Hi again!
Been very busy with a lot of uni work. That and my apple mac failure means no blogging. Sad times.
While I have been handimac'd I entered my university work into the Pixarpedia Competition! Go and see my animation here or below, and you can see Pixarpedia's channel here to see some of the other entrants.
Ideally I would have liked to done it a lot better, make the characters filled, more detail, add more waving little flowers into the composition. I made this before I knew how to use any after effects, this was pretty much my introduction to motion graphics. A steep learning curve from 0-Animation in a few days.
The closing date was the 30th of November, so you can't enter it now :( but the animations that are favorited on the Pixarpedia Channel will be whittled down into 10 by the DK judging panel, then that 10 will be sent to artsits and animators who worked on Pixar's UP to select a winner. Runners up get DK vouchers and Pixarpedia books but the winner gets to go to Pixar in Emmeryville California! :D WIN!
There are a few mint entrants to compete with, most I have wished good luck to.
So please if you can go and check out my video, leave comments, ratings, show it to anyone you know who might like it. Not that it would make any difference to the outcome, as it's not based on view counts (thank god).
They notify the winners on December the 31st, so I will let you know how its going.
-Jonny
Sunday 6 December 2009
Sunday 15 November 2009
8 Women, Some University Work
As I said, i had two presentations this last week, one was the 2100 project, see matte paintings and concept art below, the other was some introductory titles for a french film called 8 Women. So for the presentation we had to show development in our ideas, and emulate the style of the film through branding. So I made some film posters...
There are (obviously from the title) 8 Women in the film, each a suspect in a murder. Very Resevoir Dogs in them having a poster each. These posters are to show a style, ideally if the story is about suspects in a murder these can become mug shots, or have the height chart on their colour block. Mainly it was to get the character design nailed. Also my first time (on both the projects) using a graphics tablet. Amazing pieces of technology and can't wait to get my own :D
Tonight: working on some more Hewitt and Walker stuff for the Directors Cut. Will post you some stuff on it when Im done! and more information on how to get a copy!
-Jonny
There are (obviously from the title) 8 Women in the film, each a suspect in a murder. Very Resevoir Dogs in them having a poster each. These posters are to show a style, ideally if the story is about suspects in a murder these can become mug shots, or have the height chart on their colour block. Mainly it was to get the character design nailed. Also my first time (on both the projects) using a graphics tablet. Amazing pieces of technology and can't wait to get my own :D
Tonight: working on some more Hewitt and Walker stuff for the Directors Cut. Will post you some stuff on it when Im done! and more information on how to get a copy!
-Jonny
Saturday 14 November 2009
Mid Term Presentations
So last week, along with Mac Failure, we also had mid term presentations at university. So as you can imagine, not the best time for my computer to have an epileptic fit.
So a day at university and stealing my girlfriends apple mac, i managed to scrape together a presentation for a project entitled 2100. In this project we have to make a documentary about the year 2100, and what we think the future will look like in newcastle.
So i thought i would share a few of my matte paintings and info-graphics...
I also did some other project work for a film called 8 Women, we have to remake the title sequence. Ill upload them later :D
-Jonny
So a day at university and stealing my girlfriends apple mac, i managed to scrape together a presentation for a project entitled 2100. In this project we have to make a documentary about the year 2100, and what we think the future will look like in newcastle.
So i thought i would share a few of my matte paintings and info-graphics...
I also did some other project work for a film called 8 Women, we have to remake the title sequence. Ill upload them later :D
-Jonny
Okay...
I havn't quite got over my bitterness over Apple's Snow Leopard scenario, but to take the sting away from being raped by a software company, Ive come with some slightly better news.
After we finished the Hewitt and Walker History of Cinema, we sat and hand-glued the DVD Boxsets together and then sent them straight to people that we admire the most in the vein hope they would reply back. And we got a reply! from none other than Adam Buxton!
Me and Ollie have both been big fans of Buxton since the Adam and Joe show back in the 90's, partially inspiring a great deal of our early film work, and now regularly listen (though not at the moment due to a hiatus) to their 6Music podcasts. So this is a big deal for both of us, and we are both VERY grateful that he took the time to watch our DVD, let alone reply to it.
Although now that we have re-watched what Buxton said very nice things about, we feel that the film is lacking somewhat in pacing, the DVD menus could be better etc... So we are planning a new Directors cut, with new features, and hopefully a new film to go with it! Score 1 for us!
So here is a piece of work in progress for the new DVD artwork.
Some trendy symbols in there too :)
So we should have a new Directors Cut of Hewitt and Walker History of Cinema, along with a brand new version of I Love Richard out by next year, I am sure that that will have a lovely DVD cover too.
-Jonny
After we finished the Hewitt and Walker History of Cinema, we sat and hand-glued the DVD Boxsets together and then sent them straight to people that we admire the most in the vein hope they would reply back. And we got a reply! from none other than Adam Buxton!
Me and Ollie have both been big fans of Buxton since the Adam and Joe show back in the 90's, partially inspiring a great deal of our early film work, and now regularly listen (though not at the moment due to a hiatus) to their 6Music podcasts. So this is a big deal for both of us, and we are both VERY grateful that he took the time to watch our DVD, let alone reply to it.
Although now that we have re-watched what Buxton said very nice things about, we feel that the film is lacking somewhat in pacing, the DVD menus could be better etc... So we are planning a new Directors cut, with new features, and hopefully a new film to go with it! Score 1 for us!
So here is a piece of work in progress for the new DVD artwork.
Some trendy symbols in there too :)
So we should have a new Directors Cut of Hewitt and Walker History of Cinema, along with a brand new version of I Love Richard out by next year, I am sure that that will have a lovely DVD cover too.
-Jonny
Monday 2 November 2009
An Open Letter To Steve Jobs...
Steve.
I have been an Apple User for several years, my first iPod was the second generation of this now famous MP3 player, then getting my MacBook, then my current MacBook Pro. A lovely 17 inch matte screen. I was so happy to bring it home.
My history with Apple withstanding, i can allow for certain mishaps to be overseen in light of the bigger picture, the bigger picture being a clean, happy, workable interface that I am happy to stick up for in any of these infamous Mac/PC debates that the Apple advertisements endorse as much as they can.
But when an Operating System is upgraded to be noticeably and obviously WORSE than its predecessor, and there is nothing that can be done to reverse back to the way things were, then I have to take a step back and look at what I am constantly fighting to protect in my circle of friends.
Since my upgrade (if you even try and attempt to call it that) to Snow Leopard i have had so many problems, ones that where never evident in regular Leopard, or even Tiger, the operating system i started on!
There are several faults, none of which you want to own up to, but you are painfully aware of them, so i won't bother listing the details. But i know you know they are there Steve, and you are just praying that no real Mac Lover will split hairs about these minor issues, and assure them that a software update is just around the corner...
You have made me (and other alienated mac users) so dependant on using the technology. Even stemming down to your almost pathetic "Im a Mac, I'm a PC" adverts, you are constantly driving a wedge between the two operating systems, creating a conflict that wasn't there before! But i guess that this is ALSO good for your marketing and im sure your stocks have never been higher.
There is nothing i can do. Absolutely nothing. There is no way that my MacBook can handle the amount of music that your new iPod "Classic" can hold without doing MORE freezes than usual, so with a sizeable library of songs i have no choice but to put them all onto my iPod, I mean god forbid it would get rid of it all. I've been collecting music, transferring all my old CD's and selling them, downloading from your precious iTunes store and yes, illegally downloading some albums, if not most of them. Thats the way the industry is going, get over it Steve.
With a library as large and extensive as that, I would assume they would be safe on a new iPod Classic, but in all fairness, i would have done better sticking with my elderly relic iPod that had every button separate to each other, 5 separate buttons? Johnny Ive must be cringing at the thought that he designed such a primitive navigational tool!
I had an iPhone too. A lovely shiny first generation iPhone. But with everything with a silver lining, there is always a cloud;
Within a month of the release of the 3G, and with the 3.0 firmware update it stated to drop calls, the battery life died within an hour, the apps, that where sold to me as phase two of Operation: Minority Report where slow and difficult to use on my now aged iPhone Prime. resulting in this iPhone being tossed in the drawer with other Apple products, rendered unusable by the mere passage of time.
This is NOT progression! this is making things more difficult for everyone involved! New users to Mac will be so irritated by this that they will convert back to their archaic PC, and older Mac users like myself just find themselves infuriated over what is now a cannibalised version of the Mac OS that they hardly recognise anymore!
I equate Snow Leopard with Vista. There, i said it. Its an update that was not asked for, nor was it needed. You had progressed with Leopard and now you have ruined it. But these faults that we are all having, I can't help but think you see these as benefits, or don't see them at all, like a band made of 17 year olds who ignore all the bad reviews. Its immature and it does not help progress your company in a way that is beneficial to us, the users.
But none of that really matters to you anymore does it Steve. Every one of your followers would have happily given up their liver for you because you have created computing heaven for them. But even if they have faults with their machines, they still won't complain. After all these years of sticking up for Apple and promoting its features, its a hard back peddle. Mac users just stick with the faults, because they don't want anyone knowing they exist. When they are so painfully obvious.
You are no different from Microsoft in your approach to "Change". You run these new features by complete imbeciles, who either don't know the first thing about what is good for the average user, or a user in a certain field. WE are the users and Steve, we are not impressed.
You NEED to cut the bullshit Steve! I mean just look at your new Magic Mouse advert. Just look! its embarrassing to see a 20 minute long advert showing the features of a Mouse, its just a mouse! something you have got wrong for many many years, and no amount of multi touch can change that.
When you get it right your products speak for themselves, and if they don't, the users speak for you. We praise what you do right when you get it right. You don't need to be still driving this divide between the two companies of you and Microsoft, you don't need to give endless reasons why we need a product, because we know instantly what is good, you have taught us that!
But im stuck now. Stuck in a vicious whirlpool that I can't even begin to paddle my way out of. Your iPhone fucked me over by dropping calls and deleting music and messages, encouraging me to buy a new one, your iPod deleted all my music, but i am so adjusted to an iPod that my senses cant even start to comprehend another mp3 player, and now Snow Leopard has degraded me to shouting into pillows and punching walls in infuriation, and all i can do is write this in the vein hope that someone will read it and think that enough is enough, and Apple needs to change.
I have been an Apple User for several years, my first iPod was the second generation of this now famous MP3 player, then getting my MacBook, then my current MacBook Pro. A lovely 17 inch matte screen. I was so happy to bring it home.
My history with Apple withstanding, i can allow for certain mishaps to be overseen in light of the bigger picture, the bigger picture being a clean, happy, workable interface that I am happy to stick up for in any of these infamous Mac/PC debates that the Apple advertisements endorse as much as they can.
But when an Operating System is upgraded to be noticeably and obviously WORSE than its predecessor, and there is nothing that can be done to reverse back to the way things were, then I have to take a step back and look at what I am constantly fighting to protect in my circle of friends.
Since my upgrade (if you even try and attempt to call it that) to Snow Leopard i have had so many problems, ones that where never evident in regular Leopard, or even Tiger, the operating system i started on!
There are several faults, none of which you want to own up to, but you are painfully aware of them, so i won't bother listing the details. But i know you know they are there Steve, and you are just praying that no real Mac Lover will split hairs about these minor issues, and assure them that a software update is just around the corner...
You have made me (and other alienated mac users) so dependant on using the technology. Even stemming down to your almost pathetic "Im a Mac, I'm a PC" adverts, you are constantly driving a wedge between the two operating systems, creating a conflict that wasn't there before! But i guess that this is ALSO good for your marketing and im sure your stocks have never been higher.
There is nothing i can do. Absolutely nothing. There is no way that my MacBook can handle the amount of music that your new iPod "Classic" can hold without doing MORE freezes than usual, so with a sizeable library of songs i have no choice but to put them all onto my iPod, I mean god forbid it would get rid of it all. I've been collecting music, transferring all my old CD's and selling them, downloading from your precious iTunes store and yes, illegally downloading some albums, if not most of them. Thats the way the industry is going, get over it Steve.
With a library as large and extensive as that, I would assume they would be safe on a new iPod Classic, but in all fairness, i would have done better sticking with my elderly relic iPod that had every button separate to each other, 5 separate buttons? Johnny Ive must be cringing at the thought that he designed such a primitive navigational tool!
I had an iPhone too. A lovely shiny first generation iPhone. But with everything with a silver lining, there is always a cloud;
Within a month of the release of the 3G, and with the 3.0 firmware update it stated to drop calls, the battery life died within an hour, the apps, that where sold to me as phase two of Operation: Minority Report where slow and difficult to use on my now aged iPhone Prime. resulting in this iPhone being tossed in the drawer with other Apple products, rendered unusable by the mere passage of time.
This is NOT progression! this is making things more difficult for everyone involved! New users to Mac will be so irritated by this that they will convert back to their archaic PC, and older Mac users like myself just find themselves infuriated over what is now a cannibalised version of the Mac OS that they hardly recognise anymore!
I equate Snow Leopard with Vista. There, i said it. Its an update that was not asked for, nor was it needed. You had progressed with Leopard and now you have ruined it. But these faults that we are all having, I can't help but think you see these as benefits, or don't see them at all, like a band made of 17 year olds who ignore all the bad reviews. Its immature and it does not help progress your company in a way that is beneficial to us, the users.
But none of that really matters to you anymore does it Steve. Every one of your followers would have happily given up their liver for you because you have created computing heaven for them. But even if they have faults with their machines, they still won't complain. After all these years of sticking up for Apple and promoting its features, its a hard back peddle. Mac users just stick with the faults, because they don't want anyone knowing they exist. When they are so painfully obvious.
You are no different from Microsoft in your approach to "Change". You run these new features by complete imbeciles, who either don't know the first thing about what is good for the average user, or a user in a certain field. WE are the users and Steve, we are not impressed.
You NEED to cut the bullshit Steve! I mean just look at your new Magic Mouse advert. Just look! its embarrassing to see a 20 minute long advert showing the features of a Mouse, its just a mouse! something you have got wrong for many many years, and no amount of multi touch can change that.
When you get it right your products speak for themselves, and if they don't, the users speak for you. We praise what you do right when you get it right. You don't need to be still driving this divide between the two companies of you and Microsoft, you don't need to give endless reasons why we need a product, because we know instantly what is good, you have taught us that!
But im stuck now. Stuck in a vicious whirlpool that I can't even begin to paddle my way out of. Your iPhone fucked me over by dropping calls and deleting music and messages, encouraging me to buy a new one, your iPod deleted all my music, but i am so adjusted to an iPod that my senses cant even start to comprehend another mp3 player, and now Snow Leopard has degraded me to shouting into pillows and punching walls in infuriation, and all i can do is write this in the vein hope that someone will read it and think that enough is enough, and Apple needs to change.
Monday 21 September 2009
iPhones...
...are the loveliest pieces of technology available.
If you have a 3Gs.
I however have an iPhone Prime, the first one made, and i still use it now! although right now there are some major fails it coughs up now and then, laughable, but oh so irritating.
Fails include:
• Thinking its got an attachment that predates the iPhone wanting it to go to Airplane mode. (edit, the airplane mode only lasts a few minutes anyway)
• The battery life, which lasts around 3 hours, half an hour if I am playing Doodlejump.
• The nice big crack through the screen, which could be classed as my fault for dropping it out the car.
• The compartment to get to the battery has become loose
• It will only find a WiFi for about a minute before giving up and trying out Edge again, then turning the Wifi off completely.
• It drops calls. Phone conversations only last 20 minutes max.
• I can't delete Notes i make, it resets the springboard every time.
• It doesn't load photo's that predates the 3.0 firmware update
• Only 1 out of 10 phone calls ever get through. It lets me know that someone has called a few days later.
• I didn't even know the iPhone loaded the springboard in safe mode!! I've seen it 4 times in the past month.
• Text messages can only arrive if I ring out from my phone, and even then they don't even arrive in the right order.
and now...
• It won't turn off. This might attribute to the attachment it thinks it has.
I do love my iPhone, loads. But me (and everyone else who tries to contact me via it) thinks its time for an upgrade.
If you have a 3Gs.
I however have an iPhone Prime, the first one made, and i still use it now! although right now there are some major fails it coughs up now and then, laughable, but oh so irritating.
Fails include:
• Thinking its got an attachment that predates the iPhone wanting it to go to Airplane mode. (edit, the airplane mode only lasts a few minutes anyway)
• The battery life, which lasts around 3 hours, half an hour if I am playing Doodlejump.
• The nice big crack through the screen, which could be classed as my fault for dropping it out the car.
• The compartment to get to the battery has become loose
• It will only find a WiFi for about a minute before giving up and trying out Edge again, then turning the Wifi off completely.
• It drops calls. Phone conversations only last 20 minutes max.
• I can't delete Notes i make, it resets the springboard every time.
• It doesn't load photo's that predates the 3.0 firmware update
• Only 1 out of 10 phone calls ever get through. It lets me know that someone has called a few days later.
• I didn't even know the iPhone loaded the springboard in safe mode!! I've seen it 4 times in the past month.
• Text messages can only arrive if I ring out from my phone, and even then they don't even arrive in the right order.
and now...
• It won't turn off. This might attribute to the attachment it thinks it has.
I do love my iPhone, loads. But me (and everyone else who tries to contact me via it) thinks its time for an upgrade.
Saturday 29 August 2009
About Video Copilot
For those of you who don't know, the first website anyone ever is directed to for After Effects advice is VideoCopilot.net. Its the number 1 place to find the best, most down to earth After Effects tutorials on the web. (did i just call it the "web"? how 1998 of me)
Ontop of that Andrew Kraemer and his team offer products to buy:
Riot Gear: A package containing things such as blood splatters, paint drips and some textures
Action Essentials: Explosions, Fire, Smashed Glass, Smoke etc...
Evolution: A package containing floral flourishes, growing vines etc..
Now these are brilliant packages. I don't doubt their brilliance for a second. And once you get them you just start to wonder the possibilities once you get them! you can finally create the graphics you have always wanted!!
Then you flick through YouTube, and all the motion graphics that people have posted. Their "Original" designs, all of which include elements that you immediately recognise from these packages you have bought. Not only that but you see the tutorial videos that you have just watched being made by people claiming its their own design.
This infuriates me sometimes. YouTube is flooded with the same videos that people have made claiming originality to something that is copied. And it makes me think what Andrew Kraemer would think. Has he created a package of elements that people can use freely as they want? or has he spawned a generation of Motion Graphic Artists whose work all looks the same?
In a way it has made it easier to spot some original design. And if you are serious about your design work, either modify the elements you have just bought, use them among a bigger piece, just don't use them as a focal point, or just because they look cool. Better yet, don't use them at all professionally.
My ego rant is over. Ill get back to using my Riot Gear :P
- Jonny
Ontop of that Andrew Kraemer and his team offer products to buy:
Riot Gear: A package containing things such as blood splatters, paint drips and some textures
Action Essentials: Explosions, Fire, Smashed Glass, Smoke etc...
Evolution: A package containing floral flourishes, growing vines etc..
Now these are brilliant packages. I don't doubt their brilliance for a second. And once you get them you just start to wonder the possibilities once you get them! you can finally create the graphics you have always wanted!!
Then you flick through YouTube, and all the motion graphics that people have posted. Their "Original" designs, all of which include elements that you immediately recognise from these packages you have bought. Not only that but you see the tutorial videos that you have just watched being made by people claiming its their own design.
This infuriates me sometimes. YouTube is flooded with the same videos that people have made claiming originality to something that is copied. And it makes me think what Andrew Kraemer would think. Has he created a package of elements that people can use freely as they want? or has he spawned a generation of Motion Graphic Artists whose work all looks the same?
In a way it has made it easier to spot some original design. And if you are serious about your design work, either modify the elements you have just bought, use them among a bigger piece, just don't use them as a focal point, or just because they look cool. Better yet, don't use them at all professionally.
My ego rant is over. Ill get back to using my Riot Gear :P
- Jonny
Friday 28 August 2009
Sketchbooking!
Sketchbooking is like facebooking but you actually create something. Loads of schools used to have it as part of an artistic curriculum but nowadays its more emphasis on the technical side of design and not so much on being able to actually draw. Drawing is something i am a big believer in, drawing is the best way of being able to visualise what you are trying to portray quickly and easily.
As you may or may not know I am currently on a Motion Graphics and Animation University course, and with animation you would think that it would involve a lot of this drawing melarkey. But yet again drawing is becoming less of a necessity and its all about using the technical tools.
Because that is all Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects and Maya are, tools, and a lot of people first learn how to use them, then think they can be creative with it. Creative people take what they have in their head, look at the material and see what tool will be the best way to accomplish this.
With the rant out the way, i thought i would share some of my sketchbooking...
- Jonny
As you may or may not know I am currently on a Motion Graphics and Animation University course, and with animation you would think that it would involve a lot of this drawing melarkey. But yet again drawing is becoming less of a necessity and its all about using the technical tools.
Because that is all Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects and Maya are, tools, and a lot of people first learn how to use them, then think they can be creative with it. Creative people take what they have in their head, look at the material and see what tool will be the best way to accomplish this.
With the rant out the way, i thought i would share some of my sketchbooking...
- Jonny
Monday 24 August 2009
Primer... (Spoilers May Occur)
... has to be one of the most brilliant films i have ever seen. If you haven't seen it and like me you like time travel films go and watch it. You won't be disappointed.
The dialogue can be a bit hard to follow at times, but its something you don't need to follow precisely. Most of it is banter between two friends who are on the same wavelength. I mean how many times have you been to a party and met some new people and they have a long history of conversation between them. Its like that. This might have the problem in other films of shutting you out and not connecting with the characters. But it doesn't patronise you, it doesn't dumb the dialogue down for the sake of keeping up.
But the part that took me was the time travel itself. Shane Carruth (Dir) ticks the box of the number 1 problem i have had with time travel films in the past, and that's space. I always thought that if Marty McFly got in the DeLorean back to 1955 from 1985, he would find himself in the exact same position in relation to the Earth, but in reality the Earth is a million miles from where it was in 1955, so Marty would end up in Space, and the DeLorean would stetch out and break due to pressure.
Carruth states that to end up in the same place in relation to the Earth, you have to travel through every possible second backwards to end up there. The Box in Primer does this, It stays in relation to the Earth so the characters are grounded in the same place in Texas, not 4 Million miles away from Earth.
All in all its a very intelligent film with a lot to say from director Shane Carruth's first picture. And if you are into time travel films and need something more fresh and new rather than "Im from the future, im here to resuce you" films, then go buy it, its around a tenner. Worth every penny.
-Jonny
The dialogue can be a bit hard to follow at times, but its something you don't need to follow precisely. Most of it is banter between two friends who are on the same wavelength. I mean how many times have you been to a party and met some new people and they have a long history of conversation between them. Its like that. This might have the problem in other films of shutting you out and not connecting with the characters. But it doesn't patronise you, it doesn't dumb the dialogue down for the sake of keeping up.
But the part that took me was the time travel itself. Shane Carruth (Dir) ticks the box of the number 1 problem i have had with time travel films in the past, and that's space. I always thought that if Marty McFly got in the DeLorean back to 1955 from 1985, he would find himself in the exact same position in relation to the Earth, but in reality the Earth is a million miles from where it was in 1955, so Marty would end up in Space, and the DeLorean would stetch out and break due to pressure.
Carruth states that to end up in the same place in relation to the Earth, you have to travel through every possible second backwards to end up there. The Box in Primer does this, It stays in relation to the Earth so the characters are grounded in the same place in Texas, not 4 Million miles away from Earth.
All in all its a very intelligent film with a lot to say from director Shane Carruth's first picture. And if you are into time travel films and need something more fresh and new rather than "Im from the future, im here to resuce you" films, then go buy it, its around a tenner. Worth every penny.
-Jonny
Wordard Strikes Again
Wordart reared its ugly head again recently, and while i was trying to enjoy my dinner no less :(
There is a small cafe where i live, and its kitted out like an old school 50's American Diner, it looks brilliant, the neon signs, the chrome, even the milkshakes are on the money, pictures of Monroe and James Dean too. They went all out with the architecture and interior design.
Unfortunately they stopped as soon as it came to the design. The menu's where hand laminated A4 photocopied paper and the posters offering drink offers where done with my best friend Wordart.
Now I am not one to usually go off on one about this sorts of thing, it can sound like a petty argument and something that is so trivial, but when a cafe has had so much time spent on making the decor look reminiscent of the time period, it seems daft to leave out a major customer touch point, ie flyers, menu's posters. Not only that, but there is a Printer's right across the road.
So instead of getting lost in this 1950's American utopian universe that it tries to do, you are reminded of how the world isn't right, not when Wordart still exists. Even someone who has no design knowledge looks at them and associates them with a computer, something far to advanced for the world the Diner tried to create, and therefore snaps you out of what could have been a brilliant dining experience.
Or again, this might just be my over conscious design head getting the better of me.
-Jonny
There is a small cafe where i live, and its kitted out like an old school 50's American Diner, it looks brilliant, the neon signs, the chrome, even the milkshakes are on the money, pictures of Monroe and James Dean too. They went all out with the architecture and interior design.
Unfortunately they stopped as soon as it came to the design. The menu's where hand laminated A4 photocopied paper and the posters offering drink offers where done with my best friend Wordart.
Now I am not one to usually go off on one about this sorts of thing, it can sound like a petty argument and something that is so trivial, but when a cafe has had so much time spent on making the decor look reminiscent of the time period, it seems daft to leave out a major customer touch point, ie flyers, menu's posters. Not only that, but there is a Printer's right across the road.
So instead of getting lost in this 1950's American utopian universe that it tries to do, you are reminded of how the world isn't right, not when Wordart still exists. Even someone who has no design knowledge looks at them and associates them with a computer, something far to advanced for the world the Diner tried to create, and therefore snaps you out of what could have been a brilliant dining experience.
Or again, this might just be my over conscious design head getting the better of me.
-Jonny
Sunday 23 August 2009
A Hundred & Two...
...is a new song by Toby Domoney! and I get to make him a lovely animated music video for it.
As usual procrastination would have it, i have made a short piece of motion work to get a feel for what the video might look like, and an "Official Trailer" for the Music Video too! My, I have been busy...
Also remember to check out Toby's Myspace, not only for some cracking songs and cover versions, but also a million year old banner that I made for him around 5 years ago!
Thats all for now! Sleep now :)
-Jonny
Saturday 22 August 2009
Ameba's Motion Graphics
Hey there!
I'm getting a lot of Motion Graphics work done nowadays, creating short 10-30 second adverts for fictional bars and clubs to put together on a showreel, i should be adding one every two to three days, feel free to check them out at on my YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/amebagraphics.
Also my website is in progress at the moment, currently its just showing some cute little cartoons as a "coming soon/under construction" graphic, but i should have it up and running by the time i start University again.
Starting to get a habit this blogging lark!
-Jonny
Sunday 16 August 2009
The Issues With Monsters
Okay, to celebrate the release of Monsters Inc on Blu Ray (which i whole heartedly recommend buying if you own a Blu Ray player and wondering why you shelled out money for it) I have thrown together a list of issues i have with this film.
Don't get me wrong, its a brilliant film, being Pixar its head and shoulders above any other animated films for its demographic, but i feel that Pete Doctor needed to iron out some problems with the Monsters Inc Universe.
Problem 1: Monstropolis
In an alternate universe that have monsters in that are all in some way scary to children, then you would more than likely have everyone working at Monsters Inc, as a sort of community service, like jury duty! I think its rather selfish of some monsters to want to own a coffee shop or sell fruit during a scare shortage! I mean by all means keep on the good scarers, but i think it should be compulsory for monsters to be part of Monsters Inc.
Problem 2: Monsters Incorperated
Monstropolis is on a scare shortage, its mentioned this from the start. But with the vast amount of space they have in the lobby and storing doors you would think they could afford more than one scare floor with roughly 10 doors on it! If there is more scare floors they certainly arnt shown in the film. For a company that is threatened by going under you think they would afford the space for more doors. Made more clear by the CDA shutting the floor down for an hour, other floors would just be able to keep running.
Problem 3: Scare Shortage
Monstropolis is run by scare, and they get there scare from Monsters Inc, but what happens when they shut down Monsters Inc? There would be NO scare for anyone to use! surely a scare station producing a little bit of scare is better than having none at all? I mean is there any other alternative to using scare? like solar or wind power? Or do they have some sort of backup plan for when the company goes under? Who knows. Maybe there are other branches of Monsters Inc. in other parts of Monstropolis, or maybe this one just powers this city in this questionably sized universe.
Problem 4: Scary Kids Scaring Monsters
Waternoose knows that children cannot harm monsters at all, so why build up the big conspiracy that kids are deadly lethal? Maybe to prevent them from getting close to their kids (a-la Sully and Boo) but this is part of their job! its what they get paid (i assume they get paid) to do! If a monster is too compassionate for a child then he shouldn't be working at Monsters Inc but at a adolescent monster centre for reformed scarers. You would think that monsters would be more confident scaring kids (and therefore get more scream) if they know they arn't harmful. You would get less pillocks falling on some Jacks and making the kid immune to monsters and loosing doors.
Problem 5: Laughter
Research seems to be the problem here with Monsters Inc. Science Division. You get some bad scarers who fall on their ass and might accidently make a kid laugh and it fills the container. The R&D at Monsters Inc. might moniter some doors and see what is more effective, or whether a girls scream is more powerful than a boys scream, or the average age of door termination. There just seems to be a lack of recent development in how scaring is done, and it seems to be a formula handed down from generation to generation without question.
Problem 6: Monster Pro-Creation
Monsters come in all shapes and sizes, and i imagine for mating monsters it would be like mating two different breeds of dog, but it must be hard for Ted the giant chicken bird, for him to meet up with someone would be difficult, especially seeing as though he can't speak a word of English. But after years and years of pro creation they would all start to look either inbred or all the same. Or have the same monsters been around forever and just don't age?
Problem 7: The Monsters Universe
Closets have been around as long as we have had houses, and now we have closets monsters can get their scream and abuse our kids to power their hybrid cars with knarling teeth. But what did monsters do before then? did they even exist? did they live in a great depression where monsters had no power? like humans before fire? If so they have come a hell of a long way (and very similar to our universe) in such a short space of time.
All of these posts are all made null and void by the ultimate line: "Its just a cartoon!" But Pixar has prided itself on making a believable universe for their characters to inhabit. John Lasseter says this is one of the main goals of the company. Don't get me wrong, i still love the film, there are just some deep flaws in the universe that stunts my acceptance of this alternate world of monsters.
Don't get me started on Cars....
-Jonny @ Ameba Graphics
Saturday 15 August 2009
Hewitt & Walker
Hey! Thought I would update you on my most recent collaboration with Ollie Bostock from Moorlands Films, We made a DVD, named the Hewitt & Walker History Of Cinema. Its a collection of some short films based on Grindhouse Cinema of 1950's America we have been making for the past year or so. It includes some of my motion graphics work. It was loads of fun making it and its fantastic to finally get a DVD finished ready to distribute.
If anyone wants a copy please don't hesitate to ask.
Here are a few pictures of what she looks like...
Let me know what you think!-Jonny @ Ameba Graphics
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