Why 3D Animation?

A friend recently asked me, "Why computer animation?" Why would a farm kid from the state of Washington want to work in computers and make fuzzy animals dance and sing?

Well let's face it, up until a few years ago, Pixar was and still arguably is, the pinnacle for 3D animators. That's what people were working towards. In other words, a vast majority of those of us who were wannabe 3D artists and animators were influence by Pixar and wanted to work there for a living. They wanted to make the next "Toy Story." Sure there were some that would much rather be working on "Star Wars" or making the Dinos for "Jurassic Park 12: Electric Boogaloo" but for the most part, if you were in 3D animation, at least a small part of you would love the chance to work for Pixar.



I was no exception.

Things have changed a great deal in the past few years, with big studios such as Dreamworks and Sony creating computer animation branches that have come close to rivaling, and in the case of films like "Shrek" equaling, the level of product released by Pixar. So while Pixar may not hold quite the appeal it once did, it's still considered by many to be "the show" and a pretty fancy feather for anyone's cap.



I'm no different. I think it would be an incredible experience to work for Pixar. Not only due to the fact that I would learn more there in 3 years than most people learn about animation in a lifetime, but also because I would know that so many people would be entertained by my contribution, if only for a few frames of animation.

And that's my motivation.

I'm an entertainer. While I'm not out juggling chainsaws or telling jokes on a stage, my goal is still to make people forget about their problems for just a bit and enter the world of the characters they are watching. If I make a simple model of a dog, it's not for people to marvel at how I was able to achieve the look with a limited number of polygons or how great my textures are, but instead I want them to look at that little model of a dog and say, "Wow... he's cute!" I want them to immediately begin to visualize what this dog would talk like and walk like and think like.



And kids? Well forget about it. Seeing a child's eyes light up at the site of anything I've created is about the best feeling in the entire world. I was drawing in a park one day, not far from the art school I attended, and a mom brought her little boy up to me. We smiled and she asked if they could see what I was drawing. I showed them some of my little cartoon characters and then sat back and watched as the little boy's eyes danced across the images I had crudely sketched out. He whispered something to his mom, and she asked if I would draw him something. So I drew a little cartoon depiction of him, holding a giant pencil. When I ripped the page out of my sketchbook and handed it to him, he looked down at the drawing, then back at me, and then the drawing, then me. The look on his face was as if I was a magician who had just produced a rabbit from a hat, right before his very eyes.

His mom said, "I think he likes it!"

And they were gone. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I was just a hack artist, trying my best to make it from one drawing to the next, and frankly for this kid it didn't matter. He made me realize that the means of getting from point A to point B are important, but the ultimate goal is what your audience thinks of your work.

If we have the power to entertain one little boy, let alone millions watching a feature film, that's a pretty damn amazing thing.

All this being said, while Pixar or Dreamworks would be amazing, to me it would be just as rewarding and fulfilling to work on a short film such as Blur Studio's "Gopher Broke." While a major feature film may reach a wider audience, a film like "Gopher" was obviously made simply to entertain people. Of course Blur couldn't continue to power their computers off of knowing they entertained people, should they choose to make nothing but short films, but it's obvious this film was not created with profit as the number one concern. This was a film created to make people laugh.



With only seeing this industry from the outside, I can't speak with a fully-educated voice, but I know that as with any business, decisions are often made based on the bottom line and not the final product. The same thing happens in the videogame industry, which I can speak from experience on, as well as just about any other big business. Those "in the know" who back projects financially are often only concerned about turning a profit in a timely matter.

If I make it into the business of animation one day, and find myself animating, be it in games or shorts or feature films or anywhere for that matter, I hope I never forget the fact that entertainment should be the first priority. Whether it's a Lucky Charms commercial or a Dreamworks movie, the bottom line should not have anything to do with money. It should have to do with making people forget, even for a second, about their world and instead step into the one that the team that I'm a part of created. If you can pull that off, there will be plenty of profit for everyone involved.

I'm a realist, believe it or not, and I know that little boy has long since tossed that piece of paper away with my drawing on it. That's okay, because I know that for that moment, that kid was entertained by what I had done, even if he's long since forgotten about the dork he met in the park that day.

At its core, that's my motivation.

I will entertain you.

Deal with it.

BY DAVE: Pin Update

I made quite a few updates to Pin over the weekend. I gave him some eyes and arms, as well as a set of teeth and an extra long dog tongue:



I just slapped some red/brown on the center model for fun, but in the final version he'll have a black nose and will most likely be white with brown spots.

Happy Feet Trailer and Poster

Moviefone has posted the trailer for the upcoming Warner Bros Penguin flick, Happy Feet.



Click here for the trailer.

Personally, I'm not too excited about this film. It looks well done, in terms of the fact that the team has managed to very accurately recreate the penguins and their environment, but that isn't what I necessarily want from my animated films.

I was just watching the making of short on the "Finding Nemo" DVD last night, and one of the team members was saying that they gave their art team 3 or 4 shots from the film and asked them to reproduce them on the computer. The team returned with some stunning shots, which are shown side by side with the live action footage, and it's difficult to tell which is which. However that same team member then goes on to say that the shots looked too real and they then had to scale them back to make them more of the environment that someone would expect from the film.

Happy Feet, at least to me, falls into this category of looking "too real." I want the cartoony squash and stretch and anticipation. Additionally I'd like to see a bigger color palette. I know that's tough with a landscape made mostly of snow and ice, but to me the film almost seems black and white at times (no penguin pun intended).

Over the Hedge DVD Info

Dreamworks'excellent film, Over the Hedge is set to release on October 17th, according to DVDActive.



Extra material will include an audio commentary with the directors, an all-new short created exclusively for the DVD, a Behind the Hedge featurette, a Meet the Cast featurette, art galleries, interactive games, and more.

I for one hope the short centers on Steve Carrell's Hammy character.

Can't wait!

Cast of Ratatouille Confirmed

Coming Soon has posted the voice cast for Pixar's next film, Ratatouille, which is set to release in June of 2007.



ComingSoon.net has confirmed that Patton Oswalt, Brian Dennehy, Brad Garrett, Janeane Garofalo, Ian Holm and John Ratzenberger will voice Disney/Pixar's animated-adventure Ratatouille, opening June 29, 2007.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I for one am shocked to see John Ratzenberger associated with a Pixar film.

Just for fun, here are a few more screen caps, taken from the Official Ratatouille Trailer. Click the images for (much) larger versions.

The Ant Bully Stomps Theaters Today

Following in the footsteps of "A Bug's Life" and "Antz," comes the latest journey into the world of the exoskeleton, "The Ant Bully."



The film currently sits at a 54% over on Rotten Tomatoes, but I'm still planning on taking it in at some point this weekend.

One of the previous "10 Quick" interviews was actually with one of the animators on AB, Mr. Andrew Burke.

EDIT: As of 07/29/06 "Bully" is now up to a 65% on Rotten Tomatoes.

BY DAVE: Pin, the Dog

I started this little guy tonight:



His name is Pin, because he's shaped like a bowling pin, and he's going to be the dog companion for Monkey.

He's still got some work to be done like the seam that runs along his front side and the fact that he needs some arms, but you get the idea.

10 Quick with Kyle Dunlevy

This week's 10 Quick come to us all the way from Singapore! One look at this artist's work and it's easy to see why he's found a home with Lucasfilm, and has worked on projects for huge companies like Wal-Mart. So without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, the ultra-talented, Mr. Kyle Dunlevy!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you break into the business?

I think that I was coming out of school now, with the same reel I had in 1998 I'd have a tough time finding work! Perhaps the fact that I was looking for work in the small ciy of Halifax, Canada when I first started has something to do with it; there wasn't the same competition you might get in a bigger place. So I got job at a small studio and - once you're in, you're in! Getting that first job is HUGE.

2. Which of your work are you most proud of?

Maybe the Robinhood kids? I look back at it now and see all the mistakes, but i still get an overall good vibe from it.



3. What are the main tools and/or programs you use to create your work?

I use Maya now, Max before, a tablet not a mouse, a mirror, a pepsi IV and a chissel.

4. What's a typical day in your life like?

Well, since I've moved to Singapore, life's been different so, that's hard to answer. But I haul my tired ass out of bed each morning and put in a good day's work at Lucasfilm. That much is consistant. The rest of the day is spent in the persuit of food and fun. Somehow though, I always seem to end up on the computer...



5. Who or what are some of your artistic influences?

I am inspired and influenced by 3D animated films. Since Monster's Inc. I've been excited to see every 3D feature that's come out. I study them closely and my cartoony style has a lot to do with what I've seen on the big screen. Animation from the big studios like Pixar, Dreamworks and Bluesky have set the bar for me. That's my kinda stuff; fun, entertaining and funny. For me, that's what animation's supposed to be!

6. Would you say that you're a 3D artist who dabbles in 2D from time to time, or a 2D artist who happens to work in 3D?

When I started, it was pensil and paper; Not animation, but art. And when I found myself in 3D I was a fish out of water. Computers were not my bag. But it was just a medium after all. and animation would become my new art. I learned to animate on a computer and now, after 8 years, i think i've come full circle and have a become a 3D artist who dabbles in 2D from time to time.



7. What are 3 of the best things about your job, and what are 3 of the worst?

Best:
- working in Singapore is sweeeeeeeeet...!
- I'm not a Star Wars nut, but being a part of Lucasfilm and working on the next Star Wars adventure is actually really cool.
- There are push scooters all over the studio. We all cruise around on them because the place is huge.

Worst:
- can't bring friends into the studio
- can be dangerous as animators are often swinging around lightsabers.
- if I had known the coffee would be so bad, I may not have accepted the position.

8. Why Lucasfilm, and more imporantly, why the move to Singapore?

Simple. I was looking for a change of pace and scenery. I looked into jobs that would take me somewhere different and exotic. As soon as I saw the job posting from Lucasfilm on thier website, I knew it was the one. BingBangBoom I'm here.


Click here to watch Kyle's amazing animations, like this ad for Wal-Mart!

9. What do you think the top three things are that make a "good" animation?

1. a good idea - in the choice of acting or performance - or in the story - or in any aspect of the piece. For example, if, by being witty or clever you manage to make the viewer say "cool" then you win. What you choose to make your character do is huge; he can say his line a million different ways but you have to make it interesting and creative. The modelling lighting, or the actual animation might suck but if its clear what you're attempting to convay, if the idea is good, then you're off to a really good start.

2. And then if you can accentuate that idea with better animation - you're money. And i'm going to say a sense of asthetics and good timing are number 2 and 3. 2D animators develop a sense of what looks good and what dosn't early on. It can be boiled down to posing. It sounds simple but its not. If, every time you put your character in a new pose, you can come up something thats not boring or predictable - you're money.

3. And if, every time you change poses, you can get from one to the next in a fun and interesting way - you've done it; you've got good animation. That can be boiled down to timing but smart in-betweening gets an honorable mention.

10. Where do you see yourself in the future.

Is this a trick question? Oh I get it...( Dave you cheeky monkey ). Ok, I'll play along: Because Singapore is a day ahead of the North America, it's technically the future here so.. the answer to your question is - The Mirror.


A huge thank you to Kyle. He's got an amazing body of work, and has used his skills to travel the world and work on some great projects along the way. Take the time to swing by his site and view all his work.

You'll be glad you did!

Thanks again, Kyle!

Great Short Films

Thanks to a posting over on Strut Your Reel, I was able to watch a slew of fine short films today, and now you can too!



The site is in French, either that or I forgot how to read in my sleep last night, but you simply need to click on a thumbnail and then click "VOIR LE FILM" to watch the short that you've selected.

While they were all great, I'd have to say my favorite was "Making Of," starring a Red Dragon and his journey through the world of reality television.

Check them out by clicking here!

BY DAVE: I Give You... Monkey

There is certainly more I could have done to him, and I never got quite finished with his textures, but it's time I move on for now. I may revisit Monkey at some point, and I think next I'll model a dog for him (no, it won't be Sid).

I hope you like him. He sure likes beer... no wait... he sure likes you.

EDIT: And because the ladies in the audience demanded it...



I guess it's true what ZZ Top said...

Every girl is in fact crazy about a bald, cashew-shaped, overweight, alcoholic, shirtless man.

Dreamworks Poster Madness!

Just wanted to throw a few poster shots your way from some of the upcoming Dreamworks Animation movies that will be coming out in the future.

The first of these is for everyone's favorite swamp ogre, Shrek, and the second sequel for this franchise:



Look for "Shrek the Third" in theaters May of 2007.

Next we have a shot of the main characters from Kung Fu Panda:



Even from this one shot it looks as though this film is going to be a lot of fun. This one hits theaters in 2008.

Finally is one of the first pieces of art from Jerry Seinfeld's upcoming "Bee Movie":



No idea what to think of this one yet, as it's still way too early to know enough details, but the bee looks cute, even if it's in a Honey Nut Cheerios sort of way.

Dreamworks at Siggraph

Dreamworks has issued the following press release about their presence at the upcoming Siggraph, as well as the job opportunities that will soon be available, if not already:

MAJOR DREAMWORKS ANIMATION PRESENCE AT SIGGRAPH 2006

On the heels of the successful worldwide launch of its latest computer-animated feature, Over the Hedge, DreamWorks Animation will assert a major presence at SIGGRAPH 2006, the world's largest computer graphics conference, held from July 30th to August 3rd at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston, MA.

DreamWorks Animation, which will fly more than 80 artists and executives from California for the event, will deliver six sketch presentations, have a major recruiting suite in the Convention Center (Room 252A), and host the SIGGRAPH Educators' Luncheon Symposium for the third year in a row.

In the conference's spirit of sharing knowledge and information with the community, the studio will showcase the technology and creativity behind Over the Hedge, Flushed Away and other films in a series of sketches that focus on specific breakthroughs ranging from CG tree lighting to adapting the stop motion style in 3D animation. The following are more details on each sketch presentation:

* Character Splash Sketch (Presented by Scott Cegielski); a system was developed on Flushed Away to automate the process of generating splashes from a character's interaction with a water surface while still retaining a large degree of artistic control.

* Simplified Tree Lighting Using Aggregate Normals (Presented by Scott Petersen with Lawrence Lee); more appealing tree shapes were created before shadows were cast for Over the Hedge and Shrek the Third to facilitate tree lighting.

* Procedural Modeling Workflow for Over the Hedge Foliage (Presented by Bruce Tartaglia with Rob Wilson, Olcun Tan, Scott Petersen, Jonathan Gibbs); how algorithms were used to generate models and animate foliage for Over the Hedge.

* Directing Plant Interactions on Over the Hedge. (Presented by Gokhan Kisacikoglu); a unique set of controls had to be developed to direct the branches and leaves when characters go through the hedge in Over the Hedge.

* Cartoon Motion Blur for 3D Animation (Presented by Andy Wheeler with Joanne Thiel & Greg Hart); presentation of three innovative particle-based techniques for stylized motion blur, developed and expanded over the course of three CG projects: Madagascar, The Madagascar Penguins in A Christmas Caper, and Over the Hedge.

* Stop Motion Puppets in CG (Presented by Martin Costello); how the CG characters in Flushed Away were able to emulate the very specific animation style of Aardman.


In addition to the various presentations, the studio will host its third annual Educators' Luncheon Symposium, a forum for college and university level educators to discuss and debate directions and strategies for Digital Media education. This will also be a venue to share solutions for the challenges they are facing in identifying, educating and matriculating students in this rapidly evolving field of study.

Applicants will also be able to drop off reels and/or resumes for interview consideration at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center Meeting Room 252A during Exhibition hours. DreamWorks Animation is looking to fill more than 40 positions by the end of the year for all of its upcoming projects including Bee Movie, Kung Fu Panda, Shrek the Third, and the Madagascar sequel. A complete list of current openings can be found in the "Job Opportunities" section of the studio's website at www.dreamworksanimation.com.

Last but not least, DreamWorks Animation and partner HP will be giving away an HP Digital Camera every hour during the Exhibition, from August 1st to August 3rd. Attendees should drop by the DreamWorks Animation suite for their chance to enter and win the raffle. Winners will be posted at the HP Booth (#1203) on the Exhibition Floor.


About DreamWorks Animation SKG, INC

DreamWorks Animation SKG (NYSE-DWA) is principally devoted to developing and producing computer-generated, or CG-animated, feature films. With world-class creative talent, a strong and experienced management team and advanced CG filmmaking technology and techniques, DreamWorks Animation makes high quality CG-animated films meant for a broad movie-going audience.

Toy Story 3

Tim Allen recently shed some light on "Toy Story 3" to the National Ledger.



"Toy Story 3" is moving right along and "it's going to be great." That's the word from Buzz Lightyear himself, Tim Allen. "We have John Lasseter, the original director, and I believe Tom is on board," he adds, referring to Tom Hanks -- aka the voice of his cowboy buddy, Woody.

I personally thought this project got shelved after the merger between Pixar and Disney, but I guess it's still in the works. I'm not sure how I feel about this, as I've always liked that, with the exception of TS2, Pixar has stayed away from sequels, choosing to instead focus on new IPs. I'm sure it will be a great film, but I'd rather see something new, rather than the same characters again.

And wouldn't Andy be around 20 by now? ;)

Read the entire National Ledger article here!

What's a Picture Book Without Pictures?

That's like having a blog about 3D animation with no pictures of 3D animation.

Which is exactly what you're going to get for now...

Blogger seems to be having some kind of issue with uploading images, so for now any posts I make will be without the standard picture or two that I like to include. As soon as I find out that it's back up and working, I'll go back and get some shots put in here and there to spice things up a bit.

After all, poorly-cropped, blurry, movie stills are the spice of life from what I understand.

Monster House Review

Everyone had that house in their neighborhood growing up. You know, the one where the older kids in the neighborhood had told you about the guy who had killed his wife and now used her skin for his bed sheets. It was usually just a case of the house looking a bit run down and the imaginations of kids going wild with what they thought they saw while peeking through the windows.

However the house in "Monster House" is quite different, because it happens to be alive.



PLOT
Monster House revolves around a young boy, named DJ, who happens to live across the street from "that house" in his neighborhood. In this case, "that house," is inhabited by a grumpy old man by the name of Nebbercracker, who spends most of his life terrorizing anyone who steps foot on his lawn.

After an altercation between DJ and Nebbercracker, resulting in Nebb's apparent death, DJ receives a strange phone call filled with odd noises and scratching. When he traces the call, to give the prank caller a bit of his own medicine, he hears the phone ringing in Nebbercracker's house across the street. Knowing that the old man lived alone, DJ freaks and calls on his friend, Chowder, to help him sort the mess out.

Along the way, the duo also befriend a young girl by the name of, Jenny, who herself is almost devoured by devilish domicile.

Overall it's a somewhat original and well-executed plot that rarely, if ever, bogs down or feels forced. At times you wonder why nobody else on this crowded block ever sees a two story house grow teeth and deform into the massive, hideous beast that it actually is, but we can forgive such things. Heck... we are talking about a Monster House afterall, so you probably shouldn't go in expecting realistic depictions of anything.

Plot Grade: B+




Characters/Cast

The characters are quite a mixed bag. The kids themselves are great and very likeable in nature. Even Jenny, who can be somewhat pretentious at times, has enough redeeming qualities that you don't mind her being a little snotty. DJ is a strong main character, and Chowder provides the comic relief.

The supporting cast is another matter entirely. While the cops, played by Kevin James and Nick Cannon, are great, the supporting cast for the most part just doesn't stack up against the three main characters. Maybe this is how it was meant to be, but Zee, DJ's babysitter, is a very generic teenager and doesn't seem to be pushed as far as she could. Her apatheticness translates into a boring character for the most part, and her boyfriend, Bones, was a character who was obviously given no redeeming qualities at all, just so you wouldn't mind when (and you know it's coming in the first 5 seconds of meeting the character) the house eats him.

The supporting characters that do seem to be worth watching, such as DJ's parents, the cops, and Skull don't wind up having enough screen time to really make the impact that their characters probably could have. I would have much preferred to see Skull actually go fight the house with the kids, as I think it could have made for some great gags, but that's just my personal preference.

Characters/Cast Grade: B-



Art/Animation

Overall, I thought the art was amazing, but there were a few things that held it back.

The first is that, again while the models of the kids are great, the supporting cast just doesn't match up. Zee is really quite ugly and winds up looking like a deformed version of Winona Ryder. DJ's dad also seems to suffer from the same plastic face syndrome, and I'm not sure if it's the animators not pushing it far enough or simply the limitations of the models, but he always seemed to have the same emotion displayed on his face.

The second issue for me was the animation in spots. While I liked it overall, I felt that there were a few times when it seemed a bit too stiff. The characters often seemed to move like they had broom handles fused to their spines, especially in the case of (and I'm really not trying to pick on her here), Zee. I also felt that the final scene with the house chasing them down the street felt like it was done with stop motion. This was mainly due to the house's "arms," which were actually large trees. The animation on these was done in a style that made it look as though it was actually missing frames of animation at times.

Overall, these are quite minor, and I really did like the art style of the film in general. The colors were wonderful, and the homes and trees looked marvelous. Jenny had some really nice facial expressions ("Are you guys mentally challenged?"), as did Chowder and DJ.

I also thought the film used some great dust/smoke particle FX from the chimney, and also in the final scene of the film as the house chases the children.

The film is certainly not difficult to watch, and in fact does a wonderful job of recreating suburban life. It just so happens that, again, there are a few minor things that hold it back from being absolutely amazing.

Art/Animation Grade: B+



Audio/Music

You're not going to find any singing in this movie, folks, but what you are going to find is a score filled with a nice mix of creepy music that adds quite well to both the tense and tender moments of the film.

Not only that, but you get to hear Skull N' Bones live!

Audio/Music Grade: A



Overall

Monster House is a very good film. Think of it as the house halfway up the hill. While the Pixar mansions sit at the top, complete with indoor pools and bowling alleys, Monster House has a horseshoe pit and above ground backyard pool. It's certainly nothing you'd be ashamed at having your friends come over to, as it's far from the slums of "Hoodwinkedville," and it might even sneak on to an episode of cribs on a slow week, but the faucets aren't made of gold and the bottle of Crystal in the fridge is just for show.

So move your family in and stay a while, because while there may be a few touchups that need to be done here and there, by the most part there wouldn't be much for Bob Villa to have to fix up here.

Overall Grade: B



Monster House Website

All images in this post were taken from the HD trailer found on Apple's Trailer Site.

Your Next Tee

They aren't paying me a dime, which probably makes me dumb, but I still have to tell you about this site. If you are a 3D artist "in the industry" or want to look like you're "in the industry" or choose to "put quotes around stuff you type to seem cool," then YourNextTee.com is where you should go to dress yourself.

I ordered this snazzy little "I Bleed Pixels" number myself:



I'm such a dork.

YourNextTee.com

I've been MySpaced

I'll warn you now that this post really has nothing to do with 3D animation...

So at the tail end of one of my posts yesterday, I mentioned that I wasn't on MySpace and didn't understand why everyone was. From what I understand, that was pretty much like saying that I didn't understand the appeal of breathing. I got more than a couple emails telling me that MySpace was not just a place to meet horny young people, but could also be a great resource for networking inside and outside of the art world.

So I signed up. Frankly, the thing that appealed most to me was one of the emails that said at very least I could sign up and use it to track bands.

So I think the kids these days are "adding friends" or "making friends" or something... I don't understand the interwebs at all. But if you'd like to visit my MySpace page, which has some of my 2D artwork and such, feel free.

http://www.myspace.com/my3dave

My awesome new MySpace avatar.

Tomorrow I'm thinking about getting in on the ground floor of this new thing called "email."

I'll let you know how that goes.

TMNT Trailer

Apple has the new teaser trailer up for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.



While it is just a teaser trailer and something we really shouldn't judge the final project by, here are my initial thoughts:

1. As a fan of the original comic book series, I was hoping the movie would lean towards the dark and serious tone that the comic books often displayed, and not the slapstick nature of the horrible Saturday morning cartoon. The turtle falling into the dumpster makes me think they're leaning towards the latter, which worries me a bit.

2. The animation and artwork look great. I like the models, especially the heads, and the textures look great as well.

3. I wish the voices were a little more serious. I know we only hear what I am assuming is Donatello, but the voice sounds really lame.

Grab yourself a pizza and watch the trailer here!

And feel free to voice your opinion in the comments section.

Surf's Up Poster

Don't know if this has been posted elsewhere on the net, but I did manage to stumble upon a poster for the upcoming "Surf's Up" movie:



As for the source, I actually found it over on Jamaal's MySpace Page. Jamaal is an animator on the film, having also animated parts of "Monster House" and "Open Season." I'll also be hitting Jamaal up for a "10 Quick" interview, so we'll see what comes of it.

Just as a personal note, I'm not on MySpace, don't frequent MySpace, and have yet to find the appeal of MySpace. If someone can explain it to me, it would be much appreciated.

Monster House In Theaters Today

Monster House hits theaters today, and the reviews have already started pouring in over at Rotten Tomatoes.



The film currently sits at a 64% overall, according to the mighty RT.

Overall, the reviews seem to be quite mixed. I'm still excited to see it, and will probably take the film in on Sunday.

If you've seen it or see it sometime within the next few days, drop a comment (no need to register or anything like that) below this story and let everyone know what you thought of the film.

Open Season Behind the Scenes

Moviefone has posted a new "Behind the Scenes" look at Sony's upcoming Open Season.



The clip is only about 2 and a half minutes in length, but it's still nice to see the split screens of the actors in the studio side by side with their on-screen personas.

Worth taking a look!

New Flushed Away Trailer and Site

Flushed Away now has an updated site that you can wander around in.



From the front page of the site, you can also view the brand new Moviefone trailer, that runs just a little over 2 minutes in length.

The more I see of this film, the more I can't help but feel as though it's missing some of the charm that some of the other Aardman films have, and I think (as much as I hate to say it) that this is due to the fact that it's CG instead of clay.

There is just something about knowing that the characters are actual physical things, rather than generated on a computer screen, that just can't be changed. It's one thing if a style begins with computers, because your mind associates it as being the norm, but when something like the Aardman clay style is mimicked using computer graphics, my brain just keeps telling me that something doesn't look right.

If the film has the standard Aardman charm, in terms of humor, which it looks like it does, I'm sure it will be more than enjoyable, but even coming from a guy who loves computer animation to death, I wish they would have stuck with the "if it ain't broke don't model it on a computer" philosophy.

Make your own judgment by swinging over to the site and having a look at the trailer!

10 Quick with Ruel Pascual

Today's 10 Quick comes from the talented Ruel Pascual.

Ruel has worked for Blur for the past 3 years, on projects such as "In the Rough" as well as animation for Disney on the Mickey show.

Take it away Ruel... after my first question, that is...

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born in the Philippines in the early 70's. I always loved to draw ever since I could remember. I watched a lot of Anime, Disney, WB cartoons growing up. My step father was in the Air Force and so we lived in Japan for about 3 years. Which was awesome! I was into modeling gundam kits, RC cars, break dancing, BMX bikes, and skateboarding. Then we moved to California in the 1986 at Edwards AFB, where I went to high school. Fast forward to present date… I’m married, love to cook, travel, play guitar, tennis, art, movies, animation and sleep.

How did you break into the business?

I kind of got into the business a little late. After high school, I worked as a graphic designer for 2 years, then I started to freelance doing portraiture. A couple years later I thought about going to an art school to learn how to draw and paint better. I took a summer figure drawing class at Art Center in Pasadena. Around that time Toy Story came out! I was amazed by it. It made me fall in love with animation again. I didn't have enough funds to go full time at Art Center and they didn't have a computer animation program. So I moved to San Francisco and enrolled at the Academy of Art College. There I learned the fundamentals of drawing, painting, and animation. After graduating I got my first gig at a game company in Burlingame called Cinemaware. The company didn't have another project line up so I started to look for a new job. I got an email from Blur Studios and was hired to work on a Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas. I have been at Blur for 3 awesome years. About 2 months ago my wife was offered a program director position at a radio station in Las Vegas. Now we are gonna be living there. Got a new job at 3d Site and working remotely from Vegas.

2. Which of your work are you most proud of?

The animation that we did on the Mickey show was super fun. I learned a lot from working with some amazing Disney animators. Also the short film that Blur created called In the Rough was great to work on.


Watch "In the Rough" by clicking here!

3. What are the main tools and/or programs you use to create your work?

The first software I used to animate with was Maya. Then I learned to animate in 3d Max. I dabbled a little bit in Softimage XSI. Now I am working in Houdini.

4. What's a typical day in your life like?

I wake up 7:30 a.m., but don’t get out of bed until 8 a.m. I get into work at 9 am. Get my coffee and bagel and look at my schedule and plan my shots accordingly. I draw little thumbnails and act stuff out before I block out my shots. I walk over to my sup to look over my drawings and ideas to get approval to start first pass animation. Then lunch! An hour later back to animating. I leave work around 6 - 7 p.m.





5. Who or what are some of your artistic influences?

Movies, artist, animators, friends,colleagues and life.

6. Would you say that you're a 3D artist who dabbles in 2D from time to time, or a 2D artist who happens to work in 3D?

I’m a 3d artist wishing I could animate in 2d.



7. What are 3 of the best things about your job, and what are 3 of the worst?

Best: Creating content that’s entertaining, working with talented people and learning from them, being able to animate for a living.

Worst: Software getting in the way of the art, surrendering animation due to deadlines, being full after lunch.

8. Tell us a bit about your new job at 3dSite. Any projects you can speak on at this time?

It is a very chill working environment and super talented people that work here. I can't talk about the project, but it is very cool to be able to work on it.


Watch the Psymon Unhappy animation by clicking here!

9. You are also an amazing painter. How long have you been painting? Do you ever have any gallery showings?

I don't consider myself an amazing painter by far, I still have a lot to learn about the craft, but thanks for the compliment. I've only been in gallery shows when I was in school at the Academy of Art. I am slowly trying to get myself back into painting again. I'm setting a goal in a year or so to be showing in a gallery.



10. How is Las Vegas treating you compared to California?

I am actually still in California at the moment. I'll be moving to Las Vegas in mid July to start work offsite. I live close to the ocean out here California. So Las Vegas is gonna be a big change of scenery.


Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my silly questions, Ruel!

If you've got a few moments to spare... heck even if you don't, make some time and swing over to Ruel's Site to see his other amazing work!

Thanks again, Ruel!

Planet One Movie

It's odd how I can stumble around the internet, often seeking stories for this blog, and suddenly find something that I had no idea even existed. A case in point would be the company Ilion Animation Studios, which I had no idea existed until today, and their upcoming theatrical release, "Planet One," which I also had never heard of until about 10 minutes ago.

Here is the blurb on the company from their "About Us" section of the website:

Based in Madrid (Spain), Ilion Animation Studios was founded in 2003 to create state of the art computer animated movies for theatrical release.

Ilion Animation Studios is the theatrical animation company started by the founders of Pyro Studios, best known as the creators of the international hit videogame series Commandos. Both of them are subsidiaries of the Wisdom Entertainment Group of companies, an entertainment conglomerate devoted to the development of hi-tech products related to videogames, animation, interactive and wireless entertainment. With offices in 15 countries Wisdom Entertainment is one of the world leading companies in digital content creation and distribution.

So now you know about the company too. But what about this "Planet One"? Well, take a look at these:









Now... aren't you interested too?

Swing on over to Ilion's Website, click on "Feature Film," and read all about the movie. Here's a quick blurb:

On Planet One, the locals have two antenna, eight fingers and tons of fear about alien invaders. They live in a world like our suburban 1950's, with sci-fi flicks, gory comic books and paranoid army generals barking about monsters from outer space. A young inhabitant, Lem, thinks that space can be wonderful, but he lacks the courage to even move out of his parents' basement. Then one day, out of the sky, an alien ship appears with something funny written on it: NASA. It is piloted by astronaut and ladies man, Captain Russ Baker. Russ had expected to plant the American Flag on a baron planet, only to land at someone's backyard barbecue. Now his new friend, Lem, must keep Russ safe from the authorities and help him find his ship to get back home.

Much more on the website!