2012

Character Sundays: Dogbert

Animation /

Via: Panels on Pages

Way, way back in the late 1990s, I remember the Dilbert animated show being on TV in Ireland. The schedule was erratic and I don’t believe anything after the first season was ever shown. Nonetheless, I found it to be an extremely funny show with a great cast of characters. one of whom we will look at today: Dogbert

Dogbert is Dilbert’s pet dog, but he is so in only the most symbolic sense. Dogbert is driven and power-hungry. He is always up to something and it always seems to involve controlling people. Buying laws in Congress to enact Dogbert Day? Check. Gaining control of Dilbert’s company? Check.

On a basic level, he is an anti-hero. He does what he wants and is willing to let others do the tough work for him. Dilbert is often at the sharp end of this, but Dogbert is shown time and again as looking out for his owner and often helping him in inadvertent ways (such as blasting him with a laser cannon just so that he would put an approved stamp on his own machine).

Within the TV series, Dogbert adds a dose of reality and rationalism to an otherwise crazy universe, even if it is for his own personal gain. He doesn’t display a lot of emotion beyond wagging his tail when happy, but this simply elevates the fun, as everyone else around him engages in hyper-emotional ways.

As a character, Dogbert is not overly complex, but he does act as a catalyst to deepen an otherwise shallow cast of characters who inhabit the rest of the show’s universe.

 

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How Animated Films Were Made In 1940

Animation /

With much thanks to Mike Lynch for posting this the other day.

What you see below is a pseudo-commercial/training film produced by “Cartoon Films, Inc.” for the purposes of showcasing the latest engine technology. In reality, it was Jam Handy of Detroit who produced the film, and although there is much mechanical detail, there is also a good overview of how animated films were made in 1940.

Of course it’s not Disney-esque in stature, but it does give a good account of what many smaller studios that churned out shorts and commercials would have been like. It’s astonishing to think that such an operation has been entirely replaced by the computer!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlWl2dXUCF8

 

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Dan Santat on Breaking Into The Business

Animation /

Dan Santat is a cool guy. Besides creating the Disney show The Replacements, he’s also a full-time illustrator with many books (both personal and c-created) to his credit. He recently talked with Rob Sander’s over at the Picture This! blog about his creative process and how he got his start in the business. Here’s the really important part:

Rob: What three things have you learned that illustrators breaking into the picture book biz need to know?

Dan: First of all, I have to start off by saying is that I hate networking and meeting art directors and trying to solicit my work. Personally, that experience for me feels like it’s less about wanting to get to know someone and more about trying to get something from someone for work and the whole experience feels insincere. I took the route of trying to expose myself as much as possible on the internet. Share your work with every site you can, and be consistent. So, my first piece of advice would be that if you’re not working on a paying job then just keep working to grow your presence on the internet. Just keep making art and be consistent about it. It’s that simple.
Second, you should share that work. Post it on your blog or Tumblr account be consistent about posting something every week. It’s the consistency as much as the quality of the work that keeps people coming back to see what you’re doing.
Third, I would advise a person to really focus on their art not for the sake of making a buck, but instead to fine tune your style until it really speaks about how you think and do things. If every illustration you do is money driven and you constantly find that you’re asking yourself, “Can I sell this?” then you’re not being true to yourself and your work is suffering because of it. When you constantly worry about being able to make a decent career in the arts many folks tend to rely on imitating the big names out there who are making a big splash with their work. More often than not, their own work suffers because it is derivative.

While Dan is primarily an illustrator, the quote I’ve plucked could be equally relevant to animators, especially those just starting out or are still in school. It’s funny how a lot of what Dan says is common sense, but is still overlooked by a lot of people.

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World Of Motion By Colin Hesterly

Animation /

As a civil engineer, I happen to take a liking to all things transportation-related, so it should come as no surprise that I like this short by Colin Hesterly. World of Motion is:

a tribute to man’s various achievements in transportation and technology.

But that’s not all, Colin is quite the designer as well, check out those below, as well as a few more of his animated spots.

 

 

http://vimeo.com/colinhesterly/mission

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Animation Magazine on “What Animation Means To Me”

Animation /

Animation Magazine turns 25 this year, and as part of the festivities, they’ve asked a bunch of people within the industry to reply to the phrase “what animation means to me”.

They’re all good responses, but the one by Hans Perk stood out the most to me:

Since my 14th year, animation has always been first priority. All other events, including personal, have evolved from my first interest, and I have never regretted it. I have had the good fortune to have my work be my hobby and to befriend my heroes. Who could ask for more?

Sometimes its good to get a wee reminder of why we indulge our interests.

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The Adventure Time Season 1 DVD: Already Past Its Sell-By Date?

7 Comments / Animation, Cartoon Network /

Finally, after 652 days (or 1 year, 9 months and 13days), the Adventure Time Season 1 DVD will be released on July 10th, 2012. While this is good news, is the idea of DVD boxset already past its sell-by date?

First though, a clarification; I ‘m not referring to the content. We all know Adventure Time is awesome and has maintained a great level of success since its debut. No, I’m talking about the very notion of a DVD boxset itself, and in this case, the almost egregious delay between the end of the 1st season and this release.

Oh sure, we’ve had the odd DVD featuring a handful of episodes, but we’ve had to wait well over a year for the complete boxset. Why is this so? The answer is as maddingly simple as it is annoying, release windows.

Release windows: wherin studios/networks attempt to extract the maximum revenue from one source before permitting another one to supplant it. Much the same as why DVDs must come out after the theatrical run, DVDs of TV shows are only permitted to be sold well after the network has eeked all the ad revenue it can from the season.

That’s not to say the episodes won’t be broadcast, they will, but they won’t command near as much revenue in the perpetual reruns that they do when they fresh. Hence the lag, which persists despite the fact that two additional seasons have been broadcast since and the 4th began last night.

So that’s left me asking, just why do season boxsets continue to exist, and why, oh why, has the idea of a delay not been beaten to a pulp by now?

Consider the following points:

  • Internet streaming is on the rise (Cartoon Network themselves stream the latest episodes)
  • As a sub-point, the incredibly internet-savvy generation that are precisely whom Cartoon Network are targeting have probably already downloaded the torrents already (as if the fact of Frederator leveraging the internet as a promotional tool isn’t an indication enough of this already)
  • Boxsets are costly to make and distribute. I’d wager the profit margin on DVDs isn’t near as high as it was)
  • TV shows depend on regular viewship. Leaving more casual fans in the cold causes them to move onto other things as they are starved for new episodes.
  • Just think, all this time, Cartoon Network could have been making even more money through boxset sales. Advertising revenue is one thing, but it doesn’t evaporate when boxsets are released.

Now in fairness, a year and some change isn’t too bad. Some series have to wait much longer. Some are never released at all, destined to languish in the archives forever.

Thankully though, the rise of the internet and its associated services like Netflix have meant that TV shows are making it online quicker than ever before (Portlandia comes to mind, as does Futurama). Animated shows deserve similar treatment, not being trotted out over a year after the iron was struck.

The Adventure Time Season 1 DVD boxset is the last of a dying breed. I’m willing to wager that we won’t see a fourth season boxset come 2014.

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Desert Island Discs – Animation Edition

1 Comment / Animation /

Not familiar with Desert Island Discs? Well, it’s a BBC radio show wherein people come on and discuss what albums (amongst other things) that they would have take with them if they were to be stranded on a tropical island. It’s nominally a chance for the guests to discuss facets of their life and/or their reasons for choosing what they chose. So what would a Desert Island Discs animation edition be like, and what would I choose? Let’s assume that there is a TV on the island, so I’m not stuck with 8 pieces of animation and nothing to view them on.

1. The Secret of Kells

How could I not? Stunningly beautiful 2-D animation and Irish to boot, this would absolutely have to be in my trunk.

2. The Incredibles

Is this not the most badass poster you've seen for this film?

By far the best animated superhero film ever made. Classic story, wonderful animation and a superb cast of characters.

3. Spirited Away

The existential choice. You can’t argue with Miyazaki’s mastery of storytelling and this is perhaps his best and most whimsical film in that regard. If you’re marooned on a desert island, escaping into another fantasy world from time to time is a must.

4. My Life As A Teenage Robot

I only just got this on DVD so there’s no way I’d be leaving it behind so soon. Gorgeous art deco style and some funny/dramatic episodes to boot.

5. Fantasia

The ubiquitous Disney choice. Not necessarily my favourite and I was going to go with Snow White, but Fantasia has an altogether more rounded feel. Lovely, fluid animation from some of the masters, classical music and themes and of course, the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. All-in-all, this represented the pinnacle of animated technical wizardry for a long time.

6. Evangelion

 

I’m not a huge fan of anime, but this series certainly roped me in big time. A bit dark perhaps, but a great story and a cast of characters that constantly produce sparks.

7. Futurama

Do I really need to justify this one?

8. The Iron Giant

Yes, Brad Bird’s superb hand-drawn feature is too good to leave behind. Disney-level visuals and animation combine with a fantastic story that supports a cast of characters that seems to be the norm for Brad’s animated films.

So those are mine, now let’s hear your Desert Island animated discs. What 8 pieces would you choose to be stranded with?

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700 Posts

2 Comments / Announcements /

Normally I’m not one to celebrate milestones in a big and flashy way, but I couldn’t let this one pass by without saying something.

Yes, this is my 700th blog post.

This blog started waaaay back in 2008 over on Blogger and stumbled along in a half-hearted attempt at writing for the good of society before a post over on Retrospace in 2010 gave me the impetus to start taking it seriously. Long story short, I started posting daily (with the odd hiccup here and there) and that has brought me to this, my 700th post.

Now some out there might scoff at a lowly number like 700, but I can honestly say that I never, ever thought I would progress as far as I have. I can see a definite improvement in my writing skills and blogging ability too (culminating in a move to a self-hosted site). Yes, practice does make perfect, or almost perfect at any rate.

The lesson? You can do it to! Blogging regularly takes a bit of energy and some sacrifices, but on the whole, it hasn’t been that much of a burden. If you set aside the time, you will be able to do it too. I’m still shocked, and saddened by the number of great blogs I subscribe to that haven’t updated in a very long time. They stay in the reader because it doesn’t require any effort to keep them there, but I can’t help but wonder what they could be with a little elbow grease.

That’s not to say you need to keep up a daily schedule, but once a week should be within the vast majority of people’s reach. Posting daily works for me because I have so many animationy thoughts going around in the ol’ noggin.

Personally, I’m looking very much forward to the next 700. I hope you’ll stick around too 🙂

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Electroshock: An Amusing Character Analysis

Animation, Character Sundays /

By way of Broadsheet.ie, Electroshock is a short film in French directed by Hugo Jackson, Pascal Chandelier, Velentin Michel, Bastein Mortelecque and Elliot Maren, all working out of the Ecole Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques (ESMA, or School of Artistic Trades for those of use who prefer Anglais).

Besides being a slick CGI effort and an original take on the superhero tale, Electroshock is also interesting from a character perspective. Have a watch before we start the Electroshock character analysis:

What did you think? Pretty funny no? A nice bit of slapstick mixed with some drama of sorts always makes for a fun film.

Anyway, what did you think of the characters?

Electroshock movie characters

They’re an interesting bunch: the tough-guy sheriff putting on his best sales pitch for the object of his desires, the beautiful and sensitive Mady who has also managed to draw the attention of Buck, the lowly electrician.

Buck is the protagonist, he’s clumsy, he’s clearly got some low self-esteem and he’s very much on the low end of the totem pole when it comes to the ladies. The electric shock he receives from falling from the ladder opens a new facet of his character to us though. He’s also vengeful, cheerfully going about taking the sheriff down a peg or two as soon as he gets the chance.

Beyond that though, he puts forward his best effort. He attempts to do the right thing, we can see that he at least has some heart, but it is all for one reason: Mady. This is even more so the case after he sees her out jogging (in slow-motion of course). Are Buck’s actions selfless or selfish? Ultimately they’re selfish, but his selfless act of throwing himself in front of the truck to save little Niky is what eventually wins Mady over.

However, the sting is in the ending. A year later, and the photographs in the panning shot all but tell the story. Buck is really a [redacted]. He’s clearly a slob, Mady gives him the fourth degree for all his failings(they’re quite a litany), and what does he do? He slows down time to shut her up! Far from winning our sympathy, he’s earned our disgust instead. The six minutes it took him to earn it are completely wiped out in under 10 seconds as we instantly begin to see how Mady was royally duped (the closing shot says it all really).

From a character perspective, Electroshock is unusual in that it has us (the audience) turn against the hero. We’re led down the garden path only to be brought to the outhouse. Yet the short works, we get a laugh and for that we are guilted into pitying the girl. Clearly, you could never get away with this in a feature, but for a short, such a twist works quite well.

By the way, the Electroshock facebook page has a good dose of the concept and original art and is well worth having a look around.

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In Praise of the BFI Spirited Away book

Animation, Book, Miyazaki, Review /

Via: Good Reads

Admittedly (and ashamedly), the Spirited Away book by Andrew Osmond published by the British Film Institute (BFI) sat in my cart on Amazon for quite literally years before I finally got around to buying it. I know, I know, but that’s just the way it happened.

In any case, the wait was absolutely worth it. Far smaller in size than I had originally imagined, its dimensions are no indication of the stature of the writing. Presented as sort of an overarching summary of the plot intertwined with details of the production and overarching themes, the BFI Spirited Away book serves as a comprehensive guide to one of my very favourite films.

Delving deep into the beginnings of the production, Osmond teases out the reasons for its very existence; why Hayao Miyazaki decided to make it when he did, and why it stands as one of his best films to date. Analysis comes in the form of the various themes (environmental and social) running throughout the film as well as focusing on the character of Chihiro and her development during the course of the film.

Osmond has done a fine job of conveying the sometimes complex traits of the film that have confused many Western (and Japanese) audiences since the film debuted in 2001. He also does quite a good job when it comes to the background to the film, and to Miyazaki himself, going into some detail about his career to date and how is personal experiences helped shape the film.

Overall, the book is a definite must-read companion to the film. It does an excellent job of stripping away some of the layers and, at least for myself, has lead to a clearer understanding of the film. You can buy it on Amazon and consider it the best $15 book you buy this year.

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BOW TIE and Poe

Animation /

Two video-related things this week; namely Michael Sporn’s Poe project and the BOW TIE series of shorts by David Levy.

Firstly, Michael Sporn’s Poe animated feature film Kickstarter campaign is ending tomorrow (Friday). He’s getting close to his goal so head on over and donate a couple of bucks. It would be a great sign of support for a truly independent feature film on a classic American author.

Secondly, David Levy has secretly* been releasing some short animated skits over on YouTube centered around a character called BOW TIE. As Dave says in his blog post on the videos:

…I used my evenings to record new cartoon soundtracks into my iPhone. When I got home I was ready to try out some new ideas and experiment with a blend of characters, stories, and comedy. A month later I had 4 minutes of original cartoons. And, to further connect it to my childhood comic books, I used a character that dates back to when I was 13 years old: BOW TIE.

They’re a great series that throws caution to the wind in order to engage in various, funny, existential scenarios and gags. Let’s just say I watched one and was immediately hooked. The lack of seriousness about them only adds to their charm. Check out the videos here, or head over to the channel to see them all.

*OK, it hasn’t really been secret, but some of us aren’t on Facebook believe it or not.

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