Commentary 14 Dec 2006 08:32 am
Flashing again!
– There was an interesting bit in the Page Six gossip column of Tuesday’s NY Post. It’s about how close was the vote among the NY Film Critics for Happy Feet beating A Scanner Darkly.
The article is short enough for me to quote in its entirety:
FATEFUL FUNCTION – THE producers of “Happy Feet” have Andrew Sarris’ bladder to thank for their movie winning the New York Film Critics Circle’s prize for Best Animated Feature. Sarris, of the New York Observer, was in the men’s room during the vote yesterday that gave the prize to the penguin musical, narrowly defeating Richard Linklater’s “A Scanner Darkly.” Back from the toilet, Sarris said he meant to pick “Scanner,” thus making it the winner – but his choice was discounted because the result had already been announced.
Something tells me the Oscar vote won’t be as close. Animators resist calling Linklater/Sabiston’s work animation, but they’re ready to accept the reincarnation of Savion Glover as a penguin.
– The Tribeca Arts Center is featuring a symposium on Contemporary Comics and Graphic Novels. It will host artists Dan Goldman (with Anthony Lappé), Marisa Acocella Marchetto and James Romberger. The program will be moderated by Calvin Reid of Publisher’s Weekly.
Thursday, December 14, 2006 @ 7pm
$5 All Tickets
To purchase tickets: Call the Box Office at 212-220-1460 (Tues-Sat, 12-6pm) or in person at the event at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center at BMCC, 199 Chambers St. NYC (btwn. Greenwich and West St.)
- Debra Solomon is adamant that I should learn how to do Flash, and of course she’s right. So I’ll be taking some classes in doing it right. This is the first time I’ll have taken some formal instruction in a computer program; it’ll be interesting to see how it develops.
After so defiantly espousing annoyance at all the less than mediocre Flash animation out there, I’ll see what I’m able to do.
In the past, I’d taken the Flash trial offer and did two one minute pieces. I let the month pass and only years later have I had the program installed within my studio, but I had no real interest in playing with it anymore. It just didn’t offer – to me – opportunities for good character animation. However, I did those tests so long ago that that I certainly should give the program another try.
There have been some recent interesting comments on my site about Flash, given my not-very-positive comments. I think most people just ignore my obdurate attitude and move on.
It all comes down to one thing: Flash is a tool – a pencil, if you will. I want to see a piece of character animation done using that pencil. I won’t be convinced until I see it, though I’m willing to watch. Just don’t point me to those pop, pop, pop Cartoon Network clones. I want to see something animate.
The best is always just good design with limited movements, the worst is the worst animation has to offer – not even up to the speed of the Aesop Fables of Terry/Moser.
