The inimitable Frank Chimero has done it again! Frank decided that this Wednesday and all Wednesdays forward will be known as Webless Wednesdays, where we all unplug for a day and share our stories of limitless productivity on Thursday. I think I’ll join him– won’t you?
While looking for the Really Rosie opening on You Tube (after reading about it on Michael Sporn’s animation blog), I found this wonderfully animated version of Maurice Sendak’s In the Night Kitchen. My only complaint is the narration by composer Peter Schiekele, who goes a bit over the top.
Last year during an art history course I was taking I discovered that In the Night Kitchen is a kind of tribute to the amazing illustration and comics of Winsor McKay, most specifically his Little Nemo in Slumberland comics that ran full-page in the Sunday New York Herald from 1905-1911. (McKay was an animator in his own right, pioneering in the medium with his performances on-stage with his animated Gertie the Dinosaur.) As talent borrows and genius steals, Sendak lifted the bed right out of Little Nemo’s bedroom and put it under Mickey at the beginning and end of his story. It’s fun to see the story come to life.
BONUS: Animated Where the Wild Things Are! This seems to be done by the same team who made the In the Night Kitchen animation, but this one works a lot better, imho.
P.S. There is much to update you about, not the least of which is that I am now living in St. Paul, MN, and teaching a class at MCAD while I keep up with various freelance projects and art shows. When the pace slows, I’ll let you know more, dear readers.
Daaaang!! That’s so purdy! And raw and interesting to look at and now I just want to see the whole thing! (Be sure to watch both clips.)
So this is my basic complaint about Ratatouille: it too perfect! Sure the story is the important part, and while I like it well enough in that film, it’s not stellar storytelling (granted, it’s way better than the fart jokes and pop references in things like Shrek.) I think with this one, the Pixar animators got too excited about their toys. The most passionate features on the film’s website talk about how amazing and difficult the food animation was to capture. Totally cool, I agree, but it didn’t carry the film for me.
The end credits, however, were AMAZING! Why-oh-why didn’t they animate a whole film like those credits? It was rough and dark and alive, far more so than the “realistic” animation from the rest of the film. My take? If you are going to animate a film, take advantage of your medium! This is what I loved about The Triplets of Belleville– it embraced animation’s abilities. My favorite sub-character by far is the simpering waiter at the mobster-filled restaurant. He’s like a big noodle.
Anyway, this Pearce Sisters thing looks awesome, and I can’t wait to find it showing somewhere when it’s ready.
