Computer Animation Arts

Day 08, Wednesday Figure 01. I was snapped on camera at work! We are in the process of making attendee's their 3D Lenticular Cards. Figure 02. This really threw me off... I did't know people could Skype somebody into one of these machines so they can drive themselves around the conference... An even talk to each other on the machines, this is a picture of 3 people in 3 locations talking. It was a really great and funny thing to see. Figure 03. Lunch break to visit the SV Chapter's Luncheon. And... I bumped into my new friends on my way back to shift. Figure 04. Job Fair Talking to the recruiters at Double Negative - Cool Figure 05. The gates of Monsters University - Pixar Stand Figure 06. The Z-Brush stand (Sorry Stitch - Didn't get a chance to get the photo we discussed ;)   ) After a day at work - it was time for play Figure 07. Ummmm... I think the plan was to just work our way down the list Figure 08. House ...

Day 07, Tuesday Figure 01. Talking with Sean Hannon in the SV office. Today I was chilling out in the SV office and Sean Hannon sat down and started watching something on his laptop. He then turned to me with a big grin on his face and said wow.... I love your animation. Then we sat and discussed aspects of it and opinions.  Figure 02. Sean Hannon A bit about Sean's experience - Currently animating several principal characters of 'Smurfs 2' and 'The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow'. Has worked on commercials, game cinematics and pre-viz. Sean is also a Student Volunteer Subcommittee member and he has some really cool contacts that have arranged to come and show us some really great geeky things - including the Pixar talks. Figure 03. Some more SIGGRAPH Bling. After chatting with Sean I had my appointment with the reel and resume review panel. I was asked to sit down with a guy called Toby Cochran, Figure 04. Toby Cochr...

This 'documentary' by Francesco Calabrese works best if you just sit back and watch it... LOVELY MONSTER from Francesco Calabrese on Vimeo .

It's not just CG slugs that get skewered in this entertaining animation short from The Animation Workshop - Hollywood war film tropes get a good going over too.  There's a nice visual gag in here: an appropriation of Saving Private Ryan 's desaturated cinematography by way of transitioning between the war zone world and the otherwise bucolic garden.  Fun.

"Cinematographer Dan Mindel ASC, BSC will be reteaming with JJ Abrams to shoot Star Wars Episode VII. That comes as no surprise as Mindel worked with Abrams on the Star Trek films and Mission: Impossible III. The big news is that Mindel says that Episode 7 will be shot on Kodak film stock 5219 film, NOT digital cameras like the last couple prequel movies..." More here .

It's that time of year again and all you CGAA veterans know the drill. Add these new recruits to your Blogger reading lists and then go introduce yourselves. Let's make them feel at home. Many more to come, so keep your eyes peeled for the 'New!' icon over the coming days. Kyle Kemp @ http://kyle-kemp.blogspot.co.uk Rosie Fenton @ http://www.rjfenton.blogspot.co.uk Ruby Newland @ http://rubynewland.blogspot.co.uk Candice Hiu Fu Leung@ http://candice-hiufu.blogspot.co.uk Josh Aldis @ http://joshaldis.blogspot.co.uk Heidi Grover @ http://heidigrover.blogspot.co.uk Hannah Milliner @ http://hannah-milliner.blogspot.co.uk Will Huntley @ http://wahuntley.blogspot.co.uk Ant Faulkner @ http://anthonyjfaulkner.blogspot.co.uk

Thanks to Steven Benedict for putting together this stirring, passionate overview of Spielberg's cinematic syntax.  It just made want to watch all of Spielberg's movies again.  There is magic captured in these reels - no question, and it's always inspiring to hear someone give voice to their own delight and admiration. You should find ten minutes to watch this. The Passions and Techniques of Steven Spielberg from Steven Benedict on Vimeo .

A bookmark is stuck in a forgotten book that is one day knocked over by wind. It experiences its environment by surfing the pages that turn in to ocean-waves, enjoying the ride of its life. As the book cover closes light reveals new challenges... A charming, award-winning animated short + some fascinating behind-the-scenes insights too. Much Better Now from Salon Alpin on Vimeo .

'Laugh Out Loud'! Things You'd Better Not Mix Up from Jiek Weishut on Vimeo .

A new CGI womble! "The Wombles are coming back to TV and the loveable litter-pickers have had a high-tech makeover..."  Read the full article here.

I just want you to take a couple of minutes to watch this short 'mockumentary' written, produced and directed by Till Nowak .  It includes some nicely executed VFX stuff, but it's witty, wonderful and it will make you 'laugh out loud'.  It will also terrify you a bit too - even those among you who like a thrill ride or two!  The Centrifuge Brain Project from Till Nowak on Vimeo .

An entertaining 'proof of concept' short pitting sushi chefs against oceanic behemoths! Monster Roll from Dan Blank on Vimeo .

Have you seen this yet?  This is incredible - like something from a b-movie... mini-brains grown in jars!

I featured Andrew Thomas Huang 's strange and wonderful Solipsist on the group blog a while back, and his video for Bjork's Mutual Core again combines physical props and puppetry with sinuous VFX to extraordinary effect.  Be sure to check out the 'making of' too.

"While the debate continues to rage in Hollywood about the merits of 3D conversion, with industry leaders like James Cameron railing against the trend, China underscores its hunger for all things 3D by embracing the 20th anniversary 3D re-release of Spielberg's dinosaur theme park adventure enthusiastically, which has seen the film take almost RMB200 Million in its first 6 days on release."   Full article here .

A few words of support and philosophical balm for all of you on the 'road less travelled'  - courtesy of Bill Watterson . Go here !

From Tetsuka Niiyama - Hinode - literally dazzling! HINODE from niiyama on Vimeo .

The clowns of the circus are known by the rest of the cast and crew as " The Fives shades of Gloom". these guys are the ultimate representation of all that is wrong with clowning. A group of more disparate, sullen, dour, angry and borderline psychotic individuals could not be found. Despite their mutual distrust and hatred of each other they really are as close knit as a basket of vipers.

It's official: Despicable Me 2 's Fart-Blaster toy is the must have accessory... "In July, two weeks before Universal Pictures' Despicable Me 2opened in U.K. theaters, retailers and Thinkway Toys, the master license holder for the animated movie, pulled their TV and print advertising. The entire line of DM2 toys already had sold out. "Customers were coming in and getting very upset they couldn't get the Minions," says Stephanie Sperber, president of Universal Partnerships & Licensing. "And this is after three reorders and air-freighting in products, which in the toy business is unheard of. People don't air-freight. It makes things exponentially more expensive." What happened in the U.K. wasn't isolated. Sales for DM2 toys in the U.S., other parts of Europe, Mexico and Latin America were equally robust. In a summer heavy with animated family movies, surprisingly few exploded at the box office and at retail.Despic...

Something ravishing! Visit the official site here for some production drawings too. Contre temps from Contre temps Team on Vimeo .