Pikapika is an animation technique that uses flashlights. It’s also referred to as “lightning doodle projects”. The YouTube video above gives a sampling of what you can do with the method. There’s a website here and this video explains it all in robotic English.
Check out a smattering of recent Pikapika videos on this YouTube page. Here’s one:
Not to be confused with what is after the jump: [Read more…]
In 2007, animation artists and Pixar colleagues Scott Morse, Lou Romano, Don Shank, and Nate Wragg collaborated on The Ancient Book of Myth and War (AdHouse Books, now out-of-print.) They’re reuniting for a tasty follow-up tome called The Ancient Book of Sex and Science. The book is currently in production, but a set of four prints was for sale at Comicon this summer. See images of the complete set here. (Art above by Nate Wragg.)
We’ll just have to wait until next spring for Sex and Science, but until then, check out the artist links above for more information about this fantastic foursome.
And in particular, I’m really loving the ultra-abstract paintings that Lou Romano has been posting on his blog lately. Here’s one:
Check out a few more after the jump: [Read more…]
Before you hit the road, watch the classic 50s cartoon “Stop Driving Us Crazy” and follow its advice. Remember: “Reckless driving is a sin”. Rusty the Martian says so!
Commissioned by the Methodist Church. Animated at Creative Arts Studio. Character design by Cliff Roberts. Music by Benny Golson with Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers. Also, Howard Morris does the voice. (He was “Uncle Goofy”–among other characters–on Your Show of Shows!)
Our small misadventure with ReFrederator the other day thankfully provided a great side benefit, a direct contact with Cindy Keefer at the Fischinger Archive. During our conversation she let me know how hard they’re working to continue to rescue many of Oskar Fischinger’s animated films, which, because the kinds of materials the films were originally made from and age, are still in danger.
I promised we’d put the word out to the Channel Frederator community to help. Donate here if you can, buy DVD’s here if you can. Put the word out on your own sites if you can. Try and help this important innovator of animation, someone who set the stage for much of the work many of us do.
Mr. Fischinger’s daughters, Barbara and Angelica Fischinger, maintain the Fischinger Archive (www.oskarfischinger.org), and Barbara sent us the following note:
Many of his films still need to be restored, digitally transferred, and released through future [Read more…]
©Fischinger Trust
Yesterday, on ReFrederator day, we ran a vintage Oskar Fischinger animation from a great DVD, Oskar Fischinger: Ten Films. I made a terrible mistake, believing we had the rights to play it when we didn’t. It certainly shouldn’t stop you from running out and checking all Oskar’s groundbreaking, innovative work. My partner and friend Alan Goodman introduced me to Fischinger in the 1970s, and I’ve never been able to shake it from my head, like thousands of other fans before and after. It’s worth seeing.
–Fred
