Channel Frederator Blog

This clip is of 24 year old Kseniya Simonova, a Ukrainian artist who won Ukraine’s Got Talent 2009. She uses a giant light box and sand to illustrate (and sometimes, real-time animate) the invasion of the Ukraine during WWII, set to haunting, dramatic music. I love a good Britney Spears impersonator, but this is incredible.

-Bailee DesRocher

Our very first episode, November 2005, featured Pendleton Ward’s wonderful “Barrista.”

The other day, Frederator producer Carrie Miller saw this live action adaption on someone’s tumblr.

It’s a wonderful world.

–Fred

Recently I had a sit down with one of my favorite people, multi-talented animator and director Sherie Pollack, whose body of work ranges from edgy primetime programming animating and timing on “The Simpsons” to directing “God, The Devil, & Bob” to the pre-K “Dora the Explorer” and “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.” I took the opportunity to discuss her journey into animation success and her upcoming lecture “My Career in Cartoons”. Here, in the second half of her interview, Sherie goes in depth about her lecture.

BD: In your lecture, what kind of things do you cover for aspiring pro animators?

SP: I basically want to share everything I wish I knew when I started. You know, how to get a union job. What is a union all about. What do I do if I’m not doing well on a job - how do I get my groove back? Carpal tunnel. Everyone gets it. Eye strain. How to [Read more…]

Recently I had a sit down with one of my favorite people, multi-talented animator and director Sherie Pollack, whose body of work ranges from edgy primetime programming (like animating and timing on “The Simpsons” and directing “God, The Devil, & Bob”) to pre-K entertainment like“Dora the Explorer” and “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.” I took the opportunity to discuss her journey into animation success and her upcoming lecture “My Career in Cartoons”.

Bailee DesRocher: What got you started in animation?:

Sherie Pollack: I was 17 when I first started thinking about colleges, I flipped a coin - it was either going to be theatre, or fine arts. That’s when my mother pulled me into the pantry and said,”Do ya have to do this? Isn’t there anything else?”

Going forward, I combined the two. I didn’t know I wanted to be an animator. As a kid I was always drawing and I was very lucky - my parents would [Read more…]

That’s right folks! Just over 24 hours to upload your 2-second cartoon for our St. Patrick’s day contest. We’ve already gotten quite a few awesome entries and are looking forward to yours!
You could be taking home a brand-spanking-new Nintendo DSi (yes, that’s the new, fancy-pants, improved version of the Nintendo handheld device that is being released in April).
Make sure you visit the contest page here, and submit your film at: www.channelfrederator.com/submit - Carrie

Check it out! Our sister-network, Indy Mogul featured some awesome stop motion animation films in a special episode of “The Best Short Films in the World” today. While you’ll see our very own Dan Meth’s Watermelon Nights, the rest of these animations are exclusive to The Best Sort Films in the World. So get a preview here, but hightail it over to their site to see the shorts in the entirety! - Carrie

Coming up in NYC… the chance to see two passionate and animated innovators in person.

Tuesday night at 7 at YIVO (15 West 16th street) Danny Fingeroth chit chats with the irrepressible Harvey Pekar of American Splendor fame (and some exciting appearances on The David Letterman Show). SECRET PASSWORD FOR REDUCED ADMISSION: At the door, say the word “Harvey” for $10 ticket (regularly $15).

Tuesday, March 3rd at 6:30 at The Society of Illustrators (128 East 63rd) meet David Polonsky, the illustrator and art director of Ari Forman’s Waltz with Bashir. Polonsky will discuss the techniques that were used to make this unique animated documentary. The talk will be accompanied by clips from the film. A Q and A session will follow and a book signing for the release of a graphic novel based upon the film. $10 members, $15 non-members. No secret password, as far as I know! RSVP to kevin@societyillustrators.org

After the jump, a clip of Harvey Pekar on The David Letterman Show in his more excitable days. He’s mellowed since then (?) Or not. We shall see tomorrow… [Read more…]

When you’re busy animating your character, it is easy to get absorbed by the main action of the scene. You should also pay attention to the things that follow your main action. Things like ears, tails, loose fitting clothing, and long hair are all excellent examples of places where you will have some overlapping action and follow through.

A great example of this principle would be Goofy’s ears and vest. Have a look at the above short, Mickey’s Trailer. Have a closer look at Goofy’s ears from 2:09 - 2:15. Do you see how they lag behind the motion of his head, with their motion overlapping the action of his head? These are the types of things that can really help sell the physical properties of the thing you are trying to animate. How heavy is your object? What is it made out of? What type of setting is it in? [Read more…]

Masstransiscope has been restored! And if you ride the NYC subway, you should go see it.

Bill Brand’s Masstransiscope was installed in the abandoned Myrtle Avenue subway station in Brooklyn, New York in September 1980. It has been seen by millions of commuters for over twenty-five years. The 228 hand-painted panels are viewed through a series of vertical slits set into a specially constructed housing. The piece works on the principle of the Zoetrope, a 19th century optical toy.

Basically, it is a series of paintings that are animated by the movement of passing trains. Creator Bill Brand also makes experimental films and video. His site is here.

To observe the beauty, take the B or Q train from Brooklyn to Manhattan. The Masstransiscope will be visible between the DeKalb Avenue stop and Manhattan. (I enjoyed seeing it every day for about a year when I worked in a jewelry factory out in Sunset Park. That, [Read more…]

This excerpt from Mars and Beyond is one of the oddest cartoon sequences ever produced by Disney. A bizarre bevy of fantastic and imaginative Martians cavort in a speculative exploration of what might lurk on Mars. Too bad it didn’t turn out that way; I’d be first in line to visit if these silly creatures were actually in residence. The animation was aired in 1957 and directed by Ward Kimball.

The entire program is available on the DVD set Walt Disney Treasures - Tomorrowland: Disney in Space and Beyond.

And for a timely connection: check out this great piece of Ward Kimball Martian art which is up for auction in February at Heritage Auction.

—Anne D. Bernstein