1 minuet and counting....

Hey guys!

We have had alot going on recently guys

We Hit {1 minuet 14 seconds Of Quality footage}

....woooo hoooo!!!!!
The film is looking really Excellent and I only had to do 1 reshoot so far.{AMAZING!!}

As with {Gerald's Last Day}I will share all of my FAIL animations here on the blog.

Here is my very first one - Dannngit!

I felt I had to redo this animation because I didnt like how hard he HIT as he leaned forward in the car.....I wanted a bit more FLOW....or dizzyness to the action.
And secondly - I kept bumping his steering wheel as I animated him...dangit!!
ALWAYS LOCK Down everything people - I dont know how many times I need to learn this lesson....jeeez. I have also done a Shot that was "THE SHOT" When I was first storyboarding the film.
I dont know what it was.....but I just always was Drawn to this visual from the begining...{Its in the bag now} with a slick camera move ta boot!

in other news - we went to a Holloween screening of Coraline a few weeks back and got to meet Henry Selick for the first time. He is one of the famous type people that I had on my imaginary list of {would like to meet someday}

Here's a few on my Famous List in no particular order -

Captain Kirk - Saw Him in an Airport

Hulk Hogan -
Henry Selick - Met Him In Hollywood

Don Bluth- Hope to meet him next week at the Cartoon expo!

Arnold Schwarzenegger -

Ray HarryHausen - Met Him at a book Signing.

Bill Cosby- I wished he was my dad growing up.

Sigourney Weaver -

Clint Eastwood -

Tim Burton -

NightCrawler from the Xmen -the comic version -not the Movie guy....

Me , Shel , Robert and Bridget got to meet Henry...

Me and shel got to Talk with him for a little bit and He was very kind to usShel watches my inner Dork meter going off the charts-....and for some reason I felt that this was an important inner milestone for us. Our paths crossing early in our career as director-story tellers and perhaps again someday as Professionals.

Ive got DREAMS!!!

Well after speaking with him ...he said he would go to our blog and check out the film.{Dont Know if he really will?}.....but it was a cool thought None the less...

next -

so Fresh off the Airplane -

.....We are Just returning from {Savannah Film Fest}.....This was a really incredible festival guys! This is the BEST one we have attended thus far -

They flew us out to Savannah....Picked us up at the Airport -gave us an excellent Hotel right in Downtown Savannah....and provided us with Lots of Yummy food and Films to feast on.

Each screening had 400-500 people which was incredible.....great audiences...Excellent theatres!!

Me and Shel got to walk the city -even go for a night Run in the Park This was also the first fest where we really got to talk in length with many filmakers....In particular the Animation Group.

This is Kyle Bell -Director of {The Mouse that Soared} One of my very favorite short films Ive seen this last year!! He works at LAIKA and the film was created there under his direction. We got to discuss tons on the Process and everyones goals as filmakers. This was really exciting and educational.

We took a tour of the SCAD {Savannah College of Art and Design }which was an Amazing facility!! I couldnt believe how much these kids have access to.....I would gladly reccomend it to my oldest boy Nicky. Great city and Awsome school.

On our visit....we also met an amazing coulple of animation Historians named Nancy and Hal Miles. They enjoyed our film and approached us after the showing with an invite to dinner.

Nancy has been involved in animation for many years and has a massive collection of 2d artwork from most of the classic Disney animated films. She and Hal have studio{Hal Miles Imagimation Studios}..... and in house Museum {Nancy and Hals Stopmo Museum}.....

At the House we got to meet up with a stop mo Brother -Dan Mackenzie - I could see his passion on his face and Im sure well be in touch. Hes a student at SCAD and is in good hands With HAL as his teacher....in there Home - museum Hal took us on a tour of the artwork with almost every piece having a story . I got to see and touch some of the actual pieces of film and stopmo History. They are going to open a stop mo museum in the future and Hal has an enormous collection of stopmo History that will thrill any lovers of stopmo.

Here are some of the pieces -

I got to touch a Jack Skellingotn armature!!! and replacement heads....
Me Touching the armature -on a real -Christmas Town set from the film.
hold one of Sally's arms from Nightmare - see her replacement faces up close....

I got to dork out on the Real Centipede from James and the giant peach!!!
It was foam latex....just like what we are doing here -I didnt know that.
Some of James's faces - the seagulls from the film -

Some Harryhausen History-

One of the things that was So cool about seeing this stuff up close was that - It didnt seem IMPOSSIBLE anymore - they use the same stuff we all do - its all that much closer now for me mentally!!

Look at all the Pillsbury Doughboy puppet stuff that I grew Up with....

Hal was an FX artist from back in the day.....he worked on most of the coolest films from my youth.....and lots of not so cool films with cool effects in them.

Heres the actual head from T2....Stan Winston sent it to him as a gift after the film finished. Awesome!!!

I got to touch Mighty Joe Young skulls.....
This is {SUCH AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF STOPMOTION} I wanted to touch every piece in the museum.....a physical connection with this object that Magically came to life on Film -WOW!!!

Its almost like confirming that these puppets arnt really ALIVE...Ha!

see the original Bump in the Night Puppets -

He had a Noid - and a California Raison!!.....

Anty from - {Honey I shrunk the kids}...

Pjs puppets -
Gumby-
and way WAY MORE - ....it was a thrilling visit and I will be back someday Im sure.

Organized garage!!!The last piece that Ill show was my very favorite - A few copies of the original sculpt-maquette from {The Secret of Nimh} Mrs Brisby!!!!!! WOW WOW WOW!! I gota get a copy of one of these..........One of the defining films from my Youth -a True instigator in me becoming an animator!
......
10 seconds a week till its all on film!

jriggity