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Author Archives: Mike
Frank Hursh: Painting backgrounds for Rocky & Bullwinkle in Mexico, Part 1
What was it like working on Rocky & Bullwinkle in Mexico City in the early 1960s?Darrell Van Citters tells you on his blog The Art of Jay Ward in the fist of a multi part series.
From the site:
During the writing process on The Art of Jay Ward Productions, I put out an all points bulletin on the Internet looking for a few artists who had either worked directly for Jay Ward in Hollywood or for Val-Mar/Gamma Productions in Mexico, the subcontractor for all animation production on the Jay Ward series. One of those artists was Frank Hursh, an American painter who had headed up the background department at the Mexican studio in the early 1960s, a crucial period in the history of the Ward studio.
Admittedly, my request was a long shot and I had low expectations for any kind of response. However, while the book was at the printer’s, I received a phone call from Frank’s daughter, Holly, responding to my posting which she had just discovered while searching on the Internet. She was calling from Mexico with her father standing right next to her. While it was too late to include any new information or art from Frank, it wasn’t too late for me to ask questions or to find out that his memoirs had been published in a bilingual book in Mexico. Later I found out that Frank had photos of the personnel and studio from it’s heyday along with a few pieces of original art.  It’s unlikely there will be a second edition of The Art of Jay Ward Productions so I’ve decided to highlight Frank Hursh and his time at the Gamma studio with a multi-part blog post.
You can read the whole post here.
A Prank Time-Must see!
Some truly fluid and unusual animation here. Clever, quirky and very odd! You must check it out! Very inspiring!
Fat kid pulls a clever trick over his old man, with wacky results. Total hilarity as the fat kid crosses the Rubicon into disaster.
Former lead Disney artist helps shape future animators
Veteran Disney animator Tom Bancroft known for his work on Disney greats such as “Beauty and the Beast,†“The Lion King,†“Aladdin,†“Pocahontas,†“Mulan†and “Brother Bearâ€Â is teaching a Lipscomb University and today the school published and interview with him about his career and his classes there.
The undergraduate animation program developed by Bancroft is only in its second semester of existence. He has taught Character Design I and Character Design II and plans on teaching additional classes as the program progresses into its second year. Bancroft says he has also been excited to bring in industry experts as adjunct professors, including John Hill and John Pomeroy, who teach Animation History and 2D Animation, respectively.
You can read the entire article here.
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS new trailer
Focus Features will release the new movie from animation studio LAIKA nationwide on August 19, 2016
https://youtu.be/YMmrKORgNFc
Synopsis:
Kubo and the Two Strings is an epic action-adventure set in a fantastical Japan from acclaimed animation studio LAIKA. Clever, kindhearted Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson of “Game of Thronesâ€) ekes out a humble living, telling stories to the people of his seaside town including Hosato (George Takei), Akihiro (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), and Kameyo (Academy Award nominee Brenda Vaccaro). But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta. Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey (Academy Award winner Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey), and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known. With the help of his shamisen – a magical musical instrument – Kubo must battle gods and monsters, including the vengeful Moon King (Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) and the evil twin Sisters (Academy Award nominee Rooney Mara), to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family, and fulfill his heroic destiny.
Director: Travis Knight
Writers: Marc Haimes and Chris Butler (“ParaNormanâ€)
Voice Cast: Art Parkinson, Matthew McConaughey, Charlize Theron, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes, George Takei, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Brenda Vaccaro
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360 Google Spotlight Story: On Ice
Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Shannon Tindle (Go Goo Go) and Google ATAP’s Spotlight Stories have released ON ICE to YouTube TODAY. “On Ice,†is viewable in the Google Spotlight Stories YouTube channel app on many Android devices, and also with Google Cardboard. We’ll also bring “On Ice†to the Google Spotlight Stories apps (on iOS and Android) soon.
ON ICE is about an over-the-top, sci-fi themed ice show and its star (a la Flash Gordon), who suddenly finds he has competition for the spotlight from an unlikely rival…a bear.
ON ICE was directed by Shannon Tindle, and created in collaboration with Evil Eye Pictures. There are hidden surprises, both audio and visual, that occur on stage and off, including one musical surprise that pays homage to Queen! Ice skating techniques are drawn from both accuracy and creative liberties – and you can also catch the highlights you missed on the MainStage on the Jumbotron, just look up!
Google Spotlight Stories is a new form of storytelling made specifically for mobile and VR. In these 360-degree, interactive stories, your phone becomes a window to a world all around you. The sensors on your phone allow the story to be interactive; when you move your phone to various scenes, you are able to unlock mini-stories within the story.
In addition to ON ICE, we’re bringing Justin Lin’s HELP to YouTube later this week as well. HELP was released last year on our Android and iOS app, is our first live action piece, and received a nomination for a Visual Media Experience Award at this year’s SXSW.
