New AAU Animation Dept. blog - "Animation School Daily"

Brand spanking new blog from the Traditional (2D) Animation Dept. at the Academy of Art University that you should check out :

Animation School Daily Blog 


It's just started, so bookmark and keep checking back for more posts soon.

First two posts have some beautiful drawings by AAU instructors:

This beautiful figure study in charcoal by Associate Director of 2D Animation (Onsite) , Diana Coco-Russell -

   (click on the image to view it larger)



and this terrific illustration -- "Young Walt" --  by Full Time Faculty (2D Animation - Onsite) Nicolas Villarreal -

     (click on the image to view it larger)

Great stuff , eh ?   More to come soon .   Drawings, departmental news, inspirational art for classical animation.

Milt Kahl Tribute - Videos online

(click image to see it larger)

In April the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences hosted a tribute to master animation Milt Kahl, which they called "Milt Kahl: Animation's Michelangelo" .

The Academy has now posted video excerpts from some of the panel speakers from that event, including John Musker, Ron Clements, Brad Bird, Andreas Deja, Floyd Norman, Richard Williams, John Pomeroy, and Alice Davis, among other notables.

Great memories of the master . Go watch the videos here, right now !  --- 

Milt Kahl Tribute Videos - Click HERE -

a little reminder of how amazing Milt's animation is: 

Classic Milt Kahl pencil test

I could watch these pencil tests for hours .  (I wish Disney would release special pencil test editions on the "extras" sections of the DVD's .)  

Mowgli trying to climb the tree , animated by Milt Kahl.

From Disney's "The Jungle Book". 

(found via Alan Cook, via Victor Ens)

HOKUSAI - Animated Sketchbook

A marvelous film based on the drawings of the master Hokusai , written/directed by Tony White.

Tony writes:

"The film itself was inspired by the wonderful sketchbooks of Hokusai. When I saw them I realized that this artist was indeed a true animator at heart... he just didn't have the knowledge or the technology to be one in his lifetime. I therefore sought to bring his drawings to life for him, as homage to his genius."

Also, check out Tony's other films posted on YouTube, in particular "Endangered Species" a love letter to hand-drawn animation and an impassioned vision for how hand-drawn can continue to exist in the "digital age" .

Here is Tony's introduction to "Endangered Species" telling how and why he came to make the film :



Very important observation about the apprenticeship system and how traditional animation skills were "traditioned" (which literally means: "passing down to") from one animator to another :