Thank ya...Thank ya very much!

Hey all! Been on a bit of a road trip since last Friday night. Leaving my country home in South Dakota at around 3AM, I traveled about 12 hours to Indianapolis for my dear "Taiwan days" friend, Amy's wedding. Now, keep in mind this was a trip with me driving alone. I made it...and don't necessarily want to do it again...but I gotta get back home! Amy was beautiful! The wedding was beautiful! Indy...not really so beautiful...but oh well. Reunited with some good friends and even managed to make some wonderful new ones.

After a fun time at the wedding, I jumped into my Jetta (that I'm told needs a name) with four OTHER "Taiwan days" friends. Now, remember, said "nameless" Jetta is not all that huge, but we managed to pack five people's luggage into the trunk and then pack the owners of that luggage into the front and back seats and headed to the home of blues and Graceland, Memphis, TN!

The girls and me in Memphis, TN

This was only the beginning...

Here...There...

I just get a kick every time I pass this corner near my home. The sign has been up for a while now and as far as I can tell, no one knows what this sign is directing too or for what..but it sure gives me a chuckle...and reminds me of the corner I need to take...even if I have driven the same route since I started driving!



Until laterz!

Happy Birthday, America!!

        Just wanted to take a moment and wish everyone a HAPPY 4th OF JULY. And to those American buddies (and even the Commonwealth friends) from my Taiwan days...a HUGE Imaginary firework display is going on right now for ya!

        I pray and hope life is wonderful for everyone out there and enjoy the family and friends today on this WONDERFUL AMERICAN holiday!!!

Laterz!

The Black Hills

I've gotten back into a "normal" sleep pattern after a week out in the Black Hills of South Dakota. I was working with the video guys at the Heartland District Sr. High Camp in Keystone, SD. We did some daily highlight videos along with some fun question videos. It was a great time and I love that part of the world! I hadn't been out there since the last time I counciled two summers ago. It was great to see some of the same kids from other churches and see how they had grown and was fun to get to meet some new faces!

Production on my animations are at a standstill at the moment as I've got a few things that are taking priority at the moment. But I will try to keep this thing updated with any tidbits about my work or any other stuff that I find you all might enjoy!

Until laterz!

Audience Voting

For those of you that have yet to hear about the Animadness contest I was a part of this past spring, the animated short is now online for all to view and then until July 7 (I think) you can then vote for my film so that I may have the honor of saying the public view my work in highest regard! :) The people's vote doesn't help me win the big money prize, but it'd still be kinda cool to get! My team's film is "Mydas' Touch".

After seeing the rest of the animations, I really feel like my team created a worthy product, especially since it was hand drawn. I have to admit that one or two other choices are some personal favs of mine, but still feel mine is in the top four! I hope you do too!

here's the link: http://www.nycmidnight.net/animadness/animadness.htm

The voting is at the bottom, just below the link to my film. I'll post when I get the final results later in July.

Laterz!

the Future Walt Disney?

I found this article, posted today on one of my daily must read sites. It's pretty interesting and makes me even more sure that I will be at Disney/Pixar one day...hopefully soon! Anyways, for anyone that wants to read the article that shows why John Lasseter could be, and in my humble opinion IS the "new" Walt Disney, here's that article link:

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060604/ART09/60603032&SearchID=73246813542159

Until Laterz!

Put me in COACH...

...I'm ready to PLAY!! That's how I was feeling tonight as I went to my weekly Men's softball game. Now, I love playing competitive softball, and that's good since we are playing "A" ball (granted it's in Church league, but so what!). But just cause a guy loves it, doesn't mean he's a pro. When it comes to fielding, I tend to be catcher. When it comes to batting, I just pray I have the patience NOT to swing at the first pitch if it doesn't get into that nice, sweet spot. And then I pray that I can remember all my batting coach taught me (Thanks Ellie!) and hit the dang ball! After which getting onto that elusive first base is the goal.

So this game started the way most of the others did. You see my team tends to take the first game as a warm up and then hopefully win the second one. I played catcher (as usual) and then actually hit the ball a couple times...straight into the short stop's glove. Whatever. Then towards the end of the game, which we were down by not so much..but still a lot, and then we started hitting and I even got a run in. I even got to finally got to play one of my backup positions second (when there's someone that really wants to be catcher! ha!). And I had some good plays, if I say so myself.

We then took that momentum from the first game and took it hard to the unsuspecting second team. I hit every time at bat and made a few runs. I then was moved from catcher to FIRST of all places! I was kinda surprised, but the fact that we were up like 21 to 2 probably was part of it. We all actually were playing different positions. Not to toot my own horn, but I have to say that I did DANG good at first base. I had one line drive straight into my glove (thumbs still a tad sore, but I say "Bring on the pain!"). Then I had another line drive that went into my glove and then decided to leave my glove...fast. I also got to know the fence quite well as I went after a foul ball. Honestly, the fence jumped up in front of me! I woulda had that ball if it hadn't have jumped the fence!!!

All in all, I had a really enjoyable night. I LOVE THIS GAME!!!

Anyways..I know this ain't animation related...but ya never know..I may just do a softball short some day!!

Until laterz!

More "Mydas'" inages

I know..your shocked and amazed that me, Dakota Kid, has posted TWICE in on day! Well, as you pull yourself up off the floor and back in front of your computer screen, take a look at a few more images from my last animation project. Still working on getting the actual short online. Keep ya posted on that.

Extra Projects

I realized that I needed to start posting more illustrations and stuff to show ya'll what I've been up too. So..that's what I'm gonna do. I was asked to do some illustration work for my church's vacation Bible school. Themed "Frog and Gator's Everglade Adventure"



Got some more stuff to post, but I'll get to that later.

Laterz!

Mydas' Touch

Well, I realized today that I have not added ANY pics of my work on this animation blog. SO, I'm here to rectify that here and now. At the beginning of the month, I participated in this animation contest called Animadness 2006. As of this post, I haven't heard any results from that contest. I figured you all might like to see some stills (and maybe the actual film if I can figure out how to get it loaded on the site). So..here's some sample stills from the short.



here's the main character, Mydas, who is a pet dragon. The next image is the DVD cover art (the color isn't correct...but you get the idea, right? :) ).



I'll try to get some more shots posted later. And if I don't figure out a way to get the movie posted, I'll for sure let ya'll know when the contest streamlines it on there site.

Untill laterz!

Next project...

        Well, now that the ANIMADNESS 2006 animation contest has concluded (still awaiting the results), I'm moving on to the next project, or actually, projectS. I have one animation that is CG and one that is traditional hand drawn. For the most part, they're stories that have been in development for a LONG time and I think 2006 is a good year to finish them..or at least one in 2006 and the other in 2007. All this is contingent on any jobs that take me into the world of studio work. That might move the finish dates of these animations to later on..but we'll see. For now, just working on nailing down the story and storyboards. I'll keep the updates coming.

on a side note: PIXAR is now officially no more. Well, it's still PIXAR, but now officially owned by Disney. As far as I can tell, there is more good from this merger then bad. Since I'm a traditional enthusiast, I see the fact that John Lasseter desires to bring traditional 2D animation back to the company that made it an art form as reason enough to be excited about this transaction!

Until laterz!

"Mydas' Touch" is now COMPLETE!!

        I have just now as of 4am, closed the mailer that contains the animated short film that my team is entering into the ANIMADNESS 2006 contest. It's been the LONGEST three weeks, and I haven't worked on so few hours of sleep since my days in college! I'm hoping to link to the website that will have the streaming video of all the contestants when they post it. I'll also put up some shots for your viewing pleasure soon. But for now...IT'S SLEEPY TIME!!!

Laterz!

Animate...Animate..Animate...

        I wanted to just do an update in the off chance that anyone checks my blog. I'm in the middle of the Animadness 2006 animation contest. We've got two weeks down (exactly as of three minutes ago) and we are working out bums off to get the massive story done in three weeks. This kinda pressure reminds me of my days in Taiwan at ORTV...where I had to do six minutes of finished animation in about two or three weeks. And this is ten times more animation then one episode of "Say It Right"!

        Anyways..I'm heading back to work and going on the fourth night in a row where I don't get to sleep till almost dawn. But at least it's Saturday tomorrow! I'll be posting some samples from the short after we finish the film. So...check back!

Laterz!

And the Madness begins...

        Last night was when the Animadness 2006 animation contest started. The team I joined, BlueFox Animation (a friend from college and her boyfriend and I), were given the theme of "GREED". And then "A PET" and "A BOX" were the main character and object that have to be used in the short. We now have three weeks (ends May 6th) to produce an animated short under 5 min. The team is three of us and we aren't all in the same area, so it's gonna be a challenge to create this short via internet. I'll give more updates about how things are going as the contest goes!

        Until then...laterz!

Animadness 2006...

        It's a week before Easter weekend and I'm prepping for the start of a three week project. I'm joining a team of three for an animation contest that is starting this Friday, April 14th (Good Friday) to produce an original animated short (under 5 min.) I can't give out any details..even if I wanted too, cause we haven't been given the details that our story has to contain. That's part of the fun!

        I'll for sure post more about this, but probably after we've completed it and gotten it sent in by the deadline..just to make sure the idea doesn't get stolen! in the rare chance some other team comes upon my blog! ha! don't think I got that big an audience.

        Well..that's it for now. Just wanted to clue some of you readers what's going on. I'm also hoping that I will kick start my blogging with this entry. But we've said that before..haven't we!

Until laterz...

Year of the DAWG!!

WOOF WOOF!! Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! (especially to my friends in Taiwan!! Ni hao!! Wo Aye Ni!!!)

My Chinese New Year will be spent flying to Las Vegas for my birthday this week! Then out to LA to job hunt, so hopefully some awesome studio (Disney) will see some potential (ahem..Disney) in this YOUNG animator!!

Until laterz,
Lamont

The Good Samaritan...

I wanted to keep this blog to what I was doing in my animation career and projects, but since at the moment I'm mainly getting things ready for my trip out to California in February. After reading my friends blog that helped push me into this cult..I mean..Bandwagon of bloggers (cough..JULIE..cough), I've decided to fill everyone into an happening I had yesterday. I went to meet a buddy of mine for a late dinner at Perkins and as I get out of my car, two young girls in a Ford Taurus call out to me and ask if I know how to fix a flat tire. This is something I really don't enjoy doing, but after hearing these two were only 17 and from a town about an hour away from Sioux Falls and they truly didn't have a clue on how to begin to change a tire (something I think ALL drivers should know how to do), I decided to be the Good Guy and help. I felt better about my choice when they said how many people just ignored them. Stupid me..can't just keep on walking. Anyways, after checking to see if my friend had arrived yet (he hadn't), I unload the tire and all the crappy equipment Ford puts in the trunk to repair these things. I proceeded to use the crappy jack to lift the car off the tire and then removed all the bolts holding the tire to the axel. Feeling confident I have this manly activity under control, I lift the tire off the axel. At that very moment, the car decides it wants to roll backwards and pins my right wrist against the tire and the wheel well. I continued to remove the tire from the now on the ground axel and that freed my hand from the tight spot. At this point, I was done with this situation. I stood up and suggested they try a tow truck and looked at my wrist to see some bruising start. After organizing the wheels and parts together for the next "good guy", I looked at my wrist and noticed it was a little worse then before, now it was bleeding.

Combine the loss of blood and my standing up really fast together and I was starting to head into la-la land. I held it together and grabbed my buddy and headed into Perkins to get some much needed food and clean up my wound. Long story cut down slightly, I cleaned up my wrist which was sliced partly and very tender to the touch, but not broken. I then had some good breakfast for dinner. On my way back to my car, I noticed the girls were still there. Even though my first instinct was to run the opposite direction, I decided to keep going towards my car. I was happy to find that some other Joe had come along and fixed the tire and the girls were about to head back on there way home.

Well..if this taught me anything the next time I see some girls in need of a tire change, it's taught me to just give them the number of a good tow truck! And as for the hand, well, it's still usable and hasn't gone gangrene yet..so life is good.

New Year...New Job?

Hey all...So, it's been a LONG time since my first post, and I hope to make the future ones more regular. Now that I'm through the holidays without that much damage and my sister's wedding has come and gone, it's time to focus. In the future, I want to use this blog to be a running journal of such with my personal animations, two of which are in pre-production. But I want it to also be a report on my job search. I'm taking a job search trip out to the city of Angels the first part of February. The end goal to get a position in a studio that is producing film/TV character animation, but it is also to cultivate and develop some contacts I have in the field. Hopefully the fruit of my labor will be shown soon. And hoping to get a little tan going...it is California after all!

Jumping on the Bandwagon

Well, after a couple months of reading more animator and illustrator blogs then getting work done, I have decided to join the Blog Revolution!! VIVA LA BLOG!!!! okay..enough dramatics. I'm not sure what this will end up being, but I'll try and make it worth visiting and hope to share some of my current work with you guys! Thanks for visiting!