The organising, scanning and collating of old artwork continues… Here’s a FINDING NEMO concept sketch (in gouache and pencil) from early 2000:
Here’s a BIRTHDAY (21st of April!) CARD for Mr Derek Thompson, honoring the fellow who introduced us many years ago; good old FRANKENSTEIN’s monster.
It seems appropriate that my friendship with DEREKMONSTER should have begun on a MONSTER MOVIE. Though that project was never finished, I made many great friends on that crew, Derek being one of them.
Apr 202011
This charming gouache painting was just given to me by my pal MATT JONES.
It may be a GOODBYE present for my departing the story crew we both worked on together, or perhaps it is a SORRY present, to make amends for the incredibly funny good-bye CARD he also did, depicting me in the depths of tawdriness, which was signed by the entire crew to great hilarity. While part of me would love to share Matt’s awesome caricature powers with you all, The bigger part of me thinks it is waaay too GRAPHIC to be posted in this here family-friendly blog and definitely an image I would prefer NOT to show up in Google searches of my name! Either way, I am the winner becasue I end-up with not one but TWO drawings from the incredibly talented Mister Jones. One to be hung on the wall and the other to be taken out from hiding and chuckled at once in a while.
I’ve spent the past 6 months working on a very fun project at the world-famous factory of feel-good over there in Emeryville. This particular crew was staffed exclusively with an utterly lovely group of people and I look forward to working with all of them again sometime in the not too distant future.
Nov 102010
Here is an AD I made for the PROGRAM GUIDE of the CTN ANIMATION EXPO that I will be exhibiting at next week, (Friday, 19th through Sunday, 21st of November) down in Burbank.
This is only the second time that they’ve held this event, and I was at the very first show too, though as an attendee, not as an exhibitor. There were some very interesting seminars and panels which I enjoyed, not to mention the fact that I met people from just about every phase of my career (and some new people too) so it was fun from start to finish.
I was tempted to go as an attendee again this time around too, because as an exhibitor it is hard to attend the panels and so forth (plus I can’t sleep in!) But, in the end, I thought I’d give exhibiting a try. I have been meaning to do more shows each year, so why not this one, which is focussed on the community that I work in? I am very much looking forward to it.
A TON of friends will be also exhibiting this year; Patrick Awa, Maverix, Ghostbot, Jim Capobianco and more. A MAP of all the exhibitors is online HERE. It isn’t too late to get tickets, and if you quote the code BAKRX10 there is a discount.
I hope to see you all there!
Aug 122010
Not so long ago Ronnie organised a re-union lunch for the story team that had worked on UP, where we were finally introduced to THE GOLDEN BOY. It was a very pleasant afternoon, reconnecting with some people I had not seen in ages and a wonderful way to commemorate the project that is definitely the film I am most proud to have worked on so far.
Later, we posed for several team photos with the golden guest of honour, all of us sporting semi-formal neckties and white shirts, (“HOUSTON CONTROL” style) while standing beneath the Caricature Wall (which is a “who’s who” of story department history).
I spoiled this “serious faces” group shot by smiling. I couldn’t help myself. tee hee
Apr 222010
Here are some rough designs from a few years ago. This project died pretty soon after the design process began, which happens to most projects I work on in development.
What was unusual (but may be the shape of things to come, unfortunately) was that the company went bankrupt before I had even finished the rough drawings.
May 242009
Working at LAIKA Studios in Beautiful Portland has allowed me to meet some wonderful artists. None of whom I had met before, but some who’s work I was already familiar with.
VERA BROSGOL is incapable of doing an un-appealing drawing. Beautiful storyboard drawings simply SQUIRT from her fingertips (personally, I have to GRUNT mine out). Not only a bad-ass storyboarder, (one of the tiny story-team on CORALINE) Vera is also a comics artist extraordinaire (a founding member of FLIGHT). I saw a book she is working on now and it is just super; the writing, the drawing, the works. More about Vera on her site and not-very-often-updated blog.
GRAHAM ANNABLE‘s brilliant work was familiar to me long before I ever met him. He is one of the founders of the HICKEE comics anthology and his YOUTUBE animation has given me chuckles for ages now. Graham’s sense of animation timing is truly hilarious. He too is a super storyboard artist (another CORALINE alumnus) and this master of all things also finds time to keep a regularly updated Blog
CHRIS TURNHAM‘s lovely designs for CORALINE can be seen on his Blog. His beautiful artwork also graces the walls of one of the project development rooms at Laika (I sneak in there to check out his paintings for inspiration every so often). Chris is part of a book collaboration with his friend Kevin Dart, and more info about Chris’ very own art prints can be found at at his folio website.
Apr 292009
Last weekend, I was back in the Bay Area for a preview screening of UP, the 10th feature film from Pixar. The studio always puts on a good show at their WRAP PARTIES and it is a delight to see co-workers aglow in the joy of watching what they have worked so hard to make, while partying in fancy finery; evening gowns and tuxedos, even top hats and tails.
The film is fantastic, and watching it was extra fun for me because a good amount of my work actually made it into the final film; not always the case when you work only at the very beginning of the process, which was the case for me here. I am philosophical about having most (if not all) of my work cut out of projects because, after all, that exploration and opportunity to revise is what storyboarding is all about. So it was a special treat to see a lot of my work in the film. I very much enjoyed the working on this project with a crew that was full of gracious people, all the way UP to the directors themselves. However, all those good vibes didn’t make it a cake walk; I worked harder on this film than any other!
The most gratifying part of it all is to see the finished film. It came out wonderfully. This film has a blend of madcap silliness and yet emotional realism that is difficult to strike, but one of the things I most enjoyed about it. I have never seen a story like this before and I think it is one of the best that Pixar has ever done (though I clearly have my own bias on that score) but I can state with absolute conviction that it is certainly my favourite film that I have worked on thus far. I hope that you all like it too. It opens everywhere on May 29th.
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