* Others remembering Uncle Ray ....."the post-war animation legend none too pleased with the state of modern film-making".  I know, there may be lots of past articles & interviews about him, but I say, never-never ever take PEOPLE you care for or appreciate .... FOR GRANTED. Life is too SHORT. I can say this a hundred times and people will forget it. They usually have to experience the 'pain' first, then they will learn. Anyway, a short read about the Stop Motion Master and I'm seeing more blogs from the general public too, who fully 'appreciate'. An example,  Myths & Monsters in Motion

* Try this test ..... I do not watch all the overdose-ification of mainstream CGI Special Effects ladened movies. I wait until released on dvd to rent them or a few I catch for free on Cable TV. My life is real exciting you know and I spontaneously have been doing this sometimes: 'Flicks with Live Action combined with CGI saturated FX' .... whenever you see CGI Creature or Characters ..... TIME how long each shot, when the CGI creature is actually on the screen. You do not need a stop watch. I usually count in my mind, say,  "one one thousand .... two one thousand, etc".  The 'de jour' Cinematic style of today's forumulaic genre flicks, all having SAME rapid fire, frenetic, video gaming, dizzying and puke inducing style that creates A.D.D., I am finding, that the average screen time of a CGI character-creature in the micro-shot, is about 2 seconds or slightly under!! If it's longer .... then you will see either the creature darkly lit, or the camera moving at hyper-speed in a mass of BLURS. In other words, you many times do not get a good look at the CG creature. I wonder why??? CGI suppose to look soooo 'realistic' or something being hidden from us using these cinematic distraction methods?? Couldn't you do those same supposed modern Cinematic methods with advanced Stop Motion special effects?? More Long Take on Lost Art of Film Editing  Cuts in movies & their impact on memory

* Super Battle: Episode 1 :  VOTE - VOTE - VOTE ..... It's not like I have mega-quantities of readers here, and Stop Motionites are usually introverts, but whatever it's worth. Get off your arses and frigg'n VOTE for Ethan Marak's high production slick-o-rama quality Stop Motion Short. Anytime I make pleas, only a microscopic minority respond. All you other's, just LURK and 'Info Sponge'. Don't take it personally .... you know I speak the truth. Just remember, if you do nothing you will PAY LATER via some bad KARMA. Soooo, DO as I SAY and my Gandalfic-like FORCE FIELD will PROTECT YOU but you MUST VOTE between April 7 and  May 18. To view Ethan's work you have to sign-up (free). You need to use email account. So easy, to open anonymous and/or alternate email accounts. You heard of Hotmail?? The how-to vote details at this messageboard topic.

* All around Special Effects Dude ..... That would be David Hettmer, a resident Michiganite. The state going through some tough times (same here in California). You Michiganers know what to do ..... vote them out and try something else. In the 'Evil Dead 2' (the remake) days, I remember visiting Tom Sullivan, and hanging around the Detroit area and outside, in more rural areas. Michigan can get cold in winter but still cool place. I didn't know until recently that Dave had a website. Yes, his site is basic & simple and more than good enough to communicate 'content'. You listening Marc Spess? (drupal, flash, joomla, cms, social media, bells & whistles, etc) Dave does freelance or for hire. An expert creative problem solver. Emphasis on classic, traditional special effects which can still pack a PUNCH when done right (story, directing, editing, etc.) Hettmer FX  EDIT: 04.21.10 

* Obsessed with 'The Technology' .....  Once again, any of you out there .... don't you dare say that I am a CGI hater. I can find out where you live! Yes, CGI is a TOOL and my BEEF has been that CGI has SHUT OUT other VISUAL IMAGING STYLES & FLAVORS. The 'Puter Churned Special Effects all getting to be HOMOGENIZED. An article, I quickly read exemplifies the undercurrent of the CGI INDUSTRY ..... fanatically FOCUSED on TOOLs. What about the ART OF IT?? Look at what imagery one can CREATE with just a frigg'n PENCIL, BRUSH, PAINTS!!! Here is one quote that 'fried my pinto beans' and I already knew it,but to see it in PRINT. They may not admit it, but I KNOW this is the undercurrent focus of those CG Society-types with their preoccupation with the latest bells & whistles tools. The article,'Avatar' creatures carry Choteau animator into Oscars' glow, was dull to me, but this is the quote that caused me to briefly fume,"Techniques that worked well enough a couple years ago aren't good enough anymore. The shelf life of our technology is incredibly short.Though the scene duplicates one from the 2005 movie, the technology used just five years ago is obsolete." That speaks VOLUMES where their myopic minds are at. I sigh, shake my head and roll my eyes . EDIT: 04.21.10 

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04.03.10

* 'Clash of the Titans 3D' Remake: Reviews are Mediocre .....  I continually roll my eyes and shake my head at the myopic-ness and lack of originality from'Tinsel Town'. We got Remake-O-Mania and tired similar stories/plots. Now, every 'Suit' has dislusional fantasies that they can also cash in on 3D. Copy, copy, like lemmings. We have AVATAR to thank . WHAT ABOUT FUGG'N GOOD STORY as FOUNDATION instead of relying on TECHY gimmicks???? The genre movie biz soooo desperate to get YOU into the $THEATERS$ with this 3D Stereo obsession now. I'm just getting use to High Definition resolution which is plenty satisfactory for me but now, THEY'RE pushing this 3D Stereo B.S.. The public are easy to hook ..... temporary visual imagery eye candy cocaine, however, with every high, there is a new low. It's like a drug. I HATE wearing those glasses in the theaters, the screen illumination is darkened, then it can strain my brains watching too long, etc.. Lots of reviews out there about Clash Remake. Not so good. We knew 'Suits' would stubbornly ignore our appeal. New, bigger, slicker is NOT always better. I'm NOT saying ALL 3D Stereo is BAD but let's have some MODERATION. FYI, the 'Warner Brother Suits' did last minute FAKE Stereo 3D Conversion of the Clash Remake which I hear is technically described as 'Crapola'. Reviewers say, do not waste your money for the higher 3D ticket prices and better to watch it in the comfortable easy on eyes 2D Version. One of many reviews Also, look at Rotten Tomatoes multi-reviews site. Most likely this will be on DVD verrrrry soon, so I'll wait. 

* Henry Selick Joins Pixar/Disney ..... That's the buzz from earlier this week. Interesting. Let's hope Selick does not go over to the ALL CGI DARK SIDE. There's plenty excess of that out there. The PIXAR digital studio is in the San Francisco Bay Area. I am guessing Henry is going to set-up a separate working Studio Warehouse somewhere around here. I would like to suggest to my Stop Mo Bro, Henry, to consider locating the studio so that it's easy for the Stop Motion Crew if they need to use public transportation . One more thing .... My Gandalfic visions/senses were accurate. I should be hired by the 'Suits' as a Consultant (I am available ). Take a look at this archived SMW News from 2006. Unfortunately, it took Pixar 4 years to realize what I already sensed.All around Special Effects Dude, David Hettmer

* 'Clash of the Titans': Are special effects less special in the CGI era? ....  Once again, I (as in me) was already ahead of IT with my penetrating observations years ago. I know that many of you out here also already cognizant of the CGI Intoxication Obsession which we rambled about for years at the messageboard. The mainstream media and general public always slow to catch-up, just like people's current slow awareness (until it might be too late) about USA descending into USSA, but I digress . Anyway, a good article/blog byte. Go Read it. Also, read the comments below the article.