Happy Holidays

This is the latest video I worked on for Sims 3.

Have you seen "The Class" (2008)

Ah man, you have to see this film. The movie takes place almost entirely within the walls of a classroom and yet with each scene I found myself becoming more and more mesmerized. Mesmerized by the writing, the staging and most importantly the characters and the actors who portray them.

From the beginning you have nothing but apathy for the kids and the individuals who teach them. These kids are REALLY tough around the edges. With each passing minute I began to realize what little I have done to show my appreciation to the teachers I had growing up, and especially of those today. With each passing exchange between child and adult I became more and more agitated, just waiting for the inevitable powder keg to explode. But "Entre les murs" doesn't follow the formula. It portrays real kids from real families and real people teaching them.

In one beautiful scene, a glimmer of hope arises as the resident "trouble kid" delivers a heartfelt reading of his self-portrait through his likes and dis-likes. Each student has their credentials for angst; egotistical, mean, social outcast, nerd, gossip queen, insolent, illegal. The beauty is seeing them living through it and pushing the audience past steriotypes and far beyond anything Hollywood could think to say about today's youth. How many of you have read "The Republic" and applied it to your life?

MARCO!?

thank you RON

I truly can't remember the last time I sat down and just drew something. At least three years. And it took a combination of two films (both documentaries) to bring it back into the light.

The first was "My Kid Could Paint That!". A great doc. about about a 4 year old girl who made award winning, thousand dollar abstract paintings purchased by painter snobs and connoisseurs alike. The film leaves you wondering if this angelic sweat-heart did it herself, or with the help of her parents. If it was the parents, then Hollywood should be knocking on their front door.

The second film was "Crips and Bloods: Made in America". You MUST see this film. Fantastic. It really makes you think and reassess your identity with humanity. With out getting to deep into a critique, as I watched, the gentlemen below came onscreen as an interviewee to the events that started a revolution. As I watched this man pored his feelings out on camera, I suddenly felt the incredible erge to draw him. For so long I had trouble finding that subject that grabbed me and inspired me to pick up the damn pencil and start drawing. Below is what followed.



I hope to work this one further in photoshop. But at the very least I look forward to having drawing back in my life.

L Stats' Art Show

Went to a friends art show on Sunday at the Studio Gallery in San Francisco. http://www.studiogallerysf.com/ Anyway, lot of great work. One of which being this A-Team series of wanted posters. I'm a huge fan and wanted to share it with the imaginary people reading this blog. Enjoy!

"Savoy Special"

I've had this blog for months. No idea what to write about. Or why I made it about animation. It will be surprising if this turns out to have anything to do with it.

I just finished watching "The Natural", for the first time. Its the kind of film that captures the American spirit, and even manages to reinvigorate that spirit during a time where it feels all but lost. And some how it got me to start writing.

If my relatively short life were a film, this would be the end of the second act. The hero, yours truly, is at his lowest. Broken and poor, I'm discouraged beyond all belief. I feel lost. Two days away from selling everything I have and moving to Spain to be a studio artist. But not yet.

My dream still lives inside me. Deep in my heart. I've got a natural talent. A devout passion for the art. But without perfecting that talent, it ain't worth a damn. Barcelona will have to wait.

Tune in next time to see if our hero concurs adversity and captures The American Dream.