Richard Feynman - Ode To A Flower

Really enjoying this animation from Fraser Davidson. For those of you that don't know, Fraser has animated a few other favorites of mine, such as Irritable Bowl Syndrome.  Much like that piece, Ode To A Flower is animated to a speaker.  In this case it comes from  the BBC Interview for Horizon 'The Pleasure of Finding Things Out'.  Not only do I agree with the statements being made, but I feel the animation actually helps to support them. You really do begin to see how science can be beautiful in it's own unique way.

Csilla Klenyanszki

This first photo from Csilla Klenyanszki sums up my mornings pretty well. Her photography reminds me of a dark sarcastic comedy. The bluntness of her photos really convey that routine rut we can all get into sometimes in life.

Story

A short holiday video for Story: We Produce made by No-Domain. No Santas or Christmas trees in this one folks. I really want to make a piece similar to this using a bunch of found footage and art. It's such a nostalgia inducing style and there is something exciting about going to the library, picking up a book, and discovering all sorts of material to be re purposed.

Naughty List

A lovely little animated short from Chris O'Hara. An amazing example of squash and stretch and multiples in character animation. Check out the still frame below to see what I mean.

The Glitch

A hilarious real life take on the horrors of game glitching courtesy of Corridor Digital.


See the making of below.

Charles Huettner

Charles Huettner is one of the members of the Late Night Work Club. If you want something weird, different, new, fresh, creepy, odd, or funny then Charles' work is what the doctor ordered. His stuff is like nothing else out there right now, and I appreciate someone who can make something that stands out in today's digital world.

Blue-Zoo Xmas 2012

Wonderful composition and character animation make this simple animation from Blue-Zoo a true holiday classic.

Controller Evolution v. 2 and the Evolution of an Animator

Nintendo always has been and always will be a constant element in my life. This piece is a tribute to their life thus far.

Music by Heath McNease

I said this over a year ago when I made the first Controller Evolution, and now with the introduction of the Wii U, it only seemed fitting to continue this tradition. I can't think of a better controller's history to track than Nintendo's. The changes made have been so dramatic yet so subtle all at the same time. You really don't notice that until your animating every little piece.

People probably don't know this but the original Controller Evolution was one of the most played videos on my Vimeo page. Mostly due to the content and the fact it was posted on a few gamer blogs. When I had first completed it I was still working in Apple Motion; I was really proud of that piece at the time too. I recall seeing it posted on a blog not too long ago and the poster saying, "I wonder if Chris will update the animation with the Wii U?" At the time it hadn't even occurred to me, but as I started looking at my year old animation I knew it was time for a change. I not only owed it to Nintendo for the many years of joy they've given me, but I owed it to myself to show how much I've evolved as an animator in a little over a year. I am no longer animating in Apple Motion (not that I don't like it, I just think Adobe After Effects is a little more robust). I've taught myself everything I know about Adobe After Effects through experimentation and tutorials. I still have a lot to learn, but when I can look at my work side by side and visually see the progress it helps me know I haven't been wasting my time. Check it out for yourself.

Nicolas Leger

Nicolas Leger has some amazing effects that he's frame by frame animated for us in Flash. These are great references for any animator.

Dockville Trailer 2011

If I ever had the time to make a MeanMug & Slim movie I would DEFINITELY do it in this style.  I love that it's not only mixing live action and animation, but that it's on a miniature scale.  I think this helps to blend the two styles together because the tiny props they had to create are a little "cartoony" in nature so it all looks as if it's from the same world.  Make sure to check out all the work from Robert Loebel, his stuff is amazing.

Open Text / The Power of Information

A highly polished animation from TENDRIL for the experts in content management, Open Text. This is another example of details really bringing life to an animation. What puts this animation a cut above the average is all the lines, dots, and shapes that keep the energy up and the animation moving along. You don't really have to pay attention to them, but just knowing they are there is enough to make you happy. If you actually look, you'll notice most of the time these secondary animations don't even have to directly deal with the content. A nice trick for any animators toolkit.

Rollin' Wild

Funny how such a simple idea can make for so many hilarious scenarios. Can't wait to see more Rollin' Wild work!

Photo of the Moment - Untitled #94

Untitled #94, a photo by Damien Vignol on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Leica M2 + 50mm Summicron IV
Kodak 400 TMAX + Ultrafin
damienvignol.blogspot.com

Google Now

Really love the dimension of the scenes in this animation from Buck for Google Now. I think this effect is made even better by the slick changes in perspective. For me a successful animation is all about the details. When you stop and look at all the details of this piece you will know what I mean. For example, the reflection of the car in the lake, or the little people on the beach and in the ocean. Fantastic stuff.

MeanMug Loves Guns - The Super Soaker

The 3rd installment of MeanMug Loves Guns. This time things are getting a little wet.

Mama Said (Sorry Mama)

Being the mama's boy that I am, this animation from 2veinte had me curious from the get go. Needless to say I was not disappointed. This animation seems to have everything, including about 50 kitchen sinks. Watch and rewatch because you are bound to miss something. Oh, and before I forget, they also made some pretty sweet .gifs for us here.

Jacopo Rosati

Jacopo Rosati has some amazing work on his website, but recently he has been playing around with felt and I must say that I am in love with the results.  The final works have such a vibrant, playful look to them and the felt adds just enough depth and texture to make the art look as if it's popping off the page.  I didn't come across any stop motion videos on his site, so if you are reading this Jacopo, DO SOME STOP MOTION ANIMATION WITH THIS STUFF!  It would literally be perfect for it. That's all I have to say about that. Enjoy.

Aisha Franz

The work of Aisha Franz is crude, raw, and a little naughty.  I definitely suggest checking out her site if you want to take a break from all the highly polished work you're used to seeing and hang with some originality.

Pale Blue Dot

ORDER puts together this visual response to Carl Sagan's famed 'Pale Blue Dot' piece where he muses on our planet and its appearance in the photograph taken by the Voyager 1 space probe. The most distant photograph ever taken of Earth. I really enjoy the subtle pace of this piece and the depth of some of the environments that are created. Really puts life into perspective when you watch something like this.