Author Archive

Monday, March 4th, 2024

RefPack038: Podcast- Different Artists, Different Paths

Reference Pack

Animated Discussions 003
Download Page
Members Only Download

Every other month, members of Animation Resources are given access to an exclusive Members Only Reference Pack. These downloadable files are high resolution e-books on a variety of educational subjects, podcasts and rare cartoons from the collection of Animation Resources in DVD quality. Our current Reference Pack has just been released. If you are a member, click through the link to access the MEMBERS ONLY DOWNLOAD PAGE. If you aren’t a member yet, please JOIN ANIMATION RESOURCES. It’s well worth it.


MEMBERS LOGIN To Download Podcast

JOIN TODAY To Access Members Only Content


AUDIO PODCAST:
Animated Discussions Podcast

Different Artists, Different Paths
Download Page
Animated Discussions 003 / Davey Jarrell & Stephen Worth

There are as many different paths to success as there are different artists. How does a young artist go about charting a course to find his own way in the artistic world? That is the subject of the third podcast in our “Animated Discussions” series. Animation Resources’ Director of Programming Davey Jarrell and President Stephen Worth are the hosts.

Here is an index of the topics that are discussed in “Different Artists, Different Paths”:

  • 01:20 – Studio Artists and Independent Artists
  • 05:25 – Versatility and Functionality vs Personal Style and Creativity
  • 15:51 – Finding Your Place In The Business
  • 20:35 – How Independents Can Compete With Big Studios
  • 35:37 – How To Cultivate An Audience Online
  • 54:30 – Give The Audience What It Wants
  • 64:32 – Teaming Up To Split the Workload

We hope you find this podcast useful and we welcome your feedback.

AD003: Different Artists Different Paths
Download Page
MP3 Audio File / 1:11:31 / 137 MB Download

CLICK to hear an excerpt


MEMBERS LOGIN To Download Podcast

JOIN TODAY To Access Members Only Content


Members Appreciation

For the past decade, Animation Resources has been serving artists working in the fields of animation, cartooning and illustration. Our volunteers and members have pulled together to raise the bar for our art form, and it’s time to celebrate… It’s Members Appreciation time again!

During the month of February, Animation Resources expresses our appreciation for to members with a very special Reference Pack, and we invite you to become a member too. For the next 30 days, we will be sharing reasons why you should join us. Our benefits of membership far exceed the cost of our annual dues.

Dollar Days

This year, we are trying something new to encourage new memberships. You can join for a one week trial membership for only A DOLLAR! Yes, you get access to everything our annual members get for seven days for only a buck. (Click here for the details on our Dollar Days.) What are you waiting for?

You can find out what our members get at the Member Appreciation Page. It’s easy to join. Just click on this link and you can sign up right now online…


JOIN TODAY!
https://animationresources.org/membership/levels/

Members Appreciation Month

PayPalAnimationAnimation Resources depends on your contributions to support its projects. Even if you can’t afford to join our group right now, please click the button below to donate whatever you can afford using PayPal.


FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby feather

Friday, March 1st, 2024

RefPack056: A Peek At The International Downloads

People who aren’t members of Animation Resources don’t understand how comprehensive our Reference Packs are. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be posting what each section of our current RefPack looks like. If you are a member of Animation Resources, click on this post to go to the Members Only page. If you aren’t a member yet, today is the perfect time to join! Our current Reference Pack is one of our best yet, and General and Student Members get access to a special Bonus Archive with even more material from past Reference Packs.

What are you waiting for?
Download Page
JOIN TODAY!
https://animationresources.org/membership/levels/

International Animation

The world of animation is much bigger than it might appear to us at first glance. We are all familiar with the films we grew up with, but Hollywood wasn’t the only place that produced great cartoons… Poland, Japan, Russia, China and Europe all have their own traditions and a rich history of animated film making. Animation Resources’ archive contains many foreign films that are rarely seen in the United States. We feature a sampling of interesting animation from around the world in each Reference Pack.


MEMBERS LOGIN To Download

JOIN TODAY To Access Members Only Content


HD VIDEO:
VIP My Brother Superman

VIP: My Brother Superman
Download Page
Bruno Bozetto / Italy / 1968
Download this article

Bruno Bozzetto is an Italian animator known for his parody of Fantasia titled Allegro Non Troppo. His other feature films include a superhero parody called VIP My Brother Superman and a spaghetti western parody titled West And Soda. Bozzetto’s work is often satirical and political in nature, championing the common man and lampooning government inefficiency and oppression.

VIP My Brother Superman

VIP: My Brother Superman was Bozetto’s second animated feature. The film features two superheroes- SuperVIP, a strongman who is irresistible to women, and MiniVIP, a small not-so-superhero who is an ineffectual nebbish. The villain of the story, Happy Betty is a lady industrialist who has her eye on ruling the world. It was financed by American investors who objected to the depiction of the Asian slaves working in Happy Betty’s sweatshops and demanded that Bozetto paint them green. But the satirical jab at American exploitation of cheap labor in third world countries is still clear.

VIP My Brother Superman

Bozzetto’s work is not as well known in the United States as it should be, but it is recognized and appreciated across Europe. Recently, Animation Resources has been working to acquire more of his films for the Animation Archive, and we hope to share them with you in future Reference Packs. We think you’ll find a lot to inspire you in Bozzetto’s work.

REFPACK056: VIP My Brother Superman 1968
Download Page
MP4 Video File / HD / 01:21:36 / 2.43 GB Download


MEMBERS LOGIN To Download

JOIN TODAY To Access Members Only Content


SD VIDEO:
Early German Commercial

Two Early German Commercials
Download Page
Sun In The House (1932) / Song Of The Mill (1934)

In this Reference Pack, we are sharing two rare animated theatrical commercials from Germany. One of these was made by Hans Fischerkoesen, a pioneer in using animation as a medium for advertising. The other was directed by the team of Bernhard Huth and Wintzer von Tresckow, film makers who worked in the Nazi era making short advertising and propaganda films for UFA.

Early German Commercial

Hans Fischerkoesen was often referred to as “the Walt Disney of Germany”, but truth be told, his talent wasn’t for long form storytelling animation, but rather cartoon advertising shorts. His advertising career began in 1921, and until his death in the early 1970s, he produced over a thousand animated commercials, most of which are lost. By the 1930s, his work had achieved widespread fame throughout Europe.

Many of the products his films had advertised were luxury items, which were banned from being advertised under the Nazis. By 1940, his business had diminished to a trickle. However both Hitler and Gobbels had an interest in the films of Walt Disney and aspired to create similar films in Germany. The Nazis established the Deutsche Zeichentrickfilme studio, which trained young cartoonists with the goal of creating an animated feature. With few other options, Fischerkoesen moved his studio to Potsdam, near the Nazi’s UFA Studios.

Early German Commercial

When the war ended, Fischerkoesen was arrested as a Nazi collaborator, and thrown in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp by the Russian army. He was a model prisoner and eventually convinced his Russian captors that he was a part of an underground organization of artists that worked to undermine the Nazis. When he was released, he fled from the Soviet controlled area of Germany to the district overseen by France. Here he established the Fischerkoesen Studios, returning to the production of animated commercials. The studio was hugely successful throughout the 1950s.

The influence of television on the advertising industry in the early 60s led to shorter and snappier commercials, and Fischerkoesen found it difficult to keep up with the times. His studio closed briefly in 1972, returning under the supervision of his son shortly after Hans’ death.

REFPACK056: Sun In The House 1932
Download Page
MP4 Video File / SD / 03:01 / 68 MB Download

REFPACK056: Song Of The Mill 1934
Download Page
MP4 Video File / SD / 01:57 / 60 MB Download


MEMBERS LOGIN To Download

JOIN TODAY To Access Members Only Content


SD VIDEO:
Wolfgang The Intrepid

Wolfgang The Intrepid
Download Page
Mikhael Tumelya / AnimaFilmCenter / Russia / 1991

Mikhael Tumelya is a Russian animator based in Belarus. Born in 1961, he has had a prolific career directing a variety of both long and short form films, commercials and TV series. He studied under Edward Nazarov and Yuri Norstein. He currently teaches at the SHAR School and Studio in Moscow.

Wolfgang The Intrepid

Tumelya’s short film, "The Song Of Wolfgang The Intrepid, The Glorious Destroyer Of Dragons" is a remarkable example of his work. It opens with an impressive multi-layer pan, and the style of movement perfectly matches the design of the characters. The anatomy of the main character is divided into segments that separate from each other, but the movement is always handled as one unit. Even though this isn’t built from an object library, Flash animators interested in making their animation less stiff would be well advised to study this film carefully.

Wolfgang The Intrepid

Russian animation is rarely seen in America, but there is a rich and diverse history there to explore. In the International section of every one of our Reference Packs, we bring the best of these amazing films to you to study.

REFPACK056: Wolfgang The Intrepid
Download Page
MP4 Video File / SD / 04:16 / 75 MB Download

NOTE: In order to consolidate space on our VIP Download Page, from here on we are including the Early Anime downloads within the International section.


MEMBERS LOGIN To Download

JOIN TODAY To Access Members Only Content


SD VIDEO:
Gaboten Island

Gaboten Island Ep. 8 & 12
Download Page
Studio / Japan / 1964

Adventure On The Gaboten Island was based on a manga by Fumio Hisamatsu, and was animated by Eiken Studios. It aired from April 4th, 1967 to December 26th of the same year. In total, thirty nine half hour episodes were produced.

Gabon Islandl

The story begins when Ryuta and his sister Tomato sneak on board a submarine docked at an amusement park. The amusement park’s son Iago and his friends Cucumber and Cabo enter the submarine and get in a fight with Ryuta. In the tussle, a switch is flipped and the submarine heads out to sea. Unable to steer it and running low on fuel, the children wreck the sub in a storm and end up shipwrecked on an island in the South Pacific. Ryuta and Tomato befriend a myna bird and a gorilla. Together, the group struggles with each other and nature for survival.

Gabon Island

Gaboten Island appears to have been made on a meagre budget. The music score consists of noodling on an electric organ. The animation is padded out with cycles repeating over and over. Scenes are reused shamelessly. Characters stick their face into the shot from the left, then later in the show, the face is flopped and it comes in from the right. Cutaway shots of animals are inserted in the middle of dialogue, and the same shot of a tree falling in the jungle is repeated at least eight times in as many minutes. But there’s plenty of fun stuff- In episode 8, there’s a spooky shipwreck, boxing kangaroos and kids playing with a loaded pistol. And the children are attacked by a giant eagle in episode 12. There’s a nice balance of adventure and humor, courtesy of the sidekick animals. Of course the theme song is great! Enjoy!

REFPACK056: Gabotan Island Ep. 8
Download Page
MP4 Video File / SD / 24:33 / 188 MB Download

REFPACK056: Gabotan Island Ep. 12
Download Page
MP4 Video File / SD / 24:33 / 204 MB Download

Download Page

Get your friends to join Animation Resources!
Download Page
More members mean we can bring you more special downloads.


MEMBERS LOGIN To Download

JOIN TODAY To Access Members Only Content


Members Appreciation

For the past decade, Animation Resources has been serving artists working in the fields of animation, cartooning and illustration. Our volunteers and members have pulled together to raise the bar for our art form, and it’s time to celebrate… It’s Members Appreciation time again!

During the month of February, Animation Resources expresses our appreciation for to members with a very special Reference Pack, and we invite you to become a member too. For the next 30 days, we will be sharing reasons why you should join us. Our benefits of membership far exceed the cost of our annual dues.

Dollar Days

This year, we are trying something new to encourage new memberships. You can join for a one week trial membership for only A DOLLAR! Yes, you get access to everything our annual members get for seven days for only a buck. (Click here for the details on our Dollar Days.) What are you waiting for?

You can find out what our members get at the Member Appreciation Page. It’s easy to join. Just click on this link and you can sign up right now online…


JOIN TODAY!
https://animationresources.org/membership/levels/

Members Appreciation Month

PayPalAnimationAnimation Resources depends on your contributions to support its projects. Even if you can’t afford to join our group right now, please click the button below to donate whatever you can afford using PayPal.


FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby feather

Sunday, February 25th, 2024

Acting For Animation: Video Seminar

THIS AFTERNOON!

4:30pm PST Live Streaming Page

6:30pm PST Discord Server

Animated Discussions Podcast

The highlight of Reference Pack 056 is a video seminar hosted by Davey Jarrell and Stephen Worth titled "Acting For Animation". We have been working on this seminar for years, and have presented it at several art schools and universities. We’ve recorded it on video now so we can share it with you.

If you are a member of Animation Resources, login now to download this program. https://animationresources.org/membersonly/

If you’re not a member yet, this program alone is worth the cost of the annual dues. JOIN now. https://animationresources.org/membership/levels/

If you are not a member and would like to see this program, mark your calendar for February 25th at 4pm (PST). We will be presenting it free one time simultaneously on our live streaming page, and on our Discord Server. This seminar includes many clips illustrating the points being made. It cannot be shared on YouTube or social media. The only place to see it is on the Animation Resources website.

Animated Discussions Podcast

Animators have been referred to as "actors with a pencil," but most classes in animation and articles on technique deal more with the pencil mileage than acting. In this episode of Animated Discussions we set out to change that. What *is* acting anyway? What constitutes *good* acting? Is acting the same in live action as it is in animation? How does an animator put across personality and action through acting? We’ll be addressing those questions and many more.

In the ten short years between "Steamboat Willie" and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs the Disney Studios advanced the art and technique of animation at a rapid rate of speed. This progress has been widely credited to the work of Don Graham. He instituted a series of action analysis meetings where live action films were broken down and studied, and animated films would be critiqued to determine what worked well and what could be improved upon. In this video seminar, Storyboard Artist Davey Jarrell and Animation Producer Stephen Worth will be channelling the spirit of Don Graham to present an action analysis class on "Acting for Animation".

Animation Resources Discord

Animation Resources is hosting monthly events on its Discord server. Join us to participate in discussions and network with fellow artists from all over the world. On February 25th, the doors open at 4:00 pm (PDT) and the program begins at 4:30 pm.

THIS MONTH’S PROGRAM
Join Animation Resources Board Member Davey Jarrell and Stephen Worth on Sunday, February 25th on Discord for a two hour video seminar on acting followed by a question and answer session. Doors open at 4:00 PDT and the program starts at 4:30 PDT!

ACTING FOR ANIMATION
Animation Resources
At The Animation Resources Discord Server
Animation Resources Live Stream Page
https://animationresources.org/stream/
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 25th, 2024 4:30 pm (PDT)
HOSTED BY DAVEY JARELL WITH STEPHEN WORTH

A REVIEW FROM A MEMBER

Hey Davey! Just wanted to say that acting seminar you and Steve did is one of the most inspiring videos I’ve watched in a long time. It got my brain whizzing a million miles a second, especially at the end comparing 20th Century to Scribners animation. I felt like I unlocked another understanding of a sequence I thought I had known well.

Animation Resources is one of the best kept secrets in the world of cartooning. Every month, we sponsor a program of interest to artists, and every other month, we share a book and up to an hour of rare animation with our members. If you are a creative person interested in the fields of animation, cartooning or illustration, you should be a member of Animation Resources!

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Davey Jarell is a member of the Board of Directors of Animation Resources. He is a professional storyboard artist for television and acts as our Director of Programs.

Stephen Worth is an animation producer with nearly four decades of experience. He is also the President of Animation Resources.

ABOUT DISCORD

Discord is a free chat app that supports video, voice chat and text chat. Discord servers are divided into channels, which all have their own subject or theme of discussion. Members are assigned roles which helps everyone keep track of who’s who. The Animation Resources Discord channel is a virtual meeting place for our supporters. You can meet other Animation Resources members, talk with the people behind the scenes at our organization, and attend lectures and screenings— all without leaving your home. It’s free and open to everyone in the creative community. If you’d like more info on how Discord works, see this article: What is Discord?

Here’s how to install the Discord app and login to the Animation Resources Discord Server:


    1. INSTALL DISCORD
  • iPhone or Android: Download the app from the App Store or Google Play Store and install.
  • Desktop: You can access Discord for your Mac or PC from discordapp.com. You can choose to download and install the free Discord app, or enter our channel directly using your web browser. https://discord.gg/cuvNvsMNQP
    2. CREATE AN ACCOUNT
  • Just follow the prompts to create your own login account.
    3. JOIN THE ANIMATION RESOURCES CHANNEL
  • Click the plus sign to the right of the app and select "JOIN A SERVER".
  • Enter this invite code: vES5YsV
    4. YOU’RE THERE!
  • Take a moment to look around, read the rules and introduce yourself.

The Animation Resources Discord Server is open to the public right now. Pop in and look around, and make a point to visit on Sunday!

Members Appreciation

For the past decade, Animation Resources has been serving artists working in the fields of animation, cartooning and illustration. Our volunteers and members have pulled together to raise the bar for our art form, and it’s time to celebrate… It’s Members Appreciation time again!

During the month of February, Animation Resources expresses our appreciation for to members with a very special Reference Pack, and we invite you to become a member too. For the next 30 days, we will be sharing reasons why you should join us. Our benefits of membership far exceed the cost of our annual dues.

Dollar Days

This year, we are trying something new to encourage new memberships. You can join for a one week trial membership for only A DOLLAR! Yes, you get access to everything our annual members get for seven days for only a buck. (Click here for the details on our Dollar Days.) What are you waiting for?

You can find out what our members get at the Member Appreciation Page. It’s easy to join. Just click on this link and you can sign up right now online…


JOIN TODAY!
https://animationresources.org/membership/levels/

Members Appreciation Month

PayPalAnimationAnimation Resources depends on your contributions to support its projects. Even if you can’t afford to join our group right now, please click the button below to donate whatever you can afford using PayPal.


FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby feather