The Bleeding Has Stopped

It's with a heavy heart that I must inform the loyal readers of this blog that I've decided, after two and a half years and close to 600 posts, I'm closing the door on "Bleeding Pixels."

The reasons are the same reasons that I'm sure have cost the lives of many a great blog, so I won't waste your time with details. The simple fact is that I don't have the time with my new family, Animation Mentor, and a possible new position within my games group on the horizon.

So as you can tell, none of the reasons for shutting the blog down are a negative, but the outcome for those who read it are.

I'll still be posting to my other blog at 3Dave.com and plan to continue posting the ocassional blurb about the world of animation, but for now I need to focus on chasing my dream of becoming a part of that very world.

I want to thank each of you who continued to visit over the last couple of years. I'll be leaving the site up as an archive, so that you can still read the interviews and browse through the posting, should you choose to do so.

In the meantime, if you need your fix of animation news, hit up: Animated News

Maybe someday, not too far down the road, some dork with an animation blog will be writing about me and the work I did on "WALL-E 7".

Take care, and thanks for stopping by.

Another Ice Age 3 Poster

To confuse kids the world over even further, here is the brand new poster for Blue Sky's upcoming "Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs."



I think it's awesome to see yet another movie come out that totally throws natural history to the wind and just makes up its own story. The only thing this one seems to be missing is a good car chase where the T-Rex chases down the Ice Age crew in a Smart Car.

Horton Hears A Who... TODAY!

Blue Sky's "Horton Hears A Who" opens today in theaters all over the place!



The film is sitting at an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes right now, which is pretty much unheard of in recent years for a non-Pixar produced animated film. From the trailers and stills, it looks nothing short of fantastic, so make sure you get out there and see it!



I can't wait!

Madagascar 2 Preview

Who's up for a little "Madagascar 2" magic?



I liked the first film, but don't feel the need to return to it often, like I do with some of the other films in my collection. So while I'm sure I'll enjoy the sequel, I'm not as excited about it as I am for "Horton," "WALL-E," or getting Ben Stiller off of my computer screen.

New WALL-E Trailer!

You read that right, folks! Apple has posted the latest trailer for Pixar's upcoming "WALL-E" film in all sorts of formats and sizes!




I don't know why I care about that little bugger so much, but I do.

WALL-E Trailer on Apple

Dawn of the Dinosaurs!

Coming Soon has a brand new, and somewhat blurry, photo of the next Ice Age film from Blue Sky.



The poster also reveals the film's official title, which looks to be "Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs."

The entire poster can be viewed by hitting the link below, as I didn't want to get in trouble for taking the entire image from Coming Soon. Plus I've always felt that the eyes really are the gateway to the Dinosaur's soul.

Ice Age 3 Poster

Am I dead?

No, silly, I'm not dead. I just don't have anything to post. I imagine things will start to pick up as "Horton" and "WALL-E" draw closer, but until then, I can't post what I don't have.

Stick around... I'll put something up when I'm good and ready!

NE-W WALL-E POSTE-R

Isn't he just the cutest, lil thing you ever dun saw?



I want to take him home and give him some warm cocoa, stroke his little eyeball head thing and tell him that everything is going to be okay.

Look at what you've done, WALL-E... I'm crying now.

Horton Posters It Is True...

Horton posters from the IMP Awards site to you!



The IMP Awards site has 11 beautiful "Horton Hears A Who!" posters displayed, which I'm sure have already cropped up in theaters all around the world, in anticipation of Blue Sky's upcoming film.

I've loved everything I've seen on this movie so far, and the posters are no exception. I simply cannot wait to see this film.

Horton Posters at the IMP Awards Site

Goobees!

You'll never look at candy the same way again after watching "Goobees."



It's an amazing short film from start to finish, but what I really loved were the subtle touches, like the little pieces of candy slinking away after the body is dragged off of them, and the candy corn crow.

Created by four recent graduates of Texas A&M, Goobees is worth your time. Just don't watch it too much or it will rot your teeth.

Goobees Short Film

And the Oscar Goes To...

Huge congratulations go out to Brad Bird and all of the amazing people at Pixar, as their most recent film, "Ratatouille," took home the Oscar for Animated Feature Film last night!



It's well deserved, and yet another feather in Mr. Bird's cap. I just hope he gets started on a sequel to "The Incredibles" sometime soon!

Planet 51's Cast

New Line has introduced some of the cast that will be voicing their upcoming film, "Planet 51."



According to Variety:

Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long and Seann William Scott have been set to provide the lead voices in "Planet 51," New Line Cinema's first 3-D CG-animated feature.

I start to vibrate every time I see screenshots of this film, due to the stylized alien planet shots, and this cast looks to be more than respectable enough to really make the film work. Not that having The Rock and Stiffler in a film automatically make it respectable, but it's far better than finding out that the main characters will be voiced by Whoopi Goldberg and Andy Dick.

"Planet 51" hits theaters on July 24th, 2009.

Planet 51 Cast Info on Variety

Smurf's First Look

Coming Soon has a Smurfclusive first look at the upcoming "The Smurfs" film.



They've also got a Smurfy video that is Smurf-a-rific! I Smurfed myself twice watching that Smurfer!

I'm not overly excited about this film, but I don't know my Smurf from my Smurf half the time, so maybe it will turn out to be something Smurfy.

Coming Soon's Exclusive First Look of The Smurfs

Quick Pixar Tour

Empire Online has a three minute long tour of the Pixar studios.



I was hoping for more, as I always am when sitting down to watch a tour of Pixar, but in reality what you get is a tour of their pool table, cereal dispensers, and a "closed set" sign.

Still... it's only three minutes, and what else have you got to do?

Empire Online Pixar Tour

Clone Bores

See what I did there? I made a joke about Lucasfilm's upcoming "Clone Wars" movie.



You guys know I hate bagging on anything, because I know that there are quite often projects where, due to things like schedules and budgets, some very talented people have their abilities totally nerfed, resulting in a horrible end product.

That being said, this trailer for "The Clone Wars" looks bad. I mean, even if I were a massive Star Wars fan, I don't see how I could be excited for this. Watching the trailer, it struck me as odd that R2-D2 has the most expressive face in the entire thing.

I don't know if additional footage can change my mind, but this trailer left a nasty taste in my mouth for sure.

Then again, maybe it's the tuna salad I had for lunch.

Star Wars Clone Wars Trailer

Brand New Kung Fu!

A board-splittin' new trailer for Dreamworks' "Kung Fu Panda" is now up on the official site.



To watch the trailer, which is pretty sweet, swing on over to the official Kung Fu Panda website, and tell em' ol' Dave sent you. Not that there is anyone to actually tell, or that anything would happen even if there was, but just sort of say it to your monitor once you arrive at the site.

It will make us both feel better.

Official Kung Fu Panda Website

New Shots from Panda

Character Design has posted new images from Dreamworks' upcoming "Kung Fu Panda."



Lots more at the CD blog, so swing on by. The first thing that struck me is the rich color palettes that are used and the wide variation in tones between the shots. The second thing that struck me is how much of a dork I am for typing something like that.

Kung Fu Panda Images at Character Design

WALL-E Trailer!

UPDATE: Well, it was fun while it lasted. The video has been removed by Disney. Had I known, I honestly wouldn't have posted it in the first place. So if you still want to see it, I'm sure the trailer will be released officially in the near future.

Sorry about that.


I'm going to post this trailer for Pixar's "WALL-E," because I believe it to be legitimately posted on the web by Walt Disney Pictures.



However there is a small chance that it's been bootlegged or something, and if I find that to be the case, I'll be removing it, so watch it while you can!

Trust me... it's worth it.

Defective

If I were a young buck, I would sign up to attend the Vancouver Film School in a heartbeat.



Of course, I'd also join a rock band, get hooked on nose candy, and become one of those stuntmen who rides on airplanes while they do loops.

Maybe it's a good thing I'm not a young buck anymore.

Thanks to the folks on the Animation Mentor forums for the sweet tip on this film.

Horton Hears A THX

It's dark and hard to see (I'm guessing it would be better on the big screen), but here is the new THX intro starring the characters from Blue Sky's upcoming "Horton Hears a Who!"



I can't wait to see this movie, as evident by the fact that I'm even excited over a poor-quality THX intro.

More Surf Boards!

Armand Serrano has more designs up that he created for Sony's "Surf's Up!" film.



I have to admit that I really didn't pay much attention to the boards in the film, despite having watched it a half dozen times or so. However once I saw Armand's design work, it really made me appreciate the level of detail that went into ever phase of this film, making it the gem that it turned out to be.

I also didn't notice the film featured penguins, but I'm sure I'm not alone on that one.

Armand Serrano's Surf's Up! Boards

WALL-E Superbowl Trailer

In case you don't watch the Superbowl and missed last night's "WALL-E" trailer, Disney has versions of it up in about a billion different formats.



As I was watching the trailer, all I could think was that if that little robot were to have attached that hose just an inch or two lower, this commercial would have taken on a whole new meaning.

Why isn't Ratatouille up for Best Picture?

The AP has a great story up today about why Pixar's "Ratatouille" was excluded from the best picture category.



If not for the best animated feature category, it's safe to say "Ratatouille" would have been strongly considered for best picture. Brad Lewis, the film's producer, is quick to point out that he has no sour grapes with the academy _ and that he's ecstatic about the five widespread nominations.

Still, he has to wonder.

"Ultimately, it makes it perhaps too convenient for people to look at an animated film from an isolated perspective," said Lewis. "Somebody can say, `You know what? We have a place for that, so we don't necessarily have to give it broader consideration.'"

It's an interesting read and worth your time. I can understand the arguement on both sides, but I don't see why a film that's been reviewed so well shouldn't have a shot at the whole ball of cheese.

Ratatouille Best Picture Article via CNN Money

Starry Night

This really is a wonderful little short.



While it's a bit depressing in the end, I found the animations and the clever use of textures really marvelous.

Starry Night Short Film

Vizzavi Tennis Commercial

No idea how old this is, but it made me laugh.



Good stuff!

Who is this loser?

That's right... it's time again for me to show off my latest reel for your viewing displeasure.



As I've said before, having only animated one scene in my entire life prior to starting Animation Mentor, I'm pleased with the progress I've made, and I hope it will land me an Animation job down the road. That being said, I still have a lot of work to do to get to the skill level of those I usually highlight on this blog.

Alright... I've stood here naked in public long enough... I'm going to go put some clothes on.

Fine... Here's the Up Shot

I held off on posting this conecpt image from Pixar's "Up", but it's everywhere now, and I'm not going to be the only girl at the ball who doesn't have sequens on my dress.



I wasn't going to post it, simply because it's concept art and because it really doesn't reveal much about the movie, other than showing some planes and an old guy who managed to build a flying house.

So there it is. Enjoy.

The Ultimate Break

While the boss reminds me a bit too much of the one from "The Incredibles," overall this commercial is top notch.



I'm going to go buy a Kit-Kat from the vending machine right now, so that my building will get all turned on like the one in the commercial.

Brad Bird Interview On Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes sat down for a quick interview with Mr. Brad Bird.



The first half of the interview is really just them begging him to validate their Golden Tomato award, which Brad almost painfully does. However it really picks up steam when he starts to talk about the next wave in blurring in animation.

Oh yeah... it's that good.

Brad Bird Interview On Rotten Tomatoes

Kung Fu Panda Trailer

I somehow missed that a new trailer for Dreamworks' upcoming "Kung Fu Panda" has been released.



I recently had the pleasure of speaking with one of the writers of the film, and he said that he was "super excited for people to see the film, as it is something brand new that hasn't really been done before." While he wouldn't reveal anything about the film's plot or characters, he did say that people will be "blown away" by what they see.

I trust him, but then I also imagine the writer for "Happily N'Ever After" probably said similar things before that movie's release.

In either case, hit the link below or the image above to check out the latest "Kung Fu Panda" trailer.

Kung Fu Panda Trailer

Official Kung Fu Panda Website

Robert Chang Artwork

While hunting around for the picture for my last post, I stumbled upon some of Robert Chang's concept work for Sony's "Surf's Up!"



Robert is quite a jack-of-all-trades, and you should swing by his site to see more "Surf's Up!" concept work, as well as a ton of other fancy stuff.

Robert Chang's Website

Animation Oscar Nominees Announced

The list of nominees for this year's Academy Awards have been announced, including the pictures up for Best Animated Feature Film.



The nominees for Best Animated Feature Film are
- Sony’s Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
- Disney/Pixar’s Ratatouille - Brad Bird
- Sony’s Surf’s Up - Ash Brannon and Chris Buck

While I think everyone expected "Ratatouille" to make the list (and most likely win), I was really pleased to see "Surf's Up!" make the cut, as I think the picture, and the team responsible for it, are both very worthy. Maybe this will spur a few more people to check the film out, in turn helping drive DVD sales and maybe persuading Sony to continue making animated features. "Open Season" and "Surf's Up!" are two of my most favorite animated films, and I can't wait to see what the group at Sony comes up with next.

As for Persepolis, I haven't seen it, and probably won't see it. That's not to say that it isn't worthy of the nomination, it just isn't my cup of tea. My cup of tea is a 32oz mug filled with Coke and Rum, with a crazy straw in it.

That's how I roll.

No Quarter

One more VFS student film for you today, and it's another gem.



I don't have a YouTube version for this one, but it's worth letting it load in QT in any case. Just hit up one of the links below and make sure you check out Mike's website.

No Quarter - Large (61MB)
No Quarter - Medium (37MB)
No Quarter - Small (12MB)

Mike Trent's Website

The Switch

Man oh man, the VFS sure does produce some top notch talent.



While simple in concept, I still didn't see the ending coming. Of course, I also didn't see the ending coming in "Titanic" either. I mean, that ship sinking is the last thing I ever thought would happen.

For more from creator, Zach Mathew, hit his blog link below.

Zack Mathew's Blog

Fun Factory

Here's a charming little short by recent VFS grad, Mauricio Bartok Ruiz, called "Fun Factory."



For more of Mauricio's work, visit his blog.

Mauricio's Blog

Pete Docter at Animation Mentor Graduation

Not much to add to this one, other than I can't wait to attend the next graduation ceremony (which I'll be taking part in) come this August!



ONLINE ANIMATION SCHOOL ANIMATIONMENTOR.COM®
CELEBRATES THIRD GRADUATION
Pixar Director Pete Docter Delivers Commencement Address

Berkeley, CA – January 14, 2008 —AnimationMentor.com, the online animation school® by animators for animators®, celebrated its third commencement Saturday, January 12, in San Francisco. Legendary Pixar Animation Studios filmmaker Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc. and the upcoming 2009 release, Up) delivered the inspirational address, and was joined on stage by distinguished animators from ILM, Pixar Animation Studios and DreamWorks/PDI, all of whom teach at the school. The graduating class was comprised of students from 20 countries and an equal number of states. Animation Mentor propelled more than 80% of its first four classes into coveted studio positions.

Speaking from the heart, Docter urged the graduates, “to be open to whatever life throws at you,” and that “whatever you do, make it your own.” Docter expressed his belief that an animator’s job was to “find a truth in the world that no one else has found and bring it to the screen.” He also emphasized the importance of story, because “without a good story, you’ve got nothing.”

“Pete is a visionary whose artistry helps set the standard for an entire industry,” said Animation Mentor President/CEO, Bobby S. Beck. “His appearance at our graduation with our great professional mentors speaks volumes about the world in which Animation Mentor lives and to which it aspires.”

A three-time Academy-Award® nominee, Docter began his association with Pixar Animation Studios in 1990, working as the supervising animator and a member of the story writing team on the groundbreaking computer-animated film Toy Story. He was a storyboard artist on A Bug’s Life and the storywriter on Toy Story 2. Docter made his directorial debut on Monsters, Inc., the fifth highest grossing animated feature of all time. He is currently in production on the motion picture Up, scheduled for release in 2009.

Animation Mentor’s nontraditional graduation ceremony included an award ceremony that honored the Best Forum Ninja, Biggest Personality in a Live Q&A (real-time, online class), Best Dialogue acting and more. Graduates earned a Certified Diploma in Advanced Studies in Character Animation from the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education.

ABOUT ANIMATIONMENTOR.COM

Based in Berkeley, California, AnimationMentor.com is an online animation school at which top working professionals teach character animation to students worldwide. Opened March 2005, the school offers an eighteen-month program built from the ground up by its founders, Bobby Beck, Shawn Kelly and Carlos Baena, whose combined credits include Ratatouille, Finding Nemo and Transformers. AnimationMentor.com’s California-certified curriculum includes professional mentoring; expert, rich media lectures; live, real-time, interactive Q&A sessions (classes); eCritiques® and 24/7 creative community. More information at: www.animationmentor.com.

ABOUT PIXAR

Pixar Animation Studios, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is an Academy Award®-winning film studio with world-renowned technical, creative and production capabilities in the art of computer animation. Creator of some of the most successful and beloved animated films of all time, including Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, and most recently, Ratatouille. The Northern California studio has won 20 Academy Awards® and its eight films have grossed more than $4 billion at the worldwide box office to date. The next film release from Disney•Pixar is WALL•E (June 27, 2008).

Meet the Robinsons Interview

Animated Views has a nice interview up with Disney's "Meet the Robinsons" Director, Steve Anderson.



AV: Can you tell me about the voice of the Bowler Hat Guy that you did?

SA: It was funny how it came about. We do temporary voices for the characters very early on when we’re creating this movie on storyboards. We use ourselves, the studio, to do those temporary voices. And there are times when those voices have been around so long enough that they tend to stick to those characters and they’re defining those characters more so then than a cast that would be done later.

The interview covers everything from Steve's education, how he got on with Disney, the 2D films he played a roll in, his work on Robinson's, and even the music in the film.

Well worth the read.

Steve Anderson Interview on Animated Views

Ratatouille Wins Golden Globe!

Something is right with the world, because Pixar's "Ratatouille" was awarded the Golden Globe tonight for best Animated Picture.



While there were some other great films in the list of nominees, "Ratatouille" was nothing short of brilliant and deserves this and every other award bestowed upon it.

It even deserves some dork with a blog blubbering on about how great it is.

Congratulations to Brad Bird and everyone at Pixar!

Bee Movie on DVD March 11th

The Region 1 release of Dreamworks' "Bee Movie," starring Jerry Seinfeld, is set to release on March 11th.



"Bee Movie is an A!"

Get it?

I wonder if Seinfeld himself wrote that one.

I'd like to try out a few of my own on you:

"BEE sure to buy this DVD... HONEY!"

"A, BEE, SEE this movie!"

"This movie lives up to the BUZZ!"

I should be a movie critic.

For more info, hit the link below.

The Link Below

Plankton Invasion

I pretty ambitious independent project seems to be underway, known as The Plankton Invasion, and below is the concept trailer for your viewing pleasure:



While the first "episode" wasn't really much to write home about, I found the second episode to be quite a kick in the shorts.

For more information and to view the first two episodes, swing on over to the official website, which is linked below.

Plankton Invasion Website

Help Wanted

I usually don't use this blog for things like this, but I'm looking for some help and thought I'd throw the offer up here to see if any of you fine readers are interested.



I've been planning a startup business for some time now, and I'm looking for some talented and driven people with similar ideals to join the fold. This is not a scam or a get-rich-quick kind of thing. I'm looking to start a legitimate Animation House, focused on commercial work.

Initially it would be a team of 3-5 people, consisting of 1-3 animators an 1-2 modelers/riggers. I can tell you right now that there wouldn't be pay involved, for you or me... at least to start with. Instead the team will create a couple of short mock advertisements that we can then pitch to prospective clients.

I don't want to say much outside of that, other than to stress that I am VERY committed to this and have been working towards the goal for some time already. I've got a solid animator with some commercial experience and myself, so I'd be looking for 1 more animator. We've got a studio name and website in development, so we are moving forward.

Where I really need the help is in the form of a really solid modeler/rigger. The first couple of ads would be in a more cartoony style, so if you enjoy doing that kind of work, drop me a line.

I'd also like to stress that in terms of time commitment, it would be only would you could provide to start with. This is a side venture for me, and I know that everyone has careers and families that come first. That being said, I need people who are willing to commit at some time on a weekly basis.

For anyone who has read this blog for any time at all, you should already know that I'm not a flake, and I definitely have a passion for 3D art. So serious inquiries only please.

If you want to find out more, including the business name, focus and to get additional details on the mock ads, drop me a line at davesj(at)gmail(dot)com.

Thank you!

RooDoudou

Goodness how I love Planktoon.



I mean come on... this is just two fat blobs fighting over a remote and yet I still got such a kick out of it. Maybe it was the awesome cartoon nipples that did it for me.

I'm a sucker for nipples.

Dragon Hunters

There is a trailer now up for the upcoming French CG film, "Dragon Hunters."



The trailer looks nice, but I didn't have clue what they were saying, as I'm too lazy to learn any language other than English, which I barely have a grasp of. However the company behind it is also the one responsible for the wonderful "Minuscule" series, so it should be great in any language.

Dragon Hunters Trailer and Site

Igor Update

I really should be posting this on "hump day," but nonetheless, here is an update on Weinstein's upcoming "Igor" which is being created in Paris by SPARX.



Thanks to Animated News, I can pass on links to the official Exodus site where you can see a full cast list, which is actually somewhat impressive. Not only that, but the cast does not (currently) feature Andy Dick or Whoopi Goldberg, so it's already got that going for it.

The second link is a video that takes us behind the scenes with some annoying CNN correspondent who somehow managed to land a role in the film. I'm sure it was basically a "do a piece on our upcoming movie and the lifeless corpse holding the mic can have a bit part," but it's still interesting to see the process. Don't hold your breath for any clips from the film though, as there is only one that lasts about 2 seconds at the very end.

With a cast like the one listed, the film has the star power for sure. Now we'll see if they can pull off the characters and story in the same way that Pixar and Dreamworks can.

Igor Cast List on Exodus

Igor Behind the Scenes Video