BYU's animation Program

I graduated from BYU's animation program some years ago. And while the work that came out of that program in the years that followed my departure from the university was good, it wasn't spectacular. Like almost all student films, a bit of the stitching was always showing. Despite this fact, the program has had amazing success with every senior film garnering a student emmy.

Recently, my old faculty mentor sent me a stack of dvds of the various films that BYU has completed in recent years. I watched them in order looking to see the progression of the program. Each film had it's strengths and weakness, but as I said before, lots of "seams." Then I reached "Dream Giver." The film was astonishing. It was cg/2d hybrid short that was expertly crafted. I would have never guessed it was student film. Everything about it felt professional. It was incredibly inspirational. It made me want to go back to school to be able to make something just for the enjoyment and art of it. I tip my hat to the students and faculty responsible for "Dream Giver."

L.A. Noire

WOW! Let me begin by saying, every time a game is touted as having ground breaking graphics approaching reality, I typically find myself let down by the end product. This idea that game technology is approaching what the vfx/animation world is doing is always a bit laughable to me. While games are progressing so are vfx and animation. And while I have seen impressive games before, the statement of its achievement is always accompanied by, "For a game." While L.A. Noire still looks like a game, there is some technology in it that is incredible and requires no "for a game" excuse. The facial expression captured in the cinematics rivals even avatar and surpasses Tron's C.L.U. and that is saying something. While the rest of it looks like a computer game it is impressive for a computer game. Great game lighting, environments, animation. But the facial expressions... amazing! I will extend that even to the character animation in the cinematics as well. Typically they contain the less than life tells of motion capture, always feeling floaty and ungrounded. L.A. Noire however everything feels anchored, has weight and the best part... can I say it again... amazing facial expressions! This is the new standard for facial capture, period, no genre card attached.

While the game is obviously violent and fairly graphic (usually a deterrent for my consideration of purchasing a game title), I find myself extremely excited to participate in game play to see just how far they took it. The idea that the game play is about problem solving and deduction in a way that is virtually never present in an action/shooter game is amazing. The environments and game play look amazing. I must say, thus far I am impressed.

Rango

Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Bill Nighy, Alfred Molina and masters of the silver screen, Ned Beatty and Harry Dean Stanton. As if this isn't enough, directed by Gore Verbinski, of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" fame. Now... add the talent of the power house ILM (if you don't know who that is I am not sure how you got to my blog) and it being their first feature film. I just wet my pants! I have watched this trailer a hundred times, if not more. I have a feeling we are about to see the new hi bar for feature animation, both visually and thematically.

An oldie but goodie

One Rat Short from Charlex on Vimeo.

I first saw this short at Sun Dance 2007. I loved it then and I love it now.

A diagram to understand cost, time, and quality

A friend of mine sent me this. He and I have worked together on various projects and have discussed this paradigm on numerous occasions. I don't know who the author of this image is but I tip my hat to them because they nailed it. This is the simplest explanation of cost vs. time vs. quality conundrum that we face in film (and in any industry really).

Making of Tron

I don't know what more that I can say that would add to what has been done for tron. The more I admire this film the more encompassed I find myself. Everything from the music to visuals. I feel like I get to brag because a few of my friends were very instrumental in building and lighting the digital world of Tron. So as dorky as it sounds, go see it and be inspired by the vastness and amazement of the collective work of Tron!

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

New Years day I wanted to take my two oldest children to a movie. So with out telling them I stuffed them in the car and we drove down to the cinema to catch an afternoon at the theater. Much to my chagrin, every kid friendly movie was in 3D only. So after $60 for one adult, two children, and a bucket of popcorn, here are my thoughts.

First things first, the visuals. They were great. They didn't approach perfection as much as films past, but I wasn't distracted by the thought of the cg for almost the entire film. The 3D was much of the same except for some opening shots where some planes fly over and it didn't feel right at all. While I don't feel the 3D added as much to the experience as how it did for Tron or Avatar, it wasn't a distraction either.

Now for the story. As with any literary adaptation, I wasn't expecting to discover anything new to the plot, shy of some liberties taken to compress a story into a more timely format. My children are enamored with the first two movies, the latest film was not a disappointment. The climactic battle was a bit more frightening for younger viewers than the past films.

In conclusion this was a fun and inspiring movie with new characters and perils. One cannot remove the christian underpinnings of C.S. Lewis' novel without destroying the literary foundations of his stories. Yet whether or not the viewer espouses those beliefs to the characters in the film or not, the film should still leave the audience with feelings of hope and an overall uplifted sense. A good film.

Tron Legacy

I had the pleasure of seeing "Tron Legacy" in true Imax 3d over the holidays. Oh my! I was blown away by the fun of the movie. If you are a cg nerd like I am you will love to get lost in the absolutely awesome effects. It has flaws as all films do but for what my friends over at Digital Domain where able to do, I tip my hat.

First off, true Imax 3D is worth every dollar. I was blown away. I saw the film in "regular" 3D as well and it wasn't the same at all.

The visuals were awesome. Great environments, vehicles, costumes, and fxs! The cg Jeff Bridges at times was flawless. As with any cg human it is bound to have some bad scenes, and tron is no exception. To date Avatar's cg faces are the "coup de grâce" of cg faces. But this was sure close. The hardest for me was the final sequence. Up until then I was nerding out over this cg man in just about every scene.

I must also say I love what Daft Punk's music brought to the film. It was perfect for the subject matter. The digital tones and synthetic sounds mirrored the visuals in the most "harmonious" way (excuse the pun).

I watched the original "Tron" a few days before to prepare myself for the rebirth. While my friends who did the same were very heavy with disapproval and cynicism, I found that my childhood memories of the film held true. It is not a great film by any sense but it is an incredibly interesting expression of a story built around a historically innovative film technique.

In conclussion, this new installment bring new life and a much stronger story to what was and is a "fun" movie franchise. While it may not be the most sophisticated film it is incredibly fun to watch.