Tomorrow is the BIG DAY!!!! DREAM MACHINE!!!!

Hey guys,



tomorrow is the big day ....capitol records at 10:00 am......Im freakin PUMPED!!!!!!!!!!
wish us all LUCK!


jriggity

My very 1rst cg Film from 1995.

Hey guys,

.......its REALLY , really, really hard ta look at now but man...... it turned some heads back then {95}........Ha! ........One thing I try to tell my self instead of hideing bad artwork from my past is that { this was where I was.... at that place and at that time } and as long as I continue to grow Its just a step on the path........so HERE it is.


This film was done on my own time back in school when I was just an infant on the computer...{I believe it took me about 8 weeks to create}...I came up with the story from some young man angst and a general Missing of my son Nicholas who was liveing at my Parents house untill I finished my year 2 of at school. I was in my 2nd quarter of computer training on 3d studio 3.0.... We basically learned how to model and do some basic textureing at the time. I started playing around with the program a quickly saw I had control of the lights - camera and ACTION of objects which instantly made me want to make a movie!!!

So I drew up some characters in the sketch book - came up with some shots and a basic idea - about a lost kid -These scribbles are all I could find. I basically just dived in and learned as I went ....Lots of questions to the more technically inclined and a new editing programs ta learn and I had my first CG movie.

hope its entertaining as many weaknesses as it has....I have a bunch more films to share - 2d -cg.....and Ill share them here.....its kinda cool to see the progression.

jriggity

The MIGHTY 2 man ORCHESTRA !!!!!!!!!

Hey Guys!

my HERO!

Robert Mutha #$#@%@ Litton..... Ha!!
so we are fastly nearing the Recording date of our film "Geralds Last Day"......September 30th is right around the corner.
I was haveing some anxious feelings about the score......due to many things.

This is my first scored film ever - I am spending almost double my budget on the entire film for the recording and Composeing {CREDIT CARDS} - and I hav'nt had alot of experiance with this crazy instrament called "HARMONICA"...hmmmmmmm?
In most professional cases .....A score isnt heard other than the themes being approved before the recording.

I didnt know that. In my kid imagination....the composer has a piano with a magical tv set in front of him that plays the movie as he plays the music underneath it. A composer would do this with me right over his shoulder like the old school Silent picture musicians.
APPARENTLY this is not how its done....Ha! I have always put music to my old films and watched how the music added to the visuals or supported the storys I was telling.....there for I was expecting that VISUAL experiance.....not the usual deal !....so

Long story short I called Robert Litton our composer and expressed my fear , concern and realization that I wasnt going to see the music on the pictures till the day of the recording. I'm sure he was slightly annoyed but we have become friends and he decided to ease my mind with a Great harmonica and piano show on the screen at my house. I was very happy to accept the show.
I can imagine how Nerve racking it can be to create music - ART -for a client......especially for a friend client . I do consider Robert a friend now....so I was sensitive to that fact....but "I needed to be moved by what I heard" and I didnt know if the HARMONICA would do it for me.

So .....Robert and Noel came over last night and after a few bounces around the gym to ease any Gibblies in the gut.....we set up in front of the TUBE . Me and shel had clear concerns and were ready to verbalize them if needed.
Robert had Noel play Geralds theme a few times and then we watched the film as he played the piano along side. { WOW!!!!!!!!! I was so FREAKIN relieved....It works - It WORKS BIG TIME!!! I dont know why I couldnt imagine the theme in HARMONICA!! ....but there it was . It was Thrilling guys......THRILLING!!

heres a very very small sneak peek! .....



He also discovered a New Direction for the Toughguys sequence that I think is a grand slam of AWESOMENESS!......its all come together bueatifully! We also have a final instrament and fun tune for the Little girl section. Robert actually made the tune by spelling Aedons name with the piano keys . Super cool!

He played through the entire film for me and it got better and better as it went on. I really Truly see his Brilliance.....and recognize his gift for Music and composition. The way he ties it all together....and the way its supporting the story and emotion events is so freakin cool!!

I no longer feel any fear at all . In fact I feel incredibly confident and EXCITED about the film and the Work he has created. This film just Jumped 40% MORE POWERFULLNESS!!!!! Music has that magical ability to take the visuals to a whole new place......Robert Litton Made it happen.

I am a true FAN! and I will have him do the music for every story I ever tell....{and a bunch I already have told } Ha!..HIGHLY RECCOMENDED!!!!!!!!!!!! you'd be lucky to have him!

http://robertlitton.wordpress.com/film/

jriggity

New sculpt! and Cool discoveries!

Hey guys!

Just thought Is share a new piece of artwork I just finished. His name is Stinger and hes a character from a game title I worked on tentativly titled {SPYBORGS}. I am presently sculpting some of the characters I animated briefly this last year. In other news I found a very cool piece of ART That I thought was lost to me completely. In part of putting our Press Kit together I had to write up my filmography. This reminded me that I no longer had my early films which saddens me. So I went through every vhs in fast forward That I posessed......{ on of my late night evenings} and FOUND My very first CG animated short film.....WOW.....talk about ????$%$?#%$%#%$#......pfffeeeeewww.

I am so glad I found it......but it is some hard lookin these days...Ha! Believe me though when I tell you it was Considered AWESOME when I created it back in 1995...Ha! ......I have to admit though I am still proud of what I did at the time. I didnt know anything about computers and I had just a basic understanding of 3d programs. That while starting a film and finishing it was a HUGE Accomplishment for the time.Remember....this is before IK and before skinned characters infact. Everything was drawn ,modeled, animated ,storyboarded lit by myself and I did it in my own time off school classes.Finding this film Titled "LOST" inspires me to search out all of my school films and share them with you guys.......They will be up soon. I have to find my old 2d reel as well.

justin

Part 3 of the Moli Interviews. And Some New Sculptures

Hey Guys,

Heres nickys{My oldest sons} latest Finished sculpture.

His next one is just off the charts in complexity and Dynamicness...Hes definately a natural! and I cant wait to see it finished.


also........Part 3 of the Moli Interviews are up.......This one was Focused on The Family and Extra Hobbies.



more soon...I got some new artwork to share too.

jriggity

My Week at Shadow - Another DREAM accomplished!

Hey Guys,

I just finished my last day at Robot chicken this friday evening. {4 days of work and 6 shots for the show.} I worked on 3 different episodes in my time there and the PACE was FAST and FURIOUS!!! I learned so much about how it all works.....??

I have never worked in television before so that KIND of Pressure was completely foreign to me. I came home every day I worked there and was completely EXHAUSTED! There was no way I could stay up and work the evenings like I do at my CG job. The work is taxing on your body as well as your mind. MUCH Respect for all the guys in the trenches...... Its freakin HARD Work.......FUN but Hard!

so.....My experiance was Incredibly rewarding and I felt like I was on a adventure to a Whole new planet. I knew some of the language and we both liked the same food but It was culture shock in full effect. I worked on some Fun shots and Met alot of people who love stopmo animation as much as I do - I got to animate James bond in a couple of cool scenes. I also got my hands on the Justice League members for a shot which makes my comic book nerd hairs stand on end.... Ha! The Daily do was like this -
You Arrive at 9 oclock in da mornin....go find out what set and Stage you are working on.{Theres about 15 - 20 stages happening at once} You then look at the story boards for the assigned shot and watch the animatic. After you have a basic Idea of the scene you call for the Director to come over and give you the low down on what he or she wants in the scene. After Direction is given you set out planning the action on your x sheet. After marking the key moments you just JUMP right in...

START animation. The rest is pretty normal except for the QUOTA on your back. { 10-12seconds a day }The shots are marked by complexity -Simple- Normal and Complex--- I couldnt do it with out staying LATE...but I got better as every day went by...Faster - More effeciant in my choices and use of frames but It was a struggle. My first shot and day was pretty overwhelming but the director really liked it and that put my mind at ease. In fact the diretor like all of my shots which was nice.

so after finishing a shot - you go through a series of protocol to get your frames set up and a movie available. The call the director over and show him for approval. If Director approved ....they strike the set and on to the next scene. WOW....out of the fire and into another one.

Finisheing a shot was the big reward to the struggle of getting through it...It reminded me of the Magic this medium posesses. You almost dont have time to soak it in though with the speed of production.

Friday at 6:30 I had my first Weeklys - This is where we all gather around the tv with the whole company as well as Seth Green and Matt Senreich to watch the animation that was produced that week.This was really fun and a great gathering of laughter. After this the week was done and I am headed bak home to collapse on the couch.

So in closeing - I met some really cool people - I crossed off another DREAM - I clarified many things about the path I want to take in my life and in this medium - I also walked around with a HUGE Dorky smile the whole week!!

Jriggity