tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87142501947199128682024-03-13T05:09:48.865-07:00AntimatorAntimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-39840962670484934952012-11-12T12:31:00.001-08:002012-11-12T12:31:46.898-08:00Otto (The Incredible) <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Otto, The Incredible did everything in reverse.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">In fact - true's God - he even started out in a hearse!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">He had a crick in his neck from always looking over his shoulder,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">But luckily that eased up over time, the less he got older.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Many struggle moving forwards in life, Otto's not the only one. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">At least he faces his past (it's not something from which he can run).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">With life-experience behind him, Otto was wise beyond his years,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">And with no need for hindsight, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">he'd usually avoid unnecessary tears.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">But surely the <i>greatest</i> thing about living in the past tense</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Is that, before anything happens, it all makes sense.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">So there's little time wasted with confusion and doubt, </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">And because it already has... everything always works out!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">But what Otto didn't admit, though he must've known deep in his heart, </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Was that, like his name, turning around would get him back to the start. </span></div>
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Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-14473400095281991852012-11-03T23:41:00.001-07:002013-03-09T00:30:33.101-08:00Game Boy<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kiyLir-7Cx8/UTryH2yKNFI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/bLT3nybVnMY/s1600/game_boy_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kiyLir-7Cx8/UTryH2yKNFI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/bLT3nybVnMY/s320/game_boy_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">illustration by <a href="http://www.mikescottanimation.com/" target="_blank">Mike Scott</a></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The real world scared him, he stayed in his room.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Days could go by before he'd emerge from the gloom. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">He felt no need to interact with people on the outside,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">He had enough friends online. Or so he lied. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">His mother believed him - she didn't play those "silly" games,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">So how would she know he'd made up all their names?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Besides, she was too busy earning a living as a single mom,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">So for all she knew, he could've been designing a bomb. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">But his habits were harmless to everyone but himself,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The only people he killed were from the games off his shelf.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">With nimble fingers and reactions super-quick</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">He was master of his world and could change it with just one click.</span></div>
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Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-84659418402883338332012-10-14T23:29:00.000-07:002012-10-14T23:29:02.594-07:00Mary and Max - SA premiere<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px;">This </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px;"><b>Thursday, 18th September, 8pm </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px;">I will be presenting the beautiful stop-motion masterpiece "Mary and Max" at the <a href="http://www.kunjanimation.org/">Kunjanimation</a> Festival for its South African premiere! It is a great honor to be doing this on behalf of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://www.adamelliot.com.au/New/Home.html">Adam Elliot</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px;"> who unfortunately could not make it out from Australia as he's busy working on his next feature film. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bUugOyOw0Ew/UHrtjANWudI/AAAAAAAAAOE/NbpZ5I3eqA0/s1600/mary_and_max_ver2_xlg-1024x769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bUugOyOw0Ew/UHrtjANWudI/AAAAAAAAAOE/NbpZ5I3eqA0/s320/mary_and_max_ver2_xlg-1024x769.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Being a stop-motion animator myself, I had avidly followed Adam Elliot's award-winning short films - Uncle, Cousin, Brother and then the Oscar-winner Harvey Krumpet. They all share a minimalistic style of animation where the quirky script and character design drives the well-timed humor of each piece forwards towards a real emotional punch (and Mary and Max is no different!). </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qw2yXpCDeV4/UHrtpr-TeRI/AAAAAAAAAOM/u7bJ9sE8HmM/s1600/IMG_0255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qw2yXpCDeV4/UHrtpr-TeRI/AAAAAAAAAOM/u7bJ9sE8HmM/s320/IMG_0255.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Model of Harvey Krumpet from the ACMI</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In October, 2006, a chance to visit my brother in Melbourne arose, I mailed Adam saying that I would be in the area and that my film had been in competition with his (at the Krakow animation festival in Poland) and would he be available to meet up? His film Harvey Krumpet had won the Oscar for Best Animated Short earlier that year, so I was hardly expecting a reply. Not only was he was gracious enough to say yes, but to invite the naive young South African animator to lunch - I guess they don't get many visitors there. </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FDjbhmzDMFY/UHrtrHZ7_jI/AAAAAAAAAOU/aclJM4xY5Yo/s1600/IMG_0242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FDjbhmzDMFY/UHrtrHZ7_jI/AAAAAAAAAOU/aclJM4xY5Yo/s320/IMG_0242.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Adam is a generous, warm and funny guy and it was an exhilarating experience to able to chat to the Oscar-winner about my own idea for a film that I'd been thinking about - a story about a half-striped zebra. Six years later, and I am in the final stages of the film. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I had originally intended Khumba to be a 30-minute stop-motion film, but as the story evolved and grew and as I gained the support of my co-writer, I knew it would make a better feature. But getting a stop-motion feature off the ground is no easy feat. The fact that Adam did Mary and Max with a crew of only 120 - only six animators - makes it even more amazing. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I first saw his incredible film at Annecy in 2009 where it won the Annecy Cristal sharing the prize with Coraline. I was also lucky enough to get a signed postcard from the man himself. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R2P5NiyMlE0/UHurBjI_yPI/AAAAAAAAAO8/Mh1IgpkQiTk/s1600/marymax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R2P5NiyMlE0/UHurBjI_yPI/AAAAAAAAAO8/Mh1IgpkQiTk/s320/marymax.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font: 12.0px Arial;">The film opened Sundance in 2009 and also won </span>Best Animated Feature at the Ottawa International Animation Festival as well as the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Animated Feature Film. </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g1xNYPaWSF4/UHrviLDEHlI/AAAAAAAAAOs/09uR0BfKoio/s1600/Kunjanimation420.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g1xNYPaWSF4/UHrviLDEHlI/AAAAAAAAAOs/09uR0BfKoio/s320/Kunjanimation420.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The screening is part of the <a href="http://www.kunjanimation.org/">Kunjanimation</a> festival which is taking place as part of the France/SA Season 2012. The festival is now in its second year and lucky for us this year it's in Cape Town with a full lineup of workshops, talks and free screenings.<a href="http://www.triggerfishstudios.com/"> Triggerfish</a> is taking part in a few:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Stuart Forrest on The Changing Landscape of Distribution</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wednesday 17th, 14:00 to 15:30</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wednesday 17th, 20:00</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ObH561MGlO0/UHrt4Ry1OkI/AAAAAAAAAOk/nlewi1PKwXY/s1600/Zambezia_04.jpg-1024x564.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ObH561MGlO0/UHrt4Ry1OkI/AAAAAAAAAOk/nlewi1PKwXY/s320/Zambezia_04.jpg-1024x564.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Making of Adventures in Zambezia</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thursday 18th 16:30 - 17:30</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-54yVv2eYV2g/UHrty5KLpYI/AAAAAAAAAOc/8mVTAl40_Fo/s1600/Khumba_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-54yVv2eYV2g/UHrty5KLpYI/AAAAAAAAAOc/8mVTAl40_Fo/s320/Khumba_02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Khumba - A Zebra's Journey from Zero to Hero.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Saturday 20th, 15:30 - 16:30</span></div>
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Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-26918895942525061992012-09-30T05:00:00.000-07:002013-03-09T00:37:54.222-08:00Slow-mo Joe<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zKPvGAdz0gQ/UTrzfj4QcqI/AAAAAAAAAPc/bjoHBXME4G0/s1600/Slow-Mo+Joe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zKPvGAdz0gQ/UTrzfj4QcqI/AAAAAAAAAPc/bjoHBXME4G0/s400/Slow-Mo+Joe.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">illustration by <a href="http://www.behance.net/Storme" target="_blank">Storme Humphriss</a></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Slow-mo Joe is stuck forever in slow motion, </span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Moving even slower than the snails in the ocean.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">With his every step, other people make three,</span></div>
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<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">With his every blink they make a nice cup of tea.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">But from Joe's perspective the world positively <i>whizzes</i> by</span></div>
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<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Like everyone's in a mad rush and he can never figure out why. </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">What is so urgent that it must be done yesterday?</span></div>
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<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">And why is it always "Soon", "Now" or "Right away!!"?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Can no one see that Joe will always get the task done?</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Left to his own devices, ticking things off one by one.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">You might think Joe would be useless, unable to keep up with the pace</span></div>
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<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">After all, there's a very good reason it's called the rat <i>race.</i></span></div>
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<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">But in the end, Slow-mo Joe often saves the day</span></div>
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<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Because sometimes, slow and steady is the only way.</span></div>
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Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-38906098907459535882012-09-22T03:29:00.000-07:002013-04-25T13:11:45.969-07:00Mary Jane<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n96ocnF69BY/UXmNXbMIs2I/AAAAAAAAAQo/KZmNDII9v1o/s1600/mj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n96ocnF69BY/UXmNXbMIs2I/AAAAAAAAAQo/KZmNDII9v1o/s320/mj.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">illustration by <a href="http://www.rethaferguson/" target="_blank">Retha Ferguson</a></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Mary Jane mostly had her head in the clouds up high</span></div>
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<div style="font: 18.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">But it was her mind that drifted as the days went by</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The tiniest thing would fascinate her for hours at a time,</span></div>
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<div style="font: 18.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">A passing sound; a gentle breeze; silly words in a rhyme. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 18.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">She'd often wander off mid-thought - she was easily distracted, </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">And you could never explain the laughing fit she’d suddenly contracted.</span></div>
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<div style="font: 18.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Her appetite was enormous, especially for a girl so petite</span></div>
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<div style="font: 18.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">And she could become quite lethargic for someone so light on her feet.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 18.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">But when Mary was needed to help with the task at hand,</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 18.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">She could always be counted on to join the rest of us on land.</span></div>
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<div style="font: 18.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">For 'tis true, though MJ was forgetful, and perhaps a little chilled out,</span></div>
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<div style="font: 18.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">She always had a creative solution for every problem that came about.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-76711053355453482392012-08-25T00:50:00.000-07:002013-03-09T00:39:53.248-08:00Side-view Bob<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ykq6MKnTqU8/UTr0_uO54nI/AAAAAAAAAPs/mH6oC0zzzI0/s1600/Side+View+Bob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ykq6MKnTqU8/UTr0_uO54nI/AAAAAAAAAPs/mH6oC0zzzI0/s400/Side+View+Bob.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">illustration by <a href="http://www.behance.net/frankskullboy" target="_blank">Frank Conradie</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="font: 20.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Side-view Bob always sits on the bench</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Along with the hammer and spanner and wrench.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 20.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">His head is so flat and his forehead so wide, </span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 20.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">that - yup, you guessed it - both eyes are on one side.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 20.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">He can use his head like a racket, a tray or a sword,</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 20.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Which is why he's found among the nails and the board.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 20.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">His father keeps him there, next to the vice</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 20.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">(and has only once washed him - to get rid of the lice!)</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 20.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 24.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 20.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Though you may wonder what man could use his own son </span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 20.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Like a common drill or a saw or a nifty screw-gun,</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 20.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Bob doesn't mind being left with the tools in the shed,</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 20.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Because, after all, what else can one do with such a flat head?</span></div>
</div>
Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-34386265374174554362012-08-12T06:42:00.000-07:002012-08-12T06:42:58.417-07:00Sweaty Betty<br />
<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Betty Bordeaux is perfect, but for one major flaw:</span></div>
<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The perspiration that drips from her every pore!</span></div>
<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Dehydration is Betty's biggest threat,</span></div>
<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Even on the coolest of days, she's constantly wet.</span></div>
<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 23.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">With her sweat bands and bottle of H-2-0 never far from her side,</span></div>
<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">One could mistake her for a jogger, or maybe an energetic tour-guide.</span></div>
<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">In fact, she's a chemist - knows all about electrolytes and such</span></div>
<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">She's searching for a cure to her disorder… any luck so far? Not so much. </span></div>
<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 23.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Lucky for Betty, her secretions are not of the funky type</span></div>
<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">She doesn't have the usual sickly-sweet smell of something overly ripe.</span></div>
<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">So her friends gladly put up with her excess of NaCl, </span></div>
<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">(that's sodium chloride for those who couldn't tell)</span></div>
<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Because they know she is merely let down by one little gland. </span></div>
<div style="font: 19.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">And when they're in need, Sweaty Betty's always there with a helping hand.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-80851912849433007692012-05-28T12:36:00.001-07:002012-05-28T12:39:36.121-07:00Zambezia at AnnecyNext week, our first animated feature film will have its very first public screening as part of the prestigious Annecy animation festival! So if you happen to be in France, catch it on Tuesday at 6pm or Saturday at 4pm during the <a href="http://www.annecy.org/annecy-2012/festival/programmes:201212#.T8PPgc7mhlg.blogger">Annecy Annecy 2012 Festival Programmes</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c1k7RxQNvuo/T8PTdfuGuHI/AAAAAAAAANQ/Cgoomg-4BZQ/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-05-28+at+9.30.23+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c1k7RxQNvuo/T8PTdfuGuHI/AAAAAAAAANQ/Cgoomg-4BZQ/s320/Screen+shot+2012-05-28+at+9.30.23+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-79186051607106319292012-04-15T02:49:00.002-07:002012-04-15T02:52:47.476-07:00What's in a name?<div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm always happy when another stop-motion film is released, and besides the fantastic script and animation, the latest film from Aardman has raised the bar in terms of the incredible level of craftsmanship and artistry. </span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fhen62WxPyo/T4qYMa7zerI/AAAAAAAAANA/Y9fYr62hKCE/s1600/pirates-band-misfits-still03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fhen62WxPyo/T4qYMa7zerI/AAAAAAAAANA/Y9fYr62hKCE/s320/pirates-band-misfits-still03.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But, as this post suggests, I'm writing more about the name card than the film itself. </span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dQqDtzPD3Qg/T4qWVfSd3cI/AAAAAAAAAMY/IqeSOm5GB_E/s1600/Animated-Pirates-Movie-Trailer-from-Wallace-and-Gromit-Creators.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dQqDtzPD3Qg/T4qWVfSd3cI/AAAAAAAAAMY/IqeSOm5GB_E/s320/Animated-Pirates-Movie-Trailer-from-Wallace-and-Gromit-Creators.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In South Africa (as with most of the world) we get to see it as "The Pirates! Band of Misfits". Interesting that even Aardman is not immune to the name-change US studios sometimes feel necessary for international audiences. I do wonder what was wrong with "In an Adventure with Scientists" though besides the fact that it's a little more wordy? </span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2DLVhgwDkD4/T4qW5xhwYzI/AAAAAAAAAMg/BLOlLsuqnGQ/s1600/The-Secret-World-Of-Arrietty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="173" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2DLVhgwDkD4/T4qW5xhwYzI/AAAAAAAAAMg/BLOlLsuqnGQ/s320/The-Secret-World-Of-Arrietty.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Surely there is more value in aligning a title with the existing intellectual property on which it's based rather than saving a few letters? Although if this <i>were</i> the case, "The Secret World of Arrietty" would probably have been called "The Borrowers" killing two birds with, well, two words.</span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Perhaps it marks the decline of the one or two-word title that has been common for most animated films since the first days of Disney starting with "Pinocchio". It is a real challenge to evoke the story of an entire film with just one word and I have been amazed by the ingenuity of some (I didn't think you could get much more clever than "Antz", but then along came "Up".)</span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6VZqjt_HTek/T4qZBeyUVeI/AAAAAAAAANI/LJBsfe4VUJc/s1600/up3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6VZqjt_HTek/T4qZBeyUVeI/AAAAAAAAANI/LJBsfe4VUJc/s320/up3.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h4Rlt9Sq8ss/T4qXGGEmqdI/AAAAAAAAAMo/nFQlqY2Nsjk/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-04-15+at+11.19.19+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h4Rlt9Sq8ss/T4qXGGEmqdI/AAAAAAAAAMo/nFQlqY2Nsjk/s320/Screen+shot+2012-04-15+at+11.19.19+AM.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For our own film I can understand why we had to change it to "Adventures in Zambezia": keeping it as the simpler "Zambezia" would have put us last on any alphabetical list, plus now anyone seeing the title for the first time immediately understands the potentially obscure, foreign word is actually a <i>place</i>. </span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This does raise the question about our next film however. "Khumba" is another foreign word and it's likely that it would need a similar addendum. This time it's the name of the lead character and although there is a lot of precedent for this, it's usually based on a known character or IP ("Pocahontas", "Coraline"). </span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xrpo5rW8Tv4/T4qXaRevsZI/AAAAAAAAAMw/lZwPWKN921s/s1600/khumba_title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="147" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xrpo5rW8Tv4/T4qXaRevsZI/AAAAAAAAAMw/lZwPWKN921s/s400/khumba_title.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If I do have to change it, I have yet to come up with an alternate that I'm happy with "Adventures with Khumba" would not exactly sit comfortably. It's more likely it will become "Khumba and the…." which might just make it sound like a Harry Potter movie or the first in a series which wouldn't be all bad. </span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The colon also seems to be increasingly popular (yes, I'm talking about those <i>other</i> Pirates movies). The longer the title, the more it gets abbreviated though, especially with the attempt to keep most information below 140 characters nowadays - the latest Mission Impossible for example becomes MIGP. </span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">No matter what it's called, people often refer to a shortened version of the title anyway - I doubt anyone is actually going to say "Two for The Pirates! Band of Misfits" to the lady at the ticket counter. Either way, do yourself a favor and catch it on the big screen!</span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VvFNau4heWA/T4qX3jJmUTI/AAAAAAAAAM4/cSF2s25nsY8/s1600/pirates-band-misfits-still04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VvFNau4heWA/T4qX3jJmUTI/AAAAAAAAAM4/cSF2s25nsY8/s320/pirates-band-misfits-still04.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div>Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-90931087597190233462012-01-14T01:33:00.000-08:002012-01-14T01:35:01.691-08:00ZambeziaWe finished our first movie last year just in time for a screening at AFM in LA. I'm still amazed at the accomplishment of the incredibly hard-working team at Triggerfish and was proud to watch the finished result on a cinema screen. Now we are all holding thumbs for the ultimate reward - an international cinema release...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/fCvhOL4clvM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">In the meantime, check out the trailer. </div>Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-61881052555156276372012-01-14T01:28:00.000-08:002012-01-14T01:28:13.460-08:00Sketchtravel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hncLX4Y6ARU/TxFHyH75AoI/AAAAAAAAAL4/6rF7wjIrqOE/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-01-14+at+10.51.09+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a>I often prefer something that has a rough, unfinished look because the human hand behind the art is more present. This is a perfect example of a bold and effective illustrative style.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ueiYfefejRk/TxFJFgPdkGI/AAAAAAAAAMI/TH4KVLGyw4E/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-01-14+at+11.20.39+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ueiYfefejRk/TxFJFgPdkGI/AAAAAAAAAMI/TH4KVLGyw4E/s320/Screen+shot+2012-01-14+at+11.20.39+AM.png" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RfPgIx2f8IM/TxFJXaK0bqI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/huvlOyVovkg/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-01-14+at+11.19.25+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RfPgIx2f8IM/TxFJXaK0bqI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/huvlOyVovkg/s320/Screen+shot+2012-01-14+at+11.19.25+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--izJb_t8Z5o/TxFIdS97ReI/AAAAAAAAAMA/IzNnKuaNwf8/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-01-14+at+11.17.20+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--izJb_t8Z5o/TxFIdS97ReI/AAAAAAAAAMA/IzNnKuaNwf8/s320/Screen+shot+2012-01-14+at+11.17.20+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Beautiful compositions.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/30312312?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe></div><a href="http://vimeo.com/30312312">SketchTravel</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/curio">Curio</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-80571309304044412392011-10-30T00:10:00.000-07:002011-10-30T04:46:55.711-07:00ParaNorman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YlErdlypWh4/Tq05HsziGtI/AAAAAAAAALw/4dIK8-xrEEU/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-10-30+at+1.45.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YlErdlypWh4/Tq05HsziGtI/AAAAAAAAALw/4dIK8-xrEEU/s320/Screen+shot+2011-10-30+at+1.45.08+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Laika does it again. I haven't seen anything in a long time which inspires me as much as this trailer. Stop motion has a look which cannot be beaten when done as well as this. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0N617SL1ZcM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-35029009092007411382011-04-25T04:18:00.000-07:002011-04-25T04:18:39.749-07:00It's not all Black & White<div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I remember an early script meeting for <i>Khumba</i> where I was asked: "Are the zebras black or white?" </div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The question put me into a bit of a spin, because - naively - I hadn't thought about it. Each had connotations and implications that would impact the characters, let alone the politics of it. I asked hopefully "Does it matter?" They are not human after all, they don't have to be any race, but this just prompted the next question "What about when you cast their <i>voices</i>?"</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Foiled.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">About 5 years later, as I now approach this casting stage in the production, the question once again rears its ugly head. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Scientifically, it turns out zebras are in fact likely to be <i>black</i> with white stripes. And I did originally intend the herd to be more traditionally "African" with the other animals representing some of the different social groups of South Africa. In the story, however, the zebras have closed themselves off from the outside, much like a gated community. It all sounds a bit paranoid <i>white</i> in our stereotypical view of South Africans. Plus, as a white South African, how could I really write an <i>African</i> film with a black lead? In any case, the voices (especially of the leads) are likely to be American so that throws yet another spanner in the works (the issue of South African vs American voices is a whole other issue I'll leave for another discussion...).</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Khumba leaves his herd, goes on a mission to find his stripes, to change his skin. It is really a search for self-acceptance, a journey to discover and embrace his difference. Is this not a universal message? Surely I'd be limiting it by choosing a race? The film is about so much more than race. But now that I have to seriously think about casting the movie, the question of how they sound can no longer be put off. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Are these characters black or white? </div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Writing the screenplay for Khumba has been a bit like my own quest for stripes. Even though I might look the same on the outside (though slightly more balding), internally, I have changed and - like Khumba - grown into my own skin. And one of the things I've realized is that life seldom seems to be so cut and dried that the are only 2 options.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The answer has really been there all along, right in front of me. The reason I chose the zebra, the reason it's such a powerful symbol to tell this particular story. It's neither black <i>nor</i> white. It's not "or". It's "and". </div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">They are black <i>AND </i>white. </div>Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-39716624137558684732011-03-12T01:50:00.000-08:002011-03-12T01:50:43.123-08:00HaKhumba MatataPre-production for Khumba has been going surprisingly smoothly the last few months. <a href="http://www.danielclarkeart.com/">Dan</a> and <a href="http://www.tincup.tv/">Matt</a> are doing a brilliant job and have already designed all the characters and most of the environments; we are already finishing up the second pass of the rough animatic; and <a href="http://www.jacquietrowell.co.za/">Jacquie</a> has been compiling everything together into an animation bible with the help of some great character poses by <a href="http://www.cobbyblog.blogspot.com/">Jac</a>.<br />
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Plus, we have finally attached a polish writer to give the screenplay a final (and American) once-over. More on this to follow once it is all 100% official, but it's exciting to say the least...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pgZ_5hx7Rk0/TXtBTNMty7I/AAAAAAAAALs/v8_pr6b30Qk/s1600/Picture-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pgZ_5hx7Rk0/TXtBTNMty7I/AAAAAAAAALs/v8_pr6b30Qk/s320/Picture-7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Yesterday the screening of the first Act went well which was a relief after the confusion of the first screening - zebras can really all look the same in 2d! Big up to the storyboarding team: <a href="http://www.capechino.com/">Ric</a>, Remi and Lorraine who are helping to bring pictures to the words.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iS9P904xwHE/TXs0GUmuKwI/AAAAAAAAALY/hxG1pSLoVpU/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iS9P904xwHE/TXs0GUmuKwI/AAAAAAAAALY/hxG1pSLoVpU/s320/Picture+2.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">As seen here, we got the go-ahead for cinemascope which is great because the Karoo really needs to be seen in widescreen!</span></div><br />
The last few months have helped me see what is and what isn't working and allowed us time to work out the most efficient process - including a simpler numbering system (so that we don't need 3 different numbers as seen above). Soon we go into the next pass of the animatic with the final, polished script - gotta get it all ready before the rest of the team start... shew.<br />
<br />
One interesting issue came up with the animatic - can we show a dead mother? I really wanted to show that Khumba's mother is no longer a "character" but just an "animal" when she dies, but the particular poses and shots might be a bit disturbing for children, so I might have to tone it down a bit - even though Lion King didn't shy away much:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2MhsUQDI7q0/TXs-Yf4YRcI/AAAAAAAAALk/qYenGIYmF2k/s1600/lion-king-death.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="107" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2MhsUQDI7q0/TXs-Yf4YRcI/AAAAAAAAALk/qYenGIYmF2k/s400/lion-king-death.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't know, maybe a dead mother on screen is much more traumatic than a dead father for kids? </div>Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-59627212207038068082011-03-12T00:41:00.000-08:002011-03-12T00:41:32.125-08:00The Eagleman Stag<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I do love stop-motion... especially with paper. Looks incredible.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-IC5zFJY0uFI/TXsw8tw7S4I/AAAAAAAAALU/fVIDdexYVHM/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-IC5zFJY0uFI/TXsw8tw7S4I/AAAAAAAAALU/fVIDdexYVHM/s320/Picture+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>Wish I could see the whole of this recent BAFTA-winner:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Esby5GIMlWY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-266566156133039882011-03-06T12:27:00.000-08:002011-03-06T12:27:03.115-08:00Sometimes the clouds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After capturing the lighthouse image in the previous blog post, I realised that earlier today I had put aside this image which I wanted to use as a cloud reference. I took the pic in Sydney - the clouds really were like this - no Photoshop work. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-oyoAOMDkxkA/TXPqnnWAXjI/AAAAAAAAAK8/iOtfmZzInZI/s1600/lighthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-oyoAOMDkxkA/TXPqnnWAXjI/AAAAAAAAAK8/iOtfmZzInZI/s320/lighthouse.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Going through more photos I found these others too - it seems there is a subconscious trend in my photography.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HEMPG9ucoMs/TXPs9WyTkuI/AAAAAAAAALM/K56SETNPVDc/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HEMPG9ucoMs/TXPs9WyTkuI/AAAAAAAAALM/K56SETNPVDc/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--gsDucY2cU0/TXPtEIMfRsI/AAAAAAAAALQ/8NH4DupKMz0/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--gsDucY2cU0/TXPtEIMfRsI/AAAAAAAAALQ/8NH4DupKMz0/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kEln0QyQDok/TXPsuvyAAxI/AAAAAAAAALE/fHNZsNmbAMQ/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kEln0QyQDok/TXPsuvyAAxI/AAAAAAAAALE/fHNZsNmbAMQ/s320/1.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-enPPlZc68vs/TXPs0wjoCKI/AAAAAAAAALI/YZM9agvbQB4/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-enPPlZc68vs/TXPs0wjoCKI/AAAAAAAAALI/YZM9agvbQB4/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-36817162649230206702011-03-06T10:24:00.000-08:002011-03-06T10:26:05.572-08:00Sometimes the stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xy6_yQzeYYI/TXPRL40-fnI/AAAAAAAAAK4/T7gjcuZPAmE/s1600/Picture+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xy6_yQzeYYI/TXPRL40-fnI/AAAAAAAAAK4/T7gjcuZPAmE/s320/Picture+5.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A beautifully crafted, moody animated music video.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qQxPWT-ifyI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-56429162968826991602011-02-19T06:08:00.000-08:002011-03-06T10:30:02.266-08:00Building a movie, making a home<div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm sure I'm not the first to compare building a home to writing/making a movie, but since I'm going through both processes at the same time (the reason for lack of recent posts), the similarities seem particularly apparent.</span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zJIlMdXHC30/TV_Nd_jEWbI/AAAAAAAAAK0/zi0KiJOaROE/s1600/huspagrej_21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zJIlMdXHC30/TV_Nd_jEWbI/AAAAAAAAAK0/zi0KiJOaROE/s320/huspagrej_21.jpg" width="320" /></span></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">pic by Swedish illustrator </span></span><a href="http://www.snarlik.se/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Johan Thornqvist</span></span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">You need to:</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><div style="font: 16.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">- have a strong vision for what you want the final result to be</span></div><div style="font: 16.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">- attach the right team who will support that vision</span></div><div style="font: 16.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">- go in with a good set of plans</span></div><div style="font: 16.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">- have a realistic budget and time frame</span></div><div style="font: 16.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">- get buy-in from your neighbours/investors</span></div><div style="font: 16.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Then onto the actual building/production:</span></div><div style="font: 16.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">- start with strong foundations</span></div><div style="font: 16.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">- build in layers and sections (I know, I know - simplification of note)</span></div><div style="font: 16.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">- be flexible to creatively work around unexpected issues that arise</span></div><div style="font: 16.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">- listen to objective external input, especially expert advice</span></div><div style="font: 16.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">And when it's nearing the end:</span></div><div style="font: 16.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">- stay calm and true to the vision even though you might be ready to throw in the towel</span></div><div style="font: 16.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">- add the finishing touches to give it character</span></div><div style="font: 16.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">-and then accept the fact that it is not actually near the end just yet...</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 16.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">And if that's not enough, throughout it all, you have to </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">enjoy</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> the process otherwise it'll be difficult to enjoy the result! Luckily I have a great team on </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Khumba</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> and a fantastic architect (Jennifer Sorrel), because I would not advise trying to do both at the same time. What was I thinking?</span></div></span></div>Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-25469947569013501952010-12-06T10:55:00.000-08:002010-12-06T10:55:34.140-08:00Big in Japan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the last month, I've watched The Cove and Ponyo - two vastly different movies, but both with a focus on the plight of sea life in Japan. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rumsayvGi_U/TP0vGs2I3CI/AAAAAAAAAKk/cH62mNZceDc/s1600/Picture+18.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rumsayvGi_U/TP0vGs2I3CI/AAAAAAAAAKk/cH62mNZceDc/s320/Picture+18.png" width="320" /></a></div>I wonder which will make a bigger impact on the world - the animated fantasy or the grim documentary? Or is it too late already?Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-47428232498197125562010-11-24T10:38:00.000-08:002010-11-24T11:01:20.574-08:00And now for something completely differentPixar continues to impress and inspire me - this video was a great reminder of why I'm telling the story of Khumba. Some differences are on the outside, some on the inside, but whatever it is that makes you different, it is often the very thing that sets you apart... and to steal a line from an old draft of my screenplay: our differences, together, make us stronger. It sure works for Pixar - let's hope the same is true for Triggerfish!<br />
<br />
<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4a4MR8oI_B8?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4a4MR8oI_B8?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-11705261301212535682010-11-21T11:35:00.000-08:002010-11-21T11:35:46.158-08:00Zambezia takes off - Go Team!!Last week, we released the <a href="http://www.zambeziamovie.com/">Zambezia</a> promo which we completed for the American Film Market and it immediately started flying around online (I know, I know, it's just so hard not to use those bird puns!).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><object height="224" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.facebook.com/v/452916632201" /><embed src="http://www.facebook.com/v/452916632201" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="224"></embed></object></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">I'm so impressed with what the team at <a href="http://www.triggerfish.co.za/">Triggerfish</a> have pulled off with a tiny fraction of the budgets of most other animated films out there and it makes me so excited to see what we'll be able to do with <a href="http://www.khumbamovie.com/">Khumba</a> now that we've learned so much. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">It was a big push from the whole team to get the trailer ready in time but it's been great for everyone to finally be able to show family and friends what we've all been working on for so long. Some longer than others.... It's strange to think that I've been involved in this project for 5 years of my life!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">But as I'm learning, it's less about the work, and more about the people that you work with and I'm glad to be surrounded by an incredible team of people.</div>Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-52887647235265101522010-11-13T01:21:00.000-08:002010-11-13T01:21:41.850-08:00Karoo MoonsLast month the Khumba pre-production team went on a mini-research trip up to Prince Albert. The vast spaces of the Great Karoo were a welcome change to the computer screen.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rumsayvGi_U/TN5WxjdOYMI/AAAAAAAAAKc/NPu9JRvxelw/s1600/pa_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rumsayvGi_U/TN5WxjdOYMI/AAAAAAAAAKc/NPu9JRvxelw/s320/pa_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Considering the theme of drought (linked to the waning moon) in Khumba's story, it was an auspicious trip with both full moon and rain!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rumsayvGi_U/TN5Wc5zUSFI/AAAAAAAAAKY/9tF5gfV4SaA/s1600/pa_10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rumsayvGi_U/TN5Wc5zUSFI/AAAAAAAAAKY/9tF5gfV4SaA/s320/pa_10.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rumsayvGi_U/TN5WO5fFmfI/AAAAAAAAAKU/Pk7eTfTeJAM/s1600/pa_09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rumsayvGi_U/TN5WO5fFmfI/AAAAAAAAAKU/Pk7eTfTeJAM/s320/pa_09.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rumsayvGi_U/TN5W9XB-8XI/AAAAAAAAAKg/3PgA_GaX0zg/s1600/pa_07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rumsayvGi_U/TN5W9XB-8XI/AAAAAAAAAKg/3PgA_GaX0zg/s320/pa_07.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-50479337320705440982010-10-27T09:34:00.000-07:002010-10-27T09:34:59.077-07:00Bo-kaap lights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sunset<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rumsayvGi_U/TMhSrrF2KAI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/2tK6pOEa9r8/s1600/bokaap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rumsayvGi_U/TMhSrrF2KAI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/2tK6pOEa9r8/s400/bokaap.jpg" width="238" /></a>Sunrise</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I spent a few nights in the Bo-kaap recently while I renovate my house. The views of the city are incredible and the changing light on Lions Head gave me a taste of what our 3rd feature film could look like. Inspiring. </div>Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-82082639902809200832010-09-28T11:18:00.001-07:002010-09-28T11:18:37.689-07:00Greenlight!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rumsayvGi_U/TKIxORk1fiI/AAAAAAAAAJs/Dbi8C43t1Ro/s1600/khumba_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rumsayvGi_U/TKIxORk1fiI/AAAAAAAAAJs/Dbi8C43t1Ro/s400/khumba_logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I'm a happy chappy, need I say more?Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714250194719912868.post-39236958640642024282010-09-25T02:28:00.000-07:002010-09-25T07:04:43.454-07:007-year itch<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">OK, it's only been 5 years that I've been working on </span><a href="http://www.zambeziamovie.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Zambezia</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (only), but this week, exactly a year since we started full production, the IDC committee meets to decide whether to fund our second feature, </span><a href="http://www.khumbamovie.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Khumba</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. It will be an unprecedented deal, and obviously a huge amount rides on it, so I wait with bated breath... because I'm feeling the itch.</span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rumsayvGi_U/TJ24GYQn6jI/AAAAAAAAAJo/tcrGFSDZz-Y/s1600/Ant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rumsayvGi_U/TJ24GYQn6jI/AAAAAAAAAJo/tcrGFSDZz-Y/s1600/Ant.jpg" /></span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We had to do a self-portrait awhile back at work and as you might tell, my experience working on Zambezia has mostly been one of re-writing and re-writing. But I have also had an invaluable opportunity to prepare for directing my own feature film. If all goes well, next year this time, it will be in full swing.</span></span></div></div></div>Antimatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08661798032879356917noreply@blogger.com0