PENCIL LINES
Journeys from the desktop of a traditional animator in the digital age!
PENCIL LINES
IMPROVING STARBUCKS!
I've since submitted my ideas more formally to the www.mystarbucksidea.com website (entitled 'FUN COFFEE-RELATED CARTOONS ON THE WALLS' in the "ATMOSPHERE & LOCATIONS" section) in the hope that it might be more widely adopted. The "HAS-BEANS" cartoons were particularly popular among the locals, so perhaps if you have a mind for voting for my idea it might spread the word much further. Of course it probably won't get anywhere at all but it might at least provoke the corporate-minded Starbucks folks to think outside the box and make the Starbucks drinking experience more fun and not just a method of customer merchandizing!
Here's another poster I produced, hand-drawn with hundreds of beans making up the image.
(A free coffee for anyone who can say just how many?)
Tony :^{)}=-
OVERLAPPING ACTION
When at the Vancouver aquarium over this Christmas break I was suddenly aware of the incredible demonstration of 'overlapping action' ('follow-through' animation) that the jellyfish were demonstrating. I therefore decided to film a couple of them so I could share it with anyone who is interested.
Tony. :^:{)}=-
FOR ROY!
'Scene 01' layout ~ teaser for "The Adventures of Uncle Lubin".
I feel sad that I'll now never be able to show Roy E. Disney the film I had once discussed with him. However, in actually creating the inked layout for 'Scene 01' of the teaser currently in development, on the day he passed from us, I feel it appropriate to dedicate it to his memory. It is such a small gesture in the greater scheme of things but I like to think that with this first layout, we are initiating a process that will lead to the creation of a film that honors the very best of traditional, hand-drawn animation... something Roy spent his whole life fighting for at his beloved Burbank studio. In starting as we mean to go on I hope the entire film will live up to the love and artisty I intend to put into this scene in Roy's memory.
Tony. :^{)}=-
TODAY'S SAD NEWS...
I just heard the sad news that Roy E. Disney passed away today! He had long ago told me that he was ill but I had not been aware just how serious his condition had been.
Roy was a fabulous friend of the "2D OR NOT 2D Animation Festival". He was our guest of honor at the inaugural event and even gave his name to the annual award that the festival gives to the person or organization that we feel has made a great contribution to animation.
Myself, Roy and Nancy Beiman in happier times at the first ever "2D OR NOT 2D Animation Festival".
He also generously recorded the voice of his uncle Walt for my short animated film homage to the history of traditional animation, "Endangered Species".
As a complete surprise to him at the time, Roy was actually destined to become the first ever recipient of the "Roy E. Disney Award"... presented to him for his victory in ousting Michael Eisner as head of the Disney organization!
Subsequent winners of the Roy E. Disney Award were producer Don Hahn...
Don Hahn at the next "2D OR NOT 2D Animation Festival".
...award-winning director, animator and author Richard Williams...
Richard Williams with his "Roy E. Disney Award" a year ago.
...and new studio on the block, "Cartoon Saloon" (for their magnificent film "Secret of Kells" film).
This year's winners, Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart on behalf of the Cartoon Saloon studio.
We think Roy would have been proud to know that this year's award was an investment in the future (as well as the present) talents of one of the most innovative animation teams around. (Hopefully Roy will approve of our future award-winners too!)
Roy at our first festival, with uncle Walt looking down approvingly!
So rest in peace Roy. I'm sure your dad Roy Snr. and your uncle Walt were there to welcome you and to celebrate your lifetime of great works on behalf of the family name.
For my part I will miss you greatly. You were a light in the lives of so many others and true gentleman of the highest order!
Tony. :^{(}=-
FESTIVAL AFTERMATH
Sorry for the prolonged absence over the past month at this end!
The main culprit is the fact that I've been heavily involved in this year's "2D OR NOT 2D Animation Festival" which occurred last weekend in Seattle. Needless to say, the whole event was a huge success, the climax of which was the screening of the animated masterwork, "Secret of Kells". Director Tomm Moore and art director Ross Stewart were there to introduce the film and to answer questions and answers after the film's long standing ovation at the very end. They were also presented with the "Roy E. Disney Award" for their exceptional contribution to animation. The film will enjoy its US distribution debut on St. Patrick's Day, 2010. Further details of the festival can be found at the dedicated blogsite by clicking HERE.
Part of the joy in running an animation festival is meeting all the fabulous talent that comes to the event and who clearly show their appreciation in being part of it! This year was not exception. At the end of the event, 'Kells" director Tomm Moore presented me with a copy a the graphic novel of the film, published in France.
Most exciting of all was the hand-drawn dedication and signature on the inside page that Tomm generously created himself...
It was a great festival and a great gift. Now I have to live up to it and start work on the film teaser I'm working on with a number of fabulous animators and artists, for the first feature film the Animaticus Foundation would like to make and apprentice talented post-graduate students on... "The Adventures of Uncle Lubin".
But more of that later!
Tony. :^{)}=-
FOR THE 2D FANS AMONG US...
Figures by courtesy of www.boxofficemojo.com
In searching for figures of animated movie sales I came across boxoffice.mojo.com's list of the highest grossing 100 movies of all-time in the USA. The good thing from my point of view is that of these top films there were 14 animated movies. However the really interesting thing about this chart is the fact that the published box-office takings for each film were adjusted so that the value of the dollar in each case matched the value of the dollar today, making it an even playing field for all concerned.
Recognizing this I then extrapolated just the animated movie figures and compiled a USA top-grossing animated movies chart. The really interesting thing with this is the fact that although we popularly assume that the most successful animated movies of all-time are current 3D movies, the chart actually reveals that the top 6 movies among them are all traditionally created 2D movies and 10 of the top 14 are also 2D!
Now I understand the statisticians among us will say the the older movies have had a far longer time to accumulate figures to take them to the top. However I would argue that some... not all, but some... of the top contemporary movies will not ultimately have the staying power of the earlier classics and will therefore never catch-up with those still evergreen contenders. This of course doesn't mean that '2D is best', nor do I even wish to even initiate that line of dialogue. But it does perhaps indicate that new is not necessarily best and that good, classical storytelling will always endure.
Tony. :^{)}=-
COMING SOON… “THE ANIMATOR’S NOTEBOOK” SERIES!
In conjunction with publisher, Focal Press, I've started developing an entirely new approach toteaching animation in this digital environment. “The Animator’s Notebook” series will be 12 advancedand specialized e-tutorials on animation that can be downloaded on a need-to-knowbasis. Each tutorial will provide something like 20-30 pages (sometimes more!) of detailedinformation on the animation subject in general, with profuse illustrations andeven clickable examples of the animation being referred to. Each ‘Notebook’will be written in my own handwriting, as if the pages were torn from the pagesof a genuine notebook. The 12 subjects being covered in the first Notebookseries will include… “Process & Principles”, “Genericwalks”, “Stylized walks”, “Personality walks”, “Quadruped walks”, “Runs”, “Jumps”, “Weight, Arcs & Anticipation”, “Overlapping action”, “Fluidity & flexibility” and “Basic dialogue”.
The embedded animationclips will include examples of my own work from the past, as well asspecifically created animation that shows exactly the principles that are beingtalked about at this point in the tutorial. For example, here is an example ofan ‘eccentric walk’ that is explained as part of the tutorial…
Click HERE to view a sample animation clip at TonyWhiteAnimation on YouTube.
To my knowledge this kind of teachingapproach has never been attempted before but it does effectively mean that you will have all theinformation you want, on the subject you need it for, whenever you want it,wherever you are in the world. Although the animation techniques explained areillustrated using traditional, hand-drawn techniques, the principles involvedwill actually work perfectly for all forms of animation, be they 3D,stop-frame, claymation, cut-out, or whatever.
“The Animator’s Notebook”series will soon be available via this site, or directly via the Focal Press designated site. The first three are already completed, with the entire series being completed by summer 2010.
Note: There will be further updates and ‘sneak peaks’ of forthcoming Notebook material on thisblogsite as time goes by.
Tony. :^{)}=-
LESS THAN A MONTH TO GO!
Exciting times ahead! This year's "2D OR NOT 2D Animation Festival" on December 5th at the Eames Theater in the Pacific Science Center, Seattle is less than a month away now.
With the highest number of "Golden Pencil Award" competition entries (by over 50% up on last year's record!), the Seattle premiere of award-winning movie "Secret of Kells" booked and the film's director, Tomm Moore, and art director, Ross Stewart, ready to fly out and present their film personally this promises to be the best event ever! Full details can be found at the festival website (www.2dornot2d.org), where online tickets may be obtained via the Pacific Science Center online boxoffice. (But do book early to avoid disappointment!)
The event has been made possible as a result of the generous support of DigiPen Institute of Technology and Pacific Science Center and is hosted by non-profit organization, Animaticus Foundation, who will use all revenues received from this event to assist in their mission in preserving, teaching and evolving tradtional 2D animation.
Definitely an event not to miss!
Tony. :^{)}=-
LATEST BOOK SIGNING EVENT!
The book that the fuss is all about... plus last year's festival poster that is currently having an ingenious makeover for this year's event by Peter Moehrle!
Just to let those who are in the area know that I'm attending an invited book signing event... entitled "A Moving Experience"... at the 'Daniel Smith'
art store in Bellevue on Sunday (6th) from 2.00 - 4.00 pm.
Apart from talking about and signing copies of my new book, "How To Make Animated Films", I'll be sharing news about the exciting '2D OR NOT 2D Animation Festival' that we'll be holding at the Eames IMAX Theater, Seattle on December 5th.
I'll also be showing some 'work in progress' for my new e-publishing venture with Focal Press, "The
Animator's Notebook".
'PENCILS TO PIXELS' ~ THE GERMAN VERSION.
My publisher (Focal Press) never ceases to amaze me. I was aware that my book 'Animation from Pencils to Pixels ~ Classical Techniques for Digital Animators' was doing well in the stores but I was totally surprised yesterday when this German translation of it arrived on my doorstep! Following hot on the heels of the Chinese edition I guess this technically makes me an 'international author' now? (Its quite amazing amazing to me where unfashionably pushing a pencil in this digitally-dominant world can lead to!)