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The film takes place after the Civil War, during the period known as Reconstruction. A young boy named Johnny and his parents (who are having some relationship issues) go to the plantation owned by the boy's grandmother.
Johnny has a difficult time adjusting to the new location and his parents' estrangement but thanks to the stories told by Uncle Remus about characters like Brer Rabbit, the boy learns to make friends and finds his "laughing place".
There is a happy ending combining live action and animation where the characters sing the Oscar winning song "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" (a word coined by Walt himself who was a huge fan of the original Uncle Remus stories by author Joel Chandler Harris).
Song of the South is considered the Disney Company's first live-action feature since roughly two-thirds of the film was live-action and the marketing promoted the film as live-action. However, today, the film is lauded for its three animated sequences illustrating the stories told by the fictional storyteller, Uncle Remus (portrayed by the incredible James Bassett who won an honorary Academy Award for his acting) and its innovative use of combining animation and live-action.
Ollie Johnston, one of the fabled Nine Old Men of Disney animation who worked on the film, told me: "It was one of the most exciting pictures I ever worked on. Each fable was full of action, and with those three great characters (Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear) you had quite a wonderful triangle there. We were able to take more liberties with the animals."
Eric Larson, another of the Nine Old Men, told me: "We were so happy to be working on this film after so many years of making those dull government films (during World War II). Also, it was so different from our previous animated feature, Bambi (1942). Here we could give the animals human traits and then exaggerate all the movements whereas with Bambi, everything had to be animated true to life and very exact."
Thirty-six animators took roughly two years to do the approximately half hour of animation under the supervision of Disney Legend Wilfred Jackson who began his animation career doing a few seconds of animation for the iconic short Steamboat Willie (1928).
"I'll tell you why it was a wonderful experience for me," Jackson later said. "Walt was again very closely, personally involved with what we were doing. He had the cream of the animation crew on it."
The storyboarding for the sequences was done by Disney storyman Bill Peet who later went on to a career as a children's book author. Concept artwork had been done by the amazing Mary Blair.
In 1946, TIME magazine reviewed the film and concluded "Song of the South could have used a much heavier helping of cartooning. Technically, the blending of two movie mediums is pure Disney wizardry. Ideologically, the picture is certain to land its maker in hot water".
That review turned out to be correct. Immediately, the film was misunderstood to be taking place during the period of slavery and featuring all the then common clichés in Hollywood movies about the Old South including Shirley Temple films like The Little Colonel (1935). Black characters appeared to be always deferential to white characters and happy to work on a plantation and sing all day in their shabby clothes.
With the rise of the Civil Rights movement in the late 1960s, the film became a highly visible target of Hollywood's depiction of black characters and after its re-release in 1986 to celebrate the film's 40th anniversary, the Disney Company voluntarily pulled it from ever being shown in the United States again.
Over the last almost three decades, the film has been in constant re-release in the United Kingdom, Europe, South America, and Asia. These showings did not prompt race riots or negative comments.
Only people living in the United States have been denied the opportunity to see the film again even though one of the most popular attractions at Disney theme parks, Splash Mountain, was based on the animated characters in the film.
"I was familiar with the Uncle Remus tales since boyhood," stated Walt in 1946. "From the time I began making animated features, I have had them definitely in my production plans. It is their timeless and living appeal, their magnificent pictorial quality, their rich and tolerant humor, their homely philosophy and cheerfulness which made the Remus legends the top choice for our first production with flesh-and-blood players."
In two years, the film will be celebrating its 70th anniversary. Disney CEO Robert Iger has re-confirmed that the film will not be re-released nor will there be any celebration surrounding this milestone in Disney history.
Jim Korkis is an internationally respected Disney and animation historian as well as an author of several books. To learn more about Song of the South, pick up a copy of his Theme Park Press book, Who's Afraid of the Song of the South? on www.amazon.com. To learn more about animation, pick up a copy of his recent TPP book, Animation Anecdotes: The Hidden History of Classic American Animation.
Buy Jim Korkis Book Who's Afraid of the Song of the South? And Other Forbidden Disney Stories]]>
Today marks the anniversary of Théâtre Optique the first performance of a moving picture show created by Charles-Émile Reynaud. The show took place in Paris, France at the Grevin Museum on October 28, 1892 using the Praxinoscope, which was invented by Charles-Émile Reynaud in 1877.
In 2002, the International Animated Film Association (ASIFA) proclaimed October 28th the International Animation Day to celebrate the art of animation around the world.
More Information @ ASIFA http://asifa.net/international-animation-day]]>
James Lopez, a Disney Veteran, came up with an idea for a Steampunk animated short film called Hullabaloo. James put Hullabaloo on Indiegogo which has exploded from his original goal of $80,000 to over $350,000 dollars! That is over 450% his asking amount! Now James plans on making 3 additional Hullabaloo short films including, "Curse of the Cheshire Cat", "The Mysterious Island" and "Ask the Professor". We contacted James for an interview to find out more about his film Hullabaloo and what is to come.
Question: How long have you been working on Hullabaloo? What is the origin of the story?
James's Answer: Back in February of 2011, I realized that there was a serious lack of quality 2d animation film in production. Rather than sit and wait for and idea of project to come along, I took the initiative to be proactive and create one of my own. I tried to think of what would be a good story in which to tell in an animated film.
I was sitting at the breakfast table with my wife and I asked her opinion. She remembered a few months prior during Halloween, that we went to se a friends decorations. Soon after we arrived, these people showed up dressed in Victorian-era clothing who were there for a photo op with my friend's display. It was there that I learned what Steampunk was all about, it was Victorian science fiction. My wife recounted how "enchanted" she felt to be in their presence and she said that if I could that feeling and sense of enchantment into an animated film, I would truly have something special.
In terms of the story, I wanted to tell a world that was on the shift of ever-changing technology and the pros and cons in adopting that newfound technology. I wanted to tell a story that would be relevant to what we face today and that we could relate to in some way, shape or form through common experience.
Question: Can you give us some backstory of your life and career up to today?
James's Answer: I've been working as a professional animator in the animation industry for 25 years, 15 of them as a Lead Animator for Walt Disney Feature Animation on the films, 'Pocahontas', 'Hercules', 'The Emperor's New Groove', 'Home On The Range' and 'The Princess and the Frog'. I've also worked for Dreamworks and Warner Bros. in a variety of departments ranging from Visual Development, Character Design, Storyboard, Layout and even background painting.
My career began at a very early age. I've been drawing ever since I could hold a pencil and, throughout my childhood, I had thoughts of becoming an animator for Disney someday. Thankfully, I had the support of my family and friends that supported me with encouragement and lots of drawing paper!
After high-school, I applied to the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and was accepted into their Character Animation program.
At the end of my first year at CalArts, I was recruited to work for Don Bluth, as an assistant to animator Ken Duncan. Ken taught me a lot that summer and I decided to go back to school for a second year to put into practice what I had learned. At the end of that year, I was offered to come back to the studio but this time to work either as an animator or as a storyboard trainee working directly with Don Bluth. I opted for the trainee position and was sent to Ireland. I did that for a few months and the experience was invaluable however, I became terribly homesick. I was only 19 years old and grew up sheltered so, I returned back home to be an animator for a small, independent studio. I continued to work there for a few years and was then offered the opportunity to work for Disney animating on the character "Timon" in 'The Lion King'. The rest is history as explained above.
I also have a passion for teaching. I've spent many years volunteering for ACME Online Education working with aspiring animation students. Three years ago, I was called to be an instructor at CalArts for their 2d animation class teaching 2nd and 3rd year students. I have also taught at the Concept Design Academy in Pasadena and I currently teach courses in character design and animation for Virtual Animators.com
Question: How did you come up with the look for your film? Did you have any influences or inspirations for your film?
James's Answer: I was mostly inspired by the artwork of the Steampunk genre. I liked the dramatic lighting and the overall epic-feel that is typically captured in those pieces. This supported the idea that I wanted to apply more cinematography in my project. So, I watched various films, commercials and music videos and took note of the various approaches, The look that I aspire to is one that thinks in terms of the 2d world as being an actual world that physically exists and if a film camera were placed in that world, how it would photograph.
While I was researching Steampunk, I saw that the costumes people wore gave the suggestion of being some sort of Victorian-era super-hero. I thought those would be fun stories to tell. I then decided that my main character should be "the goggled crusader" known as "Hullabaloo"!
Question: Which came first your story or did you want to explore the steam punk look and create a story from this genre?
James's Answer: When I called the first meeting to discuss potential concepts for a Steampunk themed picture. I had brought with me a series of character designs to help engage the conversation. I was hoping to come out of the meeting with a story idea, however it was suggested that I just start animating. One animation test quickly turned onto a series of shots that eventually would suggest a storyline.
Question: In Hullabaloo you are mixing 2d traditional animation with computer generated animation, why did you go in this direction?
James's Answer: Both 2d and Cg are great tools to use in animation. I wanted the characters to be drawn because that is where I can be more expressive and use Cg for environments and inorganic elements (like ray guns, cars, etc.) that are too laborious to draw on a frame-by-frame basis.
Also, we developed a technique to combine the two in way that has not been used before and it creates an elegant, cinematic look that I wanted the picture to have.
Question: What challenges have you encountered since starting this project?
James's Answer: I wanted the film to have a particular look and I didn't really have any resources other than myself so I had to work on broadening my skill sets in order to fulfill my own vision and be able to communicate and share my ideas with others. The biggest challenge of this was teaching myself how to use and paint in Photoshop.
Question. Who is the voice talent for your film? Who would be your dream cast for this project?
James's Answer: One of the voice talents is a professional actor who has done voice-work for many animated projects. Another is actually an author and aficionado of Steampunk culture. As far as a "dream cast", I really like the actors, Keira Knightly and Sam Neill. I also like Simon Pegg.
Question: Do you have any advice/tips for people who want to get in to animation and film making?
James's Answer: To start, I would suggest building your "online presence" via Blogs, FB fan page(s), Tumblr, official website, etc. so people can readily see and share your work with others. Often at times, when there is a position open, the producer or recruiter may ask a member of the crew for suggestions for potential hires. They are usually directed to an artist's personal website or Blog and the artist is reviewed without even being aware of it.
Even though you may be adept in your own style, you should try producing work that is influenced by other styles. Show your range. Typically, potential employers are looking for something specific and if you don't have it, regardless of your potential, they consider you as not being able to do it. Also, when you start working professionally, they usually want you to work in a particular artist's style so they want to know that you are multi-faceted and can adapt.
Question: Lastly, what about Traditional Animation is Special to you?
James's Answer: To see something created from thin air, from some unseen place, and not from a default pose or pre-fabricated puppet is mystifying to me. To see a static drawing, a piece of artwork, come to life is truly magical. It's like watching a magic trick. I can wrap my head around how animation is done on a computer but when it comes to drawn animation, and when it's down well, it totally escapes me. It keeps me engaged.
Thanks James for the interview!
Hullabaloo Facebook Page
Official Hullabaloo Website
The date was September 14th 1914 when a West Michigan native named Zenis Winsor McCay appeared in a Vaudeville act, which was the first interactive motion picture ever made. The act was called Winsor McCay and Gertie the Trained Dinosaur. The response was so sensational that it inspired an entire industry devoted to the production of animated cartoons. While McCay was the shining star in the beginning, he was quickly forgotten as commercially produced cartoons dominated the field. Considering his rather ordinary and humble origins, McCay's own destiny would seem purely providential. He had little formal artistic training, yet rose to become one of the most famous cartoonists of the 20th century.
Winsor McCay grew up in the lumber communities of Central Michigan.
He displayed a great natural drawing ability at an early age and received wide attention in 1880 with his chalkboard depiction of one of Lake Michigan's worst disasters, the sinking of the passenger ship, Alpena. This was a precursor to a much grander work that was yet to come with his animation of The Sinking of the Lusitania (1918).
While the locals were impressed with young Winsor's talents, his pragmatic father was not. Robert McCay saw a business career for his son and at age nineteen, Winsor was enrolled in the commercial program at the P.R. Cleary Business School in Ypsilanti. He wanted to be an artist, so he cut classes and headed for Detroit, where he picked up extra money making caricatures of patrons at the Sacket and Wiggin's Wonderland Museum.
McCay's reputation as a budding artist spread quickly, reaching the attention of the English Artist, John Goodison. Goodison was teaching at Ypsilanti Normal College, and offered him private lessons. McCay was a fast learner, and was encouraged to enroll in the Art Institute of Chicago. But when he arrived, the tuition was more than he could afford. Determined to continue his training, he enrolled in a less expensive Commercial Art School. It closed four days later. Without any further education, he set out to earn a living. . This was the foundation that served him for the rest of his life. McCay spent 19 years at Chicago's National Printing and Engraving Company, then moved to Cincinnati, where his cartooning career began at the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune. His arrival seemed destined because it was there, in 1896 that he saw the key to his future—Edison's Kinetosope projector.
This was the period of the great newspapers, dominated by Joseph Pulitzer's, New York World, and William Randolph Hearst's, New York Journal. Illustrations and cartoons were in huge demand, and McCay was soon hired by The New York Herald. His first strip, Little Sammy Sneeze, demonstrated a high quality of drawing with a sense of animation but the strip existed on a single premise, and the character never developed beyond this level. Two years later, McCay created an adult-oriented strip, The Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend, which became McCay's longest-running comic.
McCay's next creation, Little Nemo in Slumberland, was the most original comic strip of all time. Bitten by "The Movie Bug", McCay set out to bring his Nemo characters to the screen. Some 4,000 ink drawings on rice paper mounted on cardboard went before the Edison Vitagraph Camera in early 1911 and was first seen on April 8th. This started McCay's love for animation and launched a second career.
McCay's first animation was a sensation, but it frustrated him that people thought that he had traced motion pictures of children, never realizing that he accomplished the whole thing through the lessons of geometry and perspective learned in his formative years. It didn't occur to these skeptics that McCay's subjects such as dragons and mosquitoes were done completely from his imagination without the use of photographic references.
McCay's first animation was a sensation, but it frustrated him that people thought that he had traced motion pictures of children, never realizing that he accomplished the whole thing through the lessons of geometry and perspective learned in his formative years. It didn't occur to these skeptics that McCay's subjects such as dragons and mosquitoes were done completely from his imagination without the use of photographic references.
With these distractions behind him, McCay returned to the Vaudeville stage with Gertie the Trained Dinosaur and cemented his position as the Master Animator who inspired the next generation of pioneers including Paul Terry, Max Fleischer, and Walt Disney. McCay stated that one day people would not be content to simply look at a still painting, but prefer it as a moving illusion of life. Winsor McCay passed away in 1934 of a Cerebral Hemorrhage. If he had lived a little longer, he would have seen his dream come true through the achievements of Disney.
The Winsor McCay story reminds us that greatness can come from anywhere, not from Ivy League institutions, but from people in the least likely places and from the most ordinary backgrounds. Talent and genius know no class or boundary. And the Winsor McCay story is an example of Natural American achievement the likes of other innovators such as Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. We are truly fortunate to have had Winsor McCay among us, not just as a cartoonist or animation pioneer, but as the standard bearer for all who have followed.
By, Ray Pointer
See 5 minutes of the episode here: http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/07/26/simpsons-family-guy-crossover-episode-video/
My formative years introduced me to the old theatricals that were first sold to television in the 1950s. These cartoons not only captured my attention due to the fascinating animation, but also instilled an interest in drawing that stayed with me the rest of my life. The first of these vintage series I saw was Out of the Inkwell. Although I didn't know who the distinguished gentleman with the Austrian style moustache was at the time, the clever interaction with the live action artist and the black-suited clown with the pointed hat hooked me immediately. Although the sight of over-turned inkbottles and spilled ink shown in these films frightened me, I still continued to appreciate them, but with a cautious aside view.
The search for Ko-Ko began just as I entered Cass Technical High School, where I was enrolled in the Commercial Art program. I spent many hours hand lettering in pen and ink — this being in the days before it became popularly known as "calligraphy". I came to hate it because by being left-handed, I had to lay everything out in pencil first, then work backward, bottom to top to avoid smearing the ink. This took twice as long to complete assignments compared to right-handers, but the other reason I hated it was that the India ink smelled like rotten eggs.
I interviewed for my first job in the animation industry at The Jam Handy Organization the summer of 1967. The department manager, Bob Kennedy told me the history of the company, including the influence of Max Fleischer there in the 1940s, with references to Fleischer's landmark, Out of the Inkwell. All impressions of splashing, stinking ink aside, the interview progressed to the camera room, where I projected the sample animated cartoons I had brought along. They were finished in full color with sound on tape that worked in synchronization with the projector.
Within a few minutes, I had an audience of the entire department standing at the back of the room, all laughing, cheering, and applauding at what they saw. As the lights came on, I was introduced to a short elderly gentleman, Max Fleischer — the Inkwell Man! Max had apparently stopped in to visit old friends — what timing! Imagine the very source of my interest seeing my first efforts, and recommending me for my first job! The impression of those twenty minutes have stayed with me all my life, and while I worked there, I started gathering anecdotes about Max Fleischer that had never been published before, realizing that this was a fantastic subject for a documentary.
It was now 1970, and I was a freshman in the Film and Television Production Program at Wayne State University in Detroit. After my schedule of classes, I went to the main Detroit Public Library and searched through the copyright records for a list of Out of the Inkwell titles. By all accounts, there were about 65 films made during the pre-Paramount period, 1919 to 1927. The next step was to find prints.
The Search Begins
The Museum of Modern Art in New York City led me to the Willoughby-Peerless camera stores in New York City, which once carried 16mm prints of Out of the Inkwell, but their supplier had gone out of business with no forwarding address. Then I contacted the Bray Studios and discovered they did have a number of their old cartoons available in 16mm, including ten Out of the Inkwell films made between 1919 and 1921. Naturally, I wanted to buy them all. I ordered two, The Clown's Pup (1919) and Automobile Ride (1921). I waited about two months, and then received a polite letter explaining that there were problems with these old negatives. I accepted prints of The Chinaman and The Tantalizing Fly as substitutes. I wanted to buy more, but the negatives already were deteriorating. At least, this was a start.
Next I combed through the film rental catalogs, and discovered a number of Ko-Ko titles in the Audio Cinema library in Chicago. These were the 1950 Stuart Productions television releases with music tracks done by Winston Sharples for The Rainbow Parade series produced by The Van Beuren Studios. Over successive weekends, I rented these reels just to see the cartoons and continue my research. I soon discovered certain 16mm libraries that sold prints mostly from the 16mm Kodascope versions made for home exhibition in the 1930s. Having viewed these few films from 1919 to 1925, I made a discovery. There were three different clowns!
The mistaken idea has been that the character was always Ko-Ko the Clown, but in the beginning, the clown was known as nothing more than "The Fleischer Clown" or just "The Clown". He was a literal tracing off live action that tended to be blocky with a small head, and was Fleischer's first character from 1919 to 1921.The second clown evolved during the beginning of the Inkwell Studio, and is thinner with a slightly larger head and larger mouth. There is more use of animation, and the techniques start to advance with the animation composited more successfully with live action footage. Even with the new clown design, the films still did not indicate a name within the title cards.
The third clown was the result of a redesign by Dick Huemer in 1923. It was Huemer who named the clown Ko-Ko, and with his previous experience animating Mutt and Jeff, he eventually moved the Fleischer's away from Rotoscope tracings by working off more exaggerated cartoon key poses, which Huemer drew directly in ink. Because Max valued Huemer's skills, he had him concentrate on the main drawings assigne Art Davis as his assistant to fill in the in between draowings. This resulted in the Inbetweening production process which increased their production output and maintained the visual consistency of Huemer's handsome thick and thin inking style.
The Quest to Rescue OUT OF THE INKWELL
The print quality of the Bray titles were rather good considering their age and negative conditions. Although I could appreciate the musical background on The Tantalizing Fly, The Chinaman had an unimaginative narration seemingly adlibbed by Alan Swift, with the dialog titles removed for TV release. This caused the action to jump unnaturally, ruining the acting and confusing the storyline. As an experiment, I used one of the soundtracks I had taped from the Stuart releases and tried it with The Chinaman. It was like magic. The music fit all the right accents and mood changes as if it had been originally scored for the film.
The Kodascope dupes contained printing flaws that I wanted to eliminate to make them more enjoyable. Some were very splicey due to lost frames or bad lab handling, some prints had patched in footage causing unnecessary repeats, and in some cases, there were only four frames of some shots, flash frames and exposure shifts. Some main titles were too short to read, or non-existent. Seeing all this, I would wish that these ugly distractions could also be eliminated, and it seemed to me that with a little imagination, these films could be fixed and presented in a form far superior than their present state. As these films continued to be shown in poor form at retrospectives and Film history classes, the public's impression was tainted; giving the impression that this was what the films always looked like. Considering their place in film history, I felt strongly that Out of the Inkwell deserved to be treated better, and Max Fleischer's landmark deserved to be represented in the best possible light.
The Emergence of Home Video
As the iron oxide dust settled from the Betamax vs. VHS battle in the 1980s, obscure Public Domain material came forth from small distribution companies with access to abandoned film chain equipment and private film collections. In the case of old cartoons and their limited, specialized market, there did not seem to be much effort to transfer the films with care, nor was there a judicious selection of material. As a result, many of these compilations of old theatrical cartoons were transferred from poor prints, or sometimes used acceptable prints that were transferred badly without using the proper technical specifications or duplication methods. The result was poorly reproduced and poorly engineered tapes produced to make a quick buck; while buyers had to strain to view their purchase, stuck with something less that it should have been, offered under the excuse that the films were old.
My curiosity was stirred further when I saw the offerings in The Whole Toon Catalog when it premiered in the early 1990s. This catalog would carry disclaimers such as quality "poor" or "very poor", and I would wonder, "Then why offer it if it is poor?" One day, Mark Langer called me to clarify a detail for his research at Carlton University in Ottawa. During the conversation he asked me if I had ever seen The Chinaman. He said that it was rare, or seemed not to exist. This made me realize that I was sitting on a potential gold mine with my personal prints. As a test, I put together a program called Before Walt, which focused on many of the cartoons being produced when Disney was just beginning. I included three examples of Out of the Inkwell, which demonstrated concepts and story elements that Disney repeated in Alice Chops the Suey, which even starts out using Max Fleischer's signature of opening the ink bottle.
Unlike all the other cartoon packagers, I constructed a program reminiscent of the old Disneyland TV shows that would use a theme to group together cartoon segments of related subject matter. Sight unseen, The Whole Toon Catalog ordered 10 copies. It was entered into their listings, and I followed with Alice in Cartoonland. But it was Max Fleischer's Famous Out of the Inkwell that really took off, being my biggest seller around the world, earning the Gold Entertainment Award at the Houston International Film and Video Festival in 2000. It spawned three additional volumes released in December 2002, and won the Gold Award again as a video restoration series in 2003. But the process was not automatic.
Working on the small budgets I have, it was impractical and virtually impossible to do all the optical and re-editing work on film. There are fewer and fewer labs left who can do this, and even fewer people who know how to handle film. So videotape and electronics seemed the answer to my restoration problems. First, I supervised the transfer of all the prints on a Rank-Cintel telecine, sometimes physically re-timing the exposures on each scene cut. This gave us sharp transfers with the proper gamma, or contrast range that would hold up in duplication. We were able to transfer some live action footage at, or near the original projection speed. This proved to be worth the effort, since the slowing of the action by 33% revealed a better quality of acting, giving more meaning to what was on the screen. The animation, however seemed to work better at 24fps, so in some cases I had two transfers to cut between to obtain the best possible action.
The next problem was to figure out what the removed dialog cards might have said. In the case of two of the Bray releases, I had help. The Tantalizing Fly still had the dialog card intact, and I was able to use it as the template for all the others that I created later. In the case of The Chinaman, I was loaned an 8mm Keystone digest version which concluded that much of the dialog being spoken on the soundtrack matched the title cards on the 8mm print. For the rest, I was on my own.
After restructuring and re-editing, I started to see a more cohesive story structure that was marred before with poorly paced action and bad, choppy editing made worse when these films were butchered and sold to television 60 years ago. This restructuring also revealed a number of details about the development and personality of the clown. Many histories imply that the clown had no personality, when in fact the format and basic personality were evident from the very beginning. The clown is vain about his costume, he is jealous about his space on the paper, and he takes on motivated revenge towards some mean action perpetuated by Max.
Hearing of my restoration efforts, FilmVideo Releasing Corporation offered the Stuart TV releases to my company, Inkwell Images. Now having archival materials, I was able to work with their Sharples music tracks and build my own scores. Again, the music was put to better use than it was in the forgotten adventures of Molly Moo Cow and The Toonerville Trolley.
Although these were silent films, it was apparent that some actions and gags were motivated by sound. For instance, in The Chinaman, the clown grabs the Chinese man and pulls him apart until he bursts like a balloon, causing the kooky artist drawing Max's portrait to turn around. This cried out for a sound effect. Anyone familiar with the Fleischer cartoons is aware of the aural quality of their soundtracks. There were distinctive acoustical sound effects that were used that are forever identified with these films. So it was only logical to use the same or similar types of sound effects to recreate that atmosphere. Although it tends to be a long and tedious process laying in each effect, the final result is worth the effort; making these silent animation classics enjoyable once again for modern audiences.
Max Fleischer's Famous Out of the Inkwell is much more than a footnote in books or a novelty on derivative Internet Websites. It is a magical, innovative, and highly successful film series — important enough to influence Walt Disney and many others around the world. Fortunately, these treasures of Animation history are being rescued so that they can be seen as they were meant to be seen — on the screen. Looking back at it all, it seems that I was destined to save Out of the Inkwell. To call it an adventure is an understatement. I'VE LIVED IT!
Click Here to Buy "Max Fleischer's Famous Out of the Inkwell"
All images courtesy of Ray Pointer, Inkwell Images Inc.]]>
Mutt and Jeff is an American expression that refers to the pairing of tall with short. This combination of contrasting opposites has been the foundation of many comedy teams of Vaudeville, movies, and of course animated cartoons. Ren and Stimpy, Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble, Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo, as well as Rocky and Bullwinkle are just a few examples.
It all started in 1907, when Harry Conway "Bud" Fisher created what is considered to have been the first daily comic strip with continuing characters. The result was the famous Mutt and Jeff comic strip, which was a popular newspaper feature for 75 years. Bud fisher was the first newspaper cartoonist to become a true celebrity. And he was the first cartoonist to make a fortune in the field of comics at a time when most cartoonists made modest salaries. He began as a sports cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle around 1905. Fisher soon graduated to more sophisticated political cartoons, which displayed greater artistic skill.
It was during this time that Fisher developed the incurable gambler, known as Augustus J. Mutt. This character first appeared on November 15th, 1907 in Mr. A. Mutt Starts to Play the Races. The story line was told through installments, which boosted the sales of newspapers, and in the process, the daily comic strip was born.
In 1908, Augustus J. Mutt met the short, dim-witted Edgar Horace Jeffries. The contrast of the two figures proved to be a great source for comic situations, and rest was history.
By 1914, animated cartoons were becoming a regular part of the movie program. Many newspaper cartoonists lent their hand to the animation process with varying degrees of success. But most of these early screen cartoons lacked audience appeal. Paul Terry was another San Francisco cartoonist and realized the potential of Mutt and Jeff as an animated series. But the deal never materialized. Eventually, an animation contract was secured in 1916 with Charles Bowers and Raoul Barre'. Barre' had the distinction of having established the first studio to produce animated cartoons for theaters, preceding the more famous Bray Studio.
Although the defiance of gravity is now considered a cartoon convention, it originated with the Mutt and Jeff cartoons when the cameraman forgot to include a background element while shooting a scene. The result was a new source of humor that only animation could provide.
Mutt and Jeff were world famous… engrained in American culture. They were among the first comic strip properties to successfully translate to the screen, and were the earliest animated characters to display appealing personalities that appealed to working class America. They generated countless merchandising items, and inspired the "Camel Walk" dance based on the way Fisher drew walk positions-in opposing bent and straight legs.
All of this contributed to the celebrity and wealth of Bud Fisher. Then something happened to change it all. Sound!
In 1931, the Van Beuren studio made an attempt to copy the Mutt and Jeff format with their own version they called Tom and Jerry—not to be confused with the famous cat and mouse team that would follow a decade later. Although the situations were good, this imitation of Mutt and Jeff was a pale reflection of the originals largely because of the poor character design and undefined personalities. So the obvious question is why didn't Mutt and Jeff make the transition to sound?
The animated Krazy Kat began as an animated series in 1916, the same year as Mutt and Jeff, and continued into the sound era until 1940. So the question remains, why didn't Mutt and Jeff make this transition since they were so popular?
The last Mutt and Jeff cartoon was the Globetrotters, produced in 1926. It was essentially a Mutt and Jeff travelogue constructed of sequences from previous releases. While this saved money, it was an indication of Fisher's declining business judgment. After ten years of production, he closed the studio, relying on re-releases of the old cartoons for the next four years. From a business perspective this appeared very profitable, since it eliminated the expense of original productions. But within two years, the film career of Mutt and Jeff would be in jeopardy.
Beginning in 1928, exhibitors were demanding sound cartoons. Fisher's library of silents was now difficult to distribute, and the major film companies had signed with established cartoon producers for new product. Although Fox was one of the original distributors for Mutt and Jeff, they were now committed to the Paul Terry product. This was ironic since it was Terry who first approached Fisher about an animated series 12 years before. Why Fisher did not approach Terry is unknown. But it can be assumed that differences between the two men going back to the original deal may have been the cause. The only other producer capable of reviving the career of Mutt and Jeff was Max Fleischer. He had a solid distribution arrangement through Paramount, and had the resources to produce a well received Mutt and Jeff sound series. But the complications of the Paramount organization and the licensing of the characters may have seemed unacceptable to Fisher. Considering the tremendous success of the animated Popeye series, we and only imagine the results if Mutt and Jeff had been allowed the Fleischer treatment.
Bud Fisher continued to believe in the value of Mutt and Jeff, and set out to exploit them his own way by remaking a number of the cartoons from the mid 1920s in color with added soundtracks. While there is some legal controversy surrounding the color remakes "presented by" M. Kleinerman's Screen Attractions Corporation, the majority was released by a small distribution company, Modern Film Sales Corporation. In both cases a cheap route was taken due to the added expense of sound and color production. The cartoons were careless copied from the originals with sloppy camera work that made the animation look cruder that it was. This process, not to be confused with Ted Turner's "Colorization Process," was repeated by Fred Ladd in the 1970s with his remake of Mutt and Jeff with modern music tracks. It was also applied to the black and white Looney Tunes, Betty Boop, and Popeye cartoons.
Animation techniques had continued to advance beyond the level of the mid 1920s–a fact that Fisher seemed unable to recognize. He seemed to believe that the name value of Mutt and Jeff with the additional element of color would compensate for the deficiencies. And while the soundtracks had competent musical scores, the use of kazoo noisemakers as vocal substitutes was an annoying detractor. On one level, this may have been an economic measure. The need to pay voice actors was eliminated, and the sound effect transcended language barriers, ensuring foreign bookings. But the poor animation techniques combined with this annoying dialogue sound effect destroyed the screen career of the original Mutt and Jeff.
From the beginning, Bud Fisher understood the value of his successful creation. And while he enjoyed fame and fortune, he took all the credit while others did the actual work. Even in the production of the animated series, he was credited as the producer, but had nothing to do with their production and appeared only when royalties were paid.
In spite of it all, Bud Fisher beat the odds, proving that it was possible for a lone cartoonist to win against big business and achieve personal wealth. But most of all, Bud Fisher created one of the most memorable comic teams, and the first great animated duo that set the pattern for all that followed.
Click Here to Buy "Mutt and Jeff- The Original Odd Couple"]]>
Most people think about Harry Potter when it comes to Universal Studios located in Orlando, Florida, but for animation enthusiast like us, we care more about the cartoon rides and gift shops.
Just updated in the summer of 2013, a small Springfield has come to life within the park. Here you will get to eat at the Krusty Burger, shop at the Kwik-E-Mart, and have drinks at Moe's Tavern and at Duff Beer Garden. At the town center you can see a statue of Jebediah Springfield, the town's founder. Springfield has two main rides, "The Simpsons Ride" and "Kang & Kodos Twirl 'n' Hurl".
Many people don't know about the area called, "Woody Woodpecker's Kid Zone" featuring "Woody Woodpeckers Nuthouse Coaster". This area has many cartoon themed goodies. It contains a huge SpongeBob store, "SpongeBob Storepants", as well as a blast from the Don Bluth past, "Fievel's Playland", where everything is giant and you feel like a Mousekewitz! This section of the park also has Barney and Curious George themed play areas.
Universal Studios Orlando doesn't stop with the cartoon rides, they have "The World's Largest Betty Boop store, filled with everything a Betty Boop fan would ever want.
Then there is the park right next door, "Islands of Adventure" which features many Marvel superhero rides and shops. Rides such as the Hulk ride, "The Incredible Hulk Coaster", Storm ride, "Storm Force Accelatron" Spiderman ride "Doctor Doom's Fearfall" and "The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man". All included in the "Marvel Super Hero Island" filled with many shops that have comics, shirts, food, and souvenirs.
When you make your way toward the back of Islands of Adventure you will find an area for classic comics and cartoons such as a Heathcliff shop, "Comic Strip Café", and another Betty Boop shop called "Boop Oop A Doop". Popeye makes an appearance with a drenching water ride called, "Bilge-Rat Barges". Next to this ride you have, "The Olive" ship, where you can squirt the guests who are on the "Bilge-Rat Barges" ride. There is even a Wimpy's burger shop.
Right before you enter Jurassic Park, you will find, "Dudley Do Right's Ripsaw Falls", another ride where you exit soaked to the bone; this ride is a personal favorite. Last but not least, on the east side of Islands of Adventure is "Seuss Landing", an area dedicated to Dr. Seuss books and cartoons. Filled with rides and themed shops featuring The Lorax, The Cat in the Hat, and The Grinch characters, it is an area appreciated by park-goers of all ages.
After getting an annual pass and experiencing all these rides and shops, you can imagine my wallet has gotten lighter, but it is worth it to an animation and cartoon fan.]]>
Here is the link http://www.facebook.com/groups/traditionalanimation]]>
This year's Oscar nominations have a pretty good crop of hand-drawn animated films in both the shorts and features categories. There are two hand-drawn features, one fully hand-drawn short, and one hand-drawn/CG hybrid. Here's a little more information:
Feral is a very interesting hand-drawn short film in a painterly style by Daniel Sousa. This is one of those short films that says more in thirteen minutes then most features do in an hour in a half.
I don't want to give anything away, but it's excellent and touches on some very interesting themes and is a work of art in and of itself.
Mickey Mouse goes old-school in this fun little hand-drawn/CG hybrid short. Featuring some great hand-drawn animation directed by Eric Goldberg, it really captures the early 1930s Disney style of animation very well in both the hand-drawn and CG segments. It's definitely worth a watch (in 3D if you can!).
I saw this wonderful French animated film a few years ago at the CTN Animation Expo at a special screening hosted by GKids (the company dubbing the movie into English) and I loved it.
It's done in a beautiful watercolor painting style and the story is really great too. It will be getting an English language release and I will be seeing it again and I highly recommend it.
This is supposedly Hayao Miyazaki's last film. I've been a fan of Miyazaki's works for many years and I'll certainly miss seeing his wonderful movies in theaters. I haven't seen this one yet, but it comes out in theaters today, so I'll definitely check it out and encourage everyone to do the same!
What's your vote for this years animated feature or animated short? Tell us in the comments!]]>
Q. Tony, Can you give us some backstory of your life and career up to today?
I grew up with a twin brother, Tom Bancroft. Tom and I always loved to draw at an early age and we were competitive with it. As most brothers are competitive with sports and always trying to out-do each other, that's how Tom and I were with drawing. I think it was one of the reasons we were good draftsman at an early age. We sharpened each other. Tom and I used to copy the comics we collected. My biggest influence was Charles Schultz's Peanuts comic strip and Tom and I used to draw comic strips together for our high school newspaper. I think we thought it would get us girl's attention' it never did! It wasn't until we started to go to a city college in Orange County that we "discovered" animation. I always liked animation and grew up seeing Disney movies but I always thought you had to be some kind of rocket scientist to figure out how to make your drawings come to life like the wizards at Disney. There was a guy in one of our college art classes that was doing some cool short films in clay animation. Tom and I liked this crazy animator almost immediately and that summer we produced a clay animated stop-motion film with him. It was a music video to a song we liked and we animated the whole thing on a Super 8mm camera. After that we both wanted to be animators and we though if we could do this with clay then we could do animation with the drawings we loved to make. That summer we researched other colleges that taught animation and found CalArts (in Valencia, CA). They accepted us and we were off in our career in animation.
Q. Can you tell us what it was like being drafted into Disney before you really could finish Calarts college? How long were you in college before you joined Walt Disney Feature Animation?
Coming from a single parent and poor family, Tom and I had barely any money for college. We literally had enough money for our freshman year at CalArts and then earned enough from working that summer to go for the first half of our sophomore year. That was it. But just as were almost out of money for school Disney came knocking looking for animation interns from all over the country to join in a nine week internship specifically looking for young talent to house the new Florida Animation Studio in Orlando. It was an exciting time and an awesome opportunity for Tom and I. We worked day and night on our portfolios and made the most of our interview with Bill Matthews from Disney. We were the only sophomores accepted into the internship (the rest were upper classmen) and we were ecstatic! So, just as our funds ran out we started working for Disney after only a year and a half at the school. We were two of the first 20 employees hired at the brand new Disney Florida Animation Studio. We were led and mentored by a few seasoned professionals such as Mark Henn, Barry Cook, and Barry Temple who were all shipped over to Florida via the Burbank studio. But for the most part, the studio was staffed fresh faces like Tom and I. Students from all of the top colleges and Universities were thrown together and, under the mentor's direction, given scenes to in-between, clean-up, and paint. It was trial by fire but truly the best education and we were getting PAID for it! I do wish that I could have completed my degree at CalArts but really had the best on-the-job education possible.
There were some struggles having not finished my CalArts education though. It did not come easy for me. I remember one of the first scenes given to me to animate by the director's of The Rescuers Down Under. It was a close-up dialogue scene! I was petrified! I ran back to my mentor's, Will Finn's office and showed him scene I just received of Frank, the Frilled-Necked Lizard yelling "Wood! Yeah, wood!" to his animal friends who were all trying to find something to get them out of their cages they were imprisoned in. I confessed to him that I left CalArts before the semester where we were going to cover dialogue animation and I had no clue what to do! He laughed and spent some time taking me through how to work with an exposure sheet to read the dialogue and the types of mouth shapes I would need to hit in my drawings and keys. Thanks to Will the directors never realized I had never animated lip sync before and approved that scene into the picture.
Q. When you started at Disney which artists mentored you?
I was fortunate to work under two great animators in my early career at Disney. They were Mark Henn and Will Finn.
I worked under Mark Henn as a clean-up lead on the film Roller Coaster Rabbit and the first half of the feature The Rescuers Down Under. Watching him work and showing him tests that I would animate late at night was a true inspiration for me. He will always be the fastest and best animator I have ever known!
As I began to animate I was again fortunate to be placed under the supervising animator Will Finn. Will was always cast doing comedy characters and he was a master at them. I felt like I was learning under Ward Kimball because of Will's admiration of Ward which rubbed off on me. I say he was generous because he not only gave me so much of his time to share the secrets of staggers and the mysteries of dialogue but he also had control over the casting of the scenes he was given by the directors. Because of that I had opportunities that were unique to most beginning animators like close-up dialogue scenes or full sequences of continuity. I worked under Will on The Rescuers Down Under (Frank the frilled-necked Lizard), Beauty and the Beast (Cogsworth), and Aladdin (Iago). It was because he gave me many good scenes to animate that I had a strong portfolio of work to show to the directors of The Lion King and get promoted to Supervising Animator of Pumbaa. Thank you Will Finn!
Q. What is the process of creating memorable characters for a feature? For instance can you tell us the process of designing and animating Pumbaa for The Lion King?
That's a big question but the simple answer is to fully invest yourself in that character. I start with a lot of research. Just as a live action actor must get to know his part so should the animator. I speak to the director(s) about who they see the character to be, how he feels, what they see his overall arc being and so on. Then I like know all of the history of how that character came to be. That's where you always find the back story of the character that may not be obvious in the animatic or script. If it is an animal character such as Pumbaa then much time should be taken to research what the real animal looks and moves like. For The Lion King the animators spent months going to zoos and studying video reference of animals to really dig in deep. Then it is a bit of time and R&D to figure out how much to caricature the movement and anatomy of the creature. What is the animation style of the film? What are the personality traits that I share with the character and what are the ones I don't?
Q. Would you consider being a supervising animator a pathway into directing? How does being responsible for directing the acting of a main character prepare you for directing animated feature films? Do you think it is similar to the approaches that well known actors/directors such as Clint Eastwood or Woody Allen use?
Historically, there are many paths to directing. In the animation industry there has been a variety of examples. Some have come from storyboarding, some from animation, some from effects animation, and even a few from script writing into directing. It think the most common pathway has been from story into directing. That makes the most sense as a good director has to have a strong understanding of story. But I came up through the animation ranks as many have before me also. I think that coming up through animation helps because I have an understanding of character and finding the small moments in a scene. It is important to see the "big picture" too and that can be hard for an animator because he mostly concentrates on one scene at a time. Overall, it doesn't matter too much where you came from as long as you can prove yourself a good organizer who can manage a creative crew and understands story structure. Story is the most important skill set to have.
Q. What are some things we might learn in your new book "Directing for Animation: Everything You Didn't Learn in Art School"?
The reason I subtitled it "Everything You Didn't Learn in Art School" is because when I became a first time director at the age of 27 on the Disney film Mulan, I felt so ill prepared. My education in school never even got close to tapping into what a director in animation did or the skill sets needed. Even working at Disney gave me little in the basic knowledge needed to lead a creative crew, dealing with executive input, working with budgets and schedules, etc. all while trying to maintain a unique creative vision. I wanted this book to be a help in teaching the basic tools needed to be a director in animation as I learned about it the hard way. It is filled with anecdotes from my past of mistakes and successes and includes interviews with other top directors who share their stories and thoughts on directing too.
Q. As a director, what filmakers influenced your style and look when approaching a project? What films do you respect that have beautiful direction?
I have had many directorial mentors in my career. Most notably has been Rob Minkoff (Lion King and Stuart Little), Ron Clements, and John Musker (Aladdin, Treasure Planet, Princess and the Frog). I have worked closely on multiple productions with Minkoff throughout his career and have studied how he directs and works with others. It has been a true inspiration. I know Ron and John from being directed by them on Aladdin and they are truly the definition of professionalism. They are so collaborative and giving to their crew that they have become the most successful and popular directors in the industry. I learned so much from their "no stress" atmosphere they harbored on their productions.
Q. You animated on Bonkers, the television show, for 1 episode, what was it like animating for TV compared with an animated feature film?
Wow, I am surprised you found this little tidbit from my past! Well, I did have a credit on the TV show but I only remember animating a couple of things for reference. Tad Stone the Producer asked me to do a few walk cycles of a few of the characters. I did it as freelance while I was working on Aladdin during the day I believe.
Q. What is the best approach to directing voice talent? How do you know or find the right voice for the character, and can you tell us the approach you use in casting a film like Mulan?
I talk a lot about this in my book actually. I don't want to give it all away but I have learned a lot about how to work with actors and get the best voice performance out of them. It mostly has to do with understanding what the talent's needs are. I'm not just talking about what they like to snack on but more importantly, communicating what they need to understand and create the character in your film.
Q. What are your goals for the future? Do you intend to continue working as an animation director? Anything you can tell our readers about what you are currently working on?
Yes! I want to keep creating animated features as a director for as long as I can. I am currently directing a CG animated feature for RGH Animation called High in the Clouds. This film is a special opportunity because it has some fun characters and music all based on a children's book by Paul McCartney. So, not only am I doing what I love to do, create animation, but I am doing it with an idol of mine too. It's a great gig and I hope this film will come to a theatre near you in mid/late 2016.
Q. Are you going to be having any book signings or appearances?
Yes! I enjoy talking about my work and book that I have just released. I just went to CTN Animation Expo this last year and released my book Directing for Animation by FocalPress and it was a HUGE success! I was happy to see that so many people were interested in the subject and mystery of directing in animation. I sold out of all the books I brought in two days! I have been invited to speak with my brother at SCAD in Georgia this February and in the Philippines this summer. I will be talking about my career and the book at both, I'm sure. I hope people will come and see me. I will post more about my up coming events the Facebook page I share with my brother called "The Bancroft Brothers". Please "like" us!
Q. Lastly, what about Traditional Animation is Special to you?
I love the intuitive nature of hand drawn animation. It is a personal connection I have with my charters when I flip the pages in my hands. I "feel" the movement right then and it sucks me into the moment. I have always thought that hand drawn traditional animation does something that can't be imitated in any other form. It boils down to my feeling that there is a charm and appeal that can't be beat about a funny drawing. And so, even though I will probably finish my career mostly directing and supervising CG animation, I will always love the traditional hand-drawn form of animation best.
Thanks, Tony!
Tony's Book on Amazon.com]]>
We had the privilege of visiting Premise Entertainment in Orlando, Florida to speak with the head of the studios Dominic Carola. Dominic as well as Aaron Blaise agreed to do a behind the scenes interview of their most recent hand drawn animation project for John Lewis, a department store chain in the United Kingdom, for the commercial titled, "The Bear and The Hare".
As we walked into the main office, you can see "The Bear and The Hare" model sheets all over the walls pegged up. He showed us so much that it would make any hand drawn animation fan go bananas. We saw rough pencil tests, storyboards, concept art, model sheets, you name it. Mr. Carola has been nice enough to give us some artwork to share with all you traditional animation fans out there!
How did you get involved?
Dominic Carola: Initially I had gotten calls from two groups, I didn't know at the time that they were both for the same project until more details began to come out. A colleague of mine had been instrumental in helping to connect the London based producers of Blink Ink to us. They were ultimately the agency awarded the project, and said they were looking for classical Disney inspired animation with a touch of 'Watership Down' feeling to it.
They had seen what we had been doing as an independent studio for almost 10 years post our Disney days, and made it clear that they wanted to work with our team in Orlando. Then when I saw the boards and initial development it was evident that the project had a Brother Bear flavor to it, however it was going to be produced in quite a unique way that was unlike anything I had seen before.
Very soon after, they said they had asked Aaron Blaise to get involved, he was a natural fit for the project and we were very much looking forward to working together again. He and I had not worked together in almost 10 years since his Disney feature animation Florida days. We began to make a plan for the 2D animation production and how we were going to get it all done in time for the stop motion team in London to start their part of it once we were able to feed them approved animation.
Aaron Blaise: I got involved in the project when Blink Ink (the company actually responsible for making the commercial) contacted me to see if I might be interested in designing the characters and supervising the animation. At the time I was swamped with other work I was doing for Paramount and Bluesky, but after I found out that I'd be working with my old colleagues from Disney, namely Dom Carola and the crew at his company Premise Entertainment, I jumped on board immediately.
How long did the project go for?
Dominic Carola: After Aaron designed the characters, he drove up from south Florida and joined us in the studio. We set him up in an office down the hall and it was a delight to have him with us for those weeks and reconnecting with our Florida animation family. He mentioned he hadn't animated in a while, but as soon as he had his first scenes it was as if no time had passed at all. Aaron focused on the Bear and Hare animation and I focused on the secondary animals whose cast of characters seemed to grow by the day. We added two additional animators, Erin Humiston and Darko Cesar, they both jumped in to help meet the character footage deadlines. And then we had a wonderful clean up animation team following us all up.
Janelle Bell Martin led the veteran clean up team and we were requested to keep adding animals in rough animation, and they seemed to just keep coming…and multiplying. The team was wonderful and never quit on meeting the deadlines. Mac Masters and Pam Darley had so many animation characters and pieces of characters coming at them quickly, they did an amazing job of keeping things organized despite the myriad of multiple animation components that were being pieced together for digital delivery to go to the team in London.
Aaron Blaise: The character design process was actually pretty quick. I designed all of the animals in about three weeks and that's while I was doing other freelance! The direction they wanted to go in the designs was much more on the realistic side of things. Whenever I would draw eyes a little too big or give prominent eyebrows I would get a note to go more toward the real animal. Less caricature for me is easier. I'm also a wildlife artist and have been drawing animals all of my life. The more real they wanted the designs, the easier they were to create.
We in Florida worked on the project for about 11 weeks total. I took 3 weeks to design, then we animated, and did final line for the remaining 8 weeks.
What is special about Traditional Animation to you?
Dominic Carola: Whenever I get an opportunity to animate on a project I love it, and this one was special from the get-go and we were all determined to do our best in the time we had. There is some beautiful CG work being produced today, but there are also many projects that tend to look the same.
For me there is something inherently distinctive and charming about traditional animation and the hand drawn medium. I simply love drawing and seeing the drawings come to life, whether you are doing it on paper or paperless digital. It's that wonderful process of exploratory drawing to pull out a performance and build up that performance from a blank image to thumbnails, to a pose test, then secondary actions and that wonderful layering process of refinement and spontaneity.
Aaron Blaise: The thing to me that is so special about 2d or hand drawn animation is just that…it's done by hand. There is a hand crafted feel you get that you just cant get with a computer because it's…well…hand crafted. I like to see the imperfections in the line, a little boil in the color. Embrace the medium!
It's like difference between records and CD's. Don't get me wrong, I love technology and CG animation also. The possibilities are almost endless with the medium. But sometimes a piece of animation requires something different. Something nostalgic. That's what this commercial required and it's the hand drawn animation that I think delivered it.
What was it like working with the team in London?
Dominic Carola: Working with the directors Elliot Dear and Yves Geleyn was great and they are very talented guys. We had the pleasure of actually having Elliot and executive producer Bart Yates fly over and meet with us to kick off the project. It was a very valuable and constructive time that we spent together and quickly forged new friendships.
Aaron Blaise: Working with the team in London was actually pretty easy. We had our chunk of work and we really just kind of blew through it. I seemed to get the most notes actually, but they were usually easily addressed and we got the work out the door. Also, the style of animation was a real exercise in restraint. So that means there wasn't a whole lot of broad animation which meant we could get through the scenes a bit quicker also. The note I would often get if I pushed things a little to far was "Aaron, it needs to be more British. We would like smoke under the door, not the whole explosion please…if that's ok." They were always so polite.
What is the Florida family camaraderie like?
Dominic Carola: Elliot and Bart told Aaron and I, after spending a short time with us, how they could feel that family atmosphere we all have as co-workers and colleagues. It's something they said they share as well back at Blink Ink in London. Sometimes that's something that can unfortunately get lost in a big studio structure, but for an independent group it's an essential component to a great working experience on any project.
Aaron Blaise: Getting to work with my old colleagues from my Disney days was incredible. I hadn't seen a lot of them in the last ten years let alone work with them. The last ten years have held some of the hardest emotional experiences of my life. Getting to come back full circle and be with my old Disney friends…I felt like Homer coming home after his long odyssey. It was like coming home. We fell right into our old groove and it was like we never parted ways. As a matter of fact, Dominic Carola and I ended up supervising the animation together. I really enjoyed that.
Will we see more projects like this?
Dominic Carola: It's been so rewarding to see the tremendous response that the John Lewis company, Blink Ink, Hornet Films and the agency has had to the project and the large amount of interests and admiration for all the hard work that went into making it on both sides of the pond. Blink Ink Co-Director Yves Geleyn sent out a very appreciative email to many of us, and even though you had these wonderful groups in different parts of the world that may never have met, we all shared in a very special experience and hope to work together again.
Not sure if there will be another project produced in this fashion, but if there were. Sign me up.
Aaron Blaise: I truly hope that more work like this will get made. The popularity of the commercial has been incredible!! 10 million views in the first month…and that's a commercial that isn't even shown in the states!! It's really made some waves in the animation community and I'm extremely proud to have been a part of the team here in Florida that created the animation. I can definitely see a feature done in this style. We just need to find the right story for the medium…hmmm.
Behind the 2D Animation Video:
Visit the Studio Behind the 2D Animation. Premise Entertainment]]>


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Frank Stoltze Crime and Politics Reporter
Frank Stoltze was born and raised in Santa Barbara, where his father taught him how to body surf and golf and his mother showed him how to tell a good story.
Frank graduated from Southern Methodist University with Doak Walker and started his radio career in San Luis Obispo, cutting his teeth covering Diablo Canyon and the Monarch Butterfly grove. He went to work for KLON (now KKJZ) in Long Beach in 1991 and covered the riots before becoming news director at KPFK, where he learned who Noam Chomsky is.
Frank joined KPCC in 2000 and loves its downtown bureau, a stone's throw from Central Market tortas.
Stories by Frank Stoltze
Weller Guilty on All Counts in Farmer's Market Crash
George Russell Weller, who three years ago drove his car through the Santa Monica Farmer's Market, was convicted today on ten counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.
ACLU Says County Jail Conditions are Inhumane
The ACLU wants a federal judge to order Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca to improve conditions at the downtown jail. The group accuses Baca of squeezing inmates into holding cells at the Inmate Reception Center.
Town Hall Forum Tackles Homelessness in LA
Panelists call for more affordable housing and less "NIMBYism" at a Town Hall Los Angeles forum on homelessness. The homeless problem has gained more attention as more development moves into downtown LA.
Local Korean-Americans React to Nuclear Test
News that North Korea exploded a nuclear test device sent waves of concern through the Korean-American community in Southern California. Los Angeles has the largest Korean community outside Seoul and many have family in South Korea.
Mayor, Chief Say Skid Row Crackdown Going Well
Two weeks after increasing efforts to fight crime on Skid Row, LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Police Chief Bill Bratton say the program is paying off.
LA Times Publisher Forced Out
The Tribune Company Thursday ousted Los Angeles Times Publisher Jeffrey Johnson after he refused to cut staff at the paper. Tribune replaced Johnson with David Hiller, publisher of the Chicago Tribune. The move sparked concern inside and outside the paper about the future of the Times.
LAPD Chief Asks for Public's Help to Solve Toddler's Killing
The LAPD and community leaders in Baldwin Village are grappling with the shooting death of a 3-year-old girl. The historically violent neighborhood tucked below the Santa Monica Freeway near Culver City hadn't seen a murder in nearly a year. The killing is a reminder of how tough it is to reduce violence in parts of LA.
LAPD Launches New Crackdown on Skid Row
Fifty officers began patrolling the streets of Skid Row over the weekend as part of the "Skid Row Safer City Initiative." The goal is to do what one crime prevention expert calls "broken windows" policing.
City Council Rejects Skid Row Settlement with ACLU
The LA City Council Wednesday rejected a proposed legal settlement with the American Civil Liberties Union that would have allowed people to sleep on the streets of Skid Row from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. The Mayor and LAPD had backed the plan. Skid Row businesses and residents opposed it.
Human Relations Commission Votes to Honor Controversial Muslim Leader
Following weeks of debate, the LA County Human Relations Commission has voted to give a human rights award to Dr. Maher Hathout of the Islamic Center of Southern California. Some Jewish groups opposed honoring Hathout because of past statements he's made about Israel.
Skid Row Settlement in the Works
LAPD Chief Bill Bratton urged the City Council to approve a proposed settlement with the ACLU that reportedly would allow officers to clear homeless people off the streets of Skid Row during daytime hours. The chief says the number of homeless people in the area has increased dramatically since a federal court ruling earlier this year restricting police from arresting people for sleeping on the sidewalk.
Anti-Three Strike Activists Fight Man's Sentence
Activists held a rally in downtown LA for Santos Reyes, who is serving 25 years to life under California's three strikes sentencing law. The activists say Santos' case is an example of what they call the injustice of the law.
Housing Summit Focuses on Proposition H
The LA Business Council convened its fifth annual housing summit Thursday. Business, non-profit and political leaders focused on the $1-billion housing bond on the November ballot. They said the measure will help address the city's housing crisis.
Opening Statements Begin in Farmers Market Crash Trial
Trial began Tuesday for George Weller, the elderly man charged with vehicular manslaughter for driving his car through the Santa Monica Farmers Market in 2003. Ten people were killed and dozens were injured.
American Muslims Reflect on Changed Lives After 9/11
The fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks was a wake-up call for many American Muslims. Some say they have endured slurs and increased scrutiny after 9/11, while others say they have used the attacks as an opportunity to teach about their religion.

subset: commoncrawl


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If you like the itinerary below please quote REF SOUTHEAST ASIA 345 when enquiring for further details.
Alternatively you may like modify this trip with your own Holiday Wish List
Upon arrival into Yangon. You will be met by our local representatives who will give welcome gifts including postcard and Map of Myanmar.Then you will be transferred to your hotel. This evening visit to the 2,500 years old magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda sheathed in 11 tons of pure gold and 4,350 diamonds weighing 1800 carats! At sunset, the Shwedagon offers visitor a spectacular show of lights and shadows. Overnight at in Yangon.
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Heho. Upon arrival, drive to Nyaung shwe where Inle Lake is situated. Then enjoy a boat ride on Inle Lake for the whole day. Your excursion in Inle Lake (by boat) visiting to the following places like unique leg-rowers and scenic beauty, fishing canoes using special methods for fishing and collecting seaweed, lakebed mud etc to make floating gardens. Then you will visit well known Nga Pe Chaung monastery and Silver smith factory. In the afternoon, visit the most famous Paungdaw Oo Pagoda. On the way back to Nyaung Shwe you will pass through some villages to enjoy life on the lake. Overnight in Inle @ Golden Island Cottage II (Superior Room)
Today you will be transferred to the jetty for boat ride to the Ywama village and weaving factory. Afterwards visit the hidden treasure of Inle Lake. It is Shwe Indaing pagoda complex that is newly open to International travelers where one will be totally amazed of the ruined stup. Enjoy nature's beauty on the way like vegetable gardens, child and young monks (novices) enjoying their morning bath in the clear stream, water buffaloes and people among the paddy fields etc. Take a relaxing stroll among the pagoda complex, and walk back along the bamboo forest before returning to your hotel. Overnight at in Inle @ Golden Island Cottage II (Superior Room)
Today you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Thandwe. Upon arrival at Thandwe you will be met by our local representatives and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure on your own and tomorrow at your leisure. Overnight at Ngapali Beach @ Thande Beach Hotel (Deluxe Beach Front)
Enjoy a nice sleep in before you are transferred to the airport for your return back to Yangon. Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure. Overnight Yangon.
A quick tour of Yangon to visit Gaba Aye pagoda and Mahapasana Cave before you are transferred to the airport in time for your departing international flight.


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This large setting houses the E-Rangers who are trying to defend their energy source while their enemy, the power greedy Dark Rangers are trying to waste them. This futuristic eco-war story is played out in a variety of settings with this one being the flashiest and biggest. It has a working a solar-powered fan, and light up red crystals that connect to make a circuit to produce colorful lights inside the dome. There is also a light beam cannon for defending headquarters and five characters; one is a robot, of course. A convertible racer changes into a propeller or a jet-car and there are multiple accessories for playing out all sorts of imaginary adventures. For more elaborate play there is also a Dark Ranger Headquarters ($79.99) and several other theme related kits. Our tester liked many of the features but found that the building is not especially sturdy and is easily knocked apart. So our usual suggestion with Playmobil is to build on a tray or table where it is out of the line of traffic and younger siblings. Ages 7 and up.
Age: Early School Years, Later School Years. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.
We always asked our testers "What if anything didn't your child or you like about this?" The answer here from both parent and child was a resounding "Nothing!" Our eight-year old tester loved building the 12 inch long and 17 inch wide fire plane, but best of all, he loved the dramatic play features--the bay doors that open and water bricks he could release to put out the fire in the trees! This 522 piece set comes with three mini-figures, rotating propellers, two trees with flames, fire-fighting tools, and an off road fire-truck with trailer and hose. Our testers mom was most enthusiastic about the value of this set for building as well as dramatic play. Her son also customizes his models after he builds them, though she noted that her frinds glue their kids' sets together to make them hold better for pretend play. The problem with gluing is that you can't reuse the bricks or customize once that is done. Note: No actual water is used with this. Marked for 6-12. Probably best for 8 & up.
Age: Early School Years, Later School Years. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.
Kids love to build toys that work and this 525 piece set comes with mechanics and all the parts needed to build five vehicles. These are building plans for building and assortment of racing cars, tow truck, flatbed, jeep and convertible. The set includes 2 male mini-figures, wheels, tools and color-coded basic elements
This set is marked for 4+, but for those with limited dexterity, this may be a better choice for 5's and 6's. The step-by-step plans are clear, but younger kids will need help in learning how to "read" the drawings.
Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.
There's a tree on fire in Lego City! Quick! Go to the rescue with this 243-piece set that includes the makings for a 5" long firetruck with a rotating water cannon and big storage compartments. There's a firefighter with an axe and of course, a tree. Marked as an easy start modular build for 5-12. Others in the collection this season include a garbage truck and ambulance. We think kids on the younger end will still need help with following the plans.
Age: Early School Years, Later School Years. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.
A fun beginning build with a lot of pretend play possibilities on the other side. We recommend that if your child is new to LEGO--this will make a great parent/child build. While there are lots of pieces- there are really several smaller builds here- making it a little less overwhelming. And if you haven't played with LEGO in a while--you'll find that the builds are put in separate clear plastic bags...so there isn't that same frustrating "I can't find it" feeling.
Our testers liked that there was a two part structure that connects with a walk way. There is also a boat (that floats) and a little yellow dune buggy type vehicle. We love the little details on this set. The surf board, the windsailer, the lifeguard, the binoculars, the buoy..you get the idea. There's even a harpoon in case you want to fish for your dinner.
Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.
The "giant" red and black Giant Red Dragon with a giant 16" wing span has an integrated LED-Fire (sort of) coming out of its nostrils. In fact the nostrils light up in red, but nothing comes out, except in the imagination. The dragon�s jaw moves and its wings pivot. This fantasy action figure is a big but quick build. It has 23 pieces and comes with a knight in black and red that carries a battle ax and long silverfish lance. They say 4-9, we'd say more like 5-6's will need help and this looks like a toy for school aged kids, not preschoolers. The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.
Age: Early School Years, Later School Years. Award Year: 2010. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.
A multi-level fire station that also includes a ladder truck and a smaller vehicle. We love that the truck ladder extends and turns 180 degrees. The Fire Station is part of the LEGO CITY theme - a fun collection of rescue vehicles and figures. We also like the new Fire Boat. Our only complaint about this set is the scale- as with many of the new LEGO structures, they have gotten smaller over recent years. Our testers, unaware of the skrinkage issue, have no complaints. In fact, he really loved working on this set. His review was so detailed that we need to share the mini-interview he had with his mom in regard to this product:
1. The set is very easy to build. (He is an 8 year old experienced LEGO builder--and felt this set was particularly easy. He had to be dragged away to go to a ballgame!
2. The "storage" spaces on the building where the accessories go click in". He mentioned fire hoses, axes, fire hydrants. "It makes it less confusing because every little piece has a place where it goes."
3. "I never thought the Lego City stuff was cool, but it actually is really AWESOME." (This from a die-hard Lego "action" afficionado. )
4. He likes the moving parts -- sliding garage doors, swinging doors, removeable "hatches," etc.
5. He also really likes that the bunk beds and all of the spaces for the mini-figures.
What I really love about his review is that the Fire Station has now become a "base" for all of his action figures--including his Star Wars characters--they all think the base is a pretty cool place to hang out!
The Fire Station comes with lots of props for pretend play after the building is done (there's even a cat and tree). Five year olds will enjoy playing with this set, but they will not be able to build it independently-there are 662 pieces! We recommend making this a parent/child project for less experienced LEGO builders.
The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.
Age: Early School Years, Later School Years. Award Year: 2010. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.
A working crane that fits into the Lego City scene. This is not an easy build. It has working treads, a massive rotating boom, and stands 17.7 inches tall. The crane rotates 360 degrees and comes with a stout lifting mechanism along with 2 mini-figures, a house section, and safety barrier. They say 5-12. Inexperienced builders will need adult help. This is not an instant out of the box build. It takes time and attention to details.
The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.
Age: Early School Years, Later School Years, Tweens. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.
Age: Early School Years,Later School Years. Award Year: 2001.
Age: Early School Years,Later School Years. Award Year: 2002.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio - All Rights Reserved. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, and Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Blue Chip Award are Registered Trademarks of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio.
Instructions for submitting product to the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio for review.
Contact the Toyportfolio by phone at (212) 598-0502 or by email at email@example.com.
Copyright 1995-2014
Products reviewed by the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio are provided by the manufacturer at their cost. The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio does not require or accept fees for reviewing products.


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The massive assisted living facility which has been under construction on Post Avenue for almost a year is expected to be completed and opened this spring, the owners of the facility have reported.
Powell's Lane Elementary School, in the Westbury School District, has received the prestigious New York State School of Excellence Award, which marks its candidacy for the national Blue Ribbon Award, school officials announced this week.
Boxer Tommy Rainone of Westbury recently joined with Nassau District Attorney Denis Dillon and other organizers, supporters and participants in Dillon's Rising Star program, during a recent awards luncheon at Oheka Castle in Cold Spring Hills. Rising Star is a multi-faceted community program developed by Dillon that utilizes sports, after school remedial intervention, mentoring and outreach to community leaders to teach virtues to young people living in areas beset by high crime.
On Saturday, Feb. 3, Westbury High School will hold its 8th annual Reid - Robeson Basketball Classic. The game schedule is as follows:
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Keep up with the news by installing RT's extension for . Never miss a story with this clean and simple app that delivers the latest headlines to you.
On his first trip to California, Russian President and aficionado of hi-tech products Dmitry Medvedev was promoting Russia as a country whose priority is innovation.
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World watches Skolkovo
Russia can learn from America – Medvedev
Russia's defense industry must generate innovations – Medvedev
To modernization through education
Experiment launched: Russians discuss Law on the Police online
Medvedev admits war on corruption yielding few results
Medvedev examines innovative projects at youth education forum
Medvedev might run for second term if plans work
Russia hopes to catch techno wave in California
Russia's President goes on Twitter
Yandex opts for latin script to broaden market reach
Terminator saves historical Russian fort in the US
"E-government to rid Russia of bureaucracy and corruption"
Russian government must go digital by 2015


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So I'm swallowing my pride and sharing my target of shame with everyone . . . . I know I should have used a different target for each caliber, but it was at the end of the NRA basic pistol safety class and I just wanted to see how I did with different things. The holes circled in yellow were from the .22 revolver used in the class, the pink are from a glock 17 and the green are from a glock 23. The glock 23 is the one that we have at home and that's why I was using it. I figured if we have it at home, I need to know how to use it and preferably shoot better than just taking out kneecaps . . . . lol. I'm hoping to go back this afternoon and try again. Any advice or suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thanks!
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Here is a link to a target that can help with the fundamentals. This is set up for a right hand shooter, flip side to side if you are a lefty shooter.Correction Target
I hope this helps.
From C3Shooter:
Skullcrusher, you are evil, sick, demented, twisted- and my hero!
Nicole, Welcome to the FTF!!
First, you need to shoot more....me too.
Second, once you get used to the weapons your firing, you will have a better "On Target" sense.
Third, have someone, preferably a qualified firearms instructor, check your grip and stance.
Lastly, relax and have fun!!
People get the government they deserve.
don't hold your breath..it is easy to forget to breathe if you are new to shooting and it makes you all wobbly. Also go SLOW. there is no need to shoot as fast as you can, first get accurate and then shorten the time between shots. and squeeeeeeeeeeeeze the trigger. My husbands Glock has a super hard to pull trigger. I don't like it at all
How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.
Same with firearms.
You definitely need some more practice. The Glock 23, what is the caliber of that one? Is that the .40 S&W version?
Here is a version of the same target Skull showed you. You should be able to right click and save it, then print it out and hang the printed target out at 8 or 10 yards and shoot at it. As you do, you can see what the coaching says you need to work on.
For one of your first targets, that is not bad shooting. There is room for improvement, but don't sell yourself short. I have seen worse targets from men in my life.
Welcome, Nicole!
A firm grip will limit the amount of available movement your hands can impart to the weapon on trigger pull. The more contact with the grip you have, the steadier your aim will be. But don't "pull" the trigger, just depress it. Even with the best sight picture, if your hand is writhing around like a boa constrictor choking the life out a a juvenile capybara, the muzzle will be off-line when the round departs. Practice doesn't make perfect. PROPER practice does, so check the essentials, change your targets often, and before you know it a Zen thing will kick in. If you play a musical instrument, soccer, softball or golf, you can relate.
"Guns don't kill people. Male Kennedy's kill people."
njames, welcome to the forum!
Practice will tighten your shot groups. I recommend either a basic course that includes marksmanship techniques, or at least a good book. The book I recommended to someone on another thread is The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery by Massad Ayoob.
Regardless of which course or book you choose, make sure it will address marksmanship fundamentals such as stance, grip, sight alignment, sight picture and trigger control at the very least. IMHO it would be best to find a course or book that discusses various techniques and lets you find what works best for you. If you choose well, you will also learn drills you can do at home such as dry firing and things you can do at the range such as using snap caps.
All of the information you have been offered so far is good and valid. And I'm sure more will be forthcoming. But for a new shooter, getting a bunch of pieces of advice from all directions could be overwhelming.
Enjoy your newfound pursuit, and keep us posted on your progress.
"An armed society is a polite society." Robert A. Heinlein
"After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it. I sure as hell wouldn't want to live in a society where the only people allowed guns are the police and the military."
William S. Burroughs


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Pacifier / Shihad Albums
→Think You're So Free
→The Big Lie
→Grey Area
→The Living Dead
→Song for No One
→The Great Divide
→Model Citizen
→Wasted In the West
→Loves Long Shadow
→Cheap As
→The Final Year Of The Universe
→Lead Or Follow
→I'm A Void
→In The Future
→This Lonely Fire
→Nemesis (Dark Star)
→Cold Heart
→One Will Hear The Other
→Rule The World
→Hard To Please
→Beautiful Machine
→Count It Up
→Waiting Around For God
→The Bible And The Gun
→When You Coming Home
→The Prophet
→None Of The Above
→Empty Shell
→Day Will Come
→All The Young Fascists
→Saddest Song In The World
→Big Future
→Shot In The Head
→Dark Times
→Guts And The Glory
Submit Pacifier / Shihad New Album
Reviews about Pacifier / Shihad albums
awesometastic | Reviewer: jeffery jones
------ About the album The General Electric performed by Pacifier / Shihad
this is one of the greatest cds ive ever brought and listened to in the world if u havent got it go buy it
Fecking awesome. | Reviewer: Anonymous
------ About the album Love Is The New Hate performed by Pacifier / Shihad
Bloody awesome. The usual Shihad brilliance we have all come to love and expect.
You could review Pacifier / Shihad in Biography page
You could review Pacifier / Shihad album by clicking the album which you like
You could review Pacifier / Shihad song by visiting lyrics page