Going Back to Cali

Alvin and the Chipmunks 2- The Squeakquel Teaser Trailer

On to the next! I just found out I got the job! I'll have to leave Vicarious Visions and the Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 team (luckily we just finished the beta version of the game)to head back to the west coast to animate Alvin and the Chipmunks 2. I start June 15th. I am soooooo excited! Got to get packing!!!

Ice Age 3 - Behind the Scenes

It's hard to believe there is only a month until Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs hits theaters. I've been seeing posters and cardboard stands and banners at the theaters and I can't lie; it's a pretty amazing feeling to see that stuff and know that you had a part in it. Today I saw this video and to my amazement it features two of my shots from the film! Right around the 2:50 mark, Layout Director (and really funny guy) Rob Cardone walks through the process of how an animated film comes together; from storyboard- to layout- to animation! These were my only Scrat and Scratte shots, but man was I happy to get them! I animated the shots at the 3:40 mark where Scratte grabs Scrat's hand and then the very next shot where she pulls him and jumps off the rock and Scrat screams when he realizes what she just did. They go by really fast, but I'm so excited to finally see them lit and rendered. Anyway, I thought I would share. One month to go!!!

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 E309 Trailer

In case you missed the premiere, here is the new trailer for Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. Literally one week after we wrapped with Ice Age 3 I moved to Albany, NY and started work on this game. I was hired on to the In-Game Cinematics team and literally jumped at the chance to work with some of my most beloved comic book heroes....and villains! This game is shaping up to be really awesome and I'd be getting it even if I weren't animating on it. It will be coming out in September. Excelsior!!!

This one time...

Holy crap! This is so amazing. I just wanted to post this because I love it, love it, love it! This was done by CalArts student Nelson Boles. Animation gold I say!

Pixar to Open New Animation Studio in Vancouver

Wow, this is interesting news! Pixar is opening a new studio in Vancouver. The purpose of the Canada-based studio is to produce computer animated short films, which usually run anywhere from three to six minutes in length, and take 6 to 8 months to produce. Feature Films, all stereoscopic 3D work, and Post-Production will still continue to be done at the company’s main studio in Northern California. Hit the link for more info.

Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Full Trailer!

How Pixar Hires

This is something Nick Bruno sent out to the animation department today and I liked it so much I decided to share it here. It gives some insight to the hiring philosophy at Pixar and with ideas like these, it's easy to see why they are considered "the best." As a fan of animation I try not to limit myself to only looking to Pixar for inspiration, but these ideas (shared by Randy Nelson, head of the in-house Pixar University) explain what makes working in this industry so great. Technology will come and go. It's the people you work with day to day that make the difference. As my time here at Blue Sky is quickly coming to an end with just a few weeks left to go, I am grateful to have worked with so many "interested" people. This has been an amazingly wonderful experience. Wherever I go or whatever I do from here, I can only hope the sum of the parts will always be greater than the whole.

This is Old News, But News Nonetheless

This happened a while back (about a month ago) but I decided I should post it anyway. At the beginning of the year, Blue Sky Studios moved from White Plains, New York to Greenwich, Connecticut. It's only about a 20 minute shuttle ride away. I actually enjoy the shuttle quite a bit. Before we moved we had to walk to work in rain, snow, sleet, all at the same time, uphill and barefoot and we liked it. Alot! This new studio is WAY better than the old one. Pete Paquette's comment about "digital puppets" got him alot of attention at the studio. I don't think there was a single person here that didn't make fun of him for it.

**I'll Edit this post later with pics of the studio**

Scary Movie Nights at Korman

This weekend Teresa Nord hosted the first Scary Movie Saturday Nights at AKA Korman Communities where Blue Sky keeps us nice and warm during these chilly wintry nights. Thanks to the organizational skills of Tab Burton; Tyler Phillips, my wife Cirila, and myself enjoyed a fun filled night stuffing our faces with popcorn and assorted left over Valentine's Day chocolates as we drank ourselves silly with Diet Dr. Pepper and V8 Fusion. Yeah, we really know how to have a big time. The highlight of the night was easily the film we watched entitled Rogue. I liked it because it started the same way as The Lion King and starred an evil giant Australian Crocodile. If you're ever bored out of your mind and you happen to be in Target, give it a try. According to the back of the DVD, "Rogue delivers brutal action and breathless suspense as it speeds towards one of the most intense final showdowns ever filmed." Trust me. You have to see it to believe it!

I've Been Busy

Wow! It's been way too long since my last post. I never intended to go this long without saying....something! So much has happened since I arrived to White Plains, NY a little more than 3 months ago. This certainly has been a humbling experience. I have learned a tremendous amount about the industry and how a movie gets made, and everything I thought I knew about animation got ripped apart the first couple of weeks I was here. This being my first film and all, there was a time at the beginning when I began to doubt my ability to contribute to this film. My first shot kicked my butt! I mean it got ripped apart!!! I never thought I'd get it approved, but when it finally did, I could hardly believe it. It's a pretty sweet feeling getting a shot approved. For about 8 seconds you feel like a total rock star. Since getting past that first shot, it's definitely gotten much better.

The people here are AMAZING! I just wanted to say that quickly now, but I'll elaborate on it more later.

We have about 6 weeks left in production in animation. We're overtime freaks! It's a crazy race to the finish. In an effort to help boost morale, director Carlos Saldanha called the animation department to a meeting in the Blue Sky Theater. He surprised us with about 8 minutes of the film that was complete, or close to final lighting and rendering. I don't even know how to write it without sounding like I'm tooting my own horn, or being completely biased, but I can't help it. This movie looks FREAKING AWESOME!!! I had some questions of how it would look when it all came together, but not anymore. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE! I can''t wait to see it in stereo 3D, and I hope audiences feel the same way when it comes out this summer.

Stay tuned. More to come later...I promise!