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

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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.