http://www.synchrolux.com The animation and animation-related musings of Kevin Koch Wed, 23 Jun 2010 02:02:27 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Just when I thought I'd have some time to do some blogging, life intervened.  For the last few weeks I've been spending most of my free time putting together a benefit art auction for my friend, animator Pres Romanillos, who has leukemia.  The Pres-Aid website will give you all the ... http://www.synchrolux.com/?p=305 The on-line character animation school, AnimationMentor.com, celebrates its fifth birthday tomorrow.  How the years have flown by!  I've been a mentor for 70% of that time, and I'm certain I've learned and grown at least as much as my students have.  It's been a privilege to be part of the ... http://www.synchrolux.com/?p=304 Pete Emslie made an interesting point in the comments section on a recent post: "I particularly believe that films set in exotic locales like South America have a great deal of appeal . . ." This is consistent with what most of us believe -- Variety is the spice of life.  We ... http://www.synchrolux.com/?p=301 I should have posted this earlier, but each Tuesday this month Turner Classic Movies is showing a huge selection of Akira Kurosawa's films, all uncut and commercial free.  I'm a huge fan of TCM and Kurosawa (and the great Toshiro Mifune) so this is pure gold.  I pretty much filled ... http://www.synchrolux.com/?p=299 We've established that I don't think story is the end all and be all for successful animated films, and that it might not even be crucial.  And I've written that I think storytelling is one factor that is absolutely crucial.  But is there more?  Yeah, I think so, and I ... http://www.synchrolux.com/?p=289 So last week we watched that new CG feature, Kung Fu Wormy, and were disappointed.  Why didn't we love it as much as Kung Fu Panda?  They had virtually identical stories, and that fat, funny lead worm, Pi, was expertly voiced by the very best Jack Black imitator in all ... http://www.synchrolux.com/?p=284 As I've discussed before, there's a common joke-slash-truism in the animation community: What are the three most important things in a great animated movie?   It's a variation on the old real-estate saw: What are the three most important things in selling a house? Location, location, location. In the world of ... http://www.synchrolux.com/?p=277 One of my favorite places in town is the beautifully restored Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, run by the wonderful American Cinematheque.   It's generally a great place to see rare, obscure, and underrated live action films, but this weekend the Cinematheque is hosting a program by AniMazing Spotlight, an excellent two-day ... http://www.synchrolux.com/?p=287 . . . and it is this: http://www.synchrolux.com/?p=286 I recently saw an animation student's summary of the Principles of Animation from The Illusion of Life.   Here's the one for secondary action: Secondary actions are almost like follow through and overlapping actions. This is a common misconception that a lot of people make.  But it's incorrect. Take a look back ... http://www.synchrolux.com/?p=273