My VFX Reel

Hello All!

This reel demonstrates my abilities as visual effects artist/digital compositor. There are a lot of digital matte paintings and rotoscoping involved. I primarily used Inferno (Discreet Logic software) for each effect. I don't think I have any Quantel shots on this. This was my all time favorite career, and maybe someday I'll return to it. In the meantime, I'm am immersed in the world of animation to further increase my knowledge base. 

Thank you Max!

Max Fleischer was a technical genius and possibly an unsung hero in animation. What Walt Disney achieved in Hollywood, Max and his brother David worked hard on the East Coast. At a young age, Max worked as a technical illustrator for Popular Mechanics in the early 20th century. He went on to invent and patent the concept of rotoscoping, a way to trace animation from live action film to create a more fluid movement.

 He and Dave went on to animate such popular characters as Betty Boop, Popeye the Sailor, and Superman. Their first "breakout" character was Koko the Inkwell Clown, animated by filming and then  rotoscoping Dave's antics. 

As a visual effects artist, I am no stranger to rotoscoping, by erasing wires, or drawing directly on top of the digital film. My hat comes off to Max. He may not have had Disney's publicity, but his efforts in animation do not come unnoticed!

my favorite medium

My favorite illustration tool, as of late, is Adobe Illustrator. Five years ago, the program intimidated me, but with practice, research and hand on training, I learned to love the program. I now teach Vector Graphics, to pay it forward. I try and challenge myself with each new project I come up with. Here is my illustration of Dr. Frankenstein running into his creation. This took a lot of layers and a few passes with the Pathfinder tool. I do an initial sketch on paper with a trusty Col-Erase blue pencil, scan it,  make it a template and start planning out color schemes.

Why Animation?

As another semester wraps up, I am encouraged by the animation students who have completed the History of Animation course. We try to show the students that their idols or heroes in the field started out young, impressionable, and hungry, just like them. It is hard to wrap your head around the idea that an icon like Walt Disney started out in animation before he was 20. Consider who your favorite animator is, and why? Then consider who influenced him/her. The answer may influence you even more so!

Welcome

Hello, and welcome to The Jackalope Den. This is my blog to talk about my favorite subjects: Animation, Animation History, and Visual Effects. This is also a place where I am able to display my artwork and the artwork of friends. Being an instructor of an Art College grants me access to great information and a vast array of inspiration!