I just discovered a new show on AMC called Storymakers. I don’t watch much TV, but when I do, I usually try to find something related to film making and the arts. A&E, TCM, and AMC are my first stops. Last night I stumbled upon an episode featuring Cameron Diaz, Judd Apatow, and Tom Cruise. I love everything about this show from the casual conversation, to the way it’s shot, to the title sequences (shown below). You really feel like a fly on the wall eavesdropping on great conversations about film making. Nothing beats spending down time watching shows like this one, Inside the Actor’s Studio, or an old classic film.
In order to get a story on film, a director has to combine the organizational abilities of an army general with the patience and insight of a psychoanalyst. He has to have energy and stamina enough to give full rein to his talents as an artist and as a craftsman. He is answerable for his work on every level – financial, artistic, and administrative – and his job carries enormous responsibility. But his compensations can be equally great. For when the director has transformed his imaginings into reality, and when he has preserved that reality on motion-picture film., he has experienced something no other artist can know.
On August 22, 2009 Matthew Hodge, the 17-year-old son of former Disney story artist and Big Idea productions director Tim Hodge, was in a serious auto accident. A train struck his car at 50mph as he was crossing the tracks. While Matt suffered neither broken bones nor any internal organ damage, he did receive severe head trauma causing him to remain in a state of coma today. Matt is a high school senior, a straight A student, and a drummer in his state championship marching band.
Being self-employed, the Hodge family has short term medical insurance that will not fully cover all of their bills. Additionally, with the care they are giving Matt, full-time work is not possible for Tim right now. This loving family is relying on their faith and the love of family and friends for their survival. This is a tragic accident that will forever affect their lives as the road to recovery for Matt may be a long one.
In an effort to help the Hodge family, the National Cartoonists Society Foundation is getting involved by hosting a fund-raising auction to be held on eBay. The NCSF is a fully licensed 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that not only helps fund educational endeavors for cartooning, but is there to help cartoonists in dire circumstances like the Hodges.
To view a recent television news report on Matthew, CLICK HERE.
There’s an amazing charity auction going on as of today to help raise funds. I’m in no position to help myself, but the least I can do is use my blog to spread the word. If you are in a position, stop by the auctions and support a good cause. You’ll walk away with some amazing art no matter what you win. If I could, I’d go for the piece shown above. It’s an incredible collaboration by twenty-one top artists in the industry. For more information check out:
I’m hard at work on my own stuff right now, so I haven’t been updating with a lot of personal work. I have been trying to keep the inspiration train going every day though. For both you and I. Here’s a good one. Bookmark this page now. It’s a massive list of reference material scattered around the Internet.
These sort of forum threads can be found on most major art forums, but I haven’t seen one this comprehensive before. The guy that posted it deserves a thank you, so make sure you do that if you find it useful. There’s all sorts of neat stuff to be found there. Need high resolution pictures of Mars? Check. How about some bat reference? That’s on there too. Creatures made from hub caps? Yep. Old monster movie posters? You get the idea…From old war photos to anatomical images, this list has a ton of stuff. Whether you’re modeling something, or just need some inspiration, this is a huge resource any artist can benefit from.
My efforts of learning how to draw extend not only to studying different techniques of actual drawing, but also literally how people draw. That is, how they hold the pencil throughout the process of drawing. Where do they grip the pencil? What angle do they hold it at? How hard are they pressing? These questions and more are ones I’ve studied Pete Emslie’s videos for the answers to. It’s just a little detail I think might improve my ability. Anything to make drawing a little easier right? And if you watch Pete’s old videos, he makes the process look exactly that, easy.
Pete’s finally got some more videos, and they are great! If you like them too, I would encourage you to let him know by commenting on his blog. It’s the only way he’ll clue in and make it a regular thing. Here’s the first part of his video. Click here to go to his blog and watch the second video.
If you want to really geek out on CG animation and find out where science and art really meet, check out the Pixar Research Library. There’s some really interesting papers written by some really intelligent people. Also, if you don’t already know, Pixar Canada’s website is up.
After a consistent bunch of posts with animation art, I’ve slowed down a bit. I wouldn’t want to leave myself with nothing to post in the future. But that doesn’t mean you should go without, right?
I found a site a while back that makes my blog look like a non-contributing zero. It’s a french site that’s literally full of hundreds of production photos, and animation sketches. It has an English counterpart that’s not quite as comprehensive, but I would imagine it only needs a bigger audience (which is deserves) to kick start the English articles again. Click the links below, and get ready to blow your mind.
Like I said earlier this week, I’ve been selling some of my library to cut down on the ridiculous size of it. Some people expressed an interest in buying some of my books, so I made a page with a first run I’m trying to sell. I figure I might as well sell them to someone that follows the blog rather than a complete stranger. These books appear on ebay and craigslist periodically, so you aren’t the only ones looking at them. Stop by the Book Sale page to see you if I have something you want.
