Ken Burns On Story

Animation on iPad

From my friend Dan P.

For Al-Ridley Scott's Boards

Here.

Done is Better than Perfect

A famous quote on the walls of Facebook.

Subscribe to the Cult of Done manifesto.

Tinman Review March 2012

These folks are a relatively new studio in town but as you can see have lots of game. Look through this review and glean some Flash process and how it translates to your work. Look fast because it moves quick.

Tinman in Review - March 2012 from Tinman Creative Studios on Vimeo.

More Kickstarter

Double Fine/Kickstarter Update

This is the future business model for hand drawn (and possibly all) film-making. Early days but support the content you like and maybe folks will support your content some day. Here.

Kaj's 4th Year Notes.

Again, the clear simplicity of Kaj's thoughts will help you produce a success animated project. Read these often. And more here.

Kaj's Notes 001

View more documents from Caswell Design

MY FAMILY AND THE WOLF

"MY FAMILY AND THE WOLF" teaser from Headless Productions on Vimeo.

A job opening in Shanghai?

Want a job in Shanghai? Check this out. Global advertising centered in China is a growth market for animation.

 Here.

The Cartoon Grows Up?

Where Good Ideas Come From

Springsteen @ SXSW

You're gonna think I'm crazy, but listen to this and substitute drawing for guitar playing and graphic storytelling [animation] for POP music.
 "Acknowledge and accept your teachers, your influences, and your history."

"Bring it [to the stage or the drawing board] night after night after night, and your audience will remember you."

Here

Experimental (but Narrative) Animation

Good Books - Metamorphosis from Buck on Vimeo.

Style beats on Buck's website. Here.

For All You "Running Film" Fans In the Crowd

Because I know there's a lot of you.

Not Emerson, But Fitting Quote For Us All

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” 

Walt Disney

Star Wars Identities

Cool stuff if you're in Montreal this summer or Edmonton for the fall.

Here.

Mark Andrews on Boarding

Here.

Kaizen

Plants vs. Zombies

Here.

Pitch Book Notes Week 8

Format for the Pitch Book (Leave-Behind):

Do it 8.5 by 11. There may be a need to photocopy and pass it on.

Illustrate situations rather than straight character designs.

7-10 page leave-behind.

Trust the person to read the material and fight the urge to read through the long drawn-out back-story.

Have confidence in the content rather than the packaging.

If it’s a comedy, explain how and why it’s funny.

Don’t tell them that it’s hilarious, convince your audience.

Pitch book should include a page for each character, maybe a page or two listing supporting characters and some springboards showing how those characters are put together.

Finishing Well

It's not enough to finish the checklist, to hurriedly do the last three steps and declare victory.

In fact, the last coat of polish and the unhurried delivery of worthwhile work are valued all out of proportion to the total amount of effort you put into the project.

It doesn't matter how many designers, supply chains, workers, materials and factories were involved--if the box is improperly sealed, that's how you will be judged.

Seth Godin

Remember the notion of “impute.” You do judge a book by its’ cover

Presentation:

The idea is big; the presentation doesn’t have to be.

Clarity and brevity. Not so much text.

Verbal pitch must be concise and to the point.

Sell your understanding of your character and environments.

Limit yourself to 10 to 15 minutes.

A logline should give an instant picture of the show.

Briefly rundown the main characters and what a typical episode will be.

Research: Don’t pitch inappropriate things to inappropriate people.
Leave behinds keep them short. Rehearse your pitch at least a few times

Don’t just read from your script. “ If that’s what you’re going to do, then you should just mail in your pitch.”

Fear, scarcity and value

The things we fear are probably feared by others, and when we avoid them, we're doing what others are doing as well.

Which is why there's a scarcity of whatever work it is we're avoiding.

And of course, scarcity often creates value.

The shortcut is simple: if you're afraid of something, of putting yourself out there, of creating a kind of connection or a promise, that's a clue that you're on the right track. Go, do that. 

Seth Godin

Mr. Groh's Lecture Notes

Mr. Groh's Lecture Notes

View more presentations from Caswell Design.

David Simon/ The Wire: Storytelling on TV

Frank Porter Graham Lecture 2011 with David Simon from Honors Carolina on Vimeo.

From Mr. Groh: Boards Aren't Pretty.

Here.

For You Experimentalists in the Crowd.

This is done in Flash. It's an app and it plays on the iPad.

APEXvj Mobile Walkthrough from simppafi on Vimeo.

Mass Effect Concept Art

More for you concept/ visdev/ folks in the crowd. If you want a job as such, you gotta be this good. Here.

For You Stop Motion Folks in the Crowd

Here.

Screenwriting (Story Creation) Quotes

Can't remember where they're all from, but here's some thoughts to consider as you boil your stories:

The artist must be a prophet, not in the sense that he foretells things to come, but that he tells the audience, at the risk of their displeasure, the secrets of their own heart.  
Saul Bellow

I write scripts to serve as skeletons awaiting the flesh and sinew of images.  
Ingmar Bergman

The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder.
Hitchcock

There are just two stories: going on a journey and a stranger comes to town.  
John Gardner 

A film is-or should be-more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. the theme, what's behind the emotion the meaning, all that comes later.  
Kubrick

As soon as you have chosen a subject for a film, you have already made a success or failure.
Billy Wilder 

Don't be seduced into thinking that which does not make a profit is without value.
Arthur Miller

It took me fifteen years to discover that I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous.
Robert Benchley

 Writers are only rarely likable.
Joan Didion

The dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom to starve anywhere.
S. J. Perelman

First cut out all the wisdom: then cut out all the adjectives.
Paddy Chayefskey.

Never launch a major rewrite unless you've heard the same criticism from at least 4 people.

The more successful the villain: the more successful the picture.
Hitchcock

You miss 100% of the shots you never take.
Wayne Gretzy

Star Wars and The Monomyth

For those interested in more on Uncle Joe's Monomyth. Here

.

Research / Development Sample

Here's a good example of the amount of research and development that goes into a title sequence. It is a good model to follow for your 4th year project. HERE.

For All You Gamers in the Crowd

There's great stuff on how Skyrim is designed from the emotion of concept art and the story part hits about the 30:00 mark.

Adobe Tools for Storytelling

Guest Lecture WEEK 8: Jason Groh

From our guest:

"Jason Groh has worked in Television Animation for 20 years.

He is the Product of his Parents on a careless Saturday night and Famed Sheridan College Animation and Applied Arts Program.

His client list includes Nickelodeon, NICK JR, Channel 4, WNET/ PBS, YTV,ABC, Fox Television, American Greetings Corp, CBS, NBC, QUBO,Treehouse TV,Warner Brothers and Teletoon among others.
He has also worked in Development on more shows than a Monkey has fingers and toes.
The long list would include Development on top secret shows for king of all media Howard Stern, Comedian Jamie Foxx and 70's Blacksploitation Cult hero SuperFly.

In 2008 Jason was awarded the prestigious Cartoons on the Bay Pulcinella Award for Best Preschool Show.
In 2009 he was awarded the Alliance of Children's Television Award/Best Animation for a show he Directed, which also garnered a Personal Gemini Nomination for Best Direction.

Famous for a one block radius around the office, he is known for his big picture thinking topped with uncanny attention to detail, chiseled man essence,clubbed foot and tiny bladder.
Jason loves working on TV that Inspires and Entertains.
Jason will stop talking about himself in the Third Person now."

See lots more here: http://blammoblog.blogspot.com/

A REASON TO GET UP IN THE MORNING 

Words To Contemplate

"Keep Your Eyes on the Prize and Hold On"

Animation Business Model Evolving

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2012/02/double-fine-seeks-to-cut-out-publishers-with-kickstarter-funded-adventure.ars

Ren & Stimpy Boards

http://animationresources.org/?p=596

Is You Project as Animated as This?

Inspiration & Imitation

Good stuff on copying and inspiration. HERE.

Indie Game The Movie

Indie Game: The Movie - Online Extra - CONTROL from IndieGame: The Movie on Vimeo.

Ronald Searle

This artist inspired many an animation story artist (or well as other cartoonists) over the years. A good jumping off point is here.

Week 4: Presentation Techniques

Watch and learn:

TED Talks


Presentation Zen

Nancy Duarte

Emerson:
“Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experience.”

Emerson for Week 3

“Skill to do comes of doing.”

Lecture This Week: Kaj Pindal

Kaj Pindal: Ribe Horse from Amir Avni on Vimeo.

shouldiworkforfree

http://shouldiworkforfree.com/

Transmedia Links

A transmedia reading list and blog that's got some good links.

Adam and Dog

This is pretty cool. But check out the production crew.

Adam and dog Trailer from Minkyu on Vimeo.

For You Stop Mo Animators

Anim302611_Sylllabus

Anim30261 syllabus handout winter2012

View more documents from Caswell Design.

Anim30261_Assignments

Anim30261 assign winter2012

View more documents from Caswell Design.

Toby Shelton

Here's how a DW board guy shows his work. Note the level (or lack there of) finish.

Here.

Markets For Animators

Soon all illustration will have to move. How would you animate these graphics?
Via: OnlineEducation.net

Simple But Effective

Says it's done with pencil & paper and FCP. Good use of sound track.

Plato from Léonard Cohen on Vimeo.

Animation Skills Applied

And the making of: