The Kilted Animator

Tour De Suit: Parte Three!

2011-12-17T11:34:00.000-08:00

The suits amazing tour is coming to an end, and what better way to end it than with a climax! NorthernFive the film production company had contacted me after seeing the original Gears of War suit video I had posted on You-Tube, and propositioned me to use the suit in their latest film Left 4 Dead - Impulse 76 Fan Film. I agreed and the Suit's amazing journey began.

Here, below, is a picture of the actor who played Marcus Fenix of Delta Squad in the movie wearing the suit, and filling it out far better than I, I must add.

And here is the film in all its glory! It's a non profit fan film of Left 4 Dead with cameos from other popular video games. The production value on this is amazing, and I was really excited to see the suit featured in such high definition, high quality, video.

Be sure to check out NorthernFive's other works at their website. They were very professional and returned the suit in great condition. Overall this has been a fun and exciting experience with a wonderful product made at the end. As for the suit, I plan to purchase a mannequin and set it up in the corner of my office here at Powerhouse Animation.

Until then, thank you for following me along the suits journey through film, comic cons, and Halloween parties. I doubt this is the last you will see of it.

-Patrick Stannard-

Tour de Suit: Parte Two

2011-11-28T09:46:00.000-08:00

So after the suit did it's film shoot it was promptly returned back to me in time for Austin's Comic Con. I wore the 60 lbs of fiberglass for 8 hours straight without rest or even putting the replica lancer down. It was a mixture of the total lack of seating and the fact that pictures were taken of me every second step I took. It was a real crowd pleaser and served well in directing people over to the Powerhouse Animation Booth.

These pictures were taken by a professional working for the Wizard World Comic Con. The Gears of War suit among other great Cosplay outfits can be viewed here!

And Here!

Here is some added video taken from my very own Camera, enjoy!

Updates on the Suits wild adventures in the world of cinema coming soon!

Poor hapless civilians feeling the brunt of the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG).

My favorite Star Wars character doing a little dance for us.

Tour de Suit: Parte One

2011-10-31T16:37:00.000-07:00

And so it begins!

The suit has been mailed out today to Los Angeles California for its film shoot. But before I packaged it up I treated it, and my fellow Powerhouse employees, to a walk around the studio. Many other Powerhousians were dressed up. Nicole was Mario, Rachel Peach, and Mary Luigi in a fun little game combo. Others I had met at the party last Saturday (still adorned in my Cog Armor), many of them dressed as pirates, roman legionaries, and quite a few Batman costumes including a wonderful Joker/Harlequin combo by Stephanie McCrea and her boyfriend Tom.

At the studio I faced off against Aaron in his stunning home made Jedi Costume. I have to admit, even clad in several inches thick of COG armor, a lightsaber is still a threatening thing to have dangling inches from your helmet.

I took a few poses for the Powerhouse Blog, and will be linking them soon.

Now I know how all those stormtroopers felt.

Die locust!

"Lllllladies!"

Stay tuned for more updates. I will also be uploading new film updates once I get some scenes in from my Michigan pals.

Tour de Suit

2011-10-26T07:18:00.000-07:00

Looks like this month is going to be a busy one! One of the main reasons is the recent popularity of my new Halloween costume. It arrived a week or so ago and has been promptly unpacked and tried one. This ....

...Custom fiberglass suit was made by Nightmare Armor Studios which was recently sold and became ExoMechs. As a result the suit, already heavily priced, is no longer for sale spare for Epic Games employees. A friend of mine was generous enough to send me this wearable piece of art and ever since I posted a Youtube of me trying it on I have been flooded with emails about it.

One such email was from Northern Five who are interested in featuring the suit in one of their projects. They will pay for shipping and insurance on the suit. Combine this with Halloween and Comic Con, and my suits going to have one hell of a ride.

From October 31st to November 11th my suit will be worn in downtown Austin, sent out to Los Angeles CA, featured in a Northern Five video, returned by the first week of November, showcased at Comic Con on Friday the 11th, and after all that I will be taking a trip up to see my parents for the following weekend.

It will be a busy few weeks to say the least, but an exciting few.

Hey, you know who you should check out?

2011-10-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

Fan animation I did of one of her characters, click the image to view it in motion.

Kate Burk's Website! ===> http://kateburck.com/

I plan to do more postings soon, but for now here is some random pimping of one of my pals and fellow artists.

Custome T-shirts

2011-07-26T20:59:00.000-07:00

So a mixture of Gears of War 3 hype and a bit of home sickness has spawned this rather odd but enjoyable creation. Putting my favorite Detroit-mates together as a band of Cog soldiers, on a series of T-shirts. Each one will feature the wearer's character, their custom Cog symbol on the back as well as the entire team banded across the back shoulders.

Work at powerhouse has been exhilarating and challenging. My first project with them is nearly done and I can only hope that it goes public. I have now also been officially added to the powerhouse website in the profiles section. The theme was 1930s-1950s studio setting, so I picked the role of a recent immigrant Irishman who's slightly insane and massively drunk.

My film is in production again and my good friend Mel Miller just finished up the "My Dad the Giant" promotional poster. Check out the phenomenal work she did on her blog: http://melmillerart.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading!
-Patrick-

PowerHouse Animation!

2011-06-14T20:45:00.000-07:00

Yippee Ki Yay!
Made it to Austin TX where I now live and work. The move was brutal, but also exciting. I got to meet my cousins in Kentucky, from which I enjoyed quite the feast. There I listened to bad singing, guitar playing, and the goings on of my extended family over a thick pot-roast and fresh corn on the cob. The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, I set out to drive all the way to Wichita Kansas, a grueling 12-13 hour drive. I was amazed at how much the environment changes the further you go out west, and Kansas was stupidly flat! It's no wonder tornadoes last so long there, there is nothing to stop them!

In Kansas I met up with my uncle Kent, his wife, and his many pets. Two birds, a cat, and three dogs. It was amusing to play with the doxins whilst listening to the parakeet whistle Yankee Doodle Dandy. Kent also made a living as a chef as a young man, and we enjoyed freshly smoked and grilled chicken for dinner, the bits chopped up onto scrambled eggs for my breakfast the next day. It was great meeting up with Kent again, I hadn't seen him in so long. Touring his ranch was an adventure in nick-knacks and building projects. I hope to stay in better contact with him from now on.

Then I journeyed to Texas where I was met with amazing food, it's a pattern I know, great culture, and a big room all to my self. My roomies have a cat and two ferrets, and my neighbor owns positively the largest dog I have ever seen in my life. He says it is a wolf mix, and I can agree, I see plenty wolf in there, as well as Labrador, which makes him a big lovable Teddie bear.

This last week I started my job at Power-House-Anim ation. My first day was met with lots and lots of beer, of which I endured admirably, huge Texas portions of red meat, and a cast of characters that could only be made up of artists. There are lots of small jobs going in and out, and I've become a sort of 'every job' man. Whatever job is lagging behind or needs an extra hand I work on. There's lots of little flash games, tv spots, and the like to keep me invigorated, and everyone has been extremely helpful as well as great company.

There will always be a place for Michigan in my heart, and I miss my old roomates and friends dearly. I often boast about our wild antics and strange encounters to the captivated eyes of my new Texas coworkers. I'm doing my best to keep CCS's name proud, and I have plans of Skyping with my Michigan pals on the horizon.

That's all for now, thanks for taking the time to read this!

Doodling along

2011-05-14T02:39:00.000-07:00

Medieval Samus

Because the only thing that could make Samus more bad-ass would be to make her a celtic warrior queen.

Richard Re-Design

An old character of mine that I regularly revisit to test my skills at cartoon design.

A project worth backing!

2011-04-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

My good friend Akin Bilgic is doing a project to help promote happiness in his local community. He is looking to raise $3000 in under 60 days! Donate if you can, promote this to your friends, and help him reach his goal so that he can give some joy to those in San Fransisco!

Here, taken from the site is a description of the project.

PROJECT OVERVIEW: The SF Mirrors Project is a public art project with one simple purpose at it’s core - to spread a bit of random happiness. The idea is to create a public art installation overnight throughout the city of San Francisco (my home) spreading messages of inspiration, encouragement, and hope.

To do this, the plan is to purchase as many mirrors as possible through your support here on Kickstarter. These mirrors will be roughly 3 feet tall by 1.5 feet wide, and made from acrylic for safety reasons. At the top of each mirror in bold lettering, we’ll inscribe a one-sentence inspiring message (some of which will be supplied by the Kickstarter community). Then once all of the mirrors have been prepared, a team of friends and I will choose a late Sunday night to place the mirrors throughout the entire city - onto bare walls, sides of buildings, and other public spaces. It’s my hope that the people who walk past these mirrors in the following days will stop, take a moment to look at themselves, read the messages, and walk away feeling inspired, confident, and happier, which in-turn hopefully gets spread to others they interact with.

And for now it’s just San Francisco, but depending on how well this goes, in the future it could be the multiple cites throughout the US, or even international.

WHERE THE MONEY GOES: Every dollar raised here goes directly into covering the cost of the mirrors. So bottom line: the more money, the more mirrors, and the bigger the project becomes. I’m anticipating a cost of around $25-35 per mirror... hopefully a nice big bulk order will help keep the price as low as possible. If you know someone that might be able to get me a killer deal on the mirrors - please let me know.

SAFETY / LOGISTICS: The mirrors will not be glass based - but will be shatter-proof plastic based. This is for safety reasons as the last thing I want is for one of the mirrors to fall, shatter, or otherwise hurt anyone. The mirrors will be stuck to walls with a strong but NON-PERMANENT adhesive foam tape, so if the owner of a building doesn't want the mirror there - they have the right and WILL be able to take it down without any damage.

SUPPORT THE PROJECT: Check out the rewards section to see what we can give back if you want to help fund the project. Even if you cant afford to contribute, I encourage anyone to leave their comments and feedback about the project. Please spread the word online through sites like Facebook and Twitter or any blogs you like. Thanks for checking out the project - Let’s do something genuinely amazing.

You can help this project by going to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/akinbilgic/the-sf-mirrors-project

Freelance Gig

2011-03-01T21:51:00.000-08:00

In order to feed myself and pay off loans I have been doing freelance work here and there. The latest job required me to interpret and illustrate various statues from a miniature line called "Krystonia" and make them look 'animatable'. The job was a blast and I got to get my hands dirty, metaphorically speaking, doing some digital painting again. It served as a nice distraction from my film, put food in my belly, and let me create some nice portfolio pieces. Overall I found it to be a success.

Myzer, a hording, gloating, large bellied man.

There isn't much I can say about the project accept that it is for a possible pitch idea for something larger. That is about all I can divulge.

Kazahk, a broad shouldered, happy faced, adventurer

Help "My Dad the Giant"

2011-02-14T22:15:00.000-08:00

"My Dad the Giant" is a work in progress, and has recently been accepted to the Mitten Movie Project. I am looking for funding to help me finish the film for its debut in September 2011. The film is 90% animated, with the rest of the time spent on rendering, doing backgrounds, sound, and composting. I am an independent animator, and a recent graduate of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit Michigan. As you may imagine I don't have a lot of money for a film of this scope, and funding from people like yourself can help me purchase materials, paper, and ways of distributing my film to festivals.

"My Dad the Giant", is a personal film of mine, based on my relationship with my sister, and with my father. The story follows a young boy named Emilio, and son of the great fictional painter Brianelli. All Emilio wants is his fathers acknowledgment, and all Brianelli wants is to be left to his work. What follows is a series of miss-communications until both characters explode out of frustration. I've worked hard on this narrative for about a year. It has been on hiatus for a few months, until I got word that the Mitten Movie Project had seen a WIP of my film and was interested in showing it. I was overjoyed of course, but also realized that now I was faced with the challenge of finishing my film.

The film requires, due partly to my ambition and on how I want to tell the story, a lot of rendering and layers for each scene. Light for one plays a large role in how the story is told, and each animation has been an experimentation in combining illustrative techniques with fluid and believable character acting. The Mitten Movie Project is the first festival I will be premiering my film at, and I hope that will kick-start my films festival run. Other festivals I plan on submitting my film to are KAFI, and Ottawa. So I'm asking you for support in this goal, and I've put together some gift ideas in exchange for donations. From signed animation frames, concept art, and movie credits, to even a production booklet in which I can describe the unique experience it's been trying to create an independent animated film here in Michigan.

It's odd to ask for money like this, but if you feel like you want to help a recent grad get his first film to festivals, then I thank you for your donations and I hope to see you at the Mitten Movie Project in September of 2011.

Proof of concept is below in my first fully colored render!

Check out my pitch trailer here!

I was lucky enough to receive the Stratton Scholarship my senior year of college 2010, and to be interviewed about my project by Doug Stratton himself. Below is the description listed along with the interview which can be found at theStrattonfoundation.org.

This video will act as a way to help possible donors gain incite into the film and its production.

Taken from the Stratton Foundation website

WHAT CAN FILM TEACH US ABOUT FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS? "My Dad the Giant" is an animated film that poignantly shows the audience how sometimes we become too absorbed with our own concerns and overlook those in our family who may be reaching out for acknowledgment and support. Meet Patrick Stannard, a recent College For Creative Studies Entertaninment Arts graduate, and watch his film's trailer. Lean more at MyDadtheGiant.blogspot.com.

To Become a Part of "My Dad the Giant" Check out These Links!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/308950851/my-dad-the-giant

http://mydadthegiant.blogspot.com/

Private SNAFU hits Amazon's shelves!

2010-12-15T11:32:00.000-08:00

After much work, toil, and eager waiting the day has finally arrived. The DVD put together by my teacher and good friend Steve Stanchfield, "Private SNAFU Golden Classics" is finally done! I played a small part in the title sequence, boarding it out and then cleaning up the animation done by Mark Kausler. It was a joy to work on and watching Steve painstakingly restore each and every SNAFU short from it's 35mm film copy was both educational and inspirational. The cover art for the DVD was produced by Eric Goldberg, with the background done by my good friend Mel Miller.

Jerry Beck has graciously plugged the DVD at least two times on his famous blog Cartoon Brew! The latest of which hosts a video Steve let me upload to my Vimeo Channel; a special features commentary piece done by Jerry himself.

Private SNAFU, Golden Classics: Jerry Beck Special Feature from Patrick Stannard on Vimeo.

Link to the Cartoon Brew Post below:
http://www.cartoonbrew.com/dvd/coming-snafu.html

You can purchase this amazing DVD at amazon.com. It will be under "Private SNAFU Golden Classics".

In other news, I have also been busy helping my friend Mel McCann out with her film "Flight" of which two animations I have done are now featured in my latest demo reel.

Demo Reel 12/14/2010 from Patrick Stannard on Vimeo.

Added to this I have finally finished the boards for a local feature project "The Littlest Angel", and may be brought in for revisions later. I apologize for the scant postings, but hopefully this blog post will demonstrate just how busy I have been.

Now, off to walk for graduation! Best of luck to everyone!

Portfolio and Ottawa

2010-10-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

With Ottawa nearly here, I've been scrambling to put together a professional portfolio that showcases my work. I ended up creating two. The larger 8x11 portfolio shown below allows more space for sketches and process work, while my smaller 4x6 portfolio shows off my finished pieces only.

PORTFOLIO

Puzzle Sketch and Vampire

Showing off my independent illustration and attention to design.

SNAFU

My former teacher, friend, and animation director of Thunderbean Animation brought me on to help him develop animated title sequences for the release of the "Private SNAFU" DVD. In order to get a good idea of both the character and construction of SNAFU, I stepped through many of the films and rendered the drawings in an effort to capture that Warner Bros. Style.

Sketches

Some of my favorite sketches from my sketchbook.

"Because it's There" and Red Riding Hood

A poster promoting my 3rd year film "Because it's There" a story about a little boy overcoming his fear of heights, and a concept sketch for my rendition of the "Little Red Riding Hood" Story, set in a post apocalyptic setting.

Life Drawing

Drawings done through independent Life Drawing sessions held by both the school and friends.

Leprechauns

Leprechaun designs based off of the most ancient myths I could find about them, whilst adding some aspects of Norse animals to the mix. Brandishing long red coats, tall tri-cornered hats, and goat like eyes, these are the type of Leprechauns that will leave you without your skin, rather than try and promote sugary cereal to you.

ARMS Masters: Hunter Concepts

My good friend and project lead Mike Winn, commissioned me to produce concept art, story boards, animation, and shadow modeling for "The ARMS Masters project". This design for a bounty hunter, aptly named Hunter, is influenced from panthers, tribal tattoos, and the Hyena Men of Africa. Details were toned down to prepare the designs for animation.

11 Second Club: Herbert and Gloria

Placing 9th out of 158 entries in the June 2010 competition of the 11 Second Club, "Herbert and Gloria" features a sloppy tiger and a sophisticated Ostrich amidst their quarrels at the dinner table.

Sketches

Some of my favorite sketches from my sketchbook.

Environment Design

For a story concept involving prehistoric mammals and their rise to technological feats while riding dinosaurs, this environment showcases a lava distribution and thermal steam power plant that helps turn the gears of war for feuding tribes of prehistoric moles.

"My Dad the Giant": Emilio

Concept and animation sketches taken from my film "My Dad the Giant." Emilio is an 8 year old child searching for acknowledgement from a father who's far too emersed in his work to pay attention. Emilio's design is based off of a candle stick, with bright colors and upward direction to help him feel light and full of energy.

Father Sketches

Sketches of my father in caricature.

Caricatures

Caricatures of friends, strangers, and Marty Feldman.

"My Dad the Giant": Brianelli

Concept designs for Brianelli, the father character in my film "My Dad the Giant." In contrast to Emilio's design, Brianelli is designed to feel massive, slow, lumbering, and imposing. His heavy brow and arms are an effort to make him feel serious and intimidating. Deep set eyes needed to be flexible to reveal his softer side when he has a revelation towards the end of the film.

Big Bad Wolf

Concept design for the Big Bad Wolf in my rendition of the story "Little Red Riding Hood" set in a post apocalyptic setting.

Animal Sketches

Animal sketches done while attending the Detroit Zoo.

DEMO REEL

Demo Reel 10/2010 from Patrick Stannard on Vimeo.

Taught in the ways of the interbutts!

2010-10-10T17:42:00.000-07:00

Inside joke alert! Interbutts is Mel-speak for the internet.

My friend Mel Miller has often astounded me with her knowledge and expert handling of the many intricacies of the internet. Promoting her work on multiple sites, blogs, facebook accounts, print shops, and linking them all under one a similar style and main website hub. Meanwhile her boyfriend and my roommate Niles, has largely been absent from the vast seas of information, only recently braving the waters of the internet with a dingy of art to show. Thankfully Mel has agreed to take him under her vestigial wing and teach him "The ways of the interbutts."

I have taken it upon myself to try and promote myself over the over saturated information highway known as the internet. With two art gallery sites, a few forums, my website, and this blog I hope to allow prospective employers to browse my art and contact me with ease.

To conclude this blog-post I will shamelessly self promote myself as well as Mel and Niles.

Mel Miller's Internet Stockpile
Facebook: Mel Miller Art
MelMillerArt.com
MelMilelrArt.blogspot.com
Vimeo
Youtube.com/user/anathemasremedy
Anathemasremedy.Deviantart.com
Print Shop

Niles Bontrager
Vermillion42x.Deviantart.com
Nilesart.blogspot.com
Vimeo

Patrick Stannard (Me)
PatrickStannard.com
KiltedAnimator.blogspot.com
Vimeo
Youtube.com/user/lorddirk
DA Page: LordDirk.deviantart.com
Commissions Page: Pats-Commissions.deviantart.com

...That's all folks!

Pats Commissions

2010-09-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

In light of rapidly decreasing funds due to an upcoming festival, portfolio prints, returning text books, paying graduation fees, business cards, and a slew of bank loop holes, I have decided to open a new DA page. Pats Commissions is an account devoted entirely to freelance and commission illustrations, and possibly animations. I have yet to set up a pricing policy, but I have plenty of good advice on the subject, courtesy of my good friend Mel Miller.

The page is designed to show off a variety of work that is both high quality and entertaining to look at. I plan to charge somewhere between student and professional prices as to not scare off potential commissioners while still allowing me to earn the respective amount of money for my artwork.

Mini Portfolio

2010-09-14T02:47:00.000-07:00

In an effort to save money and still be able to pass out portfolios, I was turned onto an interesting type of miniature photo album that can be purchased for $1.20, by my good friend Kate Burk. The standard size for images that can be placed in these albums are about 4x6. I created around 17 portfolio pages so far, some meant for two page spreads, and I will probably only make around 20 in total. It is an interesting practice to create pages for a miniature portfolio as it really forces me to be selective in what I put in and how I display my artwork. I opted for a brown paper look, as it's something I've been fond of ever since I bought my first toned sketchbook. It also has a nice texture to it that I find appealing.

I wanted to show variety, though I am sure I could benefit from drawing more females, environments, and animals. Other than some life drawing pages I believe the production is complete. It's an interesting experiment and I am eager to see what responses they get at Ottawa.

Portfolios and ARMS Masters

2010-09-12T22:29:00.000-07:00

Its been about a month or two since my last post. My time has mostly been taken up by ARMS Masters work and the new search for jobs. I'm refining my portfolio for animation and illustration and starting to think about presentation a bit more. The Ottawa animation festival will be my main focus in these upcoming weeks as I prepare to hit up the job fair as well as the animators picnic if possible. In the meantime I will continue to work on ARMS Masters while trying to find a small part time job to help pay the bills and get food.

Below are some color model sheets of some ARMS Masters characters.

Seth: The deceptive villian of the series. My concept for him was a mixture of Peter O'Tool's portrayal of King Henry in 'The Lion in Winter' and Mr. Freeze from "Batman: the Animated Series".
Mountain Monster Form: A character created by Mike Winn, the director of the project, in his most raw form. Mountain is supposed to be able to morph into his 'true' form. I took the name literally. This is an early concept and will need some major revisions before he is ready for the show.
Bounty Hunter: This is the revised version of the Bounty Hunter who is supposed to attack one of the main characters 'Tyr'. A mixture of raw animal power and a cold cunning intelligence, I used a panther for inspiration on his face and body type while referencing a band of hyena taming gypsies in Africa for his outfit.

For my portfolio I continue to experiment with themes and interesting visuals that say something about me, are iconic, and can trigger the memory of any recruiter looking at my portfolio. So far I have come up with these three designs.

Using one of my paintings as a background and playing with the title a bit. It may be too busy for a portfolio cover, the idea being a quick and memorable image to entice the viewer to look further.

A more fun approach with an attempt at focusing on my animation instead of my illustration. Again I am not a graphic designer so my knowledge of tight composition is limited. This cover might require a better understanding of graphic design in order to pull off effectively and to not look sloppy.

What to people call me when they don't know my name, "that guy in the kilt". Using one of my favorite sketchbook images along with an extreme close up of my kilt for texture, I attempted to create a simple but effective design that says something about me.

I'm not really sure where to go with this, so any comments, questions, and critiques would be greatly appreciated. :)

ARMS Masters: Vis Dev

2010-07-24T02:36:00.000-07:00

I have recently been working on some tie-down animation and concept work for the ARMS Masters Project. Currently I am working on designs for a bounty hunter type character. The design is in it's roughest stages and has some direction but not much. I've attempted to grab inspiration from current designs I find appealing. The look that most popped out to me was that of African gypsies known as the "Hyena Men". They wear an assortment of cloth and metal with large Hyena's harnessed to chains that they parade around as pets and use them for entertaining trick shows. Combining that with the look of a black panther, and bikers, I've tried to design someone who has the potential to be extremely threatening but also coldly calm when the situation calls for it.

Ford Museum, and Podcast

2010-07-19T09:08:00.001-07:00

One of my summer classes is "The History of Modern Design", and I must admit I had a huge misconception about what the class would entail. What I have found out is that designing a piece of furniture, or tool, or vehicle or even house is very similar to designing a character. It comes down to a balance between functionality and aesthetic appeal. A character that looks pretty but doesn't reveal anything about his personality can feel shallow, and a car that is aesthetically appealing but doesn't function well won't get bought.

We went on a field trip the the Henry Ford Museum, though I would call it a museum in the loosest way. The building houses a huge assortment of collected items, all from different periods, designers, and cultures. There is little to no information given about the objects, and often they are just grouped together in sections like "stoves", and "Airplanes". Even the sections aren't really organized in any particular order. Stoves were placed right next to model doll houses, and furniture lead into a section of giant electrical generators. As my teacher said, "The whole experience is kind of schizophrenic." The upside of the experience was that it put more burden on me, the viewer, to dive into my knowledge of design and figure out what each piece really was. All in all it was a great experience and I'd love to go there again. Below you will find some pictures of the experience.

Next we have the podcast. As I said earlier I was interviewed for the Stratton Foundation's inspirational podcast. You can find the podcast at thestrattonfoundation.org. I talk about how I got into animation, who were my inspirations, how the Disney internship affected me, and I try to give out some useful information to any prospective students out there who may be listening. The Stratton Foundation not only provides funding in the form of scholarships for students like me, but also hosts inspirational podcasts and has useful information for any student trying to further their art. I highly recommend checking them out.

Zoo Drawings & "My Dad the Giant" Trailer

2010-07-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

Been away for a bit, but don't think it was so I could slack off. ;) My film is still going as planned, and I'm almost done with the full animation. Some scenes need some tweaking before tie down, but overall the film is looking nice. While I've been working on my film I have also taken up some more zoo drawing trips with my friends. They were right, drawing animals is very addicting.

I will also be doing another dialogue animation test with internet friend and very talented animator Beatrice who's blog you can view by clicking her name.

Below you will find my drawings and trailer.

The Trailer is for the Stratton Foundation, to accompany a podcast Doug Stratton hosted with me. Check it out on July 17th, and make sure to explore the site at the http://thestrattonfoundation.org/.

I have not been in contact with Tyler Scarlet for some time, and until then I will not be updating my "My Dad the Giant" production blog. I like to host both backgrounds and animation when I make updates. Once I receive the background I will update with animation as well.

Gearing up for July!

2010-07-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a rough and roller coaster of a month. I've made considerable progress on my film, and will be making a trailer for it to give to the Stratton foundation probably on Friday. I've signed on to work on some ARMS-Masters work for my good friend Mike Winn. The project has many of the best artists and animators from CCS working together to help promote out of state work being sent to this northern state, and to show that Art and Animation can be found anywhere, not just in L.A. I recommend checking it out, you can find it at http://armsmasters-project.blogspot.com

Through exercise, summer classes, volunteer work, and my film I have found little time to work on other projects such as my 11 second club entry. Determined to finish what I had started, I spent what time I had left on the 29th and 30th of June working night and day to animate and polish the animation. I am happy with the end result, even if it isn't quite as polished as I'd like it. You can view the entry below.

Considering it is the 1st of July now, I might also announce that I have officially turned 23 years old. An uninteresting age, but another year gone by none the less. Here's hoping I live my rest to their fullest.

Slan!

Keep on Sketching!

2010-06-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

As promised here are the latest sketches from my day out at the zoo last Wednesday. I can't emphasize enough how much I love ebony pencils. My film is going as planned, and there is little to update with that. I plan to upload my 11second club entry WIP as soon as I push it a little more. Committing to an 11 Second Club animation whilst also doing freelance and my film has been tough, but it's a learning experience and I never want to waist a good learning experience.

Enjoy said zoo pictures below.

I do so love drawing Giraffes

Finally got to see the polar bear and he did not disappoint.

One of the seals had cataract, made for a very frighting sight so close to the glass.

Got to see the Kangaroos up close, though they were sleeping. Lazy buggers.

The antelope/gazelles or whatever they were, were very active and fun to draw.

Updates from Billions of years ago

2010-06-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

Things have been going well as of late. One of the coolest updates I can share with you is the purchase of my very first fossil. I got it at a great price, as most half this size go for 40 or so bucks, I snagged this beauty for 15. It's real, the people I bought this off of are a local store that purchases and sells precious stones and minerals from archeologists, miners, etc. and so I have confidence in their ability to discern fake from authentic.

I use it now to remind me of the great diversity of life, the vastness of all the creatures that have come before me and died so many years ago. It shows me how precious and finite life can be in this great cosmic arena, and so it is my duty to make it the best one possible.

Measuring in at 4" this is one of the larger Trilobites I have seen.

In other news, I'm keeping up as best I can with the zoo schedule. My Wednesdays are pretty jam packed. In the morning I get up and head for the zoo around noon, making sure to bring pencils, a sketchbook, and sunscreen. By the time I leave at 5 I have an hour to get back home, get some lunch and then it's off to the urban farm at which I volunteer from 6-8. After that is done I can relax and enjoy 'Wing Wednesdays' with all of my great friends and roommates at Buffalo Wild Wings. Wednesday brings a great sense of accomplishment and ends it with friends, it is by far the day I look foward to the most.

Below: Pictures from the zoo!

Giraffe eager for some treats.

The polar bear swam right over our heads!

The lions were actually pretty active, a welcome situation for any artist.

I don't know when I plan to upload my sketches, but there were plenty to be had.

Snafu and Animation

2010-06-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

"I just learned a secret it's a honey it's a pip! But the enemy is listening so I'll never let it slip!" Working on some Snafu related projects for a friend of mine. Other than making character sheets I'm also story boarding some sequences. That's the only tip I can drop on it at the moment. Until then feel free to enjoy some little Snafu character studies I've been doing.

Golly that's a lot, hope he makes it!

Pip as ever, and how!

Given them Nazis a belly fulla lead!

A good soldiers always remembers his gas mask.

What a dumb sod what a clown, just the kind of boob who lets his battery run down!

In other news I am happy to report that I am on schedule with my film. Animating a scene, sometimes two, a day has been a hassle but one can't argue with the results. Bottom pile used to be only just a few scenes of fully animated film, now the tide seems to be turning in the other direction. If I can keep this up I should be ready to tie down earlier than expected!

Rough Animation (Top shelf) compared to Full Animation (Bottom shelf)

Greening up Detroit

2010-06-09T23:40:00.000-07:00

After being inspired by "Love Each One", I took some initiative and wandered deep into the 'ruins' of Detroit. Passing many an abandoned school or boarded up apartment complex, holes so big you could drive a car through them, and dilapidated Victorian houses, I came to my destination. It took a few tries and some wandering about in areas I wouldn't usually recommend, but once I got to the CFA building I was greeted with a blossoming garden and the promise of new life.

Stressful times and stressed friends has been pressuring my urge to do something productive and helpful. The farm turned out to be much larger than I expected, with fewer workers than I expected as well. The work day was comfortable and the people were welcoming. I spent the day getting exercise by tilling the land, preparing it for planting flowers. The day as a whole was refreshing, enjoyable, and something I'm eager to attend again.

Below are some snapshots I took towards the end of the workday.

Some of the workers were kind enough to take my picture.

Many cages were filled with new born baby bunnies, too cute!

Just like a rural farm, goats needed to be milked.

A beautiful horse of a breed unknown to me wandered the back fenced in area.

The local farm cat was very loving, and eager for pets.

They even had a pond for geese and ducks.

Many of the young goats were eager to great me at the fence.

The majority of my fellow volunteers, the gal in the middle with the hat is the coordinator.

The old school architecture juxtaposed by the lovely red barn. Notice the copper tops on the school.

The elderly gentleman actually rode the horse for awhile. At sunset it made for a stunning image.

Update from the Zoo!

2010-05-28T23:01:00.000-07:00

Went to the zoo this past Wednesday and had a blast! It's refreshing to get outside and draw without a deadline. The sun was blistering and the shade was scarce, but I had good friends and talented artists to keep me company. Upon returning home I began working more on my film, I'm beginning to fill out and tie down a lot of my animation. As a whole it seems like a lot of work, but the filling and tie down phase is always the most relaxing for me. On top of this my loans have been approved, and now I simply have to wait until I can register for the classes I plan to take this summer. After a stressful year at CCS some relaxation is very welcome.

Below: Zoo Doodles!

To Doug Straton

2010-05-15T22:20:00.000-07:00

In case you're taking a moment to browse my blog, I just wanted to say what a great pleasure it was getting to meet you. Your love of art and support of not only myself but both Mel and Derek is a much appreciated helping hand. I enjoyed describing the animation process with you, as well as introducing you to my friends, teachers, and parents. You'll be happy to know that I am picking up right where I left off only a week ago, on schedule to complete my film.

From left to right: Brian Stannard(my father), Me, Doug Straton, Scott Bogoniewski.

Two very happy Entertainment Arts Seniors.

All of us grouped together for a photograph at the senior show.

As you know, Mel, Derek, and I are all very grateful for your support and thank you for showing an interest in our art. I've got the meeting jotted down in my schedule and can't wait to speak with you again. Best a luck!

CCS 2010 Senior Show

2010-05-13T00:37:00.000-07:00

Even till it's last days CCS finds ways to deprive me of sleep, though for good cause. This Friday I will be attending a CCS gallery show to be held in the Tubman building. All the seniors will be posting work to be sold and viewed by the public. My own gallery consists of ten pieces, eight of them for sale. Among the artists showing off their work is my good friend, roomie, and all around amazing artist Mel Miller, who won the runner up place for senior select and with it a massive wall space to showcase her work.

The biggest relief to come of this is the knowledge that after this I have a good month before I have to start worrying about school again. I've given CCS four good years, but as good as they may have been I will be glad to move on.

Best a luck

Straton Scholarship

2010-04-22T22:44:00.001-07:00

For what seemed like a shot in the dark, I and two others have been awarded funds from the Straton foundation. My good friend and roommate, (and talented artist to boot) Mel Miller was awarded first place, and I can't think of a more deserving artist than her. While battling current jobs, preparing for future ones, liberal arts, and a senior film, she was still able to produce half of a 6 minute film to full color and composite! If that's not a feet I don't know what is.

I am honored to be awarded this funding, and I thank the Straton Foundation for helping me further my artistic career.

To show that I'm not letting it go to waist, here is my latest demo reel for the year, comprised entirely of shots from my WIP film "My Dad the Giant."

Sketchbook Fun

2010-04-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

With animation going along as it is, I sometimes get tired of drawing Emilio for the thousandth time, so here's some sketchbook images of a very different nature.

Little Fun!

2010-02-01T19:01:00.000-08:00

For any animation updates, please visit my production blog. Mydadthegiant.blogspot.com

With all this animation going on, I felt I needed to do some fun doodles to loosen up and relax. So without further adieu let me present the Gears Squad!

The Team!

Jay Norm (the Brawler): Armed with a gnasher shotgun, Jay takes his fights up close and personal. Often the first met on the battlefield, he waists little time in assaulting the enemy. Snipers may have a hard time hitting his armored frame as it ducks and weaves amongst the cover, steadily inching forward. His assaults can however be halted with well launched grenades.

Niles (Soldier/Sniper): Niles Bontrager fills the exact opposite position to Jay. His well calculated attacks are often fought at long range. Close range battles can offset his usual calm demeanor and he will be quick to distance himself from his enemies. Though not the quickest at reflexes, his ammo stocks keep him well prepared, and if he sights you early chances are he will be keeping an eye on you during the entire assault. Staying stationary against him is a recipe for death and you'll soon find your head separated from your neck via a well placed sniper shot.
Patrick (Scout/Demolitions): Patrick (dat's me!), doesn't fill any particular niche in the squad other than to disorient opponents. Relying on quick calculations and psychological warfare, Patrick employs a series of grenade volleys and quick sporadic movements. Always the team player, if you are spotted by Patrick bet on the rest of his team knowing where you are. Quick to learn opponents comfort zones, never rely on one strategy alone when dealing with him as he will likely try to turn your own plans against you. Catching him off guard or dealing with another enemy is the best strategy as his multitasking isn't up to par with the rest of the squad.

Mel(Team Spirit): The newest addition to the team, Mel has little experience but a lot of pep. Her best contribution is off the field, keeping Niles well fed and encouraging him with smooches and hugs. It's an odd strategy, but one that seems very effective. Her first encounter with Patrick left him without a torso, compliments of her shotgun.
The Kids (Cayla and Jake): Joining the team by force, Cayla demands authority and munchies, while Jake is happy enough not to be shot. Her hunger for power has injured many team mates, and left Niles with a well serrated groin. In battle they combine forces to create a force that is very awkward to watch. Lacking the evolutionary trait of dexterous thumbs, they offer up distraction at best. Leaping up onto their squad-mates laps often causes sporatic movements and shows of flail that more often than not drops the enemies guard.

Some more Gears fun!

All drawn after hours in Senior Studio to the laughter of one Mel Miller.

Warming Up

2009-11-22T23:44:00.000-08:00

Animation has begun on my film. I've tried to schedule myself around finals, midterms, and holidays as much as I can. I haven't had time to animate in awhile, so I thought I'd warm myself up with some simple tests. Shots 18 and 31 were the easiest without the aid of After Effects.

A reoccurring motif in my film is the father's venting of his anger by breaking his paint brushes. As good a place to start as any.

Having a "Down-Shooter/Pencil Tester" at home makes it much easier to work comfortably. Me and Mel sit side by side drawing while Niles plays away at his video games. Amidst coffee, pencil sharpening noises, and the random hilarious game moment, work gets done rather well. Animation is a creative medium, so being comfortable while working is a must. Plus, who can beat animating on a couch?

Ready for some animation?

2009-11-19T16:30:00.000-08:00

Yeah! Oh wait, I need to punch paper, drat!

Getting ready to start the animation on my film, and boy do I have some catching up to do. It's the price I pay for pondering so much. I really wanted the story to my film to be strong before I started production. Well, it's got the green light so I've begun the x-sheeting. I'll be starting off with some simple shots, and move onto the more complicated later in the semester.

Above image: Mia holding Emilio in what looks like a very odd cross genre, they both look rather perplexed by the whole ordeal.

If you haven't seen Mel's blog, it's over in the side bar. She's already a third of the way done rough animating her film. How does she do it? Well, magic I think, and by taking sleep out of the equation. I swear sometimes I worry about that girl, well, that is until I join her face planted against a light desk. Woo sleep deprivation!

Until next time, Peace!

"My Dad the Giant" ReEdited Animatic

2009-11-16T17:00:00.000-08:00

Concept: "A commentary on master apprentice relationships in the family."

Brianelli, a world famous renaissance painter, is trying to finish his latest painting but his son Emilio keeps getting in the way. Emilio's struggle for acknowledgment from his giant father conflicts with his fathers alone time. Only too late does Brianelli realize his son looks up to him.

Re-edited down to 4:30 min.

(Left-White Numbers)
Timer Minutes:Seconds:Frames(24 Fps)

(Right-Red Numbers)
Shot breakdown

Just gotta doodle!

2009-11-05T19:20:00.000-08:00

It's been so long since I have done a "non-animation" related drawing. While at the cintiq, preparing for another long night of story boards and animation doodles, I decided to whip this little one out. It's based off of an artists style who I greatly admire, you can find her blog in my blog list on the side.

It's not much, but it didn't take long, and it gave me my illustration fix. Till next time!

Portoflio

2009-10-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

The portfolio that helped get me the internship at Disney, soon to be updated.

Please click images for a larger view

My Dad the Giant work

2009-10-06T19:18:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone! Here are some quick images from my senior thesis film. I'll just show the father for now and run through some of the processes I did to get him where he is now.

This is a more refined face for the father. After working through some of the construction and trying some different styles in cheek and jaw design I arrived at this. For the father to soften in his demeanor I had to make his face more expressive.
A quick bone study. Taking what I know about skulls I then applied it with the necessary adjustments to fit the father's head structure. I left the jaw unhinged so that he can really open that mouth.
This is my favorite of his smiles. A mirror really helps when doing expressions.

Various facial expressions I made using a mirror as reference.

Exaggerating some of the facial features, perhaps too much.

Can you see the Disney influence? Here I tried out some simple construction, an egg for the body, circles and tubes for most everything else. He's a bit toned down in the proportions here so that he is easier to animate.
I did some tight construction on his face to feel out the forms and shapes that make up his brows, nose, and jowls. It's not a very appealing design, but this got the job done as far as breaking down the complex construction into more digestible pieces. Later I softened some of his features to make him more pliable.

More construction at work, you can see that when I work really tight it tends to get plastic and stiff.

More of the same. It works, but it's not as far as I can go.

A silhouette I worked up to try and make his hands more manageable. I'm not too happy with how thin he came out looking, and I think I'll stick with the thicker arm designs.
The first drawing of him as the artist type. A mix of Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Beethoven and even some Edgar Allen Po went into the design, as well as the mouth from my father.

Here the final design is with more meaty hands. I think I'll stick to the jowls in the surprised expression page, overall though, this is the design I am working with. Maybe smaller hands, we'll see.

Till next time, best a luck!

Kilted Animator: First Video!

2009-10-04T00:15:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone! Long time no see. I'll try and keep this short and sweet. I've finally gotten around to uploading one of my instructional videos. This one is about character construction. I hope you all enjoy!

Epiphany

2008-12-31T22:42:00.000-08:00

I think I have finally found out why I do what I do, or at least where to take it from here. With the website almost done, and plenty of illustrations left to finish before I head back to school, I've been pretty busy this break. I finally decided to take a break and sit down with my new Pixar DVD. In the 2nd disc of Wall-e, special features, I found a wonderful film called "The Pixar Story." About halfway into it, something hit me, like running into a brick wall. I paused the film and sat up straight, uttering to myself. "What am I doing!?"

All this time I have been so concerned about learning new tricks and processes. I've been focused on the physics and the technical aspect of animation, and all this while I had forgotten why I was at art school, why I draw. It's because I love it! Animation isn't just about making things move, about how they move, it's about telling stories and getting emotion and empathy from your art. I feel great now. I know what I have to do, what I want to do, and what will make me happy.

I don't need to move the character perfectly if I can still get an emotion from it, to make the audience feel for the character. Learning tricks is for when I get into the industry, now is the time for me to focus on telling stories, on acting and getting emotion out of my artwork. This is why I have felt my art lacked that extra punch all this time, now I finally know!

Just wanted to share that with you. The website is going well. Tomorrow I will head out to my old elementary play ground and film myself climbing and acting out scenes for my film. Wish me luck.

2008-12-19T18:01:00.000-08:00

The new Title for my film scheduled to release around April 2009. I'll probably finish production by May, but it's always nice to have some elbow room, just in case. The story will follow 4 year old Aiden as he scales a huge mountain into the stratosphere!

In other news, I have a website in production. Hurrah! I am honored to say that I have with me two very talented artists who I will be sharing the site, and the costs, with. Mel Miller, a friend of mine as well as an amazing Illustrator and Animator. Even with work as good as hers, her happy and professional attitude leave most surprised when they find out her age. Niles Bontrager (hope I spelled that right) is the other artist on board, who's art always holds some sort of back story to it. Sometimes his work really engages me, even in just doodles, that and he has an amazing ability to work out interesting timing. It takes all my effort to keep up with these two, and I am really eager to start a site with them both.

Previews and links to the website will be available in future posts once I nail everything down.

With finals out of the way, and my Animatic finished for 'Because it's There' I can now focus on prip and preening much of my artwork for presentation, as well as flesh out a few character scenes from my film.

Sorry for the slow posts everyone, I'll try and be more regular from now on.

Sketches, Animations, little Children, oh my!

2008-10-26T03:44:00.000-07:00

Man oh man, it's been awhile eh? Well CCS has been keeping me busy. So, here's the lowdown.

I've been working on an independent film 'This Way up'. It's a short piece that stars a young eight year old boy and his adventure up and down an impossibly large slide. It's basically a story about loss of fear. Aiden, the protagonist, loses his fear of heights by overcoming this obstacle. I'm toying around with ways to accomplish this project, one of which includes making 3d backgrounds with transparent planes in maya and rendering them, then overlapping animation onto it. But anyhoo, I bet you guys are eager for pictures, so here's a nice one. Aiden, the little Irish boy who fears slides.

While that keeps me awefully busy, I also have projects from my Tech 2 class. 2D traditional tech is a class that basically gives you lots of simple animation projects and works on furthering your knowledge of simple physics in 2d to acting. I know that sounds rather officious, but you know, gotta be politically correct and all. Well ok, I don't, but I'm not that good with words, so...
Anyhoo! Because I want to make leaps and bounds in my animation I am tackling each project with ambition and the hardest work ethic I can muster. I lose lots of sleep, don't eat too much, and I am aquiring an odd funk, but my work is crammin out like I've never seen before. I recommend you check out my youtube section at the bottom of this blog and let me know what ya think.

Ok, onto the Sketchbook! Well, I could explain all the ideas behind these drawings, but I think it better that you just view and decide for yourself. Enjoy.

Some final tid-bits before I go. I got my new kilt! I am very excited, and I wear it often. I will upload pics of it eventually, until now you just gotta use your imagination.

Animation, Concepts, and Kilts! Oh my!

2008-09-29T14:31:00.001-07:00

Well its seems this week is off to a good start. Not only do I have my financial stuff falling into place, but I have also been getting allot of work done animation and film wise. I finally think that my Concept is working well with my new film 'Slide' which will tell the story of peer pressure from both the people giving the pressure, and the one receiving it. It's very similar to my old film 'Art Bots' but with a slight twist.

My animation tech 2 class is going well, I have some general ideas of what I want to animate, and I'm glad it's so open. For this week we need to simply time our sheets out and get our shots laid out.

I've started an animation group that will be held every wedensday for students like myself to meet and help each other out on assignments and such, hope it goes through well. And of course, pizza will be served.

In other news, I just scored a free Utilikilt! How you ask? Well last year I worked by rump off making a large acrylic painting for the people at Utilikilts, I enjoy their products very much (don't know if you can tell) and so I went above and beyond to make a gift for them. Then someone put it into my mind that 'hey, maybe they would give me something back in return for this painting I had worked so hard on'. So I asked as nicely as I could, and they agreed to trade me a kilt up to the Survivalist Model. I agreed, and here is the model I am getting in the mail sometime soon.
This baby is made of a tough fabric with huuuuuge pockets. I mean huge, and many too! This sucker can hold up to twenty, count em twenty, bottles of beer! Oh man, I cannot wait to get that package in the mail.

So that's the weekly update, stay tuned for more!

Oh Ottawa

2008-09-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a few days I must say!

This year my school decided not to put in funding for a bus transportation system to Ottawa, leaving the animation students and I on our own to scramble up some funding. I was able to acquire a few freshmen and sophomore students along with me, get a hotel room, ticket, all that goodness. We drove 10 hours there, and prepared for the festival over night.

Boy what a festival it was! Richard Williams, Eric Goldberg, Doug Sweetland, and many other animation guru's, film makers, company executives, and overall cool people were there. I heard Seth Green was there, sadly I never met him. Tho I did get to meet my all time idol Richard Williams! I even got to sketch him and have him sign my sketchbook.

I got to meet and greet Eric Goldberg for a short while. He is an extremely nice and funny man. He was also kind enough to let me draw him, then sign my sketchbook. I was unable to attend his 'Putting Character in your Characters' seminar, due to bad festival planning, but even still I had a great time.

Doug Sweetland, who you may remember as the creator of 'Presto' Pixar's short before the film 'Wall-e', was there and I was able to talk with him at the Parties and after the show. He had some really great advice and stories on his experience with trying to tell a good story, and the advice he got from the Pixar Dream Team. He was very polite and kind with me, and we got to have quite a few fun chats about pixar, and his work. In the end I colored him and promised to send him a copy of the Caricature he so kindly signed for me.

After all that, I visited a few showings on short films, international films, and the like. Almost all were well done and very inspirational with only a few exceptions. I even got a chance to sit down with Richard Williams family and friends while he signed books and look through old high school artwork and post cards he had sent while he was over in London. They were all very nice, and we shared quite a few laughs looking at some of the things he would send people. I never in my life expected to have an experience quite like this, I always thought he'd be dead by the time I got to meet him. I am practically speechless about it, and boy has it fueled my creativity.

My First Blog

2008-09-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, just started Blogging. Getting into the animation industry can be difficult, and paying for your own website, as well as making it, can take up allot of time I don't have. I strive to promote animation as well as my own talents, and those of my friends, so blogging seems like a great way to do that, as well as make some friends in the industry. Really I just love talking to other animators, there's always something new and interesting to be had. So here goes, more posts to come soon.