14 November 2008

13 November 2008

Gizmodo <3's Quantum of Solace


"Yes, the new Bond has some really cool gadgets in it. I don't mean cheesy stupid mini-rockets firing from the exhaust pipe of an Aston Martin or laser watches that can cut through steel and french lingerie. I mean cool, believable technology that integrates in the movie transparently."
Very nice review from the folks over at Gizmodo! Awesome!

09 October 2008

Shots interviews mk12


http://www.shots.net/news_detail.asp?id=4395

"After 11 years designing title sequences for the Bond films, Rattling Stick's Daniel Kleinman has been replaced by MK12 of The Ebeling Group on the latest movie, Quantum of Solace."

09 September 2008

Quantum of Solace Trailer -- NEW!


feast your eyes upon awesomeness.. what are you waiting for?

29 August 2008

you thought i was kidding...



this is best as described as a physical manifestation of my workload...

01 July 2008

Quantum of Solace + MK12 + Trailer = Awesomeness


go watch the awesome trailer for the new 007 movie, Quantum of Solace, due out November 7th. This above is one of the shots we worked on... woot. AND as a bonus its in HD for those of us on our big widescreen monitors :)
[watch trailer]

01 April 2008

Helpful hints for making a reel.

i've been meaning to write this up for awhile now but... I think im ready to sit down and write out some thoughts, since I recently talked about this over at the kansas city art institute with fellow work john baker for one of the animation classes.

First and foremost I get asked a lot what are good tips for putting together a good reel. Everyone is going to have their personal take on what makes a reel stand out and what makes a real only watchable for 5 seconds, but nonetheless here are some bullet points that may or may not help you on your way.

Show your voice.
every animator has their voice, whether that be your approach to the creative or unique ways in presenting old ideas. While showcasing your work that may speak to your voice, the reel as a whole is a presentation of YOU. Some people create unique animation bookends for the reel, an introduction animation and ending animation, some people create a theme to weave in and out of the work edited together so that it all feels concise and seamless giving you interest to finish the entire reel. So pick an element to make your presentation unique, its the small things that stand out - it doesn't have to be grand!

Edit yourself.
Just because you animated 500 spots last year doesn't mean every single one has to be included. Show your strong work, and show the strong areas of that work. You don't have to show full pieces, and you don't have to show all 18 camera views of that 3d teapot your modeled. And if you are on the opposite end of the spectrum and don't have that much work because your a student -- make short animations for yourself as experimental creative challenges. Seeing assignments is ok, but people really want to see the work that you took to the next step, and the work that you went out of your way to create, even during a 16 hr semester.

Music...Spice girls are cool and all but....
Music is always a controversial thing, and very hard to even begin to talk about but.. lets try. Try to pick something with enough energy to get you through the piece, someone that has rhythm for edits, but something that isn't overbearing... death metal may be your thing, but it might not be your clients... try to be neutral with your selection and as obscure as possible... the less heard track will often get you a viewing rather then someone who has heard a track 18 times that day while reviewing reels... if you can and have the ability.. create your own track.. making a simple unique track is something else that shows you went out of your way to make a nice package and presentation, again with the small things... they count.

Fonts, the good the bad and the ugly.
If you really cant pick a good font just pick a safe font. Just because you think all of the misprinted types are awesome and all (which they are in their own merit) just don't pick something that is so overused.. back again to the unique take on your reel. If you really want to be safe... go sans-serif or something that is a standard and clean. Make it simple to read, and easy on the eyes.. no one wants to pause your reel because they can't make out your email address, or phone number. But if you pick a bad font, you will be judged accordingly.. i promise.

I think that's a few good rules to go by, and maybe later i'll make a posting with some of my favorite reels... and yes I do keep a folder of just reels... :) and remember, you never know whos looking.. so always give credit for the music your using, especially if you take one of mk12's inhouse created audio tracks, or anyone else's hand crafted fine work... be respectful to every aspect, and most importantly.. be yourself.. let your voice shine... :)

w0rd. hope this helps and isn't too lame.

25 February 2008

Stash 42 Featuring MK12's History of America!

The new issue of stash is coming out and guess who is in it! Yeah alright -- i know I already said it in the title but still! You should check it out, because not only is the History of America on there, we cut together a 4 minute making of movie that is pretty funny to watch and gives some insight to the process behind making the film. Excellent! You can watch the podcast here - the trailer here - and look at the PDF here - and see all of these links on their site and get off mine here

18 February 2008

its sandbox time!




sorry kids for the lack of post, but its been a nonstop shoot for the past few days and we still have a few more ahead of us, so its been pretty much work all day and actually get rest, rather than coming back in at night to work some more due to early early mornings. hope all is well, and i'll be doodling and drawing and blogging some more soon. :) wish i could show and tell but, i can't because because... because.......... i can't :)