From the Peter Serafinowicz Show:

This film has an incredible concept that lends itself so well to CG animation. The sound design and effects are extremely well done, and the animation is top notch. I also love that it’s pantomime sans facial expression. It just goes to show that there’s still plenty of fresh and original ideas out there to tap into…

Lightheaded is a journey we take with temperature sensitive candle creatures who sacrifice what they know to become who they are. This is my first independent film. My advances in 3D allowed me to fully realize a concept I never stopped believing in. I managed to create all of the visuals by myself on a Dell laptop. A brilliant thanks to Mac Smith of Skywalker Sound for his sound design and Thievery Corporation for the congruous soundtrack.

Check out this amazing photography shot by Harold Edgerton. I just discovered this guy’s work thanks to my last AM lecture (on squash and stretch). I’ve already ordered his book, Stopping Time, but I tracked down these images to whet my appetite until it arrives. This stuff is gravy for animators. Enjoy!

I love the Youtube Channel Skewiff1. It contains some great British Animation related documentaries including the legendary Ronald Searle interview, The Story of Ivor Engine and Nick Park: South Bank Show. Below is a brilliant documentary on how Animation in Britain developed. I think Paul wells, Bob Godfrey and Peter Lord are in this episode!

Great site for movie stills/cinematography reference – click the image to check it out

I recently got the opportunity to see a Blu-ray projection of Casablanca on the big screen…Stunning. I had never really appreciated the beauty of this film until this screening. There’s something about viewing an old film with an audience that immerses you deeper in the story. Granted, the audience was older, and knew how to watch a film in the theatre unlike most kids these days.

The great thing about Blu-ray is that it’s allowing all these old films to breathe new life again. Through restorations our generation and old farts are able to experience old films in such striking detail for the first time together. It’s makes for a mutually satisfying viewing experience.

One shot stood out to me, and I wanted to share it with you. It’s the shot pictured below, where the camera pans to follow Rick up a flight of stairs and into his office to his safe box. This shot stood out to me because of its utter simplicity; It just works. There’s no trickery employed.

Rick goes up the stairs and unlocks the door to his office. The camera follows him with the aforementioned pan, but instead of flying through a wall like you’ll see in almost every movie these days, there’s simply no wall there to get in the way. The audience knows Rick’s unlocking a door to a room with only three walls but it works because of the simplicity of it. The audience just goes along for the ride, without question.

The second thing I love about this shot is Rick’s silhouette. Rick moves off-screen, but we can see his actions and follow the conversation plainly because of the clever and simple use of silhouette. This technique isn’t as scarce these days, but it’s usually overworked. Of course if you’re training to be an animator, silhouette will get drilled into your brain at some point. And if that’s the case, you’ll really appreciate this. It’s so simple, and that’s why I love it. Click the image below to watch the shot in high-definition.

Sumo Science at Aardman has just recently created, Dot. Youtube reads:

Professor Fletcher’s invention of the CellScope, which is a Nokia device with a microscope attachment, was the inspiration for a teeny-tiny film created by Sumo Science at Aardman. It stars a 9mm girl called Dot as she struggles through a microscopic world. All the minuscule detail was shot using CellScope technology and a Nokia N8, with its 12 megapixel camera and Carl Zeiss optics.