A transition

It's a field! And it moves!

Newest test stills

Four more...I think I'm leaning towards the aesthetic of the last one...

It's not *quite* there!

With a little encouragement, I've gone back to approach this project a bit more artistically, and really worked to make the frames unique, rather than time-friendly. Here's what I've got so far...

A quick update

Today, I have:

1. Created a title page on imdb for 'Jas Duke On Democracy'
2. Created a title page on imdb for 'Ice' (which was shown at the SoCal Independent Film Festival, and is being entered into the Boston Independent Film Festival soon!)
3. Burned 'Ice' DVD for said BIFF entry
4. Paid BIFF fees
5. Created a withoutabox entry for 'Running Time'
6. Burned a 'Jas Duke On Democracy' DVD for the MassArt Type Show
7. Will now submit 'Running Time' to the BIFF?
8. Going to go type up a film festival resume later, and a DP production schedule
9. Seriously, will do more animating. I bought walnut ink for my DP, wish me luck!

Yay for organization!

Better yet...

Third try!

Side Project

A commissioned collage of a map. Soon there will be two small hanging tags attached to the map with silver pins: one in Portland, OR and one in Boston, MA. They'll be connected with a silver chain. It's a gift commissioned by a woman in a long distance relationship. D'awwww.

Second Pass DP Test

This is the same test animation, gone back in with pencil to rework the cloud outlines. I'm not 100% on how it looks, but it's getting there. Perhaps a third pass with black ink?

First DP Test!

Here it is! Watercolor storm clouds on tea stained paper. Only about 30 frames, but I wanted to see if the movement was reading at all. I'm excited! Now to go back into these same frames and bring things into focus with rough pencil outlines. Whoo! Meh, the speed is a little funny on photobucket, ah well.

Degree Project: The Madness Begins

I decided to save time by having my degree project's frames made for me, rather than going about it myself. I really didn't want to work with a digital texture, so I wanted them to all be hand tea-stained papers. So I ran to etsy, put up a request for someone to go on a tea-staining frenzy for me, and hired two people to each make 500 sheets for me of 4x6" papers.

Here's the first batch:



I should receive it by the beginning of next week, and I am SO EXCITED! I'll be taking shots of my concept art later today, so I'll post those as well.

Festivals are exciting and motivating

The other day I got the very exciting news that my stop-motion animated short film, 'Ice', was accepted at the SoCal Independent film festival! It'll be in competition against other filmmakers, and will be shown this Sept. in California! I'm so excited and honored - LORD I wish I could go!

Here is a slightly different version, quite similar to the one they'll be showing but not as tightly edited. Enjoy! It's three minutes of film about an ice cube.

Merck is OVER!

Just a little celebration post: my freelance animation, the Merck project, is FINALLY done! After months of working and reworking and forcing myself to go through a million oil pastels, it is done, the DVD is burned, and as of this morning, delivered to the Merck people. I can't post my portion of the animation until I get the okay from Leland, but here's a few stills to give you an idea of what my stuff looked like.

Work work work

Here's a few links to old work, just to get them out there. I figure clearing out the old will inspire me to make some new work! I have brainstormed and settled upon a project for a summer animation, and would love to hear some input.

Since I want to hone my skills in character animation, I decided I might to a little pencil animation with a human character, based off myself, sitting in a room being interviewed. A voice tells her to make certain facial expressions. She begins to get frustrated as the voice gets critical of her abilities. The character then proceeds to ream the interviewer out, who, the camera reveals, is me, video taped and super-imposed into the scene. I'm trying to 'draw' a portrait of the character, and it apparently isn't going too well, since the character begins to laugh hysterically when I hold up the photo-realistic image I've created of her. Essentially, just a practice in facial expressions, compositing (something I'd like to get better at), and lip syncing.

And now, on to old work!

Summer resolution: Keep this updated!

Finals are over, reviews are finished, and summer has begun!

I've been dismal about updating this blog. I basically created it then abandoned it. But no more! As a good soon-to-be-senior, I'm dedicated to keeping this updated and useful. So that, come senior portfolio night, as I meet and greet and network, I'll have a fruitful and interesting site to show them. SO! With that in mind, allow me to present my PSA: Caboodle Ranch.



(On youtube, for extra HD goodness!)

First Post!

Inspired by Caroline, I've decided that junior year is a good year to try my hand at a website. It'll (maybe?) help me get my sketches scanned and my ideas jotted down, rather than leave them in a messy, creative pile strewn across my desk, bedroom, kitchen, trash, etc.

Main artsy worries of late are some freelance work I'm doing with a few other people, and starting my first day of Ani IV tomorrow, complete with new multi-week projects! This would be fun and exciting if I didn't want SO BAD to go back and fix two of my three animations from Ani III. But alas, time moves swiftly. I may yet go back to Jas Duke and give the frames a general whitewash for ease of readibility, but that'll be some weekend project when I've nothing else on my plate. ...so...probably...never. :(

For anyone interested, here is Jas Duke himself, ranting about democracy.