Tumblr is For the Birds

What do you think of Watership Down?

Sat, 25 May 2013 14:38:19 -0400

Funny you should ask that! My friends and I were discussing the film last night during dinner. We were reciting lines back and forth, and having a fun time.

I personally enjoy the film. It surprised me a great deal when I saw it when I was younger, expecting a harmless film about cute little rabbits hopping about, unaware of how serious the film really was. It’s a nice movie, and it ranks up there alongside films like Animal Farm and Plague Dogs (although Dogs disturbs me much more than the others do). Very scenic stuff, love the mood and atmosphere.

Does the character from Adventure Time, 'James Baxter the Horse' reminded you of Spirit?

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:32:25 -0400

Yup! You know why? He was animated BY THE SAME GUY!

James Baxter, the animator, animated James Baxter, the horse (voiced him too). He’s one of the top animators of our generation. He supervised characters like Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Rafiki in Lion King, Quasimodo in Hunchback, as well as supervising on all the hand-drawn Dreamworks films INCLUDING Spirit. He’s one of the top horse animators in the world today. Nowadays, he’s animating on the CG Dreamworks films, like The Croods, while still animating traditionally on the side, like this guest bit in Adventure Time.

Is it true that the faster the motion, the more drag and overlap it have?

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:30:25 -0400

That might not always be the case. It depends on what’s in motion and how “flexible” that thing is. But if there is long hair, drapery or a loose appendage (etc.), no matter what, there’ll always be overlap and drag to some degree. It’s whatever best fits the action.

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:06:00 -0400

do you like graphicaly stylized rotoscopes?

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:59:36 -0400

Like the a-ha music video and things like that? Yeah, they’re pretty fun.

Less than I year ago I worked on a commercial that had some interesting rotoscope work on it. It was kinda fun, definitely more fun than I expected.

jaxamoto: Made this cartoon about some crazy b :> This is...

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:44:28 -0400

jaxamoto:

Made this cartoon about some crazy b :>

This is brilliant! That episode of Gordon Ramsey’s show tied my stomach in a knot. I hope Amy gets exactly what she deserves.

From Animation School to the Real World

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:27:23 -0400

From Animation School to the Real World:

starborn-valley:

svaanimation:

michaeljruocco:

In my latest write-up for Cartoon Brew, I pour my guts out about life after leaving college, and the haphazard but eventually rewarding future that all recent-graduating animation students have in store for them.

Remember, despite the many obstacles you will come up against on the road to being a professional in this industry, you all are talented, hard-working and creative individuals and there will always be a place for you as long as you keep at it, work hard and stay positive.

A great write up by Mike Ruocco about graduating from college and taking the leap into the professional world

Interesting! Are they saying the only animation jobs are really in California, though? That’s what I got from it, though I don’t think that was the intention haha.

Oh no no no. That was just MY personal experience. There ARE opportunities in New York and in other cities, but for what I wanted to do, and for my own preferences, I chose to move out here. Sorry for the confusion.

From Animation School to the Real World

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:39:04 -0400

From Animation School to the Real World:

In my latest write-up for Cartoon Brew, I pour my guts out about life after leaving college, and the haphazard but eventually rewarding future that all recent-graduating animation students have in store for them.

Remember, despite the many obstacles you will come up against on the road to being a professional in this industry, you all are talented, hard-working and creative individuals and there will always be a place for you as long as you keep at it, work hard and stay positive.

i cant believe it hes actually blogging

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:44:53 -0400

I KNOW, RIGHT!?

Are there any recent cartoons that you enjoy? Or any notable examples of recent cartoons you personally feel are taking animation into a positive direction?

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:40:24 -0400

As far as TV shows go, I do like Adventure Time whenever I catch it. I’m glad that they’re doing these sort of “guest director/artist” episodes, like with the David O’Reilly and James Baxter episodes. I think it’s an interesting idea. Gravity Falls is really fun too. I’m REALLY looking forward to these new Mickey Mouse shorts coming out of Disney. They’re so fun and they just pop-out at you. It’s the best thing Disney has done with those characters in probably a decade.

In general, I think that ANY animation that comes out these days has something to appreciate about it. I see a lot of student films and independent shorts, and now that most people are on the cusp of technology and having inspiration and art literally at their fingertips, there’s no limit to what people can do now.

I was at the SVA Dusty’s screening in NY a few weeks ago, where all the thesis students have their 4th year films screened. Out of all the Dusty’s shows I’ve been to in the past, this year’s was DEFINITELY the strongest. Such a solid slate of films. These students are embracing the computer and learning how to make films at such an early age that every film is a marvel now. Even if the story wasn’t too engaging, or the animation wasn’t a masterpiece, there was something to take away from each and every one, which I’ve never experienced before. And it’s these new young animators who are coming out of school now that are gonna flip the industry upside down, without a doubt.

beckyandfrank: We’re extremely excited about our first big solo...

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:19:58 -0400

beckyandfrank:

We’re extremely excited about our first big solo gallery show! Every single Capture Creature will be on display and priced at 151 dollars a piece. There will be prints, the new 330+ page hardcover book, the brand new resin toy. There will also be drinks, music and… us! We’ll be signing and hanging out all night.

The show is at 7pm on Saturday June 1st at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra (Los Angeles)! Feel free to RSVP on Facebook.

Can’t wait!

What are your thoughts on the Dark Age of Animation, like with Hanna-Barbera, Rankin/Bass, Filmation and that kinda thing? -Maniacaldude from DA

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:18:00 -0400

Most of those shows are hard to watch, and for a good reason. But for me, I think it’s just an interesting case study of animation history, seeing what led up to that age and how we came out and moved on from it. It was all due to economics, and the major switch from the small studio environment to a more corporate/business-driven industry.

The thing I don’t like about that time in animation was that instead of crawling out of the hole that we fell in, we just sort of stayed there and fermented in it for a while. Hanna-Barbera kept repeating and rehashing the same ~~mistakes~~ ideas for a decade with countless Scooby-Doo, Flintsones and Josie and the Pussycats knockoffs trying to recapture the popularity of the early stuff. Filmation branched off from HB and did the SAME THING, along with doing countless product tie-in shows. I don’t really consider Rankin-Bass as a true component. They were making something completely different from everybody else with their holiday/stop motion specials, despite how mediocre some of them were.

Eventually a few people managed to break away from the sausage machine, crawl out of that sad pit and sparked the “Renaissance” of animation that began in the late 80’s/early 90’s, all by deviating from popular trends, thinking outside the box and spearheading more creative and outlandish ideas instead of bland scriptwriting and adapting toys for television in the fastest and cheapest way possible. People like John K., as much as I disagree with much of what he says and does, was truly one of the few key figures that lead that charge.

And like the rest of history, we will repeat ourselves. A lot of people consider our time a “dark age”, but I honestly don’t see it. There’s a lot more experimentation and branching out going on now than there was in the past decade, especially in TV animation. I think there are some studios that sort of fell into their own dark ages, like with Nick for a long time (they’re coming out of it), but overall I think we’re heading towards an upward slope.

What are the key things of a good plot in daily/weekly comic strips?

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:07:57 -0400

Personally, I think the key aspect to a comic strip are the personalities and chemistry between the characters. The characters drive the situations, and the situations pan out the way they do because of how the characters react or deal with them. All the best comic strips have appealing and relatable characters, that’s why they’ve stood the test of time compared to most other comics (Peanuts, Garfield, Popeye, Calvin and Hobbes, Bloom County, etc.). You can sympathize with Charlie Brown, or root for Popeye or Calvin if they’re in trouble. Even if the situation is downright imbecilic, you stick around because you want to see how the characters come out of it.

Where I am tonight (at Q Pop Boutique)

Sat, 18 May 2013 23:12:31 -0400

Where I am tonight (at Q Pop Boutique)

tysonhesse: I need some new merch, plus some positive proof...

Sat, 18 May 2013 17:16:02 -0400

tysonhesse:

I need some new merch, plus some positive proof that I’m not just a goof.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1673195448/the-make-a-frog-project

This is brilliant and I support this.

I featured this fun Oreo “Wonderfilled” spot on...

Sat, 18 May 2013 14:39:27 -0400

I featured this fun Oreo “Wonderfilled” spot on Cartoon Brew last night, but I neglected to share it with my Tumblr followers!

Cool animation + Owl City + Oreos = pure bliss

Here’s to the weekend! (at Mt Fuji Sushi & Rolls)

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:11:33 -0400

Here’s to the weekend! (at Mt Fuji Sushi & Rolls)

what kind of greeting cards do you like?

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:25:33 -0400

Simple, humorous ones, that is as long as they ain’t too risqué or filthy. But you can never go wrong with a Peanuts card, especially if it’s got classic 60’s Snoopy on it.

What are the things that are so painful to watch that you can't even watch it again?

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:16:22 -0400

Recently a few friends of mine and I have been getting together every few weeks to watch some REALLY bad animated movies, like ones you find in bargain bins for $4 a pop or find off Youtube ripped from VHS copies (because they were so mediocre to be transferred/released to DVD). Some were surprisingly watchable. Others though…

This past weekend, we watched a movie that I remember seeing as a little kid called David and the Magic Pearl. It’s a Polish/Swedish production, and it’s one those cases (among other things) that when it’s dubbed in English they decide to fill every nook and cranny with sound, so nobody shuts up throughout the entire movie. I’m surprised I could sit through it as a child, it’s pretty out-there.

Another thing that I just can’t watch in general is ANY animation from the Glen Kennedy studio. They did a lot of episodes of Tiny Toons, Darkwing Duck, Goof Troop and most prominently were the studio that animated A Pup Named Scooby Doo. Everything is just so bouncy and rubbery and it actually makes me cringe. A lot of staring at the camera, over-emphasized lip sync and bouncing in place for no reason. I can’t stand watching it.

shelzie: michaeljruocco: shelzie: finally bit the bullet and finished this, I started it during...

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:48:07 -0400

shelzie:

michaeljruocco:

shelzie:

finally bit the bullet and finished this, I started it during a period of downtime more than a year ago to keep myself limber and then had to abandon it due to getting a full-time job. now to move on to other things!

Shelley finished her Rattata animation, and it is indeed glorious!!!

thanks for the feature, compliments on my animation always mean a ton coming from you!!

guys if you’re interested in animation at all as a process and/or a career choice you should be following Mike and drinking of his encyclopaedic fount of knowledge, OK <3