Pako Bagur showreel
My ex-classmate Pako Bagur just uploaded his work from “Planet 51”.
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/9207163[/vimeo]
He also redesigned his website which looks really cool! Check it out!
Related post:
Eduardo Martin Julve showreel
Category: Animation
Animation progress reels
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELfmeF2i42g&feature=player_embedded#[/youtube]
If you are addicted to animation progress reels. Check that website out.
Andrei has collected loads of them on his website
This reminds me that I still haven’t seen “Planet 51” or even bought the “Art of book” yet!!!
“the Dover boys”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpOPyjmB8SI[/youtube]
according to Wikipedia, this is where it all started
The Dover Boys is notable for being one of the earliest examples of stylized animation, a technique which used shape-heavy designs with minimal movement, as opposed to the type of animation done at that time by the Walt Disney studio. In addition, the short is among the earliest Schlesinger/Warner Bros. cartoons to utilize “smear” animation, where characters move with sudden bursts of speed depicted with only a frame or two of a smeared image between two extreme poses. Jones would go on to use similar animation techniques in later cartoons he directed starring Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Stylized animation would later be made famous by the artists at startup animation studio UPA, for which Jones moonlighted to direct the political film Hell-Bent for Election in 1944.
Top 50 greatest cartoons Have you seen them all? Looks like I will have to do some research…
the “Motion Capture animation style”
I have had a very healthy Facebook conversation on animation style with my friend Samy for the past few days and we were trying to define the Animation Mentor style and compare it with other style of animation.
Personally I love all animation styles, and Michael Dudok de Wit throughout his work encapsulated the whole range of styles I respond to. From the abstract “The Aroma of tea” to the over the top oscar nominated “The fish and the monk” through the delicate “Father and daughter”.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9abaZwPNLA[/youtube]
I love all animation style but one style I have a problem with is the “motion capture style”. I am definitely not a big fan of motion capture but what I want to talk about today is something a bit different.
You might have come across shots that were so well animated that they looked well … “motion captured”. Shot that were keyframed but looked so real that they looked like they were captured by computers.
The motion capture look is perfect when you work in VFX and want to blend the CG animation with “live plates” but it is not so great when you work with cartoony characters.
My friend Tomas posted a great animation on his blog sometime ago. A shot that really impressed me for someone who just graduated from Animation school but I felt that something wasn’t quite right. I wasn’t able to tell him what to improve until my ex mentor Kevin Koch, recorded a very enlightening eCritique for my friend Nedy’s February “11 second club” winning entry.
What he is suggesting Nedy to get rid of that motion capture feel is to simply push the poses and timing.
Check this out
Wacom settings
My friend Patrick asked me about my wacom settings but I tend to use my Intuos3 less and less those days I must admit.
First it takes a lot of desk space and forces you to move the keyboard way too far back for good typing position, second I suffer from RSI as much with the wacom than with the standard issued Microsoft mouse (as long as you keep your wrist in a natural position and not flat) and third ….. I find it fairly imprecise especially when used with 2 screens so once in a while I drag and drop a folder into an other one by mistake. Yes I could get a widescreen tablet but come on, what is the point of having a nice dark solid oak desk if you can’t see it anymore!
Ah and I also have my conspiration theory!!! How safe is it to have a Wacom radio emitter radiating through your hand and forearm all day? Any research on that?!
Related post:
Animation hotkeys
“Shower power” short film
I just realized that I never featured my friend and (ex)coworker Dan Carrey!!!
Here is his short film. “Shower Power”
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/9982267[/vimeo]
You will also find Dan’s showreel on his website
http://www.bluepencil.org.uk/DanCareyShowreel09.mov
We definitely had a bunch of top animators at Rare. Here is also Peer Lemmers showreel if you didn’t know his work:
http://www.chicop-animation.com/demoreel.htm
My current animation lead, Neil Parkinson, is also a very inspiring animator/modeler/rigger/concept artist. Don’t be surprised about the crazy amount of skills, all my coworkers are Jacks of all trades at EA which can be a bit overwhelming sometimes.
Neil is currently finishing rendering his short film so in the meantime check out his reel:
http://www.neilparkinson.com/
Well while I am at it. I think I should also feature our local concept artist Burt Ross. Ross is a crazy Scottish guy who can be pretty loud when he plays Fifa at lunch. He also happens to be really talented at what he does, namely Concept art and Storyboards.
Ross is also the creator of the Astrofunk comics. Number 2 just came out by the way!
Check out his blog:
http://rossburt.blogspot.com/
Ok, that’s it for today but I will soon create a new post feature the other crazy artists surrounding me.
“Despicable Me” 4th trailer
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSAuxfx4Z7g[/youtube]
Here we go, they just released a new “Despicable Me” trailer. The previous three seemed completely disconnected but that new one is finally helping to understand what the movie is about.
Watching that new trailer the first time, I wasn’t too excited at the sight of the three kids but the “Does this count as annoying?” sold me. It is just hilarious!!!!
Yes “Despicable Me” looks exactly like the “Incredibles” or even “Astroboy” in term of rendering but the acting in some of the shots is soooo inspired and inspiring, I just can’t believe it.
“Does this count as annoying?” says the little girl. Where the hell did they get this from??? I have never seen a kid do that but I believe a kid could actually do it.
And that other “Now make them drink the milk” shot. Where is this coming from again!!! Man I am not too fussy and I don’t mind seeing the same kind of gags over and over in animated features but when you get pure gems like those two, you can only stand in awe and wish you came up with them! This is definitely the opposite of cliché.
Too bad we can’t get any behind the scenes. Universal should have a look at how Dreamworks is promoting “How to train your dragon” and learn from it instead of keeping everything secret.
Anyway this movie looks really funny and I can’t wait to see it!
“It is soooo fluffy!”
Related posts:
“Despicable me” third trailer
“Despicable me” first trailer
Tom Fluharty Chiustream
man one more amazing Chiustream interview with Oil Painter Tom Fluharty.
I never expected to hear about Rembrandt, cad reds and ultramarine on the Chiustream but yeah, they did!!!
I had never head about Tom Fluharty previously but Tom is once again a crazy inspiring artists.
“You make want to break out the oil paints and start painting right now” says Bobby. I definitely agree!
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/5570014
Interesting is also seem to be suffering from RSI like “Cheeks”.
Chiustream Interviews
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/8716115[/vimeo]
If like me you are a TV addict and naively switch it on for dinner to find yourself still watching “Commando” at 2am then you need to change your habits.
At the moment, the best remedy I found is to watch Bobby Chiu’s “Chiustreams” interview. The great thing about those is that they are related to the animation industry but more than anything, he has been interviewing some very very inspiring artists from day 1!
The one I was watching this morning is with Kris Pearn, a Sheridan graduates currently working as a story board artist in the Feature animation industry after working for many years in TV. If anyone is interested in Storyboarding, you will find this very interesting. He explains a lot about how you get into the job of story board artist, what it implies to work with outsourcing studios, the difference between TV and Feature, being a Jack of all trades…
Anyway that one is great
http://chiustream.blogspot.com/2010/01/kris-pearn-interview-by-bobby-chiu.html
and here is his blog