surf with me

What a difference many days make! Check out these...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:56:57 -0400

What a difference many days make! Check out these transformations. -Waveybrain

eomira:

gifcraft:

Source: Aging Face Transformation

This is super cool

I love this because it is cool, and also because it furthers a point I love to make to people: old folks usually don’t feel like they’re old folks. They were just like you once.

Not quite the Mutual of Omaha Nature Show I grew up...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 02:34:59 -0400

Not quite the Mutual of Omaha Nature Show I grew up with…I’m not sure if I’d be happier growing up on this kind of nature documentary, or Mutual of Omaha. -Waveybrain

davidhasslehoff:

IVE NEVER LAUGHED HARDER IN MY WHOLE LIFE OMG

Coco wrapping for an hr. w/ his Simpsons writing fellows. I...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 02:53:27 -0400

Coco wrapping for an hr. w/ his Simpsons writing fellows. I love this “Serious Jibber Jabber” thing he’s doing-just hate waiting for the next one. Of course, the only thing they got wrong was that the writing doesn’t hold as much weight as the visuals

-Waveybrain

One of the funniest Conan episodes of late. If you need a giggle, check it!

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:27:54 -0400

One of the funniest Conan episodes of late. If you need a giggle, check it!

What is pitching a cartoon like?

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 07:02:00 -0500

With any luck I’ll be able to tell you what it’s like to successfully sell a show one day. But, for now, and since it’s on my mind, I thought I’d share a little about my experiences pitching. Thusfar, I think I’ve pitched…at least 7 concepts. I happen to be situated (for the past 8yrs!) adjacent to the steps that leading to the loft where most pitches are held in our studio. I never purchased any spy gear, but based on observation, I can tell you that there are many “types” of people offering their IP ideas; from well known Shatner personas to meek, wiry artsy types; seasoned animation professionals to boisterous, obnoxious types; from gifted orators, to ordinary mortals. I think they have seen it all! The most perplexing question is who are “they”- the ones with the keys to your fate? ”They” are typically Development Team members or producers. Depending on the situation or clout of the persons pitching, “They” can either be a ‘lieutenant’ type who digests and parlays to their superiors, or the actual development heads. Occasionally, high ranking execs participate in pitch meetings; typically, that’s when there’s “star” who’s pitching. The problem (for the one pitching) is that each development person is different. You can’t encapsulate the type of person who takes pitches. They even have disparate educational backgrounds. If you’re unfamiliar with who they are, you couldn’t predict what they’ll be like. It’s natural to speculate about them based on whatever information you gathered. But, that’s really a futile usage of time and energy. Though…in theory, the more factual insight you have about whom you’re pitching to, the more prepared you’ll be. Best to give them the benefit of the doubt, because irregardless of how they actually are, you want to have a rapport if possible. The last thing you want is to leave a bad impression. Usually, they tend to be warm and welcoming. If the pitch goes well and you hold their interest, it’s generally a good experience with ideas being exchanged. They tend to be poker-faced for obvious business reasons I suppose. After the pitch, they will hold on to your offerings sometimes indefinitely (the limbo can make you mad). So, you can expect some time (1 week to 2 months!) to pass before you really know the outcome of your pitch. If the material you offer isn’t appreciated from the get go, they’ll likely be direct about it for better or worse. If your pitch is bombing they might not be so warm. They might actually be annoyed that you’re wasting their time; and you in fact might be. Imagine how many bad or tired ideas they listen to. So, first rule is to be prepared: know your own material. Sounds obvious. But, you might overwhelm yourself with material that isn’t pertinent to the pitch. Try to stay on point. All that colorful in-depth, anal backstory, or stuff that you went through to arrive at your concept could be held off for a more appropriate time. The first pitch I ever did at Fox bombed. I didn’t know what to expect. So, when we walked into a “boardroom” full of apparently important people, we were taken aback. I was expecting one or two people, not 10 or so. I got self-conscious and resorted to reading the copy from our “Show Bible”. Undoubtedly, we lost them at that point. I was no longer engaged. It was sad and palpable from my standpoint. You should expect “failures” and mentally prepare yourself to bounce back: perserverence is an important component of pitching. Part of the whole pitch as I’ve come to understand, is actually selling yourself. In addition to the material, they are assessing you, and whether or not they want to deal with you, or even like you. That’s human nature, and it doesn’t magically become irrelevant when you pitch. Take a moment to think about how you’re presenting yourself compared to what you want to project. When I stumbled during my second pitch due to feeling self-conscious (again), I reached out and received good advice. I was reminded that sometimes it’s wise to be pragmatic and partner with someone who can deliver material well. I’m a somewhat confident, so the next time I tried to overcome my hangups and did another solo pitch to two execs. It went better than before. That was because it was a more relaxed and informal pitch. Incidentally, the pitches I’ve done since that first high pressure one comprised one or two development figureheads. For the next pitch, I took that good advice and teamed up. It went much better. I felt far less pressure, and it was actually a joy to collaborate with people who were great at pitching. And, the pitch itself was more fun to do, and dare I say actually entertaining! Besides the eased pressure, I actually learned some of their delivery techniques - primarily rehearsing. The only downsides of partnering I’ve seen are: that the show is no longer entirely yours, and I know of at least one situation where there was a falling out and ownership became an issue. I suppose clear agreements about ownership, or a contingency plan are advisable…Anyway, the effect of the last pitch I mentioned was that it went well (it felt good). We received positive feedback, despite being passed over. (Aside: Just recently, I was watching video about screenwriting and the author/teacher mentioned that the sure sign of an amateur is that they don’t take rejection or criticism well. A professional knows better.) Anyhow, we took that feedback, retooled the show premise and took it to a different studio. We successfully addressed the issues raised the first time around. That pitch went even better! In fact, it was the best one to date. But, sadly we created new issues with the redirection. So, that one was passed on also-despite the great feeling we had about it. And, that’s okay. When you have a good pitch, you walk away feeling like you did your best. And, if they pass, it isn’t as painful as when you know you didn’t try your best. You glean what you can and apply what you learned to your next pitch. After a while you accumulate show ideas and characters, and even if you never get a show, it can be somewhat gratifying to look collectively at what you’ve created and know there’s inherent value in that. These days, I’ve heard from panel discussions that it’s becoming more common for prospective show creators to have representation. So, I think it’s probably more difficult today to cold call and set up a pitch date than it was in the past. I presume development execs are hoping to vet the talent somewhat by using agencies and such as screeners. I’m kind of all over the map here, aren’t’ I?…Anyhow, I’m more or less at the present day now. Since that last really good pitch, there have been three others. One was for a short that fell short. Shorts are a different animal that normal show pitches. You have tighter constraints. It needs to be that much more concise. Even if it’s just a one minute short, there needs to be a story (They liked my character, but I didn’t really have a story). The other two pitches were for a new show idea with a new partner. We pitched it once, got feedback. Then, tinkered with it and pitched again; got the rejection and presently are still massaging it, because we like it and think it can be refined further. And that’s another important component of pitching: you should enjoy the process enough to want to work it through, while being willing to shelve a project and start anew. I’m not fond of the phrase “kill your babies”, but it can feel that way if you poured a lot of yourself in it. That’s what stings when you get rejected. Also, if you are pitching for the wrong reasons (i.e. just for the money), that will be apparent. Man! There’s more to talk about here: like how frustrating it can be to see new shows crop up that you hate while you’ve been working your ass off. That kind of thing makes you dig deep and question your existence! That’s hard to avoid, but another waste of energy. Of course, you have to sign a non-disclosure agreement which essentially states that they’ve heard it all, and that your idea might already be in development in a similar form-with potentially the “exact same designs” - I kid you not! Remember: a good portion of the pitch is selling yourself - it’s not just your idea (that’s supposed to reassure you a little). Another frustrating thing is comparing everything you think you’ve learned about pitching to what gets picked up. Often times what you’ve learned seems contradictory to what they do. And, there’s no way to figure out the rhyme or reasons. That can also make you insane in the membrane. The most rational reason is that they are constantly in flux and dealing with ever-changing business variables (remember: benefit of the doubt). Apparently, timing is another magical factor to pitching. If you’re lucky your concept is in line with what they are looking for. What they’re “looking for” changes periodically. And, it can change on a dime if you astound them. I’m sure you’ve heard by now that comparing yourself to someone else is pointless. I know personally that I’ve had more fun and satisfaction pursuing my own ideas than when I compare myself and try to compete with others. And, enjoying it all is paramount. The problem with competing is that someone has set a bar, and when you compete you’re engaged with others who are focused on that one particular bar and the one who already established it has probably moved on. You’ll never be in the same league with that first guy. You can’t really win at that. At best you’ll be compared favorably, but you won’t stand out. One thing our former studio manager imparted in his “Words of Wisdom” address was to not be jealous. I think that’s another human emotion that’s hard to constrain. But, I think the wisdom in that idea is not to harbor negativity. That’s similar to the money thing: it’s apparent and ultimately annoying. Finally, if you’re totally green to all this stuff, you’re probably wondering what you include in a pitch or a “Show Bible”. In a nutshell, you have an idea and you have to express it as succinctly and simply as humanly possible. If your idea is like other similar ideas, you have to contend with that problem. For presentation you basically need: a simple show premise (a paragraph or so). You should be able to sum that up into a log line - that very brief sentence that entices you to click on a program. Then, you have descriptions and ideally representations of your characters and their world. Those characters should stand on their own. They should be intriguing enough to make people want to see them come alive and interact with each other - at least, that’s my opinion right now. The world they live in helps you distinguish your show and hints at the show’s complexity ($). They also generally want to have a half dozen or so show premises (individual episode summaries) to indicate the viability and texture. They may want to see an entire outline of a script. That is probably unnecessary up front, but can’t hurt to have on hand. Another good thing to have is basically a poster-type image that captures the show. It doesn’t need to be poster-sized. If you can’t do it justice with your iconic image, then it may not help you. Most development people have said that over-the-top props and posters aren’t necessary. They actually feel bad that you spent the money. That’s pretty much it. Hopefully, you have an idea of what pitching a cartoon is like now and aren’t as intimidated as I was my first time. -Waveybrain

The only version of this Gangman Style thing that’s worth...

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:20:00 -0500

The only version of this Gangman Style thing that’s worth your time. I don’t know what I appreciate more: the heroic effort, or the flipping to the music-now, THAT’S CREATIVE! enjoy.

-Waveybrain

Pretty great conclusion to the world title race. Parko...

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:38:52 -0500

Pretty great conclusion to the world title race. Parko certainly deserved it. I think he had the most style in the Pipe Masters. I only wish it came down to a final with Slater. -Waveybrain

Here’s another page of studies: feet, folds, anatomy,...

Sat, 08 Dec 2012 07:08:31 -0500

Here’s another page of studies: feet, folds, anatomy, tones…that’s what I was focusing on tonight. -Waveybrain

I’ve been pretty annoyed with myself lately for dialing in...

Sat, 08 Dec 2012 02:43:00 -0500

I’ve been pretty annoyed with myself lately for dialing in certain things in my designs. So, here are some much needed studies on women’s shoes and anatomy. It’s been a while since I’ve done real figure drawing, so here is an attempt at re-grounding my anatomy. These are “virtual tracings”-so don’t be impressed. I’m just sharing stuff that’ve been troubling me lately in my personal work. It’s fun to take the time and just examine things. -Waveybrain

Nice groove I heard this mornin’-extra nice with the...

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:27:04 -0500

Nice groove I heard this mornin’-extra nice with the sunroof open, overcast sky/light rain and thumpin’ speakers. Ahhhhhh

Menahan Street Band - The Crossing (by DaptoneRecords)

A great stop motion animation interview with lead animator, Travis Knight of Paranorman.

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:30:00 -0500

A great stop motion animation interview with lead animator, Travis Knight of Paranorman.:

I love stop motion animation, but I always wonder about the actual process in these features. The smoothness of stop motion animation these days amazes me. This is the best interview I’ve found on the subject with Travis Knight discussing Laika’s Parnorman whooffers some insights about the task of animating these characters. The second part of the interview is also pretty interesting with the directors, Chirs Butler and Sam Fell

-Waveybrain

Primus was a great band to see live. Here’s an unusual...

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 04:16:15 -0500

Primus was a great band to see live. Here’s an unusual retrospective on them. I guess I’m actually about 70 years old! I remember a show at the Hollywood Palladium that looked like the opening shot on this “retrospective”. Good times! -Waveybrain

These paintings were done by John Watkiss. He’s an amazing...

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 04:04:34 -0500

These paintings were done by John Watkiss. He’s an amazing artist (http://johnwatkiss.blogspot.com/). I remember my wife and I went to his home when he was working on “World of Tomorrow”. The art was amazing. He makes it look so easy! I remember that was the day (probably spring 2002) when I first heard of “chem clouds”. He pointed out the peculiar clouds being formed by jet contrails. I’ve been looking up since that day and observed a lot of strange patterns in the sky caused by contrails. There’s a whole conspiracy on that subject with lots of evidence and speculation. Anyway, I don’t think he gets the amount of credit he deserves on many of his films.

-Waveybrain

disney-concept-art:

Tarzan

I’m one of those people who will pause and examine frames...

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 03:24:48 -0500

I’m one of those people who will pause and examine frames from my favorite movies. The details are awesome, but I was a little disappointed by how straight the copy is on the props. I was hoping for something more whimsical.
-Waveybrain

We saw the show the other day. It’d be fun to see a whole big...

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 03:10:16 -0500

We saw the show the other day. It’d be fun to see a whole big budget SpongeBob feature in stop motion! There are some funny bits in the Christmas special. No spoilers here, you’ll have to tune in on CBS. it’ll re-air on Nick.
-Waveybrain

Photo

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 03:04:47 -0500

Coming soon: Christmas SpongeBob special. These are on display...

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 03:03:14 -0500

Coming soon: Christmas SpongeBob special. These are on display at Nick
-Waveybrain

My favorite character in the movie. -Waveybrain

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 03:00:29 -0500

My favorite character in the movie. -Waveybrain

Photo

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 02:58:26 -0500

Photo

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 02:56:35 -0500