Global Cooling Animation

Let's face it, you don't hear much about global cooling these days, right? This clever animation is both informative and cautionary. It is well worth watching by anyone interested in the environment.


I think that you will agree that the animation's conclusions are unassailable.

2020

"Strange Alloy" - The Future, Buddhist Style

"Strange Alloy."

"Strange Alloy" (2015) is an odd short film that is both beautiful and philosophical. It was created in two months by director Loïc Bramoullé. It has great animation, but I just want to add - and I don't usually say this about shorts - but it has a great sound. Just because it is odd, incidentally, doesn't mean that I don't like it. I do.

"Strange Alloy" is just unusual.

The landscapes are from Myanmar. Bramoullé did the animation work back in his Paris studio.

Strange alloy - indy very short film from liok on Vimeo.
The script is about the future, but the conclusion is based on Buddhist philosophies. Now, just how often do you get to view a sci-fi animation with a Buddist slant? I didn't think so. And, before you find that too odd or alien to a bother with - it is not heavy-handed. It simply asks a question with an answer that is both obvious and indisputable.

The film also is odd because Bramoullé released a "making of" a film about "Strange Alloy" that is longer than the film itself. If you like animation, it is worth watching, but sometimes the mystery of animation is best left behind the scenes. Your call.

Strange alloy: making of from liok on Vimeo.
I like to give exposure to good animated works and their creators, especially if they are of fine quality but unlikely to reach a wide audience. I only post films that I think are worth your time. Hope you enjoyed it.

Original music by Thomas Barrandon (soundcloud.com/thomasbarrandon)
Mix & sound design by Resonant Step (resonantstep.com)
Alien voice (sound design) by Morgan Hammel ([email protected])
Creature design, sculpt, surfacing: Loïc Bramoullé
Rig: Vincent Donaz, Daniel Quintero
Animation: Vincent Donaz, Daniel Quintero, Benoit Vincent, Aurélie Vigneron
tracking, lighting, rendering: Rachad Meya, Loïc Bramoullé
Color grading, compositing: Vivien Ebran, Loïc Bramoullé
Matte paintings: Loïc bramoullé
Cloth simulation: Caroline Lobato
Particules & flares: Niels Prayer
Produced with the support of SupaRésidence ©

2020

Watch A Star Entering A Black Hole

Black Hole.

Watch A Star Entering A Black Hole.


NASA is more into animation these days than it is into manned space flight. If it weren't for the ISS, that would be pretty much all NASA does in that regard - animation.

Fortunately, the animators are not earthbound. Here is a clever animation of a star being drawn into the gravity of a black hole. First, intense tidal forces rip the star apart, flinging stellar debris outward at high speed. Then, the greatest mass of the star descends towards the black hole, causing a flare.

These types of videos kind of lose their impact due to the scale of our screens. Seeing some little thing gobble up some other little thing is not inherently impressive. However, for those into these things like me, just imagine the sun that you see overhead on clear summer days somehow coming afoul of one of these things. That stable star that keeps the entire solar system alive would get ripped apart like the one in this video. And it wouldn't take too long, either.

Source: Nasa Goddard.

2020

Monty Python And The Holy Grail: Lost Footage

Terry Gilliam.

Terry Gilliam, who did the animation for Monty Python, narrates some lost footage from the original "Monty Python & The Holy Grail." It's interesting to fans for several reasons:

1. It's lost footage!
2. Some of the footage is quite good!
3. Some of it isn't, but it's lost footage!
4. Terry Gilliam talks!
5. Terry Gilliam talks good!
6. Terry Gilliam gives some insight into his animation process!
7. Terry Gilliam talks!

Okay, it helps if you are a fan. But some of the footage is right up there with what made it into the film. He's an amusing chap, and really does show you how and why it was done.

This is all in service of some 40th-anniversary products which, if you're a fan, you know all about anyway, and if you aren't, well, you couldn't care less anyway. If you miss this chance, don't worry, you'll get another chance to buy something from them in ten years for the 50th anniversary.


2020

MH17 Shoot-Down Animation

MH17 Shoot-Down Animation.



Malaysia Airlines flight 17 crashed on July 17, 2014, in Eastern Ukraine. That is an area in which Russian separatists have been fighting Ukrainian government authorities. Speculation ever since has been that it was shot down by a surface-to-air missile of some kind, most likely by the separatists. Another theory is that whoever shot the missile thought that it was a plane carrying Vladimir Putin, who indeed was aboard another flight that day.

The Dutch Safety Board has been running the investigation because most of the 298 passengers on board were of Dutch nationality. It has concluded that a missile shot down the plane. It has released an animation of the crash that assumes a “path of the missile” that it is assumed downed the plane. It is important to remember that this is all hypothetical, and just because there is a very smooth animation, does not make it fact. Basically, there are three versions to this incident: the Ukrainian version, the Russian version, and this version.

According to the report, a Buk surface-to-air missile exploded less than a meter from the cockpit of the Malaysian Airlines flight. That killed the crew instantly. The front of the plane then broke off, and the rest of the plane had no chance.

While there is broad agreement about some aspects of the incident, some details of the investigation are disputed.

The official probe into the crash has found that the crash could have been avoided. The airspace should have been closed due to the danger in the area.

The report did not conclude who fired the missile, which is of great political significance and unknowable from the wreckage alone. Instead, it only examined what actually happened, and where. It identified a 320-square kilometer area where the assumed missile launch most likely took place. That area, according to many sources, was under rebel separatist (i.e., Russian) control at the time of the crash, but that is disputed. Additionally, the report contends that the missile most likely was launched from a particular village named Zaroshchenskoe.

The Russians dispute only part of this. They claim that that village was under Ukrainian government control at the time, not Russian separatists. In July, Russia vetoed a UN security council resolution to establish an international criminal tribunal to investigate the airliner’s destruction. They called it politically motivated.

2020

"Marvel Super Hero Adventures: Frost Fight!" Coming Soon

Joe Quesada, who is in charge of Marvel, and Marvel president of television and publishing Dan Buckley gave guests at the recent New York Comic-Con preview of coming events. It looks exciting!

Marvel Animation intends to release an upcoming full-length animated holiday film called "Marvel Super Hero Adventures: Frost Fight!" It will include Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Captain Marvel and, best of all, Santa Claus. All of them, apparently, will battle Loki and Ymir.

Santa will even have his own superhero costume! It is, of course, family-friendly and "told in a Marvel way."

Two New Television Shows

They also said that there will be two new Marvel animated shows that will air on Disney XD in 2016:

• Avengers: Ultron Revolution,
• Ultimate Spider-Man vs. The Sinister Six

In Avengers: Ultron Revolution, there will be a group of mini-series featuring the core Avengers team as well as appearances from Ant-Man, Black Panther and Ms. Marvel, among others.

In Ultimate Spider-Man vs. The Sinister Six, also debuting in 2016, there will be appearances from Iron Spider, Scarlet Spider, and Miles Morales.

"Guardians of the Galaxy" will be back for a second season on Disney XD. It will have its own Cosmic Mix Volume 1 music release coming out on 16 October 2015. The mix will feature songs from the animated series.

Guardians of the Galaxy airs on Disney XD, Saturdays at 9:30/8:30 Central.

2020

Fishing Train

"Fishing Train."

"Fishing Train" animated short.

Fishing Train from Fishing Train on Vimeo.
"Fishing Train" is a cool little animation from Kevin Phou and the folks at Supamonks.

"Two mercenaries go on a very special fishing trip."

Very colorful, a fun ride.

The others involved:

Vincent Gibaud : Concept Art, Background Design, Story Board , Layout, Animatique vincentgibaud.tumblr.com/
Alizée Laffitau : Animation 2D/Fx, Chara-Design, Layout Animation alizeelaffitau.blogspot.fr/
Maimiti Chave : Compositing, Concept Art maimitic.blogspot.fr/
Luca Strano : Modélisation 3D lucastrano.blogspot.fr/
Camille Gomes : Chara-Design camillesketchbook.tumblr.com/
Alexandre Monge : Animation 2D/3D alexanimationm.blogspot.fr/
Maxime Gridelet : Animation2D/Fx maximegridelet.blogspot.fr/
Yann Leroy : Compositing leroyyann.com/
Musique :
Benjamin Gex-Fabry
bonogex.com/

2020

Battlestar 2019 Viper Launch

Viper launch.

Battlestar 2019 Viper Launch.


This is a cool rendering by Randal R of a Viper launch from a Battlestar Galactica reboot. Oh... full screen, please. Thank you.

Apparently, this is a snippet of a much larger work. I think it's a very good job. I will admit that I am a fan of the original Battlestar - I know, fans of the new one are shaking their poor heads at the number of times they've heard that - but this is worthy.

It's just a cool little thing, but the detail is very good. He keeps updating it, so I have the latest Youtube version that I could find above.

2020