Shooting HDRI
Marc talks about shooting stills to create High Dynamic Range Images (HDRIs).
AWN Blogs
THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE (1986) (***)
Between the worst of modern times at Walt Disney Animation and the best was a transitional period between the failure of THE BLACK CAULDRON and the success of THE LITTLE MERMAID. The period consisted of two films — THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE, followed by OLIVER AND COMPANY. These anthropomorphic versions of SHERLOCK HOLMES and OLIVER TWIST paved the way for the masterpieces to come. THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE isn't a great film, but it's a good one. The key to its success is its hero and villain — two egotists.
Hiram Flaversham (Alan Young, voice of Scrooge McDuck) is a master toymaker. One night he is snatched by Fidget (Candy Candido, THE RESCUERS), the peg-legged bay henchman of the villainous rat Professor Ratigan (Vincent Price, THE HOUSE OF WAX), who wants to replace the Queen of Mice (Eve Brenner) with a toy replica. But never call him a rat. Flaversham's little daughter Olivia (Susanne Pollatschek) is left all alone and falls into the care of Dr. David Q. Dawson (Val Bettin, THE RETURN OF JAFAR). After hearing her plight, he takes her to Basil (Barrie Ingham, THE DAY OF THE JACKAL), a detective who has no time for a missing toymaker until he learns that Ratigan is involved.
FUNimation Streaming Update 4/09/10
On Friday, FUNimation sent me their most recent streaming info. So, here it is. Go get your anime!
Real, Volume 8
Real may be seinen manga, but it definitely requires a mature readership. As mentioned above, and unlike Inoue’s widely successful Slam Dunk, the drama of moving forward in life colors the frames of every page.
HANDS-ON: Super Street Fighter IV
I got to spend some hands on time with Super Street Fighter IV. Hit the jump for a look at each new character and the bonus stages!
Movie Review & Director Interview – The Secret of Kells: Illuminating Tale of Creativity
“The Secret of Kells” is an “illuminating” tale about friendship, wisdom, overcoming fear, and discovering your own creativity. It has splendid visual, haunting music, and amazing storyline built upon historical facts.
All Good Things Converge at FMX
The best of everything our industry has to offer, and then some, comes together every May at this powerhouse event in Stuttgart.
Mecha Mania at Viz Cinema
On Friday, April 9 at 7:00pm, a meeting aptly titled Mecha Mania: Four Decades of Slam-Bang Sci-Fi Robot Anime will take place at Viz Cinema.
Blu-ray Buzz – One Blu-ray to Rule Them All
There isn't a great deal of new releases this week. Most films I suppose were scared off by the release of a certain trilogy on Blu-ray. But there is a pair of other Blu-rays worth checking out and a pair of films that are on my queue to see as well.
Pick of the Week
The Lord of the Rings
Peter Jackson's epic trilogy is now in pristine 1080p. There is no doubt this is a must own for any film fan. The disappointing news is that the release is only the theatrical cuts. FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING suffers the most from the theatrical to extended cuts. But in the end, theatrical or not, this trilogy is a landmark in fantasy filmmaking. RETURN OF THE KING is one of the very best films of the 2000s. The trilogy as a whole is a masterpiece.
Top Ten Kid's Animated Series Picks
I knew this was going to be a difficult list to settle on as there have been so many really good series made for this audience. Selecting just ten guaranties that a number of very worth shows will be excluded. Most of the shows I've selected have run for years and have become classics by virtue of their popularity and length of production run.
Soul Eater, Part 2
Download it. Buy the DVD. I don’t care. Just get it! This is by far the coolest series I’ve seen in a long time.
Exploring “One Square Mile of Earth” with Filmmaker Jeff Drew
Jeff Drew (http://www.jeffdrewpictures.com) is an independent animation director, illustrator and designer whose recent project, “One Square Mile of Earth,” has charmed audiences at numerous film festivals, including Sundance and SXSW. I caught up with Jeff to ask about the uniquely populated “One Square Mile of Earth” and his festival run.
FUNimation Acquires Eden of the East and Chobits
All three Eden of the East movies (The King of Eden, Paradise Lost, and Air Communication) penned and directed by Kenji Kamiyama are now in the hands of FUNimation. The release date is set for 2011.
Sometimes it's easier to get a new one than to fix the old one..
Always be careful about projects that needed to be stitched together like Frankenstein's monster. Like the monster, they may be animated but they will never be pretty!
NPR's Liane Hansen Interviews Perry and Talks 'Dragons'
Ten-year-old Perry Chen of San Diego is making a name for himself as a film critic. Listen in below on NPR's Liane Hansen's interview as they discuss How To Train Your Dragon.
Tokyo Anime Fair
Overall, I like it. I like it a lot. On a sunny day, the monorail ride across the bay to the Tokyo Big Site is worth it alone. During my ride, I not only witnessed a cutesy pop concert, but also some Tokyo drifting.
Frenzer Foreman Animation Forum (podcast) x 01
"Animation on the radio; it's like photosynthesis on the moon."
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (or, ‘How to Save a Botched Film in Record Time!)
How do you take a film that is not working, and rebuild it in record time, creating in the process a modern day classic? It’s simple! Hire super directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, and let them work their magic!
Blu-ray Buzz – Get An Education
Better late than never I always say. The birth of my daughter, Maya Elise, pushed the publication of this week's column. But I think it's a good excuse. It's a pretty little week for recommendations, but a heavy week for films I want to see.
Pick of the Week
An Education
This Oscar-nominated drama was of the best films of 2009. Carey Mulligan's star-making turn as a smart teen who falls for a man in his '30s, played by the always great Peter Sarsgaard, is well deserved of its praise, as well as its Oscar nod. I was surprised that Alfred Molina, playing her father, was overlooked for Best Supporting Actor for a role more complex than one might think. Some describe him as a rube, but I think he wants to be deceived. The film is a bittersweet ode to hard lessons learned when one is moving into adulthood and trying to find their own place in the world.
It takes tons of Images to Develop An Animated Film During Pre-production - Here is a Sampling
As with all animated films, tons of images are created during the pre-production process. Color keys, layouts (the camera angles for the eventual backgrounds or environments, animation tests, etc. Here is a smattering of the images created for MIMI AND GACK. PRODUCTION HASN'T EVEN BEGUN YET! Just to give you an idea, PETE'S ODYSSEY, a 6 minute film - generated over 6,000 drawings!
Top Ten Girls' Animated TV Shows - Remarkable How They've Changed
Take a read and tell me where I've gone wrong. Girls' shows have changed but perhaps not enough.
Tokyo Anime Fair: Heroman
Stan Lee’s heroic fingerprints are all over this project, and studio Bones is rapidly emerging as the preeminent anime filter for video game and western content (e.g. the HALO anime series). For everyone, this cultural hybrid is arguably something new.
Tokyo Anime Fair: Sarai–ya Goyou
Now while I haven’t perused any complete episodes, the extended trailers that debuted last week suggest a human drama that shouldn’t disappoint.
FUNimation Aquires Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji
Oh, and like so many supernatural based series, the goth aesthetic is oozing out of every pore.
