Happy Birthday To ME!

Today I'm 26 year old. Emily got me some awesome gifts too, freakin' awesome stuff! The DVD of '300', a Naruto t-shirt, and a new digital camera! Stay tuned for some photos.

Kung Fu Panda, Friends From Paris, Graduation, Birthday, Emily <3

Just a few things to update about that are pretty neat.

Last week I got invited to go watch a screening of Kung Fu Panda on the Paramount Pictures studio lot. It was an incredible movie, probably Dreamworks' best. Highly recommended to anyone and everyone! I laughed as there is a small shot in the film that is almost exactly like a shot in my short film. Not 100% the same, but close enough that I wouldn't be surprised if someone out there asks me if I was inspired by it or something.

My buddy Richard from Paris is coming to visit next week. He'll be staying here in LA for about a week then he's going to trek it up San Fran to explore a bit. We met on www.simplycg.net awhile back. Should be cool, he's a photographer so I'm sure we'll end up with pictures.

This is my final week of school! My short film is nowhere near done, but it's on it's way. It's been an incredible ride and I've come such a long way since I started thanks to Animation Mentor. I'm hoping to have my short film finished by the end of summer, we'll see how that goes. It's certainly nothing amazing, it's been a hell of a learning experience. I won't be posting it online for awhile in case of the small chance it turns out really cool and I can submit it to a festival or two. (If it's online, a lot of festivals won't allow it).

It's going to be a busy summer. Headed to San Fransisco at the end of June for the Animation Mentor job fair and annual barbecue. After that Emily and I are going to be traveling to the East Coast to visit my family and friends. August brings us Siggraph and the FJORG! animation competition.

And finally, Monday is my birthday. I'll be twenty-six. Emily is awesome, in case someone out there didn't know already.

FJORG!

Ken Robkin, Bill Buckley, and myself were accepted into this years FJORG! animation super challenge at Siggraph. It's a 32 hour long sleepless animation marathon to see which team can complete the best animation in that short time. It's awesome, and I'm stoked.

Here is more info about FJORG:

http://old.siggraph.org/s2008/submissions/late/fjorg/

On another note, my short is coming along very well. I managed to get all 9 shots blocked and most of them into spline. They are mildly rushed but I have plenty of time now to polish since I met the deadline. I worked a lot on the set yesterday, a much needed break from actual animation. Built the actual Tatami mat floor patterns, modeled some new furniture and textures a few pieces. Once I start playing with lighting I'll post up some teaser renders.

Fear And Panic In The Air

It's 12:42am and the dying battery on my laptop tells me it's been a long night. I recently left my job at a game studio to work on my short film full time. Most people don't come close to finishing their film in the very small amount of time we have in the Advanced Short Film class at Animation Mentor. I was for sure going to be one of those people until I decided to take a leap of faith and give myself 1440 minutes a day to work on it. So, here I am on my second cup of coffee with 3 giant LCD monitors shining their bright, eye-piercing white light into my brain, showing me I have about 60 seconds of animation left to do in a few weeks. Professionals would tell me that's impossible. I'd tell them they were right. Then I remember I'm a professional too, so I know it's possible.

It's possible, at the expense of the following: Sleep, Girlfriend, Food, Exercise, Fun, Fresh Air, Video Games, Movies, Friends, Sleep, Sun, Beach, Water, Sleep, Food, Sanity.

Anyway, that's what's going on with me lately. I've got about 4 weeks left. I hope everyone is doing well and having a great Spring.

Babbles

When I run from nothing nothing sways for sweeping sweeping endless never days of hour glasses ocean waves are slaves to moons and moods and blades.

Bobbles

See world through dragon lens with unmoving cinematic ecstasy within persons afoot and warriors within us all are impervious and sanctified though they never tried enough for self rules of righteous amazing areas of flow and personal justice amongst thieves souls spring through and away from it all and into a bottomless abyss of my ability of faithless envisioning and crys where it kills and engines roar and purr and cry with tainted metal eyes storms brew beer and deer kill men with souls full of crying bleeding hearts within ken and when it all comes to them to see and there part of me then time will stop for minutes after ten and fifteen hours after pastors cry with ammunition flying by.

Class 6: Advanced Short Film

This week begins my final class at Animation Mentor. It's been an amazing place to be and I can't believe it will soon be coming to an end. This school brought me from having never animated before, to landing an animation job in less than a year. It really is that good and I'd recommend it to anybody looking to learn the true foundations and principles of animation.

My new mentor is Don Crum. He's currently at Pixar working on Wall-E, and is from what I hear a pretty rad guy. I'm looking forward to class 6 a lot. Lots of things have changed for me in the last month or so and I think I'm finally going to be able to give this short my full attention. Keep checking back for news on my short, "Kunren!".

I also love my girlfriend Emily very much. Thanks to her I'm an animator. =)