Animation

I think it's better to be more creative, James Woodland. The animation movies that stand out to me and I really enjoy are the ones that are really creative/take risks.

What's been most effective for me is networking/being active on Stage 32, Cyrus Sales. That's for animation projects and live-action projects. I also network on Twitter/X.

I only have a couple of really good contacts when it comes to animation Cyrus Sales. The first one is the president of a local studio that did work with Marvel, Disney and others. I've known him for about 12 years or so and we communicate via email. The other I met through him. All other contacts came through Stage 32.

Mathew Tretola I was also heavily inspired by South Park. They are still killing it after all of these years.

Bob Harper Those guys are brilliant

G.R. Barnett I'm glad you said it because I was thinking it. I can't seem to get into the adult animations. I sorta got into Rick and Morty when it first came out but I was also a teenager graduating high school. I've watched a few episodes of Big Mouth. I did like Family Guy, American Dad and that era of cartoons but I feel like it's not my cup of tea anymore.

G.R. Barnett & Cyrus Sales, I have lost my taste for what qualifies as adult animation these days. It's either vulgar instead of smart. Relies way too much on pop culture references, rather than original ideas. And usually looks pretty ugly in terms of animation and character design. It's like adult animation means juvenile animation. That's fine in small doses, but not when every adult show does the same thing. Old Chuck Jones Warner Brothers cartoons are more adult than the juvenile adult cartoons we get these days. One Froggy Evening, The Dot and the Line, What's Opera Doc?, The Rabbit Of Seville, How The Grinch Stole Christmas... these are all more adult than Family Guy and South Park and Rick and Morty. Again, it's adult animation vs juvenile humor.

As for adult animation, definitely not my cup of tea. I never even liked South Park or The Simpsons. The image of Homer choking Bart never did it for me. Plus, with the smoking and stuff on the show. A lot of it has to do with the extremely violent childhood where I experienced real life choking from my alcoholic father. As for the smoking, the doctors believe my incurable lung disease started with all the secondhand smoke I inhaled in the womb from my mother and for years after.

That is why my series What the Mack? is totally family-friendly. There is no violence, no bad language, no cynicism, no smoking, no drugs, no alcohol. I am not knocking such shows, just that they are not for me. I want to create something I can proudly share with my son. He is actually one of the main characters in the show.

This is a good arrangement. I hope it doesn't impact hiring and number of productions.

Just to clarify, artists were already unionized. This is for the production workers. Remote workers in all categories are unionizing. Still great news!

Cyrus Sales This really is a landmark moment for the industry. The protections and benefits in this agreement don’t just help current DreamWorks employees, they set a precedent that other studios will have to acknowledge for their production workers. The push from remote artists is especially significant, since so much of the animation workforce is no longer centralized in L.A. or big studio hubs.

If these standards ripple outward, it could lead to stronger bargaining positions across the industry, which may help address long-standing issues like wage disparity, burnout, and project-to-project instability.

Maurice Vaughan 5 I look forward to seeing how this impact remote artist across the US. Kevin Jackson I honestly didn't think about that, we will see though. Bob Harper I'm still on the "newer," side of learning about the union and how it works so I appreciate the clarification. Anyone here have experience with unions?

Ashley Renee Smith I appreciate the insight on how this will impact the industry. I do hope it is the start of a bigger movement and other studios follow suite. I know the animation industry can be a bit challenging to navigate but I do feel like this is a great start with protection and benefits.

Cyrus Sales I have experience with The Animation Guild

That's great, Kevin Jackson! I hope more organizations do this, and I hope it has an impact on AI use in the Animation industry and entertaining industry!

Maurice Vaughan 5 I hope so too. Don't get me wrong AI has a time and a place but I 100% stand with the creatives. There has to be a protection for the creative and the art. Shout out to those French filmmakers , maybe they can create a section for all the AI creators to mingle amongst each other?

That's pretty cool, Ashley Renee Smith! I'm looking forward to seeing The Quinta’s Ghost! I haven't used VR technology, but I've written VR scripts mixed with traditional scripts and 1st-person POV/regular POV scripts that could work as VR movies.

Thanks for sharing Ashley Renee Smith. Our goal as a company is to eventually get into the VR space. I did my first VR game and interaction this year and I can definitely see how it's the future. For us though, we are currently focused on other aspect of business but look forward to entering into the VR realm at some point.

Pat Alexander thank you for sharing!

Dean is such a great person on top of being talented. Fun fact he was also a co-director on the animated LILO AND STITCH which had a live action remake release this year --(which made over a billion dollars at the box office)

I loved the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon! It was breathtakingly beautiful!

Thank you!

Thank you for sharing, Laurie Ashbourne! Are you coming to AFF? Looking forward to seeing you and catching up, if so!

Thanks for your post. By the way I a wanna jump to this occasion for congratulate the adolescence scriptwriters and the young Jamie... In fact, the young Jamie is in the center of the success of this serie. Zithout doubting, he's the future of the cinema. I see him like Leonardo Dicaprio... He's sensible, natural. He doesn't force anything.

Thank you for your suggestions, my dear.

Started downloading a few to read this weekend.

Thanks for sharing Leonardo Ramirez 2 - you're the best!

You're very welcome my friend Cyrus Sales - hope you're doing well.

Thanks for sharing the video, Ashley Renee Smith. Studying animal movements and keeping them in mind while animating and writing are helpful.

Ah yes, I remember these exercises all too well. I have not done a quadruped walk in a while. I need to get back to practicing.

I have a series of exercises I teach on this. looking at reference video (such as Muybtidge studies) can help as well. Although you often find animal movements that “break the rules”, like a dog stepping off on the opposite foot, or giraffes, who do two left, then two right.

Thanks for sharing Ashley Renee Smith. I'm going to share this video with our animation team. While I don't personally do the animating, from the conversations I've had with the animators the hardest part to maintain is body mechanics consistent and the line work from artist to artist.

Hi, Christina Kyzilas. I’m a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. Stage 32 is an English platform. Can you translate your post to English? Click the downward arrow in the top right corner of the post and select “Edit Post.”

Christina Kyzilas - congratulations on the development of HeavenReal. It sounds like a fun project.

Hi, Julie Williams-Nash. Where were you trying to submit Little Odds?

Yes indeed. I wondered did it mean all UPPER CASE but that seemed, well, odd. I wondered if it was a technical term that I wasn't familiar with in terms of 'concept creation' perhaps.

Julie Williams-Nash, I wish I could tell you. Everything I submit is improper. Just ask my parole officer.

=D

Oh sorry Maurice - I just re-read your message - it was Sony Pictures Network - an online concept submissions portal - https://www.sonypicturesnetworks.com/storyteller/ - but on re-reading the T&Cs I've decided not to submit after all