Monsters Without A Monster Budget

Sometimes a film comes along that gives hope to all of us struggling to break in to the world of film, VFX or animation and Monsters is one such beast. Made on a shoe string budget the film is the brain film and directorial debut of Brit VFX artist, Gareth Edwards.

Reminiscent of movies like Cloverfield and District 9, Monsters again takes a look at how humans would deal with alien guests. However unlike previous films, Edwards attacked his idea with a tiny crew of 5, an even smaller cast of 2, a camera, a van, a laptop and the beautiful and distopian vistas offered by South America. There was no script, no storyboard and no huge team of post prodcution staff waiting at the other end! Instead what editing and VFX wasn't done on his laptop on the road was done on his PC at home.



Were they crazy? Possibly. But in these times of austerity, where smaller studios are finding it hard to support themselves and big studios are happier to sequels then risk huge investments on new ideas, it will be film makers like Edwards who make sure that cinema isn't left to stagnate.

The film is released in cinemas on 3rd December in the UK and is already available to download on itunes.

Holidays are coming, holidays are coming...

Well, its mid November. There are mince pies for sale in Tesco, frost to be scrpaed off the windscreen in the morning and Mariah Carey singing "All I Want For Christmas Is You" wafting from the car radio. There is no denying it, this years Christmas season has begun. And so its time to break out the eggnog and tinsel and decide what are my top five all time Christmas animations...

1. The Snowman
It was the song that brought a young Aled Jones to fame and a beautiful animation that brought us all to tears. So much better then Frosty!

2. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Tim Burton and Henry Selick bring us an enticingly original and deliciously dark stop motion adventure that gives Christmas magic a gothic twist.

3. A Christmas Carol
Its not like there aren't other films of this Charles Dickens story, heck even the muppets have given it a whirl. But in 2009 Disney knocked it out of the park with this incredible piece of 3D CG animation.

4. Robbie The Reindeer
It might look and feel like an Aardman prodcution, but this stop motion was actually created by the BBC... all be it by Aardmans Richard Goleszowski.

5. The Coke advert
Hey, I never said they had to be feature length animations and there is nothing that says its Xmas like the Coca-Cola advert.

Make Your Animations A Little Xtranormal.

If you have't yet encountered xtranormal then let me enlighten you, xtranormal is a "free" online animation application that lets you create 1 or 2 character animations, complete with a script, using their special text-to-movie software. All you need to do is select your characters, set and sound scape and then start typing what you want your characters to say. You can also add in your choice of expressions, gestures, sound effects and camera angles to your film. And don't panic you don't need to know anything more fancy then drag-and-drop.



As you can see from my attempt, there are limits... not least to my scripting skills. Not everythings free and a lot of the characters and scenes etc cost a little extra to use. Additionally don't expect Laurence Olivier style vocal performances from your actors, the voices will say what you've typed (most of the time) but not suprisingly with minimal inflection or emotion. Also your characters movements are minimal - you can select from a range of premade gestures but they're not going to dancing around... not using the free online facilities anyway.

Which brings me to the topic of Xtranormals software, State. This, I'm guessing from the video posted on YouTube, gives you a lot more freedom of choice and movement but this time at the bargain price of $49.50. Personally I wasn't willing, I'd prefer to go and download iClone if I just wanted to have some animated fun or learn Blender and produce real 3D, but thats just me. If you've tried it please feel free to leave a comment and tell me what I'm missing.

There's a lot to be said for xtranormal. If you just want a bit of fun then its a fantastic tool, and if you want a simple way to test out a script, understand a scenes pacing or look at the effect of various camera angles then its excellent. However, if you think you are trying to create stuff for an animation showreel or think you might be the next James Cameron and are looking for the right too for making Avatar 2 then keep googling, xtranormal is not the tool you're looking for.

REVIEW: Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole

Lord of the Rings... with wings!

Okay, so this is my terrible confession... I have wanted to watch this childrens film since I first saw the trailer at the cinema back in March! Strange perhaps that, anticipating this movie as I was, that whilst on holiday in Cornwall this year I happened to visit the Screech Owl Sanctury near Goss Moor where a team from the film were filming some of the sancturies residents as reference material for the film.

Guardians is based on the 15 book series by Kathryn Lansky and marks the animation debut of film director Zack Snyder - known for directing more grown up fair such as 300. It tells the story of Soren, an owlet who taken from his parents by evil owls begins an epic quest.



Audiences have no doubt become complacent about amazing CG landscapes and realistic water, as these things have become common place with films like Avatar and the Chronicles of Narnia raising the bar. Still you have to concede that the look of Guardians is incredible, from the beautiful (and often slow motion) sequences of owls gliding and soaring through theatrically lit rainstorms, to the wonderful way that the production team at Animal Logic have developed the characters without making them, visually, human.

I have read in some reviews that this film is too violent for kids but I disagree, certainly there is a lot of action, dark characters and fighting but there is also some strong statements on family, friendship and some pretty heavy moral themes on liberty and equality. I will save you from my thoughts on any symbolism that could be seen in this story and instead end by saying this that on the whole I liked this film. Though it is a little Lord Of The Rings with wings, Legend of the Guardians is was unquestioningly beautiful avian epic, and even though the story felt like it dragged at times, it still managed to be both action packed tale of adventre and warm-hearted family film.

If you would like to meet some real owls, as well as other incredible creatures, and find out about how to help conservation of these amazing birds visit - http://www.screechowlsanctuary.co.uk/

Read It And Weep!

5 animations, long and short, that made me cry...

1. Kiwi
I analysed this amazing short animation, created by Dony Permedi as part of his Masters Thesis, for a project on sound and no matter how many times I watched it the last few seconds of Kiwis doomed endeavour always brought a lump to my throat!

2. Sentil 
It is just not good form to tear up when you are sitting in a classroom, but watching The Blender Foundations latest 15 minute animated short made me want to sob like a child! And it wasn't just the awesome design or superb animation either!!

3. UP
I have yet to meet the hardened soul who managed to stay dry eyed during the opening ten minutes of this Pixar film! Only the most stone hearted of those in the cinema audience I was with was not glad of the dim light and the 3D glasses to hide their tears.

4. How To Train Your Dragon
Was it just me on this or did the loyalty and desperation of Toothless to save Hiccup from the Mosterous Nightmare moving? I have to confess that so much about this offering from Dreamworks really tugged my heartstrings... big softy that I am.

5. Clik clak
Its such a stylish little animation that you may not think that it would turn out to be so sad. But the end of Supinfocom's short animation about 2 robots who communicate with sound left me feeling misty eyed.

But thats just me! What animations made you cry?

Cat... in progress!

Make no mistake about it, I am not gods gift to character modelling on any 3D platform. I may be able to draw them, design them, possibly even sculpt them in some physical form, but when it comes to modelling them in the great world of Cinema 4D then its like trying to throw a pot wearing boxing gloves and sunglasses!

But perhaps the problem is that I'm wokring towards becoming an animator not a model maker, still its very hard to animate with out something to... well, animate!! So in an effort to keep my hand in here's my latest character model.

This cat (just incase you couldn't work it out) was crafted in Cinema 4D by my own fair hand. I went for a stylized look with cartoon feel to it. Soon I hope to animate the little digital fuzzball but first, with the models real life counter part sat purring on my lap, I am going to journey in to the mirky world of rigging and add a digital armature of bones and joints to the model or as the unfortunate 3D lingo would have it to "bone" the character!!

Constant Craving...

You've already seen some of the original art I produced for dark fantasy book 'Craving' by young adults author E.F Morris. Now we're starting on an internet trailor to help promote the book. Have been working on 3D models before I look to animate, but here's the first still from it.

More to follow!! The finished trailor will also appear on our production website http://www.hungryscavengers.wordpress.com/

To find out more about E.F Morris' book 'Craving' visit her blog at http://www.theredpendofdoom.wordpress.com/

Maya, Blender and Flash!

Summer holidays are great and though it is wonderful to a brief spell away from the endless parade of deadlines that university inevitably entails, not more then a few weeks in to this uber break and I am already missing having a curriculum to work to. Perhaps I am inherently a planner but I like to have a project to think about, and so over the course of this summer break I have devised a few to keep me occupied, and here they are:

Flash, ah- hah!

I'm going to create a short Flash animation for a website that should be launching shortly. Ironically this will be another foray in to the previously unfriendly world of motion graphics, but hopefully unlike the previous attempt this will be more enjoyable.

Treasure of the Maya

Autodesk has almost managed to monopolise the 3D software industry, with 3Ds Max and Maya being used through out the professional world of animation and visual effects. Maya was the program used to create the SFX for such mega-movies as Lord Of The Rings and Avatar. It is a behemoth of a program with immense power and infinite challenges and instils a mixture of fear and wonder in to the uninitiated. It is what we will use at university next year and if I can get ahead start on it before the start of term I intend to!

Pop it in the Blender

OK, so how many 3D types of 3D software do you need to know? Yes, I am aware that I already have delved in to Cinema 4D and Zbrush and have just stated an intention to learn Maya but frankly in this industry who can afford to specialise! However, learning Blender has other appeal rather then just introducing an air of diversity to my CV/portfolio. Blender is open source software, free to any and all who feel they can handle it, a sort of Sword In The Stone of 3D software options. But don't think that open source means second rate, just as Open Office can give its Microsoft counter part a run for its money, so Blender can stand up and be counted with the big boys of animation, if you doubt me check out Blender creation “Big Buck Bunny”.

In some ways that little manifesto doesn't seem all that much and in others it seems daunting. Still I've put it out there now. Its public. I have thrown down the gauntlet for myself and now its time to stop waffling and get on with meeting the challenge!

Key to my Heart

Well, since the end of term, and in fact the end of my academic year, have now past taking their deadlines, their stress and their course work with them I can now concentrate on my own projects again! So, no sooner had I turned my end of year assessments in at uni then I got home and turned on Cinema 4D and began... they have a word for people like me, it's "addict"!

And here is the result of my addiction...

This is the followup to the heart picture I posted earlier for the book "Craving". This is the untextured key, which I was quite pleased with, it took a while to get the design for the 'key to the heart but I thought this looked quite good. I've added the key to the banner image with the heart and text. I'm not entirely happy with the texture yet, but I thought I'd mock up the banner with it anyway (see above).

Sound Advice

Is sound the unsung hero of animation?

Sound is important across the film industry, and I'm not just talking dialogue, from the bellowing roar of Jurassic Parks T-Rex to the gentle vocal score that accompanies Gladiators grand finale, it is the sound that can make or break a good film. If you don't believe me then just then just, for a moment, pretend you are swinging a lightsaber... did you make the Vwoom-vwoom sound? Of course in the world of animated film this becomes a lot more important because unlike live action for a animation the whole sonic world needs to be created from scratch.

A good sound track can be the thing that makes or breaks a good animation, the right sound can be the thing that brings it too life and the wrong thing will make it sounds like a joke. Audio ques are a big part of the audience experience and though they are expected - we knew that Monsters vs Aliens Insectosaurus should sound big and the acoustics on Carl's porch in Up should sound very different in flight to when its on the ground - but they can also heighten the emotional experience of a viewer... or put another way, get the sound right and you can play your audience's heart strings like a fiddle!!

Just think of how you felt when Toothless, as Hiccup stands over him with the dagger, makes that pitiful, low, rumbling moan, or how comical the little noise of the Terrible Terror sounded and that was no accident as sound designers Randy Thom, Jonathon Null and Al Nelson told designingsound.org about their time making How To Train Your Dragon. Alternatively think about the world that WALL-E inhabited sounded, with it's swirling sand storms, and how different the world aboard the Axiom. These sonic worlds were created by sound design legend, Ben Burtt - remember the lightsabers, vwoom-vwoom sound? That was his handy work! - who has become known as the father of modern sound design, check out the WALL-E special feature on sound to find out more. Sound tells us who to like, where we are and what to feel - it is as vital as texturing to any animated landscape or character design.

And all this without even touching on the musical score, the masters of which like John Williams, Hans Zimmer, John Powell and James Horner have played us all for years, their iconic themes making as jump, laugh and cry.

And yet sound design seems the last consideration, I am currently fighting to research sound production for animation for a university project and its tough, so far I have found only one book that has proved any real help - that's Robin Bauchamp's "Designing Sound For Animation", just so you know - and compare that to the amount of "Art of... insert film name here" or How To guides for ZBrush, Maya or 3DsMax! So my fellow animation students, it may not be what you focus on, but don't forget sound either, it has too much power to be ignored!!

The Heart Of The Matter

Well, I've been asked to 3D up a banner for a friends blog. The banner is to based on the art for her book "Craving". The book's a totally awesome dark fantasy novel, so the art has to be sort of gothic but without being overly macabre or too gruesome, so as to appeal to the more squeamish of the genres clientele as well as those hardened Steven King aficionados who are holidaying in paranormal romance land for awhile!!

Anyway, the concept for this is a locked heart, and this is what I've got so far.

I've tried to keep the shapes simple, the heart's shape for example, is more symbol then anything that would inhabit the human body, and I've been testing out textures to try and make it feel more like something that is living tissue... and hopefully hitting gothic rather then gory! For those of you more interested in the techie side, I'm using my beloved Cinema 4D and each of the textures I've used have a bump map, expect the lock itself which has displacement instead as it just wasn't looking authentic enough without.

Its only a work in progress but still I thought I'd share! If you would like to learn more about Craving then check out the blog here ... http://theredpenofdoom.wordpress.com/

What's with all the remakes?

I deal in creativity; where a cake maker can make delectable treats out of flour and eggs and sugar or a potter can transform unwieldy lumps of slimy clay in to beautiful vases or sculptures, I use ideas. Some of these ideas I may formulate with a pencil and others I may sculpt with a computer, but even now, as a student, doing my course and dabbling in web design to make ends meet, I know the sweetness and value of a fresh original idea.

And I'm not alone, a lot of people I know possess wonderful creative minds. I have colleagues who can create astounding things in Adobe Illustrator, friends who can conjure whole new worlds through the written world, a husband who wields a stills camera as an artist wields a brush and a mother who can construct whole carnival floats using paper and glue! And wonderful and talented as my friends and family (and hopefully myself) are, my elite little circle can not be unique! So why, with the whole kaleidoscope of imagination at their feet, do the studios insist in making remake after remake?

Now I'm not talking about adaptations here, How To Train Your Dragon, Harry Potter and Iron Man are all adaptations from other formats, and I don't take issue at reworking something for the big screen. I can even tolerate the long parade of sequels due to hit the screen this year - Toy Story 3, Iron Man 2, Shrek Forever After - but surely Gus Van San's 'Psycho' and this years 'Clash Of The Titans' should serve as a warning that remaking the classics isn't always the best idea? And yet a just as last year made us witness an updated Fame and Last House On The Left, so this will show us a new look Freddy Kruger and Karate Kid, as well as a 21st century take on Short Circuit, Westworld and Footloose.

I did not set out to use this blog as my soap box, I do not want to rant but I have to say this here... LEAVE THEM ALONE!! There has to be wonderful, talented, creative people who can come up with new and exciting ways to thrill and entertain audiences with their original ideas. So come on Mr Producer Man in your Studio office, take the risk and bit the bullet, leave the classics alone, and, to borrow from Sainsbury's ad campaign for a moment, "try something new today!"

Castle Model With Texture

Since I posted a pic of this in the model stage, I thought I'd add a this picture of it rendered with some scenery and texture. I'm going to use this as a background image in web project. Hopefully the end result should be up soon, but I'll keep you posted.

SIGGRAPH 2010 Deadline!

The deadline for the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival is apon us! By the 19th April all submissions for this muct be uploaded if they hope to be considered for inclusion in the festival, which this year takes place in Los Angeles on 27th - 29th July.

The Computer Animation Festival is only one part of SIGGRAPH, the other side to the event is the conference where you can try new technologies, listen to featured speakers and explore the exhibits. A Basic Conference Pass costs $125 (US) for non members.

To find out more about submissions or attending vist them online!

Animation Festival 2010!!

Its time to get festive!!

The Ottawa International Animation Festival is looking for entries! This is the biggest animation festival in Canada, which means, if you make the cut, awesome exposure for you and your work.

There are six catagories for entries:

• Feature film
• School Competition
• New Media Competition
• Independent Short Film
• Student Animation Competition
• Films/Videos made for children
  

Check out there website for more details

The closing date for entries is June 1st!!

REVIEW: Clash Of The Titans

From Epic Feature To Epic Fail!

I was looking forward to this film! It was a remake of a film I had loved as a kid, an epic tale of action and adventure with amazing stop motion effects by Ray Harryhausen and some slightly dodgy eighties hair! I liked the characters, the edge of humor and the fantastical nature of it. It rocked! So when I saw the trailor for a remake I thought "Woohoo! I've got to go and see that!" And so I did and it was... abysmal!!

We're all special effects nuts here, right? So let us set aside the complete lack of character development and a script so bad that it didn't even make the characters unlikable just unmemorable. Lets forget, just for a moment, the uninspiring performances by the films 5 star ensemble cast. Lets even put a pin in the fact that the story, that was neither true to the original film or the myth, limped a long at a speed that made you want to eat your own spleen by half way through! Let us not dwell on any of this and instead lets get right to the heart of the matter... the special effects sucked!!

That was perhaps the cruelest blow, that where as the original (dated as they look now) had effects that were so beautifully crafted and wonderfully animated so that everything from the golden owl Bubo (who merely makes a guest appearance in the new version) to the scaley faced Medusa was full of character. There was no doubt with whom you sympathised, the bad guys were scary, the good guys were couragous and the film even had a none too subtle moral at the end. Now of course films like Jurassic Park and more recently Avatar have made Harryhausens stop motion effects look dated, now even kids programs use cutting edge CG - but then nowadays I can use the same software that makes Hollywood blockbusters on my laptop, so times change - which is why I was so horrified to see that Clash Of The Titans effects looked so ropey. From the unrealistic movements pretty faced Medusa to the giant scorpians none of the effects seemed quite there, instead appearing to have escaped out of a PS2 game to hijack the film!! The most engaging characters in the movie had to be Pegasus, the winged horse who had had a slight make over since his 1980's incarnation but who moved and flew realistically and the fleeting introduction to the cursed and powerful desert people, the djin, of whom it would have been nice to find out and see more of.

But these two elements were too small and too fleeting to save the film and in the end the main feeling the film left was disappointment. It was something with so much potential and promise and, I will admit, a cracking trailor and it was such a shame that it came out as less epic feature film and more epic fail!!

REVIEW: How To Train Your Dragon

Go see it! Take your kids, take your friends, take your granny... its awesome!

What? You were expecting more of a review? Ok...

It's shaping up to be a busy year for Dreamworks, with the next installment of the Shrek series on its way and this month's 'How To Train Your Dragon'. With Shrek such a booming franchise, its easy to think that this adaptation of Brit writers Kids-lit book might come out as the poor realation but that's turns out to be far from the case!

I can't really describe why, but there is something that really appeals to me about Dreamworks latest animated outing. Yes, it - like the series of books from which it takes its name - is for kids. Yes, the plot - translated to the screen by "Lilo and Stitch" team, Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois - is a little standard. And yes, its not the same as the Cressida Cowell novel in which it is based, instead appearing to be more like a prequel to the novels. But, with all that said, I found something truly endearing about this dragon filled Viking romp.

There is no doubt that the look of the film offers a healthy does of eye-candy, from the beautifully rendered scenery (did anyone else drool over the look of the seas surrounding the island of Berk or was that just me?) to the thoughtfully designed characters to the wonderfully quirky look of the dragons themselves. The modelling, visual effects and texturing in the film is incredible, with water, hair and fire being virtually photo-realistic, but the movie also has a definite stylized aesthetic and its creators have, it seems, made a conscious effort to move away from the Hollywood-standard in 'dramatic dragon design'.

Created by "Kung Fu Panda" Character Designer, Nico Marlet, the dragons are reminiscent of Quentin Blake illustrations, and certainly aren't the majestic, ethereal beasts but more akin to children's monsters. They are all at once angular, disproportionate, colourful and comic, making them both suitably scary and yet amazingly charismatic. Unlike Dragonheart's Draco and Hobbits Smouge, these fiery fiends are not humans in dragons clothing! Instead they behave like real, believable animals. Though Hiccup maybe the hero of the film, it is the wonderfully named dragon, Toothless, that steals the show! A breed known as the Nightfury (Yes, yes, I know he wasn't that breed in the book!), Toothless, designed by Chris Sanders, is the least colourful of the dragons that appear and yet he is by far the most appealing. No doubt some of this appeal is due to his large yellow-green eyes, but more, I think, is due to the fabulous animation that makes him so likable. Toothless' actions must be familiar to any cat or dog owner. Though much of his look, such as his stumpy legs and face, and some of his movements - his walk is very lizard-like - is obviously reptilian, much of his behaviour is both feline and canine. This means that, thanks to animators Simon Otto and Gabe Hordos, Toothless appears grumpy cat and playful puppy, and is every bit as much ultimate kids pet and playmate as the monster under the bed.

The characters are beautifully drawn in more ways then one too and it goes towards the films sterling calibre. The dialogue is funny, witty and often moving, a wonderful combination of a tightly written script and the vocal work of actors including Gerald Butler, Craig Ferguson, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill and Ugly Betty's America Ferrera. The relationships in the story may be between Vikings and Vikings and dragons but they are still familiar enough to be touching; Toothless' panic to get to and save Hiccup from the Monstrous Nightmare and Hiccups powerlessness and distress to save the captured Toothless, truly tugs at the heart strings and the struggle of Stoic to understand and respect his unfathomable child is all too poignant.

Ok, I admit it, I fell in love with this film! I have seen it twice - within a week, ahem! - and will confess to still being smitten. Yes, some of the humour is physical and childish, and the story not mould shatteringly original. I also concede that it may not be to every one's taste and is not true to Cowell's book. However, its healthy dose of good natured slap stick, fast paced action, real drama and the small pinch of Dreamwork's delightfully dry trademark humour, has certainly sold me!

The only thing is... why exactly are most of the vikings Scottish?

Shameless Self Promotion #1

This is the result of my university group project...

From Hypernurbs to HyperNerd!

I am an animation student towards an FdA and am, I have to confess a bit of a... er, how should I put this? Big geek when it comes to animation!! A paw reverentially at tomes on Cinema 4D, Blender and Maya, look adoringly at posters for up and coming animated features and drool over each and every addition of 3D World magazine.

Of course all this odd behaviour stems from the fact that I love animated movies, being a big fan of the work of Pixar and Dreamworks, and my DVD collection seems increasingly filled with films aimed at the under 5's! I am also a bit of a special effects junkie, discovering a fascination with both physical and computer VFX in 1993 after watching Jurassic Park, which also made me a life long fan of Stan Winston, Phil Tippet and Industrial Light and Magic. A love affair that has since expanded to embrace the extraordinary work of Weta Digital and Digital Domain.

Geek that I am, I want to fill this blog with all things animation; reviews, thoughts, surveys and of course a healthy dose of my own animations and 3D models in a shameless attempt at self promotion.

But its not all about me and I would love to know what you think, so please feel free to have your say by taking the surveys, adding comments here or emailing me at getanimated.av@googlemail.com