Demo Reels

It's that time of year folks! I'm getting ready to crank out a new *gasp* demo reel. I know, I know, your all excited like but calm down folks its not here yet, think of this as the teaser trailer followed by the web site plug at Comic-con. Featuing some animation you have seen before and some all new content you can get ready for the launch late September-ish. I know you excited to know all about it so here we go.

What's on it;
going by the old adage of quality vs. quantity I cut down my work to six pieces

• Strut (3D)
  
• Feminine walk (3D)
  
• Jump exercise (3D)
• Pitch (3D)
• Hit by a truck (classical)
• Lip sync (classical)

This in by no means the final track order. I have yet to come up with that.

But wait there is more! Also included on the disk is life drawings, yes that's right the crude renderings of a feaverd brain! The whole thing comes warped in a custom case design that'll look a little something like this.
You excited yet? I know I am!

Links to the animation featured in this post:
Strut
Feminine walk (wip)
Pitch (wip)
Hit by a truck
Lip sync

Good news, everyone!

Dateline San Diego Comic-Con

Futurama is back, and now we know in what form. The show will return on November 27th as a full-length high-def film sold on DVD. It will be followed by three additional films, and each film will be divided into four episodes each to be aired on Comedy Central. So, that's 4 DVD movies or 16 new episodes depending on how you look at it.

The panel featured the shows creator Matt Groening and the vocal cast. In the most highly entertaining Comic-Con panel to date, the cast read aloud a promotional comic book created for the convention. The experience was on the meta- side. The cast read the comic, which was projected on the screen. The comic satirized the Fox network's decision to cancel Futurama and the ultimate triumph of the nerds in the room whose mighty power brought it back. In the comic, the characters all go to a massive Delivery Services-Con in Space Diego.

The remainder of the panel featured the voice cast being generally endearing. John DiMaggio, the voice of Bender, explained that his voice is a combination of Slim Pickins in Blazing Saddles, a drunk and a college creation of his called Charlie, the sausage king. Billy West, the voice of Fry and half a dozen other characters on the show, shared his love of Yiddish and vaudeville performers and his friendship with Phil Hartman -- all of which influence his characters' voices.

Welcome back, Futurama.

C'est Fantastique!

Sleek and stylish animation, endearing plot, beautiful settings and food so pretty it made me crave French food for a week! Defiantly one of the best animated movies of all time. The voices where spot on and the accent accurate enough to make you feel that you where on the continent, it was also a treat to see two Pixar employees in the final voice cast, with art department veteran Lou Romano as Linguini, and animator Peter Sohn giving life to the instantly lovable Emile. The musical score was spot on setting the mood, classic French styling with a jazz twist, and some of the best squeeze box playing I have heard in a while. As an added treat, the inclusion of a lovely song "Le Festin" by one of Frances preeminent female vocalist, Camille, just adds to the atmosphere. Rich Parisian french and clever lyrics equating love to a sumptuous feast makes for a perfect love theme for the two human characters, and also for Remy's love of the lifestyle he has found in Paris. While not the visual knock out that "Cars" was at first glance, "Ratatouille" shows considerable visual shops on multiple viewings; subsurface scattering made me want to reach out and stroke Remy's little velvet ears, and the work on the rats fur was beautiful, with each rat having groomed it differently helping to show and not tell character. This also marks the first time I have ever seen curly hair (Linguini) on a 3D character. Make certain to watch the credits to catch Pixar's slightly snarky mention of animation over reliance on mo-cap
"Our Quality Assurance Guarantee:
100% Genuine Animation!
No motion capture or any other
performance shortcuts were used in
the production of this film."