thawley on 8th of April 2011
Excellent!!!
Tim Minchin – Storm | Richer Ramblings on 8th of April 2011
[…] Tim Minchin‘s Storm the Animated Movie. Absolutely brilliant stuff, and I agree with all of it! Smart, funny, insightful, witty, and true. The following part made me lol out loud: […]
Matthew McClements on 8th of April 2011
Outstanding work. Really nicely done.
(…but, personally I don’t think the audio-only experience of this modern masterpiece can be improved upon)
Ali on 8th of April 2011
Bravo!
Tonia on 8th of April 2011
“Storm” was the first piece of yours I heard and I thought it was brilliant – now I can watch it too – fantastic!
Josh Bett on 8th of April 2011
Wow! This is the perfect visual juxtaposition for Storm, nice work. I would love to see Mitsubishi Colt next … I can just see it now haha
Mike on 8th of April 2011
I’ve used the definition of “faith” from this in many, many arguments with the evangelicals in my family, as well as some rather dubious online personalities. The truth is inescapable. Funny how it just sticks in your head.
Amanda on 8th of April 2011
Fucking fantastic!
Ella on 8th of April 2011
Absolutely incredible!!
Angela on 8th of April 2011
AWESOME…. such great work…..
Simon Tuck on 8th of April 2011
Absolutely fantastic loved every minute of it! As has already been suggested I T-Shirt of animated Tim would be awesome!
Brian Fileman on 8th of April 2011
Brilliant! As always.
I am not eloquent enough to praise you sufficiently.
SammySatine on 8th of April 2011
This is brilliant! Well done to all those involved.
And of course Thanks to Tim for writing Storm in the first place.
Amities,
SS
Anthony on 8th of April 2011
Absolutely perfect.
Amy on 8th of April 2011
Just brilliant :-)
Helma burk on 8th of April 2011
absolutley great love it
Sparkles on 8th of April 2011
I adored ‘Storm’ before and now it’s just even more superb than it ever was.
Fantastic animation. A thousand congratulations to all involved.
Love it!
lauren on 8th of April 2011
I want a t-shirt of animated Tim :)
Tina on 8th of April 2011
Such an excellent piece of animation to go with a mind plowing piece from Tim. Still blows my mind when I listen to it – and now I have the video to go with it :) I hope this will make a lot of people really think, and I believe it will. Well done Tim and everyone who worked on this for so long x
Sarah on 8th of April 2011
EPIC LEVEL GENIUS!!! Been waiting for this forever and I love it. The animation just brings the whole poem to life.
I especially love that Tim gets dressed as Shaggy!!!
Sethkasketch on 8th of April 2011
YES! Finally! Well done everyone who worked on it ! :D
Michaela on 8th of April 2011
This is great. Very well done to you all! This was worth the wait.
nicky taylor on 8th of April 2011
Thanks tim, as you brave the wrath of the deluded, I am assured that there is a possibility that eventually, reason will prevail and maybe all those with their ridiculously unbelievable beliefs will pull their heads out of their arses and appreciate our universe in all it’s infinite real beauty and almost unfathomable odds of existence.
piskeylovesTim x on 8th of April 2011
Brilliant!!!
well worth the wait and so glad Tims ‘look’ at Sarah after his final rant to Storm was left in.
Well done guys ..now where do we buy the T.shirts???
Elaine (elainepixie) on 8th of April 2011
Great to see the finished product at last. Congratulations to all involved!
Helen Sumner on 8th of April 2011
Fantastic… Very funny. Sarah’s evil looks make me laugh at the end..
Steve Pursglove on 8th of April 2011
A stunning enhancement of a wonderful piece of work – congrats to all concerned!
allan on 8th of April 2011
I just got the tweet and can’t wait no more to see it, great job to all people who make it possible, excellent just excellent, totally worth the wait since june 2010 :D.
Victor Augusto on 8th of April 2011
Fucking epic. Congratulations. Keep the pace, Tim. You’re great, a genius, if I may.
And you have some fans here in Brazil. :D
Sacha on 8th of April 2011
you’re awesome Tim.
I acquired a virus on my brain a few years ago, so life is tough now.
Nearly every day, to pick ourselves up, my husband and I say, Let’s listen to some Tim
PJ on 8th of April 2011
Amazing! Two-and-a-half years to create an artfully rambling ode to the philosophy of naive scientism. And chock full of sweeping generalizations at that!
Well done!
Florenz Buhrke on 8th of April 2011
Superb, you made my day once more. Happy to see how the evolution of “Storm” progressed and imho it all works. Great job. Love it!
Tracy Aplin on 8th of April 2011
No two people will ever think the same there is no doubt and I just LOVE Tim’s words of wisdom. I am an Atheist who does not belief in anything for which there is no scientific proof, but I also like to think of myself as a bit of a Hippy too, not by believing in auras or alternative medicine, but by wanting to live a simple life, free of all the money grabbing enterprises that are destroying our animal life and our Planet. I don’t mind pharmaceutical drugs but why do we need more than one headache pill or cure for piles? I listened to Tim’s words wondering if I in fact lie somewhere in the middle of being a traditionalist and a fundamentalist. I’m so confused!!! But I still love the way you think Tim and more importantly I love the way you show no fear in expressing those thoughts. Keep up the good work and lets see more of this incredible stuff, cause it’s way cool!
Sam Dowle on 8th of April 2011
Love it. I’ve been to dinner parties like that, come to think of it I’ve dealt with one at work. Excellent animation too.
Jaala on 8th of April 2011
love love love love love it! Very stylish. Very clever.Suits the already brilliant work perfectly.
Sarah Edwards on 8th of April 2011
This insignificant, ignorant bit of carbon enjoyed that. Well done guys. :)
JayC on 8th of April 2011
Bin waiting a long time for this. Good work guys!
surfdog on 8th of April 2011
WOOO HOOO!!!!!! way to go!
christina on 8th of April 2011
yay! been waiting for this for ages *squee*
Jayne Marsh on 8th of April 2011
i did not think you could get much better Tim, but you just did!! just brilliant!!..thankyou..x
Yvonne Scott on 8th of April 2011
Love it!
Shirley Peters on 8th of April 2011
Brilliant!!! Congratulations.. love the song… and the style.
Ori on 8th of April 2011
congrats!