Video

Winnie the Pooh

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Winnie the Pooh/ dir. Stephen Anderson & Don Hall/ 2011 


On the second to last day of the Seattle International Film Festival, I sit in a theater awaiting the North American premiere of Winnie the Pooh. To my left, my partner of about a year and all around me I am surrounded by an almost full theater of smiling parents, anxious kids, and general fans of animation (well at least the folks that can make it to an early morning showing on a Saturday). After the parade of speakers and thank yous, the lights go dim, and Winnie the Pooh comes on. Amidst the occasional laughs from the small children around me, my eyes are affixed on the screen, hanging on each beautifully animated frame while I reminisce of the days when I first met the round lovable bear known as Winnie the Pooh. Days after I’m still collecting my thoughts, reflecting on all the changes that have occurred in and around me in not only the 5 months since I last wrote, but also the 2 years since I took my first baby steps into the animation world. All this brought about by a mere children’s movie.  So after a very lengthy hiatus, I figured I should write something…

Winnie the Pooh is not your traditional “modern” animated feature. It’s doesn’t offer any flashy effects or well planned out action sequences. There is no magic, no plot twists and no added adult humor or pop culture references to entice the older audiences. No, Winnie the Pooh is an old fashioned Disney 2D/ hand drawn animated film through and through. It knows its core audience and it’s an effective film for 3 reasons: simple storytelling, a subtle yet powerful moral message, and a creative imagination. All these add up to something that gets lost in today’s films of CG, big action sequences, grand sets, and manufactured emotions… Innocence. Continue reading →

Thought of You

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It’s Valentine’s Day! A holiday mostly tailored towards the card making companies. However, the overall sentiment is appreciated, “celebrate love.” So for today’s inspiration, I bring you an animated piece that has already made its rounds on the internet, but the animation and emotion is still as powerful as ever:

Thought of You/ Ryan Woodward/ 2010

For “making of ” video, hit the jump:

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Super Bowl XLV Commercials… Animated!

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Well the Super Bowl has came and went. Congrats to the Green Bay Packers on their win! I would hate to be that dude from Seattle who is bitter towards Pittsburgh for a loss 5 years ago, but let’s face it, I’m little bitter! So I’m glad that Green Bay won. Anyway, the highlight for most people is not the game itself, but the commercials that companies spend millions upon millions of dollars on. And for this year’s crop of commercials, it was… meh.

I did notice however, that many of the commercials had some sort of animation to it. From CG Black Eyed Peas, to bugs in the forest, animation is pretty much everywhere. Here were my top 3 favorite animated Super Bowl XLV commercials:

Brisk Iced Tea

Kia Optima

Coca-Cola

Congrats Animation Mentor Graduates!!!… Now What?

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Congrats to my fellow Animation Mentor graduates! We did it!

Yes many of us have been done since either last summer or this past fall, but the ceremony, show, and pomp & circumstance all happened this past weekend. For an online school like Animation Mentor, these events are even more thrilling, as we finally get to meet-up with all those folks we’ve seen only through the eyes of a lowly webcam. It amazes me, that even though we’ve never met in “real” life, I can start up a conversation with them like I had known them for years.

The events of this past weekend are a definite high, but the real question comes after. Like coming back from a conference, or an expo, the quintessential thing we must ask of ourselves after all this is… Now What?

There are some graduates out there that already have found themselves a job, and for them they have answered their “Now What?” I’m proud of them, but I’m also proud of everyone else that graduated that will either now or later attempt to do something that not many people ever accomplish… Realize a dream.

For me, I’m not going to stand still through this high. I’m going to go back to where my inspiration lies:

It’s time to give this piece an animated facelift that I have always envisioned it to have. After about 2 years, I think I owe it to all those organizations that fight for social justice, especially those I organize with, to do something positive for the people. And hey, if I get a job in the industry at the same time, even better.

Carlos Buloasn Test Character Rig

I know my fellow AM graduates have other shots they’re working on as well, and the main thing, like I’ve always stated each in week in my videos to them, is to keep inspired and most of all, HAVE FUN!


Yes for some it’s a struggle, but that’s why we’re here. Yes we observe life in order to create the illusion of it, but at the same time by animating life, we can change it as well.

If you want to know who we are, WE ARE REVOLUTION!

Congrats once again AM Graduates!

The GENIUS of PERFECT Appeal

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Inspiration for animation can be from anywhere and my favorite places for inspiration are inside the squared circle of professional wrestling. Based on the last shot of my demo reel, I’m a big fan of old school wrestling. Today I’m going to relate the animation principal of “appeal” to these classic vignettes of the ol WWF-days…

Hit the jump for some more analysis of the GENIUS of this PERFECT Appeal…

Continue reading →

Evangelion 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone

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Evangelion 1.11: You Are (Not) Alone/ Hideaki Anno/ 2007/ Japan

I thought it would be fitting to review Evangelion 1.11 on 1/11/11. How many times do you get the chance to do that? a

Evangelion 1.11 is a special DVD/ Blu Ray edition of Evangelion 1.0, which in turn was a reboot of the classic anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. Confused? Well that’s the point. Anime is sometimes known for its convoluted stories, intricate plot twists, and techno-babble dialogue, and the poster child of this generalization was the original 1996 Neon Genesis Evangelion Series. Evangelion 1.11 is the reboot… err… well, its more of a facelift, as it seems the scenes were ripped straight out of the original series. Is it any good? If you like the OG series, you’ll like this film. If you’re looking for a fantastic in-depth, artistic, and stylistic look into the fragile psyche of a teenager abandoned by his father then this is the film for you. If you also like big mech robots fighting huge monsters, then this film is for you. Be warned, you may get lost in its confusing plot and its many allusions to religion. But if you give it a chance, you’re in for a treat.

Continue reading →

Art of the Cartoon… moving forward

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I only have a couple of readers left, but if you were wondering where I have been the past 7 months (and most of 2010), I was busy finishing up school at Animation Mentor. The last few classes definite required more attention on my part, but in return I now have this:

It’s not the greatest reel in the world, and in my eyes it’s not even that good, but the key thing I learned was the basic foundations for me to keep animating and keep my critical eye out on the world we live in.

A couple of changes I have made to sight. Artoftecartoon.com will now act as my professional sight. My name and contact info as well as my reel and my other artwork is now featured in the fun tabs above. Check them out! 1. About, 2. Demo Reel, 3. Artwork, 4. Resume, 5. Contact

Worry not though, I will still post my musings on art and animation and I promise to try to post more in the upcoming 2011. The old favorites like Bootleg Classics and Set the VCR will return, and reviews will come around from time to time.

Check out some new links I added on the sidebar, and here’s to happy, healthy, and successful 2011!!!

Coming up: Best Animated Features 2010…

PS: If anyone knows of any animator job openings, hit me up!

Dear Playstation: FFXIII

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Its been quite a long time since a new Final Fantasy game came out and after many years Final Fantasy XIII is finally here! I’ve been watching and anticpating this one for the past couple of years, HOWEVER seriously, I have no time to play it right now, or any other video game for that matter. So I decided to make a Dear Playstation ad…