The Big Win - CG Animation

Studio AKA made this 1-minute CG animation that is supposed to be a commercial for the lottery in the United Kingdom. It's called 'The Big Win.' It is a really gorgeous little movie about a guy who gets a duffel bag full of smiles and plasters them on other people. It was directed by Marc Craste, who made a short CG film called 'Jo Jo in the Stars.' Thanks to Cartoon Brew for the tip.

Astérix Feature Animation

Here's a feature animation that looks like a lot of fun. It's called 'Astérix and the Vikings.' It was produced by A Film in Denmark. They have put together an English-speaking cast but, so far, there is no release scheduled for the U.S.

Astérix is a very popular French comic book character, created in 1959 as the hero of a series of volumes of comic books by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). Uderzo has continued the series since the death of Goscinny in 1977. Astérix is a small but fearless warrior who lives in a village of ancient Gaul, surrounded by Roman legions. He gets superhuman strength by drinking special potions brewed by a Druid. The comics contain humor that appeals both to children and adults.

The movie has a great web site (all in French) with lots of pictures. You should try watching the really cool trailer for the movie. If you want to know more about the Astérix comics, check out the official Astérix web site.

The Heron and the Crane - A Russian Fairy Tale

This 1974 animation is by Russian animator, Yuri Norstein. It uses paint and cutouts for its characters. Norstein also used painted glass panels that he could move in order to give a feeling of depth to his scenes.

You can find a Norstein DVD for sale here.

Machinima Film of 'Dracula's Guest'

I had to do it. This is my movie of Bram Stoker's Dracula's Guest. It uses the technique called 'machinima.' That's when you use the graphics engine from a computer game to make the scenes for your movie. This movie was hard to make because it has a lot of shots that needed to fit seamlessly together and it uses a subtle sound track that had to be made from scratch. I hope you enjoy it. I'm posting it here mainly because I love the way the YouTube service streams the video so easily.

Musical Animation Combines Puppetry and 3D

Here's a fun little movie that combines puppets with computer animation to create a sort of old-timey, musical movie that just revels in itself. It's called Graveyard Jamboree with Mysterious Mose. It was made by an animation company called Screen Novelties.

First American Animation from 1906

In 1906, James Stuart Blackton created 'Humorous Phases of Funny Faces,' the first animated American film.

Blackton, along with his partner, Robert E. Smith, had already started the first motion picture studio, Vitagraph Pictures, when this animation was made.

It uses a simple chalk-board technique, but provides an excellent glimpse into the excitement and experimentation of the time. And, frankly, it is so early that it completely avoids the overbearing Disney invention known as 'squash and stretch.' There is so much about 'squash and stretch' that obliterates all attempts at seriousness and artistic expression. It is interesting to watch early animators who had no knowledge of that technique. Try, if you will, to imagine how animation might have developed if it had bypassed Disney.

Edmund Dulac Illustrations of Poe Stories

If you want to see some absolutely stunning illustrations, head over the AnimationArchive.org and look at Edmund Dulac's illustrations for The Poetical Works of Edgar Allen Poe (1912). This is about the best there is anywhere.

By the way, the International Animated Film Society is creating a virtual archive of animation. They plan to digitize thousands of animated films for public access and research. The Animation Archive site is part of that effort. If you want to know why someone would create an archive of animation, read this.


Posted by Alessandro at CandlelightStories.com

'Quiet Please' - Brilliant 1940s Radio Suspense

Oh wow! Here's something amazing. An old radio suspense series from the late 1940's. It's called 'Quiet Please.' The shows were written and created by Wyllis Cooper. The main actor was Ernest Chappell. It was played on the Mutual Broadcasting System from 1947 through 1949.

It is widely regarded as one of the greatest radio dramas ever created. When you listen to these you will see where TV's 'Twilight Zone' found its inspiration. You can't beat this stuff. Now I want to go out and buy an old radio just to listen to these.

I'm giving these shows a good, thorough listen while forming ideas for Candlelight's own suspense audio stories.

You can get a huge listing of 'Quiet Please' episodes from a site called, 'QuietPlease.org.' Turn out the lights, disconnect the phone and let your computer play these brilliantly frightening dramas for you.


Posted by Alessandro at CandlelightStories.com