Tag Archives: 2d Animation

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Animation House Film Roman Bought By Waterman Entertainment

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the-simpsons

Animation House Film Roman Bought By Waterman Entertainment

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting (as they are wont to do) that Waterman Entertainment, the animation and live-action production company, has acquired the Burbank-based animation company Film Roman from Starz, it was announced today. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Film Roman is one of the defining names in animated content,” Waterman said in announcing the acquisition.  “Their track record is unparalleled and their team’s passion for executing top-shelf animation is evident in every frame they’ve created. Once it became clear how thoroughly our companies’ assets complemented each other, this deal was almost a foregone conclusion.

Dana Booton, who has been serving as Film Roman’s general manager, has been promoted to president of production. She will continue to oversee the company’s day-to-day business while also managing development and co-productions. Phil Roman, who founded Film Roman in 1984, is returning in the role of chairman emeritus and has been working with Booton and Waterman founder Steve Waterman.

You can read the entire article here.

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Freak Kitchen- “Freak of the Week” music video

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Ever wonder what it would like like if Disney made a heavy metal music video? Well wonder no more! Granted this wasn’t actually made by Disney as it actually began as a Kickstarter campaign, but it’s every bit as well animated as anything I’ve seen in a VERY long time!

I present for you a music video called Freak of the Week from the Swedish rock band Freak Kitchen directed by Juanjo Guarnido. who was among others lead animator for Sabor on Disney’s Tarzan. Enjoy!

Also here’s the Making of Video about how the music video was created…

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Microsoft aims to actually make the “Animate Button”

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There are always companies trying to edge out the animator.  Not sure why exactly but it’s clearly something they strive for. Maybe it’s the Lamborghini’s we all drive and the overflowing money stuffed wallets we have ;living large as animators. Oh wait, that’s the CEOs of the companies not us.

From the Polar Express to Tin Tin to the ever increasing use of Mocap, studios see a brighter future free from the chains of us animators. Of course any animator will tell you Mocap only goes so far but that’s another story. Until recently traditional 2d animation has been pretty much impossible to auto complete simply because computers weren’t smart enough to predict what needs to be inbetweened. Anyone who has ever tried Flash’s Shape Tween tool has a clear idea of how well that goes. Well now Wired.com is reporting that Microsoft Research, along with the University of Hong Kong and the University of Tokyo, just unveiled a proof-of-concept technology that could bring back the charm of older, hand-drawn cartoons, with the speed and fluidity of today’s animation software.

From the site:

“Autocomplete hand-drawn animations” debuted at the Siggraph Asia conference, and it’s an interactive system that watches what the artist draws and then predicts what frame or line might come next. It can also smartly connect the dots between two different drawings, and propagate the motion that should occur between the two sketches. This works for color too: fill in the first frame with certain hues, and the system will replicate them.

You can read the entire article here.

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Never-Before-Seen Robin Williams ‘Aladdin’ Outtakes Revealed in New Blu-ray Edition

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“He was the genie. He was bigger than life.”

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that there will be some never before seen outtakes in the new Blueray edition of Aladdin.

In 1992, Disney’s animated classic Aladdin became a hit with adults and children alike, with much credit due to the performance of Robin Williams as the unforgettable genie.

Now, almost 25 years later, Disney is releasing the Aladdin Diamond Edition Blu-ray Combo Pack with never-before seen outtakes of Williams in the recording studio — all of his unstoppable talent on full display. To celebrate the launch of the new edition, the directors, composer and voices behind the film appeared on Good Morning America to pay tribute to the late actor and all that he contributed to the film.

“It was amazing working with Robin, absolutely incredible,” said composer Alan Menken.

“We wrote the part with Robin in mind,” added co-director John Musker mused. “We didn’t know if he would do it. We were totally walking down the plank; if he didn’t want to do it, we were in big trouble because the whole concept was built around Robin — fortunately, he agreed to do it.”

“Nobody else could be the genie,” co-director Ron Clemens mused. “We recorded him in four-hour sessions and he would be going for four-hours straight. By the end, he was just drenched in sweat. He had so much energy and so much passion.”

“He was the genie,” added Musker. “He was bigger than life,”

Watch the full clip below.

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Jason Carpenter

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What is your name?
Jason Carpenter; Animator for the new film He Named Me Malala based on the life of life of Malala Yousafzai, directed by Davis Guggenheim.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
In High School, I worked at a gasoline pump factory with a good friend of mine. I stood in a line and hung different parts on moving hooks before they went into a spray booth. It was repetitive and pretty grueling. I was only there for a few summers, but I learned a lot. Mostly about doing a hard days work and what that’s worth. Honestly, it was a valuable experience and one I remember fondly. Each day we had to find a way to make the work fun because it was so repetitive. Hey, animation can be pretty repetitive. Maybe it helped!

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I co-directed the animation for Spaceship Earth at EPCOT center a few years back with my brother. That was a fun project to be a part of. There’s nothing quite like being backstage in Disney World in the middle of the night when the animatronics are still on. It gets pretty surreal. There’s definitely a different ind of magic than during the day.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I’m originally from North Carolina. Growing up, I didn’t know that animation was something you could do as a job. So, I guess I’m a bit of a late bloomer. It wasn’t until my senior year of college that I made a very short film and got a sense of what animation was about. After graduating, I moved to NY where I did some early Flash animation music videos. They were fun projects and I was left a lot of room to be creative, but we had to do them quickly. It was a great learning experience. After a few years in NY, I applied to CalArts, got accepted and moved out to LA.

What kind of technology do you work with on a daily basis, how has technology changed in the last few years in your field and how has that impacted you in your job?
I mostly work in 2D, so I’m in Adobe stuff most of the time. Lucky for me, drawing is still drawing and story is still story, so I find that technology helps most in speeding up the workflow, which is always a good thing. New tricks are always good. It’s funny, I remember working in Photoshop 3.0. It was pretty terrible compared to today, but conceptualizing a project is still the same. I think it’s all about the process, which I’m always trying to improve on.

Any side projects you’re working on that you’d like to share details of ?
I just finished working on the animated sequences for He Named Me Malala. It’s a feature documentary about the life of Malala Yousafzai, directed by Davis Guggenheim. The animation plays a big role in the film, which I’m very proud of. Animation is such a powerful art form. It’s easy to forget what it’s capable of and how expressive it can be. I hope that the animated sequences in the film connect with people and give them a better sense of Malala’s story and message. I’m so lucky to have worked with a great team of people and to have spent 18 months focusing on a project with such a great message. That’s a rare and special thing.

Any unusual talents or hobbies like tying a cherry stem with your tongue or metallurgy?
That’s something I need to work on. A crazy hobby could be rewarding.  I’ve given some though to lion taming. I had a cat growing up. I’m sure that would help me quite a bit.

Is there any advice you can give for an aspiring animation student or artist trying to break into the business?Making a film, TV spot, show, etc. is always a shared process, and that’s a good thing. Working with other people well is what makes everything work. Find the part of the process and the place that speaks to you, and focus on that. I’m big on collaboration. It’s impossible for one person to be good at everything, but a team can be. Sharing the creative process across a team and be eye opening. You’ll get creative solutions and ideas you never would have found on your own.