LEFT - trailer

Eamonn O'Neill has just released a new trailer for his short animated film, LEFT. His work is always so emotive and inspirational, I can't wait to see this one released.

The Art of Editing in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

A very interesting analysis of the editing in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from Max Tohline. It's always intriguing to me when people are capable of breaking down scenes to their core components. Normally I'm just enjoying the film, but it's always fun to see exactly why I'm enjoying one film more than another. That and Clint Eastwood is just a badass.

OK Go - I'm Not Through

Everyone that knows OK Go knows how over the top and crazy their music videos tend to be.  They've made it their business to create viral music videos with every hit, but this time, in another brilliant tactic, they looked the fans for their inspiration.  OK Go held the Saatchi & Saatchi Music Video Competition and the winning video can be seen below.  It's a really fun idea with a very OK Go feel to it so you can see why it won.



The video below was the viewer's favorite. This one went a totally different angle. More story driven, very well shot, and some really nice effects. I must say, after seeing this one, I think the only reason the other video won was because it felt more "OK Go". While both are amazing, I think I like the viewer's choice better as a music video. I mean honestly, who doesn't want to see some little kid traveling through time to make it right with a girl.

Night In The Woods - Kickstarter Trailer

Welp, Scott Benson is at it again, and this time it's with the help of Kickstarer and indie video game designer Alec Holowka.  Literally every job Scott works on would be a dream job for me, and this one is no different. Scott and Alec are creating a new indie game called Night In The Woods, and the work they have done so far looks pretty impressive.  The game looks exactly like one of Scott's animations, you almost can't tell that it's gameplay.  The game also looks like it's going to be fairly character and story driven, which could make for some memorable gameplay.  Needless to say, I've already pledged my hard earned dollars to them, now it's just time for them to make it!

Root Portrait

At the company I work, Root Inc., the artists will create unique and original portraits for each and every hire. Recently I signed up to do one and I thought the result came out pretty well, so I figured I could do a brief step by step of the process.

It all starts out with a picture and a few ideas from the person you are creating. Stephanie, the girl who's portrait I created, told me she had a dog named Frank and loved to bake.

So with my photo of Stephanie and Frank I started to do a quick sketch. Damn this looks fucking sweet!

I then took my sketch and references in Adobe Illustrator and started to define it. With the help of some movie magic we can see the final immediately! Check it out below.

Fight!

There are so many things to love about this animation from Marc James Roels. The music, the composition, and the style of the characters. But above all else I love how they made such a light and soft material look as though it carries massive weight. The shot of the two characters falling through air makes my eyes light up.

2D Effect Reels

I always find 2D effect work like this stunning, especially when it comes to the smoke and explosions. Both Sébastien Iglesias and Jason Keyser have given us some inspirational work in that area. Check them out!

I Didn't Know That - Episode 1 (Elton John)

Really like the visual style and audio used for this animation by Young. I've always wanted to see an infographic made out of a shoe.

Svenska kraftnät - Infomercial

I can't understand a word of this animation, but I love the visual style BRIKK used for this piece.

A Relationship in 5 Minutes

Brilliantly written and acted piece from the folks at Restless Short Films.

Bee and PuppyCat: The Series - Kickstarter

I don't know what it is but I've been really into Kickstarter lately. More specifically I've been into supporting great cartoons.  Bee and Puppycat is a created by Natasha Allegrithat first appeared on Cartoon Hangover's Youtube page.  They created 2 pilot episodes (check them out below) and now they are asking for your help to create more.  I'm going to do my part to support, and you should to.  Visit their Kickstarter page here.

TEEN HALLOWEEN | ANIMATION DOMINATION

Another amazing short from the folks at Animation Domination.

'Classic Ghostworth' - Sam Sweetmilk Ep.1

Let me ask you a few simple questions.  Do you like cartoons?  Do you like funny cartoons? Do you like funny cartoons about space adventures? Do you like supporting funny cartoons about space adventures?  Well if you answered yes to these questions then Sam Sweetmilk may be what you are looking for.  This animated series just launched it's rough first episode, and with the help of Kickstarter they are hoping to produce more fully fleshed out episodes.

What I enjoy about this cartoon is that although it's set in space, they don't use that as an excuse to go completely over the top with the story.  The humor lies more in the writing and interactions of the characters which I enjoy in cartoons every once in a while.  It's sort of like a cartoon mixed with a sitcom.  I think with more time that the characters of Sam Sweetmilk could become pretty well rounded and relatable.  I'm truly interested in why the main character has wiped his memory, and although this series has a light hearted aspect to it, I believe there is room for some serious tones later on. Here's hoping.

Photo of the Moment - Untitled

Untitled, a photo by RagtimeWillie on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
-+-+-Tumblr-+-+-

UPSTAIRS

Creator Matthias Hoegg describes his work as, "a short story about how much we know - or want to know - about the lives of our next door neighbors in urban flats." I recently moved to a bottom floor apartment and I constantly hear squeaks that could be a simple footstep or as Matthias demonstrates in this piece, something so much worse...

Procrastination

This is another old one that I am just now seeing.  I guess you can say that's my way of procrastinating. I should be searching the internet for more videos instead of making so much tea....or maybe my constant search for inspiration is my own form of procrastination.  Well either way, now you understand why this piece from Johnny Kelly is so near and dear to my heart.

EXERCISE

A lovely little exercise from Chloe Nicolay. I love getting to see the many different stages of the process and then at the end to see it all come together. I think I need to start working out my animation muscles too.

ChildLine: First Step

I'm a little late on this one, but for this one in particular I'd rather be late than never. This is a beautifully choreographed piece from Buck and Antfood for ChildLine, a UK-based, confidential counseling service that deals with a wide range of issues facing many children and young adults. The sound design meshes so well with the animation that it keeps you stuck tight to the screen the entire time.

Coca-Cola "Happiness Is Movement"

This little piece from Antfood for Coca-Cola oozes happiness.  There were definitely a few moment that made me smile, that's for sure.

Linked Learning

I really like the visual style Owen Davey chose for this piece and the transitions from scene to scene are fun and engaging way to tell the story.

Palm Springs

This animation from Conor Whelan oozes that California feeling through it's visual style and colors. I also absolutely adore the use of the square frame, it makes for a very photographic composition and he uses it well.

Planet Nine

I've absolutely loved this series from Andy Martin.  As long as he keeps creating them I'll keep sharing them.