IT TAKES A TEAM

AS PART OF OUR BUSINESS MODULE, AGAIN, ONE OF OUR TASK WAS TO CREATE AN ULTIMATE IMAGE THAT WE THOUGHT REPRESENTED OURSELVES, SO HERE'S MINE.

GO TEAM!

IT'S JUST BUSINESS PT. 5

FOR THE FINAL INSTALLMENT OF THESE BUSINESS RESEARCH POSTS I WANTED TO GO SOMEWHERE A LITTLE DIFFERENT, SO FAR IT'S ALL BEEN ABOUT 2D COMPANIES. THIS ONE ARGUABLY COULD BE CONSIDERED AS AN ORIGINAL 2D COMPANY, BUT WITH THE EVOLUTION OF NEW MEDIA'S THEY'VE ADAPTED TO 3D. HERE IT IS , 'DREAMWORKS/ P.D.I (PACIFIC DIGITAL IMAGES)

Dreamworks are an American animation studio based in California and were established in 1994 in order to create animated feature films TV shows and online virtual worlds. Over the past few years they have created popular feature films such as the Shrek series, Kung Fu Panda and my personal favourites, the How To Train Your Dragon films. 

ABOVE: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

 BELOW: KUNG FU PANDA

Unlike the other companies that have been researched into, Dreamworks are a primarily if not solely rooted into the creation of 3D feature length films and 3D piece. Although Dreamworks is mainly known for their work on popular 3D animated pieces, there is still a lot of 2D creative work that goes into the company, for example, every film needs to have character design, storyboards and animatics which are near enough always done in the 2D medium. Plus, with a history such as theirs and a company that spans out through multiple divisions of creativeness, it would offer the opportunity to branch out into other types of work, rather than just solely that of a 2D animator.

IT'S JUST BUSINESS PT.4

NEXT UP, 'ROUGH DRAFT STUDIOS INC.'

Rough Draft Studios are an animation company established in 1991, and over the past 15 years they have become one of the most highly regarded animation production companies in film and television.

ABOVE: FUTURAMA

 BELOW: THE SIMPSONS MOVIE

They are an animation company that has been at the forefront of animation out-sourcing for over 20 years now. With main commendations for their work on ‘Futurama’ and ‘The Simpsons Movie’, it is well known that they specify mainly in that of the traditional 2D style and is one of the only companies out there that still do this. To work at an industry recognised company like this would not only give any amateur a rich insight into how the industry truly functions, but would help to show the work flow needed and how to you to become more established in the creative industry. They also use 3D modelling techniques to naturally blend into their 2D styles seamlessly, another technique that would prove helpful for anyone to learn.

IT'S JUST BUSINESS PT.3

SO FOR THE NEXT INSTALLMENT OF THE WONDERFUL BUSINESS RESEARCHING, IN MY SIGHTS, 'CARTOON SALOON' 

Cartoon Saloon is an Irish based animation company established in 1999 by an informal group of animation students, Paul Young, Tom Moore and Nora Twomey. Since 1999 their company has created TV Series, both short and feature length animated films, as well as creating their own graphic novels and children’s books.

ABOVE: THE SECRET OF KELLS

BELOW: SONG OF THE SEA

Cartoon Saloon grabbed my interest due to their stylistically colourful and wonderfully animated films. They focus mainly on 2D animation, with bits and pieces of grading and photo manipulation thrown in with it. Examples with the most gravitas definitely have to be their 2009 feature film ‘The Secret of Kells’ and the most recent and shortly to be arriving to cinemas ‘Song of the Sea’. From reading their website and scouring through their pages, it seems to be a really happy and friendly (if not slightly eccentric) place to work and create, this being the reason they have been added into my list of companies that I’m interested in working for.

IT'S JUST BUSINESS PT.2

SO FOR THE SECOND INSTALLMENT OF MY BUSINESS RESEARCH I DECIDED TO GO A LITTLE CLOSER TO HOME, IN THIS CASE, 'CLOTH CAT ANIMATION'

CLOTH CAT ANIMATION IS A NEW ANIMATION COMPANY, BASED IN CARDIFF, THAT SPECIFICALLY FOCUS ON THE CREATION OF 2D ANIMATED TV SHOWS THAT INCORPORATE STRONG TECHNICAL GROUNDING AND INNOVATIVE NEW TECHNIQUES FOR AUDIENCES OF ALL KINDS

ABOVE: BOJ

   BELOW: Toot the Tiny Tugboat

Cloth Cat are a company to put into real consideration. Not only are they one of the largest creative production companies in Wales, but they are also one of the youngest, with branches that are only growing further with each passing year. With a creative team of many different types, from 2D animation to character rigging to motion graphics, this is truly a company that could really give an up and coming new talent a great place to flourish. They primarily focus on the use of the animation software ‘CelAction’, which they use for most if not all of their current 2D projects, and there has also been talk of late to the incorporation of the new software ‘TVPaint’ into their repertoire. They would provide a good understanding to any young animator trying to learn about the industry and this is why they have been considered in my research as one of the five companies I am interested in.

ITS JUST BUSINESS

SO AS PART OF OUR DEGREE WE HAVE TO LOOK INTO SOME CURRENTLY RUNNING ANIMATION COMPANIES THAT WE ARE INTERESTED IN/ WOULD LIKE TO WORK FOR (NO MATTER HOW AMBITIOUS). THIS PROJECT ACTUALLY FALLS UNDER OUR BUSINESS BRACKET HENCE THE LAME PUN TITLE, AS PER USUAL, SO THIS POST WILL BE TALKING ABOUT ONE OF THE CHOSEN BUSINESSES, SO HERE IT IS

                                             

DISNEY TELEVISION ANIMATION

THE DISNEY TELEVISION ANIMATION COMPANY WAS FIRST ESTABLISHED IN 1984 IN ORDER TO CREATE SEPARATE TV SHOWS INCORPORATING THEIR ICONIC CHARACTERS AS WELL AS SOME FRESH NEW FACES, AIMED AT YOUNG CHILDREN TO YOUNG ADULTS. THEY ARE SPECIFIED  AS DISNEY'S TELEVISION ANIMATION PRODUCTION ARM IN ASSOCIATION WITH 'DISNEY CHANNELS WORLDWIDE’ DEDICATED SOLELY TO THE CREATION OF THEIR OWN TV SERIES, UNLIKE DISNEY ITSELF WHO SPECIFICALLY CREATE THE FEATURE LENGTH FILMS WE KNOW AND LOVE.

THIS ANIMATION COMPANY HAS PROBABLY BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR PLAYING A HUGE PART IN MOULDING MY CHILDHOOD AND PLANTING THE WONDEROUS SEED OF ANIMATION INTO MY LITTLE PLIABLE CHILDISH MIND FROM THE TIME I COULD SIT WAY TOO CLOSE TO THE TV SCREEN, I MEAN WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO SIT IN A DEAD SILENT ROOM FOR 12 HOURS A DAY STARING AT A CINTIQ, NOT THE GUY, THAT'S MY JAMS.

INFLUENCES FROM TV SHOWS SUCH AS 'RECESS' AND 'TARZAN' TO TODAY'S MORE POPULAR (CURRENTLY RUNNING) 'WANDER OVER YONDER' AND 'GRAVITY FALLS'. 

ABOVE: GRAVITY FALLS     

BELOW: RECESS

AS ANY ANIMATOR SHOULD KNOW, DISNEY HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE TITANIC FORCES IN THE WORLD OF ANIMATION SINCE THE EARLY 1920'S, AND ARE STILL TO THIS DAY PRETTY HIGH UP THAT DARN LIST THERE.

MY PERSONAL FAVOURITE, GRAVITY FALLS (CAN'T HYPE THIS SHOW ENOUGH), IS ARGUABLY ONE OF THE BEST 2D ANIMATED SHOWS BEING BROADCASTED TO DATE, FROM THE ADORABLY BIZARRE STORY LINES TO THE WONDERFULLY MOREISH GRASP THAT THEY HAVE ON THEIR FUNDAMENTAL ANIMATION TECHNIQUES THAT ARE INCORPORATED INTO IT PRODUCTION. YOU REALLY DO GET THE FEELING THAT THIS IS A LABOUR OF LOVE, IF LABOUR CAN BE AFFILIATED WITH 'GRAVITY FALLS' IN ANY  WAY POSSIBLE, AND FOR THIS I AM GRATEFUL. GOT SOME SERIOUS SOUL. 

SO FOR THESE REASONS AND MANY OTHERS, 'DISNEY TELEVISION ANIMATION' IS IN MY SIGHTS. ALEX HIRSCH, PICK ME.

(THIS IS MY EAGER FACE)

Charity Advert

SO GUYS, HAVEN'T POSTED IN A WHILE, usual thing of wearing the blinkers and focusing solely on the final project, so here's something from a while back

This was the final piece that I came up with from our After Effects project. The idea was to find a charity that you support and create a short animated advert using After Effects with a bit of Illustrator thrown in for good measure

My chosen charity was 'Stroke Association UK' and this is what eventually henced forth from my creative little melon

Hope you enjoy it guys (and please excuse my awful voiceover, you never sound quite how you think you do when you listen back to the recordings do you . . . )