Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Christmas Shoes by Patton Oswalt
Christmas has come and gone, but Patton Oswalt has something to say about the song "Christmas Shoes," set to animation by John Kuramoto.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
"Holly Jolly Christmas"
Snowman Week concludes with everybody's favorite frozen narrator, Sam, singing the closing number from Rankin/Bass's "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Frosty the Snowman (UPA)
This version of "Frosty the Snowman" was created in 1954 by United Productions of America. Popular mainly throughout the midwest, it's a mainstay of Chicago's WGN-TV.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
The Snowman - Walking In The Air
Here's a snippet from Raymond Briggs' "The Snowman," the 1982 adaptation of his 1978 book.
Watch the full-length special by clicking here.
Watch the full-length special by clicking here.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Frosty The Snowman
This week is Snowman Week on Animation of the Day. And to kick it off, one of the most recognized, beloved snowmen off all time, Frosty!
Produced by Rankin/Bass five years after their holiday mega-hit "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Frosty the Snowman" marks the first time the company used traditional cel animation in a holiday special (rather than stop-motion) in an effort to create a greeting card look. Notice the use of washed out, warm pastels and jagged, overlapping sketch lines in the backgrounds.
Now, everybody sing along...
Produced by Rankin/Bass five years after their holiday mega-hit "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Frosty the Snowman" marks the first time the company used traditional cel animation in a holiday special (rather than stop-motion) in an effort to create a greeting card look. Notice the use of washed out, warm pastels and jagged, overlapping sketch lines in the backgrounds.
Now, everybody sing along...
Saturday, December 15, 2012
BONUS! It's a SpongeBob SquarePants Stop-Motion
A behind-the-scenes look at the SpongeBob stop-motion special, as told by Primetime Love.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Robot Chicken: Gandalf Game Show
The new addition to Peter Jackson's Middle Earth cycle -- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey -- opens in theaters today. To celebrate, here's a "Robot Chicken" sketch featuring Gandalf (as voiced by Bryan Cranston) facing off with a puppet modeled after me!
Thursday, December 13, 2012
The Spirit of Christmas
This is where it all began for Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
As film students in 1992, they created the first "Spirit of Christmas" short using construction paper and an old 8mm camera.
A copy of this short somehow made its way to an executive at Fox, who then commissioned Parker and Stone to make a new "Spirit of Christmas" short which he distributed to some 80 friends as a "video Christmas card" in 1995.
It was so popular amongst its recipients that it became a must-have bootleg throughout the industry. It wasn't long before the TV networks started calling, and in 1997 "South Park" debuted on Comedy Central.
As film students in 1992, they created the first "Spirit of Christmas" short using construction paper and an old 8mm camera.
A copy of this short somehow made its way to an executive at Fox, who then commissioned Parker and Stone to make a new "Spirit of Christmas" short which he distributed to some 80 friends as a "video Christmas card" in 1995.
It was so popular amongst its recipients that it became a must-have bootleg throughout the industry. It wasn't long before the TV networks started calling, and in 1997 "South Park" debuted on Comedy Central.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
"Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer" by The California Raisins
Back in 1987, CBS first aired "A Claymation Christmas Celebration," featuring the titular stop-motion methods pioneered by Will Vinton and made popular by the California Raisins ad campaign (among other works). Here are the California Raisins performing the special's climactic piece, "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer."
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
Christmas Vacation intro
The bright, colorful, squishy, excellently-animated opening credits sequence to the modern classic National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation deserves it's own showcase. So here it is.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
BONUS! Voice actor Rob Paulsen on playing Pinky, Yakko Warner, and two mutant ninja turtles
Voice actor Rob Paulsen on playing Pinky, Yakko Warner, and two mutant ninja turtles
Welcome to Random Roles, wherein we talk to actors about the characters who defined their careers. The catch: They don’t know beforehand what roles we’ll ask them to talk about.
The actor: Rob Paulsen began his acting career in front of the camera, yet in spite of (or perhaps because of) featured roles in Body Double and Stewardess School, he took advantage of the opportunity to shift gears and pursued a career in voice acting instead. This decision was fortuitous: Paulsen has become one of the most recognizable and popular figures in his field, voicing characters in some of the most famous cartoons of the past few decades, including Animaniacs, Pinky And The Brain, The Tick, and, perhaps most impressively, two different heroes on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: first Raphael, and now, in Nickelodeon’s new incarnation of the series, Donatello. He also frequently discusses voicework with other ...
Read more
Welcome to Random Roles, wherein we talk to actors about the characters who defined their careers. The catch: They don’t know beforehand what roles we’ll ask them to talk about.
The actor: Rob Paulsen began his acting career in front of the camera, yet in spite of (or perhaps because of) featured roles in Body Double and Stewardess School, he took advantage of the opportunity to shift gears and pursued a career in voice acting instead. This decision was fortuitous: Paulsen has become one of the most recognizable and popular figures in his field, voicing characters in some of the most famous cartoons of the past few decades, including Animaniacs, Pinky And The Brain, The Tick, and, perhaps most impressively, two different heroes on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: first Raphael, and now, in Nickelodeon’s new incarnation of the series, Donatello. He also frequently discusses voicework with other ...
Read more
Friday, December 7, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Lavatory - Lovestory
This Russian cartoon by Konstantin Bronzit was nominated for a Best Animated Short Oscar in 2009.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Saturday, December 1, 2012
BONUS! Animatic vs. Animation
Our friends at "Robot Chicken" offer this educational look at the decisions that go into changing a final animated shot from what was planned in the storyboard stage. Enjoy!
A Closer Look at Hemlock Gin & Juice
There are a lot of variables that can necessitate changes between animatic and animation, as you’ll see in this post.
Check out these stills from this week’s “wet t-shirt contest” sketch. Here is the opening shot, first as it appears in the animatic, and then as it appeared on TV:
Besides the angle being a little wider, everything looks pretty similar, right? Check out the next shot.
While the board calls for the camera to pan over to the man shouting, we opted to do a digital punch in. The camera angle didn’t change, we just zoomed in a bit. Why? Because in TV production, time rules all. Our show (and all other shows) are on an extremely tight deadline. A physical camera movie takes a lot of time, but a digital punch-in only takes a few seconds.
The original boards cut to a new wall, but we chose to frame our first shot with the wall already in frame. If had done what the boards asked, we would have had to re-frame our camera and put up a new set! Our final angle is also nice because it doesn’t require the characters to move around as much, which saves time and improves the pacing of the sketch.
We have to make decisions like this for every sketch! Spending less time on some sketches allows us to spend more time on others. In the end, the joke is king. We won’t cut corners if it makes the punchline fall flat. It’s a careful balancing act, but after six seasons we’ve gotten pretty good at it!
Click here to read more from the "Robot Chicken" folks.
A Closer Look at Hemlock Gin & Juice
There are a lot of variables that can necessitate changes between animatic and animation, as you’ll see in this post.
Check out these stills from this week’s “wet t-shirt contest” sketch. Here is the opening shot, first as it appears in the animatic, and then as it appeared on TV:
Animatic
Animation
Animatic
Animation
Animatic
Animation
Animatic
Animation
We have to make decisions like this for every sketch! Spending less time on some sketches allows us to spend more time on others. In the end, the joke is king. We won’t cut corners if it makes the punchline fall flat. It’s a careful balancing act, but after six seasons we’ve gotten pretty good at it!
Click here to read more from the "Robot Chicken" folks.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Every Dog's Guide To Complete Home Safety
I really appreciate the deceptive simplicity of the art in this short, like a Sunday newspaper comic. Also, dogs.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
Saturday, November 24, 2012
BONUS! Alicia Keys sings 'Gummi Bears'
Here's a little weekend bonus - Alicia Keys doing a cover of the "Gummi Bears" theme song on Jimmy Fallon.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
South Park - Picking a Turkey
Gobbles!
"Helen Keller the Musical" is one of the best Thanksgiving-themed episodes of television ever produced. In fact, why don't you just set aside 22 minutes and watch the whole thing? This "South Park" episode combines elements of American Thanksgiving, the story of Helen Keller, witty observations about musical theater both professional and amateur (including a perfect parody of Colm Wilkinson), and the always-reliable story of an underdog... and somehow makes it all fit together. You won't regret watching it.
Click here to watch!
"Helen Keller the Musical" is one of the best Thanksgiving-themed episodes of television ever produced. In fact, why don't you just set aside 22 minutes and watch the whole thing? This "South Park" episode combines elements of American Thanksgiving, the story of Helen Keller, witty observations about musical theater both professional and amateur (including a perfect parody of Colm Wilkinson), and the always-reliable story of an underdog... and somehow makes it all fit together. You won't regret watching it.
Click here to watch!
Monday, November 19, 2012
Friday, November 16, 2012
The Tale of the Three Brothers
The virtuosic animated sequence from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. Created by Framestore, directed by Ben Hibon.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Gulp. The world's largest stop-motion animation
About a year after the viral success of their microscopic stop-motion animated short, Nokia went the opposite direction and made the world's largest stop-motion animation.
And here's how they did it:
And here's how they did it:
Monday, November 12, 2012
Dot. The world's smallest stop-motion animation character
This caused a sensation a couple years ago - a stop-motion animation created on an incredibly small scale. Watch to the end to see exactly how small.
To explain a little more, here's a making-of:
To explain a little more, here's a making-of:
Friday, November 9, 2012
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Monday, November 5, 2012
Friday, November 2, 2012
Creature Comforts
Aardman Animations, the studio that would go on to create Wallace and Gromit, won an Oscar with this early concept of interviewing ordinary people, then re-contextualizing sound bites by putting the words into the mouths of various animals. A clever and charming concept, well-executed.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Sufjan Stevens - Mr. FROSTY MAN
Well, Halloween may be over, but the zombie menace has yet to be eradicated in this Sufjan Stevens video.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
Skeleton Frolic (1937)
Apparently Ub Iwerks wasn't finished with skeletons after making 1929's "Skeleton Dance" for Disney. So he went to Columbia and made 1937's "Skeleton Frolic."
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949)
This is the conclusion to the Disney adaptation of Washington Irving's classic story... the Headless Horseman's attack! The full half hour movie is widely available on various home video formats, often paired with "Mr. Toad." Check it out!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Jason's Deceiving Speed
How Jason stays ahead of his victims, according to "Robot Chicken."
And, an extra little tag...
And, an extra little tag...
Monday, October 15, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
♫The Cat Came Back
I first saw this as a kid, when Nickelodeon decided to play it, out of nowhere. No context, no explanation. Just, "Here's a thing. Watch it." And it was great.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Green Jelly - Three Little Pigs
This song was a big hit with my friends back when we were in grade school. Now I know a guy who worked on this video.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Smile, Darn Ya, Smile!
Following up on last Friday's cartoon, many of you will recognize this song from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Here is the original.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
DuckTales - Opening Theme
For no particular reason, I'm making this Disney week! Let's kick it off with a catchy song...
Friday, September 21, 2012
The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics
100 years ago today, Chuck Jones was born. Writer, director, producer, character designer, Jones made hundreds of cartoons including Loony Tunes, Tom & Jerry, and Dr. Seuss adaptations including the classic "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
Here's a lesser known Chuck Jones work from 1965, winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Short.
Here's a lesser known Chuck Jones work from 1965, winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Short.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
How The Dark Knight Rises Should Have Ended
Two months ago to the day, Dark Knight Rises opened. If you haven't seen it yet then, I guess, SPOILER ALERT! Don't click on the video below.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
Mad Men
Watching the opening sequence of Catch Me If You Can yesterday put "Mad Men" in my mind. (For those of you who weren't keeping track, Catch Me was first.)
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Jurassic Park
Weird Al + stop motion + dinosaurs = how to make a young Joe's head explode!
Monday, September 10, 2012
Friday, September 7, 2012
Who's Killing the Muppets?
Probably my single favorite Robot Chicken sketch ever. And don't forget to watch the RC DC COMICS special this Sunday on Adult Swim!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
Squirrel Nut Zippers - Ghost of Stephen Foster
Bookending this Monday's edition. Note the attention to detail in recreating the original.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Space Ghost - The Heat Thing
I prefer him as a talk show host, but this is still interesting to watch.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
They Might Be Giants - Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
Song of the Week! From our friends at Tiny Toons.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Friday, August 3, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
A-Ha - Take On Me (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
(Doubles as Song of the Day) In honor of a recent visit from family
Monday, July 30, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
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