I cannot tell if I like the music or the images more...
This set of 6 animations is a small branding package by Nervo for Zune Creative. The animated set will essentially work as interstitials, which the brand will use at events and other situations where other videos need to be accompanied by the Zune brand.
The brief for this project was quite open, which led us to explore different animation techniques and a more subjective concept. The Zune Creative team granted us a lot of freedom from the start, including creating the music and sound effects. Our approach was to connect various abstract associations to music: from relating it with the pleasure of eating candy (Zune Sweets), to the idea of users communicating and sharing music (Zune Hair), to the idea of tranferring music from one place into another, sharing (Zune Boxes) all the way to the idea of change, adaptation and collage of tastes, personalities, preferences / customization (Zune Liquid & Cages).
Nervo is a design and animation studio based in Portland, Pacific Northwest. Led by owner and Creative Director Nando Costa, the diverse collective of digital artists create filmed and animated artwork for a variety of applications. The studio's wide-range of styles and techniques is influenced by their great interest in analog art.
Not the best animation, but such cute characters and heartwarming message. My good friend Mike "Utah" Warner made this little animated music video. May favorite part is the little puff of smoke coming out of the ship!
MONSTER ROAD is a feature length documentary about the life and work of legendary underground animator Bruce Bickford. Best known for his collaborations with Frank Zappa in the 1970s, Bickford is an international cult figure who has influenced generations of animators while somehow eluding mainstream notoriety. Directed by Brett Ingram, MONSTER ROAD won sixteen awards including "Best Documentary" at the Slamdance Film Festival before a two-year run on Sundance Channel. The new MONSTER ROAD "Collector's Edition" DVD is available, along with Bruce Bickford's animated masterpiece PROMETHEUS' GARDEN, exclusively at www.brettingram.org
I found a bunch of original Looney Tunes cartoons online in their full splendor. I know some folks will think I am old as dirt when I tell you this, but these cartoons are how me and my brother and sisters spent Saturday mornings fighting over the remote.
Speedy Gonzalez was our "Dora The Explorer" - I think Speedy is wayyyy coooler.
AnimBoom is in the final stages of their animated music video contest for Radiohead’s “In Rainbows" album. Voting just opened to determine which of the semifinalists will be presented to Radiohead themselves. From a field of more than 1000 entries, 13 semifinalists have been selected by users and judges from Aniboom.com and Radiohead for the final voting period and a chance of winning the grand prize of $10,000.
I find it interesting that animators went into a steampunk or vintage-y direction with their shorts. Radio head has such a moody sound, I guess it lends itself to these art directions.
Below are MY favorites from the 13 semifinalists. Vote for your favorite here.
Very Pretty, first shot is amazing. This is a great little short, it made ma laugh, it made me whimper a bit...
The walk cycles and movement is really well done in this little film. I wrote a little article on the Thinking Animation website about leads in a walk and how it changes the mindset, attitude and personality of your characters. These guys have mastered "the lead" with all of their characters.
Big Buck Bunny tells the story of a giant rabbit with a heart bigger than himself. When one sunny day three rodents rudely harass him, something snaps... and the rabbit ain't no bunny anymore! In the typical cartoon tradition he prepares the nasty rodents a comical revenge.
As a follow-up to the successful project Orange’s “Elephants Dream”, the Blender Foundation initiated another open movie project. Again a small team (7) of the best 3D artists and developers in the Blender community have been invited to come together to work in Amsterdam from October 2007 until April 2008 on completing a short 3D animation movie. The team members will get a great studio facility and housing in Amsterdam, all travel costs reimbursed, and a fee sufficient to cover all expenses during the period.
The creative concept of “Peach” was completely different as for “Orange”. This time it is “funny and furry”!
The Blender Foundation and Blender community have been the main financiers for Peach. As for the previous open movie, a pre-sale campaign to purchase the DVD set in advance will be organized.
Additional support from sponsors and subsidy funds has been realized as well.
Peach also was the first Open Project hosted by the new Blender Institute in Amsterdam. This will make the project more independent, without much involvement of production partners, and also will ensure continuity.
I never go on a job without this book. Ever new project presents a new set of obstacles. No matter how seasoned you are, the content in this book will help you work out solutions, faster. Especially, when working on a new walk cycle.
I can remember when the Computer Animation festival was a show everyone looked forward too see each year at Siggraph, because it was supposed to be all the best animation completed from the year - student wise and professional.
The past few years it has gotten a bit stale, but this year it looks like some folks have taken the presentation and Siggraph more seriously! It's a tough nut to crack because these days with the Internet many people have seen most of the content out there, but this promo got me excited to go and actually see the festival in the theater this year, instead of ordering the disk and watching at home.
"The Computer Animation Festival is evolving into a full-scale film festival featuring curated and competition screenings; discussion panels with filmmakers, artists, and producers; a full day of 3D panels, presentations, and screenings; and an awards evening celebrating the artists' accomplishments. Events will be held at both the brand new Nokia Theater and at the Los Angeles Convention Center alongside the rest of the conference."
These guys create great animation after great animation. There must be something in the water in France. Supinfocom Cold war spy animation short. Thanks Ira!
Elizabeth Ito's senior year project at Cal Arts. An animated documentary about a family of monsters trying to lead a normal american life. The voices are really her family. This won the Producer's Choice Award in the first Nicktoons Film Festival, was nominated for a Student Academy Award in 2004, and has been in various festivals around the world.
Elizabeth Ito's Sophomore film at Cal Arts
Elizabeth Ito's junior year cal arts film. Mister Monster is born!
I am an animator. I write this blog for other animators and people who love making things move for the BIG - and little screens. I wrote a book on animation in 2006 and started this blog to promote it. Now it's a fun place to put all the inspiring stories, animations and fun that goes on in this business.
My co-author - Jamie Oliff - reads the blog regularly, but is a bit challenged typing on a keyboard...so, he is here in spirit. I cover everything from computer generated animation, VFX, stop motion and even puppets.
This is my spot to put creativity in animation, stop motion, puppets and pretty much anything else find interesting, entertaining and inspiring to artists and animators.
For contact info and a brief bio, click here.
For more on the book, please visit thinkinganimation.
If you like this blog you might like my other blogs?