After a brief hiatus, my film has moved back into production!  With over %15 already reanimated in flash, I've taken to creating a Patreon service in order to help offset the costs of working in what little free time I have.  Please be sure to check it out at.

https://www.patreon.com/MyDadtheGiant

..and consider becoming a patron!  I have special reward tiers already set up, and will be hosting my first stream on Picarto.tv this next Saturday March 28th. You can also set a monthly limit so you don't go over budget.  Even just $1 a month can help.  Please spread the word or become a patron yourself, I'd love to have you on board!

https://www.patreon.com/MyDadtheGiant

2014 Demo Reel

I've been super busy working at powerhouse, my film, and even a bit of Beasts Fury.  Until these shots are finished enough to show, I figured I'd share with you the latest Demo Reel I've scrapped together.  Working at Powerhouse for the last 3 years has yielded a wealth of animation to pull from, and has increased my skills as an artist more than I could have imagined.  The editing for this demo reel was done by my good friend Niles Bontrager, who if you haven't checked out already you should start now. 

It's also interesting to compare this with my 2011 Demo Reel, the reel that got me into powerhouse, and see the style of my animation change as well as it's quality (for the better). 

Without further adieu, my..

 2014 Demo Reel

Patrick Stannard Demo Reel 2014 from Patrick Stannard on Vimeo.

Reel Breakdown!

Short film: "My Dad the Giant"

Company: Personal

Jobs: Animation, Clean Up, Color, Shadows.

Game: "the Banner Saga"

Client: Stoic Studios

Animation Studio: Powerhouse Animation

Jobs: Animation

Game: "Beasts Fury"

Client: Beasts Fury Studio

Animation Studio: Freelance

Jobs: Animation of Shark Character "Don"

Commercial: "Tone Def"

Client: Widen Kennedy

Animation Studio: Powerhouse Animation

Jobs: Animation of rabbit

Commercial: "Looney Tunes"

Client: Penny

Animation Studio: Powerhouse Animation

Jobs: Animation of Daffy

Commercial: "Colour Your World"

Client: Staedletter

Animation Studio: Powerhouse Animation

Jobs: Animation of dragon character

Game: "Epic Mickey 2"

Client: Junction Point

Animation Studio: Powerhouse Animation

Jobs: Animation

Game: "Disney Hidden Kingdoms"

Client: Disney Interactive

Animation Studio: Powerhouse Animation

Jobs: Animation of Villain "Sez"

Internship: "Mickey Mouse Short"

Client: N/A

Animation Studio: Walt Disney

Jobs: Animation of Mickey Mouse

Trailer: "Epic Mickey"

Client: promotional work

Animation Studio: Powerhouse Animation

Jobs: Animation

Big Meaty Hands

"My Dad the Giant": Hands from Patrick Stannard on Vimeo.

"My Dad the Giant" focuses around two characters, one of them being almost literally a Giant. A major aspect of Brionelli, the dad in the film, is that he is an accomplished painter, sculptor, and craftsman. He is meant to be an intimidating presence in the film who often becomes completely engrossed in his work. As a result his hands are meaty, worn, and massive but move delicately with the precision of an artist. 

These are just a few shots demonstrating that fact. These extreme closeups communicate his size and daily rituals as he prepares for a painting.

Metal Kilts

In between working at Powerhouse and my film, I've found a little extra time to spend with my girlfriend at the local Texas Ren Faire. Texas as you might imagine has some of the largest Ren Faire's in the United States, the one we recently attended was the Sherwood Forest Faire.  My girlfriend Kaye adorned her gypsy garb as I proudly displayed my family colors, black and gold.  The depth and seriousness of this was somewhat lost on Kaye, who continued to refer to me as Sir. Lemon, or the Lemon knight, during our entire stay at the faire.  Below are some pictures to wet your curiosity.  

 I sat at the round table and conversed battle plans with lord blueberry....

We posed for pictures...

 ..as I rocked the handlebar mustache and beard jewelry...

...and generally let my badass-ness speak for itself. 

In related news, I have also been during extensive internet research to find some proper and functional female armor.  Kaye has expressed interest in SCA and Archery, as well as the desire to own a protective cuirass of her own.  You'd be surprised (or not depending on how familiar you are with geek culture) to know that the majority of armor for women is nothing but glorified corsets and leather bras. It seems women need only protect their nipples and not their vital organs from swords and spears and other sharp metal objects. 

However dismayed I was, determined I remained to find some proper protection for Kaye.  During my searches I stumbled upon one of the most bad-ass ladies on the internet.  Long Sword tournament winner Samantha Swords.  Below is a picture of her in a custom made cuirass, done by a friend/coworker from the Weta Workshop.  For those of you who don't know, they are an FX company who specializes in props and set design, and have worked on such amazing films as the Peter Jackson "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. 

Seriously, too bad-ass for words. 

  You can imagine my surprise when she responded to my email.  Not only did she let me know how she came across her stylish and functional cuirass, she also put me in contact with the lady who made it!  Now I am in talks with the designer and working on saving up some cash to get one for Kaye.  

It's amazing how life can surprise you sometimes, and sometimes the best surprises in life come in the form of heavy armor and sharp swords. 

New Film Animation!

"My Dad the Giant" Title Card

"My Dad the Giant" Title Card from Patrick Stannard on Vimeo.

As always it has been a busy year, with viking saga's, wrestling sharks, new opportunities, and new adventures.  This isn't to say that I've forgotten about my film, which is at it's 4th year of development since I started it in 2010.  It's been a struggle to continue work on it as I started a new job, moved to Texas, rented a house with my girlfriend, worked consistent freelance to help pay for bills, and dealt with the untimely death of my father.  But in my hours of free-time, what little I've had, I have been steadily animating on my film, determined as ever to finish it.  Above is the completely animated title card.  I have been going through shot by shot in order of succession to avoid spending too much time on the juicy shots and not enough to the rest.

Expect more in the future!

Film poster drawn by me and rendered by Mel Bontrager (Mel B!)

The Banner Saga: Releases it's single player!

I've surfaced from my hole in the ground to tell you that Stoic Studio's "The Banner Saga" has released on Steam for $25!

I was a backer of this project way back in March of 2012 when it first cropped up on Kickstarter. Little did I know that I was going to soon find myself working on that very same game through my studio, Powerhouse.  Myself and everyone around me had such a passion for this project, and it shows.   It's visuals are stunning, it's story complex and miles deep, and the game-play challenging.

Don't just take my word for it, "the Banner Saga" has been critically acclaimed and praised by almost any reviewer who has come across it.  Here are just a few examples.

 IGN
"The Banner Saga deserves commendation for the strength of its art and music experience alone, which shatters conventions."

The New York Times
"What to make, then, of something like The Banner Saga, an unusual and sometimes skillful blend of old and new?"

GameSpot
"The colorful hand-drawn characters and cel-shaded villages would have been at home in a high-budget animated film."

 Escapist Magazine

The hand-drawn visuals, interesting combat, and epic story mean The Banner Saga is crafted from flawless pieces
Read more at http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/10910-The-Banner-Saga-Review-The-Gods-are-Dead#fRR314EwrpgirFse.99

 "The Banner Saga's hand-drawn visuals and striking animation do wonders for it."

Inspired by the concept art for "the Banner Saga's" god-stones

Even my good friends at RageSelect.com reviewed the game.  As tribute I did them this little doodle of Jeff and Jason as God-Stones.

Rage Select Playthrough Part 1

Warning: Foul language and sexual innuendos ahead

Part 2

Warning: Foul language and sexual innuendos ahead

Check it out on Steam when you can, this is a Saga worth venturing on.

The hand-drawn visuals, interesting combat, and epic story mean The Banner Saga is crafted from flawless pieces
Read more at http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/10910-The-Banner-Saga-Review-The-Gods-are-Dead#fRR314EwrpgirFse.99

The hand-drawn visuals, interesting combat, and epic story mean The Banner Saga is crafted from flawless pieces
Read more at http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/10910-The-Banner-Saga-Review-The-Gods-are-Dead#fRR314EwrpgirFse.99

The hand-drawn visuals, interesting combat, and epic story mean The Banner Saga is crafted from flawless pieces
Read more at http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/10910-The-Banner-Saga-Review-The-Gods-are-Dead#fRR314EwrpgirFse.99

The hand-drawn visuals, interesting combat, and epic story mean The Banner Saga is crafted from flawless pieces
Read more at http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/10910-The-Banner-Saga-Review-The-Gods-are-Dead#fRR314EwrpgirFse.99

The hand-drawn visuals, interesting combat, and epic story mean The Banner Saga is crafted from flawless pieces
Read more at http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/10910-The-Banner-Saga-Review-The-Gods-are-Dead#fRR314EwrpgirFse.99

The hand-drawn visuals, interesting combat, and epic story mean The Banner Saga is crafted from flawless pieces
Read more at http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/10910-The-Banner-Saga-Review-The-Gods-are-Dead#fRR314EwrpgirFse.99

The hand-drawn visuals, interesting combat, and epic story mean The Banner Saga is crafted from flawless pieces
Read more at http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/10910-The-Banner-Saga-Review-The-Gods-are-Dead#fRR314EwrpgirFse.99

The hand-drawn visuals, interesting combat, and epic story mean The Banner Saga is crafted from flawless pieces
Read more at http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/10910-The-Banner-Saga-Review-The-Gods-are-Dead#fRR314EwrpgirFse.99

Video's for you!

Powerhouse Creative "War on the Z-Axis"

Powerhouse Animation has just released it's new website Powerhouse Creative!  With that a stunning new video to help rally the troops and inspire the public to help in the fight against the dreaded Z-Axis!  Help support your local traditional animation studio by favoriting, liking, and sharing this video to all your friends.    

Powerhouse Creative "Demo-Reel"

With the anti Z-Axis propaganda comes a demonstration of Powerhouse's work, including many shots I have had the privilege to work on.  It truly is wonderful working for such a diverse and high quality studio.  There's no telling what new job may come in but I always know that powerhouse will put out a professional and quality product. 

My Dad the Giant "Update 42"

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/308950851/my-dad-the-giant/posts/395243

In my own spare time, what little I have, I've been working on my short film "My Dad the Giant".  The most recent update showcases some WIP full animation from the current Proof of Concept shot I am working on to demonstrate what the final look of my film will be when completed. 

What I've been up to...

"Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two"

I've had the great privilege to once again animate Mickey Mouse, as well as a few of his pals, and to be one of the few people who've gotten the chance to animate Oswald the Lucky rabbit.  I did this while working at the wonderful, Powerhouse Animation studios in helping Junction point release the sequel to their infinitely creative "Epic Mickey" game.

As an animation lover I appreciate the attention to detail and can spend hours spotting all the subtle, and not so subtle references to old animation classics that are littered throughout each and every level.  I enjoyed the amount of creative freedom I had when animating my scenes, even when we were on a short time budget.  As a result I came out of this with some shots I am very proud of, including this scene in which I did 95% of the animation, all but three shots.

Mad Doc "It's so sad"

It was a great learning experience in efficient animation, and was so much fun to work on.  Here's looking forward to a third installment! 

"Banner Saga: Factions"



Banner Saga is what I like to call a "Yahtzee!" moment.  I first learned about the project through kickstarter, and quickly backed it after seeing its deep world of vikings, giants, and magic. Little did I know that the studio producing the game was right here in Austin, and that I would have a chance to work on it.  Like I said... "Yahtzee!"

I've had a chance to play it, and I'm amazed at just how deep the strategy gets, how much thought goes into every move, and how the hours fly by when I'm playing it.  Not only has the game been critically acclaimed on such sites as Rock Paper Shotgun but it's art style has many people keeping an eye on this Turn Based Strategy game.  I worked on both the cutscenes and many of the in game assets, and now the BETA is live for you to check it out and try it for yourself!

There's more to come on this game, and this amazing multiplayer beta is just the tip of the iceberg, so keep an eye out on this project.

So that's what I have been up to.  My next updates will be about my film, so stay tuned everybody!

Happy Powerhouse Halloween!

Good evening fellow animators, friends, family, and acquaintances!  It's been a hell of a Halloween, the majority of it I spent in a 60 lb fiberglass outfit based on the popular game Gears of War.  See my exploits below.     

 Chowing down with my fellow Powerhouse'ians at Opal's, of course in costume.

 Working the armor at work.

 I rev up my chainsaw as Bruce(my boss) wields his steam punk rifle.

 The entire Powerhouse costumers.  All of these were wildly creative and spectacularly put together.

 Pallin around with Mandalorians at Wizard Con.

 Me and Pikachu (Kayla Kromer) at the Spill.com Halloween party that Kayla was nice enough to host.

 I couldn't get enough of the star wars booth. 

 Me and Jason from The Loading Bar, looking awesome!

 Probably my favorite costume of the year!

Jason and Jeff of the loading bar rocking some amazing costumes at the Halloween Party, oh and Flinn photoboming! 

 Mystery Science Theater costumes for the win!  These girls were great at the Con, especially in the Gagnam Style music video that was filmed there. 

 TF2 Heavy verses a COG soldier, who will win!?

Standing stoicly next to a horrifyingly life like Jar Jar binks at Kayla's place during the Spill.com Halloween party.

A video compilation by FrankDaTanka on youtube showing off the various costumes, including mine, at Wizard Con 2012

Keep an eye out for more updates, and Happy belated Halloween everyone! Mwahahahaha!

Powerhouse Class Animation Example

Recently I was asked to partner with two other Powerhouse Employees to produce a Powerhouse Fundamentals class on rough animation. I decided to do a little mouse character jumping to exemplify all the various types of principles that go into animating a standard shot. For the demonstration I broke it down into Keys, Extremes, Breakdowns, Inbetweens and emphasized the importance of charting. Other principles talked about were Squash and Stretch, Overlap, Drag, Strong Posing and Staging.

I'll post a link to the class itself when it is published.


Sometimes it's nice to just doodle something now and then, hope you enjoy!

Loading Bar Banner Entry

My friends at Spill and the Loading Bar have decided to have a contest for Spilleos (Spill.com fans) to enter in hopes of getting their art featured on the site.  Naturally I, being a Spilleo myself and wanting to create a nice rendered piece of art in hopes of drumming up more freelance, leaped at the chance.  So this is my entry.  No word yet on who will win, but I've got my fingers crossed.

If I can get some more freelance work going, and get paid for the bit I have done already, then the pile of savings I have for the Ottawa Animation Festival trip will be nice and plump with plenty of buffer room in case anything goes wrong.  Going to the festival will be a great opportunity for me to not only have a lot of fun, but get exposed to the new crop of short films coming out, and perhaps expose my WIP film "My Dad the Giant" to a few people as well.

Wish me luck!

-Patrick Stannard-

A years worth of sketches!

Just this yesterday I had the privilege to move into a more comfortable desk at my favorite company, Powerhouse Animation.  One of the companies longest and most admired directors decided to leave after many years of service to pursue mission work in the Dominican Republic.  His absence has been felt everywhere, and manifested strongly in the now vacant corner office he once occupied.  To fill this void Powerhouse decided that it was high time another honored employee got promoted to the space, and his own personal office.  That person was not me, and nor should it be, I've only been there for a year guys!  But, I was able to snatch up the desk my coworker left behind towards his brand new work space.  

So now I get to hold onto my traditional animation roots that much stronger with a refitted light table mounted with a Cintique.  I've only had a day to try it out, but already I am noticing much less discomfort in my back now that I don't have to bend over as much, and a bit of nostalgia to brighten my work experience even more than it already is.

During the move, I cleared out my old desk of all it's little notes, scrap pieces of paper, and all the materials I seem unable to keep my busy pen away from.  I swear I make better doodles on pieces of paper not designed for art than I do on canvas or in my sketchbook.  Those grade-school., middle-school, well high-school, hell college. . . days of doodling on my homework never seem to have left me.  While I don't have any homework left, there's nothing to stop me from sketching on a yellow notepad, or a sticky note, or one of the weekly meeting pages we get, during my downtime. 

I decided to scan all the silliness and share it with you.  Sorry for being away from the blog for so long, hope this makes up for lost time. 

 

 

Patrick R Stannard
Hey everyone! Want to help fund some really great independent animation and get yourself a DVD copy? Check out "The ARMS Masters!" a project started by my great friend Mike Winn as well as many of my friends and classmates from CCS.


http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/760823342/the-armsmasters-project-the-animated-pilot?ref=live 



A little can go a long way, and any bit you can chip in would be very helpful, plus they've put together all sorts of goodies you can get for various donation amounts!

Thanks!

16 Angry Men

One of my favorite things to do while I'm digesting my daily news story is to whip out some pencils, some paper, and draw all the weird faces that show up in the various segments.  Be it a pundit, an interview, a crime story, or just something silly there is always a funny face to be seen.  This is a compilation of all the angry white men I have doodled on napkins, scrap paper, and the like.  Some have been more modified than others.

New Animation Desk!

I know it's been awhile since last time I posted, but not to worry there is plenty happening here at the Kilted Lair.  Production on the film is kicking up again as I try to make it to the Austin Film Makers Production Fund deadline in June.  I hope to have everything ready by May 31st. 

In preparation I have acquired a full-on animation desk!  It has a disc, shelves, plenty of space for paper, and of course the valuable light box. 

More updates are on the horizon! Stay tuned.

Tour De Suit: Parte Three!

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

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.