Studio Artist News

Year of the Fish Theatrical Debut

2008-08-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

It's great to see 'Year of the Fish' posters right there next to Rock Me Sexy Jesus and Death Race. David Kaplan's Studio Artist animated feature film 'Year of the Fish' will be making it's theatrical debut in the US on August 29. Initial showings are at the Kabuki Theatre in San Francisco, the Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley CA, and the Angelika Film Center in New York City. Later showings include the Hollywood Theatre in Portland OR on Oct 10 and Santikos Bijou at Crossroads in San Antonio TX on Oct 17th. You can check for more information on theatre showings and the film itself at www.yearofthefish.com.

For those of you who haven't seen the film before it's a really great artistic showcase for how to utilize Studio Artist auto-rotoscope animation in a non gratuitous manner that really helps to showcase the underlying story and moods of the film. The film looks awesome on a large theatre screen and should not be missed. Spread the word and take your friends to see Year of the Fish on the big screen.

Visual Music Solicitation for Siggraph 2009

2008-08-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

Studio Artist user Dennis Miller will be helping to organize a visual music section in the computer animation festival for Siggraph 2009, which will be held in New Orleans next summer. Those of you who checked out the previous visual music marathon know that it was an awesome presentation of different animation styles and techniques that included several Studio Artist generated works. This new visual music festival provides a great international forum to present your Studio Artist work, so i wanted to make sure to mention it and to encourage everyone to consider participating.

In addition, there will also be an expanded presence at Siggraph 2009 for interactive music (no tape works). So this might be an opportunity for Studio Artist users who are combining live visual and music performance.

For more information on Siggraph, which is the premier computer graphics and animation conference, check out www.siggraph.org.

MacLife - The Making of Year of the Fish

2008-08-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

MacLife posted an article today on the making of David Kaplan's Studio Artist animated film 'Year of the Fish'. The timing is especially pertinent because Year of the Fish has it's theatrical debut on August 29th in San Francisco and New York with additional showings in theaters nationally afterwards.

It's well worth checking out Year of the Fish when it hits the theaters. I was fortunate enough to get to see it on the big screen at Dole Cannery in Honolulu when it was here for the Honolulu International Film Festival and the impact of the animation is really stunning on a big screen.

For more information on Year of the Fish and theatrical releases near you check out www.yearofthefish.com.

Representational Cellular Automata in MSG

2008-08-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

Studio Artist's MSG (modular synthesized graphics) has some new cellular automata processors. What's especially interesting about these is that you can configure them to create representation imagery as well as the flat fractal texture fields you would typically see for this kind of imagery. The mathematics behind cellular automata are particularly fascinating because they create the same kinds of fractal patterning seen in nature, like the patterning on a seashell for example.

Stephen Wolfram popularized the mathematics behind cellular automata and has postulated that the patterns we see in nature are in fact created using the same kinds of underlying math principals in the underlying physics or biology of these systems. Here's an example of a flat texture field created using MSG with a sea shell like patterning.

Of course the great thing about MSG is that you are free to combine different MSG processors together to create more complicated effects. The output of one processor can be used to modulate another. The trick for creating representational cellular automata imagery is to modulate one of the 2D cellular automata generators using something like the source image luminance. Here's an example of a simple MSG preset created in Studio Artist's new MSG advanced editor with 3 different processors. The source image green channel is used as the input source for the 2D cellular automata generator. The output of that generator is then used as the input for another 2D cellular automata generator.

Of course what's great about MSG is that you can then evolve and mutate your starting preset to create new ones automatically. So the same underlying processor chain can lead to many different effects styles as the various editable parameters associated with each processor are mutated over time.

Fluid Time

2008-07-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

One of the cool things about digital media is that you aren't restricted to conventional limitations associated with 2D or time based traditional media. I've been exploring the notion of fluid time in static and moving imagery recently using beta builds of upcoming Studio Artist 4.

Once you have a digital representation of motion captured in a movie file you are free to use new time-based image processing techniques in version 4 to encapsulate motion from a sequence of images into a single static photo. Or you can create processed videos that distort or play with the notion of time and motion in different ways. What i love about these new techniques is that they really open a door to perceiving the world in new ways that can be beautiful or disconcerting depending on the source material you work with and how you process it.

Studio Artist on the Cover of Mac Fan

2008-06-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

Studio Artist user Charis Tsevis made the June cover of the Japanese Mac Fan magazine with one of his awesome photo mosaic images created using Studio Artist.

Catherine Tate -The Making of Half-Life

2008-06-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

Catherine Tate was the VFX supervisor for this years Sundance film 'Half-Life' directed by Jennifer Phang, which featured some Studio Artist processed footage. Catherine discussed with me some of the work that went into the Studio Artist generated visual effect sequences for the film.

'I ran all the mini dv footage that was shot for the dream/animated sequences through Studio Artist to create 2k painterly plates. I sometimes processed three or four different elements in Studio Artist per sequence. I used Simplify a lot and a line generator which is like an edge detect. I then used these as elements in a Shake comp in which additional comp processes like color replaces, blurs, and sharpens were added to make the footage look less generic. 2d artists were also brought in to draw additional elements that gave the comp a more organic feel, which Jennifer the director really wanted. This was especially useful when I couldn't get a good edge line. Studio Artist was a terrific element generator for layers in a comp, that could then be manipulated to make more unique elements.'

'I've also, for another project test, processed an oil painter type effect and used it as a displacement drive only in a comp. Nobody would ever figure out that the effect started one way and ended up looking totally different. Studio Artist is a wonderful way to create comp elements for effects design.'

Most of the film was shot on Super 16 and 35mm. Only the footage they intended to painterly animate was shot on MiniDV. 'Working with MiniDV footage and Studio Artist for the animated sequences saved on front end processing costs while still achieving the 2K plates wanted for the final film output.'

Catherine has worked on many big budget film effect sequences you've seen in the past. She has a demo reel of some of her feature film effect work at www.tatefx.com. For more information on the upcoming screenings for Half-Life, check out the official site for Half Life here.

Jean Detheux Studio Artist Workshops

2008-05-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

Studio Artist user Jean Detheux will be doing a lecture tour of Ontario next week. The lecture-workshops, which focus on his animation work using Studio Artist and Final Cut Pro, will be given at the National Archives and De La Salle High School in Ottawa, the Alliance Francaise and the Centre Francophone in Toronto, and in Mattawa. Here's a link for more info on these lectures.

Jean will also be a curator of the Visual Music program at the Melbourne Animation Festival in June. He has 2 Studio Artist animations at the festival, Mugenkei and Shade Lost.

Half Life

2008-05-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

'Half-Life' is a film by Jennifer Phang that premiered at Sundance 2008 and has been winning awards at various film festivals this year. The film also features some visual sequences rendered using Studio Artist. There's a Seattle International Film Festival showing June 6,7th, and a Los Angeles Film Festival showing June 29th. For more information on the upcoming screenings check out the official site for Half Life at www.halflifemovie.com. There's a link there to watch the trailer, and when you get near the end of the trailer you'll start to see some excerpts of some Studio Artist processed footage.

We're hoping to get some more information posted here on the making of Half Life. Make sure to check out the various film festival showings and please go see the film when there's a screening near you. This is the second year in a row there's been a Sundance film that features Studio Artist.

Bill Roth's Some Assembly Required

2008-05-01T14:13:00.000-07:00

Studio Artist user Bill Roth has recently completed a new Studio Artist animation project called 'Some Assembly Required' you can check out here. Bill describes Some Assembly Required as 'a patchwork glimpse into the slightly manic process of self-concoction", and it showcases a wide variety of Studio Artist paint animation styles.

Sita Sings the Blues at Tribeca Film Festival

2008-04-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

Long time Studio Artist user Nina Paley's animated film 'Sita Sings the Blues' makes it's north american premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City this week. Most of the film is hand animated using Flash, but there is a little bit of Studio Artist processing included in the film as well in various places.

In the title sequence, Flash and Studio Artist output were layer composited in Final Cut. In the scene called Agni Pariksha (the picture used with this article is taken from that scene), Nina composited a hand-rotoscoped animation of a dancer with a animated backdrop movie made in Studio Artist. Here's a link to an interview with Nina.

Hands of Silk

2008-04-07T13:59:00.000-07:00

Homer Alaska based Studio Artist user Diane Peterson is a fiber artist who has been experimenting using Studio Artist to create mixed media fiber art. I wanted to share this because it's an interesting example of moving beyond conventional digital artwork for the screen or traditional ink jet prints. And it's also a great example of utilizing low cost equipment in new ways. I've included her description of what she did to create this piece below.

'I made this for my friend who is a hand therapist. She decorates her office only in art that features hands. It is a photo Brent took of my hands, altered and distressed digitally with Studio Artist software, then printed with Canon i560 inkjet on 10mm Habotai silk. The outside is hand dyed and oil painted recycled silk (ladies blouse), the quilted lining is 2 layers of recycled flannel (queen size fitted sheet), and the back is hand dyed recycled cotton muslin (twin sheet). Thanks to the Pick n Pay for the economical materials. The border is hand dyed and natural colored tussah silk fiber blended and felted on. The back is embroidered with the name of the piece and has embroidered hanger loops and the Curiosity Blue logo. In the photo it is still a bit damp. The whole piece is about 13" x 16."

All dyed items came from the same dye bath, a fiber reactive blended to brown. Silk showed quite a bit of magenta drift in this case, especially in the tussah.

Hand in textile processing refers to the hang of a particular weave. The textiles in the photo are very different weaves, or hands of silk. Hence the name. I have included the processed image which was integrated.'

World of Tito Buzz

2008-04-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

Studio Artist user Theron Taber has a new online gallery of his Studio Artist work available for viewing at web.mac.com/theront. Theron is interested in creating photo-based images that take inspiration from painting. He's especially attracted to scenes of ordinary life, and his gallery includes artwork generated from photos taken during his travels to the Philippines and Oregon.

The Big Sleep Music Video

2008-03-04T13:47:00.000-08:00

Studio Artist user Andrew Blackwell recently made a music video for the Brooklyn band The Big Sleep that makes extensive use of Studio Artist. Andrew is a filmmaker based in New York City. Andrew creatively used Studio Artist's Convex Hull Image Operation in various Paint Action Sequences to process different elements in the video, creating a menancing sci-fi fantasia look. Andrew's web site is at http://www.blackwellautomatic.com/, and you can watch the music video here.

Jean Detheux Studio Artist Update

2008-01-29T17:28:00.000-08:00

Studio Artist user Jean Detheux has a busy schedule over the next few months. He has 2 new films selected for this year's Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois film festival. in the Animation category is Daydream Mechanics V Sketch 3. An excerpt can be seen here. And in the Art and Experimentation category is Civil War Sketch 1. A web version of this film is here. This film also features some music composed by Studio Artist user Dave Nagel.

Then at the end of Febrary he flies to Beirut Lebanon to take part in the Al Bustan festival, where he'll be presenting a film called Barastylahyyoe as well as some lectures and an exhibition of printed images.

After Beirut Jean Flies to Esbjerg Denmark to take part in the DigArt Symposium organized by Tony Brooks. Following a lecture will be a live studio artist performance event with noted German composer Wilfried Jentzsch.

Michael Wright's Virtual World Project

2008-01-18T12:26:00.001-08:00

I've been fascinated with Studio Artist user Michael Wright's work with the virtual world Second Life since i was first exposed to it at Siggraph this last summer in San Diego. Michael had a virtual Studio Artist gallery space in virtual life at that time he was showing off at Siggraph in the Guerilla Studio. Michael has posted some more information on the evolution of this project here. The project has now evolved to include his art students at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles.

Sita Sings the Blues

2008-01-14T17:54:00.000-08:00

Nina Paley is a long time Studio Artist user who has a new animated feature film premiering at the Berlin International Film Festival next month. The film is called 'Sita Sings the Blues' and is primarily done in Flash, but there are a few minutes of Studio Artist animation integrated into the film as well. You can learn more about 'Sita Sings the Blues' at www.sitasingstheblues.com.

Nina was one of the very first Studio Artist beta testers in San Francisco from before Studio Artist was even released. Here's a link to the official site of 'America's best-loved unknown cartoonist'. Nina's films are always really great and you should make a point of checking out her latest work when it hits the festival circuit, or perhaps pick up a dvd or a signed art print when they are available here.

Victor Ingrassia's Keter Salon Show

2007-12-05T14:12:00.000-08:00

Studio Artist user Victor Ingrassia has a show of limited edition prints at the Keter Salon in Berkeley California this month. The show's CV states the following. "Doing what he calls 'digital monk's work', his early explorations in experimental film, hand roto-scoped animation, audio collage, stereoscopic and hand colored photography have evolved into ground breaking graphics and animation which cuts against the grain of many current digital trends. His style reflects his personal journey along the border between the purely aesthetic and the technically obsessed."

Victrolux Productions 'digital animation with analog heart' has been used in narrative, documentary, music video, dance, theatre, corporate, and private projects, including the BBS mini series 'Gory Greek Gods'. His work has screened in Atlanta, Berkeley, Boulder, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Zagreb. He has taught film at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

You can check out some of the pieces in the show here, as well as get information on directions to the gallery/salon, or information on ordering prints from the show.

Studio Artist at CYNET Art Festival

2007-11-08T14:32:00.000-08:00

Studio Artist users Jean Detheux and Michael Theodore both have Studio Artist created animations in the CYNet Art Festival this month. On the Visual Music program are 'Liaisons' and Daydream Mechanics V Sketch 3' by Detheux and 'Color Dream No. 246' by Theodore. For more on the CYNET Art Festival, check out this link.

Michael Wright Exhibits at Computer Graphics Invitational

2007-10-24T13:04:00.001-07:00

Studio Artist user Michael Wright is exhibiting his work as part of the "Computer Graphics Invitational- The Electronic Art Show". The show is curated by Anna Ursyan Nov 7 - Dec 7, 2007 at the Mariani Gallery, Guggenheim Hall, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO 80639.

Wright is an associate professor in the Digital Media and Liberal Studies Programs at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. He is the recipient of the Otis Award of Excellence in Arts Education and served as Art Gallery Chair for ACM SIGGRAPH 2003 in San Diego California. He was a guest artist at the SIGGRAPH 2004 & 2005 conferences in Los Angeles where he created the “Portrait Virus” at the SIGGRAPH Guerilla Studio. Wright was one of six resident artists invited to SIGGRAPH’S first Artists in Residence Program at SIGGRAPH 2007, and also curated into the SIGGRAPH international exhibition “Global Eyes”.

Year of the Fish at Hawaii International Film Festival

2007-10-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

David Kaplan's Studio Artist animated feature film 'Year of the Fish' will be presented in 2 showings at the Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival next week. The show times are Friday, October 19 9:00 PM - Regal Dole Cannery, and Saturday October 20 3:00 PM - Regal Dole Cannery. Those of you who live on Oahu know that Dole Cannery is a great place to see a film, so please come out in full force to watch Year of the Fish and also to vote for it when they hand out the voting forms when you enter the theatre. For more info go here.

UPDATE: 'Fish' is also playing in several other film festivals this month. They include:

San Diego Asian Film Festival, Oct. 11 - Oct. 18, San Diego, CA, http://www.sdaff.org/

Austin Film Festival, Oct. 11 - Oct. 18, Austin, TX, http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/new/

Sao Paulo International Film Festival, Oct. 19 - Nov. 1, Sao Paulo, BRAZIL, http://www2.uol.com.br/mostra/31/p_exib_filme_103_en.shtml

Watch for additional showings in Goteborg (Sweden), Brussels Fantasy Film Festival and Asheville later this fall.

Jean Detheux October Studio Artist Events

2007-10-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

Studio Artist user Jean Detheux's award winning animated film Daydream Mechanics V sketch 3 is being presented by the Festival du Nouveau Cinema in Montreal on Oct 12 and 14th. For more information you can view the poster image here.

Jean is also lecturing at the Rochester Institute of Technology (school of film and animation) on Oct 16th, and will take part in the "New Music & Art Festival" in Bowling Green from the 17th to the 20th, with films screenings and panels and lectures, the main lecture being given on the 20th. The lecture title is "From Pre-Verbal Perception to Visual Music, An exploration of the origin of abstraction and the mysterious relationship between images and music".

Doolittle Raiders Trailer

2007-09-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

Doolittle Raiders is a film created by Studio Artist user Todd Mattson that is now available on DVD. Todd uses Studio Artist for auto-rotoscoping documentary footage in oil & watercolor looks. You can check out the film trailer which features some Studio Artist processing here.

Visual Music in San Francisco

2007-09-03T22:04:00.000-07:00

“Visual Music” takes place in San Francisco on September 13 and will explore the relationship between sound and image in contemporary experimental film practice. The show includes excerpts from the 2007 Northeastern University Visual Music Marathon, and will include works by Studio Artist user's Jean Detheux and Dennis Miller. The Visual Music event takes place at 8 pm on thursday Sept. 13 at the X Gallery and Art Bar, 132 Eddy St., San Francisco, CA 94102, which is two blocks from Powell St. BART Station.

Second Life Virtual Studio Artist Gallery

2007-08-07T14:39:00.000-07:00

One of the things Siggraph Guerilla Studio artist in residence Michael Wright is showing off this week in San Diego is his virtual Studio Artist gallery located in the virtual space of Second Life. The image to the left is a screen capture of one wall of the virtual gallery space. The complete virtual gallery is located over several floors of a floating building located in Second Life at Otis Island (196, 255, 156), and is filled with artwork created exclusively in Studio Artist.

Michael also has a power mac portable running Studio Artist along with a firewire video camera he's using with Studio Artist in iSight source mode to capture live video imagery he then manipulates and paints within Studio Artist. There's also a complete computer lab at this years Guerilla Studio equipped with multiple macs running Studio Artist as well as extensive printing facilities, so if you're in San Diego feel free to check out Siggraph Guerilla Studio and say hello to Michael.