Tag Archives: animation

Latest Video Spew

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It’s time again for another video spew. Butcher Bird Studios has been busy. We’ve been shooting and posting several projects over the last couple of months. Some are still in the works, but plenty have been completed (although we can’t show you one of them yet). If you have  a lot of time to spare and you want to see some of what we’ve been up to, here you go:

I’ve also been working on various freelance projects on the side. One of those went live today. The video below is from Break Media. They hired me to do all of the visual effects and animation for this short.

Gyakushu Goes Live

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Gyakushu Title

One of my jobs during my days at TOKYOPOP was directing Motion Comics (then called iManga). Riding Shotgun and I Luv Halloween were both released shortly after completion. My favorite of the projects was Gyakushu. Unfortunately, for various reasons, it was never released. Thankfully, that has changed. It has been over two years since we completed it, but the Motion Comic version of Dan Hipp’s book is finally online at Hulu.

Marty Preview + Website

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We may have finished shooting The Many Maladies of Marty Mitchell over a year ago, but I have only begun to do the time-sucking post-production work. I anticipate the final product running roughly fifteen minutes. Well, I have recently completed the first minute! It is online for everyone to watch and rebuke. That’s the video embedded above if you haven’t been paying attention.

I also decided one minute of footage must be enough content for an entire website to be built around. Sound reasoning, right? Visit ManyMaladies.com and you can follow the Marty Mitchell production blog as I slog my way through completion.

On an unrelated note, the movie that engulfed two years of my life at TOKYOPOP is online at Hulu. I was responsible for almost all of the motion graphics and visual effects. I also had a belligerent bit part as an actor. If you have two hours to lose, check out Van Von Hunter. You will never be the same!

Stopping By

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Don't you recognize leaves?

I’m still kicking. One of the things keeping me busy lately is toying around with DSLR cameras for photos and video. Expect to see a short soon called "Delivery" shot on a Canon 7D. I’ve also helped some friends with a couple of other 7D shoots and motion graphics. The big news: Thanks to my tax return I was able to buy a lower end digital camera with interchangeable lens options and full HD video capabilities. I have been spending some of my free time lately testing out my new Panasonic GH1. Some of the photos can be seen in an album on my Facebook page. I have also ordered a little camera I am very excited about, the Go Pro HD Helmet Cam. Weather and USPS permitting, I’ll get to try it out this weekend rock climbing in Chatsworth. I look forward to taking that little thing down waterfalls, diving, trapeze-ing, and anywhere else I can.

I’m done with the VFX for "Silver Moon." Travis is wrapping up its loose ends and it will be online very soon. Fan it on Facebook if you use that site. I’ve finally started editing my first "I Am Yo-yo" Duncan spec spot. That should be completed soon. "Marty Mitchell" is still sitting in the wings, but I plan to start working on its open right after. If you have ever been curious what some of the videos I put together at work look like, you can check out a YouTube playlist I’ve compiled with some of that work. I’ve embedded the Book Trailer I put together for the "Shutter Island" Graphic Novel below.

I’ll be going to small claims court in April to attempt to bring justice down upon the chick that lied about our car accident last year. Calcote was kind enough to serve her at her office last week for me. Blood work from my allergist claims I am only allergic to dogs, cats, and cockroaches. My lifelong sinus problems and itchiness tell me otherwise. I’ve been on a few hikes recently and I am really looking forward to an exciting March filled with canyoneering, trapeze, Death Valley, and whatever else I can fit in. The West Coast Trail in British Columbia is looking like a definite possibility this summer. I will need to start planning soon if that is going to be a reality.

Well, that takes the two of you interested up to speed. See ya.

it's a tree, dummy

A Beautiful Life Complete

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Earlier this year, Luis introduced me to a stand-up guy that goes by the name of Monc. He’s an English musician with a lot of talent and passion. We worked together to turn one of his songs, “A Beautiful Life”, into a one-minute animation. It is my first After Effects/Flash hybrid love-child (generally I work in one or the other, not both together). I think it turned out fairly well and I hope everyone enjoys it.

It can be seen in the following places:
A Beautiful Life on Myspace
A Beautiful Life on YouTube
A Beautiful Life on Revver
A Beautiful Life on Newgrounds
A Beautiful Life on Vimeo

If you have quicktime and want to see it at the highest quality possible online:
A Beautiful Life on my website

Toy Story 3 Recalled

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I found this article very amusing.

From AWN
January 26, 2006

One of the first signs that things will change at Disney under Pixar’s Ed Catmull and John Lasseter, Lasseter informed Walt Disney Feature Animation employees that TOY STORY 3 would cease production immediately, reports the ASSOCIATED PRESS.

The film was announced by former Disney head Michael Eisner the same day that Pixar announced that it was not going to renew its agreement with Disney, who owned the rights to make sequels on its own based on the Pixar film character library. As part of that deal, Pixar had first refusal on all sequels. Disney later formed the Circle 7 division to specifically produce sequels to the Pixar films. Lasseter allegedly told the approximately 100 animators of Circle 7 that their skills would be used in other areas of Walt Disney Feature Animation.

Bradley Raymond was set to direct TOY STORY 3, based on a script by Jared Stern, who pitched the idea to the studio while a participant in Disney’s feature animation story development program. Planned to be released in 2008, the film saw Buzz Lightyear recalled to his Taiwan manufacturer after a series of malfunctions, leading to Woody and all the rest of the toys in Andy’s room to travel to Asia to save Buzz.

Drowning Review?

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Every once in a while, I do a Google search on “fourchinnigan” and see if any of my work has proliferated further across the web. Recently, I found THIS. It is a review of Drowning, a Flash movie I made four years ago in two days. This guy reviewed it a few months ago. I’m really curious how this old horrible semi-animation found new life. I really hope people don’t gauge my animation skills on this old crap. Oh well.

Twas a good Weekend

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I went to the first night of the Genndy Tartakovsky retrospective at the Egyptian Theatre which was quite cool. I had never seen the Emmy-winning one-hour “Birth of Evil” episode of Samurai Jack. It is much better than most animated features in the Theater. Genndy pretty much verified my concerns about Cartoon Network without directly saying it–they are becoming a corporate manufacturer of the same crap as everyone else. They seem to be heading in the direction of becoming Nick 2. Let’s hope that changes. He said Astroboy is basically in limbo, so it may be a long time (if ever) before it gets made. I also saw Steamboy this weekend which I liked VERY much, much like I knew I would. Otomo does not let me down. I hope to see more Steamboy stuff, be it animated or in comic format. Three puppet shows and a trip to the beach. It was a busy weekend.