Cult anime series FLCL — otherwise known as Fooly Cooly — will be getting two more seasons, according to an announcement from Cartoon Network parent company Turner. The two seasons will include 12 new episodes, and be produced with Cartoon Network's Adult Swim and Japanese anime studio Production I.G. Series creator Kazuya Tsurumaki will also return for the new seasons, which will air on Cartoon Network's Toonami block.
Off the Air is a adult swim show that airs late at night. It is a compilation of experimental films that they find on the internet. They cut the videos together and animate the transitions with unique and "trippy" changes. I personally love the show. I think it is a very creative work of art that while at some points can get extremely weird, is truly enjoyable to watch.
The show has a plot based on a specific word like "falling" or "color", then the makers of the show choose selections that fit into that category. The run time of each episode is only around 11-15 minutes, but there is so much going on in each that it feels just as long as a episode with a normal half hour runtime.
The show focuses primarily on animation but there are some times when some strangely edited live footage comes into play. As seen above there is a colorful spider that made its appearance on the "Dance" episode where it was performing a strange mating dance that had some strange editing and animation.
Off the Air incorporates a lot of unique contemporary animations. I find the style of some of the animations they choose to include to be very inspiring. The experimental videos are all entertaining but the animated ones specifically catch my attention due to their creativity and style.
As we become more familiar with animation software like After Effects, it seems like computers have made animation ten times easier. With the class's limited understanding of basic functions of After Effects, we can create a ball that bounces for ever in a matter of minutes. Imagine what we would be able to do with deeper understanding of the software. Because the software seems to make animation so easy, one may assume that all big studios would utilize those programs rather than rely on older animation techniques. Of course, there are a number of shows that make use of older and much more difficult animation techniques, like stop motion. One such show is Cartoon Network's Robot Chicken.
Robot Chicken is a sketch comedy show that airs during Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" segment nightly segment. The show makes use of stop motion animation, where they move the figures in tiny increments, recording each new placement one frame at a time. The do make use of some computer generated graphics for explosions or mouth movements, but a majority of the show is done stop motion, a technique that can take hours to just get a couple of seconds of video, and that's not counting the time it takes to make each figure and setting. You may not like the crude humor that the show has, but you can appreciate the amount of work that the creators put into each ten second sketch.
I'm not a huge fan of Robot Chicken's humor. At times it can be really funny, but it can also be pretty corny, distasteful, or just plain bad. But one thing I've always loved and appreciated about Robot Chicken is the stop motion animation, which is really well done and really creative using the show's vast array of action figures, dolls, and toys. I'm sure most of us have seen Robot Chicken, but here's a couple of funny examples from the show:
I saw it fitting I did something from adult swim seeing as I posted about Too Many Cooks last week. Thinking about it a little more, I realized that adult swim really supports a lot of creative types of animation. Robot Chicken, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Harvey Birdman for example all used some unorthodox animation styles, all to the show's benefit and humor.
Too Many Cooks is one of the funniest things I've seen all year, and should probably be nominated for an Oscar. I don't want to give too much exposition, because I believe this 11 minute short serves best going in blind, but I promise you won't be disappointed if you haven't seen it yet. It's already gone viral, so there's good chance you have, but it only came out about a month ago so it's still pretty fresh. I give you, Too Many Cooks.
Adult Swim aired this video at 4 in the morning on October 28th with absolutely no warning whatsoever. Imagine waking up randomly at 4 in the morning to Too Many Cooks. I'd be absolutely scared out of my mind. I appreciate they did that though, because I feel like that adds to the atmosphere of the insanity that occurs especially in the last couple minutes.
Regardless, I think this video is absolutely genius, and much of that has to do with the hilarious animation, again mostly happening at the back end of the video. The explosions, sci-fi graphics, transformations, and role switching of the characters and their title cards are all hysterical uses of animation in a video that otherwise doesn't use a lot of CGI. Whats most important to note for me is that none of the animation looks particularly realistic or even professional, but at the end of the day that quality definitely adds to the humor of the video. This shows that animation can be useful to a project even when on a low budget. I think the low-budget look was on purpose here, but the point stands all the same.
Also, after you've watched this video, go back to the beginning and try to catch all the times the killer with the machete appears in the background. I didn't notice him at ALL the first time around, but he's definitely there and often in plain sight. This creeped the hell out of me the second time around, but it was also, again, hysterical.
David ORielly is an Irish animator and artist, who's works is the best kind of weird.
Some of his more well known works are the episode "A glitch is a glitch" of the Cartoon Network show Adventure Time, which he wrote and directed.
His shot film "The External World", which blends treads of seemingly un-related oddities together beautifully.
He did some short animations for Adult Swim, and even sat in as a writer on this season of "South Park". Part of what makes me gravitate towards ORielly's stuff, is how raw it is. Weird crap happens, and un-apologetically so. Watch "The External World" and you'll see what I mean.
I'm also a fan of his low-poly style. It gives everything a neat look and pairs well with the glitchy looking effects he likes to use.
Seriously, give this guy's stuff a look. If you can handle the weird, you'll be delighted. And if you can't, then you're gonna get your mind blown.
One of the things I'm most excited to play with more in After Effects is animation based on music. I (like most people) am a huge music lover and transitively a big fan of music videos when they're done well. I think for certain albums, more artists should consider creating visuals to go along with entire albums as opposed to just certain singles. I saw a lot of potential for this in a video released by producer Flying Lotus a few weeks ago, which was essentially a preview for his upcoming album "You're Dead!". The video basically shows snippets of every song on the album with a little trippy visual for each one. The animation is all based on the music and fits the album very well. The video is not on YouTube but you can watch it at this link:
(WARNING: Lots of flashing lights do not watch if susceptible to seizures)
Flying Lotus is no stranger to setting his music to animation. Here are a couple other examples:
These are more quirky little videos. Each tell a story and each have an art style that is truly unique and fitting of the music it's made for. It's a ton of work, but this is the type of stuff I'd have a lot of fun making.
By the way, the new album "You're Dead!" releases October 7th, but it leaked over the weekend. It's absolutely amazing, and I definitely recommend checking it out (and buying it when it releases). My roommates and I have been each listening to it and promptly getting our minds blown.
Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job! is perfectly representative of everything that I see funny in a television program. In my opinion I'm sure at least 9/10 of the general public will pass off the show as garbage but to me, it appeals to my sense of humor. It does not, for the most part, use expensive and complicated special effects; it uses simplistic and juvenile techniques and confusing writing/dialogue to create a unique and non-sensical product. Its heavy use of green screen and basic me-level of After Effects is laughable. It does, however, probably take a lot of skill to produce because while the humor is nonsense and confusing, it is still captivating and there is still a very faint plot to each episode. The simplicity is still gone about artistically. The eleven minutes flies by because you're both captivated and confused the entire time.
Well folks it's the end of the year. Our screenings start next week and most of our projects are done…I hope.
For the posts I've researched this semester, I've finally had the chance to find out how some of my favorite pieces in animation were made. A lot of the other posts that I've seen on here have shown me some motion graphics and animated topics I wasn't aware of.
I want to end my entry time here with some of my favorite forms in animation I've come to to love over the years.
You Are a Pirate
Fred Perry
Gold Digger Time Raft
(Hand-Drawn Animated Style)
The Boondocks
Adult Swim
(Japanese Animation Style)
Robot Chicken
(Stop Motion Animation)
The Mask
(CGI)
This last video has been one of my favorite animated transformations. I've been looking around to find what programs they used for getting the mask on Jim Carrey, but my research has yet to yield results.
As for its sequel Son of the Mask….
….I like to think of it more as a weird phase Loki was going through before he returned in Thor and The Avengers.
Maybe that round with the Hulk brought him to his seneses
While I don't think I'll be pursuing a career in animation to the degree of Toy Story, I'm glad I was able to get the experience of learning some of the basics of using after effects.
Recently I had an awesome experience witnessing the magic that is 12 Oz. Mouse. This show ran on Adult Swim from 2005 to 2007, and was created by Matt Maiellaro (creator of Aqua Teen Hunger Force). It is an insanely weird show, and is known for it's signature style, something that I would call a mix of awkward, passionate, western, mysterious, dark, and humorous all at the same time. The show centers around a mouse named Fitz who goes on various adventures so he can buy more beer. Over time, Fitz begins to recover lost memories of a child and wife he once had that have now vanished.
Maiellaro jokingly states that he convinced Adult Swim to produce the series by telling them it would cost 5 dollars and they could just use some of the paper in the copier to produce the images. This does not seem like such a stretch, because the animation in this show lacks so much, but in doing so gains a great amount and develops its own signature look. Maiellaro also stated in an interview that he chose the people in his writers office to play the characters, with himself voicing the main protagonist.
The animation studio who helped create the show, Radical Axis (based in Atlanta, Georgia), has animated for shows such as Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Robot Chicken, and the currently airing Archer. They have offices all over the world, and may even be something I will consider looking into, so I can give people coffee and make no money. However, it's really amazing to see the style contrast from 12 Oz. Mouse to a show like Archer which I am also currently in love with!
Once you watch, you'll understand that the show sort of takes on a life of its own, first starting out sort of dark and dreary, and then gaining life and humor as Fitz embarks on his adventures. It's awesome!
Here is a clip from an episode!
Also, here is the site for Radical Axis.
http://www.radicalaxis.com/newweb/home.html
Charlie Kaufman, writer of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich, and Adaptation, is teaming up with Starburns Industries, Inc. to create his first animated film. Starburns industries are responsible for their signature claymation look, and have even branched into computer animation with Adult Swim's "Rick and Morty." The film has raised well over it's intended goal, actually almost doubling it, but if you guys are fans of Kaufman's work you should definitely support it! Because, the more money they have, the more they can do! I have personally been a huge fan of Charlie Kaufman ever since I saw Eternal Sunshine, and it is still one of my favorite films to date.
Here is an interview with Kaufman on one of his later film, Synecdoche, New York, Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman. This film, is truly brilliant and does some amazing work in terms of Set Decoration. It is about a man who creates a play within a play within a play within a play within a play and so on..As the play progresses, sets have to be built within sets within other sets. I'm very excited to see what he can do with an animation team, as his live action films have beautiful imagery as well! Check out the trailer below.
Okay, so I think I've posted on here already about how I love Adventure Time. It's mix of beautiful colors, dark narrative, and alluring composition never ceases to draw me in. It has this ability to draw you into your television set (or computer screen) and sort of suck you into this post-apocalyptic universe in the future. For a little bit of background on the show, (for those of you who aren't familiar with it) it takes place on a future Earth, in which all humans have been turned into creatures created from radioactive fallout, due to "The Mushroom War." Ironically, you don't even know this until late into the show when the writers decide to start dropping hints. I was watching a random interview with Pendleton Ward, who acts as creator, one of the writers, voice over actor for Lumpy Space Princess, and occasional composer. It's a very cool interview, and we get a peak at how one of the lead designers goes about drawing all of the characters in Photoshop. Check it!
Another show that I'm also very into is "Regular Show." Created by J.G Quintel, it is yet another show in which humans characteristics are put into the forms of ridiculous creatures. This video takes you inside of Cartoon Network studios as Quintel shows you the perfect formula for creating a story, and the offices in which his team work. It's really cool to see all the rooms in which these shows are written and animated!
Also, here is a short animation from Quintel that he created while in film school. It is important to notice while watching, (obviously everything is hand drawn) but to see how similar his beginning work is from the show that is currently on Cartoon Network. One of the reasons I really like the show is that it contains a very trademark style that is Quintel's own.
Anthony Schepperd is an award winning director and animator who does work in music videos and commercials. He posted on his vimeo that "Animation gives us the rare opportunity to spill our most coveted attribute, the imagination." I have been a huge fan of Schepperd's work ever since I started watching the music videos below. He not only takes animation to a whole new creative level, but works with many of the musicians that I know and love. His animations have also been featured on such channels as Adult Swim. I don't want to post too much about what to expect, because it's really just something you have to see for yourself. But the bottom line is, I can't imagine how much time and dedication must go into these projects.
Here is a link to his website! http://themanimator.com
Friday, February 7, 2014
Joseph Fasolino
I have recently been doing much research on different animators, and over the past few months I've been obsessed with shows such as Pendelton Ward's "Adventure Time," and "Regular Show." I have come across a show called "Home Movies," which ran from 1999 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. It was created by Brendon Small, who hold positions as writer, animator, and composer for the show. Being a musician myself, I thought it was particularly interesting that Small writes all of the episodes, and composes 100% of the music. He actually holds a degree from Berklee College of Music.
The show is supposed to be a parody of Small's life growing up as a teenager. He and his awkward friends go on various misadventures while simultaneously figuring out what it means to grow up. The show has it's own custom made censor, which is a significantly different pitch than Adult Swim's censor, and it is commonly used for words that Adult Swim would have otherwise allowed. The show also uses it's own process of scriptwriting, called "retroscripting," a process in which scripts are purposely left vague, and the plot is merely outlined. Most dialogue is actually done through improv by the actors.
The show has reach various levels of critical acclaim, and January of 2009, IGN listed Home Movies as the 28th best in the Top 100 Best Animated TV Shows. Here is the link for Season 2, Episode 1.
This week I began looking at different films / programs I could design an alternate intro sequence for. Being a fan of the walking dead, I noticed when I was watching it this weekend that the effects here are not terribly complicated. The second video is the intro sequence from the animated Adult Swim show, The Venture Bros. This intro uses some of the techniques we discussed at the beginning of the semester (using textures, stamps, brushes, still photos, etc). Two very different shows, both with some interesting effects.
Adult Swim has been around for the past 12 years and has graced our television sets with dozens of various animated series. Not everyone appreciates the humor, but I think we can all appreciate the wide variety of animation Adult Swim offers which go way beyond traditional ideas for animated series. Below are a few videos I found interesting that give a behind-the-scenes look at the animation studios who make these shows, and some of the process involved in creating them. The first is a behind the scenes look at the animation process for the Adult Swim show, Squidbillies. The second video looks at the animation studio. The language is a little..well..there's a reason these shows only come on so late at night.
WARNING, the following videos may contain language and images not suitable for children.Viewer Discretion is Advised.
Hello one, hello all! Welcome back to my weekly post, today we are making like Oreos because we are double-stuffed! That's right, it's double-Jeopardy, double-Whammy, double-trouble, and it's double the flavor, double the fun. What I'm trying to say is that I will be talking about two videos today and the theme is... CAPTAIN PLANET! (The title was a spoiler in itself and I apologize).
The first video is from one of Adult Swim's Best Shows Robot Chicken. The premise of the show is simple: Seth Green and Matthew Senreich play with toys and we watch the madness ensue. The clip below is from the second season episode titled "1987" and features media mogul Ted Turner turning into one of his beloved characters he made, Captain Planet. The show is mostly done with stop-motion animation with the occasional use 3D animation, for example in the video Ted Turner a.k.a. Captain Planet ziplines from one building into another which would be extremely difficult to do in normal stop-motion so they use 3D animation to make it work. The show implements other visual effects such as title sequences and motion tracking.
Now onto our second clip. It's from FunnyOrDie.com and it features Don Cheadle as Captain Planet, if Captain Planet becomes mad with power and saving the world by turning every living thing into a plant such as a tree or a shrub. The first video (see below) was made over a year ago and since then its reached over 4.5 million views and now has a whole series devoted to an insane Captain Planet saving the world, one tree at a time. The series offers a number of visual effects, from transforming people into trees to Captain Planet's Iron Man-like hand blasts. Sadly FunnyOrDie doesn't list who does most of the visual effects but I was able to find that Trevor Durtschi worked on the series as a colourist who works with colour grading, the process of altering and enhancing the colour of a motion picture, video image, or still image either electronically, photo-chemically or digitally. They work with colour correction, masks, mattes, and motion tracking. The final episode of the series comes out tomorrow so look out for that, and for Captain Planet because he's watching you and will turn you into a TREE.
