This is part commercial, part rave - and absolutely no RANT!
I spent the weekend learning, from past and present great animators. Andreas Deja (Lilo, Scar, Jafar): Milt Kahl (Medusa, Shere Kahn, one of the nine old men) and Keith Lango, Listening to what they have to say. "Listening?" you say, "but how, you live miles away in another country and one of them is dead."
"Ah - haa!!" I exclaimed, "But not with the Internet"
You see there are wonderful things happening for learners of animation, I say learners even though I am no longer a student because I will always be a learner, no matter what I do. Even Brad Bird or John Lasseter are learners. Animation is an ever evolving art form and people are constantly learning, so back to my rave.
There are so many bloggers that inspire me everyday but one who is working like crazy is Keith Lango, he is making on-line Video Tutorials and so far they are great, things I did not know or had not realised are being told to me first hand. Well, actually second hand via his Final Cut Pro (or similar editing software). So much better than reading an article or lengthy handout (though these are also worth every penny and time spent) Check out Keith's blog and VTS
here!
Next on my list is actually a little outdated but never-the-less still brilliant. Outdated as far as News on the net is concerned, the CD recordings come compliments of James Hull from Seward Street. These are Milt Kahl talking firsthand in 1979 about working at Disney. I had helped him mirror these earlier in the year but now must point you to them again. You can check them
here on my site but do yourself a favour and check what else James has to say at Seward Street.
Here's something Milt said back in the day
"At the Disney studio now both Ollie and Frank have a damn fine sense of showmanship and performance and everything, but neither of 'em can draw any too well - and neither of 'em know enough about the human figure - or can animated something that's subtle.
You know, with the human figure, or with an animal, it begins to get realistic, and they begin to get stuck. And I think both of those guys could use it. It's too late now maybe - but I think that's where they fall down. And it isn't a serious failure. They're both really fine animators. They're the two best people in the business right today, I guess."He was very too the point.
Finally, this is going to take the Animation community by storm.
The Animation Podcast - WOW!!! Holy... how cool is this going to be! With part two coming up soon, with more on Eric Larson, Tim Burton and the Black Cauldron, this is one site I am not going to miss
Thats it for today.
