Cars DVD Review

The folks over at Upcoming Pixar (via Animated News) have put forth their review of the "Cars" DVD.



While I won't spoil the entire review (click the link below to read it), I will post the reviewer's take on "Mater and the Ghost Light," which is the short contained on the disc, starring the films towtruck, Mater:

Mater and the Ghost Light was absolutely fantastic! You are all in for a treat. I take my hat off to John Lasseter and the rest of the gang as this is short is up there in my favourite short films list. The storyline was great and the shots they used when cutting together was really cool. 10/10.

While the disc does seem short on bonus features, I'll have my copy in hand just as fast as the kid can stock it on the shelf of my local department store. Then he'll take me over and show me the brand new "washin' machines" they just got in, because apparently I live in the 1950s and still shop at something called a "department store."

Upcoming Pixar's Review of "Cars"

Animated News

Buzz Clips for YTV

Buzz has put up a collection of quick spots that they created for the channel YTV.



Frankly I have no idea what exactly YTV is, other than some kind of television station, and I'm too lazy to look up its origin. It really doesn't matter, as the spots are pretty neat one way or another, so I'm going to pretend that it stands for "Yam TV: All Yam All the Time!"

Buzz's YTV Commercials

RE-Animation Blog

Weekend Box Office

Well there's only one animated feature left in the top 50 spots at the box office, and it's "Open Season."



According to Box Office Mojo, the film took in an additional $6.1 million this weekend, bringing its five week total up to $77.4 million. This also moves it up to the #21 spot for all-time top grossing computer animated films, behind "Robots" (#18 with $128.2 million), "Antz" (#19 with $90.8 million), and "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius" (#20 with $80.9 million).

It's nice to see it slowly move towards the golden $100 million mark domestically, and worldwide it's already hit that mark. It should do pretty well in DVD sales as well, meaning that Sony will more than recoup their $85 million production budget, though I'm not sure how much was spent on advertising.

It's a good film, and has way more life than Sony's mo-cap films. If you haven't checked it out yet, you really should.

Box Office Mojo's Weekend Box Office Chart

Official "Open Season" Website

Meet the Robinsons Poster

Via Coming Soon, is the brand new poster for "Meet the Robinsons."



Let's see... aliens, creepy goth girls, dinosaurs, talking (and singing animals), superheroes, and robots. I'm pretty sure they couldn't cram another overused movie device into this film if they tried.

It actually looks like it might work though.

Lots more info after the jump, and more exclusive images.

Coming Soon's "Meet the Robinsons" Article

Flused Away Voice Actor Interview

Coming Soon has an interview up with Hugh Jackman and Andy Serkis, two of the stars of the upcoming "Flushed Away."



"At the beginning, he was more upper class, almost royal -- that aristocratic attitude. He had two hamsters who were his servants," Jackman told ComingSoon.net. "So, the whole thing, going down into the sewer, was more, 'Oh, you people.' It was a little bit removed and snobbish, which actually made him not very likable. And so, we changed it from being that to being more sheltered, basically. He lives in this pampered life. He doesn't think of himself as a mouse, he thinks of himself as a James Bond character. He's having the time of his life. And, he sings occasionally."

Wait... so does this mean that having two hamsters servants doesn't entitle me to being snobbish? I most certainly think it does, and to you I say good day, sir.

I SAID GOOD DAY.

Coming Soon's "Flushed Away" Interview

Over the Hedge Concept Art

Though I know the movie just hit DVD and is long since gone from theaters, it's a slow news day, so I thought I'd throw up a link to some concept art over on Yahoo's site for "Over the Hedge."



For anyone who has ever read the comic strip that the film was based on, it's pretty amazing to see the transformation the characters went through to make it to the big screen. If you haven't read the comic strip, it's sort of like the difference between the way Ashley Simpson looked before, compared to after, she "didn't" get her nose job.

Yahoo's "Over the Hedge" Concept Art

Monster House on DVD

Forgot to mention yesterday that "Monster House" officially hit DVD shelves around the nation.



I liked the film, but I would say rent it before you buy it. Additionally, if you want to watch it with the little ones, be prepared, as it can be quite intense at times.

Not a bad choice for a flick to watch on Halloween this year, right after "Topless Carwash Massacre" and just before "Topless Pancake House of Blood."

Penguins and Pandas get Pilots

According to Variety, both the penguins from "Madagascar" and the... well... pandas from "Kung Fu Panda" will be getting their own TV shows via Nickelodeon.



Both projects are in the early stages of development. Tom Martin ("The Simpsons") will pen the pilot script for "Panda." Paul Rugg ("Freakazoid!") is aboard to write the "Madagascar" offshoot, centered on penguins Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private in a series of new adventures.

Teaming brings together two of the biggest brands in animation: Nick is still home to genre's top-rated "SpongeBob SquarePants" franchise, while DreamWorks Animation counts "Shrek," "Shark Tale" and "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" among its feature hits.

CGI Animation on TV is a tough thing right now. People are used to what they see in theaters from Pixar, Dreamworks and the like, so when they see versions on the TV that were created on much tighter time and financial budgets, the shows just don't meet expectations. This is going to be the case even moreso with an established franchise, like "Madagascar" and "Kung Fu Panda," as people will be even more acustomed to the level of animation for those characters.

I understand that, like the videogame industry, companies would rather take a risk on established franchises than on brand new IPs, but it just seems that this could really backfire for Nick and DW.

Variety Article on "Madagascar" and "Kung Fu Panda" TV Shows

Surf's Up Character Posters

IMP Awards has three new posters up for "Surf's Up," showing each of what are expected to be the main characters and their boards of choice.



My board of choice turns out to be the Michigan Board of Education, for their fine display of academic advancement in the field of badger research and preservation.

IMP Awards "Surf's Up" Posters

Sony's "Surf's Up" Website

"Igor" Set to Release in 2007

Those crazy rascals over at the Weinstein Company are at it again. This time with a CG animated film titled, "Igor."



According to the Film Company's website:

Our Igor isn't like other Igors. Our Igor has big dreams; dreams of becoming a Mad Scientist himself, of winning the Evil Science Fair, and the heart of GRETCHEN, the local village vixen. That's impossible, though, because he's just a lowly Igor. But when DR. GLICKENSTEIN, Igor's cruel master, dies just two weeks before the Evil Science Fair, that's exactly what Igor sets out to do.

The cast currently includes Christian Slater, as Igor, along with Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Jeremy Piven, and Molly Shannon. Not only that, but it's being written by Chris McKenna, one of the writers behind "American Dad," though I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. The film is also being directed by Anthony Leondis, who's directing credits include "Home On the Range," a film viewed by many to be one of Disney's most shallow offerings of all time.

So "Igor," has the makings of a hit, but also has the makings (including "The Weinstein Factor") of being a massive turd. It will be interesting to see what comes of this one.

Exodus Film Group

Pixar Storytelling

Kevin Koch, President of The Animation Guild, has written a nice summary about Andrew Stanton's keynote at the Pixar Storytelling portion of this year's Screenwriting Expo.



It's a great read and helps to shed some light on exactly what Pixar does that helps to differentiate their movies from the rest of the pack, especially the bullet points about why Andrew thinks their stories stand out.

Swing on over and check it out, and since this piece is called, "Pixar Storytelling 1," my hope is that there will be additional pieces written on the topic. Either that or this was just a typo, and Kevin was simply letting us know that Pixar Storytelling is number 1 in his book.

Pixar Storytelling 1

Bee Movie Preview

I was going to take some screen caps of the "Bee Movie" preview contained on the new "Over the Hedge" disc, but Animated News did the work for me.



I must say that the film looks like a winner. It's got a nice style, and the bees look really nice, as do the human characters. There isn't a ton of information offered up in the preview, but there is just enough to make me want to see more.

I love bees.

Take a look at lots of extra shots by following the link below.

Animated News' "Bee Movie" Preview Shots

Ah

Though it's not the usual slapstick poop-joke-filled comedy animations I normally love, I still found "Ah" to be quite enjoyable.

Of course, it's also another prime example of a film that was obviously created by someone who was high and staring down into a bowl of alphabet soup.

I think we've all been there a time or two.

RE-Animation Blog

Caveman Milk Commercials

These have been out for a while, but I forgot just how good they were:

DDB Canada

CG Society's Write Up on the Caveman Milk Commercials

Shrek the Third Plot Details Revealed

USA Today has posted a new article on "Shrek the Third," in which princesses must put aside their differences and help out Princess Fiona while Shrek is out of town.



"They are used to being rescued, not defending the kingdom themselves," says Chris Miller, director of the second sequel in the computer-animated franchise that has grossed nearly $1.5 billion worldwide. "Fiona has to convince them to shed that role and save their own happily ever after."

That's because Shrek (Mike Myers), who discovers he is ill-suited to rule the land himself, has gone off with sidekicks Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) to recruit the person who is next in line to the throne: high-schooler Artie (Justin Timberlake), who is destined to become King Arthur one day.

Boy, does this sound awesome! I can't wait to see... wait a minute... does that say Justin Timberlake? That really does say Justin Timberlake. Are you kidding me?

Oh well... I gave Ashton Kutcher a shot in "Open Season" and actually enjoyed his character a great deal, so maybe it'll be okay.

Tell me it will be okay.

Please?

USA Today's "Shrek the Third" Article

Hammy's Bommerang Adventure Review

A new "mini movie" called, "Hammy's Boomerang Adventure" was included with the release of "Over the Hedge" on DVD.



First let me say that by "mini," they really do mean mini. I didn't time the film, but I can't guess it's more than three or four minutes long at very most. I'm fine with a four minute short, as long as it's four quality minutes, which this one unfortunately is not.

Without giving too much of the short away, I will say that the best part is simply watching the minute or so where Hammy interacts with the boomerang. Even this section of the short, while having it's moments, fails to deliver the solid punch of other 3D shorts of similar nature. It's sometimes good, but it's never great.

Yes, I know it's a short and it's not meant to be amazing. Yes, I know I should be happy with any additional content at all, and I am. It's not a bad short, and the animation and art, as with the full film are top notch. It just isn't a strong enough premise. I may revisit it again after I've watched the full feature a time or two, but otherwise this is a somewhat forgettable short that's bundled with an otherwise great film. It's solid, but not stupendous.

One additional gripe is that, the "First Flight" short was not included with the DVD, despite it showing before "Hedge" in various theaters at the time of release. This may have taken some of the sting away from a slightly sub-par Hammy mini.



I'd love to hear what those of you that have seen the short think about it in the comments section!

Blue Sky Studios Challenge

Cartoon Brew posted a link today to an art jam being done by the folks at Blue Sky Studios, when they aren't working on "Horton Hears a Who," among other things.



It's always neat to see the various 2D art styles that combine into one 3D film.

Some really good stuff on the blog, so check it out!

Blue Sky Studios Challenge,

Cartoon Brew

5 Fast with Ryan McDougal

We haven't done a 5 Fast interview in a little while (or any interview at all for that matter), but that all changes today!

Ryan McDougal has just completed his short film for the Vancouver Film School, and was gratious enough to not only share it with everyone here on Bleeding Pixels, but was also kind enough to answer 5 fast questions.

Take it away, Ryan!


1. Tell folks a bit about your reel. What are they going to see when they click that shiny "Play" button?

My reel is a short story about man named Wilt who faces a fork in the road (so to speak) and must make a decision as to whether or not to take a chance and move on with his life.


2. What's the one thing on the reel you're most proud of?

Though I have so much to learn, a smile comes to my face when I watch Wilt and actually believe that there are thoughts of doubt, nervousness and fear racing through his mind. I don't know that I accomplish this in every shot but feel that there are those moments when he seems so believable (at least in my biased eyes) that I feel he could easily be sitting next to me in a coffee shop reading a
newspaper.


3. What's the one thing on the reel you struggled the most with creating?

I think my answer to the previous question fits here as well. Making Wilt actually think in a believable (not necessarily real) fashion was the most difficult as I found it not simply a matter of mechanics, timing or proper posing. It came down to gobs and gobs (a technical term I use...) of reference and of acting out every scene, having others acting it out and paying random bums on the street to act it out (but that is a story for another time).


4. Why 3D Animation? What is it that appeals to you about this industry, and what made you head down this road in the first place?

When I was a kid and wore those full body spiderman pajamas with the plastic footy things that you could slide across the floor on, I was always up at 5:30 on Saturday mornings to watch any random cartooon. I guess I just never grew up since that time and throughout my life have had this passion for storytelling. Animating and 3d just fit right...


5. What would be your absolute dream job?

I'd love to work on features as I feel very enamored with storytelling and really want to be immersed in that experience so that I can continue to learn and grow. However, my advertising roots lure me to the variety and stylistic variance of places like Psyop, the MIll, and Studio AKA. I think what I admire most about these studios is that their artistic stye and animation spans such a large spectrum that I can't help but admire the talent and creativity that the artists there must posses. In the end, the idea of working somewhere where I am constantly pushed and challenged to become better than I ever thought possible is where I want to go.


Thanks for answering the questions, Ryan, and best of luck to you!

Below you'll find Ryan's short film, "Sonata," as well as a link to his website.

Ryan McDougal's Website

Moongirl

Swing on over to Laika Studio's website now to take a look at an extended clip from their short film, "Moongirl."



Based on the book of the same name, "Moongirl," looks to be a really nice piece of work. I'd also like to point out that the person who made the short clip did an excellent job of giving the viewer just enough of a taste to really make them want to see what happens next. I won't spoil the end of the clip, but as if the giant star catfish wasn't enough to make you think you're on an LSD trip, the whole moon thing will make you glance around to see if Hendrix and Joplin are standing close by.

The site also mentions a DVD/Book combo, with book illustrations by Peter Chan (Storyboard Artist for the Harry Potter films) and Courtney Booker (digital Storyboard Artist for Finding Nemo). I found it on Amazon for about $16 bucks.

Laika Studio's Website

Note: I could only get the Medium sized trailer to work, but it's still large enough to enjoy.

New Location, Same Crappy Blog

Sorry for the ol' switcharoo on the URL here at Bleeding Pixels, but with the recent name change, the old URL didn't make much sense. I hope this one is a bit easier for everyone to remember, since it's the title of the blog.

Please update your bookmarks and links accordingly.

Thank you!

First Info On Blur's Gentleman's Duel

The first splash of info I've seen on Blur Stuido's upcoming "Gentlemen's Duel" has been posted on the XSILosAngeles site.



I'll see what I can do about digging up more info on it, but for now, if you live in or around Hollywood, try and swing by and check out the screening on 11/02/06. Details by clicking the link below. If Blur's past shorts are any indication, this one should be nothing short of marvelous.

XSILosAngeles Site

Blur Studio

Pixar Tour

I don't know... I expected more when I read that MiceChat had a detailed account, including pictures, of a recent visit to Pixar.



What you get to see instead are pictures of the bathroom, the entrance and the lunchroom. The only difference is that there is Pixar artwork splashed about in the various locations. It's still neat to see for sure, but I'd much rather see the true inner-sanctum of Pixar where the artists and writers and other folks work. I don't need to see screenshots of top secret projects or anything, but I'm just saying that I'd much rather see an artist's cubicle than an artist's crapper.

Still, it's an interesting read and there are at least a couple of neat pictures.

Maybe I'm just jealous.

Pixar Tour on MiceChat

Lifted Poster

Luxo has posted the following poster for Pixar's "Lifted" short, showing in various spots now.



I'd really like to see this short, as I've heard nothing but positive things about it, and it's from Pixar, so you know the quality bar is going to be very high. My hope is that this one will get packed in with Cars, but chances are it will instead be shown before "Ratatouille."

Luxo Blog Featuring "Lifted" Poster

New Scrat Short!

Head on over to Google Video right now and check out Scrat's new "No Time for Nuts" short!



Scrat really helps to make the Ice Age movies what they are, and I hope the trend of shorts starring the little sucker continues.

UPDATE: Link has now been updated. Thanks to SamB over at RE-Animation Blog.

UPDATE #2: Link has now been removed. You'll just have to wait for Ice Age 2 on DVD!

Over the Hedge on DVD Today

As the title of this post would lead you to believe, "Over the Hedge" releases on DVD today.



I thought the film was really cute, and I thouroughly enjoyed the art style, especially since I live in a "suburbia" style neighborhood similar to the one found in the movie, complete with dead possums in the street. Now I know that they're all just faking. Even the one that was getting pecked on by that crow this morning and only had one eyeball left.

"Over the Hedge" is at least worth a rental, and would make a great addition to your home library.

UPDATE: Turns out that if you buy "Hedge" from BestBuy, you get an exclusive collection of comic strips that the film is based on!

Official Over the Hedge Website

Work In Progress

I had no idea that ILM did a short film called "Work In Progress" back in 2000.



Of course, I also had no idea it wasn't appropriate to go to a 65 year old's birthday party without pants on, so what do I know.

They can't all be homeruns, folks.

Work In Progress

Cingular Push To Talk Ad

Cingular has some new commercials for their Push to Talk service.



I can't help but be reminded of the Wal-Mart smiley face when I see these commercials though. That or my first grade teacher, Mrs. Newton, who used to put a similar face on assignments that students did really well on.

Of course, I only know about them because I saw them on other kids' assignments.

Cingular's Push To Talk Spots

Weekend Box Office Totals

The estimates are in from the box office this weekend. Who wants to see em'?



Of the Top 50 films, only two animated movies remain:

#4 Open Season - Weekend: $11,000,000 - Total: $59,154,000
#21 Barnyard - Weekend: $245,000 - Total: $72,093,000

No surprise by now, but it doesn't look like "Open Season" will not hit the golden $100 million mark at the box office, which is a shame. I would hope that Sony will still be happy with the numbers it does wind up bringing in (I'm guessing around $70-75 million), but I doubt we'll see a sequel.

Too bad, because if "The Grudge" can get a sequel, I'm pretty sure the cat poop I stepped in while getting my mail yesterday could even get a sequel.

Box Office Estimates via Box Office Mojo

Tom and Jerry Make CG Debut

Of course, they make this debut by selling milk.



I'm guessing that wherever this ad's origins are it's okay to make fun of other, less fortunate folks who have to drink their milk from a bag.

Dirty milk bag drinkers.

Tom and Jerry Milk Spot on Devil Ducky

Cartoon Brew

What You Should Do This Weekend

You want to know what I think you should do this weekend if you haven't already?

Go see this movie:



Now don't get yourself all worked up and think that I'm getting paid to plug the film or anything, because I most certainly am not. What I am is a fan of the film, and think that it was very good. Catch me in the right mood and I might even go so far as to say it was great.

There are far worse ways you could spend your time this weekend, so go hit your local picture show house, or better yet an IMAX theater and check out the film. If you don't find at least one thing in it to enjoy, at least you can munch on some popcorn and overpriced Goobers.

Goobers... that's a funny name.

More Info On Hedge Extras

The "Over the Hedge" website has been updated with additional details on the extras that will release with the DVD this Tuesday.



According to the site, the following will be included in the extras:

Verm-Tech Institute Infomercial
Behind the Hedge (An Insider's Look Behind the Scenes)
Filmmaker Commentary
Meet the Cast
The Tech of Over the Hedge
Dreamworks Kids (A section exclusively designed for kids!)
Animal Fun Facts
Animator 101 (Learn to Draw Hammy)
Set Top Games
DVD-Rom Fun (Over 50 Exciting Printables and Activities)

Not only that, but there is a bag of chips graphic on the site called "The Hibernation" and a note that says, "Come back on November 28th and "wake up" even more fun!"

Maybe for everyone that comes back on the 28th, Dreamworks will send a live bear to your home. That would be pretty cool.

Over the Hedge Website

First Flight Gets a Site

Rhyming blog titles aside, "First Flight," the amazing Dreamworks short that showed before "Over the Hedge" in theaters, now has its own site.



No word yet as to whether or not the film will make it onto the "Over the Hedge" DVD that releases this coming Tuesday.

First Flight Website

The Making of Cars

Why oh why do I not live in San Francisco? Seriously... other than my career, my family, and paying for things like electricity and running water, I have no reason to still be in Seattle. Things like this special "The Making of Cars" event taking place at the Academy of Art College make me think I may be able to live without running water.



We are honored to have Pixar Animation Studios present the detailed inside information on the making of Cars, their latest animation film. Featured speakers and topics to follow!

I mean honestly... do you really need running water? If you ask me, it's highly overrated.

The Making of Cars Event Details

Moutons

Another wonderful find by the RE-Animation blog is this short film called, "Moutons."



Some really nice art and a pretty cute little story round out this relatively long short-film. I especially like the animation of the little crustaceans that are knitting throughout the film.

Worth a few minutes of your time for sure.

Moutons Short Film

Moutons Website

RE-Animation Blog

Every Slug Dance Now

Want to see the slugs from "Flushed Away" dance and sing to the tune of "Everybody Dance Now"?



Well of course you do. Why wouldn't you?

I just wanted to pour salt on them.

Everybody Dance Now (Ultra-Salty Slug Remix)

The Very First Noel

My Mentor for this quarter at Animation Mentor, Ray Chase (did you know he has his own website?), has just finished up a new project in time for the Holidays, called "The Very First Noel."



In this version, the star of the film, Andy Griffith, plays a sheriff who must stop his bumbling deputy from accidentally putting Jesus in jail. I may not have the plot 100% correct, so head over to the website for more details, a trailer, and more great images from the film.

The Very First Noel Website

Ray Chase's Website

Reel FX Website

ShipMite

Animation Mentor grad, Brandon Beckstead, has posted the final version of his short "ShipMite" over on his blog.



Mr. Beckstead is the first to admit that he's no expert at texture work or lighting, and that his focus for the short was the animation. In that case, I'd say that overall this short about a tiny bug is a big success.

I crack myself up.

ShipMite Movie

Brandon's Blog

Fly Me to the Moon

Though it looks like their server is getting slammed right now, resulting in some pretty slow load times, you should take a moment and check out the website for the new film, "Fly Me to the Moon."



My only beef is that the heads look a little too similar to those in "A Bug's Life," but that may just be because the eyes are very similar. Of course, the eyes may be very similar because that is in fact what a bug's eyes look like, and I just don't know, having never stared a bug in the face. I'm pretty sure this isn't the case though...

Fly Me to the Moon Website

The Ant Bully DVD Info

According to DVDActive, "The Ant Bully" will be placed on the shelves of your local Blockbuster by some emo kid on November 28th.



Extras will include seven 'hilarious' animated shorts, additional scenes, an It Takes a Colony featurette that explores the filmmaking process from a tiny perspective, and an Ant Habitat TV screensaver.

Looks like pretty good bang for the buck, and since the film didn't do so well at the box office, despite overall positive reviews, maybe a strong DVD release like this will help ease the pain of knowing that the film pretty much killed DNA Productions.

Additional Info and Artwork from DVDActive

Open Season Quick Review

It's funny that "Open Season," to my knowledge, did not employ any of the motion capture technology found in Sony's other animated release from this year, "Monster House," yet seems far more alive.

Centering around a domesticated bear, named Boog, (Martin Lawrence) and an overly-hyper deer, named Elliot (Ashton Kutcher), "Open Season" entertains with a good mix of toilet humor (the riding a bike line is a real winner), and tender moments. The acting is great, and the visuals are, at times, stunning. Even the sometimes annoying Kutcher and Lawrence come off as very likeable and appealing characters.



Where the film falters a bit is found in the fact that the plot seems to be all over the place at times, hopping between the domestication of Boog, the love interest of Elliot, the inner struggle of the game warden not wanting to let go of Boog, the rebellion against the hunters, the journey home, and so on. It seems that the creators would have done better to narrow their focus a bit and save some of the other stuff for a sequel, should one ever see the light of day.

Overall though, "Open Season" is at very least worth the price of a matinee ticket, and head and shoulders above some of the recent 3D releases.

One Call's Bloody Commericals

Imagine, if you will, the Happy Tree Friends doing TV Spots for a broadband company, and you'll get an idea of what the commercials from Bug are all about.



I can only imagine if these spots aired in the States, and the number of groups that would come out protesting the horrible treatment of CG Gophers (he's a gopher, right?).

"It's only a matter of time before kids see these commercials and think it's okay to give gophers coffee and attempt to force them to set up underground networks," they'd say.

And they'd be right...

One Call TV Commercial #1

One Call TV Commercial #2

Bug Website

RE-Animation Blog

Bick's Pickels Spot

A nice little commercial can be found on the 3dm3.com forums for Bick's Pickles (say that 5 times fast), from the same company that brought us those awesome Robin Hood commercials with the two kids sitting at the table talking about cookies and such.



To be honest, I think my favorite part is the kid. He's more of a cartoon than the alien reporter ever could be. Not only that, but I'm pretty sure by the way he chews on it that he hates pickles in general.

I'm pretty sure I could be arrested for that last sentence.

Thanks to the always marvelous RE-Animation Blog for the heads up on the commercial.

Blick's Pickles "Offspring" Commercial

Richard Rosenman Advertising and Design

RE-Animation Blog

Open Season Declared on IMAX

"Open Season" is fairing quite well in the land of Warren Miller and documentaries about British Columbia Cariboo mating patterns, as it pulled in $1.45 million in it's opening weekend in IMAX theaters.



Now while that may not initially sound like much, $1.45 million translates into a $22,000 per-screen average, which is pretty impressive.

Or is it?

I really have no idea, but $22,000 per-screen sounds like a lot to me, and people tell me it's a lot, so frankly it must be.

I guess I should just be glad that people aren't telling me that eating 6 month old mayonnaise is a good idea.

AWN Open Season IMAX Article

Mike Walling Interview

All around cool guy, mentor at Animation Mentor, Animator for "Open Season," and former "10 Quick" victim right here on Bleeding Pixels, Mike Walling, was interviewed by the folks over at Strut Your Reel recently.



A couple of big [pieces of advice] were keeping things simple, clear and graphic. Simplicity is always more in animation. I think the biggest AHAA moment I had was some advice I got from my supervisor about thinking graphic. He showed me that every frame is a pose so keep them all looking appealing from a graphic stand point. In other words, don’t let the computer do too much of the inbetweening.

Strut Your Reel's Mike Walling Interview

Barnyard DVD Cover

DVD Active has updated their "Barnyard" DVD release info to include the box art for the film.



Lots of info on the extras, including the all new "Kevin James Shower Time" short.

Okay... I lied about the short, but there is still lots of good info on the DVD release.

DVD Active's Barnyard DVD Info

Site Upgrades

So Blogger, which this fine blog is hosted on, has made some updates to their site, which allow for some cool new features. The tradeoff is that for the next day or so, while I get things ported over to the new system, you may see some wonky things here on the site, such as content missing from the right bar there.

Stick with me, as the news stories should continue to roll in from time to time. My hope is that I won't lose too much in the way of my old info, and that the site will be better for it once I'm done.

You can already see the changes sneaking in now, such as the "Labels" tag put under each story. I went back and added labels like this to my last 50 posts, so that now you can click on one, for example "Sony," and it will bring up all of the Sony articles that have been published on the blog.

Pretty sweet.

The Art of Open Season

Everyone should head out to their local bookstore and pick up "The Art of Open Season."





What makes it so good you ask? Well... it's all of the amazing art and concept work for "Open Season," with none of the Martin Lawrence or Ashton Kutcher!

That's worth the price right there alone, if you ask me.

The Art of Open Season on Amazon

The Character Design Blog

EDIT:

Though the cover for the one posted on Amazon is the one shown below, they are in fact the same book. I would imagine just different printings.

Fartbot

Floyd Bishop, one of the animators on "Ice Age," has started up a company called Bishop Animation, which provides animation for TV, film and videos, among other things. As a sample of his company's amazing talent, he created a robot.

That farts.



Swing on over to the official site to see some of their work,

Fartbot Short Animation

Bishop Animation Website

Bishop Animation Blog

RE-Animation Blog

Sugar Rush

If you guys have 2 or 3 minutes to spare, I really don't see how you could spend it better than watching Guillermo Careaga's "Sugar Rush."



We've all felt this way in the gym. The difference is that I wind up with my head stuck in the vending machine slot, since my gym shorts don't have pockets, and I never have change to buy the candy bars. So there I am, head stuck in the slot, yelling at the poor boob who works at the gym about the fact that they probably shouldn't have chocolate candy bar vending machines at the gym.

Guillermo Careaga's Site

Sugar Rush Short

The New York Times Scares the Pants Off of Animators

The New York Times has published an article spotlighting the recent struggles that some 3D animated films have had at the box office recently.



This summer’s “The Wild,” from the Walt Disney Company, proved anything but for moviegoers, bringing in only $37 million at the domestic box office. The bigger disappointment was “The Ant Bully,” produced by the actor Tom Hanks and distributed by Warner Brothers Entertainment. That movie’s powerful ant wizard could muster only enough magic to garner $27 million.

By contrast, the debut of “Open Season,” the tale of a defiant grizzly bear and feisty mule deer who battle hunters, brought in $23 million over the weekend for Sony Pictures Entertainment, putting it in first place. But only the coming weeks will tell whether it will be widely embraced by moviegoers.

It's an extensive, and often scary, article for someone like me, who has dreams of being an animator, but it really isn't anything we haven't heard before. Heck, even this idiot managed to write an article about a similar topic, that still holds true in light of the NY Times piece: If companies choose to make quality animated films with solid stories and characters, they will find an audience, and they will turn a profit.

In any case, I've decided on a new dream... I'm going to become a professional body waxer. My first class start next week, so I'm off to buy wax and paper strips.

Wish me luck!

The New York Times Animation Article

What's In A Name

Today I decided to change the name of this here blog to "Bleeding Pixels." The reason for this is simply that I didn't want it to carry my name any longer as I am totally ashamed of this blog and the work I've done on it over the past 5 months.

Actually, the real reason is that the focus has shifted off of me and squarely onto the world of 3D Animation where it belongs, so there was no sense in having my name on it at all. Nothing is going to change, and it will sill be updated on weekdays as I find things to post. There also shouldn't be any need to update your shortcuts or links, as the actual URL will remain the same.

ONWARD!

Open Season Opening Weekend

It looks as though "Open Season" brought in around $23 million this weekend, and took the number #1 spot at the box office.



Here is what Box Office Mojo had to say about the opening:

The influx of computer-animated movies in 2006 has lowered the bar for the format. Whereas before, Open Season's $23 million opening would be considered weak compared to the format's pre-2006 average of $40 million—Shark Tale consumed $47.6 million on the same weekend in 2004—it now seems solid after the recent low returns of Everyone's Hero and The Ant Bully among others. Sony Pictures Animation's next feature is the penguin mockumentary Surf's Up on June 8.



It really is quite amazing to think about the fact that "Shark Tale" brought in $47.6 million on its opening weekend, despite being beat up on by critics. I really thought that "Open Season" would also open in at least the $30 million, if not $40 million, range, but it didn't come close. If other films that have opened at this range are any indication, "Open Season" will probably wind up grossing between $70-$85 million at the box office. Nothing to scoff at, but certainly not up to the level of CGI films in recent years.

The true test is going to be when an established franchise, such as "Shrek the Third," or a film by like Pixar's next film "Ratatouille" is released. It will be very interesting to see if films such as those can hit the mark set by CGI films to this point, in terms of box office revenue.