"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" (William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg)

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

Inspired, in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books, “Morris Lessmore” is a story of people who devote their lives to books and books who return the favor. Morris Lessmore is a poignant, humorous allegory about the curative powers of story. Using a variety of techniques (miniatures, computer animation, 2D animation) award winning author/ illustrator William Joyce and Co-director Brandon Oldenburg present a new narrative experience that harkens back to silent films and M-G-M Technicolor musicals. “Morris Lessmore” is old fashioned and cutting edge at the same time.

“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” is one of five animated short films that will be considered for outstanding film achievements of 2011 in the 84th Academy Awards ®.

Film Awards Won by “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore”
To date, “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” film has drummed up fans all over the world taking home the following awards:
· Cinequest Film Fest: Best Animated Short
· Palm Springs International ShortFest: Audience Favorite Award
· SIGGRAPH: Best in Show

Trailer for the Oscar nominated short "Dimanche" (Sunday)

Dimanche / Sunday (trailer) from doiion on Vimeo.

Every Sunday, it's the same old routine! The train clatters through the village and almost shakes the pictures off the wall. In the church, Dad dreams about his toolbox. And of course later Grandma will get a visit and the animals will meet their fate.

facebook.com/dimanchelefilm

/// Awards & Mentions ///
Academy Awards Nomination (Best Animated Short Film), USA 2012
Annie Awards Nomination (Best Animated Short Subject), USA 2012
Special Mention (Generation K+ Short Film), Berlin International Film Festival 2011
Most Inventive International Film Award, Odense International Film Festival 2011
Best Children Film Award, Varna World Festival of Animated Film 2011
ASIFA-Colorado Award for the Best Animated Short, Denver Film Festival 2011
Best of International Program #4 (Judges Choices), Melbourne International Animation Festival 2011
Special Mention (Best Short Film), CINANIMA International Animated Film Festival 2011
Honourable Mention (Best Canadian Animation), Ottawa International Animation Festival 2011

Trailer for the Oscar nominated short "A Morning Stroll"

'When a New Yorker walks past a chicken on his morning stroll, we're left to wonder which one is the real city slicker...'

STUDIO AKA is pleased to present the trailer for a new short from Director GRANT ORCHARD. Based loosely on a real life event recounted in Paul Auster's brilliant book 'True Tales of American Life', 'A MORNING STROLL' tells the story of one New Yorker's early morning encounter with a chicken, an event that plays out over 100 years.

A MORNING STROLL is currently nominated for both the short animation OSCAR & short animation BAFTA in 2012...!

Cartoon Brew Will Livestream the Annie Awards on February 4th

AN EVENING WITH DON HERTZFELDT at IFC Center

Acclaimed animator Don Hertzfeldt will appear in person to present his newest film and a selection of his award-winning earlier shorts Monday, March 26, 2012 at 7:00pm! Hertzfeldt’s new film, It’s Such a Beautiful Day, making its exclusive regional premiere at IFC Center, is the third and final chapter in a trilogy about a mysterious man named Bill. The entire trilogy will be screened together for the first time on new 35mm prints, followed by a live Q&A with Hertzfeldt.

Nearly two years in the making, the 23-minute It’s Such a Beautiful Day is Hertzfeldt’s longest, and most ambitious, piece to date. Blending traditional animation, experimental optical effects, trick photography, and new digital hyrbids printed out one frame at a time, the movie was captured entirely on an antique 35mm animation stand, one of the last remaining cameras of its kind left in America.

Don Hertzfeldt’s animated films have been featured in over a thousand film festivals and venues around the world and have collectively received over 150 international awards. Some notable honors include a Short Film Palme D’or nomination at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival (Billy’s Balloon), a 2001 Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short (Rejected), the Sundance Film Festival’s Jury Award in Short Filmmaking (Everything Will Be OK), and Best Picture and Best Screenplay from the Fargo Film Festival (I Am So Proud of You). In 2010, Don received the San Francisco International Film Festival’s “Persistence of Vision” Lifetime Achievement Award at the age of 33.

Go here for tickets: http://www.ifccenter.com/films/an-evening-with-don-hertzfeldt/

"IGNITE" is an awesome piece of animation created by Hush Studios for has for Marsh

MARSH "IGNITE" (dir. cut) from HUSH on Vimeo.

Miguel A. Salek - Effects Reel

Miguel A. Salek - Effects Reel from Miguel Salek on Vimeo.

Check out Miguel's work on his website: http://www.msalek.com/

"This Idea is Not Working" by Henrique Barone completed in the Classical Animation course at Vancouver Film School.

THIS IDEA IS NOT WORKING from Henrique Barone on Vimeo.


View more of Henrique Barone's work at his website.

ELECTRIC THEATRE COLLECTIVE a new vfx house in London is making a name for itself

"A BRAND new visual effects company in London's Soho, the Electric Theatre is the lovechild of three young VFX guys with reputations for enhancing film projects through visionary flair, and is fast establishing itself as a bright new light in the world of advertising and film.

The varnish may have barely dried on our reception counter but Lee, James and Giles' pedigree is firmly established. Each of them a former star employee of industry giant The Mill, they have now welded together their carefully honed talents to create a gleaming, turbo charged post-production machine, right in the midst of the film and advertising capital.

A passion for ideas; CGI and compositing expertise; a dedication to VFX detail; the creative intelligence to bring subtlety when required or extravagance when desired - all of these qualities have landed our team an enviable CV littered with award-winning high profile commercials for the likes of Guinness, Nike, Hovis and Old Spice.

But while our prehistory evolved in the big business landscape, Electric Theatre's strength lies in the future and a small-business hunger driven by a personal passion that borders on obsession (anyone who needs convincing of that should just ask the Natural History Museum bird expert who James harangued for weeks while creating the angel wings in "Lynx's" Fallen Angels ad).

Existing relationships between our team and award winning directors, production companies and advertising agencies mean Electric Theatre is already on first name terms with leading lights throughout the industry.

We're ready to go, and looking forward to working with you soon."

Check out their work on their site:
http://electrictheatre.tv/Index.html

"IRON SKY" or to put it more accurately (The Nazis From the Dark Side of the Moon)

A pretty ridiculous premise and a knowingly silly film. "Iron Sky" will premiere next month at the Berlin Film Festival.

A Sneak Peak as some of the new changes coming in Photoshop CS6

Stephen Colbert’s Interview with Maurice Sendak, Parts 1 and 2

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Jeff Scher creates a mesmerizing music video for "Matchstick" by American Royalty

 

American Royalty - Matchstick from American Royalty on Vimeo.

If you have ever seen a movie at the IFC center here in New York you are already familiar with the work of animator Jeff Scher who made the animated intro sequence that is played before every film there.

  

"Entering The Stronghold" an amazing piece of effects animation

Psyop "Split Second" for IBM

IBM - Split Second from Elliot Blanchard on Vimeo.

Surf the Web in 3D with the Tilt 3D plugin for Firefox

This Year's Oscar Nominated Short films (courtesy of Cartoon Brew)

The nominees for BEST ANIMATED SHORT, announced today by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scienes, are:

A Morning Stroll by Grant Orchard (Studio AKA)
Read Cartoon Brew’s post about A Morning Stroll and our coverage of Grant Orchard throughout the 

years.

Dimanche / Sunday by Patrick Doyon (NFB)



La Luna by Enrico Casarosa (Pixar)
Read Cartoon Brew’s coverage of La Luna.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg (Moonbot Studios)
Read Cartoon Brew’s post about The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.

Wild Life by Amanda Forbis & Wendy Tilby (NFB)
Read Cartoon Brew’s post about Wild Life.

Fox Classics movies ID's by Australia based DMCI

FOX CLASSICS - Forever Classic ID - A Full Minute from The DMCI on Vimeo.

   Check out more work by Australia based DMCI here: http://www.thedmci.com.au/

"African plains, manes and stolen meals" by Chris O'Hara

African plains, manes and stolen meals by Chris O’Hara (Ireland): “Featuring audio from Planes, Trains and Automobiles.“
Courtesy of Cartoon Brew: http://www.cartoonbrew.com/animated-fragments/animated-fragments-16.html
African plains, manes and stolen meals from Chris O'Hara on Vimeo.

New more natural E-book interface allows for multiple page flipping

My First HW For The First 3D Class At SVA

Onesize for Ericsson (includes an interesting look at the animatic for this piece)

Ericsson CES 2012 Keynote Film from Onesize on Vimeo.



Ericsson CES 2012 Keynote Film Animatic from Onesize on Vimeo.

Psyop "All in the Cloud" for IBM

IBM "All in the Cloud" - Psyop from Mark Rohrer on Vimeo.

Technical Director / CG Lead - I learned a lot on this one from the seriously talented team at Psyop. All 3d work done in Maya, rendered with mentalRay.

Agency - Ogilvy
Production - Psyop (psyop.tv)
Creative Directors - Marie Hyon & Marco Spiers
Executive Producer - Lydia Holness
Senior Producer - Crystal Campbell
Producer - Kay Chen

Technical Director / CG Lead - Mark Rohrer
Lead Animator - Kitty Lin
Lead Compositor - Manu Gaulot

Modelling - Dan Fine, Todd Daniele, Soo Hee Han, Dave White, Rie Ito

Animation - Kitty Lin, Roman Kobryn, David Han, Consuelo Macri, Chang-Pei Wu

Rigging - Vadim Kiyaev, Rick Fronek

Lighting / Rendering - Dan Fine, Sylvia Apostol, Soo Hee Han, Dave White, Denis Kozyrev, Shuchen Lin

FX - Gregory Ecker (Houdini), Fabio Piparo (Maya)

Compositors - Manu Gaulot, John Loughlin, Herculano Fernandes, Carl Mok

Check out more Psyop work for IBM on Motionographer

New York Maya Users Group meeting Feb 1st

Ryan O'Phelan and his team from Buck will be presenting and discussing the making of their amazing commercial for V8.

Buck (buck.tv)
Specializing in design-driven creative, Buck’s directors and artists
use animation, visual effects and live action to collaborate with
clients, from concept to delivery, producing work that is visceral,
innovative, and diverse. From offices in New York and Los Angeles,
Buck works with a broad range of clients in the advertising,
broadcast, retail, film and entertainment industries.

Ryan O'Phelan is the CG Supervisor for Buck's New York office. He is a
lead artist and manages the 3D department. As a generalist, he likes
to get his hands into all parts of the workflow from previs through
compositing.

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
7:00 PM - 9:30 pm
38W 21st Street, 9th Floor


RSVP at the following link:

http://nymayausersgroup.blogspot.com/2012/01/february-1st-2012-users-group-meeting.html

"Redline" trailer

Here is the trailer for the really wild looking 2009 anime film "Redline." Apparently the film was in production for seven years in Japan at Madhouse studio and is just now getting a DVD release in the US.

Here's the synopsis:

"Redline" is about the biggest and most deadly racing tournament in the universe. Only held once every five years, everyone wants to stake their claim to fame, including JP, a reckless dare-devil driver oblivious to speed limits with his ultra-customized car - all the while, organized crime and militaristic governments want to leverage the race to their own ends. Amongst the other elite rival drivers in the tournament, JP falls for the alluring Sonoshee - but will she prove his undoing, or can a high speed romance survive a mass destruction race?

"PROTECT - IP"....... BAD

http://fightforthefuture.org/pipa/

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

Ars Technica

Wikipedia

The making of the title sequence of "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by BLUR

"Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Title Sequence by Blur from Motionographer on Vimeo.




Making Of "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Titles from Motionographer on Vimeo.





"Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Contact Sheet from Motionographer on Vimeo.


Read an interview with BLUR's Tim Miller on Motionographer 

"The Future of CGI with Michael Bay, Jon Favreau, and Ray Liota"

The Future of CGI w/ Michael Bay, Jon Favreau, Ray Liotta and Paul Scheer & Rob Huebel from Michael Bay

A couple of amazing little spots by strangely named Swiss animation studio MUSCLEBEAVER

How Your Money Works from MUSCLEBEAVER on Vimeo.



 
Glückskette from MUSCLEBEAVER on Vimeo.

Trailer for "Moonrise Kingdom" Wes Anderson's new film

Disney's new Animation themed Resort looks scary.

"A Year of Sun with Mr. Persol" by Passion Pictures

A Year of Sun with Mr. Persol - HD from Yuki 7 on Vimeo.


Produced for PERSOL // persol.com // ©MMXII

PRODUCTION: Passion Pictures // passion-pictures.com
DIRECTED BY: Kevin Dart // kevindart.com // Stéphane Coëdel // vimeo.com/steffromuk
PRODUCER: Ryan Goodwin-Smith // ryan.gs
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Jen Coatsworth
DESIGNERS: Kevin Dart // Chris Turnham // christurnham.com
ANIMATORS: Jeremy Pires // vimeo.com/jeremypires // Nelson Boles // vimeo.com/nelsonboles // Nick Appleton
ANIMATION ASSISTANT: Mariano Melman
COMPOSITING: Stéphane Coëdel // Celine Desrumaux // groovythesushi.blogspot.com
EDITING: Stéphane Coëdel
STORY: Kevin Dart // Stéphane Coëdel // Elizabeth Ito // kikutowne.com // Chris Mitchell //jinzoningen.blogspot.com/
SOUND AND MUSIC: Dave Newby // vimeo.com/dnewby

AGENCY: Winkreative, London, UK // winkreative.com
CREATIVE DIRETOR: Tyler Brûlé
DESIGN DIRECTOR: Maurus Fraser
ART DIRECTOR: Silke Klinnert
ACCOUNT MANAGER: Ariane Elfen
COPYWRITER: Matthew Temple
PRODUCER: Julie Thyman

"Fotoshop by Adobe'"

Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Trailer for "Onward" by John Robson

Onward Trailer from John Robson on Vimeo.


The Making of Onward from John Robson on Vimeo.

“The Strange Case of Dad’s Missing Head” teaser

Headless - Strange Case of Dad's Missing Head from Flaunt Productions on Vimeo.

"Headless Productions, the independent studio based in Barcelona Spain run by Adrian Garcia, Alfredo Torres, Victor Maldonado and Julien Bizat, have just made public this teaser piece created for their proposed 2D feature. "

Courtesy of Cartoon Brew: http://www.cartoonbrew.com/page/5

Upcoming 2012 Feature Animations listed in order of release

 This list can be found at the following link:

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/disney/preview-2012-u-s-animated-features.html

 

The Secret World of Arriety
The Clock family are four-inch-tall people who live anonymously in another family’s residence, borrowing simple items to make their home. Life changes for the Clocks when their daughter, Arrietty, is discovered.
Release Date: 2/17
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Production Company: Studio Ghibli
Distributor: Walt Disney
Technique: hand-drawn
Voice Cast: Bridgit Mendler, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett
Film Website
 

 

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
A 12-year-old boy searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.
Release Date: 3/2
Directors: Chris Renaud, Kyle Balda
Production Company: Illumination
Distributor: Universal
Technique: CG
Voice Cast: Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Danny DeVito
Film Website

The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Pirate Captain sets out on a mission to defeat his rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz for the Pirate of the year Award. The quest takes Captain and his crew from the shores of Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London.
Release Date: 3/30
Directors: Peter Lord, Jeff Newitt
Production Company: Aardman Animation
Label: Sony Animation
Distributor: Columbia
Technique: clay stop-mo
Voice Cast: Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven
Film Website




Le Magasin des Suicides (The Suicide Shop)
Based on a bestselling book by Jean Teulé, it’s a black comedy about a family that runs a suicide supply shop in a dreary town. The family’s business is threatened when a new baby arrives who makes everyone around him happy.
Release Date: 5/16 (France/Belgium), 6/14 (Netherlands)
Directors: Patrice LeConte
Production Company: Diabolo Films (France), La Petite Reine, Entre Chien et Loup (Belgique) and Caramel Films (Canada)
Distributor: ARP Sélection
Technique: hand-drawn, cut-out

 

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo join a traveling circus in an effort to get back home to New York.
Release Date: 6/8
Director: Eric Darnell
Production Company: Dreamworks
Distributor: Paramount
Technique: CG
Voice Cast: Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer, Chris Rock, Sascha Baron Cohen
Film Website

Brave
Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse.
Release Date: 6/22
Directors: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
Production Company: Pixar
Studio: Pixar
Distributor: Disney
Technique: CG
Voice Cast: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson
Film Website

Ice Age: Continental Drift
Manny, Diego, and Sid embark upon another adventure after their continent is set adrift. Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world.
Release Date: 7/13
Directors: Steve Martino, Mike Thurmeier
Production Company:
Studio: Blue Sky
Distributor: 20th Century-Fox
Technique: CG
Voice Cast: Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo
Film Website

 

Okami kodomo no ame to yuki (The Wolf Children Ame and Yuki)
From the director of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Summer Wars, the story of a college student named Hana who marries a “wolf man” and gives birth to two wolf children. When the wolf man dies, Hana and the children move from the city to a quiet rural town.
Release Date: July (Japan)
Directors: Mamoru Hosoda
Production Company: Studio Chizu, Madhouse
Distributor: TOHO
Technique: Hand-drawn
Film Website

ParaNorman
A misunderstood boy who can speak with the dead, takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse.
Release Date: 8/17
Directors: Chris Butler, Sam Fell
Production Company: Laika
Distributor: Focus Features
Technique: Stop-Motion
Voice Cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Film Website

 

Hotel Transylvania
Dracula, who operates a high-end resort away from the human world, goes into overprotective mode when a boy discovers the resort and falls for the count’s teen-aged daughter.
Release Date: 9/21
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Production Company: Sony Animation
Distributor: Columbia
Technique: CG
Voice Cast: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Andy Samberg
Film Website

Frankenweenie
Young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.
Release Date: 10/5
Director: Tim Burton
Production Company: Walt Disney
Distributor: Disney
Technique: stop-motion
Voice Cast: Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short
Film Website

 

Wreck-It Ralph
The bad-guy character in a classic game who longs to be a hero brings trouble to his entire arcade after sneaking into a new first-person shooter game and unleashing a deadly enemy.
Release Date: 11/2
Director: Rich Moore
Production Company: Walt Disney Feature Animation
Distributor: Disney
Technique: CG
Voice Cast: John C. Reilly, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch

 

Rise of the Guardians
Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Jack Frost and the Sandman band together to form a united front against the Bogeyman.
Release Date: 11/21
Director: Peter Ramsey, William Joyce
Production Company: Dreamworks
Distributor: Paramount
Technique: CG
Voice Cast: Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin, Isla Fisher
Film Website

Dorothy of Oz
Back in Kansas, Dorothy Gale decides to return to Oz in order to help her friends.
Director: Will Finn, Dan St. Pierre
Production Company: Summertime Entertainment
Technique: CG
Voice Cast: Lea Michele, Patrick Stewart, Hugh Dancy
Film Website

Escape from Planet Earth
Astronaut Scorch Supernova finds himself caught in a trap when he responds to an SOS from a notoriously dangerous alien planet.
Director: Callan Brunker
Production Company: Blue Yonder Films
Distributor: Weinstein Company
Technique: CG
Voice Cast: Jessica Alba, Sarah Jessica Parker, Brendan Fraser
Film Website

Norm of the North
Displaced from their Arctic home, a polar bear named Norm and his three lemming friends wind up in New York City, where Norm becomes the mascot of a corporation he soon learns is tied to the fate of his homeland.
Director: Anthony Bell
Production Company: RichCrest Animation
Distributor: Lionsgate
Technique: CG
Voice Cast: Ken Jeong, Rob Schneider, Zachary Gordon
Film Press Release




Cheech & Chong’s Animated Movie
Cheech & Chong’s Animated Movie is a film based on Cheech and Chong’s classic Grammy award winning albums.
Director: Branden Chambers, Eric D. Chambers
Technique: Flash
Voice Cast: Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong
Official Facebook Page

 

Ribbit
“The tale of a frog with an identity crisis..”
Director: Chuck Powers
Technique: CGI
Voice Cast: Sean Astin, Tim Curry
Production company: KRU Studios (Malaysia)
Official Facebook page

A Liar’s Autobiography
Based on the memoirs of deceased Monty Python member Graham Chapman. Fifteen different UK animation companies will be contributing animated segments to the film. The film will receive a theatrical release in the UK in Spring 2012, and shown on the EPIX HD channel in the US.
Director: Bill Jones, Ben Timlett, Jeff Simpson
Production Company: Bill and Ben Productions
Voice Cast: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam
Film Website

Trailer for Adam and Dog by Disney visual development artist Minkyu Lee

Adam and dog Trailer from Minkyu on Vimeo.

Just a heads up on a new personal short by Disney visual developement artist Minkyu Lee. It was just nominated for an Annie Award, but it hasn’t been widely seen yet. Minkyu sent us the trailer with this note:

"This is a short film that me and a group of my close friends made. It was put together by artists who work in various different studios which include Disney feature, Dreamworks and Pixar! The animation is done by myself (Disney), Jennifer Hager (Disney), James Baxter (Dreamworks), Mario Furmanczyk (Disney), Austin Madison (Pixar), and Matt Williames. Glen Keane also helped by being a consultant on the film, and also doing some visual development. It is a completely independent film without any major studio involvement. We are really excited for people to see it, and wanted to share."

Courtesy of Cartoon Brew: http://www.cartoonbrew.com/

"Doomed" by Guillermo García Carsí

Doomed from AllaKinda on Vimeo.

" 'Doomed' is a pilot for a new serie from the highly talented Guillermo García Carsí (Pocoyo's director).
It's about a set of strange creatures whose instincts instead of focusing on
survival seem doomed them to an absurd and
comic extinction, in the presence of the astonished
gaze of the narrator.
We were pleased to make the animation for this fantastic and weird 3D animated piece, working with a great team for El Señor Studio (elsenorstudio.com).
Good luck with the project!"