Nick Whitmire/Blur Studio Animation Reel.

Animation Reel 2014- Nick Whitmire from nick whitmire on Vimeo.
Every so often, I like to post a reel from one of the top animators out there. This one is from Nick Whitmire, who describes himself as an animator from Blur Studio and who has been in the business for some time. I don't have any other information on him aside from his work, above - which, in any event, is all that matters. You can find him at his website if you like.

Blur is based in Culver City, California and does animation for all sorts of projects. However, it is probably best known for its video game trailers (not the video games themselves). The studio dabbles in feature film work, and while that is not its main game, it is at the top of the crowd in terms of quality. Blur has contributed to James Cameron's "Avatar" and some "Star Wars" projects, among many other things. They don't hire just anybody. I have previously posted their own (the studio's) reel of video game trailers here, which is pretty stunning work.


I don't recognize the products in this reel - I'm more into film animation than video game stuff, and I'm sure all of this is fairly recent - but it's important for all animation fans to recognize the rising quality of video game work. In my opinion, video game animation (in terms of quality and detail) eventually will merge with that of animated feature films, but they're not there yet. I like the vivid colors and the expressiveness on the characters' faces - something you would not have seen in this kind of animation even five years ago.

I will say this, and it is not a criticism of this reel or even really related to it, but I long for the days when they can do animation that is this vivid and sharp that is not set in the ubiquitous dark forests and shadows, but instead has believable (not cartoony) characters in the full light of day. You may disagree with that, and that's AOK, Hondo, but I can tell you from experience that it gets wearing on you when you watch a ton of stellar animation and always see the darkness and shadows that are coving up the seams and transitions. Changing that isn't going to happen any time soon, but eventually it will, and that will likely be the next great leap forward in animation.

If you like this reel, you might want to compare it to the animation reel I posted earlier this year from Dane Stogner, an animator at DreamWorks, which I still think is one of the best reels I've ever seen. Looking at the two in sequence will really allow you to compare how closely feature film animation and video game animation has become - and how much room still separates them.


From the web page:

Animation Reel 2014- Nick Whitmire
from nick whitmire PLUS 2 days ago NOT YET RATED
A compilation of my work from Blur Studio.
Music: Ryan Amon


Anyway, I enjoyed this reel even though I'm not a video game fanatic (at least anymore), so maybe you will, too. Really nice work.

2020