'Brave' Japanese Trailer

Watch it in hi-res here. I find this is the first footage that you get a better sense of the story and subplots of the film, very Miyazaki. Very cool.

Glove and Boots - Awesome web series!

2012 - The Year of Stopmotion Animation

Journey - Video Game Walkthrough

It's gutsy to develop an "arty" game like this, props to the crew to see this threw, I don't understand why this type of thing isn't experimented with more often, more profound and meaningful storytelling experiences within the videogame industry should be pushed, nurtured and attempted, maybe now it will be.

Enter the world of Journey, the third game from acclaimed indie developers thatgamecompany and presented by SCEA Santa Monica Studio.

Journey is an interactive parable, an anonymous online adventure to experience a person’s life passage and their intersections with other’s.

You wake alone and surrounded by miles of burning, sprawling desert, and soon discover the looming mountaintop which is your goal.

Faced with rolling sand dunes, age-old ruins, caves and howling winds, your passage will not be an easy one. The goal is to get to the mountaintop, but the experience is discovering who you are, what this place is, and what is your purpose.

Travel and explore this ancient, mysterious world alone, or with a stranger you meet along the way. Soar above ruins and glide across sands as you discover the secrets of a forgotten civilization.

Featuring stunning visuals, haunting music, and unique online gameplay, Journey delivers an experience like no other.

Making of 'Journey'

Via onanimation

Kirakira

Nice Japanese video clip by Tangefilms for Azuma Hitomi "Kirakira" song. Based on designs by mangaka Daisuke Nishijima (Dien Bien Phu).

Ralph McQuarrie: 1929 – 2012

The great Ralph McQuarrie passed away yesterday at the age of 82.

Without Ralph McQuarrie we would not have Star Wars, plain and simple. George Lucas’ script was being turned down left and right. Nobody was understanding his vision. Lucas realized he couldn’t count on a studio exec having even a small amount of imagination and sought out Ralph McQuarrie to do a series of production art pieces that would visualize the world.
Lucas’ first pitch with McQuarrie’s art laid out before him was at 20th Century Fox and you know what happened next.

If that had been McQuarrie’s complete legacy we would owe him our eternal thanks, but not only did he grasp the story and imagery Lucas was desperate to put on screen, he set the template for the universe. I’ve included much of McQuarrie’s art below and when you look at his Star Wars stuff, look at how exactly his machines were adapted by ILM. I’d say you can thank Ralph for the lived-in look of the universe.



While he will be forever known for influencing the look and style of Star Wars, McQuarrie also set the template for Battlestar Galactica and produced art for Cocoon (for which he won an Oscar), Total Recall, E.T., Masters of the Universe, and Batteries Not Included.

McQuarrie’s art also influenced the mothership in Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind and he was even called upon to illustrate that great image from Indiana’s book depicting the power of the Ark of the Covenant.

Ralph McQuarrie achieved the dream of every artist: his work sparked the imaginations of millions. His particular style met with Lucas’ vision at the right time and that spark created the most iconic original film series in the history of cinema.

In my mind, McQuarrie was to Star Wars what HR Giger was to Alien. His contributions to film history are undeniable and I hope he knew they didn’t go unnoticed.

"I am deeply saddened by the passing of such a visionary artist and such a humble man," George Lucas said in a statement. "Ralph McQuarrie was the first person I hired to help me envision Star Wars. His genial contribution, in the form of unequaled production paintings, propelled and inspired all of the cast and crew of the original 'Star Wars' trilogy. When words could not convey my ideas, I could always point to one of Ralph's fabulous illustrations and say, 'Do it like this.' In many ways, he was a generous father to a conceptual art revolution that was born of his artwork, and which seized the imaginations of thousands and propelled them into the film industry. In that way, we will all be benefiting from his oeuvre for generations to come. Beyond that, I will always remember him as a kind and patient, and wonderfully talented, friend and collaborator." - George Lucas

The Story of Animation

from David Tart

DAICON IV

I've never seen this classic 1983 sci-fi convention animated promo sequence, made by independent Japanese animators in Osaka on 8mm film.

Outside of Japan, the Nihon SF Taikai is most famous for the animation for the opening ceremonies of DAICON IV, which was produced by the animators that later became Gainax. The DAICON IV opening video features a girl in a Playboy Bunny suit with cameos from many science fiction films and stories. The DAICON IV opening video is a hallmark of otaku culture and has appeared in many otaku-related artwork and TV shows, notably FLCL and Densha Otoko.

It's complete madness, check it out, I can't get over the mass amount of early 80s American sci-fi/comic book references.

Solipsist

This film looks like a playground for vision. Non-Narrative films, though rare, have some of the most amazing visual concepts and I think this film, Solipsist by Andrew Huang, will be nothing short of great and stir up a lot for us visual artists and designers.

"...the film is a non-narrative purely visual/audio experience designed to transport viewers through a hypnotic, dream-like experience."

Have a look at the rest of Andrew Huang‘s work at his site, he’s got some pretty incredible and imaginative moving visual work.



Solipsist - Official Trailer from Andrew Huang on Vimeo.

Avatar Animatics

The Compositions of Benjamin Plouffe

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Robert Valley and Jorden Oliwa exhibition

Robert Valley & Jorden Oliwa exhibition this April in Paris (Arludik gallery). Robert will be selling his Massive Swerve #4 artbook and screen his new "Pear cider and cigarettes" short film during this event.