January 2012
1 post
September 2011
1 post
August 2011
2 posts
July 2011
1 post
Holiday Housekeeping →
I took some time over the holiday weekend to organize my site a bit. I grabbed all of the bits I had floating around the internet and tied ‘em up in one place using cargo collective. I also took the new look and feel of the site and shared ‘em back to this blog.
June 2011
4 posts
seasaltisland asked: I have a quick question, but you probably receive this quite a lot. I really want to ask you how you became an animator. Like was it hard to get to where you are today? Should I really say is, how did you land a job with DreamWorks? Was it hard?
This is kind of what's been floating in my head for a while so I just had to ask.
Thanks! Much Appreciated!
This is kind of what's been floating in my head for a while so I just had to ask.
Thanks! Much Appreciated!
almasferas asked: My partner recently saw "How To Train Your Dragon" and noticed a strong resemblance between the dragon and our black cat Raven. Did you cats inspire your characterizations of dragons?
May 2011
1 post
March 2011
1 post
February 2011
2 posts
Dragons Webisode-Video Reference →
November 2010
1 post
October 2010
2 posts
4 tags
3 tags
Simon Otto Interview: HOCA on How To Train Your... →
Simon Otto was the Head of Character Animation on How to Train Your Dragon. In this interview he delivers some insight into the film making process at DreamWorks. In my opinion, the most important discussion in here is about the relationship between the directors and the artists working on an animated feature. When a level of trust exists, animators are able to create their best work....
August 2010
4 posts
3 tags
Some Tips on Shooting Video Reference →
rosalesdaniel asked: hello there!, your short film is really amazing! I´m starting my short to improve on animation and I really appriciate some feedback if you could.... I have the online portfolio in www.cacao3d.com or in youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrQk_l1kZuQ
Hope to see some critiques!
Hope to see some critiques!
quattroricci asked: Hi! Your movies are awesome and I decided to learn how to do it. So, my question is with which program I should start and which programs do you use?
July 2010
2 posts
June 2010
1 post
May 2010
4 posts
“Distraxion” with Mike Stern →
A quick interview to support Distraxion on Frederator.
April 2010
6 posts
Beautiful Grim →
One of my co-workers Leif Jeffers is organizing a fundraiser to help support a friend that recently went through treatment for breast cancer.
The first wave of art is up for sale on ebay and it contains work by a bunch of animation artists including Nico Marlet, James Baxter, Fabio Lignini, Pierre Perifel and Simon Otto.
Please take a look as this would be a great chance to get some amazing...
Nico Sketchbook →
You may be familiar with the artwork of Nico Marlet and not even know it. His character designs can be found in Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon and Monsters Inc.
Gallery Nucleus is selling copies of his latest sketchbook and as expected the work is remarkable. Link courtesy of the Character Design blog.
Winnebago Man →
I am so pumped that this film is going to be released. It was the highlight of the Sedona Film Festival.
So…Tony, would you do me a kindness and check it out when it comes out this Summer.
March 2010
10 posts
Dragon Shot List
I wanted to send a big thank you to everyone that went out to see How to Train Your Dragon last weekend. It had a solid opening and we’re hoping that the word of mouth will give the film some legs.
Here is a breakdown of my work on Dragons along with some visual aids from the shots that were featured in trailers/promotions. The majority of my casting was on Hiccup and Toothless learning...
5 Second Films →
As animators and animation instructors we often talk about the value of creating a short film. There is debate as to whether or not a short film course is a valuable addition to an animation curriculum.
One of the arguments against having a short film requirement is that it is too difficult to tell a worthwhile story in a film that is short enough for a single artist to be able to create.
...
2 tags
How to Train Your Dragon: Accidental Flight →
Here is a sequence from How to Train Your Dragon. I animated the shots where Hiccup is clinging onto Toothless’s tail as he flies away. They were my first production shots on this film.
3 tags
The Legend: Philip Burke →
I remember Philip Burke came to speak at Syracuse when I was studying in the illustration program there. The advice he gave to the faculty was to “stop instructing”. Turn on music and let the students sit in the room and paint. This totally blew my mind. I guess the point was to let the each student develop their own personal style. It certainly worked for him.
From CS Weekly Newsletter
“Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.” - Neil Gaiman