The most difficult gig in animation

If I were to ask you,"what do you think the most DIFFICULT job in animation is?" What would you say?

Well lets touch on that for a sec. Now there are tons of jobs that people have that go into making an animated feature. I'd like to touch on the last 17 years of the traditionally animated feature.

So again, Aside from the director..what has been the most DIFFICULT job in the field of animation?

The most difficult job in animation in my opinion is/was ........The 'Inbetweener'.

That's right my lil poopies. The lowly, grunt known as the 'inbetweener'.

You say: "Handel! Your off your nut! The INBETWEENER??? Your a doofus! Your an imbecile of the highest degree!"

Nay say I. Here's is my reasoning. And just for the sake of clarity, lets just say inbetweener and cleanup in general with an emphasis on inbetweener.
1) The inbetweener....the GOOD inbetweener, HAS GOT to know how to draw. AND draw well. He has got to come to the table and know that it is NOT about tracing. It is about DRAWING and about the performance in the animation. He must not only draw really well, but he MUST know about all the mechanics of drawing. Such as line quality, and also on occasion line weight and thick and thins. He must know about charts, and how to read them and on occasion "interpret" them. He must be able to 'tap' into the style of the animator, and get every bit of emotion he can out of the roughs and bring them into the cleanups (of which he will hopefully have the benefit of a very experienced key cleanup person to follow up from).

He has to deal with not only the ego and high standards from a demanding supervising key (cleanup), but also the ego and high standards of a very demanding animator who has spent countless hours trying to get not only the acting and performance across but also DRAW the damn thing on model and with flair, who is also going to be watching how EVERY cleanup line is put down.

So ALL this along with the fact that inbetweening is so technical and mechanically tedious, not to mention that it is a thankless job, makes this one of the most difficult gigs in animation. And in my mind, one of the most important in traditional animation.

The most "important" you say Mr Handel? Yup. Here's why.
If you are watching an animated movie, and are engrossed in the 'story', and all of a sudden you get a drawing that flickers, or jumps or God forbid is even a hair off in thickness,, All of a sudden your audience is yanked out of the performance. It creates a mental speed bump that no matter how beautiful the animation, or how competent the story is....Your interrupted. Brought out of the illusion.
Imagine, that that small little 'smidge' of a line thickness that looks so minor on a sheet of paper..when its up on a big screen- bigger than life...that small 'smidge' is HUGE and noticeable and therefore.....speed bump.

rather important wouldn't you say? Of course.

So to you, Oh grunt inbetweener...I tip my hairpiece to you! For all the pressures that you take in and deal with. For all the ego's that you have to smile and put up with. For all the crap that comes with your thankless tasks. I DO thank you. At least the ones that give a damn.

NOW....

As for what I...Handel...consider the 'easiest' job in animation. (some of you are going to see this coming).

"Storyboarding".

Yup. NOW I KNOW WHAT YOUR THINKING!!!! Oh Handel is picking on us again!! Oh Handel is displaying is hatred of Board Artists again!!"
Let me stop you right there before you curl up in a fetal position and shiver in your own pee puddle.
Again, There is not ONE job...NOT ONE job that is 'easy' in animation. Each job, even the guy that tacks up and preps the boards for story guys, job is a difficult one. Each gig in the process of animation comes with its challenges and difficulties. And each one is to be respected.
But out of all of them....in my opinion, board artists have the 'easier' of all of the gigs. Because they DON'T have all the technical crap that everyone in PRODUCTION has to deal with.
In fact, when people ask me how they can get into the field of animation. I tell them to work their butts off. You know...all the usual stuff. But I also tell them that 'story' will have the least demands on them.

Here's why I say that. And lets just cover a few of the production gigs:

KEYS and Inbetweeners (as I said) have to know how to draw. They do. they have to adapt to the styles of both the animator and be under close scrutiny of the animator and key's (cleanup).
It has GOT to be on. They have to nail it. They have to be THINKING both MECHANICALLY (charts, line quality, etc) and ORGANICALLY (the animation and keeping the life in it).

ANIMATORS: Have to not only make the performance but also draw very well, and in different styles. Along with the typical things such as that, they must also in these days of technology, learn to animate with different tools...these days, the computer. So they need to learn the software to do that. Be it Maya, Max, Flash...whatever. And they have to learn it QUICK!
Quite frankly, for someone to have to go from traditional to 3d...it really is like learning to walk all over again! While all of the principals STILL apply, the rout to get to that can be totally different. I liken it to giving yourself a lobotomy and putting the left side of your brain in the spot that your right side was sittin. And placing your right side of your brain- where your left was sitting!

Some do fine, some not so fine and just hate it because it IS so different. I'm not sure but I think one of those that does not feel too comfortable with the 3d technique might be Eric Goldberg. Another is James Baxter. Its a different pair of feet! It really is.
As technology grows and changes, everyone must change and adapt to and with it.
Everyone except......storyboard artists.

That's riiiight. they aren't saddled with the need to learn any new software. Nor do they need to learn and change techniques to adapt to the changing tech. They still do the scribbles on paper.
Oh sure! They'll say; "HEY!! I just got myself a cintique (or a wacom tablet).
Nuh uhh. Ain't the same thing, Chelsea. And that would be so lame to even bring that up. You aren't needing to learn ANYTHING by getting a wacom other than to know how and where to plug in your usb.
So! When you add this fact to the fact that board artists do NOT have to even draw
1) On model:
They aren't expected to draw on model and to their defense on this, Its not important for them to draw on model (and they aren't called to draw on model), just as long as they draw clear and fast. So there isn't any pressures as far as that, that animators and key cleanups are faced with.
2) They aren't even expected to draw particularly well either, much less on model. Just fast and clear. Luckily many of them DO in fact draw very well, indeed. But there is not a pressure to do so.

In fact, they are subject to scrutiny really from the director only. One could say that an inbetweener is subject to scrutiny from the animator, key cleanup, AND Director. Therefore hearkening back to my first point as far as inbetweener being the most difficult gig.

I could go on, but I think that you get my point. So anyone looking for a gig in animation, you might want to consider what it is your looking for. Animation is great! But if you want something where you can just do the work and not have to worry about keeping current or learning the latest:
technique or software, or drawing on model or even drawing well, and just basically coast on some levels. You really might want to think about a position in story.
But be warned! It is NOT an easy position as there IS no easy positions in animation. But there is 'easier' and less demanding.

Storyboarding may be your ticket.

JEEZE!!

Been crazy busy!! Gonna get a post up this weekend, though. Tune in, Its going to be a goodie!

Hey Countsy! I realize I haven't been around to baby sit ya. So I'll have something for you soon lil miss!

democrat congress at 18%. Doing what they do best. Sucking.

This
is from the Gallup poll service. The other lowest points for congress
was in 1992 (democrat controlled) and 1979 (democrat controlled). I'm
seeing a trend here,aren't you? Well..At least they're consistent.



August 21, 2007
Congress Approval Rating Matches Historical Low
Just 18% approve of job Congress is doing

by Jeffrey M. Jones

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- A new Gallup Poll finds Congress' approval rating the lowest it has been since Gallup first tracked public opinion of Congress with this measure in 1974. Just 18% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, while 76% disapprove, according to the August 13-16, 2007, Gallup Poll.

That 18% job approval rating matches the low recorded in March 1992, when a check-bouncing scandal was one of several scandals besetting Congress, leading many states to pass term limits measures for U.S. representatives (which the Supreme Court later declared unconstitutional). Congress had a similarly low 19% approval rating during the energy crisis in the summer of 1979...

There was a slight interruption in the downward trend in congressional approval ratings at the beginning of this year when party control changed hands from the Republicans to the Democrats following last fall's midterm elections. In January 2007, 35% of Americans approved of Congress, a significant increase from the 21% who approved of Congress in December 2006. That December rating tied the lowest in the 12 years the Republicans controlled Congress from 1995 to 2006.

But that "honeymoon" period for the new Democratically controlled Congress was brief, as its job ratings dropped below 30% in March 2007 and have now fallen below where they were just before the Democrats took over.

Mike Wieringo 1963-2007

I found out a week ago that Mike Wieringo had passed away on August 12, from an apparent heart attack. He was 44 years old. I'll say it again..... 44 years old.

What is a little surreal is that he passed away on the 12th. Which also happens to be my little ones Birthday. While I was celebrating with my kid, little did I know that the world was losing a fantastic person and fantastic artist.

Now, if you're at all involved in the comic book world, you know who Mike Wieringo is.
Now I'm talking who he IS, NOT just what he does. What he was by profession was a great comic book artist. Truly. He had a style that was not what you would think might 'sell' in a comic book world that like many other mediums wants more 'edgier' work. MORE TEETH AND MUSCLES! MORE GORE AND NEKIDNESS!

No.

Mikes style was a more 'simplified' look. Less lines. Less realistic. There was almost an innocence to the look. I hesitate to call it an 'animated' or 'cartoony' look, because I think to do so would cheapen what Mikes style is.
But it was fresh, it was appealing. It was honest and sincere. It was captivating. And with that...magical.
And that garnered him a huge fan base that led him to pencil some of Marvels most prominent characters including but not limited to "Spiderman" and a much celebrated run on the "Fantastic Four".
When Mike left Fantastic Four in protest to his writer partner (Mark Waid) getting the boot from Marvel, the fan base screamed to have him/them back.So loud was the outcry, that Marvel did indeed bring back the duo. He was that good. His work was that loved.

That was Mike Wieringo: the COMIC BOOK ARTIST
THAT'S what he did.

Who he WAS was a wonderful, gentleman. Generous with support and suggestions for up and comers to the craft. He was the sweetest man. A good man. Kind and humble beyond belief!
It is ALWAYS a strange thing to see one of the giants in any art field, that just does not have a bad bone in their body. There isn't one person, not ONE person that has ever uttered a bad thing about Mike (or 'RINGO' as he liked to be called and how he signed his work).
When the news of his passing hit the wires on the 13th, the forums were overloaded with tributes and memorials. People paying their respects to not JUST a great artist. But to a man that was just good. A man that was just descent. A man that you would meet for the first time and walk away thinking: "what a great guy!"

What a great guy.

Even if his work wasn't your 'thing', after meeting him, you walk away impressed. You walk away a fan.

A fan of the man.

We should all have a little more Mike Wieringo in us.

God speed Mike.

And God bless.

NEXT POST...

There I was...trying to decide just WHICH post to stick up next. Was it going to be one of the 'industry' posts, which will be sure to raise some eyebrows. OR will it be about art. Maybe I would respond to countsy's ridiculous post on Christianity and his hatred for it.

All of them very fun in there own right. So! Just a matter of choosing which direction.

And then it happened.

Again.

Another loss. Another death.

So...I may be posting on it....tomorrow. Then again I might not. Maybe it'll be one of the aforementioned. We'll see how I feel.

Till then...

The king of ROCK n ROLL. (rememberance)

Well On this day, 30 years ago- Elvis died. Yeah I know...Elvis. You are either a Beatles fan or an Elvis fan. Me? Me likey da king. I do.
The old stuff, the 60's stuff, And yeah, even the cheesy 70's stuff. I have all the boxed sets. The thing that I like about him is the ability to be versatile. The guy did everything. Rock. Soul. Rockabilly. Gospel. Jeez! Even country! And he did it well. I dig that in a person.
The tragedy is that he was a victim to his own success. To the point where he had others living his life for him. For the sole purpose of exploitation.
Parasites.

And he didn't know it until it was too late to turn back. And it killed him.
Not a good way to go. But he was infamous. He was the KING OF ROCK AND ROLL.

I have always thought that (and Elvis' life is confirmation of this view)....I never want to be known for what I do. Not for my job. Not for the resume. I want to be known for WHO I am. What I contribute to. For my family and how I love them. For being a good husband and a good Daddy.
Because in the end, No animation I create. No illustration that I draw or paint. No story that I write......will ever take the place of a wife saying 40+ years (God willing) from now:
"He is my husband. He is a good and loving man."
OR a little one:
"He's my Daddy, and I love him and I'm proud of him."

Now THAT'S a legacy. And the rest? Its just lines on paper. Dancing bunnies and guys in capes.
Nothing more.

So a tip of the hat to you E.P. I hope your resting now.

Ever wonder what a train wreck looks like before it actually happens?

MAN OH MAN. I tell you. If this even goes beyond one week, It will be a miracle. I love Van Halen. Always have. But when I see all three of these guys up there is that mixed feeling thing that I get.
1) OH CRAP!! GOTTA GET THERE AND SEE THIS!
BUT...
2) Oh CRAP...This feels sooo uncomfortable.

I hope it happens, would love some new tunes from MOST of the old line up. But yeah...Dave is there, But Michael Anthony isnt??? It really is quite easy to get lost in the fact that its the first front man, the ORIGINAL. But with that, with the absense of Anthony, it really does scream from the mountain tops about what a jack ass Eddie Van Halen is.
A petty, vindictive, jack ass. Way back in 1985 when Dave left, every one hated him thinkin that it was HIM that was the pain in the ass. And Eddie and co played that up very very well. had us all believing it. I mean it had to be dave right? Hes so friggin loud and obnoxious. Had to be him.
Then Sammy came. Loved the SAmmy era. Love Sammy. And then HE left, or got booted. Whichever version you prefer. Same thing happened. Eddie and Alex crapping on Sammy. SAMMY??? Sammy isnt an ass! Sammy is Sammy!!
Then the news that Michael Anthony got kicked out. I mean comon.Then you replace him with Eddies 16 YEAR OLD SON?? Plllleeeeease!
You put that with the Dave and the Sammy exits. Not to mention Eddies wife divorcing him. Eddie doing music for porn. Drinking and going on Howard Stern and saying the most embarrasing things about the band and his son....ugh.

Turns out after close to 20 years of believing it was everyone else..Turns out it was Eddie who is the jerk. Hmm go figure.
In anycase....I do hope this has the life span of more than just a summer tour. Lets hope we get a new album or two. Three is probably out of the question...But...one can dream. One can hope.

Now now countsy...

I see that you are correcting me on ONE word that was misspelled. Let me remind you countsy, that I dont play that game of correcting one spelling or gramatical errors. Why? Well as I expressed to you waaaaaaaaaaaaay back when, that I think its just pointless. In the heat of battle one will make an error or two. Its bound to happen. I dont hold that against you or robo. It happens to all of us. Trust me, You of all people dont want to play that game. Its just pointless and meaningless. So...There you go.
I DO see that you have a new post on religion and Christians. I'm sure you probably talk about the Christians that you DO like, like the ones that really dont have any standards and certainly dont follow what they believe. (not lookin in anyones direction).
I havent read it yet. I've held back primarily because I want to post about a few other things first. But I'll get to it. I will.

Till then see ya laters, my lil pucker pucker

One more for you countsy...

In my never ending quest to help the less fortunate, I want to do one more post for you countsy.

First off, You said that I made some crack about your appearance. I told you that I did no such thing. I told you to show me what I said that you THOUGHT was a crack. You didn't. So again..Your wrong. You said I said something that I didn't. Either your wrong or I am. Again, I'll give you chance to show me up. SHOW me what I said that you thought was a crack about your appearance.

countsy::
"""Knew you were gonna take the bait on my physical appearance too. Why not give you something else to be a douche bag about? Think about it. Did you have to go there? No, but you did."""

W H E R E? Quote me.

Never happened. Your an idiot.

countsy:::
""""We're all whiny girls, and I'M the one who makes sweeping generalizations. ""

Hmmm. I'm not sure that I said you were ALL whiny girls. I think you, robo and scrbbles are whiny girls. Again,show me where I said you were ALL whiny girls. I'm serious, cuz I'm not sure if I said you WERE ALL whiny girls. But you..yes . Whiny girl.

Looking at your post again countsy...I'm not sure exactly what to make of it. Its kinda disjointed, overly emotional jibbah jabb-AH. Kinda reads a little like a nervous or emotional break down. Calm yourself before you post. Seriously. Get your thoughts in order. And then just let it flow. Re-read it before you post and then edit it down to maybe ONE pouty whine, and then follow it with some thoughtful writing.
Doing what I can to help you along.

countsy::
"""I'm exhausted from this crap. You must be too. How long does it take you to write one of those rants about what a shit head I am? Must take a while. You talk forever!""

I'm not exhausted at all really. I just have a few other things I would like to post. As far as how long it takes to write a 'rant' about what a shit head you are, Not long at all. When your dealing with facts, it just kinda rolls off the tip o' your fingers. In your case it pretty much writes itself really.

I don't 'crap on everyone elses' work. I haven't crapped on YOU. You really are a nut dude. I'm worried about you. I DON'T hate you man..I LOVE you.
I love you in a "wipe the drool off your chin, and pull your pants up every time you drop em' on Hollywood and vine, as you point to you groin' screaming:" EEEEEEEEET'S A BAG-IIII-NAAA!"
"BAG-IIIII-NAAAAA!" ---sort of way.
And I want you to get a lil help.

countsy::
"""Also, If I really was paranoid like you say I am, would I really post my picture? I've given you all the ammo. You know who I am. What I look like,...Accuse me of what's going on with you. Classic right wing, Karl Rove, Bush type tactic. Don't argue my points, just discredit the source."""

First, I answer all your points. That's why my posts are so friggin long. To answer all your inane points. Second, You are paranoid because you think I said something about your appearance. And you keep saying that I'm GOING to say something about your appearance. Which I'm not. not my style. Let me know if I do, and I will apologize for it. Seriously.
Trust me, If I don't make fun of Eddies appearance, I'm not going to make fun of yours. (sorry to use you as an example, Eddie. I actually think your hot. And if I ever turn the other way like robo has, I'll look you up, compliment you like a first year student and give you a back massage with feta cheese.-oh my.).

THIRDLY: Your pathological because you think I'm using Karl Rove mind jiggers to git'cha!!
Look into my eyzzzzzzzzzzzzze countsy. Loook deeeeeeep into my eyyyzzze.

countsy::
"""Think I'm gonna post about Christians and "Christy" types like you, and the difference between the two. Some of the sweetest people I've ever known are Christians with deep faith. They sound nothing like you.""

Yesss. I've seen your posts on Christians. And whats funny is that you think you don't generalize. I've seen what you say about the Bible. And yet you are under the impression that you are respectful.
I've seen what you say about conservatives. And yet you think that you are rational.
Uh-uh countsy. Your a nut.

You DID post your pic and you asked me about mine. Well now that's a fair question countsy. I'll answer you. Who knows? Maybe I will at some point. Maybe I will. (once more for dramatic effect)--
...Maybe I will.

Gotta fly lil angry feller. Pat the robo on the head for me. Give him a lil kiss on it for me. Tell him, the chair is not my child. The CHAIR......is NOT......my child.

I love you both.

Ps: EEEEEEEEEETS A BAG--III--NNAAAAAAA!
BAAG-I-NNNNNNNAA!

last for the day, countsy...

...really busy. ButIi did get your post. And want to respond to one thing in it.

countsy::
""""Knew you were gonna take the bait on my physical appearance too. Why not give you something else to be a douche bag about? Think about it. Did you have to go there? No, but you did. Ha! Boy you like to put yourself above everyone, but you're just as low as I think you are."""

Your crazy paranoia is showing through count. I didn't say anything about your appearance. Or the appearance of either one of you for that matter. That's YOUR thing. List what I said about your appearance.
You have nothing. Tell me. You slightly nutty dude. And I'm serious...You may need a little help.
I wont mention anything about how you or anyone else might look. Not my style.
I said that I thought you were slightly retarded because you don't listen to anything, ANYTHING that is said. It doesn't git through to you.
Please let me know where you feel I said anything negative about your appearance. I'm curious.

Your squirrley as all get out dude.

I might have to take a break from you and the huggable robo for about a week. I wanna get another post up that doesn't concern either of you. So I'll pummel you laters.

Conehead Countsy

First of all, I'm totally shocked! TOTALLY shocked on
so many different levels. You don’t look at all what I
thought you would look like. your the one making the
face. The one on the left?:) Anyway. Good for you! You
two look very happy...um together. I'm just joshin you
skeeter. Don’t get cranky.

Well countsy, I think I understand your thing now.
Your slightly retarded. Just a little bit though. Not
entirely, Just enough to partially chew your
spaghetti, then take it out of your gooey lil face and
dangle it from your nostrils, while saying "LOOKY ME!
I'M ELEPHUNT. PHWEEEEEEE!
PWEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Dude, You've just gotta be. To NOT hear ANYTHING that
I say to you is just amazing. I just don’t see how you
do it.

countsy:: """ I don't talk shit about the good, hard working people in this industry.""

mattsy, WHO have I talked 'shit' about? WHO? Tell me?
What artists have I "crapped on"?
WWWHHHOOOO?
Have I crapped on you and your ability? Nope. I've
stated several times that I think your very skilled. I
have said that you would HAVE to be. To be able to
mimic a Searle that well is not easy. And I've said
that you do it probably better than anyone I know. I
do think you might be stunting yourself, as its the
ONLY thing that I ever see. But whatever
Have I crapped on robo's ability? I don’t think so. I
have stated in some of his strips where I think he
could pop it abit. I have stated where I thought he
was doing well in my opinion.
So again, who have I crapped on exactly? Is it that I
have some stuff to say that is both good and bad about
the industry? Dude, why does that tick you off so
much?

countsymattsey:: """Oh, and by the way, one of my friends you outed in your little pics is a hard core "dyed in the wool" conservative Republican.... See, the thing is, more than that, waaay more than that, he's my friend. And a real human being. He doesn't need to make sweeping generalizations about people he doesn't know. We've debated politics and culture for years and years, but there's always RESPECT for each other as people."""

HAHA! Yeah, actually he was my FIRST guess for you.
But then I thought that "this guy looks to happy and
peaceful to be him". Then I noticed this little
hyperactive angry lil dweeb running around in the
background with spaghetti hanging from his nostrils,
and I thought ""NOOO, its gotta be this guy.""
Your such a puss dude. I soo know your type. "always
respect for each other" "doesn’t make generalizations
about people he doesn’t know".
I'm sure your pal doesn’t, but YOU DO! Your posts are
nothing BUT that. You cant possibly be serious that
you have respect for everyone. You don’t. Your posts
are filled with disrespect for Conservatives,
Christians, which is fine- But you don’t pull any
punches. But when someone kicks back, You feel as if
they don’t have the right to do so. You want respect
rain man, you gotta give it. Otherwise quite crying
like a baby.

countsmatseysfunk:: """"Brilliant artists. Brilliant. I have to assume that you're a way better artist than them to pass so much judgment on other peoples' work.""

I think your talking about my post on story people.
That’s fine. Your can gripe about it if you like. It’s
not their artistic ability that I'm questioning. Not
all story people. But I stand by what I wrote. Was
there something specific that bothered you? If so,
spit it out po-dunk.

countsy:: """You know the old adage "A picture is worth a thousand words". For an alleged artist, you sure do seem to go for the thousand words every time."""

Countsy, I've said it before, tho you didn’t hear me
when I said it waaaaaaaaaay back when so I don’t expect
you to hear me now. I don’t think that I am better than
anyone else. AND I don’t call myself an 'artist'. I
don’t. It always struck me as a bit presumptuous. Do
you consider yourself an 'artist'? Based on what? The
sticker on your wall or door that says story’ artist'?
What qualifies you to be an artist? How many different
mediums to you paint in? How many different styles do
you create in. Have you mastered your abilities?
Who knows? Maybe you have. As for me. I have never
considered myself an 'artist'. For the reasons I've
stated AND that I've seen menstrual blood splashed on
canvasses, with a cigarette in a pile of poo passed
as art by 'artists'. Personally I think the term has
lost its meaning. So I'll pass on it.

counts:: """Cuz I'm sure the whole animation industry is waiting to drool all over your dork the second you put up one your drawings. And again, they might. But I'll tell you what. It better be fucking DaVinci, based on how much you crap on other artists (bet you won't copy and paste that part, will you).

matt, I don’t care what the industry does or doesn’t do.
I really don’t. Been there, done that.
I don’t do things for the animation industries approval
or disapproval. I haven’t crapped on any artists. List
where you think I have dimwit. Where? Don’t just
vaguely whine about it. Gimme specifics.
And you complained that I wouldn’t copy paste something
in your last post. I didn’t quote it, because there was
nothing interesting to quote. Jeesh! You call me a
douche. Is that what you wanted quoted? What a freak.
And just for the record lil matty. I don’t speak to
everyone like their assholes. Because they are not all
assholes. You ARE an asshole. So I speak
asshole-enease to you. Robo is a different matter. But
you, You most definitely are an asshole. You are their
king, I think.

mathew says:: """And please if you don't think calling other artists "group thinking whiny girls" is insulting, you and I must really be looking at different dictionaries. So if you are that good, and again, you very well could be, what a shame. The way you shit on everyone would just make you that much sadder."""

Oh yes. That's right. you are group think whiny girls.
That’s right. But that has nothing to do with your
abilities. But you are whiny lil girls. Makes me think
you need pigtails. And a hanky. Maybe a dolly. Unless
your a teddy bear kinda whiny girl.
Again mathew. I have never said that I was "that
good".
I don’t even know how to gauge how good I am or NOT.
I've been fortunate to be able to know a lil bit of
many styles and genres/industries, which has been very
good for me. Its allowed me to be fluid and versatile, and not have
to be dependent on the animation industry. Which is
very nice because I don’t like to have my life ruled by
the whims of an animation studio. Which can be the case in down
times.

I'll tell you again what I do:
I design, animate, storyboard, paint, Illustrate, I've
been called on to draw/paint in styles ranging from
comic book style, animation style, realistic, to the
very broad. I've done development for animation
features, television, and others. I've done work for
entertainment industries, and children’s projects.
Unfortunately had to turn down a job for the Dept of
Defense due to my crunchy schedule.
Now...does that mean I'm the bee's knees? No. Does that
mean I'm the bestest in the whole world? No. I don’t
even call myself an 'artist'.
I am just fortunate to be able to be a little
versatile. That’s all.

count matsy:: """That's why I don't wanna talk comics and art and movies and fun stuff with you. You're a self-righteous, pompous gasbag. What's the fun of talking to you? Yeesh. Get over your fucking self.""

You proved my point ginger. You CANT put aside your
views. Like the mental sickness that I described in a
previous post...You are incapable of doing so. I figured
as much. But then you WILL pout that someone has the
nerve to slap your ears back rather than let you just
punch at them freely. Well whine on lil wendy. Whine
on.

countsy matt says:: ""Don't know what you mean about wanting to know if John is Christy, only you. You handjob. Cuz you're the only one I see beating people over the head with Christ.""

Nonsense whiny Wendy. I've had chats with robo. And
they have been good and telling. I havent beat anyone
with it. Stop being so insecure. Get a girlfriend who
says your bottom looks good in those pants. That way
it will build up your confidence. You so cazzzzy.
As for me hoping that you don’t go to hell. Well I
don’t! Hahaha! I mean why are you yelling at me for
hoping that you go the other way? I mean who am I
gonna pick on if you DONT go to Heaven?

countsy:: """But I honest and truly will say this. Thanks handjob. No, really. Enough of countfunkula. My friends call me Matt. You can call me "Countsy".""

Ok. That’s good for tonight. Gotta go nigh nigh.
gooood niiiity night......matt.

PS: I like your black shirt in the pic.

countsy snuck one by me!

Hiya countsy. While I was going back to previous posts so I could respond to robo, I came across one from you that I missed. And one from you that I thought I would respond to a little bit more in detail.
Its in reference to your "aaand lucy pulls the football away."

countsy::
"""See, I wasn't cheer leading John. I was genuinely marveling that he manged to loathe you more than I do usually."""

countsy, robo doesn't 'loathe' me. I certainly don't 'loathe' robo. But I have some serious, SERIOUS issues with robo. As no doubt he has with me. I don't take that lightly, believe me. I don't.
And believe me count, I don't loathe you. Believe it or not. I will approach this a little later on.

countsy::
"""you talk about a pack mentality. You're a "Christy" type, yeah? Church going and all that? Gonna fly up to Heben wif Jeezus when the day cumz and leave all us liberal heathens to burn burn wit da Debbil?"""

Count, I'll let your words speak for themselves for the bigoted and hate filled blather that it is.
But I'll also answer you. I certainly don't HOPE that for you. Or for anyone of the political left. It's not up to me. But again, I don't hope that for you.
HEY ROBO! COUNTSY WANTS TO KNOW IF YOUR A 'CHRISTY'?Are ya?

countsy;;;
"""Bet you love that Rush Limbaugh too, huh? And Bill O'Reilly? Get your talking points and Repub thought program from them every day, dontcha? And then you're gonna rag us for a "pack mentality"? Fuck you.""

Actually, I like Rush, but believe it or not...I never listen to him. I don't. I don't like that type of radio. I like a more debate format. (Does that surprise you?)
I like Oreily, but haven't watched his show in ages. I just don't have time for much TV. And I do not listen to his radio show. OR Hannities.
And I don't take 'talking points'. I have my views. And I stick to them. You have yours and you stick to them. I don't have a SINGLE link to anything that I read, listen to, or watch. You on the other hand have every nutter left wing radio,TV, blog, website known to man. I don't fault you for that. In fact its made me think that MAYBE I should put mine up. Which I'm still deciding.
I do not have talking points. Just my views. Just MY thoughts.
As for your last statement, I'm not from san fran, ask robo for that.

The other thing I want to respond to is :

countsy::
"""And getting John a shirt too. Fucking funny. I call it like I see it. Honestly, made me think we could almost get along. Bastard."""

Countsy...I think that I've said this before. I have TONS of close acquaintances and yes, friends that are lefties. As I said, you cant be in any 'art industry' and NOT have lefty pals. I don't hate them. They don't hate me. And countsy, I'll be honest with you, If...and that's a big 'IF'...IF you could curb your politics and concentrate on the things that we would have common ground on,
such as comics, animation, TV and movies--and all things art. Dude, we would have a swell time. We would.
I have noticed a thing about lefties. As close as the ones in my own family. Take any holiday get together. There will always be someone who obviously KNOWS my positions and I know theirs..And I am MORE than willing to put all that aside and revel in the moment of the holiday festivities. But its almost a sickness. Its almost as if they just HAVE to say something.
OK...they broke the rule, I break their ass.
I can curb it. Keep it under wraps. But they on the other side cant. I have NO Idea why that's the case. Its as if its some sort of mental illness. Or immaturity.
But I also have lefty pals who I've gone out with for a few, and we have a fandango time kicking back with margaritas and scotch drinks just yackin about the funnies.
And its good.
Its good if we can respect that its not always about punchin. Sometimes its just good to let your guard down, and talking about the flickers. Y'know?
So...if you were willing to be a human being...I could also be willing to be a human being. I've done it before.
BUT!
If you aren't, and you come out swingin. I will to. Every BIT as hard as you.
You act like the injured kitty.."oh Handel pulled the football away"..... As if you have never attacked hard, filled with every bit as much venom as you say I do.
Comon...

So there you go.

Storyartists: the meat and potatoes" PART TWO

PART TWO:

robo::
"""Then, there are directors who ask their board
artists to board their movies EXACTLY the way they
want them to appear on screen. Brad Bird, Chris
Sanders, Andrew Stanton, Hayao Miyazaki, Dean Deblois,
all do it this way. Go pop in your "Incredibles" dvd
and look at how Ted Mathot and Mark Andrews boarded
"100 mile dash". It is frame for frame, shot for shot,
identical. The animators plussed the expressions and
took the acting to the next level, but they stuck to
the boards."""

Robo, I seriously doubt that any of those guys told
their supervising animators to follow the boards
exclusively. And I KNOW that Brad never told ME to
follow the boards exclusively. And I don't think that
there is a time that I ever did. Except in action
scenes.
Which brings us to your 'Incredibles' example. I love
the 100 mile dash. But it IS an action scene. NOT an
ACTING scene. There really isn't a whole lot to do with
it, beyond whats there. I mean whats the point? Its
fairly straight forward. That sequence is perfectly
staged, perfectly handled. With all the right 'rest
points' an ACTION scene needs to make it pop and not
just be frenetic movement. Mark is wonderful. Hairy
beyond belief. But a wonderful story artist. I would
hold him up as a perfect example of what a story
artist should be. Well rounded and versatile. Abit too
hairy and doesn't have the tuckus that you could bounce
a quarter off of. but at our age that ain't easy to do.
But I digress.
So your example of 100 mile dash...not a good one.

robo::
"""I've seen a lot of story reels in my day. In some,
the character barely resembles the model, but has the
right pose, the right character, and the right spirit.
The animator can look at it and think "Oh, funny, I'll
use that pose, but I'll tweak the expression", or he
can say, "This is funny, but I think my character who
express that attitude like this " and do something
different.""

Robo...trust me...the boards aren't looked at like
that. NO animator I know is going to pick and choose
stuff from the boards. They aren't. They're not going
to use your expressions and then maybe a way a
character stands or WHATEVER. They are going to use it
as a 'broad stroke' of the scene. Put it away, and
listen to that damn track over and over and over and
OVER, until they are reciting it when ordering at lunch time or
whispers it into their wives ear late late at
night..."
That's that. Its not a slight to you guys. But that's
the fact of it. And believe me, Will-(funky code
medina)- Finn knows that this is the fact. He has to be
a bit more diplomatic, but he has had those lunch time
conversations where he as an animator will gripe about
boards.

Look. I respect the story artists. I do. I have lots
of opinions on them as I do with all things in this
industry. As you will see. Wait till I get to the
animators!
I just think that you guys aren't needed to draw
wonderfully. NOT to say that story guys cant! But your
job (outside of injecting a little interest to a wordy
script)is to draw fast, and to draw clear. That's it.
To be honest with you , I'm always a little suspect of
a board that looks well drawn. My first thought is
that this guy has his priorities mixed up. But you can
usually tell fairly quickly  when a very ooogly board
is at least clear and precise. And that's what I want.

I even have shall we say some sympathy for board
artists. I think it would be really REALLY easy to
fall into a rut. Artistically speaking.  I mean as
board artists, they have to draw quickly for their
turnarounds. So I have rarely seen a finished drawing.
I mean even looking at countsy and your blog...I don't
think I've seen ONE 'finished' drawing. That COULD be
a hole that one can fall into, robo.

I'm just sayin'.

Well I think that I've stirred my bits and set them to
a boil! Where do we go from here. Wanna tongue kiss,
sanfran man?

You let me know if I've left anything out. OK? ok.

60% :)

"Storyartists: the meat and potatoes"- PART ONE

Well here we be...FINALLY! The post response to robo about story artists .
I had to go back and re-read all the previous posts because I had forgotten what I and robo were squawking about. (damn I write allot!-this post will be no exception).
BUT before I go down that lane of thought, I'd like to respond to robo about something he said:

robo:::
"""" My favorite bit was the ignorant swipe at San Francisco, one of the coolest cities in the world.
"Only piers and (too chickenshit to complete the dis) come from San Francisco. Which are you, be honest!"
Hmmm, I heard that joke waaaaaay back when I was in high school. Of course, the way I heard it, it went:
"Texas? Only steers and queers come from Texas! I don't see any horns on you so that pretty much narrows it down!"
Lee Ermy uses it in "Full Metal Jacket". Remember?""""

First, I love it when robo wants to make sure that YOU know that HE knows about a reference that someone uses. Robo, I wasn't trying to be sneaky! I KNOW you've probably seen the damn movie. EVERYONE has seen the movie.
"LEE ERMY USES IT IN FULL METAL JACKET!REMEMBER??HE DID! HE DID!!""
Ok robo...everyone knows your up on your war movies. Robo knows the reference, people!!
:)
Secondly, as far as the reference itself. I WAS just joshing with ya. I found it odd that someone who does a strip such as yours with foul mouthed squirrels and strippers with dildos and several poetic references to 'jiz' would be so easily offended. I mean it couldn't possibly be that robo has never uttered anything near what I said. Or could he? Has he? Has he ever? Or maybe its all part of his.......'growing up' or 'opening his mind'. Perhaps he listened to some 80's 'culture club'? Perhaps a smidge of George Michael?
And then....then I thought: "GASP! GASP AGAIN!!" Perhaps that's it! Perhaps that's the reason that he and countsy doth protesteth to mucheth!?"
Maybe they...maybe they're.....
reeeoow!(you go girls)
So! This is where my first apology comes in. IF my lil joshin offended you so...I DO humbly apologize to you and countsy for any pain and suffering that you might have taken upon your sweet selves. You are fragile,sweet beings, and I sincerely mean you and countsy- NO HARM.

Moving on.

"STORYBOARD ARTIST'S: The meat and potatoes"-part one

robo::
"""You have revealed time and again in that you believe that the drawing abilities of story guys (except the great Glen Keane! all bow!) are inferior to animators."""

First off robo. There are a few different lines of interest regarding our lil conversation on story artists. And I think that you are crossing them and getting a few things confused.
1) My 75.9% statement regarding storyboards -of which was my comment to Will (Finn) on his bloggy.
2)My posts on and about Bill Peet.In regards to animators and draughtmanship.
3) My view on the artistic abilities of story artists and about story artists in general.

So lets clarify. starting with your quote above.
I don't question the artistic ability of story artists. I think you are referencing what I posted about Bill Peet. What I said in that post had to do with Bill Peet saying that he re-drew entire scenes. I said that that was NOT possible. I've seen his dumbo and cruella. They are nowhere near the draughtsmanship of the animators that did those characters (Tytla, Davis).
BUT even if he did draw EXACTLY the same as those artists, animation is a different game than storyboarding. You know that. I also said, If ANY storyboard artist re-drew my animated scene....I don't care if he is the most gifted draughtsman in the history of animation. I'm a skinnin' that bastard. Because of the very fact that the smallest of changes in ANYTHING in animation can drastically change what the desired effect is. Why do you think animators go nuts when the key cleanups are screwed up? Well that's why pippy longstockins'. Unless you have an animation background, you have no right to get your lil paws in my scene. Stick to what you do, one board at a time. No matter WHO you are.
ALSO in regards to your comment that I think the drawing abilities are "INFERIOR to animators". If you go back...and again look at my post about Bill Peet. I said in that post, if you took ANY off the cuff sketch he (PEET)did, or any illustration that he had done, I would put that beside ANY animators off the cuff sketch. Why? because there is more than JUST Draughtsmanship that makes a successful drawing.
Go back. Look it up. I said if a few times. Although I don't think that you will even hear me say that in THIS post, so what point is there in doing so?

NEXT...

robo::
"""""It's a bias many animators have, just as many story guys think that animators are just a bunch of dummies that have no concept of the big picture can't see beyond the scene on their desk."""

You are correct. It is a bias many animators have. And you are ALSO correct about many animators not keeping the big picture in mind rather than just their precious scene.
Let me relay a little story to illustrate the point:
In my early days as an animator, I had been called in to re-animate a scene. It was just terribly done and they wanted a fresh take on it. My supervising animator gave me the lo-down and told me what he thought that I should shoot for. So I did it. It was nothing special, I mean it wasn't an all together 'important' scene. Just a fun one. I showed it to my directing animator. He liked it. But he had some thoughts on it. I went back and basically re-animated it. I ended up RE- ANIMATING IT FOUR TIMES. Finally we went up to talk to the director. There I was..a newbie animator, in the office of the director with the PM and the producer and directing animator. A big damn argument broke out. Swearing, and yelling. The director was saying its a 'fun scene and it works, lets get it in the pipeline!. The directing animator was saying "yeah but its not quite there yet!"
I'm thinkin "$%#$^$@! I'm gonna get fired for causing all of this $%$#@!"

It came down to the director saying "(so-and so) It's NOT ABOUT YOUR %$^$#!'ING SCENE!"

...and it wasn't.

So you are correct. The reason this gets so crazy is because of how we do things in animation. 'Piece meal'. YOU get a scene. YOU get a scene. AND YOU get a scene. Just make your footage.
One of the most refreshing things when I worked with Brad was that he wanted to do things a little more 'like they did in the old days'. He gave us CHUNKS of scenes. All strung together. We were more in charge of a sequence rather than the individual scene. And it was wonderful.
I know that you think I'm picking on story guys. I'm not 'anti story guy'.
I know that your lil BA-gina gets a lil rashy when I do. But believe me, You haven't even heard what I'm going to say about animators. I've got alot to say about them as well. Alot to say about the industry as a whole. Not just storyboard folks.

Moving on...

robo::
"""I know story people that draw incredibly well (Ronnie Del Carmen, Ted Mathot, Bill Presing) and I know animators that have a good eye for story (Angus McClane, Dean Wellins, Will finn).
When I was young, I believed story guys knew all and animators had no place giving notes. Then I grew up.
Did you?"""

You've named some great people there robo. Ronnie Dell Carmen---YUMMY. Ted Mathot...wow! But again, I think you are pickin on the very best of the best.
Robo.... I never said that there aren't extremely gifted and wonderful artists in the story dept. But lets tackle this more in your next quote below.

robo::
"""Strong words, son. Before I begin, let me remind you of what your "spot on" comment was:
(quoting me-Handel)
"Moral of the story? The boards are awful about 75.9% of the time. Stick to the boards and you will get a 75.9% bland crappy scene.
couldn't agree more with you...."

Well....dad. That is what I said. I appreciate you quoting me word for word.

robo:::
"""Now, not only did you completely miss the point of what Will was saying, but you made an overreaching, blanket statement that is simply not true......."""

Well here robo, is where we come to my second apology. No joke. And truthfully I should know better. I did overreach and also, when I get to the "pointage" areas, I know I'm getting myself in trouble. So let me restate a more accurate percentage with no "pointage". Just a flat number.
You are right. The number is not 75.9%.
More accurately 60%.
Here is how I come to that number.
I'll try and keep it sliced fairly even so I don't go getting myself in trouble again. Just keep it simple.
1) 20% are drawn terribly but at least are clear, and precise.
2) 20% are drawn terribly and are NOT clear or precise.
3) 20% might fall in line with what grand mastah Will -(funk in da trunk)-Finn had to deal with in his Aladdin post. No doubt drawn clear, and I'll even go out on a limb and say drawn beautifully, but just was a boring way to go about it. Wills own words were I believe :"a STATIC medium shot". HIS words, not mine.
And that would leave:
4) 40% of boards drawn nicely, staged wonderfully, and above all-CLEAR and PRECISE.

Now if you take #4 and #1, Your lookin at 60%! That is if CLARITY is your number one priority.
Which it should be.
But I stand by my 60% number for the boards being terrible in some way. And I absolutely stand by my statement that if you stick to the boards solely, you will get a bland, crappy scene.
Its an entirely different dynamic. To be honest with you robo, I don't look at the storyboard all that much. I don't take that much from it. I don't. I look at the reel to see what the broad stroke of the scene/sequence is. To get the jist of both.
For instance, If the character is crying in pain then gasps, then dies.
Then I rough out my thumbs for the scene. And chances are its going to be TOTALLY different from the boards. The boards are meant to translate the written word of the script and try to make it a bit more interesting for an animated movie. I get that and I take it in a different direction but within the framework of the scene/sequence. I do NOT rely a whole hell of alot on the board. That would be crutching myself. Seriously.
What I rely on is my sheets for timing, my layouts,the hookups, and most of all, THAT DAMN SOUNDTRACK. That's my candy. Not the boards. Not the broad strokes. The most important thing that the boards do is give you an idea, visually of how the film might translate. That's it. Not to minimize it, because that's pretty important to see how it flows. But after that...uh uh. No way am I hanging to those boards. Not when there are 5 zillion ways to animate something.

robo::
"""Now, not only did you completely miss the point of what Will was saying, but..."""

I didn't miss what Will -(funk daddy) was saying at all. You know, I think that what Will-(wheres my gerry curl)-finn was saying was spot on to what we are both talking about.
He was a young animator, just thinkin ONLY about his scene. Sticking entirely to a board that was a "STATIC (read boring) MEDIUM SHOT".
In comes a director and says: lets jazz it up some. And chuck the board, do it this way. And IT WORKS!
And they all live happily ever after.
Exactly what we're talking about, isn't it?

robo::
"""Let's be clear on this: You did not say "you must plus the board" or "you must bring the board to life" or "just use the story sketch as a springboard" you said "The boards are awful 75.9% of the time".""

ROBO! Jeesh! Have you always been an industry dork? "Plussing the board"."You must bring the board to life." "just use the story sketch as a springboard." These are just silly little, learned animation terms. "You must PLUS it..."
Man.. I think that I've always hated that term.
Tell me, When you are going over the scripts. And your reading over all of this dialogue. Do you ever say "ICK!" "YUCK!" "CRAP!"
Or do you say: " I...ROBOH! Maaaahst PLUSSSSS deessss screeept!" I mussst plaaaauuusss eeett!"
Comon...be honest.

END PART ONE.