Hand Animation Effects

I'm getting ready to do the light effects  on the hand that I animated (see post here) so I wanted to do a couple of concept paintings of different styles of effects. I've done some effects animation tests already, so I kind of have an idea of what i think works best, but I had a little time this afternoon so I painted these up. I might add some more after the initial post, so if you're interested check back for more!

Film Reviews: Before Sunrise and Before Sunset (dir David Linklater)

I stumbled upon Richard Linklater's Before Sunset (2004) on a list of indie films. It looked interesting, a film set in Paris, a city with which I have had an intellectual romance myself, although I was only there in person for about an hour and never left the train stations or the metro. So unfortunately I  personally have never had the pleasure to traipse the streets that have been home to so many influential people in history. I love the french people, and try to speak as much of it as I can, whenever possible. So I thought this film would perhaps expand my vocabulary  whilst expanding my personal knowledge of film.  However most of the film is in english, so my hopes of boning up on my french were slightly dashed. The tagline, "What if you had a second chance with the one who got away?" perfectly outlines the story, which ultimately makes up for it not being in french.  It stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as a pair of lovers encountering each other for the first time in nine years, after having only spent one night together in Vienna. If that isn't romantic enough, it gets better. The film itself is dialogue heavy, laden with philosophical insight on their lives during the interim. It's cathartic is a way that perhaps only someone who over analyzes every aspect of their romantic life could appreciate. It is so sweetly fantastic, mixed in with the bitter reality of what love is and how life works that it renews hope for old relationships and like an invisible friend patting you on the back saying, " there, there I know life stings some times but love makes it all worth it in the end when it works out." The film is set in almost real time, adding to the sense that this scenario is entirely plausible. The couple have very clearly impacted each others lives through this one chance meeting on a train and changed it forever.
There is little to no action in the film at all, and yet it manages to excite the mind in an intellectually stimulating way. The manner in which these two star crossed lovers have dissected their emotions about each other, and how their lives have unfolded in the mean time is incredibly relate-able. There is however an element of sadness in the fact that it has taken them so long to reconnect. The film forces you to confront your own personal dilemas in the romantic department. It asks the question, " If you knew you were with the wrong person for several years but had a kid, and reconnect with the love of your life you had thought you lost forever, what would you do?" I think the great result of this line of questioning is that (hopefully) we come to the same conclusions as the characters at the same time they do so there is an due to the real time element of the film.  I personally found this film very satisfying.
                                                       
Since I enjoyed Before Sunset so much, I did a bit of investigative googling and found it's prequel Before Sunrise which is the story of how the two characters met each other and became so important to eachother in their subsequent lives. Before Sunrise(1995) is a nice enough story, but not nearly as compelling as it's sequel. Hawke and Delpy are shockingly young compared to their appearances in Sunset, and they are sweetly naive, optomistic, and invincible in a way that you are when you're young. They are charming in a way courting us with the intricacies of their courtship. It's a sweetly romantic film, but nothing too terribly special.

  I know the films were meant to be watched in order, before sun rise before sunset, but I think I valued the story of them as a whole more because I already knew how much the initial encounter has effected them , due to viewing Before Sunset first.  It was an accident on my part, but a happy one. I reccomend this film to anyone who has met someone very special they had to leave all too soon after just meeting them and spending very long time periods away from them, while yet thinking about them almost every day. It highlights just how rare and important those connections are, and underscores how valuable they are in life. They really don't happen all that often and when they do, you must really appreciate how lucky you are, even if only for a little while. And if you ever do get a second chance with "the one who got away" make sure they don't get away again.

Before Sunset 4 of 5

Before Sunrise 3 out of 5

Should I Work For Free?

A friend of mine posted this on facebook, and I thought it was good enough to post over here for people who might just stumble upon my blog.  I know that as a young artist and animator a good way of getting established is by doing internships, and working on as many kinds of projects as you can to build skill sets. However I do get annoyed by people ( many of whom are not in the industry themselves) who think that art must just fall out of the sky , and expect the work they want done to be perfect, fast, and free.  I'm an artist, and I'm also a human being which means I have to put a roof over my head, food in my gut, and clothes on my back just to name a few basics. I love being an artist, and I've followed my dreams to get where I am and it's the only thing I ever really wanted to be since I was a little kid. I also deserve to be paid for my time, expertise, and insight into projects. So I wanted to share this with everyone on here who is considering what they should be paid, or indeed if at all. http://www.shouldiworkforfree.com/  

Remember if you are an artist you have value, and deserve to be paid a fair wage. Don't let people take advantage of your time, talents, and generosity. And if you aren't and artist then you should at least consider supporting living artists, after all Van Gogh doesn't have to worry about paying bills anymore, and because Hitler couldn't go to art school he ended up killing a whole lot of people.

Film Reviews: True Grit (dir Coen bros) and True Grit ( Henry Hathaway)

As the theatrical release of the Coen brother's remake of the 1969 film adaptation of True Grit is upon us, I thought I would take a moment to look closer at both works. I have to say I've seen the Coen bro's 2010 version now 3 times in a  week. It's an uncommon film which leaves one thinking about it  long after having seen it. The first thing I noticed about the Coen bros version is the use of language within the dialogue. Contractions  (we're, they're, I'll ..etc) are banned from the script, resulting in a very clipped manner of speaking which sounds formal and at the same time almost foreign.  This close attention to detail within dialogue lends authenticity to a story that in it's orginal form ( a novel by Charles Portis)
represents a narrative about charatcers who in addition to their roles within the book have been educated mainly by the Bible, or at the very least have been to church a lot. The other striking quality of the Coen bros film is quality of work. Every aspect is thoughtful, from the color scripting, to how the night scenes are filmed, sound design and score, not to mention the acting (which is superb).

"ohh let's find some where to sleep, I'm so tired it's so late"... broad daylight

Hailee Steinfield and Jeff Bridges as Mattie Ross and Rooster Cogburn in True Grit 2010

The same thing cannot be said about the 1969 Henry Hathaway version unfortunately.  In fact, I would say at some points, the film is down right careless.   The scene where Rooster Cogburn, Laboef, and Mattie are looking for a place to sleep, is filmed in broad daylight.  However the Coen's version of this scene is dark with the authenticity of night, almost so you only catch glimpses of action which makes watching the scene much more exciting.  The Henry Hathaway version stars  John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn, who fails at playing the character of Cogburn, although he does succeed in playing an authentic version of John Wayne with an eye patch. The entire film is as contrary to the spirit of the book as it is possible to be without having huge choreographed dancing technicolor musical numbers. The book as well as the Coen bro's film is a work of sincerity, modesty, and adventure through the sense of duty, while the '69 version is almost reminiscent of a child's romp with old yeller, with production design a typical of the late 1960's. Kim Darby who plays the role of child heroine Mattie Ross has a Twiggy-esque hair cut and wears a bright tangerine dress, thoroughly unsuitable for the time period and the message of the film. Her acting is almost equally as distasteful. Darby comes off as incredibly naive, demanding, slightly prissy and bitchy.

In the modern release Hailee Steinfield plays Mattie Ross to great satisfaction. She posseses a wisdom and determination uncommon in a girl who is actually 14. Steinfield gives gravity to her role which is combination with everything else makes for a  wonderful film. I don't want to give too much away, so all I will say is go see it.
True Grit (2010) 5 out of 5
True Grit (1969) don't bother

Hand Animation

Finished up the trace on this shot of character animation. It's part of a larger scene, so in the film it will make more sense in context. I have to say hands are really strange things. They are like little characters all in their own right. I've always had trouble, like a lot of artists drawing hands, so I was really excited to approach this particular scene as a challenge.

Hand Trace 02 from rory animates on Vimeo.

Film Reviews: The Fighter (dir David O. Russell)

       So it occurred to me that I watch an ungodly amount of movies. It's not an unusual day when I watch two or three sometimes four films.  I partly watch films because I consider myself a film maker, animation being my chosen medium.  So I am one of the privileged who can say legitimately that I watch films as research.  But I started watching films because of my dad. He was a major classics buff and made damn sure that I was brought up with good taste. His favorite actress to this day is Greta Garbo (Ninotchka) , and refers to her as "the Face of the Century".  I also feel like in certain ways, we connect through film as films take place of shared experiences as a society. So I should probably spew my opinion of some of the films out onto the inter-webs because that seems to be the new shared consciousness.

     So today I watched The Fighter Directed by David O. Russell starring Mark Walberg, Christian Bale, and Amy Adams. At first the film starts out leading us down the path to believe that what we are watching is the come back documentary of Christian Bale's character Dick Eklund, however the plot thickens and we are privy to an intensely dysfunctional family dynamic that has Walberg's charatcer's (Micky Ward) boxing career being sold short to make a fast dime for "the Family".  Aside from the harsh reality of how "the family" is portrayed the rest of the film is some what predictable, although satisfying in it's predictability. The audience knows Micky has to triumph in the end, however the journey to this inevitable triumph is what makes the story interesting. The conflict of interests between Micky's mother and his career  forces the question where personal responsibility ends,  boundaries begin to confront the necessity of personal growth and autonomy. The rest of the film is almost as predictable as a live action Disney movie. The only redeeming quality of the film lay in its creative camera work, sound design and editing. Script was not it strong point, although the dialogue had a natural bantering quality at moments that added to it's realism. In one scene at a bar the family is chattering away in a lively manner while Walberg's character sits quietly to the side enjoying their company from a modest distance. The body language subtly indicates that his character is ready to move on, he just hasn't been given the opportunity at this point. The Fighter is the happy Hollywood version of 2008's The Wrestler with Mickey Rourke which was more emotionally realistic in it's stark view of life for a "one trick pony".  I recommend The Fighter for guys who have girlfriend's who owe them favors, boxing enthusiasts every where, as well as people who love complicated family dynamics in their dramas.
3 out of 5

Next up both True Grit(s) as soon as I can watch the 1968 John Wayne version without falling asleep.

On a personal note I'm still working on ideas for the Book, and animating like a crazy person. More art stuff soon, and maybe even a line test! ooh you lucky bastards

Concept Paintings for Sing a Little Song the Book

As promised  here are the scans from the first of the concept paintings for the book. I'm still in the early brainstorming stages so comments as always are welcome as well as ideas. All paintings are also at my etsy store
Thanks for looking!