Another wonderful Christmas special this one in three parts - produced by the Disney Studios with the next generation of animators.
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A COSMIC CHRISTMAS appeared on TV in 1977. It signaled the rise of Nelvanna Studios as a player in the Industry. Directed by Clive Smith, this TV special was one of several produced during the late 70's - included THE DEVIL AND DANIEL MOUSE and ROME-O AND JULIE-8 among others.
I watched a few of these at Chuck Jones' studio. Chuck really liked the the Nelvanna style and full animation. He saw it as the future of the industry.
Here is a link to a site that plays the entire special...
Over the next few weeks, I have decided to post animation from the Christmas Holiday Season. To create an online Animated Christmas Festival.
I will either embed the animation or give the link directly to it. Hopefully full versions of the animation will be available.
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Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays to All!
Enjoy!
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Here it is...finally
The first Episode of IN SEARCH OF OSAMA by director Raul O'Leary. Produced by yours truly.
Several years ago Raul figured that Osama had escaped Afghanistan and now lived on Tybee Island, Georgia. He began his quest to find Osama. The footage is raw, POV and mostly filmed in the early morning hours.
Six episodes are planned. We hope the film is festival bound. Enjoy!
A look at our coming index page!
GREAT NEWS!!! We are up to 8 lessons with Animation FUNdamentals. The lessons have several lecture demos and handouts. Each lesson is designed to be fun and with the kind of information everyone starting out craves. At $20.00 each they are the best deal going for Junior High, High School and even College. The course is not a college class but they go into the depth folks need to progress.
Next up Tarzan and the Fat Jump! Tarzan is one that uses a number of "actions". Overlapping action, drag, action, successive break of joints, lead and follow action, delayed action, action/reaction and recovery. I designed the lesson to maximize the information, to be simple and FUN!!!
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Hello.
Here is a song from Deverelle (pronounced duh verle). It's a new rock band gaining attention in New York City. The bandmates are Trever(lead singer), Matt (lead guitar), David (rhythm guitar), Paul (bass guitar) and on the drums- Carl.
This video was taken at a practice space. Deverelle has more videos on youtube and has a Facebook, and Myspace page.
Of course Matt is Matt Lauria from... our family and - currently on Lipstick Jungle.
Finally finished!
The animation for our Animation FUNdamentals online class is completed. Now all we have to do to edit the animation and live-action together - add some sound and...there you go.
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I used Digicel Inc's FLIPBOOK software - it is SOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo easy to use.
Many thanks to Kent Braun and the other folks at Digicel.
Since my return from St. Simon's Island, GA., I have been loaded down with animation work...it's a VERY good thing...always love to do animation.
Here are some drawings/paintings that I have not posted.
Tomorrow is a definite "art" day. I will be over in Beaufort, South Carolina to do more painting. Thinking of taking my oils and my watercolors...I hope we get good weather.
Still Animated!!!!
On Saturday, I had a chance to drive down to St. Simon's Island to do a little "ON LOCATION" drawing and painting.
I took state road # 17 down to avoid the traffic on I-95 South. My first stop was Darien. Fort King George was erected in 1721 to ward off the Spanish to the South and the French to the West.
I have always been curious about the fort, as the drove through on other occasions. This time I stopped and took the grand tour (self-guided) through the Museum, the video presentations and the fort, itself.
It must have been a hard life- on a cool morning- I still deluged by clouds of mosquitoes...so the tour, though informative was accomplished at a rather quick pace. It was very good- it was an exercise in decisiveness for my photographic choices!!!
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Hell. Back from holiday and busy at work, finishing scripts, animating and doing more lessons for Animation FUNdamentals. I am having a great time! I love to animate and to teach...doing both and really enjoying it!
More blog stuff in the works...summer holidays are over time to get down to business.
Still Animated
Many times I have displayed work from On Location trips. To me this is a bit different than actual plein air painting. The On Location sketches capture the spontaneity of the moment...your are right there trying to relate the flavor of everything occurring then and there - the people and their moods, activities; the environment and it's colors, moods, time of day and weather. The great film director, David Lean referred to location as character - well, that is an element On Location sketches try to capture. Obviously the sketches can also serve for further exploration back in the studio with other types of mediums.
The Savannah area is rich with wonderful locations to draw and paint!
The past few Saturday mornings have been spent at various location around Savannah - in the oak shrouded squares, the City Market, down on River Street and across the River on Hutchinson Island - we observe, we draw and we paint. EVERYTHING is reference!
We work in various medium- pencil, ballpoint pen, ink pen, watercolors with a brushpen.
The brush pen is a handy tool for On Location sketching. The water is contained in the body of the brush which makes it easy to use with a dry watercolor set and/or an ink pen. With an ink pen, you just paint over the lines of the sketch to create values.
With the Games fast approaching, Ty B. Bear has been hard at work preparing for his events.
Okay, so he's a cartoon character...and he lives by the beach...and maybe he's not even an athletic cartoon character, but...he can get into the spirit of the Games.
Here are a few more sketches...for these I use ball point pen without any pencil drawing. I just go to it and see what appears on the sheet of paper. But, I am not crazy- i do thumbnails before each...
Because of my participation in the Olympiad of Animation (Los Angeles 1984), the games have always been a reminder of what can result when folks are determined to celebrate through animation.
Back in 1984, the selfless efforts of Fini and Bill Littlejohn created a unique event that has never been paralleled. I t was a thrill to see Rupert's Olympic Feet on the screen at the Academy. There was also a selection of animated shorts considered the best of all time. I dare say their artistry and themes would hold up even today...animation doesn't age like other artforms.
YEAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
a joint venture between Larry's Toonistitute and Digicel Inc. is now online.
After months of preparation- "it's soup"
You can see the intro here
We decided to open the doors and keep tweaking the site. So you will see lots of cosmetic changes over the next few months - but the content is there.
This course is very affordable! About $20.00 USD a lesson give you several lecture/demos and several handouts you can download. Direct feedback or assistance from me is an extra fee - but very reasonable - about 15.00 for 20 or so minutes (I don't have a stopwatch).
The lessons are based in FLIPBOOK software by Digicelinc. Software which is very good and very inexpensive. I use Flipbook on all my animation projects.
Hey!
GREAT NEWS!!! OUR WORLD has been selected for the Southern Circuit Traveling Festival a group of independent films that tour the Southeast. The tour will begin in October and will continue through April 09.
I will post more news as it becomes available...
Here is today's sketch....
Thanks
Where ever I go (mainly, to the beach), I take along my trusty sketchbook, watercolor paper, pens, waterbrush pens, pencils sharpeners and my small water color set.
I have a blast- working with watercolors first or pens first or sketching with pencils in my book. I never do a pre-drawing with pencil- I like to go free form and see what develops.
Here are some recent sketches...and a couple of photos of what I call The Show (the sunrise on Tybee Island, Georgia.
Enjoy
In July, I do an on-location art workshop at the Jepson Center for the Arts (9:00 am to 12:00 pm, Saturdays beginning July 12th.)...can't wait to be out and painting.
Here's Ty B. Bear and the new logo
Always Animated!
I am taking down this post because I have more ideas to include...thanks for your ideas...
Sorry...I was bursting at the seams...sorting out my feelings about war in general - not just the current war. That, plus a health dose of Howard Zinn materials (DVD, CD and you tube, big think entries) and Memorial Day...and out came this little "work in progress"...
Now... how do I end it...any suggestions?
I can add and also delete...I made the beginning long on purpose - to make folks uncomfortable.
Please email me with suggestions: lanimate@bellsouth.net
Thanks!
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Here is a clip of Rupert's Olympic Feet produced in 1984.
This humble film was the beginning for bigger things...
It was the beginning of what became The Animation House, Inc. - a studio that at times, employed some 40 artists.
Animation on Rupert was by Bess Powell, Stuart Louder and yours truly. Stuart also painted all the backgrounds. This film was "ruff" spontaneous and full of passion. Unfortunately, a better copy is not available.
A mostly volunteer staff helped with the inking and painting on acetate cels. Folks would stay all night at our house and ink and paint. We would kick everyone out at 2:00 am when the Late Show with David Letterman was over. We even sent him an animation cel and told him he could "sponsor" our film. He never did pick up on it...wonder if he ever got the cel?
The story of RUPERT’S OLYMPIC FEET… part 1
It was February 1st, 1984, Charles Samu from HBO was in town- and, since I was president of ASIFA Washington, we along with our wives enjoyed dinner. At one point, Charles looked at me and asked, “So, are you making a film for the Olympiad of Animation?”” Yes.” I replied. “How is it progressing?” Charles responded. “I don’t know…” I quipped”…we begin it tomorrow!”
He just looked at me with a quizzical, partially horrified stare.
At that moment, I fully understood his emotions. Today was February 1st and the film had to be shipped by April 1st…that gave us just under 2 months to produce, direct and animate a film.
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I am doing an opening for our new online animation course....Animation FUNdamentals .
The course will be directed at junior high and high school students...and anyone, at any level can participate.
This partial sequence features Ty B. Bear in his most extensive animated appearance to date.
The pencil test is drawn in pencil and then shot with a mini DV camera into Flipbook by Digicel ...the easiest animation software out there...
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This student animated music video is the by-product of a 6 session animation workshop for the FEFC Home School organization.
We combined weeks of 2D, stop-motion, pixilation... using paper, pencils, clay, people, objects and pasta.
Many thanks to the students for their hard work and animated "play". Special thanks to my daughter-in-law, Michelle Armstrong Lauria for her inspiration, music, and voice...and her performance! She is also truly amazing!
More Thanks to the FEFC and Janey Miley for their tireless work and support.
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Here is a short lecture demo on line of action as it pertains to thumbnails and posing.
Always thumbnail out your key poses before you lay down your keys- no matter what kind of animation you do : 2D, 3D, stopmotion.
Happy Animation Day!
Today animators will gather to celebrate the world's best artform...
I pay tribute to all those here... and in the here after, that made my animation journey wonderful!
Some recent photos of my studio....my animation environment...
Have a great day!
Jim Korkis is an amazing individual! His in your face style of presentation is hilarious as well as delightful!
He is one of best authorities on Disney History and he has penned several books including Cartoon Confidential. I have learned a lot from Jim in so many ways.
He has been the guest of many festivals and conferences including the COMICON in San Diego.
He left his job and his acting career in L.A. and moved to Orlando to take care of his ailing parents.
He joined the staff at the Disney Institute in 1995 and immediately made an impact on our team. His specialty was writing, acting and presentation. As I have said time and time again- you did NOT want to follow Jim during a presentation - his skill levels are so high - the only way for you… was down! That said, Jim was always gracious and warm and wonderful.
