A New Multiplane Background

Today I worked on this background of a Spanish courtyard with a patio.  In the finished scene, the fountain will be gushing water, and there will be some characters moving.

My software allows me to look at the multiplane drawings from different angles, and I thought you would like to see that!

Progress Report

In spite of my heavy schedule of outside work, animation for the next video is making progress. But progress is a little slow this time. Why? The biggest reason is that I'm using more special effects than before. 


I use two types of shadows for characters--a shadow underneath the character makes it appear to be drawn on celluloid, and another different type of shadow over the character darkens it slightly, and makes the colors deeper and richer.

There are lots of rooms with dark shadows, illuminated by candles. All these things have to be included for every scene. It's more work and it takes more time, but it will add a lot to the atmosphere of romance, as well as the sexual tension.


I'm doing my very best to make this "Animan's Masterpiece"!

New Pictures

Here are some sharper pictures of the sculpture.

The Sculpture is Painted!

Today, I painted the sculpture. It took me exactly 2 1/2 hours (much longer than I expected!)  I was able to take these pictures just as the sun was going down--so the picture quality is not very sharp. Tomorrow, I will try to take sharper pictures.

By the way, this piece is not for sale.  If it is possible in the future to manufacture Animan merchandise, sculptures like this will be used as prototypes, so for now, it will remain in the Animan virtual museum!

Another Type of 3D

Every week, I teach a sculpting class, using paper clay. Of course, during the class time, I cannot work on my animation.  So, I decided to take a character from my next video and make a bust.  When the clay becomes hard, I use sandpaper to make it smooth. It has taken about 12 hours to complete. The final stage will be painting it with acrylic paints.  Of course, that will be on the next post!

More About the Multiplane Camera

Like so many innovations in animation, the multiplane camera was developed at the Disney studio. When I visited the old Disney studio, I got a chance to actually see this huge machine. 

Here's a video that does a wonderful job of explaining how this amazing camera works.

A Multiplane Background

This is a moving background from my upcoming video. As you can see, the different parts of the background have been placed at different distances from the camera; when the camera zooms in, it gives a sort of 3D effect. This is different from the 3D background scene I featured in an earlier post.
In the days before computers, making a multiplane scene of even a few seconds was an enormous task. The different background elements were painted onto big panes of glass, and these were set at varied distances under the camera, which faced downward. For each camera move, the camera and all the different panes of glass had to be moved in minute increments. When the finished film was projected, it looked as if the camera was moving smoothly. 
There were all sorts of problems. Photographic lights had to be used, and they were super hot! Then, there was always the possibility of the camera being reflected in the panes of glass. Since it was film, if you made a mistake, you had to go back and start all over again. Doing it on a computer is a zillion times easier!

Letter of the Year

My thanks to all the fans and friends of Animan who send their greetings and messages. I am always deeply moved by the warmth and goodness I find in them.

Today, I received a message that was so wonderful, I decided to share it with you.

"Animan--
 
I've spent the entire weekend watching and rewatching all of your films on Gaytube.  I stumbled upon School Fantasy on a porn site several months ago and was both entertained and aroused by Coach Ben's nasty exploits.  I'd been trying to find more of your films ever since and on Friday, to my great surprise, I found Twister Party online.  It is my favorite of all your films, not only because of its orgasm-inducing, manic sex scenes that defy reality but also because of its retro setting, colorful animation and its take on sex.  Your characters inhabit a world in which same-sex sex holds no stigma or shame and is devoid of political complications, and I think that's what so many of your fans respond to.  So much of gay porn is rough, mired in darkness and danger.  Gay porn in 2012, populated by tattooed, steroid injected men who seem more concerned with looking good on camera and earning a paycheck, lacks the free spirited nature of your films.  Each of your films exudes tremendous joy; watching them puts me in a very happy mood and a very horny mood.  While 2012 porn stars busy themselves trying to be as gruff, aloof and masculine as possible, your characters, regardless of their size or station in life, delight in their sexuality and are genuinely secure in their masculinity.  If all porn could be like your films I think there would be a distinct change in the attitudes and sexual attitudes of Western gay men."

Today's Animation Tip #1

THE SILHOUETTE TEST

On the movie screen, there isn't very much time to study the pose of the character, because it disappears very quickly. So, the pose must be as clear as possible.  A good way to test the pose is to fill it in with black. If you can still see exactly what the character is doing, then the viewers will understand it.
In illustration A, it is very clear that Jack is eating a banana, even when the pose is blacked in. When we black in illustration B however, we cannot see what Jack is doing.
This is a very basic and easy rule, but it's one that beginners often forget about.