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"Animation"
Hey I’ve been messing around with clay and here’s my first little animation. You can also go view it here on YouTube. The song is “Pepper Steak” by the Washboard Rhythm Kings. Enjoy!
Hey check out the interview I did with WNYC about creating the Phantom Mountain music video.
They’re holding a similar contest for a great new Fiery Furnaces tune “The End is Near”. It’s your chance to create a music video!
It’s Savage Chickens Halloween Week 2008! So I’m starting early with a mesmerizing remake of this cartoon, now in 3D Spookyvision!
I’ll be running scary cartoons all week, plus we’ll have the fourth annual Halloween contest so be sure to stop by for a chance to win SC mugs and t-shirts! You might even win your very own Night Poodle!
And for all of the tricks and treats from previous Halloween Weeks, check out the Halloween category!
Okay I’m getting lots of questions about the music video, so here are some fun facts about the making of Phantom Mountain:
- I found out about the contest late so I only had 2 weeks to make it happen and I had no idea what I was doing, having never really tried animation – at least since drawing flipbooks as a kid. I spent the first day storyboarding, then 11 days drawing, and then 2 days shooting all of the photographs and editing the video.
- There are about 500 sticky notes in the video, including a butterfly and 4 or 5 stunt butterflies.
- There are over 1500 photos in the video. I used a digital camera on a tripod, which I had to sort of crouch over. My back was killing me!
- I drew so many cartoons that I actually developed a callus on the inside of my left thumb from drawing too much. Towards the end, I had to get up and shake out my arm every few minutes.
- The old clock radio on the table used to belong to my great-grandmother.
- The tarot cards are the Ryder-Waite deck, miniature version. The cards that appear in the video are: The Devil, The Tower, Death, and – briefly – The Fool.
- I love Dead Dog Bob’s surprise appearance. I didn’t plan to use him in the original storyboard. It just kinda happened.
- Will I do animation again? You bet I will! But I think I’ll give myself more time next time!
- How did I suspend the butterfly in the air? I used a bunch of different techniques: pins, string, and bits of yellow plasticine.
- Do I still have a day job? Yes, I did most of the work in the evenings and only took two days off for the photography work.
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