Max Steiner - Animation Extravaganza

Annnd... Waaiiit For It... Okay it's done!

2008-11-19T05:27:00.000-08:00

Tah-da!
Take two run cycles of jousters, throw in a few backgrounds, mix in a feverish yet highly productive session with Sound Miner, mix 'em all together, and what do you get? This, apparently.

I know, I'm just as surprised as you are.

2008-11-07T17:45:00.000-08:00

So I've got a video to show. Is it the castles? Nope. It's better. It's the Pie Knight on his majestic steed, whom I'm told has been named Sprinkles by a power outside of my control.

The Black Knight and his steed Rhubarb are in the works. I don't really feel like showing him 'till he's done though, so you'll just have to see him later.

That's Not For You To See

2008-10-29T05:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I was gonna show a little progress today. It was a lovely video of the finished castles and their doors opening, which really is all I allow the poor things to do.
But the video won't go up on the blog here, and after three failed attempts, followed by exporting the movie again and another three attempts, I've decided that it's not worth it.

For now, just hang on to the knowledge that the castles are in there, and I promise you'll see them later when the blog is being less persnickety.

Quality You Can Taste

2008-10-27T05:20:00.001-07:00

Hey. it's been a while, hasn't it? Well, I know you've been waiting, so here's a taste of progress:

Yeah, it's just some run cycles, but that's a giant part of my animation as a whole. All I need now is a few backgrounds and maybe a rider here or there and presto!

Update

2008-10-20T05:27:00.000-07:00

So I've changed my idea! Not by much, the end just has a new punch line. Hopefully one with more punch. All I really need to pull of the new ending is to have the run (gallop?) cycles of the two jousters. Hopefully, I'll have something interesting to show before the day is out.

Some Very Sensual Lip Sync

2008-10-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

Lip Sync is so much better when you've got the smooth vocal stylings of Zap Brannigan.

Rotoscopic

2008-10-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

Rotoscoping! I've very little patience for rotoscoping, especially in a situation like this one where the walk cycle being rotoscoped is itself flawed and strangely doubled in places. So as you can see I was pretty unfocused on this one.

This one however went much better. It's a festively plump horse. I prefer rotoscoping when it's used more for reference than for tracing.

And now, as proof that real reference was used:

Walk Cyclical

2008-10-10T09:18:00.000-07:00

So I think we all learned a valuable lesson today. We learned that walk cycles are fun, and also that even if it seems like a good idea at the time, holding your breath to avoid wasting oxygen won't help to save to ozone layer or stop global warming. So we should all look for other ways to conserve our resources, ways like not giving your character arms.

2008-10-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

Storyboard time!

2008-10-08T05:20:00.000-07:00

It's a walk cycle! Woo!

2008-10-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

It's the Pie Knight. He's a plucky guy who does his best to defend his kingdom. A kingdom that chose a pie as its national symbol.

And this is the Black Knight, named for his dark armor. He hails from the kingdom of the grumpy face. He's only slightly more competent than the Pie Knight when it comes to defending his homeland, but he's much, much more violent.

2008-09-29T05:07:00.000-07:00

Everybody jumps... sometimes.

2008-09-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

Joust!

Script by Max Steiner

	Ambient field sounds. Heroic trumpeting call to arms. Sounds of drawbridges lowering. Hoof beats.	A lovely pastoral view of an open field flanked by two castles. Zoom in on the leftmost castle, see the door open and the Pie Knight (PK) exit the castle on his horse, heading for the field. Fast pan to a close up of the rightmost castle, which the Black Knight (BK) leaves also on his horse, also heading towards the field.
	Hoof beats. Slightly comical charging music (PK theme).	The PK on his horse, lance at the ready.
	Hoof beats. Intense, foreboding charging music (BK theme).	The BK on his horse, lance also at the ready.
	PK theme	PK on his horse.
	BK theme	BK on his horse.
	PK theme	PK slipping off horse.
	BK theme	Closer shot of BK on his horse.
	PK theme	PK slips even more off his horse.
	BK theme	Even closer shot of BK on his horse.
	PK theme petering out. Thud sound effect.	PK falls of his horse, lays expressionless on the ground, still holding his lance.
	BK theme	close up shot of BK on his horse
	BK theme. "Shiiiing!" sound effect.	the two horses cross paths, BK's lance pierces nothing but empty air. The PK is not in this shot, as he has already fallen of his horse.
	music stops. hoof beats. stabbing sound effect and "urk!" noise	Close up of BK looking confused. Suddenly, he seizes up.
	ambient field sounds. gurgling.	PK is still lying on the ground, and BK has just impaled himself on PK's lance.

2008-09-22T05:59:00.000-07:00

The Idea Part 2: The Quickening

2008-09-22T05:10:00.000-07:00

So, we've got two castles, see, and each one spits out a knight to joust on the field of honor. The one on the left sends an inept knight on a big, squishy horse, and the castle on the right spits out a scary night in black armor. The Black Knight seems to know what he's doing, and the Squishy Knight is so incompetent that he literally falls off his horse. The Black Knight, in a surprise upset, misses the joust against the Squishy Knight's now-vacant horse, and finds himself impaled on the lance of the fallen squishy knight, who is still lying flat on the ground.

2008-09-22T05:05:00.000-07:00

This guy is also one of my better creations (but seriously this time.) He's also the main character of my senior animation. He's a plucky entrepreneur who perhaps doesn't think things through.

2008-09-17T06:02:00.000-07:00

These are the best things I ever made:

You can just feel the quality on this one.

Butts are funny, admit it.

2008-09-17T05:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, Porky Pig is the man. When he says he's traveling to darkest Africa to capture the last dodo, he does it. He flies a plane all by himself into the heart of darkest Africa, and he brings no weapons or nets or any other form of capturing equipment. Why? 'Cause all Porky needs to do ANYTHING are his bare hands. Three words: registered lethal weapons.

And while I'm on the subject...
You know what's awesome? Fantasia, that's what's awesome:

I rest my case.

In the Beginning Part I: The Secret of the Ooze

2008-09-15T05:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a joke:

A priest walks into a bar and says: "I believe Jesus is my Lord and savior and I would like some communion wine." The bartender, being a man for conversation, says "Okay", and gives the priest the wine, and the priest leaves. Shortly thereafter, a Rabbi walks into the bar and says: "I believe the messiah has yet to come, and I would like some Manischewitz wine." The bartender gives the Rabbi his wine and the the Rabbi leaves. Shortly thereafter a whale enters the bar and says: "AAAAAaaawoooooooooOOOOOOooooooooooo."

Tah da!
Yes, that's the whole joke, and it's really the best warning I can give you about where things are heading.