For Shiyoon

  This one's for you Shiyoon! Hey, speaking of Shiyoon everyone should go to his blog and harrass him with compliments ( www.shiyoon.blogspot.com )! He's a super talented guy who doing so great work at Disney, check out his stuff! 

   I have been wanting to get back to doing tutorials. I've covered a lot of animation type stuff and have been thinking about what to cover. I don't feel qualified to talk about design being so new to it-- so i think I am going to animate a shot from start to finish again. I always learned the most from watching other people do things THEIR way, and then was able to adapt their ideas to how I naturally work. So I think I am gonna animate a little shot, sound good?

  This is another design from Curious George 2. This was done pretty early in the process for me, so I was still finding the balance between graphic shape and form. I think I went a wee bit too graphic, but ah well. I had fun drawing it!

1-21-08

  On the occassion of my first day off from Curious George 2 I thought I'd post a little design I did for the film. I didn't get to do any of the lead characters as they were all done before I got on the film.  This guy is one sort of a secondary type, not quite an extra or anything. 

  The film was a good experience for me. I've only ever really animated, some of what I did at Laika involved design but not to this extent. This film was kinda like designing with training wheels on. I've never been impressed with my own drawing ability, so this was a little scary but it's not like I had to invent the shape language or anything. Like  I said, I just had to follow what Shane and Shannon so eloquently set up. I guess it was really more of a matter of living up to what they did, and also somehow getting everything past our creative executive. Not an easy challenge... can someone tell me why people with business degree's insist they know how to make films? I don't get it--

  So what's next? Who knows, hopefully something involving animation for a change!

P.S If anyone care's I've finally started updating my portfolio and reel blog. Click HERE to check it out, it's still being updated but it'll give you a little taste of things!

The Princess and the Frog

  Just in case you hadn't seen this yet, a little sneak peak at the "Princess and the Frog"-- I remember when I was a kid, my parents owned stock in the Disney Company and every year I'd beat my dad to the mail box for the "annual report" magazine they printed. It would typically sit in my lap, opened, during history as I pretended to look down and "read" the assignment. Ahhh memories!

  I've only seen bit's here and there from the film-- I know they are going for a very classical Disney look ala "Lady and the Tramp". I know very little about the story-- it just has to be great, no if, ands, or buts... too much is riding on this film for it to be "so so". 

  The funny thing is a lot of people outside of animation, I have observed, have been making a lot of comments like "why don't they do another "Beauty and the Beast" type film?"  or, "when is Disney going to do another fairytale?" Now, I'd be the first to say I'd LOVE to see animation, especially at Disney breaks down some content walls, but fantasy films are a major part of their heritage and I'd love to think this film will be a straight forward homage to that heritage. Time will tell I suppose... here's hopin'!

Lil' creative ramblings

  Just some creative ramblings, truly rough and raw-- sometimes it's just fun to let your pencil wander ya know? Especially when no one is expecting anything from you or has given you specific direction. Lately our "creative" executive at work has just been taking an oozie to all our good ideas. Sorta kill's your enthusiasm for a film or at least for giving 130% (if your not careful that is), although the crew has been a lot of fun to work with. I'm gonna miss those people come 2 weeks, but hopefully will be moving on more animating!

Speaking of animating I've always wanted to animate a little opening and closing bit for my reel, and I think I have a fun little (simple) idea with these characters. Maybe it'll give me a good excuse to animate again! Mannn, I HATE not animating-- woah, emotional outburst. Anyway, if life allows perhaps you'll be seeing some more animation on this blog fairly soon! Cheers!