Rat Movie Wins! (Your Friend the Rat)

I found this blog that goes behind the scenes on the award winning animated film, Your Friend the Rat.

Some other rat movie directed by Big Bird, or someone related to him, won some other, minor, statuette. (Hey, it was a 3D film . That new fangled computer stuff is just a flash in the pan... It'll never catch on).

Back to 2D! (gold lettering accompanied by angelic choir) ...

The blog has some insider photos that go with descriptions like, "Located in story alley on the second floor of Pixar, you would walk by the corral and hear that awesome sound of pencils sharping and paper flipping."

So I suggest that it might be worth ratting around in Jim Capobianco's Leonardo blog, that has the intriguing byline, "adventure and absurdity in making an animated short" (Grade 2's take note).

If anyone finds a reliable video clip link for Your Friend the Rat, please post it in the comments. Otherwise check out the Extras on your Ratatouille DVD.

Related posts: Annie Award Winners 2008, The Brad Bird Bunker of Wisdom

Prelude to Eden

A while back I did a post about the web site of FX animator Michel Gagne, there I saw a still from this film, but as it was placed in amongst images from Ratatouille, Iron Giant and Clone Wars I hardly gave it a second thought. Luckily Alan Cook over at the Cooked Art Blog drew my attention to it once more and found a link to the whole film.

Prelude to Eden is quite old now, but its some of the best 2D animation I've seen in a while. You just have to love all that snappy timing and simple clear character design.

Annie Award Winners 2008

Friend of the ARC Kristi from Krome sent me a link to this page of results from this years Annie Award, they are like the Oscars but just for animation.

Looks like Ratatouille cleaned up most of the major film award, Surfs up grabbed a few for FX, those waves were pretty impressive.

Michel Gagne

Traditional Special FX animation is dear to my heart. The first paid work I did animating (as apposed to Inbetweening, Managing teams etc) was in the FX department at Sydney’s Disney studio. Alas I've never been able to find the time within our course at Southbank to squeeze in much FX animation.

Maybe in the future I'll do some quick video tutes and post them here. In the mean time check out the great web site of FX animator Michel Gagne. There are step by step breakdowns and video clips to watch from such great titles as Ratatouille, the Iron Giant and Clone Wars. Top Shelf.

THE IRON GIANT. See it.

Terry here (for a change). Was just out shopping when I noticed THE IRON GIANT special edition was on sale pretty much everywhere for under $10. This reminded me that, in conversations with the class last year, I found out that the majority of the students I spoke to hadn’t seen this film – THE BEST ANIMATED FILM EVER MADE! I’m not normally one to inflict my opinions like this, but… if you haven’t seen this film, see it now while you’re on a break! Directed by Brad Bird (who went on to make THE INCREDIBLES and RATATOUILLE), this film boasts some of the most gorgeous and subtle performances that you’ll ever see, plus a brilliantly constructed narrative abnd some great gags. It’s pitch-perfect in every department. A few years ago, when I taught a Film Awareness subject, I would show this film religiously, and by the end there’d be not a dry eye in the room (mainly because I was in the corner blubbing). Great DVD too, particularly the Brad Bird commentary. Those of you who’ve seen it… am I right or am I right?

Female Characters in Animation

From Australia: "The criticism (one example) of Pixar over the role of women in their films doesn’t sit well with me. Its a bit like being angry at Martin Luther King because he didn't do enough to help the environment... read more"

From the USA (Cartoon Brew): "As if the animation industry weren’t bad enough with people who don’t know what they’re talking about breathing down the artists necks now THIS? Arggh this is agitating! None of the famous characters were black, Jewish or gay either so why don’t we censor them for THOSE reasons too?"

Regarding Miyazaki: "Yes, the young women are, independent, powerful and instinctively in tune with what is the environmentally correct message."

I think this all started with a newspaper film review of Ratatouille that was pinned on the animation studio noticeboard this year. It focused criticism the lack of female roles/role models in that movie rather than reviewing the animation.

This isn't a Pixar stoning (would anyone dare?). It would, however, be interesting to snapshot opinion on the evolution of female character roles in contemporary animation. So make a comment.

Do animation female characters reflect society? Or is the industry lagging behind real life? Whose princesses do you prefer?

TWIN

I watch many blogs and web sites when searching for ARC content. Every now and then something comes out that sweeps across the net like a wave (a new Ratatouille clip, people posting about their I-phones, etc).

So its nice to see something that's from Australia riding the wave for once. People everywhere are raving about these ads from the Sydney based studio, Twin. They are very appealing, and there are other nice ads and music videos to see on their website.

Saving Ratatouille

Here is a great article that recounts how Brad Bird came to be in charge of the Ratatouille show at Pixar and some of the changes he made to mold it into the film that is already winning some amazing accolades

I'm trying so hard not to get too excited about this film, but its so hard. I CAN"T WAIT!

Victor Haboush -“It’s the best animated film since Pinocchio.” Quote from Cartoon Brew

Football vs Rabbit

With the first preview screenings playing across the US over the weekend, the net is awash with even more Ratatouille hype. I'm crouched in the corner with my hands over my ears screaming, "LA LA LA LA LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU." Or the online equivalent which is something like squinting at blogs and news sites before you take a good look in the hope that you can screen out any more opinions or news about the story.

So anyway here is an interesting clip that makes for a nice distraction. This 3D animation made in Maya (or so I've read) looks so much like clay animation that its freaky. If they keep this up then clay animators will have to start fearing for their futures, going through the thinning out process that traditional animators have already endured. There is less of them to begin with so it gona be nasty.

You have to take your hats off to the creators of this clip though, its quite amazing.

Ratatouille

There is so much of Ratatouille on the net to see. I have made a conscious decision not to look at any of it since the first preview. I read that one of the clips online was 6 minutes long! That's just nuts, I think the whole promotional thing is way out of hand. Movies couldn't possibly live up to the hype they create these days.

That having been said, Victor Navone (Pixar Animator) has just posted some nice observations about the movie on his blog that are exciting without giving anything away and while still leaving plenty up to the imagination. Now that's my kind of Hype.

More Ratatouille

Yeah I know its promotional fluff that hardly shows you anything about how its all done...... But come on, it's PIXAR! It's BRAD!!!!! you gota be excited!

Head on over to the Seward Street Blog where he (who knows who he is) has some nice observations.

The latest Ratatouille Preview

Brad At Wondercon

Here is a video of Brad Bird talking about Ratatouille.
GOD I LOVE THE INTERNET!

Ratatouille

Comming Soon has an article up about Ratatouilli. CHECK IT OUT! Bwaaa haha.

click the pic for the link

Ratatouille Pics

Check out these cool Ratatouille posters that didn't make it through the vetting process. .... nice!

RATATOUILLE

This one's for you, Ian... a beautiful animation test from Brad Bird's upcoming Pixar film RATATOUILLE...



And the latest on TOY STORY 3 and all things Disney and Pixar...

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31518

WALL• E

This is the first image released from the Pixar film that will follow Ratatouille, its called WALL• E and appears to be about robots. I'm not a big fan of robots in 3D animation, but it is directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo) so I would expect the story is good and well told.