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The Words & Pictures Podcast Episode 7

Episode 7: The Tim Townsend Interview is up!

Go get it!

-Otis

Zeek! Production Journal

I've gone back and added/changed some things in the first three production paintings for Zeek! that I always planned to have in the shot.  I wanted to get a feel for the production painting techniques and process before going all out with the story details.

-Otis

Zeek! Production Journal

(Click on the image to see a larger version)

A production painting for "Zeek!", an animated short film being produced by myself and my wife, Leigh.

This is the eighth in a series of quick and rough visualizations to serve as guides for the look and feel of the final film.

Created in Photoshop CS3.

-Otis

Zeek! Production Journal

 

(Click on the image to see a larger version)

A production painting for "Zeek!", an animated short film being produced by myself and my wife, Leigh.

This is the seventh in a series of quick and rough visualizations to serve as guides for the look and feel of the final film.

Created in Photoshop CS3.

Go HERE to watch a video of my painting this piece!

-Otis

Oscar The Grouch

I'll say it . . . The Oscars have become ridiculous, irrelevant and out of touch with what movie-goers actually watch.  This year's nominees are perhaps the most lackluster in the history of the Academy Awards.  I though that the year "Crash" took Best Picture was a low point.  I guess new lows can always be achieved, especially when Hollywood decides to honor ideology and not the merit of the films as storytelling experiences.

But I digress . . .

Ask yourself . . . how many of the films on this list have you seen?  And more importantly, how many of the films in the Best Picture category will you still be watching 50 years from now?

Consider the Best Picture nominees from 1939, arguably one of Hollywood's best years . . .

Gone With The Wind, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Love Affair, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Ninotchka, Of Mice and Men, Stagecoach, The Wizard of Oz, Wuthering Heights.

If any one of those films were among the nominated films in this year's Best Picture category, I wouldn't bet against it.  And consider this also:  Alfred Hitchcock never won an Oscar for Best Direction.

All of that being said, here are my picks for this year's "best".  But, as I've said many times before on this blog, there are no "best films".  There are only stories that touched and entertained you more than other stories.  Hollywood has chosen its contenders and tonight will hand out little golden men based on whatever reason they choose to do so.  Here are the films and artists that I feel are deserving of recognition for their wonderful work in 2008:

Best Picture:  WALL-E

Best Directing:  Andrew Stanton, "WALL-E"

Best Actor:  Robert Downey Jr., "Iron Man"

Best Supporting Actor:  Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"

Best Actress:  Elissa Knight (Voice), Ben Burtt (Sound Design) and the Pixar Animators for their work on "Eve", "WALL-E"

Best Supporting Actress:  Ahney Her, "Gran Torino"

Best Art Direction:  "Kung-Fu Panda"

Best Cinematography:  "WALL-E"

Best Costume Design:  "Kung-Fu Panda"

Best Film Editing:  "Quantum of Solace"

Best Make-Up:  "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Best Music (Score):  "WALL-E"

Best Music (Song):  Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, "Down To Earth", "WALL-E"

Best Short Film:  "Oktapodi"

Best Sound Editing:  "WALL-E"

Best Sound Mixing:  "WALL-E"

Best Visual Effects:  "Iron Man"

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay):  "Iron Man"

Best Writing (original Screenplay):  "WALL-E"

Oh, and I started to write up a "Worst of 2008" list but stopped when I began to fear that typing "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull" over and over would give me repetitive stress disorder.

-Otis

Spellbinder Production Journal

 

Penciled by Matt Hebb, inked by Marc Deering and written & colored by me.

You can watch a recording of me coloring this page on my Ustream channel!

More soon!

-Otis

Moore Watchmen

I colored these personal sketch cards live on my Ustream channel tonight:

These personal sketch cards measure 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches each and were drawn with micron pens and Prismacolor markers/pencils.

You can watch a recording of me creating these cards on my Ustream channel!

-Otis

Spellbinder Production Journal

Penciled by Matt Hebb, inked by Marc Deering and written & colored by me.

You can watch a recording of me coloring this page on my Ustream channel!

More soon!

-Otis

Who Watches (Me Color) The Watchmen?

I colored these personal sketch cards live on my Ustream channel tonight:

You can watch a recording of me creating these cards on my Ustream channel!

These personal sketch cards measure 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches each and were drawn with micron pens and Prismacolor markers/pencils.

I have 40 blanks left, all going to one client (my pal George), so stay tuned for further live webcasts featuring me working on them, because I hope to finish all 40 by May or June so they can all be featured in my 2009 convention sketchbook.

-Otis

The Hunt For Gollum Trailer

THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM - FULL Trailer 1 from Independent Online Cinema on Vimeo.

The film will go live online in full on May 3rd, further details are up on the official site.

-Otis