Andreas Deja's Mushka

As work continues on our second episode of Watchcat, I wanted to let you know about another animated film in production called "Mushka". This film is being created by Disney veteran animator, Andreas Deja who has animated King Triton from the Little Mermaid, Jafar from Aladdin, Scar from the Lion King, Gaston from Beauty and the Beast and Mama Odie from the Princess and the Frog, just to name a few.

I am hoping to interview Mr. Deja very soon and would like to get some questions from you! So, please send any questions you would like me to ask him to heyjimr@gmail.com.

The Sound of Action

Its Finals week and all the animation students at Woodbury University are burning the midnight oil and loading up on the caffeine to get their films done before the deadline. And as I write this, I have my own deadline to finish animating Episode 2 before the Summer begins or is over.

I've been laying out the final scenes and cutting in sound effects to enhance the animation. I've noticed that many students are relying on their music to tell their animated stories, but I find it always amazing to create a sound effect and sync it up to my silent animation. 

The first sync sound experience I had in animation was to animate a water splash. Back in the day, sound was on 1/4 tape and you had to record this master take unto a roll of perforated 16mm Magnetic film.Once the sound was on the 16mm mag stock, you had to add a head and tail leader. I shutter to remember those days myself, but I learned how to read the sound and figuring out when the splash occurred and when the second droplet of water fell.

No Animateducated website or Youtube references to learn from; my only source was the Disney " Illusion of Life" book and still photographs that I could find in books about science high speed photography. Once the splash was animated and pencil tested, I had to sync it up to the mag stock of the splash sound effect. I will spare you the gruesome details, but let's just say when that drawing of a ball hit the water and the sound of the splash happened at the same time as my animation, that was pure magic to me.

So, here's a sequence with sound effects added to my animation again, but using the tools of today. When it works, I am still amazed.

RoughSound_4192016 from Toondini on Vimeo.

Spot a WatchCat

While working on this project, I find myself noticing a lot of watchcats in my own neighborhood.They patrol our streets and sidewalks always in a hurry, never on a stroll. They sit under cars, in bushes, in windows keeping an eye on things.

 

Take a walk around your own neighborhood and you might be surprised to see a well hidden cat looking back at you. Here is a photo of a true watchcat, he is very well hidden. Can you find him?