Sunday, August 29, 2010

Hand-Drawn (sort of) Indie Feature

The New York Times details a new animated offering.

... Opening on Sept. 1 at Film Forum in the South Village, “My Dog Tulip” features the voices of Christopher Plummer as Ackerley, the writer and longtime BBC radio host; Lynn Redgrave, who died in May, as his nettlesome sister; and Isabella Rossellini ... The heart of “My Dog Tulip” is Mr. Ackerley’s story of his late-middle-age relationship with an Alsatian named Tulip. Bittersweet, heartfelt and rendered in an eccentric, expressive style, the movie seems poised to draw dog-loving moviegoers like beagles to bacon. ...

Unlike studio cartoons, which often involve computer-generated imagery, the Fierlingers’ work is hands-on, sort of. What’s eliminated is wasted motion: the shuffling of paper, the sharpening of pencils, the setting up of shots. ... The Fierlingers use French software called TVPaint ...

My Dog Tulip probably won't get a 3,000 theater roll-out from one of our fine conglomerates, but it's nice to know that independent animators are creating their own ninety-minute movies and getting written up in major metropolitan dailies. It should give other artists hope.

8 comments:

David said...

"My Dog Tulip" is totally hand-drawn, it's just not drawn with pencil on paper. Paul Fierlinger animates with a Wacom pen stylus and tablet , drawing directly into the TVP Animation interface. His collaborator Sandra Fierlinger paints the BG's using TVP and also handles the color styling and painting of the characters in TVP. The Fierlinger's have been enthusiastic proponents of hand-drawn paperless animation for years, first with the predecessor to TVP software marketed in North America as "Mirage" (aka TVPaint v. 7) and continuing on to the current version of the software, TVP Animation 9.5

Another paperless hand-drawn animated feature that was made recently using TVP Animation software is "The Apple & the Worm" directed by Anders Morgenthaler.

Many of the recent productions by the famed Gobelins School in Paris are made using TVP. (for example: "The Lighthouse Keeper" )

Anonymous said...

It's an OK film, but nothing to write home about. Pretty repetitive and monotone--a bit much for a feature. Would have made a more palatable short. I commend them for the idea of doing an independent feature more than the final execution.

Anonymous said...

Good for them. I hope to see this film, or at least parts of it. They shouldn't become known for swearing off paper-drawn animation. Especially if they havent done it to the degree whereas they are experienced with it. I'll be interested in seeing what paperless animation is like, and be looking for the exactness that I know you can derive from paper. I have a feeling that if they aren't well-versed with paper, that they wont know, or be as precise with a tablet just due to the lack of knowing just what to aim for.

Anonymous said...

"They shouldn't become known for swearing off paper-drawn animation. Especially if they havent done it to the degree whereas they are experienced with it. I have a feeling that if they aren't well-versed with paper, that they wont know, or be as precise with a tablet just due to the lack of knowing just what to aim for."
-----

Paul Fierlinger has made his living as an animator since 1958. Like most everyone else he worked with pencils, paper, and cels for most of his career up to about 2002 when he switched to animating paperlessly with a Wacom tablet in the software program called "Mirage" , which was the predecessor to the "TVPaint Animation" program he uses now.

He has made well over 700 films and commercials.

Anonymous said...

'Paul Fierlinger has made his living as an animator since 1958.
...he worked with pencils, paper, and cels.... He has made well over 700 films......'

Well isn't that nice? More power to him. I have hunted for a good 2-D animation program including Mirage, but until I find it, I'll maintain my love/hate relationshiop with DigiCel.

Anonymous said...

"'I'll maintain my love/hate relationshiop with DigiCel."


Enjoy.

Anonymous said...

"Enjoy."

Produce.

Anonymous said...

Reproduce.

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