A few months ago I was hired by an independent film studio in Hollywood to work on some concept sketches for an animated feature film they are developing. They had brought in an artist to do some concept work but that artist was no longer available. I was asked to do some sketches of one of the characters (a young ostrich) and, if things worked out, I would be hired to design all of the remaining characters for the movie.
It was a fun project but unfortunately things didn’t work out. Sometimes that’s just the way it goes. The studio asked me to design a character in a similar style to what the previous artist had done, and I did my best to match that style. I also played around with other shapes and designs to explore different ways of thinking about the look and personality of the characters.
Here’s a few of those rough concept sketches I developed.
A few weeks ago I attended the Motion ‘09 animation conference in New Mexico where I gave two presentations on character design. One of the mainstays of the conference is animator Phil Nibbelink. Last year he taught at least three sessions relating to animation and this year I think he gave about a half-dozen presentations including a panel discussion with three other long-time Disney animators. Phil really knows his stuff and I’ve learned a lot from listening to him expound on various aspects of filmmaking.
Phil worked for ten years at Disney and was a directing animator on Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Then he spent another ten years working under Steven Spielberg as an animation director, working on such films as Fivel Goes West (which he directed) and Casper. In recent years Phil has turned his attention to independent filmmaking, cranking out not just one but three full-length animated features single-handedly.
Phil does a lot of freelance work these days. He’s an experienced animation pro who really knows the ins and outs of the business. Give his website a looksee.
I’ve been looking forward to this for months. The CTN Animation Expo starts Friday in Burbank, CA. To my knowledge this is the first-ever event of its kind. Artists and creatives from all over the Hollywood animation scene will be gathered under one roof for three days of inspiring seminars, workshops, and networking. Lots of artists will be exhibiting their work and some of the big studios in town will be scouting for talent. There’s going to be a lot going on and the event is generating a lot of buzz. Highlights include:
Spotlight Booksignings and Exclusive Sketchbook Releases.
Speed Talent sessions—show your portfolio, ask questions, meet a mentor.
Screenings: “The Secret of the Kells”, “Banjo The Woodpile Cat”, and a surprise late night screening 11pm on Saturday… sshhhhhh!
Live Demonstrations hourly by the creators of some of the highest grossing films in the history of animation.
Exclusive Spotlight Interviews: (in alphabetical order)
Peter de Sève
Gary Goldman and Don Bluth
Mike Mignola
Paul Young and Tom Moore the makers of “The Secret of the Kells”
CTN-X@nite Networking Parties sponsored by Animation Magazine, The Marriott Hotel and Walt Disney Studios.
Reunions: Don Bluth Studios, Walt Disney Florida and Rowland Animation and more.
Live Demonstrations all weekend.
Recession Buster Raffle $1000 cash and prizes. One winner a day.
ToonBoom: Presentations and Software Raffle
Z-Brush: Presentations and Software Raffle
Corel/Wacom Artist Contest: Win a Painter and Intuos 4 tablet.
Last summer I was hired by PUNY Entertainment in Minneapolis to assist a team of animators working on a new website for Hasbro’s “PlaySkool” brand. The website was created by Popular Front, also out of Minneapolis. My job was to animate a few dozen clips of Tubby the Turtle, one of four new Hasbro characters. I completed my animation over a year ago but, due to the size and complexity of the project, the site has just recently gone live. I’m excited to finally be able to show my work!
I did about two-thirds of the Tubby animation, the rest was done by other animators at PUNY. To see my work you can go to the site and watch for the red storybook to appear in the lower right-hand corner. Click on it and then choose the Turtle character.
The site is designed to be highly interactive so that each character will say and do something different each time you navigate the site. There were something like 150 total clips that had to be animated for each of the four characters.
I’ve also created a montage of a few of the clips I did. Unfortunately I’m having problems exporting them to a format that I can post on this blog or even on YouTube, but you can view the clip on the animation page of my website. It’s the very first clip at the top of the list.
I want to apologize for not posting much lately. Over the last few weeks things have been busier than usual around here which is saying a lot. I’ve been juggling not one but three animation projects plus a good amount of regular freelance illustration work. For one project I hired a team of very talented freelance animators to crank out 150 clips in only three weeks! That project finally wrapped yesterday and I can’t wait to tell you more about it. In the middle of it all I took a trip to the Motion ‘09 conference where I prepared and gave two talks on character design.
Things should be slowing back down to a sane pace around here sometime next week and then I look forward to posting more regularly again. Thanks to all of you for your patience.
Some exciting news about an upcoming project I’ll be working on:
Phil Vischer, the creator of VeggieTales (the best-selling direct-to-video series of all time) and of the kids’ media website JellyTelly.com has just announced a partnership with Focus on the Family to create a 13-volume educational DVD series called “What’s In The Bible?” The DVD’s will take kids through the Bible from cover to cover using a combination of puppets, animation, and live action to teach about the Bible and the Christian faith. The DVD’s will be released through Tyndale House publishers starting this coming Spring.
The best part (for me at least) is that I get to play a small role in the project. I’ve been hired to animate three segments, and if that goes well there will likely be more to come.
The DVDs are going to echo back to the spirit of the old Disney educational films from the 1960’s but with a modern, snappy sensibility. I’m a huge fan of the early Disney and UPA-style educational films (especially the work of Ward Kimball like the classic Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom – Amazon link). For years I’ve been thinking how cool it would be to use educational animation to teach the Bible and theology. Bible literacy is on the decline in America so this series will help fill a huge need. I’m thrilled to play a small part in it. Based on what I’ve seen so far, it’s going to be a very fun and quality product!
Look for the first two DVDs to be in stores in Spring of 2010. In the mean time, for samples of Phil’s latest offerings visit JellyTelly.com. Just what exactly is JellyTelly? Glad you asked.
A few weeks ago I was hired by a local agency to create some artwork for a new interactive website for Great River Energy, a Minnesota company that provides electricity to a large part of the state. The site is promoting their “Brighter Kid’s Club” campaign designed to help kids learn about saving energy.
I was asked to draw the exterior and interior of what the client described as “the coolest tree house ever”. They provided me with some rough thumbnails and a long list of specific items that had to be included in the artwork. The ideas was to create a fun little interactive clubhouse that could be enjoyed by both boys and girls. I created all the elements as vector art in Illustrator and then handed them over to the agency. From there there they inserted additional elements (posters on the walls, for example) and added some simple animation to make everything come alive.
It was really a tag-team effort, and in the end it turned out quite nice. You can view the actual site here.
Just a reminder that I’ll be giving a 2-part seminar on character design at the Motion ‘09 animation conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 11-14. It’s a real honor. Last year’s conference was packed with great speakers and seminars and this year the conference has even more to offer.
I’ll be part of a new “late night” session, speaking on Monday and Tuesday from 10:15pm-11:30pm. So if you attend be sure to bring your favorite caffeinated beverage!
The job of Character Designer is one of the most sought-after – and most important positions in the animation industry.
In this session we’ll examine the fundamentals of good character design. We’ll look at some do’s and don’ts and discuss tips and tricks to help you create engaging characters with personality and appeal. We’ll walk through some helpful exercises to develop your skills as a character designer and point you towards some resources for further study.
Part 2: Putting It Into Practice
In the second part of this two part series, we’ll walk through the process of creating a character from concept to final design, including model sheets and turnarounds. We’ll also take a look at some of the industries that use freelance character designers including film, TV, advertising, video games, and toys. Get first-hand advice on breaking into those industries based on the Hohnstadt’s personal experience as a freelancer.
So, you’ve read my recap of the 2009 Creative Freelancer Conference and now you’re bummed that you missed out? Don’t worry, I’m here to help!
The Free Stuff
The conference organizers have posted a ton of free downloads and resources over at their website. Check it out!
The Not-So-Free Stuff
In a few weeks the audio from the conference seminars will be available for purchase. Keep an eye on my blog for the link. In the mean time, you can still purchase .mp3’s, session handouts, and powerpoint presentations from the 2008 conference here.
Several books were also available for purchase at the conference. Here’s the Amazon.com links:
Finally, while you are waiting for next year’s conference be sure to follow the CFC blog. And don’t forget to sign up for future updates on the 2010 conference.
Last week I attended the second annual Creative Freelancer Conference in San Diego. The goal of the conference is to help creative freelancers (i.e. illustrators, designers, writers, photographers, etc.) to improve their business skills, get better clients, and increase their income.
We artsy types aren’t exactly known for our business saavy. One thing you definitely won’t learn in art school is how to market yourself. Or write a proposal. Or network, talk to clients about money, etc. This conference fills a huge need. Each time I’ve attended I’ve walked away inspired and ready to take my career to the next level.
It was also great just to spend a few days with other people who get what it is that I do for a living. Who have the same experiences, the same problems, and we can talk shop without the other person’s eyes glazing over. Freelancing can be lonely at times so I really relish any chance I get to hobnob with my fellow freelancers. Read more »
). For years I’ve been thinking how cool it would be to use educational animation to teach the Bible and theology. Bible literacy is on the decline in America so this series will help fill a huge need. I’m thrilled to play a small part in it. Based on what I’ve seen so far, it’s going to be a very fun and quality product!
Just a reminder that I’ll be giving a 2-part seminar on character design at the 
