Performance without a body.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love the Muppets. Most of my animation friends knew they wanted to be animators when they saw a particular Disney or Pixar movie when they were little. For me it was Muppets.



So much character, so much performance, in just a little foam banana peel.

4Mations Contest Runner Up

A month or so ago I submitted my short film "Furnick" to a online competition at www.4mations.tv. I just got back from my time off to discover that I was a runner up in said competition. Woo!

Some of me...

I doodled something like this on my two week vacation. I think I'm going to use it when I eventually design my real website. Being home was nice. I was sooooo relaxed. It is a lot easier to come back to work after having that time to wind down. I got to see lots of family (although there is too many to squeeze them all in), I got to camp out at a bonfire (and get rained on), take a 30 mile bike ride, go swimming at the lake, eat Smith's hot dogs (best hot dogs EVER), and do a couple days of manual labor. Although I'm not as driven to do work around the house as my brother might be, I do love working outdoors. It is something I hated doing as a kid, but now that I don't have to do it I miss it. What's great is that you can look back at the end of the day and see what you have accomplished. Some times I can sit in front of my computer working for days and it feels like nothing is getting done even though it is.

Comic Con

Fun time in San Diego. I spent all day Friday at the beach while Brit, Bill, Mayka and Sean walked around the convention. We went to a nifty club that night where I got attacked by a Cougar. Saturday I went with them and saw some a preview to "Up" and "Terminator: Salvation"...Awesome. I managed to get away with only buying one thing.



My sister in law asked me "When you have kids, what will you do when they want to play with your toys"....my answer is, they can play with all my old toys...not my new ones :)

Character comes from character design

Let me pose this question?

What sort of personality does the following character have?

Yeah probably really wise. Pretty somber. Doesn't seem to be focused.

Does the above character have the same personality as this?....

This guy also seems wise, but seems a bit more crotchety. Sort of like a grandpa who is always ready to tell you the way you should be doing something.

How about this guy below?....

This guy just like the other two seems to know something about the world. The difference? This guy knows, but isn't going to tell you. Most of this personality comes from the proportions and shapes in the face, particularly the placement and shape of the eyes.

Now consider this quote:

". . .my ally in the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. It's energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we...(Yoda pinches Luke's shoulder)...not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you...me...the tree...the rock...everywhere! Yes, even between this land and that ship! . . . Concentrate...feel the Force flow. Yes. Good. Calm, yes. Through the Force, things you will see. Other places. The future, the past, old friends long gone. "

Which of these images best fits that quote? This?

or this?

Final Animation!

Jim Henson Toy Puts on a Concert

Jim Henson Toy warms up the crowd with some classic hits.The crowd loves it. Look a storm trooper made it to the show.

Now Jim Henson Toy starts to play some new hits.

Police force is needed to control the crowd and keep them from rushing the stage.

Some people just don't appreciate Jim Henson Toy's music.

Jim Henson Toy does an hour and a half tambourine solo...

...and the crowd loves it.

After the show Jim Henson Toy gets a hug from one of his biggest fans.

John Cleese on the Muppet Show

I watch the Muppet Show on DVD while I work and I had to get these sketches out of John Cleese. Unfortunately I didn't have my sketchbook or pen with me so I used sharpie marker on in a notebook.

He is such a funny guy, he has an explosiveness about his comedy. He tries to play it straight until the Muppets drive him lash out in comical goodness.

Animation!

Blocking out the timing and poses. It feels good to be animating something that is more....me. My last clip I animated was too forced. I forced the characters into a situation and the animation came out flat. This, although it may not be profound is much more natural to me. I'll post more work in progress as it comes.

Christmas with the Muppets

I don't understand how there can be any Scrooges around Chirstmas time. Whatever happened to this attitude?



I grew up with John Denver and the Muppets around Christams time. We had the LP "A Christmas Together" and we wore it out until almost ever song skips at the same exact moment each time they are played. I miss Jim Henson. Although the Muppets never stopped being entertaining and funny, I think that much of the sentimental side of them got pushed to the background. Every time I hear Kermit sing a sentimental song I am moved. Jim Henson had such an awesome vision of what the world could be. That is what Christmas means to me.

So here's to the lovers and the dreamers.