HAPPY NEW YEAR...

COGS,

Welcome to 2010.  So what's your new year's stop-mo resolution?  

For myself, I have a personal project that's been in the works for over 5 years now, and has had it's ups and downs with a couple of failed take-offs.  However, this year, I am joining the rest of you out there making your own movies on your own dime.  Puppet production is underway, story and script are getting ironed out, and with any luck, there may even be some animating this year... but not likely.  I'm still on the fence about posting production photos of this project.  If I do, that may be an entirely separate blog to maintain.  Machine IN Use is still more of a news and what's out there vehicle.  

So let's start.

First off, take a trip on over to IndieGoGo for a look at Justin and Shel Rasch's work on their new movie, The Line.  This website allows you to help fund their movie while giving you serious credit and swag.   

http://www.indiegogo.com/LINE?account_id=10460&iggref=invt&key=oAg3wrxJ

Secondly, have you had a chance to check out the Making of Fantastic Mr. Fox yet?  Visually, this is an incredible book.  There's plenty of concept art and pics of puppets.  I found the text to be minimal since it was limited to interviews and captions, but the cool part was the e-mails they had of Wes Anderson to the animators, DP's, or whomever else he was giving feedback to.  I thought this was really interesting because you get to see what the actual dialogue was.  

In related news to Mr. Fox, check out this site for some really awesome concept art.

http://criscoh.xanga.com/

On a final note, my blogging has been spotty this past year, and I'm giving you warning that it's going to continue that way as I have a lot of work planned ahead as well as a possible website redesign.  So check in when you can and hopefully I'll have something posted for you

COGS,

 Welcome to another crammed pack blog post.  I hadn't realized how long it's been since the last post until an intern at Buddy System Studios started nagging me about updating the blog.  So let's get to it.

                                                 
Part 1, IN THE FALL OF GRAVITY

First off, I want to start with a long overdue review and thanks.  I got my hands on a copy of R.S. Cole's movie "In The Fall Of Gravity".  This short film was the Winner of the 'Best Animation Short' at the New York International Film Festival in 2008, and is most deserving of it.  For most of you reading this, you've probably come across "In the Fall of Gravity", or clips of it, just by surfing the stop-motion websites that are out there.  I have this nagging memory of first seeing bits of it when stopmoshorts was around.  Sound correct?  Anyway, the great thing about dvds are the bonus features.  I absolutely love the 'behind the scenes' materials from "In the Fall of Gravity" because of intimacy of it all.  And I think the amazing thing is to finally see in detail the wire control rig that Mr. Cole built to animate his puppets.

If you haven't seen this movie, then search it out.  It's required viewing material.

Time for a short intermission, and special note...  

 Recently there have been some anonymous comment posting on my blog that have turned out to be advertisements for 'get rich quick' at home jobs, or for prescription medications for E.D. or Heart Care.  I do not support these comments, or endorse them in any way, and if they have effect the readers of this blog in any way I am sincerely sorry.  

Part 2.  I READ IT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO.

 That's right boys and gals, I've delved into the pages of yet 'another' book focusing on the animation industry.  This month's read was "Drawing the Line" by Tom Sito.

                                            

Drawing the Line is historical documentation of the rise of the Animation Union(s) told by a former Union President.  I have to add in the Union President to that sentence because it truly affects the way the book is written and presented.  This is not to say that the point of view presented is wrong, but simply put, it's completely one sided.  Disney, Warner Bros., Hanna-Barbara, etc. are all named in this book as villains for their poor salaries and broken promises of bonuses.  I'm all for animation unions and I'm grateful for what they have done for us, but the anecdote after anecdote after anecdote after anecdote, followed up by extreme union POV recap made this a hard pill to swallow.  I'm completely torn on this book.  The information is wonderful, and I really believe that the author was sincere in his tellings, but maybe it was too personal a subject for the book to be meant for all.  I imagine that there a lot you out there who will disagree with me, and think that this book is absolutely astonishing.  I won't argue the point with you because it's completely valid.  All I can say is, if you are truly interested in being an animation professional, you should read this book.  But if you can't make it through, memorize the table of contents, leave the book on a shelf where everyone can see it, and talk about how the animation strike at Disney was the great Civil War of animation and forever defined our workplace.  My apologies and gratitude to Mr. Sito.

Part 3. Blog of Interest. 

I have a friend who sent me a link to a blog that revolves around the production of a stop-motion feature film being animated in Brazil.  I just received this today and haven't had the time to truly go in-depth, but just by skimming it, it looks really fun.  Check it out and send me any feedback you might have.

http://www.minhocasofilme.com.br/index.php?lang=ing

Part 4. Required Reading.

I originally graduated from Art Center with a degree in Illustration, so I have some drawing skills and occasionally take on side work which usually involves storyboards.  This is one of the most beneficial tools to anyone making a movie, especially stop-motion.  Storyboards allow you to pre-plan out your actions and make critical decisions in your story.  I realize I may be preaching to the choir, but this is one of those topics that is fundamental and can never be overstated.  Last week I was at a bookstore and noticed that there were about 4 different copies of books devoted to the topic of 'How to Storyboard'.  I've seen them all before, and own a couple of them, but the one that stands out the best is Don Bluth's.  Even if you don't read the book, the pictures can carry you through it.  Agree?  Disagree? Let me know.  

Part 5, The End

 Ending the blog entry today, I want to say thanks for reading and commenting.  Also, I've added quite a few links to the blog.  If you get a chance, check them out.  If you have a link that you don't see up there, drop me a line and I'll add it.  Also, current debates rage over Coraline vs. The Fantastic Mr. Fox.  Which side of the fence do you drop on?  For me, they're both great, but The Fantastic Mr. Fox promises to have a way cooler 'Making of' book than the Coraline visual companion, so I'm jaded.  Finally, for all of you out there working on you own projects, keep up the great work.

Pete Levin Films

So the drought has ended and I'm posting once again.  Today's topic is long overdue.  I would like to introduce you to Pete Levin.  For those of us in the Los Angeles area, his name may sound familiar because he's worked everywhere with just about everyone.  Shadow.  Screen.  Buddy.  Chiodo Bros.  You name it, he's probably been there.  Well, things have progressed, and Pete has finally put up a website showcasing his Stop-Motion Animation Skills, among other things.  As far as sites go, it's super clean and easy to navigate. 

Check it out at petelevinfilms.com

As a side note, earlier this year I was working on a spec commercial for sour skittles and I brought in Pete to help me finish it out by animating it.  Post production has ended and currently the spot can only be seen on Pete's website.  Not that you need extra motivation to explore, but in the news section Pete has put up some extras as well.  Animatic and time-lapse goodness.  

PUNK ROCK THEORY REVISITED!

What are you doing, and why are you doing it?

Last week I had a deep moment of thought around 3 in the morning, and came to the conclusion that I have veered off course.  I'm not talking a total 360 turnaround, but just a slight shift and realized I had to hit the brakes and backtrack.  As ominous as this sounds, it's really not.  Like all of you out there, I have a personal project that I'm working on.  For me, I've been living with this story for the better part of a decade.  The deep moment of thought I'm talking about was a break in writer's block.  Now that I'm back on track and locked in the story line, I have some serious ground to make up with deciding what my priorities are.  Hence, the revisit to the Punk Rock Theory... What am I doing and why am I doing it?  

What this means for you as a reader?  Keep up with the blog, but don't be surprised if there are long periods of time in between posts.  I'll do my best to share my opinions of the current stop-motion news, but I have higher priorities to deal with first.  

By the way, now that I'm looking at one of my earlier posts, how OBVIOUS is it that Tim Burton is doing a version of Alice In Wonderland?  

Shadowplay

COGS,

 A couple of days ago was the 64 year anniversary of the A-bomb dropped on Hiroshima.  In memory of the event, filmmaker Dan Blank created a stop-motion movie titled SHADOWPLAY.  The movie plays with the concept of indellible shadows cast on the walls of the buildings from the people caught in the blast, which has a really powerful feeling to it.  I think this is a really good movie for the story it has to tell, and overall production quality to it.  Check it out for yourself and see what you think.

http://www.vimeo.com/5787858

follow this link the the movie on Vimeo.

YouTube Cornicopia

COGS, it is what it is. Enjoyable.  

To see the Alice Trailer, follow the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjMkNrX60mA

Buddy Systems News

What is up COGS?  And a very exciting monday to you all.  So last month was chock full of events at Buddy Systems.  For starters, I finished my armature.  I now have a really cool piece of sculpture to put on display.  I had become impatient, and over drilled some of my 'already-too-thin' brass plates, thus the armature doesn't actually hold it's shape.  Or at least, it wouldn't if I were to actually build the puppet I had in mind for it.  Still, for my first time, I consider it an overall success.  Ethan Marak has lent me his Tom Brierton book on machining armatures for stop motion, so I now have a reference for using a mini lathe and steel.  We'll see if I get there, but not yet because other projects have come up.  

In other news, Jenny Towner has left Buddy Systems to travel her great home state of Colorado.  This is probably the worst picture I could post since her back is turned to us, but somehow, I don't think she would have it any other way.  In all seriousness, Jenny was the one who ran the day to day operation at Buddy Systems, and most importantly, got me my paychecks.  With one last move of greatness, Jenny has brought us Mario (far right) as a replacement.  He is living up to his role, and helping Buddy Systems quite amazingly.  We have also lost our intern, Lauren, who had to return to college to finish her masters in puppetry.  Although, she assures us that she loved it out here in California, and will return upon graduation.  And as one intern leaves, another arrives to fill in.  A new girl by the name of Vanessa has joined the Buddy team.  Welcome Aboard!

And finally, on a final thought of final-ness, the one and only Justin Rasch stopped by for a quick tour and lunch.  Justin was awesome, and I could see him totally fitting in at Buddy Systems.  Alas, that day may be far off, because of his own great project he's working on with his wife Shel.  By the way, I got the invite to go help out on some painting detail.  With some upcoming 'downtime', I'll have to swing by and see how things are progressing.  

Now that you're all caught up, my job is done, and I am out.

A little off, but making Progress

COGS,

 Yesterday was a huge day.  HUGE.  I took that leap into fabricating my own armatures.  It's been something that I've wanted to try for a long time, so last weekend I took a trip to the hardware store and hobby shop for supplies.  The rest of the week, I spent my free time reviewing the 'how to' stuff on www.stopmotionworks.com, and getting advice from a few people that have made their own armatures.  Thanks Lionel and Jeremy.  When Friday rolled around, I headed over to Buddy System Studios, where they let me work and use some select power tools.  I also wanted to say thanks to Ethan Marak for leaving his pre-drilled vice for holding ball bearings at the shop.  Thanks Ethan.  

I'm using brass because it's seems like a good starting metal to work with.  

After getting everything set up, I filed, center-punched, and drilled the balls.  Lesson learned... from now on, buy pre-tapped balls.  This will save time AND make sure every hole is drilled straight.  To see how not to do it, just look at the photos. Ha!  

Once I tapped the balls, I soldered them onto round stock.  I have to admit that this step is what intimidated me the most, but once I tried it, it was super fun.  And a lot less stressful than I built it up to be.  For soldering, I used a mini butane torch.  It's basically a giant lighter.  Next was the brass plates.  I measured, etched and drilled the plates, tapped screw holes, and counter sunk ball holes.  I took about 15 minutes to grind and polish the plates, and then assembled the completed joints.

When everything was completed, it all worked pretty well, but definitely not perfect.  I'm also experimenting with various screw types for tensioning.  For these joints, I counter-sinked the screw hole.  I'm probably going to avoid this in the future to save time on work as well as keeping as much of the metal there for me to ratchet down on.  From my character design, you can see that Karl is a bit plump, so I'm working on adding grip points for animating.  Keep in touch for updates.  Till then, enjoy. 

Ethan Marak's a hero... Guitar Hero DS that is!

COGS,  

Just recently, Ethan Marak finished a spec commercial for the Nintendo DS version of Guitar Hero, and I have to say, the spot looks amazing.  But don't take my word for it, watch it for yourself.  

http://www.buddysystemstudios.com/GH_SPEC/GH_Spec.mov

This film was entirely conceived by Ethan, and very well co-ordinated and produced.  Quite a few people were utilized in the production process, check out the end credits for details.  If you go back in time on my blog, search out Ehan Marak Interview.  Ethan was working on his DS spot, so you'll see some behind the scenes action.  For further info, check out Ethan's Blog, Angry Puppet Films.  

http://www.angrypuppetfilms.com/

Awesome Animation

Cogs,

 My friend sent me this link to a FuelTv animation called Looking Thru the B-sides.  It has such a mix of styles while still being well thought out and cohesive.  Take a gander and give feedback, cause I'm opening up a dialogue.  Look for a more in-depth review of this animation once my brain processes it.

http://www.saimanchow.com/mo/bsides_mov.html