I have written in the past in my Motion Comic Magic posts where I talk about re-purposing artwork from comics and books into animation, but today’s post is about re-purposing architecture with animation using video/architectural mapping. Basically a high-tech technique in which video is seamlessly projected on unusual surfaces to wrap it in animation and visuals.They have been using this technique in the last decade years for planetariums and for theme park shows like this one at Disneyland in Anaheim CA…
Even some home holiday light shows are using this technique since it allows you to do a lot more then just flashing a string of lights on and off. So…
Last night I headed into San Francisco not to shop, but to experience all the holiday decorations, spirit and displays. By chance I saw a sign for a new holiday show: Illuminique at Westfield Mall a.k.a San Francisco Center. The mall was open late for Black Friday and so I headed up to the top floor to check it out.
When I arrived at 9:10 pm there was Christmas music playing and a ‘screen saver’ of video outlined the architecture of the historical Emporium dome that was re-built after the 1908 earthquake from the previous 1896 one. There were a few variations of visuals that changed every few songs.
The schedule for Illuminique is 6pm to 8:30pm (running on the half hour), but I guessed that since the mall was open late they would just keep running the show as well. So I walked around a bit then found a nice chair to sit in and waited to see what would happen at 9:30pm.
Sure enough the 4 min show started as I expected. The show transforms the dome into a whimsical mechanical music box with the architectural elements open and close like a coo coo clock. The animation was done with CGI 3D images.
when projected CGI animation transforms the historic dome into a whimsical mechanical musicbox.
Some of my photos had the flash on and so the actual show will look a bit darker and richer.
Pretty neat stuff and a great way for them to re-purpose the classic space in a new way. It might not be worth a special trip just for this holiday show, but there are museums (Cartoon Art Museum, Moma, MoAD, Jewish Contemporary, CA history society), Yerba Buena Gardens, shopping and restaurants all right off the BART line to make the day special and meaningful along with this unique show.
A post on re-purposing comics and illustration into animation
To me Motion Comics and Motion Illustration is about taking material that was not designed for animation and bringing it to life with modern multimedia technology. In my previous posts here for Motion Comic Magic I have looked at how illustrations and artwork can be animated for music videos, motion comics, trailers for books, and to simulate what never existed. In fact I first talked about the idea of recreating what had never been built thorough motion-art and motion comics in my post a while back….re-creating the ‘Western River Expedition’ ride. That example used concept art, photos of models and other elements that Disney had in their archive, but it was mostly a slide show.
Recently I discovered the work of animator David Witt (quasi-interestingparaphernaliainc.blogspot.com) has done it one better with actually animating the characters in the Concept Art itself. It also brings up an interesting idea of how using multi-media could be pre-visulized how an robotic figure for a dark ride could move in the real world.
So here are some animations of Marc Davis’ concept art for the Western River Expedition ride that was never built at Walt Disney World…
David also just release a video that features the art and audio from the Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion. You can read more about it on his blog HERE.
A post on re-purposing comics and illustration into animation
The line between Art, Commerce, Marketing, and Storytelling is getting thinner and thinner all the time. Here are a sampling from around the web of using animation with art (mostly) created for another format and brought to life to promote and entertain. Like a trailer for a movie, an animated promotional video can quickly sell the idea of what a publication or product is about and sometimes is part of the product itself.
“A 30-second book trailer for The Spiderwick Chronicle’s bestselling centerpiece, “Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You” by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. 2006.” Tony is an amazingly talented artist and he has a brand spanking new website for you to check out. The trailer is very simple, but has a lot of nice touches that sells the story.
The comic Thorgal by Jean van Hamme and Grzegorz Rosinski from German publisher Splitter. Really nice movie style editing that conveys the epic quality of the work.
“The Sixth Gun is an epic supernatural western by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt.” Published by Oni Press. The trailer just sells the story and theme really well.
A trailer for the latest book featuring the classic BD characters Blake and Mortimer “The late Rene Sterne, author of the series Adler, Chantal Spiegeleer, author of the series Madila, and screenwriter of Largo Winch sign a story to match the myth of the 9th Art!”
“It’s a COMIC. it’s an APP, It’s a GAME – It’s Teenage Satan, created by Stephanie Buscema, Marsha Cooke and Candis Cooke. Animation by Darwyn Cooke . For more information visit http://teenagesatan.com …” A great example of media going in all sort of new directions by way of digital technology.
The Sexy Spy YUKI 7 returns in another melding of art+animation featuring retro digital illustrations from Kevin Dart which are brought to life in a special animated short.. “The brand new Yuki 7 Adventure Book, written by Elizabeth Ito. Every copy comes with a DVD which includes both Yuki 7 shorts, “Looks That Kill” and “A Kiss From Tokyo”, as well as several bonus features. 72 pages, Paperback with Acetate Dust Jacket” Sexy! I wonder if the art is created in layers in Photoshop from the start so they can be animated?
Last year on October 24, 2010 I helped organize a Halloween Comic/Art Jam at the Cartoon Art Museum 11-4. We like to call them CAM-JAM’s and they have been going on since 2009. We had called it the Ghoultide Gathering, but we were told at the last minuet that someone else clams the trade mark on that name. It was really fun.
Artist who participated were asked to draw on of the 22 Major Arcana of the Tarot fortune telling card deck. It was a really fun challenge and everyone did a great job. Sadly life got in the way of preparing the work to be presented. But now the world can see the final results…
Click above for a bigger image at Flickr.com
Here are the artist and their websites (when available)…
Fool – Caryl Foote
Magician – David Mann
High Priestess – Brian Kolm – www.atomicbearpress.com
re-purposing comics and illustrations into animation
(via Cartoon Brew) Check out this wonderfully animated trailer for an upcoming picture book by veteran animator Frans Vischer, Fuddles the Cat. While the animation is not like some book trailers since it does not use artwork directly from the book like some do, this one has animation by the author that tops any computer manipulation. It seems there have been quite a few gems of 2D animation in the last few weeks HERE and HERE.
Today (Wen) I had the opportunity to visit the newly remodeled Oakland Museum of CA to check out the PIXAR art exhibit. The exhibit ends in a couple days and I knew it was popular, but I did not realize the large crowds that would be at this wonderful gem of a museum.
I arrived at 10:30 by BART (the only way to go) and found all-ready a line by the gate to get in to the PIXAR exhibit. As I lined up and waited for my friend Linda the crowds got larger and larger and by the time they opened up at 11am there were a couple hundreds people waiting. School groups of kids and excited fans were so loud that we could not hear the directions of where to line up for tickets and when the gates opened it was insane. We were in the wrong line till an employee took our complaints (I had been lined up for a half hour in what was the only line at the time) and she asked the folks next to us in the correct line to let us in which they did. The line organization was the only issue I had at the museum, but I am grateful of the kindness of the other patrons letting us switch lines. As crazy as it was, it will be sad to see the place a bit more quiet after the PIXAR exhibit is gone.
When we got our tickets we were given a time 1:15pm to return to enter the PIXAR exhibit. I had avoided buying a ticket ahead of time since they were through TicketMaster and I did not want to pay the extra fee. Looking back I probably should have bought the tickets ahead of time.
I put my messenger bag into a fancy new locker that allows you to set your own code and you can use for free. Excellent perk.
Next we went over to the Museum’s Blue Oak Café and had a nice lunch. I had a delicious and fattening Croc Monsieur sandwich (gruyère and ham on grilled bread) with the signature Blueberry Mint Lemonade which was just sweet enough and just tart enough. Excellent.
Then we journeyed on to the brand new history wing on the middle floor. I won’t go into super details, but the new changes are really a notch above. The exhibits now have plenty of interactive activities (analog and digital), audio stations, videos, and plenty of fun ways to learn. My only complaint is that the height of the sound stations are aimed at kids and not tall people and I sometimes had to stoop over to use them.
Highlights of the History Wing:
- A small room that features a Conquistador helmet and a Feather headdress that stand alone but have a montage of audio of the thoughts of the Spanish, Native Americans and others and their thoughts of meeting people different then themselfs. Effective and really intriguing.
- A digital table (sort of like a big iphone or ipad) that allows you to view maps virtually
- Lots of video screens to punctuate the artifacts and history
- A photo opp with you as an artifact
- A ship’s hull full of treasures where you can ‘document’ the items with a sketch to take home or to post on a bulletin board. I left my kiwi sketch there
- View 3D images of the San Francisco earthquake
- Lots of places to sit and draw and think.
- Interactive game and keyboard to make music with everyday objects.
- Cinema showing a silent film “family man” and portions of the documentary Hollywood Chinese by Arthur Dong. Both are worth seeing portions of.
The museum’s goal is to be shaped by the participants and so there are plenty of chances to have a say in the results.
We finally headed to line up for PIXAR at 1pm (15 min early) but entered right away thanks to a kind museum employee and a lull in guests in the previous group entering at 1pm.
The PIXAR exhibit was wonderful with the work set up by groupings of things like settings and characters. I actually have seen at least half the art at the PIXAR fundraisers for the Cartoon Art Museum so I headed to the back to check out the highly recommended ArtScape animated film.
The film took up the full length of the wall and used 3 projectors to make one long image that uses concept art from the films and brought to life with digital technology. We felt like we were flying as we zoomed into 2D art that gained motion and depth in the progress. No music, but sound effects in surround sound. The second time watching, my friend and I laid on bean bags on the floor. LED lights over the back of the dark room changed colored with the changes in the film. So a blue “UP” sky had bright blue lighting and a lazer guns flash strobes over the audience as well.
After that we made our way back, moving to the images that we were most attracted too. The work is so varied and so amazing that it’s really had for me to even pin point a single image. Ah, all the details and talent. It’s enough to make an artist both inspired and scared and jealous all at the same time.
After exiting through the gift store we went up to the Art Gallery on the top floor. Once again it’s hard to go into details, but the revamped space is equally interactive and informative. Art is harder then history to explain since it’s so individual, but they have really gone to lengths to educate the guests (us) on the process and ways to experience it. This is where I got out my sketchbook at started to take notes and do doodles. So much to absorb it seems.
Art Gallery highlights:
- On a digital tablet do your own self portrait finger painting style that can be emailed to you and appears amongst traditional painted portraits on the wall. (below)
- Comfy chairs with view of a beautiful turn of the century painting of Yosemite National Park and audio players and headphones that help you explain ways to appreciate the artwork. Really a great way to learn about viewing art.
- The California Impressionist and Arts and Crafts gallery is great and they have a nice sitting area with comfortable chairs and books to read. A great place to sit and draw.
- A digital touch screen to watch video clips of artist speaking on different topics.
- A kids area with ways to explore a statue with audio, and other interactive enhancements.
- and other stuff I can not remember right now.
I ended up staying till 4:30pm and revisiting the History Gallery another time as well.
All in all a very enriching day of history, art and technology which I hope I can do again later this year. The museum promises to continue to grow and change in exciting ways with an entire floor (the bottom one) not opening up till 2011 that will feature the plants and animals of California.
So if you are in the Bay Area, why not go by and check it out. I think you will enjoy it if you take the time to explore all it’s treasures.
After working on and off with my friend and colleague Alexis Fajardo for the last 5 months we have created an animated trailer for the graphic novel, Kid Beowulf and the Song of Roland. This is our best one so far and took the most time too. That was partially since it was not only the 2D motion comic stuff going on, but also 40 seconds of 3D animation. I have never done 3d animation before, but it was always a struggle. But after finding a great demo that showed how to use After Effects with the free program Blender 3D it became a lot easier.
Here it is: the Kid Beowulf and the Song of Roland trailer (from Bowler Hat Comics)….
And here you can see an evolution with the four other Kid Beowulf videos I helped create with Alexis in the past… (chronologically going back in time BTW)
Kid Beowulf and the Blood Bound Oath (book number one published though Bowler Hat Comics)….
A teaser with Hama the pig…
Kid Beowulf the original self-published graphic novel…
Here is a video that Michael Capozzola took at the Schulz Museum Sketch-A-Thon last Saturday. See if you can see me or my artwork (hint:Penguins).
Cartoonist Sketch-A-Thon Celebrates 60 Years of Peanuts!
Cartoonists include: Brent Anderson, Michael Capozzola, Rhoda Draws, Alexis Fajardo, Brian Fies, Shaenon Garrity, Mike Gray, Debbie Huey,Greg Knight, Jonathan Lemon, Paul Madonna, Brian Narelle, Thien Pham, Lark Pien, Dan Piraro & Frank Roberson www.schulzmuseum.org
Pretty neat stuff and a great way for them to re-purpose the classic space in a new way. It might not be worth a special trip just for this holiday show, but there are museums (Cartoon Art Museum, Moma, MoAD, Jewish Contemporary, CA history society), Yerba Buena Gardens, shopping and restaurants all right off the BART line to make the day special and meaningful along with this unique show.
