Art's WunderBlög

Winter In Vancouver

2007-03-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

So, I took this picture while heading in to work yesterday. It's the view from outside the entrance of the Xenon building, NWFX headquarters.
Not bad for a cell phone pic.

Garto - An animated short

2007-03-19T00:32:00.001-07:00

Wow! What a great piece of work by Spanish artist, Luis Gomez Guzman. The quality of this film is top notch all the way. Character design, fx, textures and lights, animation, music, sound design - it's a wonderfully made film and very enjoyable.
Watch the film and learn more about it at Luis' website www.gartofilm.com

Diversify your media with TVersity

2007-03-18T16:49:00.001-07:00

I came across this nifty bit of software about a month ago. It allows you to connect various computers and other media devices and share media content such as music, pictures and video. You can even subscribe and stream RSS feeds and podcasts from the web.
I have it set up to share media from my laptop, workstation and Xbox 360. So, I can download video from the net and stream it to my Xbox to watch on my TV! I can also play my pictures in a slide show and have music playing behind it for a nice little slide presentation.
You can even access your media from outside your LAN, say from at work or while you are travelling and at a hotel or coffee shop with internet access.
Best of all, it's FREE!!

Randy Couture is my hero

2007-03-06T20:23:00.001-08:00

Randy "The Natural" Couture aka Captain America came out of retirement to hand would be champ Tim Sylvia his ass on March 3rd.
Sylvia, known to love the idea of being crowned champ seems not to know what it takes to be a real champion. He is notorious for doing "just enough not to lose".
Notice I didn't say doing just enough to win. That would be giving him too much credit.
Anyway, Couture, 13 years the senior to Sylvia, put on a clinic. And Sylvia just couldn't take notes fast enough.

Sweet, sweet day. Oh joy!
Now I can't wait to see Canadian champ, George "Rush" St Pierre in action again. He should make quick work of fan fave Matt "the Terror" Serra on April 7. Sorry to see Matt lose as he seems like a really cool guy but I think GSP will be around for a long time to come. He's only 25 and at the top of his game.
MMA rules!

Next stop...Smallville!

2007-03-04T20:30:00.001-08:00

My cousin Glenn just moved to Vancouver from Halifax to work at Entity FX. He'll be doing previs for Smallville. How cool is that?

Stanley, devastated.

2007-02-20T14:45:00.000-08:00

My sister was visiting this past weekend and we decided to go to famous Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Recently, Stanley Park was in the news after a series of wind storms swept through the region, felling many ancient trees.
This was my first time to the park and I didn't know what to expect. It was magnificent and sad at the same time.
The park is densely forested and has a magical, other worldly quality about it. Sad, because we saw first hand how bad some of the damage was to the trees. The pictures don't do it justice and it is after months of the city's cleanup attempts.
The first picture is me standing inside a hollowed-out tree stump. My arms are
outstretched and my finger tips are just touching the inside wall. About a 6 foot span.

Thunderbird by Mozilla - Reclaim your Inbox

2007-01-28T15:16:00.001-08:00

Recently (the past year or so) I have discovered the fantastic web browser, Firefox, by Mozilla. It's a terrific alternative to Internet Explorer and it's "open source" with lots of add ons called themes and extensions. I added the Blue Ice theme to customize the look of my browser and I've added some nifty extensions like Skype (makes phone numbers on websites appear as Skype Out links so you can call them directly using Skype), Performancing (blog editor that I am using for the first time with this entry, so we'll see how it goes), ForecastFox (allows me to set up profiles for different areas and gives me up to the minute weather information for those cities and forecasts for the days to come) and there are many more. Very cool.

So now, I just installed a new Mozilla product called Thunderbird. What Thunderbird is, is a email tool like Outlook and Outlook Express.

You can also customize TB with themes and extensions just like with Firefox.

The really COOL thing about Thunderbird? I set it up to be my default email checker and I now have one place to check my various email accounts.

No more logging into Gmail, then Hotmail, then my local ISP, then my webmail.

I can do it all from Thunderbird.

Tres cool.

Check it out. It's sexy.

If I were a Muppet...

2007-01-27T13:37:00.001-08:00

You Are Animal

A complete lunatic, you're operating on 100% animal instincts.
You thrive on uncontrolled energy, and you're downright scary.
But you sure can beat a good drum.
"Kill! Kill!"

The Muppet Personality Test

If I were a BSG character I would be...

2007-01-27T13:24:00.000-08:00

You scored as Capt. Lee Adama (Apollo). You have spent your life trying to life up to and impress your Dad, shame he never seemed to notice. You are a stickler for the rules. But in matters of loyalty and honour you know when they have to be broken.

Capt. Lee Adama (Apollo)
81%
CPO Galen Tyrol
69%
Commander William Adama
69%
Tom Zarek
50%
Lt. Sharon Valerii (Boomer)
50%
President Laura Roslin
31%
Lt. Kara Thrace (Starbuck)
31%
Number 6
31%
Col. Saul Tigh
25%
Dr Gaius Baltar
6%

What New Battlestar Galactica character are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

You have to love a dog named Jellyroll

2007-01-23T19:08:00.000-08:00

I was doing some surfing of the ol' internet and I came across a weblink to the TV show I'm working on, Jibber Jabber.
A lot of friends and family have been asking me about the show and I have tried to explain to them what it was about and what it will look like.
But pictures and text, mashed together into a dweeb page, always seem to be a better tool to get the point across.
So I provide you with this link.
I know, not a whole lot of info but it gives you an idea. I think the show is looking pretty sweet so far. We're almost done episode three of 26.
The show is tentatively scheduled to air on YTV this September. With a little good fortune, the show will get picked up in some other territories around the globe.
Oh, and here is a link to the creator/director of Jibber Jabber, David Bowes.

Never Nervous

2007-01-22T20:40:00.000-08:00

So, a good friend of mine is visiting Vancouver in a couple of weeks. All the way from sunny San Diego, Darryl Purvis.
Now, Darryl probably has one of the most interesting and scary jobs you could possibly have.
No, not an Alaskan crab fisherman. Not a bomb squad technician. And no, not a ghost buster either. Although that possibly is even cooler.
He's a stand up comic. Or comedian. Not sure if one or the other is offensive or not. Kinda like I don't know if I should say midget, dwarf or little person. One or all of those is offensive to somebody.
Kind of like the word 'retard'. I use it a lot. More than I probably should. I mean no offense to people who are mentally handicapped and who at one time would have been described as mentally retarded. But I understand the connotation is still there and there for it's insensitive to use the word (around some people).
But if the term retarded is no longer used to describe somebody who is mentally handicapped, doesn't that "free" up the word to use in my own slang? I think it jsut might. I think I made a case for it right there. It's now ok to use the word retard, guilt free. If somebody gives you shit for using it, cite this blog entry and use it as proof that the word has been emancipated from those politically correct and over-sensitive types who would vilify it's use in an attempt to feel morally superior. Retards.(joke)
But, I digress...
It ain't easy being funny. Sure, it can be easy to make your friends laugh. People of like mind and similar senses of humour tend to gravitate towards eachother.
But it's a different thing entirely to make a stranger laugh. And more specifically, a GROUP of strangers.
And more specific still, make them laugh when you want them to laugh.
Add to that, what people identify as the most common phobia: the fear of speaking in public. You've got one hell of a hard way to make a living.
Darryl's been doing it for quite some time now and has had some very good success, including his own half-hour special on Comedy Now.
He's lived in Toronto, New York and now San Diego.
He's coming up to do a short tour in Vancouver at the Funny Bone and then on to the Cave in Calgary.
So if you are in either of these two cities in the next few weeks, be sure to check out Darryl's show.
You can see Darryl's upcoming schedule and a few videos of his routine here.
After Darryl's set (I'm so hip with the show biz lingo) we're going to check out the Matt Mays concert and slurp down a few golden bevvy's.
Good times. Good times.

Happy Birthday Tim!

2007-01-18T19:12:00.000-08:00

Today is Tim's birthday.

See Seaweed. Ci?

2007-01-18T18:55:00.000-08:00

Hey Folks,

Just a quick post to let you know about a project a good friend of mine is spearheading.
Darryl Wright, hipster, local scene and programmer extraordinaire, is developing a website and promotional resource to help bring indie artists to the South Shore area of Nova Scotia.
The website is called Seaweed
Here is an excerpt from the site:

Seaweed Events is the brainchild of Darryl Wright, a musical zealot from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. It is the goal of Seaweed to arrange events and create opportunities for great musicians and performers both locally and from across Canada to experience Nova Scotia's South Shore and take advantage of some of the great venues and audiences that share enthusiasm for Canadian music.

There is already a fantastic amount of support for traditional folk music in the maritimes. Seaweed aims to ensure a place for artists and performers appealling to an even broader audience.

Darryl is a fantastic guy and really wants to "give back" to the community and culture that is the South Shore.
He has an artist, Craig Cardiff, playing this Sunday at the Pearl Theatre in Lunenburg. Advance tix are $10 and just $12 at the door. Support live music. Check it out!

Happy Feet? Really?

2007-01-15T20:32:00.000-08:00

I recently had the opportunity to see the animated feature, Happy Feet.
Let me start off by saying I had a preconceived notion that this movie was going to be terrible.
What led to me dreading this musical mush-fest of animated schlock was based entirely on the marketing campaign. The trailers they decided to show leading up to the movies theatrical release left me shaking my head. Who would want sit through an hour and a half of penguins doing song and dance numbers?
It was official. Hollywood had finally gone off the deep end and were willing to produce any piece of crap that was 3D animated in hopes of cashing in on the money train that is computer generated animation.
But, then the box office numbers came in. It was number one. Doing really good numbers.
What could it mean? Probably just the throngs of families taking their kids to the next animated show. People who don't necessarily care about the animated film as an art form but consider it "for the kids".
Fair enough.
But them some friends started telling me how good it was. Then my wife went to see it with some friends and their little boy. She said it was really good too! Now, my wife and I have very similar tastes in movies and I trust her above everyone else.
My resolve was starting to crack.
Just to be sure, I checked rottentomatoes and sure enough, it had a 70%. Pretty good score.
Ok, you win. I'll go see for myself.
Bo am I glad I did. What the marketing campaign failed so completely to convey was that there was an actual story beyond the mocapped dance routines. There were characters to relate to and care about. There was even some moral and social commentary if you don't mind that sort of thing (I don't as long as it isn't preachy and condescending - and this isn't)
The look of the film was some of the best rendering and cinematography I have ever scene in a computer generated film. Visuals were done by Animal Logic out of Australia. Holy cow guys! FANTASTIC WORK!
I won't get into the details of the movie but I will say it's worth checking out. It's absolutely visually stunning. A masterpiece.
The writing and vocal performances were also very solid. It's definitely a purchase for me when it comes out on DVD.
I was a little concerned about all the popular music selections they included in the film. I generally hate pop culture references as they tend to be week writing and are an easy hook based on nostalgia or current affairs. Think of a rock band saying the name of the town they are playing in. Guaranteed cheer. Or a standup comic mentioning they just got married or had a baby. Cue applause. No jokes required!
But it works in this film. And do you know why? Because it serves the story. The main plot device centers around penguins choosing their soul mates by having a unique song that attracts that one special aquatic bird for them.
The music wasn't a cheap gag that sidelines the story and takes the audience out of the film for a few moments. The songs were RELEVANT.
Good on ya George Miller.
So, go check out Happy Feet. Do a little dance...make a little love...Get Down Tonight!

Vancouver or Bust!

2007-01-12T17:03:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been in Vancouver for almost two weeks now. In that time, I've managed to find a great apartment and started an awesome new job!
That's right, my first animation job at a professional studio. Wahoo!
What a breath of fresh air it is to go into your job and actually love to be there, love what you're doing. I'm animating every day (for the first time in my career) and I feel great about it.
I'm still shaking off a bit of animation rust but things are really going well. I had my first two scenes approved yesterday and another two approved today.
The show is called Jibber Jabber and will air on YTV this September.
It has a bit of a Jimmy Neutron feel to it but the lighting and rendering is(IMHO) some of the best I've seen for a TV production.
I'm working with some very talented animators and my supervisor really knows his stuff. I feel like I am going to improve greatly while working on this production.
Vancouver is great too. The locals are complaining about the weather as it is unseasonal for this area but I must say, it's the mildest winter I have ever experienced. Anywhere from 8 degrees to minus 7. Not too shabby for Canada, eh?
I am really looking forward to being a short 2.5 hour drive to Seattle and a mere 4.5 hours to the Gorge Amphitheater! DMB 2007 - Yippee!
And to top it all off - The 2010 Winter Olympics! Go Canada!

Everyone should have a Pen' Pal

2006-11-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

Flushed about Aardman

2006-11-07T10:25:00.000-08:00

I went to see Flushed Away on Sunday evening and I have to say it's the best animated film I have seen all year.
Finally a movie with a solid storyline, good acting and writing.
And funny jokes for everyone; parents and kiddies alike.
Not mindless pop-culture references and dance routines that add nothing to the story.
Animation was top-notch as was the rest of the art production. Lighting, textures, FX, rigging, character and set design...it was all there.
The only thing that was mildly distracting was the facial expressions and lip sync which was animated in a very "stop motion" sort of way. I believe this was done to keep the Aardman feel that the studio has with it's other stop mo films. I'm not sure it translated 100% convincingly in this computer rendered film though.
But all in all, it's most definitely worth going to and it's enjoyable for families or adults only. My wife and I were laughing consistantly through the entire show.
Congrats to the folks at Dreamworks and Aardman for creting a great animated film.
Now, the next film on my list is Borat. Can you believe it's playing on only one screen in the whole province?
Crazy!

A quandary...

2006-11-02T16:48:00.000-08:00

Oh, how I do love those ellipsis...
Well, I am waxing philosophic at the moment so I thought I'd share a bit of what's crossed my mind. Funny what a couple pints will do when you are out of drinking shape. Fleeting thoughts like dust motes in the wind. They come and go. This one stuck as particularly poignant so I mused to share it with the masses of internet-dom.
Masses?
Who am I kidding. There may be three people who will ever read it.
But, a pretty verbose opening paragraph, no? My, aren't I the little wordsmith?

Anyway, on to the topic of my ruminations...

It has recently come to my attention that I am a hopeless idealist. Well, an idealist for certain. Hopefully not hopeless. Um, sure...ok.
The thought that graced my grey matter by zipping whimsically through my cerebral cognition, an apparent redundancy that appears unbounded, was that I am indeed an idealist. To my own detriment at times.
I sleep quite peacfully, knowing that I hold true to my ideals despite that they sometimes work against my benefit. I refuse to play the game. I will bend lip to no posterior. I expect others to live and act with integrity and respect for others. Crazy, huh?
So often however, people will brown-nose, kiss ass, backstab, manipulate and politically undermine those around them in order to advance themselves in given situations.
The quandary then, is how do I stop being an idealist, yet still keep my ideals.
I think it's possible but difficult to achieve this. To maintain the ideals and values that I hold dear without giving too much weight and consequence to those who throw them aside.
It may be a life long journey.
I think I'll read up on buddhism.

Life is Crazy Sometimes

2006-11-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

Well, I plan on starting a new job soon. I am saying goodbye to Lunenburg. I met some great people here and my time in this little village was enjoyable.
I plan on moving into the HRM (Halifax) area by the end of the month unless I get an offer from a certain studio on the west coast. I'll elaborate more on that later.
In other news, I have been working on Yellow Boat and I have a few layouts to share. If you want to have a peek, you can see them here. The pic from this post is a little taste.
I'm not sure, you may have to be a member of my production forum to see that link, but it's free and easy to sign up. Leave a comment or two if you feel like it. The more the merrier!
That's all for now - I'll update in a little while once the moving details are more firm.
Chow!

DMB @ The Gorge: Update

2006-09-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

Wow. Just, wow.
What an incredible trip. There were 17 of us who made the trip down from Calgary and a few others who met us at the campsite to bring us up to 20.
It was three of the best Dave Matthews Band shows EVER. They played a lot of stuff, around three hours each night, and they ended up playing some rare tunes.
Pig, Grace is Gone, Bartender and Crush to name a few.
They also played some fantastic new songs like Sister, Shotgun, The Idea of You, Break Free and Can't Stop. Those beauties had us all psyched for a new album.
To make the weekend even more special, O.A.R. opened for Dave and they were sensational. I'd love to see them as a main act since they only played about eight songs each night to warm up the crowd for DMB.
Camping was a blast as usual but I think I am getting old. I was going to bed pretty early and couldn't keep up with the youngin's who were partying til 6am.
I really hope we get to go again next year too.
I met some new faces and got to hang with some people I hadn't seen in a while. I can't say enough about how awesome everyone was.
Here are some pics of the foolish, foolish time we had.
Peace y'all!

I'm on my weeeeay!

2006-08-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

23 Days Until the Gorge!

2006-08-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

Connie and I are heading down to Washington State to see the Dave Matthews Band at the most amazing venue in the world. The Gorge Amphitheatre.

Three days and nights of camping, partying and great music supplied by DMB. This year is extra special as O.A.R. are opening for Dave.
We have an extended crew this year with a lot of rookies making there first trip to the Gorge and their first concert with DMB. Wow! Talk about spoiled! DMB AND THE GORGE for you first show.
I should talk, that's the first venue Connie and I saw them too. And we've been hooked ever since.
There is such an awesome vibe there. Everyone is there to have a good time and take in the amazing sights and sounds.

Connie and I are probably traveling the furthest. Coming all the way from the east coast (Nova Scotia) to Calgary and then driving down caravan style with the rest of the crew. We have about 20-25 people making the trip.
Booyah!
Here is a pic from the last time we went back in 2004.

Barnyard Opens Today!

2006-08-04T13:46:00.000-07:00

So a new animated feature opens today. Barnyard. My cousin Glenn and friend James Burke worked on this film and I am SUPER-EXCITED for them!
There has been a lot of criticism about the movie, what with a bull having an udder and all, but I have faith in Steve Odekerk and his crew to put an entertaining film on the big screen.
Will it be Pixar? No.
But who says it has to be? Pixar does their thing and they do it well. But Omation's first feature is an Omation film and deserves to be judged on it's own merit.
I'm looking forward to a fun movie experience with lots of laughs and good writing - something that is sorely missed in a lot of other big-budget films that have visuals that rival King Pixar.
Barnyard looks to be a good time and what more can you ask for?
Giddyup!

Atomic Swindlers, Thy time has come!

2006-07-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

I got turned on to Atomic Swindlers after watching an animated video by Joel Trussel
So, after digging on the super cool video and grooving to the infectious sound of the song, I went straight to my iTunes music store and downloaded their album Coming Out Electric.
I was getting bored with a lot of music lately. There is only so much Nicklesuck, Dreary of a Deadman (aka Nicklesuck clone), American Idiot contest winners, manufactured skanky-blonde pop products (you know who I mean and that are more or less equivilant to running shoes, soda-pop, disposable razors, etc) and other tripe that gets fed through the radio waves and broadcast into our homes via the boob tube that a person can take.
Popular music is boring. Face it.
It's the bands on the fringe that are doing the interesting stuff. So, go to your local watering hole and check out an unknown band. Support your indy music scene.
And pick up Atomic Swindlers. It's a really fun album. Can I call a digital download an album? Oh well, you know what I am getting at here! ;)

Art

San Fran Chronicle Takes Dump on 100 years of Animation History

2006-07-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

Well, from time to time, in the course of your life, you run into truly ignorant people. San Francisco Chronicle movie critic, Mick La Salle, while writing a review of the movie Monster House, decided to belittle the tremendous achievements pioneered by the famed Nine Old Men from Disney Studios.
Now, he didn't call out the master 2D animators by name, but he did take aim at the first traditionally animated feature film in history, Snow White.
I have no beefs with somebody reviewing a movie. It's only an opinion and everybody has one. However, when you stop writing you personal opinion of a movie and start treading into deeper waters about animation technique, technology and history, it's best to do some research and get your facts straight. Mr. La Salle did NOT do his research.
Take this juicy tidbit as an example: "Animated films always had the advantage of being able to go anywhere and show anything, to defy the laws of physics and follow the imagination as far as it could go. But they never had the ability to show the human face. There was never any point to a close-up in an animated film -- there was never really anything to see."
WTF!? Has this guy even watched an animated movie before?
I am beside myself how a person could be so unprofessional. However, it may be another indication at how weak the standards of modern media have become. There seems to be no concern with writing balanced, informative articles anymore.
And besides the bowl movement he takes on 2D animation, has he not watched Pixar's the Incredibles? No emotion or close ups there? I mean c'mon! Gee whiz!
Check out the article here.
Check out what artists at CG Talk have to say here.
Email Mick La Salle and let him know what you think mlasalle@sfchronicle.com.

Talk Free, Forever. It's how it should be.

2006-06-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I have to tell you about this awesome piece of software that I just installed on my computer. It allows me to use my computer (along with a microphone and speakers) as a telephone.
I can make outgoing and recieve incoming phone calls from other computers and landlines (mobiles too!) anywher in the world and it's free*.
The software is called Skype and you should download it right away. Seriously. Stop reading this and go get Skype. It's wicked-awesome!
I am just giddy about it. Click on the image above to get started!

I've Just been Tagged

2006-04-25T07:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I learned a new blogging term recently.
Tagging. My friend Steve Reese set me an email linking to his blog. To say that he is a Mini Nerd is a woeful misrepresentation of the facts in my opinion. ;)
Just kidding Steve!
So the whole idea is that you answer a bunch of questions and let your iTunes (or whatever mps player you use) answer the questions with the songs that come up. You need to have your player set to shuffle.
Steve did this (HUGE NERD) and then "tagged" me, meaning I am supposed to do the same. Well, how could I refuse?
If I learned anything from this exercise it is this: I need to get some new tunes. How embarrassing. Cutting Crew? Platinum Blonde? Oasis? The sad thing is that I have worse...
Oh well, here I am. The music me. Warts and all.

How Does the World See Me? Peace On Earth - U2
Will I live a happy life? Round Here - Counting Crows
What do people really think of me? Eating the Rich - The Lowest of the Low
How can I make myself happy? Some Might Say - Oasis
What Should I do with my life? Standing in the Dark - Platinum Blonde
What is some good advice for me? I'll Stand by you - Pretenders
What do I think my current theme song is? Jesus in a Camper Van - Robbie Williams
What song will play at my funeral? February Stars - Foo Fighters
What is my day going to be like? The statue got me high - They Might be Giants
Why am I here? Heartstrings - The Heavy Blinkers
What will people rmember me for? It's finally done - The Heavy Blinkers
What song will get stuck in my head tomorrow? Untitled - Oasis
Are there people outside waiting to take me away? So Much to Say/Anyone Seen the Bridge - The Dave Matthews Band
What will this year be all about? I just died in your arms - Cutting Crew

RUGBY 06: Scrum, Maul and Ruck to your hearts content

2006-03-08T06:44:00.000-08:00

Well, my first game has debuted at number 5 for all platforms at all prices on the UK game charts.
There is a great flash site on Electronic Art's UK site. They have some great videos and pics so you can get a feel for how the game looks. Check it out!
Here is what some of the reviews are saying about Rugby 06:

OXM (Official Xbox Magazine) 8.4 - "Not just the best looking rugby game on Xbox, one of the best looking sports games ever."

IGN 8.3 - "Rugby 06 improves upon its predecessor in almost every way. At times, if you don't button through the cutscenes, you'll feel like you are watching a rugby broadcast, and that's high praise. ...this is easily the prettiest rugby title yet."

GAMESPOT 7.6 - "Thanks to some crucial new control mechanics, the introduction of star impact players that can blow a match wide open, real clubs and players, and a faithful re-creation of the high-impact sport of rugby, Rugby 06 improves on last year's effort and remains an engaging and fun game."

STUFF MAGAZINE 8.5 - "You won't be disappointed. Rugby '06 is so good, if you shut your eyes and hold the box to your nose, you can practically smell the post-scrum Guinness vomit."

OPERATION SPORT 8.0 - "At the unbelievably low price-point, Rugby 06 is a steal. If you like sports games and are looking for a solid, action packed title, you owe it to yourself to give Rugby a try. "

But hey, don't take their word for it. Go out and give it a try!
I am a little late posting on this so the game has since dropped to #5 for the PS2(was #1) and #6 for the Xbox (was#5). Another great game that was created at our studio is Fifa Street 2 for the PSP. It's currently at number one!
I am very proud to have had a part in creating this game (Rugby06). It was the culmination of many talented programmers, artists and producers.
There aren't enough positive things I can say about the team here at HB.
So, look for both of these games in stores. They really are fun to play!

Because Inspiration is Everywhere

2006-02-08T08:28:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd link to a website that I have been frequenting over the past few months.
From the Drawn! website: Drawn! site is a multi-author blog devoted to illustration, art, cartooning and drawing. Its purpose is to inspire creativity by sharing links and resources.
Albert Einstein said, “The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources,” but what the hell did he know anyway?
The site was conceived by John, like all good ideas, while goofing off at work.

I check out Drawn! just about every day to get a dose of illustration goodness. The contributors at Drawn! make it easy for me to get access to a lot of great artists and work that I may not have already been aware of.
Check it out!

Grand Theft Superbowl

2006-02-06T15:20:00.000-08:00

Crackle...crackle...

All units be on the lookout for a gang of thieves. Mostly older caucasian males, wearing black and white shirts and ball caps.
Suspected of stealing the superbowl trophy from the Seatle Seahawks and unloading it to Bill Cowher and Jerome Bettis of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Use extreme caution. Suspects are considered senile, dim-sighted and possibly retarded.

Crackle...crackle...Dispatch out. Crackle....

What a joke. What was a pretty good football game could have been much better if the men in stripes did their job at even a mediocre level of competance. Alas, even that was too much to expect. Pittsburgh's 12th man, in some circles know as the officials, handed them the victory on a silver platter.
They called back a Seahawk touchdown because of offensive pass interference, a call you almost NEVER SEE in NFL football. There was the slimmest of contact between the two players and to call it a "push off" is treading on ice that is so thin it's almost non-existent.
Then later in the game, they awarded the Steelers a td when QB Ben Roethlisberger clearly did not break the plane of the endzone. Worst of all the line judge had a clear and unobstructed view of the play and made the wrong call. Even in slow-motion replay, the head official refused to
overturn the call on the field.
The fix was in.
With those two enourmous blunders by the officials, the final tally would be Seattle 17, Pittsburgh 14. Who knows what the final score would have really been if the officials had done their job.
Momentum is a big part of the game. Had Seatle been awarded that initial touchdown, they may have ended up crushing the Steelers on the scoreboard. They already were dominating them in the first half, even with the officials working against them.
Too bad, it was a good game but the officiating marred what could have been one of the best world championships in recent history.
I'm glad Bill Cowher and Jerome Bettis finally got a championship. It would have been sweeter if they had actually earned their rings.

You need more Moore

2006-01-31T07:35:00.000-08:00

Hello Folks.
Just a quick note to plug a fabulous book I recently finished reading by author Christopher Moore.
"Lamb the Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal" was a great (and quick) read. It's basically an account of the first 30 years of Jesus' life told from the view of his fictional childhood chum, Biff.
It deals with a lot of serious issues about spirituality but this yarn unrolls in a very light-hearted and intelligent manner. Although the story is more or less completely fictional, you get a new perspective about the Saviour of mankind and get a chance to care about him in an entirely different way than He has been portrayed in the Bible and in movies. You get to see Him as human. Struggling to come to grips woth the daunting destiny of saving all humanity. I mean, how would you respond to having supernatural powers as an 8 year old? That's a lot to deal with.
As Uncle Ben said, "With great power comes great responsibility."
At any rate, you'll be doing yourself a favour by picking up this book. I know I'll be making a trip to the Yarn Barn for a few more of Mr Moore's novels.
If you are a hard-core Christian who likes to burn Harry Potter books because they are evil and poison the minds of our youth, you may not like this satirical look into the Messiah's early life. OR, lighten up and read the damn book. You might learn something.
With incredible journey's, magic, healings, kung fu, corpse reanimations and hot babes, there is something for everyone.

Uncertain Future for Canada

2006-01-24T20:08:00.000-08:00

Well, Canada has elected a new governing body.
Although it is not an ideal situation for Canada, to be realistic, it's the best we could hope for.
Paul Martin's Liberals had their chance and they didn't make the grade. They needed to be replaced.
As Stephen Harper appears on national TV with his shit-eating grin, acting like he is the choice of Canadians everywhere, he should be aware that he didn't win this election. Paul Martin and his Liberals lost it. The money scandals proved too much for them to overcome. And rightfully so. But do we really believe that the other parties aren't as dirty as the Liberals were? Money exchanges hands, backs are scratched. That is politics.
The Conservatives, as scary and narrow-minded as they are, are the only option in most Canadian's minds. It's either Tory Blue or Grit Red up here in Canada, eh. And we'll bitch and moan about them equally.
What we won't do? Actually make a real change.
The Liberals and Conservative parties have been running this country for years and it seems like the population is never happy about who is in charge. We just get tired of the current party and flip-flop to the opposing colour.
Why not give another party a chance? NDP Jack Layton is the only candidate that actually practices what he preaches. He is about the average Canadian, not big corporations.
I'm not saying the NDPs are the answer to Canada's problems, but I wouldn't mind them getting a kick at the can. They couldn't do any worse that the others have done.
It is increaslingly frustrating as Canadians vote along party lines because their fathers voted Tory or Grit and their fathers before them.
Is it so hard to actually stop and think for ourselves? Make a decision based on the best party for the current times?
I can only hope that parties like the NDP and Green Party will continue to make gains and that Canadians will eventually vote for a real change for the better and not change for the sake of change.
And while I'm at it, why in the heck is Gilles Duceppe getting equal coverage as the national parties? It is clear he is only concerned about Quebec and not the rest of Canada. He should run for premiere, not for federal leadership.
I'd rather see the Green Party leader Jim Harris during the debates. At least he has support nationwide, albeit small.
At any rate, the Tories are in power for now and it is a minority government. A minority with less seats than the previous minority government.
Let's hope the other paries work hard to keep Stephen Harper in check.
I for one won't mind going back to the polls in another 18 months if it means putting a trust-worthy leader in charge.

Across the world and back again

2006-01-22T04:19:00.000-08:00

Well, I am back from Taipei and the TICTFF. I must say that this was one of the most enjoyable and memorable experiences of my life.
The festival organisers and volunteers did an outstanding job. The screenings were great, the staff were great and the kids and guardians attending the festival were wonderful.
I think everybody had a fantastic time.
A big THANK YOU to everyone involved with the festival for running a first-class event.
And I met some really terrific people at the festival, two of whom I became very fond of. ;)
All of the directors/producers/actors who were in attendance were a joy to meet.
I highly recommend Taiwan as a travel destination. The people are beyond friendly and the country and culture are rich and inviting.
I hope I get to go back soon!

Bon Voyage...

2006-01-10T05:39:00.000-08:00

Well, I am off to Taipei, Taiwan tomorrow. It will be the first leg of my journey to the Taiwan International Children's TV and Film Festival. After arriving at the Halifax International Airport at 4 am, I have 27 hours of flying and waiting to look forward to! Oh JOY!
It will be great once I am there though. After (hopefully) catching some zzz's on the plane, I'll be checking into my hotel to get some more sleep. Taiwan and Nova Scotia have a 12 hour time difference so jetlag will ost likely have an impact on my system. With any luck, I'll be ready for the fetival the following day.
TICTFF will be providing me the service of some enlgish students to help translate while I am there. It should make for a smoother integration as I know absolutely no mandarin.
Well, I know the fruit. Love the fruit.
But I doubt that will help me much.
I don't know how much access I'll have to a computer while I am there but I'll try to update this blog over the five days I am in Taipei. If not, I'll post again when I return.
Wish me luck!

Frederator Loves You

2006-01-06T11:07:00.000-08:00

Want an extra special treat for your iPod? Subscribe to Channel Frederator for some of the most entertaining cartoons that will fit into your pocket.
Whether you are stuck on the bus or train on your way to work, on the verge of slipping off to sleep in church as the preacher drones on about how you are going to hell, or tired of watching all those late night infomercials at 3 am; never fear, Frederator is here.
Anytime is a good time for cartoons.
Just make sure you are in the back pew if you are in God's house. And say a few extra Hail Mary's 'cause you are going to hell.
Side note: check out episode 5 to watch my film, Pen' Pals. Be a pal, leave a comment.

More Podcast Goodness

2006-01-06T10:24:00.000-08:00

Arguably the world's best-known super hero, Superman, will make his return to the silver screen this summer, almost 30 years after the original movie starring Christopher Reeve was released.
Director Bryan Singer (Usual Suspects, X-Men, X2: X-Men United) is at the helm of the new Supes and he has been publishing a unique behind the scenes video diary through iTunes.
The Superman podcast is rated number 2 in the "Top 10 Essentials for your video iPod" by Pod Guide.TV
As a side note, the great American superhero was co-created by Canadian, Joe Schuster. It seems all the best "American" stuff comes from Canada, eh?

Podcasts? This is a Mobcast...

2006-01-06T09:36:00.000-08:00

Need something groovy to accessorize that new video iPod you got for Christmas?
Just want something to spice up your iTunes and make your friends jealous?
Well, here it is: Kangacast by the Kangaroo Alliance.
You can check out their blog and their website for more info about these New York artists. Click here to subscribe to the podcast.
It's feel good music and animation.
Trust me, your iPod will love you for it.

Happy New Year!

2006-01-04T12:29:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know I am a few days late on the greeting but I mean it from the cockles of my heart just the same.
It was a tremendous end to 2005. I wrapped production on a short film, Aboriginality, produced by a friend of mine, Dominique Keller.
I also wrapped production on my first video game, Rugby 2006, created by HB Studios and published by EA Sports.
My short film, Pen' Pals, continues to gather steam and is scheduled to screen at the TICTFF (Taiwan International Children's TV and Film Festival). The good people at TICTFF were gracious enough to extend me an invitation to attend the festival. I'll be flying from Halifax on the 11th and returning on the 18th of January.
In other Pen' Pal news, I have learned that it will be part of the market at the Claremont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, one of the largest and most prestigious short film festivals in the world. I am very honoured to participate in both of these festivals! Wish me luck!
Hopefully things will continue to be positive in 2006 with my next short film, Yellow Boat.

What do you feed a 45 ton Gorilla?

2005-12-19T07:01:00.000-08:00

Well, the obvious answer is, 'Anything he wants'. But in this case, I would suggest lots and lots of buttery popcorn, 'cause the only place you'll find this King of Beasts is at your local cinema.

The best way to describe this movie is a 'Cinematic Spectacle'. Just like the beast himself, this movie is larger than life.

Jackson's favorite movie is the original 1933 King Kong. His respect and adulation for that film is evident with the nuances he carefully placed throughout his 2005 version. Jackson decided not to retell the original story verbatim but instead filmed a parallel story, almost a version that could have been made in an alternate reality. There are similarities but the films differ in enough areas to make Jackson's Kong an original that stands on it's own. References to the '33 Kong include mentioning real people from the '33 Kong, actress Fay Wray and driector Merian C. Cooper, as working on a film together (presumably King Kong!).
Another is the costumed performance of the natives in New York (2005 Kong). Their apparel was almost exactly like the Skull Island tribe from the 1933 King Kong. Jackson goes so far as to poke fun at the wooden acting of Bruce Cabot, 1933's Jack Driscoll.
In the first hour of the film, some of the moments almost seem a parody of the 1933 version and are laughable. It doesn't help that Jackson cast J ack Black as Carl Denham. Now, I love Jack Black but it's hard to take him serious as an actor since he is known for his comedic, over the top, ham it up style of acting. I didn't know if I should take his performance seriously or if I should be laughing.
There were some sketchy scenes with Naomi Watts as well. She is a fine actress but she seemed a little uncomfortable in some scenes. Her perfromance was a little inconsistant and uneven.
Another moment of the film that didn't jive with me was the ice skating scene (for lack of better terminology - there weren't any skates). It felt like a cheesy Coca-Cola commercial. You'll know what I mean when you see it.
But I know what Jackson was trying to achieve with these scenes and it's easily overlooked.
That said, the real star of this film is the 25 foot, 45 ton digital gorilla, Kong. Weta surpassed their stunning acheivment of Gollum with this new digital character. I had to remind myself at numerous times that the character I was being moved by did not really exist except as programming code inside a computer. He was so real; from his fur, facial expressions and physical performance, he was damn near perfect. The artists at Weta should be proud.
The fight scenes with the beasts of Skull Island were complex and original. The choreography of those scenes were breath-taking. I mean, there was so much going on it was mind-blowing!
Even more profound were the quiet moments involving Ann and Kong. I wish I had Tivo in the theatre and could have paused and rewound those scenes.
All in all, it was a spectacular movie, even with the weaker points I mentioned earlier. For my box office moolah, Kong easily squashes other epic adventure movies from 2005 like Harry Potter and Narnia.
So, go see it! If you want to go on a wild ride this holiday season and get away from the pushy over-crowded shops, you won't be dissapointed. Duck into a nice quiet theatre and be immersed into another world for a few hours.

Slow down Blog Bandwagon...I'm jumping on!

2005-12-15T16:12:00.000-08:00

Well, I have decided to join the Blog Revolution. Or maybe it's the Blog Evolution.
At any rate, I have been meaning to update my web presence and in doing so, the blog will be a part of it.
Since I have never done this before, I figured I would sign up to the service at Blogger and figure it out as I go.
So bear with me as I grope around in the dark recesses of the internet, looking for the switch to shed some light on this blogging phenomenon.
Hopefully it will be a fairly quick and painless process and I can get up and running with more relevant posts.

Art