Showreel
About me
Contact
Rss feed

How to train your dragon, new clips

Posted on March 6, 2010  | Leave a Comment
Filed under Animation

If you are not worried to see to much of the movie before it hits the theatre, have a look at that new teaser and “Forbidden friendship” a 2mins long shot of the encounter between Hiccup and Night Fury.

How to train your dragon

How to train your dragon

There is something really striking in those clips and I really wonder how this is gonna work out in the final movie. A lot of the shots are lit by an overcast sky and most of the colours are desaturated except for a tiny amount of shots like “Forbidden friendship”. Since not all the shots are similar, I guess it is a deliberate choice but that’s a really odd one especially from Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois. Is it how they translate watercolours in CG?

The movie is out in few weeks, I can’t wait!

Oops I was about to forget the link to the “How to train your dragon”’s blog
http://howtotrainyourdragon.tumblr.com/

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

Autorig tutorial prep work 04

Posted on March 4, 2010  | 2 Comments
Filed under Animation, Modeling, Portfolio

http://www.vimeo.com/9936173

This time I am modeling the hands. I am not looking at references yet, just blocking out the shapes.

You will see me starting from a cube, which I subdivide manually to extrude faces and create the fingers.

I push the details on one fingers then duplicate it to create the other ones. Very often you will see me going from low poly to high poly using the 1 and 3 keys in maya 2009.

and here is the second pass
http://www.vimeo.com/9924238

Third pass, refining the shape, cleaning up some edges, adding more detail
YouTube Preview Image

Related posts:
Autorig tutorial prep work 03
Autorig tutorial prep work 02
Autorig tutorial prep work 01
Low polygon modeling tools

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

Gorgeous architectural visualisation

Posted on March 1, 2010  | Leave a Comment
Filed under Graphic design

http://www.vimeo.com/7809605

I hadn’t had a chance to check that video before and that’s a shame because this is some stunning work done in my favourite softwares: 3dsmax and VRay.

The artists have an amazing sense of composition, lighting, cinematography. There is no making of for “The Third and the seventh” yet but they made one for the previous “Kahn’s Exeter”.

{…] Read more

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

“Parka blog” art books review blog

Posted on March 1, 2010  | Leave a Comment
Filed under Animation

Flickr Video

I don’t need to read review websites before buying “Art of” books but I still love browsing this website for reviews of books I wouldn’t usually buy.

Parka blogs

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

Rapuntzel “Tangled” first teaser

Posted on March 1, 2010  | Leave a Comment
Filed under Animation

YouTube Preview Image

A first teaser for Disney’s “Tangled” finally surfaced on the net.

I am really liking the painterly rendering. It reminds me a lot of “Monstre à Paris”.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

Autorig tutorial prep work 03

Posted on February 28, 2010  | 2 Comments
Filed under Animation, Modeling, Portfolio

CharlesF.  Muntz

Here is the nearly final model. Click on the picture for full screen version.

I will work on the hands tomorrow.I am still not entirely happy about the junction between the chin and the cheek bone, the eye/nose area also need a bit more work but that should be enough for the Autorig tutorial.

Related posts:
Autorig tutorial prep work 02
Autorig tutorial prep work 01
Low polygon modeling tools

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

Autorig tutorial prep work 02

Posted on February 27, 2010  | 4 Comments
Filed under Animation, Modeling, Portfolio

http://www.vimeo.com/9780845

Here is a video showing the modeling process for my tribute to Pixar’s “Up”.

You can double click to see the video in Full screen but if you first click on the Vimeo logo you will be able to see it in full 1600×1200. You might also be able to download the video from Vimeo, it is in Xvid/Divx, sorry I don’t have Quicktime pro but Virtual Dub or KMplayer allow you to go frame by frame if needed.

[...] Read more

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

“Waking sleeping beauty” documentary

Posted on February 26, 2010  | Leave a Comment
Filed under Animation, Business of animation

YouTube Preview Image

“Waking Sleeping Beauty is no fairytale. It is a story of clashing egos, out of control budgets, escalating tensions and one of the most extraordinary creative periods in animation history.

Director Don Hahn and producer Peter Schneider, key players at Walt Disney Studios Feature Animation department during the mid1980s, offer a behind-the-magic glimpse of the turbulent times the Animation Studio was going through and the staggering output of hits that followed over the next ten years. Artists polarized between the hungry young innovators and the old guard who refused to relinquish control, mounting tensions due to a string of box office flops, and warring studio heads create the backdrop for this fascinating story told with a unique and candid perspective from those that were there.

[...] Read more

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

Skyfire, Winmo Flash enabled browser

Posted on February 25, 2010  | Leave a Comment
Filed under Windows Mobile

You are in the train and your agent is calling you about that unknown company looking for animators. You quickly type their name in Google and oh …  horror…  they only have a Flash website.

No worries Skyfire is fully Flash enabled! You get the number, phone your agent back and arrange an interview! Life is good.

Skyfire the free Flash enabled web browser

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

TCPMP Divx player for Winmo

Posted on February 25, 2010  | Leave a Comment
Filed under Windows Mobile

TCPMP

TCPMP wasn’t working very well on my HTC HD1 and I was using Divx Winmo player instead but Netdrg repackaged the free Divx/xvid player especially for the HD2 and that release rocks! One click on the screen and you go full screen in the glorious 480×800 HD2 resolution.

http://www.xda-developers.com/windows-mobile/tcpmp-finger-friendly-version

and the related XDA forum thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=634951

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

PocketInformant

Posted on February 21, 2010  | Leave a Comment
Filed under GTD, Life hack, Windows Mobile

Pocket Informant

Last Windows Mobile post of the day.

I have considered buying an Iphone in the past but too many missing Windows default features made me buy a Windows Mobile phone instead. Some of those missing features are the full support and synchronisation of Outlook Notes and Calendar but more than anything is the lack of stable and well thought GTD application, fully integrated with Outlook. Pocket Informant is that one.

David Allen wrote a very good book about GTD and I don’t intend to rival with it in few lines. The only thing I will say is that if you are into GTD, Pocket Informant is a must! The software is huge but you shouldn’t have too much trouble operating it. There is also a free demo so give it a try and start filling up that Inbox and Next Action folder!

My next post will be on the free Flash supporting Windows Mobile browser: Skyfire. Stay tuned

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

Slide2Unlock

Posted on February 21, 2010  | Leave a Comment
Filed under GTD, Life hack, Windows Mobile

Slide2unlock2

Slide2Unlock is my second, well my first favourite Windows Mobile application.

That one is a Windows mobile lock screen on steroids and believe it or not….. IT IS FREE!!!!

On the surface it looks like an obvious Iphone lock screen rip-off but once you open the configuration panel, you realize that the software is an actual Power App that could be charged several dollars!

Not only it allows you to preview your text messages and email without unlocking the phone, it also allows you to display your appointments on the lock screen….. How cool is that?!?! No need to slide, unlock, launch any application, no need of any Jail breaking, all the necessary information is all there, right in front of you! Your phone has now become a true productivity tool.

Ah I forgot to mention something. There are hundreds of parametres you can play with but the best of all is once again the automatic trigger.  I have set mine to the best Windows mobile GTD application: Pocket informant. but that one needs an other post.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

G-Alarm

Posted on February 21, 2010  | Leave a Comment
Filed under Life hack, Windows Mobile

G-Alarm

I was supposed to write a long post about my new HTC HD2 but I feel that I need a bit more time to fully realise how wonderful that piece of hardware is.

I still need to talk about some great softwares available for it and one of those is G-Alarm.

G-Alarm is a really cool alarm app that should immediately win your hearth within the 10 days of the free trial.

For the price of two Lattés, you get a very convenient replacement for your probably ageing Alarm Clock Radio and since I have started using G-alarm, I have said good bye to my trusty 15 years old Sony “Dream machine” and so will you.

G-Alarm does a lot of cool things as you probably saw on their website. Mp3, Talking clock. tilt sensor support, Maze and other brain wakening games, but the only function that made it worth those 5 euros to me, was the fact that you can trigger any application and wake the phone up at the specified time, switching from Airplane  to Mobile mode.

Since I am a great fan of Radio4 in the morning and I like to emerge from my sleep while listening to the news, the only thing I had to do was to make G-Alarm start the FMRadio.exe application!

Related posts:

Windows mobile best applications

AEButton plus

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

“How to train your dragon” Nicksclusive

Posted on February 20, 2010  | Leave a Comment
Filed under Animation

Do you want to see something new from “How to train your dragon”? Here is a sneak peek from Nickolodeon

YouTube Preview Image
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

La dama y la muerte (short film)

Posted on February 18, 2010  | 3 Comments
Filed under Animation

La dama y la muerte

There are so many short film coming out all the time and I have so little free time that I tend to miss on a lot of little gems especially when the provided screenshot doesn’t do justice to the work.

“La dama y la muerte” (The lady and the reaper) is one of those short films I would have missed if my friend Dan didn’t tell me about it. I love the design of the characters especially “La muerte”, the wacky layout and storyboard, the cartoony animation, the lighting. This reminded me a lot of the wackiness in “The emperor’s new groove” which is a very good thing.

http://www.dailymotion.com/videoxc5h85

actually… even my friend Jamie told me about it since it was animated in 3dsmax and rendered in his favourite rendering engine Mental ray

Website:
http://www.theladyandthereaper.com/

Production blog:
http://www.theladyandthereaper.com/wordpress/

YouTube Preview Image
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

Autorig tutorial prep work1

Posted on February 9, 2010  | 6 Comments
Filed under Modeling, Portfolio

As some of you might know, I have decided to make a tutorial showing how to use the zooTools and SuperCrumbly’s abAutorig autorig scripts.

To demonstrate this I wanted to model a new character so here it is!

Charles Muntz is definitely my favourite character design from the movie UP.

I have mainly focused on the right hand side and will mirror it next time.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

“Monstre…” again

Posted on February 8, 2010  | 4 Comments
Filed under Animation


well well well, it looks like “A monstre in Paris” is still going despite all the problems the production went through and that s a good thing since what I saw at Annecy few years ago was really really cool

Matt Jones on “Monstre à Paris

Related posts:
Monstre à Paris short clip
Un Monstre à Paris

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

Lenticular hologram

Posted on February 8, 2010  | Leave a Comment
Filed under Friends

My friend Jay posted has a very fancy car but that’s not what this is about today ;-)

Jay posted a really cool video showing his “Lenticular 3d models” on Youtube.

I am not too sure how he does it exactly but that’s really cool. I wonder how this would work with animation…..
YouTube Preview Image

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

TC1100 vs Ipad

Posted on February 7, 2010  | 3 Comments
Filed under Animation

Which one of those:

- supports Adobe Flash out of the box
- allows you to listen to music while doing other tasks
- allows you to run hundeds of professional applications
- has up to 1.2ghz processor
- has more than 50 gb hard drive
- allows you to draw with a real pressure sensitive pen
- doesn’t force you to buy an expensive Apple computer to develop applications
- comes with a free docking bay with keyboard
- costs less than $200 on Ebay
- came out 6 years ago
- is actually a real computer

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

Fresh and not so fresh ideas

Posted on February 7, 2010  | Leave a Comment
Filed under Animation, Graphic design

It is amazing how often the same ideas have to keep coming back in movies ….. no I didn’t mention Avatar…. well I just did .. The same ideas keep coming back but where the issue is the most acute is with student short films.

Last year I had an interesting conversation with Cedric Villain from french animation forum “Fousdanim.org“.

As a 2008 Annecy short film award winner, he was invited to participate in the selection of the 2009 Annecy nominees and went through 50 hours of program. After such an experience, he confirmed that the same topics or even stories kept coming back.

The reason I want to talk about this today is because my friend Joost posted a very very cool short film which really stood out aesthetically for me but not so much in term of story. Without further due here “Pivot”

http://www.vimeo.com/9178331

Because I have been into design in motion for quite a while, I immediately thought about the Psyop arrows from the Lugz campaign which in 2002 led to the …. the “arrow craze”…. Every motion design video had to have its variation at that time and even I came up with my own flavour. The Robot on my modeling showreel was supposed to fire them in an explosion of colours ala DeBlob.

[...] Read more

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Posterous
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati