Nugget of Awesome

[tealin]

opening 2D scene - now in Quicktime!

WARNING: You may go blind from sheer awesomeness. (My eyes! It's too awesome!)

I was extremely lucky that I got to see this come together (though I didn't work on it myself). It's astonishing how much it looks like the original concept artwork, but moving. Those flags at the beginning, for example, were gestural paint strokes, but they animate like flags and still look the same! And if anyone needs a lesson in arcs they just have to look at the swooshy kung fu bits because they are perfect. All the 2D character animation and, I think, most of the effects, were done by James Baxter; the rest is AfterEffects which was animated by a very small group of likewise very talented people. I am in deepest awe.

There's also the closing credits animation (in lovely big Quicktime which you can stopframe) which I think was done after they all moved to Dreamworks.

I have to wait till next weekend to see the rest of the movie, though...

Comments

[septentrio.livejournal.com]

We went and saw it the other day, I actually really enjoyed it, despite the spawn of Satan (little boy) sitting in front of us. I swear to god he was gonna phase shift through the theatre if he didn't get his ritalin soon, omg.

Steve and I agreed, the entire movie should have looked like the beginning 2D sequence. I couldn't help but think of Samurai Jack seeing that, and I mean that as a compliment, cause I think that show is gorgeous.

Hey, I have a question that I guess isn't entirely unrelated... My boyfriend Steve (vinnybones) wanted me to ask you how you got your job at Disney? He worked on Titan AE at Fox Animation in Phoenix before they folded and I suggested he's got a better chance of getting into that line of work again with experience than someone without experience (i.e., me), so I told him I'd ask you how you went about it. Got any tips?

He was hired straight out of the Art Institute and did coloring, I think. He's humble but I get the impression from his ex-coworker that he was one of the fastest/best workers in his department. Sorry to ask, I feel like a fangirl or something. Feel free not to answer. :)

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

I got my job by knowing people and applying to the Talent Development program. Judging by his experience I'd guess Steve is more than a few years out of school so he'd probably have to apply the regular way, i.e. sending a portfolio to H.R. ... they should have that info somewhere on their website. I think they're outsourcing the ink & paint for Frog to keep costs and crowding down, so he might be better off applying to one of the studios that's doing it ... I don't know which ones they are though. There might be one in Florida. My information is vague at best. Good luck, though!

[septentrio.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for the reply. Yeah he was hired directly out of the Art Institute by Fox (did I say that already?) so it's been a few years now. It's such a shame Fox folded here, and it still boggles my mind why there aren't a million animation (and film) companies situated in Phoenix yet. I mean, it's practically California version two. (Or three, I guess, if you count most of Canada as two...) There are always rumors of film companies and such moving in, but it seems like they never get around to it. Alas.

I'm glad to hear Disney's outsourcing but staying in the country. Maybe that sounds horrible, but I feel kind of... burning hatred (directed at... whoever makes "those decisions") whenever I hear "oh, that movie was outsourced to Korea/India/wherever." I just get... Grr, so jealous and cranky. By all means, have animation companies there, but have them in the States, too! I mean, geez, I think everyone can agree, the only thing America really consistently does right is entertain people, haha. (Either with the president or actual entertainment... Teehee.)

ANYWAY, yes, thanks for the response. Sorry I rambled. :) By the way, have I ever mentioned how much I love your default icon? I had to show it to Steve the first time I saw it, he's a huge Mignola fan (me too, but he was first). :D

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

It doesn't boggle my mind ... no offense on your hometown but Phoenix is BLOODY HOT. It makes a fair bit of sense that studios want to keep things localized; occasionally someone opens a place away from L.A. but most of the best talent lives in one city and may not be willing to move, especially for a new, unproven studio.

The outsourcing, as far as I know, is just ink&paint, which has questionable 'entertainment value' ... it's not the first time, either - did you know the billions of bubbles in Little Mermaid were done in China? They are pretty keen on keeping as much as possible in-house, but there just isn't the space for a whole ink&paint department.