Star Wars Uncut - Landing at Bespin

I finally completed my first Star Wars Uncut: The Empire Strikes Back scene, and with only about one day to spare. I went through a few up and downs with this piece but I think in the end I came out with something I'm pretty proud of. I'd say the most challenging thing was making the ship look convincing in 2D without doing frame by frame animation. What I love about doing a reproduction like this is that it really makes you appreciate the little things that go into the scene. Things people probably won't even notice in my scene. A plane in the distance, a shadow falling across the ship, etc. I'd say the other thing I had fun doing was trying to push the color of the scene to make it a bit more dramatic.

Here is the original scene I was working from.

 I've added a few pictures of the backgrounds I used. For the fly by shots I overlayed images in sequence to make the entire pan in one shot.

BBC Radio 4 - 'Shortcuts'

It seems to be a popular trend with these animations of individual letters that make up a full word. I think this one from James Hatley is one of the more creative and interesting ones I've seen. I love his cartoon style...and Andrew Bird isn't bad either.

Owen Davey

Simply loving the illustrations from Owen Davey. His work has that rustic folk quality that I adore and also fine very challenging to recreate in my own experiences. It would be a joy to animate some of his work and as I came to find out, he actually has animated some. Check out his site for much more inspiring work.

Grizzly Bear "Yet Again"

A very well composed music video for Grizzly Bear's new song "Yet Again" by Emily Kai Bock. After watching a music video of what I thought looked like a series of photographs, it did not surprise me in the least to find that Emily also has a wide range of wonderful photography on her website that is definitely worth checking out.

Things You'd Better Not Mix Up

I love the humor in this informative animation from Joost Lieuwma. I love his sense of timing and the use of some abrupt actions for a good laugh.

8-Bit Terrariums

So awesomely retro pixel art landscapes from games like Zelda, Mario, and Castlevania created by Jude Buffum. Check out more of his amazing illustrations here.

Friday Sketch Day

In an attempt to draw more I am implementing a Friday Sketch Day to this blog. Hopefully for my own sake I keep it up. Today I was perusing iStock for portraits to doodle.

Photo of the Moment - EAI 640 Digital Computing System, 1966

EAI 640 Digital Computing System, 1966, a photo by colorcubic on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
via colorcubic.com/2010/10/27/eai-640-digital-computing-system/

A Slam Poem to Bacon (with Nick Offerman)

Too good not to post. Nick Offerman is a brilliant and manly man.

Home

Things escalate quickly in the hilarious animation from Luiz Stockler. I really love his sketch-like style. I can say from personal experience that although it looks simplistic it is very hard to do well. Bravo.

Let's Make Some Great Fingerprint Art

Another wonderfully creative animation from the people at Animade. This time they used their own fingerprints to promote Marion Deuchars' new book, "Let's Make Some Great Fingerprint Art."

The Inevitable

Too true. Created by Animade.

Long Live the Kings

This is a short documentary shot on super 16mm relating the hopes and desires of those who go for a motorcycle road trip.  I really love that they took the time to document photos and shoot the entire piece on film.  It gives it a timeless quality that no digital media can produce quite right today.  It makes you feel cozy, warm, and it is a great pairing visually to the story being told. Well done by creators Clement Beauvais and Arthur de Kersauson. For more photos and info, check out their site here.

Photo of the Moment - Super Mario

Super Mario, a photo by andyhallphoto on Flickr.

Joe Contino

A lovely little documentary from Kevin Steen about designer Joe Contino. Joe is a maker and I can relate a lot to that because I couldn't imagine being stagnant in my work. When I am working on something I am constantly thinking up other ideas that I can't wait to work on next. Joe has a great outlook and some amazing things to say in this piece, I particularly like when he talks about where he gets his inspiration from. To view more of Joe's personal work check out his site here.

The Beards - Got Me a Beard

Well with the colder months slowly rolling in and Movember right around the corner, this music video seems rather appropriate. Animated by Chris Edser, Bill Northcott, and Jarrod Prince.

Willow - Sweater

I love when someone takes a concept that's been pretty well explored and takes it to the next level. That was definitely the case for this music video by Willow for his new song 'Sweater". Directed by Flip Sterckx.



Here is the making of. Not much on the technical side of things, more or less just shows how many times the guy messed up trying to time with the projections.

Sensible Software 1986–1999 by Read-Only Memory

Well I've finally found something I whole-heartedly want to back on Kickstarter, seeing as how this particular product hits on so many of my personal loves. Sensible Software 1986–1999 is a definitive biography of Sensible Software, one of the world's most pioneering and best-loved games companies, and the flagship title for Read-Only Memory, a new publishing company specializing in high-quality video game products. Sensible Software is responsible for such games as Sensible Soccer, Cannon Fodder, Mega lo Mania and Wizball. The story will be told through the use of interviews from the team paired with some amazing design using their original sketches and art.

I seriously love the design of this book. Those old graphics will always hold a sacred place in my heart. When looking at these samples I'm immediately taken back to a much simpler time in gaming, and it makes me happy.

If that wasn't enough to get your heart pumping then get this, there will be a Vinyl EP Edition in which they are producing a numbered, heavyweight 12” record including the songs "Goalscoringsuperstarhero" from Sensible Soccer and "War" and "Narcissus (The Hill Theme)" from Cannon Fodder. These are the original, studio-quality recordings, before the songs were crunched to fit onto the Amiga. The record will be expertly manufactured by The Vinyl Factory in London, and will not be reissued in the future. Sounds like an amazing addition to any record collection.

Darren Wall, founder of Read-Only Memory has 9 years experience as a graphic designer and runs a one-man studio in London called Wallzo. Read-Only Memory is his attempt to bring his two favorite things together: games and design. Lastly, I leave you with a quirky animated commercial for the project. I can't stress how much I love this style, especially for animation.

Illustration Monday!!!

I don't know what it is, but illustration is what's catching my eye on this chilly Monday morning. Today I have not one, not two, but three very different illustrators for you to take a gander at while you avoid your new week's work. While different in style and approach I think it's interesting to see how each of these illustrator's handle typography in a unique way.

First up is Mr. A Hayes. His work is so playful, colorful, and fun. I would describe it as very detailed style while at the same time remaining loose and sketchy with a hint of extraordinary typography and design. There is always plenty to look at when you view one of his works. No wonder he has done work for names like Nike and Absolut.

Next we have a "Typeface" designed by Julien Poisson. I don't necessarily love it for type; however, I do think it's a brilliant idea and I absolutely adore the quality and personality behind each of the characters. I'm always drawn to that vintage quality when it is done well.

Last but not least we have the elegant design from Jing Zhang. He has taken typography to the next level by creating architecture from letters. I really appreciate his use of texture in his work. It helps to bring the main elements forward while also giving them an almost realistic feeling.

Malcolm Sutherland - Ninja Turtles Tribute

If you want to see original content and animation with it's own personal style and flare then look no further than the work of Malcolm Sutherland.  I want to say more about him because I am such a fan, but I'd rather let his work do the talking.

Alejandro Cartagena

Found an amazing photographer in Alejandro Cartagena. He has recently been doing a series on Carpooling the Mexican way. Some of these compositions are so natural and wonderful.

TIME OUT! with Super TIME Force Trailer!

This is how teasers should be done. This one in particular is for Super Time Force, a new indie game coming to XBOX Live Arcade in 2013. Not only does the game look bad ass, but the teaser is hilarious on it's own. I especially love the bloody thumbs section. Animated by Capy!

le ballet vimeo

This graduation film comes to us from Louis Thomas. I love the pen and ink style of this piece. I especially love the animation smears he used on the musician's hands to make it look like they were playing. Well done.

LAÇO no Rio de Janeiro

I really enjoy some of the effects that are created in this piece. A very original and unique piece for sure.