Channel Frederator Blog

Hey there, Channel Frederator Fans!

We want you to help us throw down for our 4 year anniversary with a slew of fantastic films for one big, bad episode! We’re looking for 4 second animations of what you think the Fredbot would do to celebrate his Happy 4th!

Upload your film to the submissions page. Please type “4 SECOND FREDBOT BY (your name)” in the title box. Best file size and type is 640×360 .mov Done and done!

Deadline is October 12th!

If you have other films you’d like featured on Channel Frederator, check out this article! We can’t wait to show your work, and in addition to interviews and hype for you - with our new format there’s cash available to anyone that gets their work shown!

Woo!

New Zealand filmmaker Alex Dron stopped by Frederator here in Burbank today. Rather than journey 6,500 miles specifically to see us, Alex had actually been in the states for screenings of his film, “FOT - The Next Big Thing”, at both Comic-Con and the L.A. Shorts Fest. New Yorkers may’ve caught it at the Animation Block Party this past weekend, too. You can watch Alex’s “FOT - Champion of the World” in episode #109 of Channel Frederator, embedded below.

– Eric

Hey kids! Below is a press release from LA based animation studio Titmouse, Inc. They are launching a documentary series about the animation process. Twelve (2D) animators will compete to have their five minute short fully funded, produced and submitted for the world-wide festival circuit. Details are below!

-Bailee DesRocher

Animation studio Titmouse, Inc., is offering an amazing opportunity to artists from around the country with ideas for a short animated film. The chosen films will be fully funded and the process will be documented from start to finish as part of a TV show being produced called 7200 Frames.

The artist must be able to draw, animate and direct- as well as commit to a 4-6 week exclusive production schedule. Interviews will be held in Los Angeles and San Diego ( in San Diego during Comic-Con July 22nd and 23rd) during the summer of 2009. Submissions should be in the form [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 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…]

The feature film Howl is currently filming in New York City. James Franco stars as a young Allan Ginsberg (I know! Since when was Ginsberg a total hottie? Movies casting can be so weird…) But anyway, the film will have animated sequences designed by illustrator Eric Drooker and directed by John Hays (of Wild Brain):

“Howl” is a feature film about the obscenity trial of Allen Ginsberg’s groundbreaking poem, and the young poet who gained fame as a result. The filmmaking duo of Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman wrote the screenplay and will jointly direct.

“Howl” is a genre-expanding feature-length exploration of the courtroom drama of the obscenity trial over Allen Ginsberg’s poem, as well as an animated re-imagining of the poem making even more vivid Ginsberg’s extraordinary delivery of the poem.

Drooker has already created illustrations for Illuminated Poems, a collection of Ginsberg’s work that was first published in 1996. Here’s a short article, written [Read more…]

There is a super extra special episode of Channel Frederator available today! This episode comes to us from our buddies over at Indy Mogul!

Indy Mogul host, Erik Beck is invited to visit the acclaimed Dreamworks Animation Studios to show you how the stunning animation in the new film Monsters Vs. Aliens was created.  The talented team at Dreamworks shows off new technology and techniques that were developed to achieve the animation and digital 3D images of the film.  From real models of the Golden Gate Bridge to the revolutionary, state-of-the-art 3D virtual camera, this episode of Hollywood FX reveals it all.

Check it out at www.channelfrederator.com and get even more at www.indymogul.com!

Here’s Channel Frederator’s Bailee DesRocher with world-famous animator/filmmaker/Knoxville resident/Channel Frederator Award-winner Joel Trussell. Joel’s in town for tonight’s PSST!3 screening in Beverly Hills. Thanks for stopping by, Joel.

– Eric

Steve Kovalesky

Steve Kovalesky is a talented artist and self taught animator whose short, short film, “Nature”, is featured in this week’s epsiode of Channel Frederator. We did learn, though, there’s always room for further education in other areas. No, not that. What is with you guys?

Channel Frederator: Where did you study animation?

Steve Kovalesky: I took a computer animation class in 8th grade and learned on my own since then. One key resource for me has been The Animator’s Survival Kit. I already knew the software, but the book really helped me understand the principles of animation.

CF: What or who has influenced your work the most?

SK: One of my biggest influences is Bill Watterson. I love the sketchy look of his work and how there’s so much life in even his simplest drawings. I’m also a fan of Chuck Jones, Wolfgang Reitherman, and Ralph Bakshi.

CF: Do you have any cool projects coming up that [Read more…]

Studio Lepore

Channel Frederator’s first featured filmmaker Kirsten Lepore’s artistic talents stretch across the arts (songwriting, directing, and animating to name a few). Her work was brought to our attention from different areas of the web - ranging from food websites to personal blogs. Despite the Internet explosion her work has undergone and being busy with new projects, she still found time to discuss this week’s films, neurotic narwhals, and her love affair with food.

(Click here for part one of our Kirsten interview.)

CF: What’s your favorite food?

Kirsten Lepore: Prosciutto di Parma with some crusty Tuscan bread and a glass of red wine.

CF: Have you ever entered a cook-off or other food based competition?

KL: I haven’t actually, but for a while I really wanted to have an iron chef style competition with my friends. I think that’d be amazing. Or maybe I’ll just stay out of the competition and be the tasting judge…

[Read more…]

Kirsten Lepore

Channel Frederator’s first featured filmmaker Kirsten Lepore’s artistic talents stretch across the arts (songwriting, directing, and animating to name a few). Her work was brought to our attention from different areas of the web - ranging from food websites to personal blogs. Despite the Internet explosion her work has undergone and being busy with new projects, she still found time to discuss this week’s films, neurotic narwhals, and her love affair with food.

Channel Frederator: Where did you study animation?

Kirsten Lepore: At the Maryland Institute College of Art – although I was toying around with animation as early as 5th grade when I tried to shoot stop-motion on an 8mm camcorder using jelly beans as my characters.

CF: Did you have any instructors that were particularly influential?

KL: My 2D animation professor, Laurence Arcadias, at MICA was a big help to me during my time at school. She even helped me get the studio space that [Read more…]