Category Archives: Inspiration

Tribute to Steven Spielberg

Posted on by kathryndurfee
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Director Steven Spielberg was celebrated by the DGA on June 11, 2011 as part of the DGA’s 75th Anniversary. Spielberg is a DGA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and a three-time DGA award winner. The two-hour panel discussion features Spielberg discussing his craft with J.J. Abrams and James Cameron. The panel was moderated by Michael Apted, the 75th Anniversary Committee Chair.

Here is the link to a ton of clips from the event. Clicking on the first thumbnail will play the entire 2-hour panel. Enjoy!

 

Strobe Photography Captures Animal Locomotion

Posted on by kathryndurfee
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Kim Taylor, a 78-year-old gentleman from Surrey, has developed his own photography equipment to recreate the strobe effect used by Eadweard Muybridge and fellow British photographer Stephen Dalton. His homemade unit allows him to capture the actions of animals in his garden at fractions of a second on a single photographic frame (as opposed to superimposing the images in post).

The result is a stunning look at the mechanics of animals and insects. Check out the post here. I would love to see more of his work! For now, I’ll just oogle over this owl:

Landing owl: A beautiful white and beige owl lands is pictured landing on a wooden post in a Surrey garden

Thoughts on Subtext

Posted on by kathryndurfee
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I have just discovered a great blog post by animator Tomas Jech, who was (I believe) an animation intern at Pixar when this post was written in 2008.

He offers some great tips about thinking through the thoughts and actions of your character for ways to add subtext to a shot. Jech offers notes on three topics: personality, feelings, and thoughts.

From Jech:

Personality: what is your character generally like? how does she hold herself? is she an introvert or extrovert? Personality will dictate your initial posing of the character, and how the feelings and thoughts are framed.
Feeling: what is your character like right now? what is the context of the scene? Feeling is layered onto the personality, an introvert who currently feels outgoing will look very different then someone outgoing who is feeling outgoing.
Thoughts: What is your character thinking? Thoughts are shaped by the personality, feeling and context. Thoughts are the last internal process. For instance, when you touch something hot, your body reacts first, then you think “SHIT, THAT IS HOT!” and it isn’t until after you think that you speak.

Check out the original post for a great example of what NOT to do from funnyman Ben Stiller.

CTNX Panel Discussion: Tools of the Trade of a Successful Animator

Posted on by kathryndurfee
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I haven’t had time to watch this yet, but I am definitely looking forward to it! This popped up on the CTNX channel over at Vimeo, and it was also highlighted on the blogs of both Pixar animators Victor Navone and Carlos Baena.

Tools of the Trade of a Successful Animator Yesterday Today and Beyond from Creative Talent Network on Vimeo.

Kevin Spacey Does Impersonations

Posted on by kathryndurfee
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Thanks to Kyle Kenworthy for posting this over on On Animation!

This is a great collection of impersonations performed by Kevin Spacey during his interview on Inside the Actors Studio. Now, a lot of people can mimic voices – my mom does a mean Spongebob, and I have to say my Chewbacca isn’t too shabby. However, what makes these truly great is the fact that Spacey not only mimics the voice but also the natural movements that make the people he’s impersonating so memorable. He’s got the hand gestures of Jimmy Stewart, the glances of Johnny Carson, and the head shake of an elderly Katharine Hepburn.

Not only is this a great resource in itself, but it reminds us animators that we’re not just working with a voice; we’re creating a character. The more ways you can make your character unique, memorable, and believable, the better. Mannerisms like those seen here are what make us who we are.

Check it:

 

Smears, Multiples, and Animation Gimmicks

Posted on by kathryndurfee
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This amazing Tumblr blog was sent to me a few days ago by a friend. It’s a collection of, well, smears, multiples, and other animation gimmicks.

As the owner of the blog explains,

“In live action films, motion blurs are natural occurrences. In animation, you have to make them from scratch. And most of them are pieces of art by themselves.”

So true.