Create Your Own Flame

So did you get a chance to catch "How to Train Your Dragon" last weekend? (If not, get your butt off your seat and go watch it now! 97% on rottentomatoes.com now!) Do you like the dragon fires that our effects team created? If that made you really tempted to draw your own fiery art but don't know how, fear not. Peter Blaškovič has created this awesome web application that allows you to create beautiful flame images with a few simple strokes. I created that top image in a few seconds, and I dare you to do better! Check out his gallery for some other cool apps, the other one that I really liked is the fire simulator.

各位上周末有去看 "馴龍高手" 嗎? (沒有的話還不趕快現在去看! Rottentomatoes 的分數現在已經飆到97%了!) 有看到我們特效組所做的各種火龍所噴的火焰嗎? 如果那些火焰讓你覺得手癢, 也想來創造一些漂亮的烽火圖卻又不知道該怎麼畫的話, 別擔心. Peter Blaškovič 製作了這一套超酷的網路應用程式, 讓你簡簡單單幾筆畫就可以完成一張火焰畫. 上面那張圖是我花了幾秒鐘畫出來的, 你一定可以畫得更好. 看看Peter的一些其他的應用程式, 都很有趣. 我另外一個很喜歡的是這個火焰模擬器.

Thanks, Tim and Lauren!

Het Klokhuis

"3D printing" is a technology usually used in the field of architecture and industrial design. Basically, designers would first create digital models with CAD programs. Then, the printer would "print" out physical 3D models of the design by putting layers of materials on top of each other. I remember people back in architecture schools and companies used it for design visualizations. However, it's the first time I'm seeing 3D printing used in stop-motion animation. It's the title and ending sequence for the Dutch science show "Het Klokhuis" (The Apple Core), created by Nexus, and the result is really quite interesting. Here's a behind the scenes look of the process.

"3D 列印" 是建築和工業設計行業常用的一種技術. 基本上, 設計師會先用電腦CAD程式設計出數位模型, 然後把檔案輸進3D列表機. 列表機就會 "印" 出一層一層的塑膠物質, 最後築構出實際的立體模型. 我還記得之前在建築學校及公司裡有許多人用這方法來把他們的設計實體化. 不過, 我還是第一次看到有人把這科技用在動畫上. 這個逐格動畫是 Nexus 為荷蘭的一個電視節目 "Het Klokhuis" (蘋果核) 所做的開頭以及結尾影片. 使用這創新的方法所製造出的效果真的蠻有趣的. 按這裡看看幕後製作.

"How to Train Your Dragon" Opens Tomorrow!

The very first movie I've worked on, "How to Train Your Dragon", opens tomorrow in both 3D and IMAX theaters everywhere! I feel super lucky to have worked on it since, in my opinion, it's really the best DreamWorks movie so far. (With Kung Fu Panda coming in at a close second) you know I mean it when it's currently rated at 95% "fresh" on Rottentomatoes.com. If you do catch it this weekend, you'll spot my name in the credits under "Effects", close to the left side. Oscars for best animated film next year anyone?

我第一次參與製作的動畫電影 "訓龍高手" 明天就要在台灣各大戲院以及 3D IMAX 與美國同步上映了! 我覺得能夠參加這部片的製作真的相當幸運. 因為我認為這大概是夢工場動畫有史以來最好看的電影. "功夫熊貓"很接近, 不過還是在第2名. 當你看到 Rottentomatoes.com (美國一個很有名, 專門評分電影的網站) 目前給這部片95%分的時候, 你就知道我不是在吹牛. 如果你這周末有去看的話, 我的名子 "Robert Chen" 會在電影最後的製作名單出現. (在 "Effects" 特效部門下, 靠近螢幕左邊) 猜猜看這部電影會不會獲選明年奧斯卡最佳動畫片呢?

Whole Smart Water

Dept. of Motion Graphics has came up with some fascinating fluid simulations for the spot Whole "Smart Water". It's quite refreshing to see the crystal clear water transforming from one object to the next through some beautiful transitions. I don't know about you guys, but I personally have a soft spot for cool liquid effects. (After the link, click the pictures to play the videos)

Dept. of Motion Graphics 利用了一些先進的流體模擬技術製作了這篇 Whole Smart Water 的廣告. 看著這些晶瑩剔透的水以相當優雅的形態從一個物體變化成另一個真的是很讓人感覺很清爽. 我是不知道各位讀者的喜好, 不過液態流體特效一直是我最喜歡的特效之一. (進入連結之後, 需要按那些圖片才能開始觀賞影片)

Zune Art

When Microsoft's "Zune" launched a few years ago, they asked a bunch of artists and studios to make creative promos with the theme "sharing" to highlight Zune's capability of sharing music with your friends. One of my favorite ones is the clip done by the ingenious Tokyo Plastic, where you see a big creature "sharing" one of his many eyeballs with a smaller guy who doesn't yet have one. What a weird yet sweet story!

當微軟在幾年前推出他們第一部mp3播放機 "Zune" 的時候, 他們邀了一群藝術家和動畫公司為他們製作一些廣告. 這些廣告的共同主題是 "分享", 為了強調 Zune 可以拿來和其他人分享音樂的功能. 這些廣告裡我最喜歡的是 Tokyo Plastic 的作品. 在裡面, 有一隻長了很多眼睛的生物, "分享" 了它其中一顆眼珠子給了一隻原本沒有眼睛的可憐人. 真的是個相當怪異卻又窩心的廣告啊!

Telephone MV

Originally I wasn't going to post this one, since it's really a bit too explicit and too weird. (Besides, not everyone likes Lady GaGa) However, I feel obligated to post it as a tribute to my friend's love for the video. She even went so far as quoting this line on her facebook: "Trust is like a mirror, you can fix it if it's broke, but you can still see the crack in that motherf*cker's reflection." Even if you don't agree with that quote, you still gotta agree that this is one unique and quirky music video. Lady GaGa always finds a way to push the envelope with her crazy outfits and performances, and this one is definitely packed with style and attitude. Right Cleo? ;)

Lady GaGa 的新MV "Telephone" 實在是太古怪又曝露, 我本來是不打算放上來的. (而且並不是每個人都喜歡她) 不過, 我有個朋友實在是太愛這支MV, 讓我覺得我有義務來分享她的最愛. 她甚至在她的 facebook 裡po了在MV裡出現的名言: "信賴就像面鏡子, 破了的話你可以把它修好, 不過最後你還是可以看得到那他X的裂痕." 先不管你同不同意這句話, 這支MV還真的是十分勁爆又大膽. Lady GaGa 總是有辦法挑戰觀眾的視覺極限, 在MV裡打扮標新立異, 相當有自己的獨特風格. 你說對不對, Cleo? ;)

(更新: 聽說之前放的連結在美國地區以外都不能看, 所以我把連結改成另一個網站. 不知道現在在台灣的讀著看得到了嗎? 以後有類似問題麻煩和我說一聲! 謝啦!)

The Lighthouse Keeper

"The Lighthouse Keeper" is a story of morals from the students of the French art school Gobelins. It teaches us that we need to be kind to others, even if it's a... giant firefly. What caught my eye with this one is the old-fashioned artistic style and the very muted color palette. The ending, which the story is building up to for the whole time, also has quite an impact.

"The Lighthouse Keeper" (燈塔守衛) 是一個道德故事. 由法國的 Gobelins 藝術學院的學生製作, 這短片教導我們隨時都要善待他人, 就算對方是隻... 超巨大的螢火蟲. 這動畫有趣的地方在於利用很復古的畫風以及非常單一的色調, 還蠻有舊式卡通的感覺. 而整個故事的高潮結局也挺有震撼力的.

Chop Cup

"Chop Cup" is a strangely mind-bending viral video from WeAreOm. In the beginning you see a pair of mysterious hands playing ye old "guess which cup" game. And as we all know, these games never end in expected result. However, this time, the magician really blew away the viewers' mind with some neat perspective trickeries. Click here to see the making of.

"Chop Cup" 是 WeAreOm 製作的一個挺新奇的實驗性影片. 一開始你只看得到一雙手在變那個"猜猜球在哪"的老把戲. 而且你大概也猜得出來, 這種把戲最後一定是會來耍個花招, 來製造個意想不到的結果. 不過, 你大概猜不倒, 不只杯子和球, 影片裡一切的事物都是個扭曲視角的大騙局, 讓人可能要看第二遍才看得懂. 按這裡看幕後製作.

Untoon

Today, I've decided to post something that's not video for the first time. However, it is still very much related to the field of animation and visual effects. These series of images is an internet movement started from (I believe) the blogger/artist Pixeloo which he coined "Untoon". It is to take a well-known cartoon or game character and try to make it look as realistic as possible, yet still maintaining the cartoonish shapes and proportions. The result, to be honest, is quite creepy and striking to me. Click the super realistic-looking Mario image to see more untooned characters. (Image courtesy of Pixeloo, Worth1000, Mataleone, Gearfuse and Halolz)

今天, 我決定第一次來po一些非影片的作品. 不過, 這些作品還是和動畫以及特效有密切的關係. 這些圖片是從(我猜想)一名自稱 Pixeloo 的部落客/藝術家所開始的網路潮流所延伸出的. 而他稱之這個潮流為 "Untoon" (非卡通化). 基本上, 就是把一個有名的卡通人物或電玩角色"現實化", 弄得非常真實, 但同時又保留人物原本的形狀和比例. 這個成果說實在的, 實在是又畸形又詭異, 不過卻又很新奇有趣. 按上面的超真實板瑪莉歐來看看其他 "非卡通化" 的作品. (圖自 Pixeloo, Worth1000, Mataleone, Gearfuse 和 Halolz)

BMW GINA

GINA (short for "Geometry In 'N' Adaptations") is a concept car from the automaker BMW, and it is probably one of the most interesting and revolutionary car designs I've ever seen. Instead of using hard metal skin for its exterior, GINA is made out of frames that are wrapped by soft and flexible fabric. Because of this, the car is capable of shape-shifting and is incredibly light. The way things open and close such as the eye-lid like headlights, wing-like doors and zipper-like hood are also quite incredible. But I do have to wonder, how safe is it to drive 80 mph in a fabric-covered machine...?

GINA 是汽車大亨 BMW 所設計的一部概念車. 這大概是我看過最有趣也最革命性的汽車概念之一吧. 與其用一般硬梆梆的金屬片當外殼, GINA 則利用柔軟, 有彈性的布料包紮住骨架來當車的"外皮". 因為如此, 這部車能夠改變自己的外形, 而且相當輕盈. 它那像眼睛一樣的車燈, 翅膀般的車門和拉鍊般的引擎蓋都讓我大開眼界. 不過, 我倒不知道在一台被布料包著的機器裡飆到時速100公里有多安全就是了...

Oscar Winners

So, the Oscar winners were revealed last night, and "Logorama" is the best animated short. Honestly I was a bit surprised. Although the short has some interesting and creative use of popular logos as well as some tight action, it was ultimately, in my opinion, weaker than both "French Roast" and "The Lady and The Reaper". On the other hand, "Up" won the best animated feature, and that's definitely no surprise there since it is a great film. (However, I still can't get over the fact that Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs didn't get nominated while The Princess and the Frog did...)

昨天晚上奧斯卡贏家出爐了, 動畫短片的得獎者是 "Logorama". 說真的我有點訝異. 雖然這短片用很有趣的方式來利用我們常看到的商標和招牌人物, 而且還有許多激烈的動作場面, 但我個人還是認為 "French Roast" 和 "The Lady and The Reaper" 比較好看. 另外, "天外奇蹟" 贏得了最佳動畫電影, 這就沒什麼好驚訝的了, 因為那的確是部鉅作. (不過, 我還是無法了解為什麼 "食破天驚" 沒被提名, 反而 "公主與青蛙" 那麼無趣的作品卻入圍了...)

MTVN HD - Lake/Speaker

Korb has came up with these two really cool spots for MTVN HD: "Lake" and "Speaker". The common theme among these two shorts seem to be the formation of alien speaker-like objects mysteriously appearing in or on top of a lake. The sound design from Echolab is also pretty neat and spot-on.

Korb 為 MTVN HD 製作了這兩個相當屌的廣告: "Lake" (湖) 和 "Speaker" (喇叭). 這兩個廣告的共同點似乎是在於一個不明物體的形成, 而這些外星物體看上去像某種喇叭, 神秘的在湖面上漂浮或是淹沒在湖水中. Echolab 為這兩個廣告設計的音效也挺酷的, 相當的搭. 廣告最後寫: "完美的誕生, 讓音樂活起來."

日々の音色

This is a uber-cool music video from Good General. The song is called "Hibi no Neiro" (Tone of Everyday) and is performed by the Japanese band SOUR. Looking at the cool "collage" effect from multiple videos, you could tell that there was some massive and intricate planning involved beforehand. According to the creators, "The cast were selected from the actual Sour fan base, from many countries around the world. Each person and scene was filmed purely via webcam."

這個超酷的影片是由 Good General 為一個日本的樂團 SOUR 所導的 MV, 歌名叫 "日々の音色". (每日的音色) 看著它用 "拼貼" 的方式把不同的影片組合起來製造出的效果, 就不難想像這 MV 背後的計畫是多麼的仔細與周詳. 根據製作人的解說, "裡面的演員全都是世界各地的 SOUR 粉絲, 每個片段都完全是用網路視訊攝影機拍出來的."

Homunculus

Humble TV has made this short that tells us how it's probably not a good idea to let your food go bad in your fridge. This short is titled "Homunculus", Latin for "little human". It shows various miniature yet violent humanoid creatures arise from the rotten food, tearing each others apart, and eating up their bodies. The clip where things rot in the beginning is shot for a long period of time (11 days) and then compressed to be shown at a very fast rate. The result, as the creator states, is a "beautiful decay" of life that gives rise to these little monsters.

Humble TV 拍了這個短片來警告我們把食物放在冰箱裡發霉發臭大概不是一件好事. 這片名叫 "Homunculus", 是拉丁文的 "小矮人". 裡面秀出了從腐爛的食物裡誕生的奇妙生物, 抓狂似得撕扯互相的身體, 吃掉對方. 影片一開頭可以看到許多食物快速腐壞, 這片段是把花了11天拍攝的影片縮短成數秒鐘, 快速播放出來. 對製作人來說, 只有讓這些原有的生命腐敗消逝, 才有可能催生出這些另類的生命體.