We've moved!

JESSIEDOESTHINGS.COM

Until I figure out the best way to scoot this blog's contents over there I will be leaving this page up, so these archives should be around for a while.  I plan to sort out the stuff I'm proud of and want to keep from the... well, I won't say crap, per se, but the stuff I'm not quite as pleased with.

Feedback on the new site is always appreciated!  I think the layout is a bit too blah right now, but I'll find a way to splash some color in.

sketch dump...

Hiya folks. Just wanted to post up a bunch of random sketches from... all over the place/time actually, some of those are really old and I never put 'em up or didn't think they were worth putting up! but I haven't posted anything in a month or so and I don't have any new 3D stuff (I know, frowny face), so this'll have to do.




So, first up we've got some old Curiouser art back from when I was still figuring out characters. I've found that this is the most fun part for me, the beginning stages, and then when it comes to actually sitting down and putting it together...not so much. Also, at one point I thought it would be HILARIOUS for the white rabbit character to literally have paw print treads on his tennis shoes.


















One day a few months ago I started drawing these weird raccoon ferret things and I couldn't stop. I dunno why but I like 'em. a lot.

Please ignore the stupid fairy wings on the one below. really.

the little panda bunny was something I doodled at work and wanted to include :)

suuuuuuuuuuper old doodle for another story idea, this is easily from a year ago or longer.

My fish, Louie, who miraculously is still alive despite FREEZING temperatures.  Our apartment is made of cardboard.  I kid you not, it is colder in here than it is outside.

aaaaaaand last but not least, some Ratatouille sketches.  Still one of my favorite animated movies :)









okay holy cow guys, trying to assemble this update via blogger has been THE biggest pain in the butt ever.  This alone makes me want to swap blog hosts...something that'll let me post in a way that actually makes sense?  Thoughts?  Maybe WordPress would be better, I'm already using them for my movie rants.
oh!  I never mentioned that on here did I, I'm trying to watch 365 movies in 365 days, a feat that I attempted (and failed, miserably) back in 2007.  You can follow my progress if you have a Twitter account over here and read my sporadic posts on 'em when the urge to write strikes over here, but be warned, my language isn't always the cleanest.

Someday soon I hope to collect all my stupid little side projects and websites under one big umbrella page... I dunno, something like this maybe?  mwahahaha...

Nissan Leaf

Updating from Connecticut!

So this is pretty cool, here's another thing I worked on while at Roger.  I was talking to my dad about electric cars and it reminded me of this commercial I did some stuff for which, thankfully, is up on youtube already!



I made the car interior (where the camera move starts on the animated dashboard) and worked a bit with the logo flip Nissan to the "e" logo.

blahhh

I haven't had much of anything to post here lately.  The good news is, new job at Disney!  The bad news is, new job at Disney isn't particularly creatively-inclined so I'm not crankin' out anything on that end...yet.  Just means I've gotta get to work on my own stuff.  Somebody, quick!  I need some bottled motivation and inspiration!

Speaking of which... a while back I had started what I called a 'guerilla publishing' project where I dumped a bunch of self-printed book(let)s around Los Angeles in hopes that people would find them and respond.  I hid them in coffee shops and book stores, any place I thought people of a like mind might pick them up... and of course, nobody responded.  Granted I probably didn't drop nearly enough, I'm tempted to go back and try again, but until then I've resurrected the project online.  This is the future, after all.

ahem.
http://wearegatsby.tumblr.com/
The idea has changed significantly since the initial incarnation.  Less writing, less poetry & prose, more images found on the web that inspire.  It has open submissions so go ahead and post some stuff that moves you.

I'm headed up to Connecticut for a couple weeks, then back to CA for the new year!  Hope everyone had / has / is having a good holiday.  'Tis the season and all that :)

Lou Bunin's Puppets & Alice in Wonderland

I'm sure you're well aware by now that I have a thing for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and I have very little shame about it. I have made it a personal mission to see as many adaptations of the story as possible. In doing research for this 'project' I have found a total of 33, including several TV miniseries and even a good ol' fashioned blue flick from the 70's. (Don't worry mom, the version Netflix carries is only rated R.) I'm sure there are way more out there that I'm missing, but this is certainly a start. You're welcome to track my progress here and if you know of any that aren't listed, please please let me know. Green means seen, yellow means we're getting it, red means I don't know how the heck I'm ever going to get a copy.
Another interesting thing I learned in looking all this up is that more recently filmmaker Nick Willing, who was involved in one of my favorite adaptations, is working on the SyFy series that I was at first so skeptical of. (He also did Tin Man, but I have yet to form a solid opinion on that.) Now I have to watch it, not only because it's on the list but because I'm curious to see what he does with it. I saw a clip earlier and it looks surprisingly interesting.
So, how can I want to high-five Nick Willing for all he's done but want to rip Tim Burton's head off for what HE has been doing? I could rant and rave for far longer than any of you would read (if you're still even reading this) but for your sake, dear reader if you're still there, I will sum it up in one neat phrase. The Red friggin' Queen. Ladies and gentlemen, The Red Queen and the Queen of Hearts are not the same character. Moving on.

I was able to see the stunning 1949 stop motion / live action Alice in Wonderland at the Silent Movie Theatre this past weekend, directed by Dallas Bower with puppets by Lou Bunin. (One of the perks of living in Los Angeles! love love love that.) It was really, truly surprisingly inspiring. There's no uncanny valley in stop motion. These puppets were constructed in the 40's, they're nowhere near as sleek as the Laika puppets we see nowadays. In fact, if you've seen The Fantastic Mr Fox (which is phenomenal by the way, see it, please) these puppets had a similar real, tangible feel. So real in fact that the little girls who were sitting behind me (who were both dressed as Alice by the way, completely adorable) whispered to their parents, who's that? as each new character came on the screen. Not 'what' but 'who.' These were puppets, with jerky movements and imperfect rigging and unrealistic designs. Screw this realism mocap nonsense, if it walks and talks and is a lovable character, it's a character that your audience will love.

And now I'm going to be a complete hypocrite and show you all the 3D model I'm working on based on one of Bunin's designs! mwahahahaha...

I'll put it in a separate entry so I can link to it more easily without making, say, potential employers read my ode to Alice.

Lou Bunin's Puppets & Alice in Wonderland, Part2

so, here are some images of the design from the film, as snagged from youtube. Please, if you have any interest, read the 'more info' blurb to the right of the video.

and here is what I've come up with so far...

I cranked that out in about three hours-ish? I see now that there needs to be more of a curve between the ears and a bunch of other things, but still! It makes me happy :D

d-CON

so I was watching Ghost Hunters last night (I know, shut up) and an ad I worked on while at Roger came on! It was one from a set of two that we did for d-CON... and lo and behold, they're on youtube.



I animated the mouse and modeled/animated the bait and snap trap.