Opinion

Are Creative Risks Worth Taking?

3 Comments / Opinion /

Animation has always had a strong creative streak with plenty of variety to it. If you didn’t like that Walt Disney was chasing realism, all you had to do was look across town to the Warner guys on Termite Terrace and see cutting edge character comedy in full flow. Today is no different; while major studios have become increasingly bland in their offerings, there are plenty of others taking up the creative mantle. Is what they’re doing worth the effort and risk involved?

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Are Creative Risks Worth Taking?Read More »

Are Creative Risks Worth Taking? Read More »

Why I would Turn These Five Comics from SPX Into Animated Series’

Opinion /

The Small Press Expo (SPX) is an annual gathering for creators and fans of independent comics and everything to do with them. It’s a two day affair that (mercifully) takes place near Washington DC and is often both a showcase and barometer for what’s happening in the indie comic world. It’s also full of many talented individuals creating some of the finest comics you can find. Given the relationship between comics and animation, you would think it would be a great place to discover great ideas to animate. You wouldn’t be wrong.

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Why I would Turn These Five Comics from SPX Into Animated Series’Read More »

Why I would Turn These Five Comics from SPX Into Animated Series’ Read More »

Animation for Adults has Become Staler than Week-old Bread

6 Comments / Opinion /

Bojack Horesman is Netflix’s attempt to break into the lucrative world of animation that caters to that holy grail known as the male, 18-35 demographic. The innovation of course, is that this is from Netflix, the pretender to the HBO crown of critically acclaimed programming. For all the success of House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, Bojack fails to hit the same mark and provides the latest scrap of evidence that making animation for anyone older than 16 is a conundrum the continues to bedevil anyone willing to take a crack at it. Why is that the case though?

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Animation for Adults has Become Staler than Week-old BreadRead More »

Animation for Adults has Become Staler than Week-old Bread Read More »

The Pixar Luster Has Worn Off, Leaving A Tarnished Studio Behind

10 Comments / Opinion /

Is this finally it? Has the last nail been hammered into the coffin of Pixar’s credibility? Long held in high esteem for the quality of their films, their unique NorCal-influenced approach to filmmaking, and the resulting highly artistic masterpieces that embodied the vision of a truly artistic and collaborative effort won them friends and admirers the world over. It would appear however, that a string of sequels and the studio’s inclusion in the recent Silicon Valley scandal that ensnared many tech companies in the region, may finally put paid to Pixar’s esteemed reputation.

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The Pixar Luster Has Worn Off, Leaving A Tarnished Studio BehindRead More »

The Pixar Luster Has Worn Off, Leaving A Tarnished Studio Behind Read More »

How to Train Your Dragon 2: When Animated Films No Longer Appear Animated

7 Comments / Opinion /

How to Train Your Dragon 2 has been one of the most anticipated films of the year. The massive sleeper hit that was the original, made out quite well back in 2010 thanks to its brilliant blend of story, animation, and character; setting a new bar for a DreamWorks film and proving that they had the chops to match Pixar if given the chance. Fast forwarding a few years, and after viewing the sequel, I came away with the feeling that although inferior to the original, there was something else that bothered me about How to Train Your Dragon 2.

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How to Train Your Dragon 2: When Animated Films No Longer Appear AnimatedRead More »

How to Train Your Dragon 2: When Animated Films No Longer Appear Animated Read More »

Why Animation Needs a Warren Buffet

2 Comments / Opinion /

If you’re not familiar with Warren Buffet, pretty much all you need to know is that he’s one of the richest men in the world. That doesn’t have a lot to do with animation, at least on the surface, but what Buffet is good at doing (investing) certainly is and his advice is well worth heeding too. Let’s take a look at why that is.

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Why Animation Needs a Warren BuffetRead More »

Why Animation Needs a Warren Buffet Read More »

Does More = Good When It Comes To Animated Features?

3 Comments / Opinion /

Over at Pando Daily, David Larkin has a really interesting piece about the intersection of art and business that is films and takes a look at how the increasing supply of films does not necessarily mean better films, or indeed, better returns. Animated films have always been few in number but recent years has seen an explosion in features with lots of success. With even more being announced, is it all for the best?

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Does More = Good When It Comes To Animated Features?Read More »

Does More = Good When It Comes To Animated Features? Read More »

Let’s Talk About Oishi High School Battle

9 Comments / Opinion /

Running on the Smosh MNC (multi-channel network) on YouTube, this live-action/animation hybrid has returned for a second season after a successful initial one (2 million+ views). So why does Oishi High School Battle seem like the kind of animation that could actually be a hindrance to the broader commercial success of online animation?

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Let’s Talk About Oishi High School Battle Read More »

The Key Difference Between Disney and Studio Ghibli

11 Comments / Opinion /

Disney and Studio Ghibli are often compared when it comes to making really great animation. Both continue to push the envelope of what animation is and what it means to tell an animated story. However, both see progress in a different light and go about achieving it in contrasting ways.

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The Key Difference Between Disney and Studio GhibliRead More »

The Key Difference Between Disney and Studio Ghibli Read More »

Animation Finance: A few Thoughts on The Inevitable Changes

Opinion /

A short post today, but the topic of animation finance is one that has a direct impact on the animation business. In order to get animation made, it has to be paid for, and unless you’re a multi-milionaire, that means asking someone else to pony up some dough.

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Animation Finance: A few Thoughts on The Inevitable Changes Read More »