"Flow," an animated short film created using the open-source software Blender, won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film at the 2025 Academy Awards. This marks a significant milestone, being the first Oscar win for a film primarily produced using Blender. The film, directed by an unknown director, explores themes of environmentalism and the interconnectedness of nature as it tells the story of a plastic bottle's journey through a polluted waterway.
This interactive model demonstrates how groundwater flows through different types of soil and rock (aquifers and aquitards) under the influence of gravity and pressure. Users can manipulate the water table level, add wells, and change the permeability of different geological layers to observe how these factors affect groundwater flow rate and direction. The model visually represents Darcy's law, showing how water moves from areas of high hydraulic head (pressure) to areas of low hydraulic head, and how permeability influences the speed of this movement. It also illustrates the cone of depression that forms around pumping wells, demonstrating how over-pumping can lower the water table and potentially impact nearby wells.
HN users generally praised the interactive visualization for its clarity and educational value, finding it a helpful tool for understanding complex groundwater concepts like Darcy's law and hydraulic conductivity. Several commenters appreciated the simplicity and focus of the visualization, contrasting it favorably with more cluttered or less intuitive resources. Some suggested improvements, including adding units to the displayed values and incorporating more advanced concepts like anisotropy. One user pointed out the tool's relevance to geothermal heating/cooling system design, while another noted its potential applications in understanding contaminant transport. A few commenters offered additional resources, such as real-world examples of groundwater modeling and alternative interactive tools.
Summary of Comments ( 119 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43237273
HN commenters were impressed with the technical achievement of Flow winning an Oscar, particularly given its creation using Blender, a free and open-source software. Several pointed out the democratizing effect this has on animation, making high-quality production more accessible. Some debated the film's artistic merits separately from its technical ones, with some finding it derivative of Pixar while others praised its unique style. A few commenters speculated on the future impact of this win, predicting an increase in Blender's adoption and potentially a shift in the animation industry towards more open-source tools. There was also discussion about the challenges of using Blender for large-scale productions, with some noting the need for robust pipeline tools and experienced users.
The Hacker News post "Blender-made movie Flow takes Oscar" (linking to a Reuters article about the animated short film "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse" winning the Oscar) has a modest number of comments, focusing on the significance of Blender's role in the film's creation.
Several commenters celebrate Blender's increasing prominence in professional animation, highlighting it as a free and open-source success story. They point out that a major award like an Oscar validates Blender as a legitimate tool capable of producing high-quality work, potentially encouraging more studios and artists to adopt it. This is contrasted with proprietary software often seen as cost-prohibitive, especially for smaller studios or independent creators.
Some comments delve into the technical aspects, mentioning specific Blender features or discussing the pipeline used in the film's production. One commenter mentions the impressive fur rendering, speculating about the techniques employed. Another highlights the film's unique visual style, emphasizing that it doesn't look like typical CGI, which they see as a positive.
There's a discussion around the implications for the animation industry. Some believe this win could be a turning point, leading to wider Blender adoption and potentially disrupting the dominance of established commercial software. Others express cautious optimism, acknowledging the significance but suggesting it's too early to predict a major shift.
A few commenters correct the title of the post, pointing out that the Oscar-winning film is "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse," not "Flow." They also clarify that while Blender was used extensively in the film's production, other tools were also likely involved. One commenter mentions the use of Apple hardware, specifically.
Overall, the comments reflect a sense of excitement and pride within the Blender community and a broader recognition of the software's growing importance in the animation world. They express hope for increased accessibility and innovation within the industry thanks to open-source tools like Blender.