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“It is a truly rewarding experience when animation artists breathe life into their characters by creating movement as though they’re real humans.” —Eyo Obot (animator)
In today’s blog, Eyo shares 11 tips to successfully create characters that feel as grounded and realistic as they are “cartoony.”
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I remember watching Spider-Man: In to the Spider-verse and thinking that's some of the more unique looking animation I've ever seen. The weird blend of print style, 3D, 2D, comic-book effect was just beautiful to watch. Here's a little talk about what went into making this masterpiece.
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TMNT is another great one, I also liked the visual style of Arcane. It has a unique look to it as well. Very different from Spider-Man but stylized with a great blend of 2D and 3D.
I haven't seen "Arcane," Daniel Husbands. I'll have to check it out.
Into The Spider-Verse is literally my favorite movie because no other comic book adaptation feels like the comic is truly coming to life. It's breathtaking. I saw it 6 times in theaters.
And Arcane is one of my FAVORITE series. I can't wait for season 2 to release this fall!!
Puss 'n' Boots : The Last Wish animated many of its action sequences in a similar style to TMNT. It's one of the best animated films of all time.
I think the key to the next generation of AI is what Across the Spider-Verse did really well in making the entire screen come to life with more of an anime style where it felt like the screen was brea...
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I can't say I'm too surprised by Disney's strategy; I'm just disappointed with it.
https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/disney-and-pixar-will-lean-on-s......
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Same for video games. If it's not a sequel, it's a reboot, remake, or remaster.
With the growth of indie development I find it hard to believe that they can't find fresh creatives to bring new ideas to the world.
Daniel Husbands Believe me, there are plenty of fresh creatives working at the studios, there just aren't very many executives willing to take a risk.
As I said in another thread, as long as people keep going to see them, the studios are gonna keep making them. To quote Bill Burr, "The money listens."
I'd be game for an "A Bug's Life" sequel. We gotta know what those bugs been up to!
Here’s the story of how Ghost in the Shell became a worldwide hit. Turns out the overseas distributor Manga Entertainment was instrumental in getting it made. I bought the VHS in the 90s, but assumed it was just another movie made primarily for the Japanese market.
https://open.substack.com/pub/anim...
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Very interesting, great share Mike Boas
Wow. What a great share, Mike Boas. Some friends and I were just talking about GHOST IN THE SHELL as Jim Cameron cited it as an inspiration for AVATAR (more the workd buiding than the story). Haven't...
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Thanks for sharing, Mike! It makes me want to revisit this little gem.
What made Ghost in the Shell so great was how it was a completely unique idea at the time. I think a lot of creators get caught up in trends and trying to fit in as opposed to being bold and standing out entirely
Following in the same vein as a previous discussion on sequels I came across this video that shows just how successful sequels are on a fairly consistent basis. It make for an even strong argument as to why large productions are turning to them again and again.
Personally I prefer seeing something t...
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I don't think Zootopia is a sequel, but there is no denying that many of them, as well as the "live-action" reboots, have been successful. We have to look to independents to break the mold like Pixar did years ago until they got inhaled by the machine.
Wow, this is interesting, Daniel Husbands! I didn't realize how well the Despicable Me and Ice Age sequels have done financially.
Daniel Husbands that is the unfortunate reality in this very risk-averse business. Movie studios are now relatively small fractions of large multinational corporations' overall portfolios. They answer...
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It's a weird transition for me to witness over my movie-watching life. When I was a kid in the 80s, sequels were viewed as second- or third-tier garbage, cheap cash grabs without key players involved...
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Even Across the Spider-Verse which "only" made $690 million was super dope
Hey, Animators!
There are 2 FREE Stage 32 in-person networking meetups coming up this Thursday, May 16th! I'm including links to the meetup pages for you all below. If you live in any of these cities or are nearby, be sure to RSVP and seize this opportunity to meet with other creatives in person and...
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Have fun!!!!!
As tools continue to develop and technology advances with high resolution, motion capture, and powerful post processing. Some are using these tools to go back to the old school aesthetic of the 80's animation style. If your familiar with blender3d then you know how versatile that software can be, if...
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This is cool, Daniel Husbands - would like see Inspector Gadget redone in this style.
Inspector Gadget was one of my favorites
This is awesome, Daniel Husbands! I haven't watched many '80s cartoons lately, but I recently did a '90s Animated Spider-Man rewatch. I love that show so much!
Ah, the 80's. It's amazing how some half-hour toy commercials were able to have a enough teeth to be decent and have a legacy of nostalgia.
That's cool. Wouldn't mind seeing Voltron in that style.
Art is unique and every artist will have their own method to achieve the result that they are after. I came across this workflow break down and I wondered how common it was. How does this compare to your workflow and what software might you have in common?
https://youtu.be/3IgY4L_tgt8?si=FJ3dMMSIaTQB...
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That’s funny. In a way it’s like saying what’s most important in a car, the steering wheel, the engine, or the tires.
I suppose I could make a movie without a plan (storyboards), and without sound, an...
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You make a good point Mike Boas they all have very important functions that together contribute to a quality finished production.
Excellent discussion. Thank you for the insightful detail, Mike Boas!
Here’s something I did years ago, trying out an animation app on my phone. Total stream of consciousness, no planning. Big chunky lines, the best I could draw with my finger on a small screen. But it’...
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This is a fairly standard process for many animators. As has been pointed out, there are many alternative processes. The end result is all that matters.
If you want to create an animated project, here's an article on tips that may help.
https://www.animationmagazine.net/2024/04/nine-helpful-tips-and-insights......
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Great tips and insight for animation supervisors, Bob Harper! Thanks for sharing the article.
It's a team effort so being an effective supervisor is important. Thanks Bob Harper
This sounds fun, Brian Smith! And the main character is voiced by one of my favorite actresses. Lupita Nyong’o.
I saw a trailer for this somewhere, looks very interesting. Great share Brian Smith
This looks so neat! Thank you for sharing, Brian Smith! I hadn't heard of this yet.
Chris Sanders is my favorite modern animation director.
This looks pretty cool.
Found this website while searching for a way to understand animation business better. Ben Marvazi founded Promoshin, the providers of 'animated explainer videos', before setting up this educational package for the freelancers in animation. Only a signup is needed to provide all-free lessons and trai...
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Definitely do your due diligence before engaging. Thanks for sharing.
I've seen them around social media. These kinds of courses can often be outdated and not very practical for some, but if they are free, then what would be the harm in exploring?
It's a sales page so that can be a bit off putting, if you're not used to it.. Scroll down to the list of modules - the course looks legit. If they cover all that, at even a medium level of quality you'll be happy you did it.
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Great share thanks Maurice Vaughan
You're welcome, Daniel Husbands. Other creatives can use the tips too, like screenwriters and filmmakers using "Timing."
I do love a great cartoonish performance though. Over the top characters have become taboo in that they're too much, too in your face, or too intrusive, but they really remain effective narrative tools for communicating complicated plot mechanics with lower stakes by being overly dramatic