Great Animation!

Sasktel "Raving Red" TV Spot from Britton Plewes on Vimeo.

Coraline Trailer

Harry Potter trailer

It has been a while since my last post. Been really busy at work. Here the latest trailer for the upcoming Harry Potter film....

Batch Rendering In Maya Tutorial

They are more like notes I dug up, but if you need some help with batch rendering, here you go. Wish I could give credit to who gave me the notes, but i cant remember.

Batch Rendering In Maya

Fun and Helpful Links Updated!

I updated my Fun and Helpful Links page with some really interesting links. Check it out here,,,

Fun and Helpful Websites

This is why you Thumbnail!

Victor Navone Thumbnails

If you guys get a chance, go check out Victor Navone's page showing thumbnails that he has drawn up for films he has worked on. Inspirational!

One of the Most Talented Artist's I Know

Danny Williams. Modeler, Sculpter. He was my professor at the School of Visual Arts, and boy let me tell you something, one talented dude! He was one of the artists I really looked to for not only inspiration, but drive. He always wanted more from us and expected the best. I wound up becoming an animator, but I tell you, I wish I had half the skill modeling that he does. I could have done really well modeling. If you have seen any one of the Blue Sky Studios movies, you are looking at Danny's amazing work. Check out his blog here:

http://www.pointpusher.blogspot.com/

New Props added

Added some pretty nice items this week. The office desk, which includes lights, and a basketball court, NBA style. Who's got game?

Free Draw and Paint Videos

Chris Noeth Free Videos

Chris Noeth has put up some free How-To comic book drawing HD videos for everyone to watch. Thanks Chris!! Check them out, they look awesome!

Dog Leash Rig Added to Prop Shop

It was requested by Rich and we delivered! Rig has stretchy IK. Thanks to my boy Sean K! Check out the video here: Dog Leash Rig Video

Image Based Lighting Tutorial

Howdy All!
I found this great lighting tutorial and I think it can really help out all the "Non" lighting artist's out there. You can find it here: IBL Tutorial Make sure you thank Stephen Melagrano for the skills!

New Props Added

Someone requested a dog leash. I will get on it this week!

New Prop Shop Items Added

For those of you new to the Prop Shop, these are models and rigs created in Maya. Animators will especially like these props, as most of them are rigged for constraining and some are animatable. Check us out now

www.acmeimages.com/propShop.html

TD College

Seems like someone took the AnimationMentor.com mold and went into another area of CG. TD College is being taught by industry TD's, lessons include, Python and Mel scripting. Seems like Houdini and Renderman classes are coming in the near future. Best of luck to those guys, looking forward to maybe taking a rigging class!

TD College

Small Update

More Items Added To The Inventory

Prop Shop Inventory Has Increased

So I have added another 7 props to the Prop Shop. I should be adding another 10 by weeks end. Make sure you bookmark the site and keep checking out our inventory!

The Prop Shop is Open!

I always hated having to stop animating and start building props. So, I decided to do something about it. I am starting my own little Prop Shop. These will be Maya models, all rigged and shaded and ready to go! And the prices will be very reasonable! So stop by and check us out.

The Prop Shop

Right now we only have a few props up, including a set for this months 11secondclub contest, but we promise, over the next week or so, you will start to see our inventory explode!

For those of you www.11secondclub.com participants, I will be building sets and props for each months contest. Check out this month's jury room. mental ray shaded and ready to render! So just look for us around the 5th of each month for those up to date props!

Pixar Blog (Unoffically)

Hey Everyone,
I am really digging the site I reported about yesterday, Pixar Blog. This has so much info about Pixar, it will keep you busy for a week at least! Nice job Mike!

Images from Pixar's "UP"

Check out this link on PixarBlog

4 Minutes of Star Wars Clone Wars...

Shawn Kelly Blog

Shawn Kelly, Animation Lead at Industrial Light and Magic, has created an animation blog.

Maya Lighting Basics - CG Arena

A big thanks to CGArena.com for putting out a Maya basics lighting tutorial! Excellent info for beginners.

CG Arena Lighting Basics

Pixar's Presto Sneak Peek

New Star Wars Clone Wars Trailer

Need Reference Video's?

Below are some links for video reference. I was recently in need of some reference and this is what I came up with:
Corbis Motion
BBC Motion Gallery
FramePool

Enjoy!

25 Top Animated Films of All Time

I know this could be debated for ages, but it is fun to talk about around the water cooler! Thanks to Moviefone for creating such a fun list!

25 Top Animated Films of All Time

New Madagascar 2 Image

Big Buck Bunny

Acme Rig Updated

The Acme Rig has a small update today. Hip control was not working correctly so use the COG for the hip. works nice. Also added a secondary controller under the master for better movement in 3D space.

Painter Demo

My Pal Mark Behm did a quick Painter tutorial a while back and I figured I would share it here. Hope you all enjoy the awesomeness of Behm!

Acme Rig Update Coming Soon

Hey All,
So I started messing around with the Acme rig again and I noticed a few flaws. Look for an update very soon!

Star Wars Clone Wars Trailer #2

UPDATED STUDIO LIST

Make sure you stop by my website and check out the studio list. Right now its alphabetical, but as it grows, I will break it down into regions.

Wall-E Meets a Hula-Hoop

Remembering Disney's Nine Old Men

They weren't old -- at least, not when they got the name. But there were nine of them, and they were Walt Disney's right-hand men. With the passing of Ollie Johnston on April 14, the Nine Old Men, the legendary animators who created many of Disney's more unforgettable moments are all gone now. But they are far from forgotten, and the Insider wanted to pay tribute to these groundbreaking artists.

The Nine Old Men moniker was born in a joke by Walt, referring to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's nickname for the nine justices of the Supreme Court. At the time, the artists were pretty young -- in their 30s and 40s -- but the name stuck. The Nine Old Men, in concert with Walt's big dreams, may be said to have created the modern art of animation -- and rare is the film studio that could boast such an incredible aggregation of talent, with so little ego.

Les Clark (November 17, 1907 - September 12, 1979), who joined Disney in 1927. Les took over drawing Mickey Mouse from Ub Iwerks, Mickey's original artist, and became a Mickey specialist. He also worked on many of the Disney animated features. He became a director in his later career and helmed many of Disney's animated shorts.


Marc Davis (March 30, 1913 - January 12, 2000) started in 1935 on "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," the first of the Disney animated features. He developed many of Disney's most memorable characters, including Bambi and Thumper, Maleficent, and Cruella De Vil. He also worked with Disney Imagineering, and you can see his work when you ride Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion attractions.


Ollie Johnston (October 31, 1912 - April 14, 2008), joined Disney in 1935, along with his fellow Stanford art student and lifelong friend Frank Thomas. Ollie drew Characters such as Mr. Smee, Cinderella's stepsisters, and Prince John in "The Sword in the Stone." He and Frank Thomas were often known as "Frank and Ollie," because the two were inseparable as colleagues and friends. After they both retired from Disney in 1978, they went on to co-author a number of books on the art of animation -- including "the animator's bible," "The Illusion of Life."


Milt Kahl (March 22, 1909 - April 19, 1987) also worked on "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Over the years, he created some of Disney's most memorable villains, including Sher Khan in "The Jungle Book" and Madame Medusa "The Rescuers."


Ward Kimball (March 4, 1914 - July 8, 2002) joined Disney in 1934 and went on to specialize in wacky and exaggerated characters, like the Mad Hatter and Cheshire Cat in "Alice in Wonderland."


Eric Larson (September 3, 1905 - October 25, 1988) was hired at the Studio in 1933. His memorable characters include Peg in "Lady and the Tramp," and many of the animal characters in "Song of the South." He also was responsible for recruiting and training many of the talented young animators who joined the Studio in the '70s and '80s, so his touch is evident in a later generation of Disney classic films.


John Lounsbery (March 9, 1911 - February 13, 1976) started in 1935. He was noted for a loose, organic, dynamic style that beautifully suited the amorous ballet-dancing alligator in "Fantasia," the elephants of "The Jungle Book," and many more.


Wolfgang Reitherman (June 26, 1909 - May 22, 1985) started his Disney career in 1935 as an animator and director. He directed all the animated Disney films from Walt's death in 1966 until his retirement in 1981, a stupendous undertaking.


Frank Thomas (September 5, 1912 - September 8, 2004) joined Disney in 1934, along with his close friend Ollie Johnston. He animated a wonderul rogue's gallery of villains, including Cinderella's stepmother and Captain Hook. Among the books he co-authored with Ollie is "Disney Villains" -- a subject dear to his heart.
Each of these men had unique talents and a distinctive style, but the films they created are seamless works of art -- a triumph of collaboration and collegiality. Although they are gone now, they've created a legacy of animation that lives on in the hearts of children and adults everywhere.

This story was borrowed from a Disney Insider email, today's date.

Star Trek Fans - Scotty Is Bringin The Power

100 Free Photoshop Tutorials

3DTotal.com brings us 100 free photoshop tutorials. Here is the link:
100 Free Photoshop Tutorials

Igor - Animated Feature from Exodus Film Group

Written by Chris McKenna, the comedy tells the story of a hunchbacked lab assistant who has big dreams of becoming a mad scientist and winning the first place prize at the annual Evil Science Fair. The movie will be released on September 19, 2008.

The Pixar Story

On April 22 at 10PM ET/PT, Starz will air The Pixar Story — a film that takes an in-depth look at the most influential animation studio of its time. The movie features behind the scenes footage along with interviews and archival footage.

After the movie, Stars will air The Pixar Story Continues, which consists of footage from Ratatouille and the upcoming WALL-E.

This story comes frmo the animationblog.com

how about now

still having publishing issues, so I had to switch my blog directly to blogspot. So Please make sure you update your RSS feed. My new blog web address is www.acmeimagesblog.blogspot.com.

Thanks

Chris

Disney's Rapunzel

Check out the first image of Disney’s next Feature Film Rapunzel. The movie is directed by Glen Keane and Dean Wellins and retells the classic fairy tale of a girl trapped high in a tower with only her long hair to save her.

The Animation Blog

Howdy All!
Just came across the website, The Animation Blog today. Can't believe I didn't know about this one. Good place for animation news and previews.

Pixar's Up

this is the first image from Pixar's next Feature, Up.

How Lucky Am I...

This is my beautiful wife, she makes everyday a better one...


This is my beautiful wife, she makes everyday a better one...

Blogger has issues

I have been trying to post a blog since April started but no good. And the help section of Blogger stinks. I had to create a new blog to actually get the right folders to appear on my site.

Blogger stinks...

I Am A One Way Street

this entry is not about Character Animation, but about being a good partner. I have been really lax in that department at home lately and just a reminder to all my friends... Do something nice for your significant other. Or just do something they want to do, not what you want to do. Remember that opposites attract, and you most likely do not have all the same interests. I forgot that, and now we are back doing things like we used to. And I am having a blast. I know my wife isn't reading this because honestly, she gets plenty of animation talk from me, so this isn't meant for her eyes, but she deserves more, and I love her (and our dogs) with all my heart. I am doing whatever I can, how about you...

Madagascar 2 trailer

CoH - Whose playing?

Company of Heroes is one of the best Computer Games I have played since the original Age of Empires! If you liked that game, you will love this one. The game play is top notch and the devs are always updating it, keeping it fresh and fun. If you haven't played it, download the trial version, its a blast!

Still Looking...

The search for a concept artist is harder than I thought. This is a paying job, so if anyone out there in a big studio is looking for some side work, send me an email

Character Designer Needed

Howdy All!
So I decided a while back that I wanted to do another personal short film. It was actually as I was finishing my Animation Mentor student film that I realized that I could have done so much more. I bet some of you know exactly what I am talking about.

I wrote the script with a few friends about 2 years ago, and have finally been getting feedback the last couple of weeks from some artists at the studio I am working at. I knew I wasn't ready to produce the quality film that I wanted to make until now. Everything is positive and seems to be ready for the next step. I have a budget set, and a time frame all laid out. The first stage is to have professional concept art, and character design. I have the characters bios and the description of the sets all written out. SO, what I am looking for is anyone out there who can point me towards some fantastic concept artist. You can leave a post here or you can send me links at: Chris@Acmeimages.com.

The most important part of this whole project is that it received my wife's blessing. Either she is the most supportive wife out there, or she will be glad to be rid of me for another 5 years! Thanks for taking the time to read this....

Family Guy Star Wars

Star Wars Clone Wars

Is Anyone else looking forward to the new Clone Wars Animated Series? The Character style is really awesome and to get more info on what happened between movies is an excellent idea. The latest trailer shows Anikan with an apprentice. This is very interesting. I never thought he rose in the ranks high enough to have his own apprentice. He was always Obi-Wans sidekick. This should be interesting to see if it plays out well, and what her fate will be.

Horton is Finally Here!

Today opens the long awaited Horton Hear's a Who from Blue Sky Studio's. Even though I was rejected, (twice mind you) I am still really looking forward to seeing this. Congrats to everyone who worked on it!

Constant Revisions

Anyone who has worked in the industry knows to not fall in love with a shot. The constant revisions seem to be endless. And just when you get it to a place where you feel its in a good place, and your fellow animators are lovin it, the client will come back with "we want him to scratch his ass with his left hand, not his right!". And you say to yourself, I never scratch my ass with my left hand, why would he do it? Don't let it get you down! Move forward! You're learning everyday you animate. And you are not cleaning toilets or selling insurance. You're an animator. Go make some magic...

New To My Website?

Howdy all!
If you are a new visitor to my website, please make sure you look around. I have everything from links for studios to possibly work in, tutorials, and even a free animation rig. So check it out, and keep coming back! I get about 100 hits a day, and I want to keep it going up!

Acme Images Home

Software Plug-Ins: Is This Cheating?

This is an editorial...

It has come to my attention that some 3D animators are using various plug-ins to help them animate. To me, I find this to be a form of cheating. When I first started to learn the principles of animation, I don't ever remember reading about using such applications, like the "Tween Machine", or even hearing about them. I do not think there is a chapter in The Illusion of Life on how to use such devices or how this helps the animator feel his arcs and his timing? How do you think the Nine Old Men would feel about using such a device? Scandalous! We 3D animators already have a reputation for "letting the computer animate for us". This does not help the situation.

I say put away the plug-ins. Pull out a piece of paper and draw your key poses! Feel the process and enjoy the flow of your work. Don't let the computer steal away the joy of what you wanted to do for so long. And that is animate!

Test Blog

This is NOT a test! I repeat, this is NOT a test!