Zane Whittingham

I attended a pretty insightful talk last friday, with character animator Zane Whittingham (Whose studio is based in Marsden, near Huddersfield, Wesk Yorkshire), who has had 20 years of experience in the UK animation industry. Working in partnership with producer Kath Shackleton, the two takes commissions for both 2D and 3D animation projects, as well as run education projects and All Animated, a network that brings together animation professionals from across the north (Which I have been following on Twitter this whole time without realizing it, whoa~).

In his early years, Whittingham humorously struggled with gadgets, mistaking printed for scanners (And in the process destroying his heart earned work by attempting to scan them in), but it was no surprise due to the fact that computers, printers and scanners at the time were still generally new  to the public, in his 3 years of studying, only 5 computers were actually available to the entire class, and a bidding had to be held just so that each of them can use one for only 20 minutes a week (Definitely makes me appreciate what I have a lot more than ever).

Interestingly, his portfolio in the beginning that consisted of short traditional animation exercises (He didn't have enough time to do full animations and so focused on something he was more confident in) allowed him to get his first job after graduation. It involved him animation walking and running cycles, as well as design posters, and paint and trace over cels (Which ones has to be careful and precise in, otherwise those mistakes have to be carefully scratched out of the cel).

I have already heard this numerous times since I started this course, about connecting with as many people as you can in the industry, even before you get out there to work, and I am aware that it really is one of the most important aspects when one desires to get into the animation business (And it's actually a lot harder than it sounds, harder than hard)… I'm still trying though, and pathetic as it may seem, this has always unnerved me the most, especially since I keep hearing it over and over.

Perhaps what stuck with me the most from him talk was his advice is training one's self to be diverse with art style, to look into things that you are not interested in, as most of the time, you are required to work on a variety of licensed characters where you will be required to animate in a specific style (Not very often will you be allowed to use your own original style for animations, unless they are your own personal projects). This is especially notable in the animation and game reels he showed us, where each example shown differed incredibly from one another in terms of the style used (And of course the subject matter, ranging from typical children shows to ones with more mature content (And when I mean mature, I don't mean butt naked explicitness-ness, why do people always think that???)).

One has to keep with the times and also learn and familiarize themselves with as many techniques and softwares as they can, Whittingham especially was trained in 3D animating when the industry commenced with their higher demand for it (And obviously to this day, 3D animations stays in high demand, sadly in comparison to 2D animation (But we all already knew that didn't we?)).

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BAF 2013 - Lee Hardcastle

Having Lee Hardcastle as a guest speaker at the festival definitely caught me off guard, but nonetheless I knew it was going to be interesting one having him there, and I was right. And so as I held onto the edge of my seat, I prepared myself for the clips that they would inevitably show, just hoping that none of them would be as bad as "T is for Toilet" (That anal death still gets me), and surprisingly they actually weren't.

If you hadn't heard of this fellow, Lee Hardcastle is a filmmaker who specializes in stop motion plasticine videos, made in his very own bedroom, many of his videos having become internet sensations (Such as Pingu's "The Thing", Claycat's "The Raid" and numerous movie parodies based around horror and action movies and cult classics).

Hardcastle preferably likes working on his own, even during his college days, not really one to socialize with others (Which a lot of us can probably relate to). And while he disliked doing so, he made do with being the support for his team mates' own ideas back in school during group projects, before finally going solo after he graduated, simply wanting to do what he loves on his own (Which again, a lot of us can perhaps relate to).

Over the years, Hardcastle had struggled financially while continuing to stay true to what he deeply loved, through proper media exposure however (Through Youtube), Hardcastle had gotten the attention of many companies that would fund and commission him for future projects. And over those years, Hardcastle picked up on new stop motion techniques (Such as explosion effects with the use of steel wool) from other practitioners and continued improving with each piece of work.

I also found his encounter with the creators of Pingu to be both  interesting and hilarious, it wasn't even a copyright issue, but the fact that they disapproved of how their adorable characters were used for such a gruesome parody ("The Thing"), which led him later on to create his own original characters to avoid the same problem in the future.

I found Hardcastle's views considerably different to other animators (And in all, most artists), while he does tend to work alone, it is great to see how far he has come with his works, while still remaining as enthusiastic and passionate as ever about them.

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BAF 2013 - Dave McKean

An illustrator, photographer, comic book artist, graphic designer, filmmaker and musician, David McKean has been known to be one of the most creative and original artists on the scene (Having worked with/for many well known names such as Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Tori Amos, Alice Cooper, Detective Comics, Darkhorse Comics, etc.), and so it was an absolute treat attending his talk during the first day of the Bradford Animation Festival, he has a pretty awesome sense of humor to go with the whole package too.

There was just so much to take in, and I know that he was only sharing less than a quarter of his works to us. He had done numerous graphic novels, book covers, album covers, stamps, postcards… the list goes on really (That talk would be the first and last time I decide to leave my notebook in my backpack and simply sit back and listen, ignorantly believing I could remember the important bits…).

While not necessarily specializing in Animation, he has made a couple of animated films and well as incorporated some animated elements into his stylishly surreal live-action works, he is never afraid to experiment as well as seek the help of others who are far more experienced in areas he has never exactly treaded much into. While his art style is considerably distinct, it is notable that he is always happy to try out new things, new styles, techniques, mediums, medias, etc.

Considering how many projects he tends to work on, McKean knows how to manage his time well, always trying to get something done every single day, even while on vacation with his family (By doing sketches instead of taking photographs), and even if he supposedly 'hits the wall' like most artists do (Though he has said that never truly gets bored with the things he works on, which makes him all the more admirable), he just keeps on going, and that alone is inspirational to us future artists.

BAF 2013 - Animations from Professional 3 and Student 2 Reels

I honestly found the selection for Day 2 to be a whole lot more enjoyable, so this one might seem a lot lengthier as compared to the last one.

Professional 3

Marilyn Myller (Mikey Please, UK and USA)

This was probably one of the most amazingly done stop motion animations I have seen yet, aside from the fact that nearly everything was made out of foam (It's astounding how he made his characters' clothing and hair flow like that!), the lighting done for the entire thing really creates that atmosphere that the animator was aiming for (He had explored into various means for that aspect too).

I would tear my hair out if I ever attempted doing something at least 1/100 of this calibre. (I have so much respect right now for this man)

Mr Hublot (Lauren Witz, France)

As a 3D CGI animation, Mr Hublot takes advantage of creating highly detailed characters and settings for its story, and not only that, but is also one of the most creatively done ones to boot (While considerably human in appearance, the main character has a most interesting feature about him, where his thought process is practically shown on his forehead with flickering numbers). 

Character designs were absolutely wonderful for this (I mean who doesn't like steampunk?), while perhaps strange in appearances, their personalities and mannerisms are very relatable, such as the main character's OCD-ness and the lovable little robot doggie.

Obida (Anna Budanova, Russia)

Translated as "The Wound", the sketchy animation style sets the mood for the pitiful main character and works well when portraying the creature that she considers as her only friend, while at times almost giving a sense of hope that things could actually change for her, sadly this animation doesn't end on a positive note. The art style reminds me a tad of Joanna Quinn's in all honesty, but just a little. Overall the animation is beautiful in a melancholy way.

My Three Grandmas (Katalin Glaser, Hungary)

What was particularly outstanding about this animation was its storytelling and utterly endearing characters, it was a really nice way to end off the Professional 3 animation reel by presenting something so sweet and heartfelt. The visuals were really entertaining too with not all scenes being presented in a literal manner (Such as one of her grandmother having such cat-like eyes that she switches between being a human and cat, and the bear that happily eats the jam she makes).

Student 2

The Odd Sound Out (Ida Maria Schouw Andrease, Pernille Sihm, Denmark)

While "My Three Grandmas" was a nice way to end the Professional 3 reel, "The Odd Sound Out" was just as nice a way to start off the Student 2 animation reel. Everything about this animation was simply fantastic, it had beautiful visuals, a suitable animation style, and an interesting story with creatively designed physical manifestations of sound that is unique to each individual.

This is one of my most favorite 2D computer animation now.

Rabbit and Deer (Peter Vacz, Hungary)

I can see why this animation won so many awards, especially since it so cleverly and effectively mixes together 2D Computer, Hand Drawn and Puppets to explore how different dimensions can interact with one another. Also aside from that, it really is a very sweet story about how far a friendship can go between two people, will they be able to accept new changes or will it be the end?

The Magnificent Lion Boy (Ana Caro, UK)

A classic tale of heartbreak about a boy that is practically taken out of his natural habitat and almost immediately forced into a whole new way of living. The animation technique is especially visually interesting (The illustration style appears to be a mixture of several different mediums such as pencils, charcoal, graphite, chalk), by mixing traditionally drawn frames with some computer animation, it all makes for a very engaging form of storytelling. Also Andy Serkis is in this.

Miss Todd (Kristina Yee, UK)

Though a tad cheesy (In a hilariously good way), Miss Todd is another beautiful example of cut out animation, the characters were gorgeously drawn (Albeit slightly resembling Disney and Don Bluth characters), settings were wonderfully done, and the simplified animation that is normally used for cut out animations was pretty well done, you could barely notice the stiffness of their movements.

Also props to the animator for going through the effort of getting songs done for this animation.

Memoria (Elisabet r Atladottir, UK)

As a huge fan of psychological horror (Particularly game based ones), I honestly found the storyline for this one to be rather cliche, nonetheless, it was still executed really well, especially when it came to the atmosphere and ambience, I like the fast paced, nightmarish sequence as the main character futility attempts to escape and deny the truth of the sin he had committed.

Looking at all the animations from the Student Reel, I just think to myself about what other amazing works they will be able to create for the Professional Reel. It is all very inspiring stuff seeing how talented these student animators are.

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BAF 2013 - Animations from Professional 1 and Student 1 Reels

The Bradford Animation Festival was just such an amazing experience, for the first two days, I was already exposed to so many different works, that I was nearly overwhelmed. There were some really interesting and insightful talks from various animators, illustrators and VFX artists who were all just so keen on sharing their experiences with us (I will write about a few of them in separate posts).

For now I will share with you about the few animations I particularly enjoyed:

Professional 1

Boles (Spela Cadez, Germany, Slovenia)

It's amazing how such a short animation can create two such endearing characters, aside from how gorgeously detailed the puppets and settings were, there was just something about the voice acting done for these two that really added to it all. Filip and Tereza are just so astoundingly that I am so sure that I have met people like them before.

I really love how well their body language was conveyed (Such as Tereza's tipsy walk at the very beginning), and even simple actions such as Filip crushing balls of paper in frustration, it's these little details I always find myself appreciating in stop motion animations as compared to more dynamic sequences, especially since these puppets need to be so carefully controlled due to their size and delicacy.

In the Air is Christopher Grey (Felix Massie, UK)

While the simplistic art style used was aesthetically pleasing (Especially when it came to the effective use of vibrant colors to differentiate the main characters from one another, as well as the slight differences in their silhouette shapes and sizes), it is probably the humorously dry-witty narrative that made this one of the more memorable animations to me (It's also a plus that they got some pretty decent voice actors for it).

This animation short was just such a breath of fresh air as a couple of the ones that were shown before it were honestly quite… depressing (Though that doesn't stop me from admiring the animation techniques used in them). 

I would love to do a CGI 2D animation similar to this in the future.

Student 1

The Kiosk (Anete Melece, Switzerland)

There was always something I liked about cutout animations, while they might seem a tad simpler as compared to other forms of stop motion, it does allow them to explore with more traditional mediums whilst still in the creation process (It is especially nice to see how the designs are made to look more traditional even when done digitally).

Cutout animations especially give the illusion of a picture book coming to life, what with the somewhat stiff movements of it's rather flat characters and objects. This was perhaps one of the cutest and sweetest animations that I saw on the first day.

Ab Ovo (Anita Kwiatkowska-Naq-vi, Poland)

Short and sweet, this clay animation conveys the journey of a pregnant woman, from beginning to end, and how she physically and emotionally changes over that period. It is only fitting that clay was used in illustrating that very transition.

Plug and Play (Michael Frei, Switzerland)

I will end this post with another 2D Computer animation, while there might have been some deeper context to this animation, I was just enjoying the randomness of each sequence (Computer voices used for satirically emotional scenes are always hilarious to listen to as well)  I believe this was one of the more amusing ones to me.

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Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" - Bryan Louie

For awhile now I have been fascinated by what features the program Adobe After Effects has to offer, especially after seeing several really nice examples (Chun-Li Animation) that uses it as a form of enhancement… And so when I was told by one of my lecturers that this program was used for the music video of one of my favorite songs, I am now more stoked than ever to properly learn about it during the coming induction sessions.

The inkblot/rorschach-styled illustrations in the music video were done by art director and motion graphic designer Bryan Louie, whose other works include commercial campaigns for the Scion tC, there is a very smooth transition made between the different types of illustrations (With images of Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse themselves seen among them), which feels really fitting to the psychiatric theme they were going for.

When done right, there is something so amazingly stylish about these type of animations, I have noticed too that there are some pretty neat camera angles added into that weren't in the animation before when After Effects hasn't yet been used (Talking about the Chun-Li Animation again). I believe this also simplifies the process when one wishes to added some extra visual effects and motion graphics when polishing up their animated works.

This is all coming from someone that is completely clueless about the software, so forgive me if I said something particularly silly.

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Yoji Shinkawa

Born on December 25th, 1971 in Hiroshima, Japan, Yoji Shinkawa is an illustrator and concept artist best known for his character, environment and mechanical designs for the Metal Gear series (Though he has also done the japanese promotional art for Pacific Rim). So far he has worked on nearly all of it's installments (At least on all of the main ones) and has published a few art books.

Shinkawa's distinctive art style has earned praise as bring "original, stylistic, yet technically accurate". Presently he is the lead artist for many of Kojima Productions' titles. He normally uses ink pens with a brush felt-tip, and both Photoshop and Corel Painter for most of his creations, which is quite evident when one has a proper look at his works. 

While ink tends to be popular choice of medium favored by most artists (Including myself), Shinkawa was able to create a fantastically realistic yet original style when using it, taking advantage of abrupt, negative spaces while also still giving some amazing amount of detailed (And once again, surprisingly accurate) brush strokes to his illustrations. It is not to say though that his style has not been influenced by other works, aside from being inspired by anime-related artists such as Yoshitaka Amano, he is more so influenced by western artists such as Frank Miller and Aubrey Beardsley, and especially the late French artist, Jean Giraud (AKA, Moebius).

When Shinkawa had first started working for Konami, he was still trying to find his own art style at the time, imitating various works (Including works done by the artists mentioned before), comic book styles served as one of his main inspiration for the coming years, such as WildCATS and Hellboy, animes have also served as another influence for him.

Before I actually got into the games, I always found the artwork for the series to be really unique, as a child I had tried numerous times to imitate it, and up till now, Shinkawa's works remains a valuable inspiration and influence to my art, as I continue exploring and trying to find an art style I am comfortable with using for my concept designs.

His style is just such a unique blend of hollywood-esque promotional art and other japanese artworks (Manga, retro game art, etc.).

http://www.creativeuncut.com/profile_shinkawa.html

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/366531/features/like-the-art-of-yoji-shinkawa/