Nate Hamilton has sent in a link to the teaser for his latest short film, TANK. The film is set when: “a boy finds a connection between his fish tank and a pond in the woods. There looms inside the pond, a giant amphibian.”
Nate has a production blog up which seems to be well worth following to see how someone goes about creating an independent film (hint, there’s a lot of work). In the meantime, enjoy the teaser!
Today’s post is by guest, Stephen Gerard. Stephen graduated from Salve Regina University in 2012 with a Bachelors degree in English/Communications. Animation sparked his interest ever since he saw the movie Surfs Up.
With the exciting progressions in animation moving so rapidly, I thought it would be fun to stop and take a look back at the characters that were most memorable to me, specifically on the big screen. These characters are in no particular order, so feel free to arrange them sparingly in your mind and follow me on my journey as I retrace some of the most memorable animated characters of the last 20 years.
One of my favorite animated characters and a true legend to the animation world is Toy Story’s very own Cowboy. Created in 1995 by Pixar productions, Woody is one of the most genuine animations to this date. Seeing as Toy Story was the first fully computer animated feature film, history was indeed made. Woody being the most complex character to create, his name on this list was properly earned. Created by Pixar’s RenderMan, Woody has flown far and above his buddy Buzz Light-year this time.
The next character could come as a surprise to many of you due to his recent rookie status on the big screen. Produced in 2010 by Dreamworks Animation, How to Train Your Dragon’s Toothless is quite the dynamic character, as he spends most of his time hovering in the air. Categorized as a Night Fury, Toothless is the rarest of all dragons. Though at first he was quite reluctant to use his strengths, by the conclusion of the movie his heroic acts land him safely on this list.
A memorable list of animated characters would not be proper without one that scared the fun out of you. King Kong is the star of his movie, for good reason. Created in 2005, the movie features one of the meanest animated characters to this date. Wrecking everything in his path, Kong was no easy character to create. With the program of Maya, the crew was able to achieve massive results, literally. Seeing this one in theatre definitely had you jumping out of your seat.
Transition from King Kong, its important to note that not all over sized animated characters can be scary. Fighting off neighborhood crime and violence, Mr Incredible of The Incredible’s is a special father to say the least. Though he struggled to bottle in his super power strengths, he proved to be the hero that everyone needed. Produced in 2004, The Incredible’s proved to be one of Pixar’s most challenging projects. The crew faced some difficulties when animating the cast of humans for CGI, but ended up creating an ‘incredible’ securing a 100 per cent success rate for the studio.
Last and not least we must mention one of the most beloved animated characters of our time. A big green monster of sorts, Shrek alongside his close friend Donkey, has helped animation lovers all over the world embark on a journey. First created in 2001, who would have thought a big green Ogre would see so much success. PDI/DreamWorks with the help of Autodesk’s Maya made a big contribution to the films various animation aspects. From the looks of it now, Shrek’s infamy lives on as the most lovable monster out there.
So there it is; my list complete full of Ogre’s, superhero fathers, flying dinosaurs and monstrous primates. As animation practices continue to progress, we look forward to new and exciting characters in the future. With that so, don’t forget the classics!
Guest Post: Most Memorable Animated Characters Read More »
Monday is normally a list day here on the blog, but today I realised that I’ve only been doing them for about a year. So here’s a review of the 10 most popular list posts based on the number of readers since this time last year.
By far the most popular, in this post, I outline 7 traits of the show and the team behind it that have contributed to its success over the years. Suffice to say, there are still plenty of shows out there that could stand to learn from Adventure Time.
Just about this time last year, I took a look at whether the animation industry is, in fact, a bubble. The concerns are still there but after a year, the bubble shows no sign of slowing down.
Yes, I did rank the top cartoon cars of all time.
A very recent post, but one that looks at important events that have shaped the animation landscape that we know and love today. The last one proved a bit contentious.
British cartoons were happening back in the 80s and sadly some didn’t make it across the Atlantic. Click through and enjoy the very Thriller-esque credits to Count Duckula.
My friend Dave Levy posted a list of animation blogs that he reads and I added onto that post with 11 more that are a must in your regular animation blog reading.
The Simpsons practically made the FOX network, but the demise of that show will herald the end of animation on that network as we know it today. This post outlined 5 reasons why that will happen.
Although my clairvoyant abilities are, uh, unknown, I nonetheless predict the 5 big changes that are surely coming in animation in the foreseeable future.
I looked at the DVD sales for animation content on Amazon.com and coming away thoroughly disappointed.
This particular post got the most visits, but is only one of a four part series. In them, I grade a series of faux magazine covers featuring various Disney female protagonists. Here’s parts one, two and three!
Top 10 Animation Anomaly List Posts From the Past Year Read More »
Perennial innovator Frederator Studios is currently firing on all cylinders as they gear up for the big push to launch their latest venture, Cartoon Hangover. In times past the studio has been a prime online outlet for animation through their Channel Frederator series’ and with a close relationship to the former Next New Networks (now the YouTube Next Lab), it was inevitable that the studio would continue to play a role close to the forefront of online video.
Which leads us to Cartoon Hangover, which is described as: “the home for cartoons that are too weird, wild, and crazy for television. It’ll have you saying “What a #$@!?* cartoon!” but in the good way.” In other words, the kind of content you couldonly get away with on the internet; veering near the edge but trying hard not to leap over it.
The channel has been around for a while but it was only earlier this year (April 2012) that it began streaming animated content. In addition to the series discussed below, the studio also actively solicited for ideas and/or completed animation; Elliot Cowan being one who dutifully complied with the request for wild and crazy content.
However, what really makes Cartoon Hangover stand out that we bit higher than other animation channels on YouTube is the fact that they are betting on higher quality content than others. What I mean is that in addition to the short, silly stuff, they are also producing a few original series from established creators with fairly high production values (at least for those with a sole online presence).
Two of the series’ in question are Bravest Warriors and Superf*ckers. The latter (based on the comic by James Kochalka) has yet to premiere, the former premiered yesterday with the episode ‘Time Slime’:
Bravest Warriors is created by Pendelton Ward, erstwhile genius behind smash TV show Adventure Time and is traditionally animated (believe it or not). The first episode is fairly funny and shares similar themes and styles to Adventure Time, but what’s interesting is that outside of it’s short length, it is hard to differentiate it from a traditional TV show. The production values are there, the plots are there and the vocal talent is there for all to hear.
This is undoubtedly deliberate; although the upfront cost is higher, the payoff is in the longevity of the series. Cartoons from the 90s are still paying dividends almost 20 years later; there is little reason to assume that being streamed via the internet will change that in any substantial way. Heck, the presence of so much old content on YouTube itself should evidence enough of that.
How will the series pan out? At this very early stage, it is hard to say (as of writing, the episode has been up mere hours but has garnered thousands of views; no stats are available yet) but Frederator are normally quite good at getting the word out through Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. In this regard, they are putting their experience with the Adventure Time tumblelog to good use.
Frederator have also been busy ramping up the ancillary revenue generators with T-shirts and comics. Both are designed to engage the fans and the strategy has proven to be very successful with Adventure Time.
What will be interesting to watch is not so much how successful the show is or indeed how many views it attracts but rather how the viewers behave and indeed, what demographics they fall under. This is the silent draw of online streaming, the ability to know much more about your audience. So much, in fact, that it would make a traditional broadcaster weep. No doubt the folks at YouTube and Frederator will be paying close attention to all those views in the weeks and months ahead to see exactly what viewers are watching and how they are reacting to the show (for example, writing blog posts about it).
What will make those months even more interesting is the premiere of Superf*ckers. Although there’s no date set (yet), the theme song and heck, even the title should point out that this series has a distinctly more mature tone. With Bravest Warriors aiming for a crowd slightly older than Adventure Time, Superf*ckers aims even older, possibly starting at the mid to late-teens. The strategy employed by Frederator and Cartoon Hangover is a bold one. They are muscling in on [adult swim] territory but lack the traditional TV presence.
How Cartoon Hangover plays out is still relatively unknown, however if successful, it will provide the blueprint for all other original web series for some years to come. Here’s hoping that’s the case.
Frederator Aims High With Cartoon Hangover and Bravest Warriors Read More »
The video below appeared on my tumblr dashboard the other day and if you remember my post from the other week, you’ll know that there was no way I could ignore it. It’s a (very complete) compilation of just about every form of ident that the UK TV network Channel 4 used for the first 20 years of its existence. At just under half an hour, it isn’t short, but it is somewhat magical to see how animation can form the basis for a strong brand identity and reinforce it hundreds of times a day.
The Holy Grail of Channel 4 Idents Read More »
Via: Rotten Tomatoes
After a week of weddings, ‘Superstorm’ Sandy and general life upheaval, this blog is finally getting back to normal. In the course of my absence, Disney released Wreck-It-Ralph, a film about a video game character who’s fed up being the bad guy. The reviews have been quite glowing and it currently occupies the top spot at the box office (although that doesn’t mean everything). However, I am in no rush to see the film and in the course of trying to figure out why, it was that I began to look at the bigger picture, and tried ever so hard to fit Wreck-It-Ralph into it.
In any business, there is a goal, or multiple goals that companies and individuals aim for. They can be both long and short-term in nature but success is derived only by constantly progressing towards and eventually achieving them. In the case of an animated studio, the goals are multiple: create great content, make money, expand the business, and so forth.
But what if your business is already quite successful? What if you’ve already accomplished an awful lot, what do you do then? This appears to be Disney’s current dilemma. Walt, as everyone knows, was a fantastically driven guy. He was constantly thinking of ways to grow and improve his business but he did it through ways that are often sidelined today in favour of the quickie solution.
Without getting into too much detail, Walt rarely (if ever) grew the company through acquisition, preferring innovation instead. Compare that to today’s Disney Company, which just recently bought Lucasfilm, and previously bought Marvel Entertainment and Pixar. How do these acquisitions grow the business as opposed to bolting-on profits?
Thinking of Wreck-It-Ralph, where does it fit into the bigger puzzle? Where is the Disney Company actually going? It’s getting bigger, sure, but bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better and the ultimate goal (short of being the largest media company in the world) is startlingly unclear.
Compare that to DreamWorks. It’s a far smaller company and is heavily centred around its animation studio, but at least it seems to be going in a clear direction. Jeffrey Katzenberg is slowly but surely steering the studio away from being a strictly entertainment company and is instead attempting to meld both entertainment and technology; a strategy that is quite apt given the current ‘digital’ shifts in the industry.
For a company as large as Disney, it’s hard to zero in on the feature films as the engine of the empire, but they do play a critical part in driving the rest of the business (TV shows, merchandise, parks, etc.) and every single one should at least nudge the company towards its goals. However, with Ralph, it’s becoming increasingly hard (at least for me) to see what those goals are and how the film helps move the company towards them.
When Walt was alive, The Disney Company had some lofty ambitions and goals that it has sadly lost since then; becoming much more content to gun for short term successes, quarterly gains for the investors and betting on historically successful properties. The sad thing is that people who only look at the road in front of the car fail to see the curve that’s rapidly approaching; the same is true for companies.
Piecing Together the Animation Studio Puzzle Read More »
Let’s get a few things out of the way before we begin: no, not every Halloween costume sucks and not everyone who wears a sucky costume is an eejit (although a fair few are). I’m also narrowing in specifically on a certain type of costume, that is to say, the ones that are based on animated properties we all know and love. In lots of ways, they should be awesome but sadly in so many, more realistic ways, they suck.
Have a look at any of these and see if you can spot what’s wrong:
This one caused a ruckus when it became apparent that only small, slim sizes existed; quite ironic considering the nature of the character.
OK, so besides the fact that they’re all “sassy” what else do you notice? Perhaps the fact that they’re all based on films and the like that are suitable for kids?
Yes, all the above are based on animation that is suitable for kids to watch and it raises and number of questions, but also some concerns. First of all, why??? Why would anyone want to make a “sassy” Care Bear? I mean really, I’m sure there are a few members of the furry community who have notions, but for everyone else, it’s surely a bit too much, right? Secondly, none of the costumes even come close to accurately representing what they’re supposed to. Now I know that fancy dress isn’t known for being entirely accurate, but you can go too far the other way too. At what point does the costume stop being a representation of a character and instead become a kind of perverted homage to it?
You’ll also notice that all the costumes above are for women. Why? Well I simply couldn’t find a “sassy” male version of animated characters and I certainly wasn’t going to type “Assless chaps Andy” into Google let alone publish it here. Yup, the Disney Adult line is all women, so sorry lads, we’re neglected when it comes to skimpy costumes of Disney characters.
Besides the questionable moral issues (you’ll notice all the above costumes are for adults because I sure as hell won’t post the ones for the teens, but do check out Rebecca Hains’ post on the topic of kid’s costumes), such costumes (while naturally made for adults) will be seen by kids at some point. And therein lies the dilemma. Kids are smart, and they can instantly recognise characters even when they don’t look like they should. So what kind of message does it send when kids see a risque version of their favourite character? Will it confuse them? Probably not, but it will send them mixed messages. All that hard work that Sesame Street does to educate could be wiped out by the sexy Ernie and Bert costumes.
Can costumes be done right? Of course! Check these ones out.
So these ones are grand. Why can’t people be satisfied with them? Why the need to go so far in the other direction? I don’t know. Costumes like the ones at top were only ever sold in the joke shops at home with that special corner in the back, and even then none of them were licensed! I suppose it’s just a wee bit depressing that in order for adults to enjoy dressing up as animated characters, makers and studios feel the need to spice things up.
Opinion: Animated Character Halloween Costumes Suck Read More »
It’s no secret that My Life as a Teenage Robot is one of my favourite animated TV shows. It’s an underrated gem that is enjoyable even if it isn’t quite as clever as other shows. Besides it’s awesome sense of Art Deco style, the great voice cast, the deeply embedded in-jokes and a central female protagonist, the show also makes superb use of colour. (And no post about colour should go without a link to Oswald Iten’s excellent blog, Colorful Animated Expressions)
I’m not talking about the use of colour in the sense of The Simpsons either; strong colours existed exist in that show, but rather to make them stand out against other TV shows. My Life as a Teenage Robot instead uses colour as a tool to accentuate atmosphere, moods and important plot points.
Don’t believe me? Then check out the series of screenshots below, from the season three episode, Stage Fright.
We start off with Jenny (XJ-9) in her normal colours, that is, white and turquose.
Now we’re entering the theatre, where the darker setting changes Jenny’s colour to an off-white and straight blue.
Still in the theater, but it’s darker now and Jenny’s colours follow along.
Now that she’s on stage and in the light, Jenny’s colours change back to the lighter shades but include even more shades to account for the costume.
First big change. After the aliens invade, we get an orange Jenny nicely contrasted against a green background.
Same colours but with a regular background. (Also, awesome pose.)
Action mode is now off so we revert back to the darker theater colour in the sitting pose above.
The aura lightens Jenny to the point that she is brighter than in the second screencap but doesn’t revert to her normal colours.
Aaaaaaand, ACTION! Big changes here as Jenny becomes pink and purple, contrasting nicely with the orange and brown background. For the most part, Jenny is always some combination of white and blue/green except when engaged in some kind of action. In these instances, she can be just about any colour.
Not a great shot, but it shows what Jenny looks like in the shadows; practically violet.
Bad guys defeated, Jenny reverts to the white and blue that’s been the theme for this theater setting.
Last but not least, here’s Jenny on stage in full wardrobe retaining the blue and including some lighter shades to fit the costume.
And that’s it! If you know your stuff, you’ll realise that in just about 11 minutes, Jenny’s colour changed a total of 5 times (not including costume and shades). In the grand scheme of things, she changed appearance a total of 12 times, that’s about once a minute!
This wouldn’t normally be too much but Stage Fright is a fairly average episode. Some of the more action oriented ones get even more colour changes and things get really interesting once Jenny goes into space!
So there you go, a quick look at how the crew of My Life as a Teenage Robot managed to use colour as a a great tool throughout the series.
The Importance of Colour in My Life as a Teenage Robot Read More »
I love animated idents; they’re a hidden gem of animation as branding that has long disappeared from American TV screens but continues to enjoy a prominent place in Irish and British programming. Anyway, Children’s BBC was the afternoon block of programming for kids on the two main BBC channels before the division was renamed CBBC sometime in the late 90s. Below is a compilation of some of the animate idents the block had to differentiate the programming from the rest of the day’s programming.
Children’s BBC Animated Idents from the 1990s Read More »
