Gundrop Animation

I had the week off from school, so this weekend I whipped this little sucker up.



Click the image or the link below to check it out!

Gun Drop Animation

The Brontosaur Theory

It's like "Who's On First?" but with more dinosaurs!

Made me laugh, but then again... that's not saying much.

Ratatouille Scampers Into Theaters!

It's Pixar. It's Brad Bird. It's a 93% overall on Rotten Tomatoes. What are you waiting for?



Can rats scamper? I would imagine everything can scamper, with the exception of maybe an elephant, but I'm pretty sure rats can scamper for sure.

Go see the film.

Can A Rat Save This Sinking Ship?

As everyone knows by now, Pixar's "Ratatouille" hits theaters this Friday.



With the exception of "Shrek the Third," which happens to be part of a very successful franchise and "Happy Feet" which performed better than anyone could have predicted, the recent crop of CG Films, for the most part have performed pretty softly at the box office.

TMNT - $54 million
Surf's Up - $50 million
Flushed Away - $64 million
Happily N'Ever After - $15 million
Meet the Robinsons - $96 million

While I would call "Robinsons" a hit, the others have not come close to performing at the levels of previous 3D releases. "Surf's Up" has only generated $50 million so far, and will probably stall out at around $65 million, despite it receiving a %77 overall on Rotten Tomatoes. Compare that to a film like "Madagascar," which sits at a %55 review-wise, and yet generated $194 million at the box office a mere two years ago.

There are other examples as well, but the point to all of this is that it's going to be interesting to see if the Pixar name will draw enough people back to CG to make it the same level of hit that previous Pixar films have been. Obviously films like "Shrek the Third" and "Happy Feet" proved that audiences aren't totally fed up with CG films, but films like "Surf's Up!" show that you can have a quality product and it's still not a safe bet to be a hit.

"Ratatouille's" overall score on Rotten Tomatoes, one day before release, is a 92% and so quality isn't a question (was it ever?). So if the film comes out and does well, then where do studios go from here? In other words, if "Ratatouille" performs well, then it will prove that talking animal pictures can still find an audience. Yet if we've already established that "Surf's Up!" scored well and yet didn't perform at the level expected, then what kept people from seeing that film?

My hope is that all of this will push studios to try new things, but my fear is that it will do the opposite and force them to reduce picture output and always look to the safe bet.

See you in the "Ratatouille" line this weekend.

Box Office Numbers Gathered from Box Office Mojo

Rotten Tomatoes

Official Pixar Site

Glumpers

Make now has 3 episodes up of their "Glumpers" series.



Each "episode" is quite short, but they're still a lot of fun to watch. So swing on over and have a look, once you're done reading what Paris did on her second day as a free person.

The Official Glumpers Site

Transformers By Blur

While I'm not a fan of Michael Bay's new Transformers designs, I am a fan of Blur, so below is a video link where members of the Blur staff talk about creating cutscenes for the TF game.



Again, I happen to think that Bay (or whoever on his crew was responsible) redsigned the Transformers so poorly that I have a hard time differentiating between whether I'm looking at a face, foot or butthole, and yet I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into Blur's creation process.

Blur's TF Cutscenes Making Of

Blur Studio

Working Out With Emile

Another great find from Upcoming Pixar:

While I still prefer the magic trick, I think it's great to see Pixar releasing tests like this one.

Creature Box

I know this one isn't related directly to 3D, but Dave from Creature Box has posted the following awesome "Incredibles" piece.



If you aren't sure what Creature Box is, then I consider you a lost soul, searching the netherworld for eternity, or until you type in creaturebox.com to your web browser of choice.

Go now... lost soul.

Creature Box

Pixar Shorts

My post on a possible "Incredibles" sequel was pretty much cut and dry, so I thought I'd follow up with one to let everyone know that Pixar may possibly probably not be releasing all of their short films on DVD.



According to Upcoming Pixar:

Film Ick points out that The Disney Enquirer has discovered that Disney has recently registered the domains, PixarShorts.com and DisneyPixarShorts.com. This seems to indicate that a DVD of Pixar short films is on its way.

The article then goes on to say that this isn't the first time such a DVD has been rumoured, but my hope is that it actually happens this time. Not only have I never seen lifted, but I think it would be great to have all of the shorts together in one convenient place.

Just like my underwear drawer.

Get it?

I'll be here all week.

More info, and far fewer lame jokes, after the jump.

Upcoming Pixar's Info on Pixar's Short Film DVD

Brad Bird States Obvious

Brad Bird told ComingSoon that he may definitely possibly do an "Incredibles" sequel for sure if he decides he'll do it.



"I do if I can come up with a story that is as good or better than the first one. If I can come up with a "Toy Story 2" with "The Incredibles," then I would do it in a second. I have pieces that I think are good, but I don't have them all together."

So everyone (myself included) should get excited right now, since we're probably totally maybe probably not going to get a sequel to the best animated film of all time.

ComingSoon's Chat with Brad Bird

No Updates Until Saturday

UPDATE: Well I'm back from hanging out with Britney and visiting Paris in jail, but it just happens to be a slow news day. I'll post as I find stuff.




I'll be out Thursday and Friday, as I'm making a trip down to L.A. for a motion capture session with my company. Now before you all grab your pitchforks and start coming after me for even typing the term "mocap," let me assure you that I'll do everything in my power to let everyone know how much better keyed animation is the whole time I'm there.

Look for updates to kick back in around Saturday.

Meet The Robinsons DVD Info

Ultimate Disney has released a press... uh... release about "Meet the Robinsons," including bonus details and cover art.



According to the release, bonus features include:

- Deleted Scenes - Find out what scenes got cut and why with fascinating on-camera explanations by the director.
- Keep Moving Forward: Inventions that Shaped the World - Meet real life inventors and visionary thinkers (including Walt Disney, himself) who changed the world and our lives forever.
- Music Videos.
- Family Function 5000: Family Tree Game – Lewis’ new invention organizes his enormous family tree so he can keep track of his family to be. Unfortunately, like most prototypes there are some bugs that haven’t been worked out and it may self-destruct! Help him before his family is erased forever.
- Inventing the Robinsons – Follow the development of the film from William Joyce’s original creations through the animation process and production.
- Audio Commentary by Director Stephen Anderson (with a special guest appearance)

For a bunch of additional info, including more on the bonus features, hit the link below.

Meet the Robinsons DVD Press Release

The 11 Second Club

I'm not sure if anyone remembers "The 10 Second Club" or not, but it was basically a monthly animation exercise where folks posted animations based on a monthly audio clip provided by the site, and then members voted on the best one. It was a great site, and many were sad to see it go. However, thanks to some awesome alumni of the Animation Mentor School, there is now a a brand new animation club, and as the logo says, "This one goes to eleven."



I encourage all of you who may be professional animators, aspiring animators, or just fans of animation to swing by and have a look. I just signed up today, so you may just see my stuff on there in the near future.

Of course... you may also seem some good stuff too.

The 11 Second Club

Ratatouille Concept Art

Some really nice concept art pieces from Pixar's upcoming "Ratatouille" have been posted over at CanMag.



It really is amazing to look through the images and see how close they are to the film. I wonder if these were created before or after the character models had been created, or if the modelers were actually able to match the drawings that closely. I know it's possible, especially for the skilled modelers at Pixar, I'm just curious as to which came first.

Check out the article to see more concept pieces and get nice little tidbits about the film such as this:

To create a realistic looking compost pile, artists photographed and researched the way real produce rots. Fifteen different kinds of produce were left to rot and then photographed, such as apples, berries, bananas, mushrooms, oranges, broccoli and lettuce.

Sounds like my kitchen.

CanMag's Ratatouille Concept Art Page

Mortimer and Bracket

I'm always blown away when one person can pull off a short of this quality:

Simply outstanding from start to finish!

Andrew Chesworth's Website

WALL-E On ET

UPDATED: The trailer is now up on Apple's site.

WALL-E Teaser Trailer

While I'm sure it will probably wind up being sandwiched squarely between a story about Paris Hilton not getting to have glitter fingernail polish while in jail and one about Brad Pitt's dog pooping during a recent walk, it may still be worth it to tune into "Entertainment Tonight!" tonight to see a teaser for Pixar's upcoming "WALL-E" film.



According to Animator, Victor Navone's blog:

Tune in to Entertainment Tonight at 7:30pm PDT for a first look at the teaser trailer for Pixar's 2008 feature, "WALL-E". It's on KRON Channel 4 in the Bay Area. Check your local listings. You'll get a little taste of what I've been working on for the past year or so. Sorry for the late notice, I just found out about this myself!

Victor's Blog

Energy Tips from a Rat

Remy, star of Pixar's upcoming "Ratatouille" is now in a spot to help educate consumers on conserving electricity, as part of a promotion between Disney and the Department of Energy.



The Department of Energy has teamed up with Disney to bring you an energy-saving message featuring a rat named Remy and other characters from Disney Pixar's new film, Ratatouille. Watch the ad below to learn how you can make the switch today!

Look for next weeks spot in which Mickey Mouse shows you that flushing your toilet every other time you use it, rather than every time, can keep the Earth from imploding.

Ratatouille and Department of Energy Spot

Upcoming Pixar

This Weekend

If you haven't made plans for the weekend yet, I highly suggest you give some thought to catching "Surf's Up!"



Not only is the film a feast for the eyes, but it's also very well written. If you like Aardman's "Creature Comforts" series, or if you enjoy mockumentaries like "Spinal Tap" and "Best In Show," then you really can't go wrong with "Surf's Up."

So load up the station wagon, hide some cheap candy in your pants, and go watch one of the best animated flicks to come down the tube in some time.

If you don't like the film, I'll eat a bottle of surf board wax.

Gnarly.

Insight

Another fine short film has hit the interwebs in the form of "Insight" by Salvador Simo.



While somewhat predictable, the film is still quite charming and well animated. I will say that the little girl's giant eyes sort of freaked me out, and I think the homeless woman keeps her alley really clean.

Insight Short Film

Salvador Simo's Website

Cycle

A nice, and somewhat creepy, short film called "Cycle."



Created by Guy Bar'Ely, the film is well animated, and has a great overall look and mood. I especially like how Guy (a current New York resident) captured the look and feel of the NY Subway, right down to the orange and yellow seats.

I can almost smell the urine.

Cycle Short Film

Guy Bar'Ely's Website

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AWN Surf's Up Site Updates

Lots and lots of updates to AWN's exclusive behind the scenes site of Sony's "Surf's Up!"



The site now has interviews up with everyone including the Producer, Director, Visual FX Team Members, Cast and Wave Technology Gurus.

It's an interesting read for sure, especially the piece on wave technology that shows how the artists created the amazing water that is seen in the film.

Worth a glance.

AWN's Surf's Up Site

Kung Fu Panda Site

Dreamworks' "Kung Fu Panda" now has a website up and running, though outside of a cast, and this one image, there isn't much to look at yet.



According to the site, the film is set to star: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Ian McShane, David Cross, Seth Rogen, Michael Clarke Duncan, James Hong, and Randall Duk Kim

This looks to be a really solid cast, and I'm hoping the film lives up to the normal Dreamworks standards. If you'd like to go to the site and check out the same things I just posted in a different font and with a black background, hit the link below.

Official Kung Fu Panda Website

Discuss this post on the BP Forums!

More on Pixar's "Up"

Variety has a few more nuggets on Pixar's "Up," including the tiny concept art snippet below.



The Disney-owned toon studio's release that year will be "Up," about a 70-year-old man who teams with a wilderness ranger to fight beasts and villains.

"Monsters, Inc." director Pete Docter is helming.

I just watched "Monsters, Inc." last night, so I'm pretty sure I've pretty much already seen "Up," and it was good.

I'm pretty awesome.

More Info on Pixar's Up from Variety

Discuss this post on the BP Forums!

The Numbers: Surf's Up Opening Weekend

Sony's "Surf's Up" finished it's opening weekend in a respectable 4th place, behind a couple of huge summer blockbusters and a surprise comedy.



The film made $18 million dollars, being beat out by "Knocked Up," "Pirates 3," and "Ocean's Thirteen."

As far as an opening weekend for a CG film goes, "Surf's Up" had to be somewhat of a disappointment to Sony. Despite strong reviews, the film's opening was dwarfed by CG recent CG film openings like "Shrek the Third's" $122 million dollar opening and even "Happy Feet's" $42 million. Even when compared to Sony's previous CG Animated film, "Open Season," which made $24 million opening weekend, "Surf's Up!" just did not perform at the same level.

Was it the fact that moviegoers are still gunshy of CG after the avalanche of CG films last summer? Did they get their fill of penguins with "Happy Feet"? Is it because there are so many big blockbuster films at theaters right now? Was this seen as "another anthropomorphic animal film"?

To be honest, it's probably a combination of all of them, but it wasn't due to poor reviews. The film is actually doing quite well in that department.

I had a chance to see the film, and as much as I enjoyed it, I doubt the numbers are going up from here via word of mouth. In the crowded theater I was in, most of the kids were talking and running up and down the isles within the first 45 minutes. The adults generally seemed to enjoy it, and the visuals were nothing short of stunning, but kids seemed to get bored with it quickly. "Surfs Up!" has a very laid back vibe to it, much like a surfer, and it just didn't seem to hold the attention of the little ones.

It's really a shame, because I think "Open Season" and "Surf's Up" were actually both great films, and yet if Sony's animated flicks keep underperforming, it may be a short-lived venture.

Discuss this post on the BP Forums!

A Call To Arms

A week or so back, I set up a forum here on Bleeding Pixels.



Now normally I don't ask much from the readers of this blog. Actually I don't really ask anything, other than you putting up with one of my crappy animations from time to time. That being said, I'm asking now that you please take advantage of the forums.

I know there are industry people who read this, as well as people passionate about breaking into the industry. If we could get some good discussions going in the forums, I think it would be a great way to share knowledge across the board.

Not only that, but if you have yet to visit the forums, you'll find that there are also places to discuss Music, Movies, 2D Art, and lots of other topics. So don't feel like you have to just talk shop, in terms of 3D Animation.

The one thing I ask above all else is this: Take a quick 5 minutes to register. I'm not asking that you post anything, but if you just register now, you might see something that catches your fancy that you can post on later, and registering now will save you the trouble then.

Again, I hope you take advantage of them. Networking is always a good things, and forums such as these are one of the best places to do that. At the same time, you may just make Bleeding Pixels an even better place to hang out.

Thank you.

The Bleeding Pixels Forums

Details on Pixar Projects

A recent Time article, transcribed by the fine folks at Upcoming Pixar, has revealed details about Pixar's upcoming projects, including "Wal-E," "Up," and "Toy Story 3."



"Pete Docter and co-director Bob Peterson are preparing this "coming-of-old-age story" about a seventysomething guy who lives in a house that "looks like your grand-parents' house smelled." He befriends a clueless young Wilderness Ranger and gets into lots of alter kocker altercations. Says Pixar: "Our hero travels the globe, fights beasts and villains and eats dinner at 3:30 in the afternoon."

Frankly Pixar could ask me to buy a ticket to a theater where people come in and take a dump on my head, and I'd probably wind up doing it, so the above description doesn't matter to me, as I'll be there opening weekend either way.

Still, it's interesting to hear what they have planned.

Lots more info on "Wal-E," and "Toy Story 3" after the jump.

Upcoming Pixar's Time Pixar Article Info

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Surf's Up In Theaters Today!

Man... I've really been looking forward to this one.



It looks like it was worth the wait, as the reviews rolling in are actually pretty good. The film currently sits at a 75% overall on Rotten Tomatoes, which is really high compared to some recent CG films. Not only that, but the Cream of the Crop score is an 81%.

So throw on some sunscreen and go see a penguin film that doesn't have the word "mocap" in it's description. Not only that, but for a brief 90 minutes or so, you probably won't hear a single fricking word about Paris Hilton.

You can't beat that with a stick.

Surf's Up Reviews On Rotten Tomatoes

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Shrek Still (Pulling In The) Green

Dreamwork's latest ogre flick "Shrek the Third" moved into the top 5 of highest grossing CG Animated films following its weekend performance.



According to the list, via Box Office Mojo, "Shrek the Third" passed "Monsters Inc," "Toy Story 2" and "Cars" to take the number 5 spot on the list. Not only that, but it only needs to make $3 million more to pass "The Incredibles" and around $9 million more to pass up the original "Shrek."

No wonder the studio had no problem greenlighting a 4th installment.

The Entire CG Movie List Via Box Office Mojo

Discuss this Post on the BP Forums!

TMNT DVD Release Info

According to DVD Active, "TMNT" will hit store shelves in all major formats on August 7th.



According to the site, no details on extras have been announced at this time, but I'm still pretty excited about picking this bad boy up. Like Jessica Simpson, the film was light on substance and heavy on visual beauty, but it was still a kick in the pants to watch.

I'd totally let Jessica Simpson kick me in the pants.

DVD Active's TMNT Details and Box Art

Discuss the TMNT Release on the BP Forums!

Surf's Up First Reviews

The first reviews of Sony's "Surf's Up!" have started to roll in and they're both good and bad.



The early consensus seems to be that the film is, for the most part, over the heads of most kids, except for the reviews that say kids will love it. However, most reviewers agree that the film is laugh out loud funny, other than the reviews that say it isn't funny at all.

In other words, the critics are all over the place on this one so far.

The film is sitting at a 67% overall on RT, and it will be interesting to see how that score changes as we inch closer to the release this Friday. I for one can't wait to see it, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it just as much as the critically challenged "Open Season."

Surf's Up Reviews On Rotten Tomatoes

The Bleeding Pixels forums aren't exactly blazing right now, but I do hope you folks decide to use them. I think communities, such as forums, are a great place to meet new people and make connections of all kinds. Keep in mind that the BP forums aren't just about 3D either... there are spots for music, movies, TV, and lots of other topics. If you don't see a category that you'd really like, let me know and I'll get it added.

Now get over there and get to posting!

Discuss the Surf's Up First Reviews on the Bleeding Pixels Forums!

A Tale of Rock

Here's a really nice little animation called "A Tale of Rock."

Remember that scene in "Crossroads" where the Karate Kid plays guitar against the Devil? This is sort of like that, only with a dinosaur and ZZ Top looking on in the background.

Good stuff.

Getting Into Character

The latest "Ratatouille" podcast from Pixar and Disney is now up for viewing.

It cuts off for me, and could possibly cut off for you too, at about the 2:06 mark.

Stop looking a gift horse in the mouth. When I was a kid, our videos cut off at 1:00 and we liked it!

Official Pixar Website

Discuss Ratatouille on the BP Forums!

Help Out The Daver

If I were you, I wouldn't want to help me out simply based on the fact that I just referred to myself as "The Daver."

However if you still feel so inclined, I could really use some help tracking down a Wacom Cintiq 21UX tablet. I know there are some artists that frequent this blog, and I thought you might have a line on where I can purchase one. I'm not looking for a deal, I'm just looking for one period. Every place I look tells me it will be anywhere from June to August before they're available, and I could really use one now for a side gig that I have.

So far I've checked Craigslist in every major city, eBay, Froogle, and Yahoo!, all with no luck.

If you've got a line on one, drop me a line at davesj [at] gmail [dot] com.

Thank you!

UPDATE: I got one! Luckily for me a local store had one left, and I snatched that sucker up!

Surf's Up Clips on Yahoo!

I know I'm a bit late on this one, but I was on vacation, so get bent.



Yahoo! Movies has posted 8 new clips from "Surf's Up," which hits theaters tomorrow. The clips are actually really funny, and make me want to see the film even more than I already did.

Readers of this blog know that I was a huge fan of "Open Season," and I hope that "Surf's Up!" pulls in bigger numbers at the box office, because I think the Sony Animation group really does have the ability to bring a lot to the animation table.

Surf's Up Clips On Yahoo!

NEW: Discuss this post on the BP Forums!

The Bleeding Pixels Forums Are Up!

Frankly I have no idea if these will get used or not, but... forums!



I hope you folks decide to use these, as they took me at least 15 minutes to set up, and I'd hate to see all of that hard work be for nothing.

In all seriousness, I hope you stop by and chat. I promise to do my best to keep it a very positive and relaxing place to hang out at and discuss the world of animation and beyond.

Swing by and let me know what you think!

The All-New Bleeding Pixel Forums!

Kaelou

I have no idea what happens in this short, but it still made me laugh out loud.



Think of a French "Happy Tree Friends" in 3D, and you'll have some idea as to what "Kaelou," from Derniers Films by the Cube Creative Company, is all about.

I think the duck's white blood is actually more disturbing than red blood is.

Kaelou Short

Oops... forgot to mention.

I'll be taking a short leave from the blog, as I'll be on vacation from Thursday through Tuesday. Blog updates may resume as early as Monday though, so check back early next week!

In the meantime, go check out "Shrek the Third" or "Pirates" or "On Golden Pond."

Take care.

Surf's Up On AWN

Animation World Network has created a new site, dedicated to Sony's upcoming "Surf's Up!" with pictures, interviews and more.



The first interview is up right now with Producer, Chris Jenkins, and upcoming interviews are scheduled with members of the cast, Directors, and an animator or two, among others.

Gnarly!

AWN's Surf's Up! Page

FJORG!

Okay, this is an awesome animation demo reel.



It was created for the FJORG Animation contest and here is what the author had to say about it:

Yesterday we finished our submission to SIGGRAPH's "FJORG!" competition; the guidelines indicated each team of 3 was to submit a demo reel less than 2 minutes in length showcasing the animation abilities of the team. We decided the best way to stand out among the submissions would be to create a short film satirizing demo reel conventions.

It works so well because it does exactly what it set out to do, which is to be funny.

And this post works so well because it does exactly what I set out to do, which is bore you with too many words, when all you really want is the link.

FJORG! Animation Demo Reel

Shrek the Third - The Review

After watching "Shrek the Third" this weekend, I've officially written off the critics when it comes to CG films, and you should too.



I'm not as big of a Shrek fan as some others may be. I ranked the first 2 films 10th on my personal "Dave's Top 10 Animated Films of All Time That He Can Remember" list. So if my math serves me correctly, I've got 9 other CG films I'd choose to watch over those two.

What's my point?

The point is that I'm not just some Shrek fanboy (sounds creepy), and I understand the films have their faults. That being said, for "Shrek the Third" to be pulling an overall score of 43% over at Rotten Tomatoes is utterly ridiculous.

The first two films ranked in the high 80s to low 90s, so I walked in expecting a huge drop in quality, which there simply isn't. The visuals are stunning (though the human models creep me out), the animation is great, and the performances are what they've always been, which is to say consistent. The film was funny in spots, touching in others, and exciting throughout.

The bottom line is that if you liked the first two films, or if you're just a fan of animation in general, you'll find something to enjoy in "Shrek the Third." Is it original? Not really, but I'm tired of originality being the only measuring stick for critics. If something is entertaining, then it's just plain entertaining, and isn't that why we go to a film like "Shrek the Third" in the first place?

While a 43% isn't quite the travesty that the 32% score for "TMNT" (or the 66% for "Meet the Robinsons" was for that matter) was, when coupled with "Shrek the Third" having the third biggest box office opening of all time, even beating out the two higher-rated prequels, it proves that critics are even more irrelevant than ever before.

Go see it.

Dave's Top 10 Animated Films of All Time

Shrek the Third on Rotten Tomatoes

Emily is Here!

Imagine if Roman Dirge's "Lenore" were to be animated in 3D and you'd have some sort of an idea of what to expect from "Emily."



Now imagine a man in his underpants, with a Cheeto stuck to his forehead and way too much back hair, sitting on a couch and playing Xbox 360, and you'd have some sort of an idea of what to expect from me on a Saturday afternoon.

Shrek the Third Opens Today

Ogre fans are already lining up to see Dreamworks' latest "Shrek" offering, "Shrek the Third," which opened in theaters all over the place today.



Critics aren't exactly in love with "The Third," as the film has only managed a score of 43% over at Rotten Tomatoes, compared to an 89% for the first film and an 88% for the second.

I have to wonder how much of this low rating is that the bloom is officially off the rose for CG films. It will be interesting to see if the film really does compare that poorly to the first two, of critics are just lashing out at pretty much anything CG at this point.

Swing by a theater this weekend and decide for yourself!

Shrek the Third Reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Bee Movie Trailer

Moviefone has the exclusive first showing of the brand new trailer for Dreamworks' "Bee Movie" in a variety of HD formats.



The trailer looks good, but I had a bit of a "been there" feeling in the pit of my stomach as I watched it. First of all, it's about insects. Second of all, it's about an insect wanting to break out of the "norm." Finally it's about an insect making love to a human woman.

At least I think it is. Totally like this DVD my buddy had in college.

In any case, the trailer is up, and it looks funny. I especially like the window gag.

Bee Movie Trailer at Moviefone

Respire, Mon Ami

This has to be one of the most disturbing, funny, charming and down right disgusting shorts I've seen in a very long time.



Really nice touch with the leaves blowing around as the kid gives the severed head mouth-to-mouth.

Yeah... you read that right.

Really well done.

Respire, Mon Ami Short

I Am Heavy Weapons Guy

How awesome is this game going to be?

I'll tell you how awesome...

Really awesome.

I Want to Be Shrek

Well... I don't, but if I wanted to, I'd head over to the site where they're casting for the new Shrek Broadway play.



My favorite part of the casting call has to be the following:

DONKEY: 20s – 30s. A performer with a contemporary, urban edge and great humor. Joins Shrek on his journey to capture Princess Fiona. Seeking unique performers especially from slam poetry, comedy, Hip Hop worlds or clever actors with great comic skill.

Of course it never mentions that you have to have four legs and giant teeth. Not only that, but when you think of Eddie Murphy, do you think of anything close to "slam poetry" or "Hip Hop worlds"? There was a time when you might have, but I certainly don't think of that when I think of the character of Donkey.

I'll be interested to see how they pull this one off. Are they just going to have a guy in his Donkey suit walk around on two legs and recite slam poetry?

Shrek Casting Call

You know it's a slow news week when...

... I post an article about the recall of Shrek headbands.



From what the recall notice says, apparantly on some headbands a wire has poked through the fabric and caused injury. In one reported case, the wire even killed an entire village somewhere in South America. Other reports claim the wires are simply getting drunk and squatting in abandoned apartment buildings.

Either way, the headbands have been recalled, and you should send any you have back. First of all, you wouldn't want the wire to come loose and poke your brain, and second of all, unless you're a Solid Gold Dancer, people really don't wear headbands anymore.

Shrek Headband Recall Notice

Vinyls Attack

One more short film for today, called "Vinyl's Attack."

vinylsattack

Add to My Profile | More Videos

I totally dig it right up to the point where the 45 records start to fall and the Herbie Hancock kicks in... after that, it sort of loses me.

Fake Lactaid Commercial

I have to warn you on this one... it's not for the squeemish.

Hey I totally warned you... don't blame me.

The twisted mind behind this animation is Tyson Ibele, and his portfolio can be found below.

Tyson Ibele's Portfolio

New Ratatouille Podcast "Parlez-Vous Francais?"

The latest podcast based on Pixar's "Ratatouille" is now up for your viewing pleasure.



In this one, you get to hear a bunch of people complain about their horrific trip to France, in which they were forced to consume tons of amazing food and wine and take motorcycle tours of the city where all the guys giving the tour did was say things like, "There is the Eifel Tower."

That must have really sucked eggs.

In all seriousness, great podcast as always, and I have to wonder if they'll wind up rolling these all together for the bonus features on the DVD.

Ratatouille "Parlez-Vous Francais?" Podcast

New Commercial From Bug

UPDATE: Thanks to Sam over at The RE-Animation Blog, we now have a new link to view the commercial at that may work a bit better. Just be aware that it's 17MB and the download isn't exactly blazing fast.

All this being said, I was finally able to watch the commercial, and though it is very similar to the Coke vending machine commercial released a few weeks back, it's still totally worth your time. Great animation, and some really nice eye candy.

Bug One Call Commercial

From what I've been told, there is an awesome new One Shot commercial from Bug.



Of course I actually haven't been able to confirm its "awesomeness," due to the fact that installing the latest version of Quicktime has prevented me from watching any movies created using Quicktime.

However our good friends over at The RE-Animation Blog give it their stamp of approval, and that's good enough for me... especially on a slow news week like this one.

Bug One Call Commercial

RE-Animation Blog

Slow News Day = Crappy Animation from Dave

It was a slow news day yesterday and today, so I figured I'd go ahead and post my own animation from my most recent project at Animation Mentor, since it's almost identical to what you'd find in a Pixar or Dreamworks film anyway.



A couple of things I want to make clear about this animation:

1) The walk up at the start of the 'mation is far too fast. We had a frame limit, so I really sped things up to fit it all in. I will be slowing this down some if the piece is ever included on any demo reels.

2) The guitar pops towards the end of the animation. This is my own dumb fault, as I made an adjustment to the animation with the guitar's visibility turned off, and then rendered out the scene before checking the animation with it turned back on. I'll be fixing this and posting an updated link later in the week.

If you folks have anything to say, good or bad, drop me a comment and let me know. I'm still learning, so critiques are always welcome.

UPDATE: The link below is now the updated version. The walk is still fast, but the pop at the end has been fixed.

Guitar Zero Animation

Linguini a la Carte

The latest "Ratatouille" Podcast is now up.



This one focuses on the main human character of the film, and actually has a ton of new footage in it.

For more info and links, swing on over and visit our good friends at Upcoming Pixar.

And by "good friends," I mean, "the people who run that blog that's a lot better than this one that we stop by every morning and try to steal news from."

Upcoming Pixar's Ratatouille Podcast Info

Berkeley Breathed's Non-Opus Opus

According to Jim Hill Media (via Animated News), Berkeley Breathed is set to work with Gore Verbinski (Pirates Trilogy) on an animated version of his book "Flawed Dogs."



Why For? Because -- as author Berkeley Breathed explained this past Friday night on the first stop of his "Mars Needs Moms!" book tour:

"Gore's sick of pirates. If I wrote a scene that had to be shot on water, he'd run the other way."

And Breathed? He's in a really good position to know Verbinski's mindset these days. Given that Berkeley & Gore are now working together to try & turn Breathed's 2003 children's book, "Flawed Dogs: The Year End Leftovers at the Piddleton "Last Chance" Dog Pound" into a CG film for Walt Disney Pictures.

Not only that, but Breathed claims to be working with Robert Zemeckis on adapting his brand new book "Mars Needs Moms!" to the big screen as well.

Now while this is all fine and dandy, my ultimate question is:

Where in the hell is the Opus movie?

Don't get me wrong... I love Breathed's childrens books, but I think we can all agree that his most cherished piece of work has to be that little short, fat, flightless water fowl. The fact that there was talk of the film (Wildbrain had even done some animation tests), which built my hopes up, and then killed the project, only made me want it more.

Breathed often seems like a child actor who doesn't want to be known for the role that made him famous. When he returned with his "Opus" Sunday strip, it almost felt like he was forced into it, rather than really wanting to come back just to further explore this great character.

Now with the film shelved (for now) in favor of his other book adaptations, it may be a long time before Opus hits the big screen.

Which is a shame.

Exclusive AOL Shrek Trailer

At the risk of turning this site into nothing more than an unofficial "Shrek the Third" blog, I need to let you all know that there is an exclusive trailer for the film up over at AOL.



You can swing on over to AOL to check out the trailer below, and make sure you tune in next week for all "Shrek the Third," all the time! If I can't find "Shrek the Third" news, I'll just make it up!

Exclusive Shrek the Third Trailer on AOL

Shrek the Third Clip at Yahoo!

Yahoo! has posted a new clip from Dreamworks' "Shrek the Third" on their site.



The above image is not actually taken from the clip, which you'll know after watching it, because there are no dead frogs in the image.

Shrek the Third Clip at Yahoo!

Green and Lean

CG Society has a great article on the technology behind "Shrek the Third."



Many new characters were created for the third installment, and the ten-year-old models from the first Shrek were rebuilt. Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, and any character from the first film needed a complete upgrade while maintaining the familiarity of the first film’s characters. Shrek and Fiona were also required to don the garb of royalty, including high heels and a cinched waist, something the original models were not prepared to handle.

Taking the opportunity to include subtle improvements, Modesto and Cutler added additional resolution to the case used for the muscles and face to improve the control of the skin over the eyes and between the brows. They also increased the muscle resolution on the face in order to add more control to the mouth and eyebrows, and added details like the folding bags of skin over the eyes, sliding skin over the jaw area, and dimples.

And by "great," I mean "extremely boring to most people."

However for those of you who do get bored reading these types of things there are lots of pretty pictures to go along with it.

Green and Lean Article at CG Society

Over the Profit Margin

According to Animated News, via Yahoo! Finance, Dreamworks' profits rose thanks to stronger-than-expected sales of the "Over the Hedge" DVD.



Yahoo! Finance reports that DreamWorks Animation received an unexpectedly higher first-quarter profit due to higher-than-expected DVD sales for Over The Hedge and other library titles.

This is great news for Dreamworks, and for animation in general. I think there needs to be at least two big players on the market to continue to push each other. Dreamworks and Pixar have a history of quietly competing with each other, and in my opinion it can only further the overall quality of their respective output.

It's just like back in the day when you had the WWF and the WCW, only with far less lubed up men in facepaint.

More from Animated News

Ratatouille 9 Minute Preview

UPDATE: The clip is now available for download in various sizes (including HD) from this location.

Go now.



It says a lot about Pixar's ability to create endearing characters that I was more concerned with him getting out of the kitchen than I was with the fact that a rat has probably crawled through the onions and carrots that get served to me at restaurants.

9 Minute Ratatouille Clip With Intro By Brad Bird

Robinsons Weekend Box Office

Disney's latest 3D flick, "Meet the Robinsons," pulled in another $5 million at the box office this weekend.



According to Box Office Mojo, this brings the total US Box Office take for "Robinsons" up to $88.4 million, pushing it closer and closer to the magic $100 million mark.

I think at this point, while not a Blockbuster, it is safe to call this film a hit, and I hope that we get to see a sequel as a result. I think the Bowler Hat Guy has a lot of potential, and I'd like to see more of his backstory for sure.

I didn't say "backside," I said "backstory."

More Weekend Box Office Numbers from Box Office Mojo

Hang 10...

Of these new "Surf's Up" posters on your wall that is!



Am I the only person here who can't figure out why I can't land a job as a joke writer since my days writing for Bob Saget on "America's Funniest Home Videos"?

Swing on over to Latino Review for more info on the movie and poster.

Latino Review's Surf's Up Info Page

Preview for the Ratatouille Preview is now up for Previewing

Want to see a 9 minute clip from Pixar's upcoming "Ratatouille" film? Of course you do. Want to see a 30 second preview for that upcoming 9 minute clip? Probably not.



Leave it to Disney to preview their own upcoming preview. Now that's how you create hype...

There are a few seconds of new footage in this preview, so if you can't get enough of these little rats like me, you should at least give it a quick glance.

The 9 minute clip hits tomorrow.

Ratatouille Preview Preview on Total Clips