appletreemovie-blog - Tumblr blog

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i can’t stop looking at these glen keane studies, goddamn. if i could draw the human form the way he does i’d be a happy woman

also, did you know that pocahontas’ design was based on irene bedard (her native american voice actress), christy turlington, and mother Naomi herself? god, can’t you see it??? i’m dying

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Very cool [truncated] article on Animation as vehicle for social change, especially with respect to Environmentalism. :)

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Hayao Miyazaki’s “My Neighbor Totoro” model sheets (Hayao Miyazaki, 1988).

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‘Essence of an  Animated Drawing’- 

Life is elusive.  It is both predictable and unpredictable.  Since animation is to reflect life, its workflow has to stay in respect to both certainty and uncertainty.

The animating process is mysterious and difficult to explain even to the experts.  I think the problem is we human like to be certain and in full control at all time, (sometimes unaware that a sense of spontaneity is lost).  

In essence, each animated drawing has to reflect its exact location in space and complementary to its exact velocity in time (fragmented to 24 still images per second).  If every drawing inherits both of these qualities harmoniously within a sequence of unfolding movement then the animator have reached success.

But to obtain both positioning and velocity correctly, the extreme drawings cannot be dictated into their places but do so by feeling their way in through motion, behaving much like a waveform in particle physics, (leaving only the inbetweens to be in need of dictation).

A while back, I came across a passage in a book entitled ‘The Universe in a Nutshell’ by Stephen Hawkins and found that it is quite exciting to relate toward animation-

“The success of Newton’s laws and other physical theories led to the idea of scientific determinism, which was first expressed at the beginning of the nineteenth century by the French scientist the Marquis de Laplace. Laplace suggested that if we knew the positions and velocities of all the particles in the universe at one time, the law of physics would allow us to predict what the state of the universe would be at any other time in the past or in the future.

…Of course, in practice, even something as simple as Newton’s theory of gravity produces equations that we can‘t solve exactly for more than two particles. Furthermore, the equations often have a property known as chaos, so that a small change in position or velocity at one time can lead to completely different behavior at later times…

…At first sight, determinism would also seem to be threatened by the uncertainty principle, which says that we cannot measure accurately both the position and the velocity of a particle at the same time. The more accurately we measure the position, the less accurately we can measure the velocity, and vice versa.”

It’s interesting to think that how we each balance certainty and uncertainty, favoring more or less toward one end or the other is reflected in the basis of our animating workflow, in turn, generating a distinct movement textures that would define personal senses of style.

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Woo Hoo!!

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Honored to be an official selection of the Tallgrass International Film Festival!

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Our friend and Apple Tree fan, Sophia, with the custom Apple Tree necklace and earrings she won! Check out the other swag we have made - www.pinterest.com/appletreemovie

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Got a screenshot of us in the Golden Door International Film Festival trailer!  WooHOO!

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Here is our trailer, c/o the Golden Door International Film Festival YouTube channel!

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Our upcoming film is darker... and has exclusive content for social media only, stuff that won’t be in the film itself!

Please follow the Custodian movie blog!  :)

These diary entries are not in the film - only on our social media!

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Very, very cool.  Honoured to be screening at the Golden Door Film Fest on September 25 at 2:30pm!  

For tickets:

http://www.eventbrite.com/e/block-14-the-globe-collector-7min-player-of-the-game-8min-go-jackson-doll-13min-the-apple-tree20min-tickets-18140035334

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We are an Official Selection of the Ojai Film Festival in November 2015!  

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Reminder that American Experience: Walt Disney will air its second part tonight on PBS. The series covers the career of Disney for the good and bad, and has much to say about the early animation industry from shorts to features, as well as how it’s regarded by the general public. 

The second part will air at 9/8c.

Part one can be viewed online here for those who have PBS.

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Director Brad Bird expressing his belief that animation can go farther in storytelling. 

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Character introductions from the series books.

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It’s OK when you’re starting out to ask “WTF do these people do?!”  :P

Grips, Gaffers, and Best Boys: The Grip and Electric Departments

A great article explaining just what exactly grips and electrics do. Something to forward to your parents and relatives.

http://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/grips-gaffer-best-boys-grip-electric-departments/

The best way to think of the difference between electrics and grips is:

From the generator to the light is the electrical department. From the light to the lens is grip.

In addition, the grips are also camera support. Not only in charge of dollies and cranes, but also assisting the camera operator during handheld shots. Guiding the operator so he/she doesn’t fall, holding the camera between takes, etc.. And the grips do all the rigging. If you need to put up a light that cannot be done normally with a stand, the grips will give you a point for that light. And the grips will safety/tie down lights that need to be tied down (moving cars, condors, scissor lifts, process trailers, etc.). A great grip is invaluable.

As the article no doubt hints at, it can get a little fuzzy at times. People get very defensive of their department which can cause friction and anger. Who is in charge of the ladders and bags for the lights? Who powers up the grip truck? Who gives the dolly grip a dolly bump? What if the DP asks a grip to focus a light or asks an electrician to move a flag? In general, use common sense and work together.

Okay, here are my fuzzy answers to the fuzzy areas.

Q: Who is in charge of the ladders and sandbags for the lights?

A: The grips provide all ladders and sandbags. Normally, the grips will almost always bring a ladder to a light that needs it and bring sandbags for the stands. However, it is not their duty to bring them to you! If they don’t, it’s usually because they can’t. So if you need a ladder or a bag, just ask the grips where they are and grab one. The reality is that the two departments work together. If the electrics are busy, the grips will support the electrics with a smile. If the grips are slammed, get your own ladder and sand bag. 

Q: Who provides C-Stands for the Kino’s?

A: This is often a real bone of contention and can cause some serious friction. Fixtures like Kino Flo’s don’t use a regular baby light stand but a C-Stand. Which, in case you didn’t know, are grip stands. Electrics normally do not carry C-Stands. Or at least, never used to. A gaffer should order all the stands for all lights. Which includes C-Stands if you use lights that need C-Stands. So, on bigger and longer shows, I will always order my own C-Stands and C-Stand cart.

HOWEVER, I almost never order C-Stands for little jobs or short commercials. Too big of a hassle and I can always use the grip departments c-stands. If you work with nice grips, it’s never really an issue. I mostly work with nice grips :-)

But as a gaffer, when in doubt or working with a new Key Grip, order your own c-stands. And as a key grip, you do have to provide c-stands for the kino’s if the stupid electrics didn’t order them. I mean, you can’t tell the DP that he/she can’t use certain lights because you won’t share your c-stands.

Q: Who powers up the grip truck?

A: Nice electrics (or a nice teamster) will run a stinger to grip truck and power it up. However, often on a longer show I will give the best boy grip a stinger for the run of show so the grips can plug the truck in themselves. No big deal. But at the end of the day, it is the electrics responsibility to provide power to the truck or at least provide an outlet for the grips to plug into.

Q: What about the dolly if it needs a bump?

A: Most dollies need power to pressurize the hydraulic fluid for the boom arm. We call this.. a bump. A good electric will always have a dolly bump stinger standing by next to the dolly without asking. #impressthegaffer

No gloves?! Must be a grip (or the Gaffer) taking out a double.

Q: What if the DP asks a grip to focus a light or asks an electrician to move a flag?

A: If it’s a simply little thing, just do it and do not get offended either way. We all are just working together to make a shot. Unfortunately many a Gaffer (or Key Grip) will get mad if the DP asks a grip to move a light (or an electric to move a flag). Are you really that insecure about your job? It doesn’t really matter unless it becomes a habit and it begins to make you look bad. Either way, usually the DP is only asking a grip to move a light because you are never on set (as in - BE ON SET) or you are slammed with a million things (as in - THE GRIPS ARE HELPING YOU).

For that matter, DO NOT do anything you don’t feel comfortable doing. For example, as an electric, do not move a menace arm rig without the key grip being there. As a grip, do not turn 18Ks on and off!

Anything beyond a simple thing, I will go to the grip channel on my walkie and tell the Key Grip that he/she is needed on set.

Q: As an electric, do I really have to run power to the coffee maker?

A: YES! It’s your job. It’s also your job to run a stinger to the producer if they want to charge their cell phone. It’s your job to run power to the hair dryer for the hair/make-up dept. It’s your job to put up a light for the script supervisor. Just do it!