It's hard being a bug #3

It's hard being a bug #2

'It's hard being a bug' is about a boy. But he thinks he's a bug. Though, he hasn't quite figured out what kind of bug yet. The series follows his search for identity. Should he try to fit in among his other insect peers? Use his powers to become a super hero? Or should he just give it all up and wait for certain death, as is the fate of all insects.

'It's hard being a bug' is an ongoing series that will be posted regularly here and on Facebook.
Special Thanks to Belgian Comic author Marcel Rouffa. It actually WERE the simple things that helped the most.

It's hard being a bug #1

'It's hard being a bug' is about a boy. But he thinks he's a bug. What kind? Well, any kind. He hasn't quite figured that one out yet. The series follows his search for identity. Should he try to fit in among his other insect peers? Use his powers to become a super hero? Or should he just give it all up and wait for certain death, as is the fate of all insects.

'It's hard being a bug' is an ongoing series that will be posted regularly here and on Facebook.
Special Thanks to Belgian Comic author Marcel Rouffa. It actually WERE the simple things that helped the most.

Motion Design: 4 seasons

I created this scene to illustrate evolution in reactive programming. It's still one my most favourite examples to show the dynamics of motion graphics. Do don't deal in anything concrete, instead to support the image my something symbolical, yet relevant.

Hero: Zach Smothers

For those who don’t remember the good old days, which is most of us, there was a time when black and white movies were coloured by hand and turned into technicolor films. Well, Zach Smothers took it upon himself to to uphold this tradition. He just loves to color old black and white movies.

Ever seen this shot of the old Addams Family series in colour? Neither have I. Zach Smothers created it, though. Using one of the earliest techniques in colour film, I love most. No grading, no getting everything right on set, just colouring afterwards. With plenty of time, patience, and the luxury of thinking about every colour differently. See a scene he did right here. Yes, it’s frame per frame!

Not just that, Zach uses colour to bring atmosphere and give that magical tonality to film. Have you read on the series of articles that thought the new superman movies should use he colour schemes of the old ones, yet? I have. These days film is grim, under saturated. And why not? It’s easier (desaturated shots match easier than saturated ones) and it gives the movie ‘a certain tonality’, meaning: ‘We want it darker, boys. It’s a drama!’ I applaud Zach on his bold use of colour. Maybe it’s not how we can create thing, simply checking out time schedule and deadline, but if he achieves one thing: he makes us think about colour. It’s everywhere, why not use it in film again?

The colouring of black and white is something I love. Though I don't use it in the same way as Zack Smothers. For me, it's a great tool to bring a certain style to compositions. When I'm compositing, putting all the elements in black and white and re-colouring them afterwards, not only gives the picture a certain painted feel, it also allows maximum control over the colours. I used this technique a lot over the years, here's one example.

Motion Design: low poly work

A short scene I created as a study. Mixing low poly 3D objects with the colours an feel of sixties cartoons like Pink Panther.

Super dads!

Over the last decade, audiovisual technology became more and more accessible to the average household. Not too long ago, you would need giant renders farms, expensive software and even more expensive cameras, altogether running in the tens of thousands of euros. These days, it's possible to create stunning visuals with an entry cost that is -at least in comparison- marginally lower. Adding to the equation that systems got a lot faster as well, making you able to deliver better graphics within a shorter time (I still remember the days when rendering took as much as two hours for one second!), and a new type of parent arises: the super dads!

These kinds of super dads (or moms!) are people that work in the creative sector, have a serious knowledge of their medium, and use this knowledge to create something for and with their children.

And since everyone who can do something other people can't is generally called a super hero, these people become super parents in the eyes of their children.

A great example is 'Super Lion': "drawn, written and narrated by Elliot Worley, animation by his dad (Seth Worley), with music by his uncle Ben."

Elliott Worley's SUPER LION from Seth Worley on Vimeo.

Animating the drawings, bringing them to life as you, a five-year-old envision them, there has to be some kind of metal for this. If not, I'll gladly send them one of my own hand crafted medals from when I was a kid in appreciation.

Another great example the father/son duo behind Action Kid. Daniel Hashimoto (who is a visual development artist at Dreamworks) films his son playing James and whenever something dramatic happens, it's visualised through special effects. Every child at one point pretends the floor is lava (I still do it sometimes), James' floor actually is lava, nice!

Why are they super dads? Just because they know how to create animation or special effects? Of course not, their medium is just a tool. When you scroll through the youtube page of Action Kid, it will be hard to claim that this dad doesn't spend a lot of quality time with his son. Even though his job will probably be a demanding one with long hours, which is the excuse fathers have been using since pretty much the dawn of jobs. Aside from the quality time, there's the stimulation.

Young children still have an untainted look at the world they live in. They haven't been wacked senseless with 5000 adds per day, movies that rely on VFX for about 99% of the shots, and the power of photoshop that transforms normal people into beauty ideals none will ever achieve (including said models). Everything new is magic, from the easiest peek-a-boo to pulling a rabbit out of a hat. This goes for film as well. Though 'Un home de têtes', by George Méliès would look like an outdated trick by now, for children it feels equally magical as for the cinema audience that first saw this film in 1898. It's this perception of magic and their surroundings that stimulates the active imagination with children. They playfully discover the world, and how it tics. They develop skills and learn to separate right from wrong. And it greatly determines the problem solving capabilities they'll need as adults.

Another great advantage is that, by doing this, these parents playfully prepare their little padawans for the world of fakery that lies ahead of them. They saw how dad brought their drawings to life, or remember not having an actual lightsaber at hand when they were at the toy store. So maybe, just maybe these kids learned the valuable lesson that much in the media is fake. And if this keeps them from trying triple backflips and setting the cat on fire just because they saw the Power Rangers do it, then that's every reason you'll ever need.

The Leien in Antwerp are a forest

30th of June 2016

Quick, one panel cartoons are a great way to blow of steam. Instant gratification!

Loud voices together are heard

When it comes to choosing whether a story should be told using live action footage or with a motion graphic, there are some standard questions you can ask yourself:

1. Which technique would be the strongest?

Anything visual is about emotion. And how to deliver these emotions to the viewer. Sometimes live action simply works better. When you want to explain something very concrete, for example. Or when it's about people. When you're an NGO and want to launch a campaign about the homeless, why should you use animated characters or little popping visuals?

2. Are we talking about something tangible?

Facts and data are harder to shoot, as are statistics, tutorials, abstract concepts and ideas. They can be shot live, but many will just result in shots if people looking at computers displaying data.

3. Is it reachable (within our budget)?

If you are a belgian firm and you want to create a story about deforestation in Canada, you should look at your budget. If you have the time and resources to send a camera crew to Canada, you should consider it. If you don't, a stylised motion graphic will be your best choice.

4. Is it supposed to be fun and snappy or more serious?

Motion graphics and infographics usually tend to be on the fun and snappy side. With bright colours and a bubbly sound design, they are a great tool to make even the most boring of subjects fun to watch. When the subject is more serious, a mix with live footage is usually opted.

5. No exceptions whatsoever?

Tons! Here's one!

The National Recources Defence Council commissioned this motion graphic on the environmental impact on whale population. This stunning piece of art pretty much throws all previous questions of the table. They could have used real whale footage (there is tons available and they have to means to shoot more), there is nothing snappy, bubbly or fun about it. But the artwork, pace of the film and emotional tonality of the film give everything reason. This motion graphic was created by the Canadian animation studio 'Giant Ant'

This doesn't mean that all questions should be ignored from now on, but is does prove that as long as the emotion is set just right, anything can goes.

We were monkeys

The first time I learned about We Were Monkeys was when they created the music video for 'Little Talks' 'by Of Monsters And Men. It literally blew me away and I was jealous to the bone. I must have watched it 25 times that night, absorbing every frame, every detail, and each time I see it again, I discover some new details.

We were Monkeys is the collaboration between director Mihai Wilson and producer Marcella Moser. The duo is heavily focussed on experimentation and constantly explores new combinations of live action, 3D, illustration, set instruction, matte painting and photography. Or simply put: they use pretty much every toy in the toy box. I've been a fan of their work ever since that music video, watch it below.

When I make a music video, I don't make it for the fans, or the people that already love the music. I make it for those who don't know the band or even those who don't like the particular music genre. It's so easy to become in love with a song if you became in love with the music video, and let's face it: a music video is in fact a commercial for a band, aimed at getting more people to dig your music and buy tickets to your concerts.

That said, when I heard 'Little Talks' on the radio, I didn't immediately run to the store to buy the album, I thought is was ok, and had a fun melody and vibe to it. Yet, when I saw the video, the song was catapulted to my 'summer vibe playlist'.

The design on the video is brilliant! Beautiful backgrounds and matte paintings are crafted into a 2.5D universe, parallaxing as the camera moves through them. The band members are 2D animated characters with their real heads on top, moving in line to the music. A black and white multiverse opens up, with beautifully textured sets going from rocky cliffs to dangerous underwater worlds, with equally dangerous creatures.

And now for something completely different

This combination of elements occurs in a lot if work by WWM, for more, you could check out their portfolio here. They created the beautiful motion graphic for Hendrick's Gin as well. With some fat winks to the animation work Tery Gilliam did for Monthy Python. (The commercial is even called 'Something different'.) But, I'm not really sure about the story, though. The main message of the theme pretty much says: if you're bored: DRINK! Pretty sure I would have chosen another angle... 

How Dunderklumpen inspired Levende Liedjes

'Dunderklumpen' poster

'Kapitein Winokio's Levende Liedjes' was the not just the first dvd of Kapitein Winokio, it was the first dvd feature I ever made as well. I've always been fascinated with the combination of live action and animation. A visual style that was that blew me away when I was just a kid, watching the 1974 Swedish film 'Dunderklumpen!'

'Dunderklumpen!' is a 1974 Swedish family film directed by Per Åhlin. Jens is a young boy who spends the holidays with his family on an abandoned island. On midsummer night the family is visited by Dunderklumpen, a strange character that takes all the dolls of his sister Camilla and brings his toys to life by touching them. Yet, the toys are not overly fond of their new company and cry out for help to Jens, who ventures after Dunderklumpen to retrieve them.

Though a little dated today, the movie still gets to me with its stunning visuals. The vast and beautiful scandinavian landscapes, the beautiful integration of all the animated characters, and the great soundtrack which was created by late Toots Thielemans. The film won a special Achievement Award at the 11th Guldbagge Awards for it's visionary combination of two completely different visual styles. The film can be watched on youtube, there is even a Dutch version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9NJwpRtQvM

This movie still works as an inspiration today. It shows the power of the medium, and how things that are film lives in it's own universe. But it also shows that there is more to film then seamlessly integrated CGI. I like these films as much as the next guy (and even love a fair bunch of them), but not every world has to be built around an ton of special effects shots. Sometimes it only takes the right combination of real and unreal elements to be transported to a whole new universe.