Swing of Change

I ran across this amazing short called Swing of Change on cartoonbrew.com this morning. It is about a barber who overcomes 1930s racism through the power of a magical trumpet. I was floored by the quality and and creativity of this short, and just in time for the upcoming black history month here in the U.S. This was done by some students over in Fance's ESMA School of the Arts. One of the comments on cb's post put it best by saying that its messed up that the French have the courage to do a piece like this before Americans. It's true. Anyways, check it out, and show these guys some love.

Synopsis : New York 30's : Harry, a racist barber changes his mind at the arrival of a magical trumpet in his barber shop !
A Graduation Short Film Directed by : Harmony Bouchard, Andy Le Cocq, Joakim Riedinger, Raphael Cenzi
Music by Denis Riedinger
Jean Christophe Mentzer (trumpet), Stephane Fougeroux (percussion), Renaud Bernad (trombone), Sébastien Lentz (horn), Michael Cortone (tuba)
Music Record : Denis Riedinger, Studio Aquarium, Hoerdt, FR
Sound Design : Jose Vicente, Studio des Aviateurs, Montpellier, FR
Mix : Matthias Heimlicher, Keytastic! studios, Lommiswil, CH
Choreographer : Tony Style, Christiane Cilluffo-Marciano

swing-of-change.com

New Episode, New Format

If you noticed on the Facebook page and Twitter, I decided to bring the podcast to an end. I had big plans for it, but due to scheduling, work, and lack of support, I couldn't continue to do the podcast by myself. Shortly after that, I was contacted by Josh Ryan of the Alt Animation podcast. He listened to a couple episodes and liked what he heard. Instead of letting Cel Therapy fall into the great void of the internet, he asked to have it as a short segment on the Alt Animation Podcast. I gave it some thought... they already have a huge listenership, with great response. It was a no-brainer really. I thought it was really generous offer and I accepted.
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Now, Cel Therapy takes on a new format as a 10 minute segment on the Alt Animation podcast. They talk about the saltier side of the animation industry, and also includes interviews with some alternative animators. It is an excellent fit for Cel Therapy because the therapy session will remind people of why we love animation in the first place... cartoons. I will provide a link to the full show as well as the therapy session. I encourage everyone to listen to the entire show, you will learn something. I have to give a huge shout-out and thank you to Josh Ryan and the Alt Animation Crew for being so generous as to have Cel Therapy be a part of their show. Do me a favor and leave them a five star review on iTunes.
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Click HERE to listen to Episode 12 of the Alt Animation Podcast, featuring Cel Therapy. If that link doesn't work, visit their WEBSITE, altanimation.podomatic.com and search for episode 12.
Click HERE to listen to just the therapy session.

Angel Vitamina

This is precisely the reason why independent animation is so important to the industry. I don't even have the words to describe it. Imagination, Innovation, Color, Story... it just doesn't say enough. Check it out.

ANGELVITAMINA - TRAILER 2 / PILOTO from Diego De Rose / Wujoco on Vimeo.

Ninjamaica

This is a trailer called Ninjamaica, done by House of Cool. I found it to be extremely creative and funny as hell. It has a jamaican cast, which is rare in cartoons. As I was reading through the comments, people were pretty harsh on it because of its cultural references. I can't stand it when people start nitpicking about language and stereotypes. I thought it was done extremely well. Here is what I had to say:

Wow. This is hilarious! Animation is well done, great story. I love the diversity. I see some of the comment are kinda harsh on the cultural references and language. I disagree. I mean honestly, who else is putting out content with a black/Jamaican cast? Certainly not Nick, Disney, WB, or CN. If we lash out at everyone who makes an attempt, then the face of cartoons will continue to look the same. This comes from an animator, and I'm black.

Meet the Medic

Here is the latest animated short for Team Fortress 2. This one is called Meet the Medic. If you are not familiar with these shorts, they are basically trailers featuring each character from the online shooter, Team Fortress 2. They are done by Valve, the developer of the game. When I first saw these, I was absolutely stunned by the quality of animation. In many games, much of the animation is intended for gameplay, not for entertainment value. With Team Fortress 2, they use both. Seeing what type of personality the character has actually adds to the overall experience. From what I can tell, the 3d models are actually in-game assets. That makes it even more bad-ass. Who needs a Hi-res, multi-million polygon model to create an awesome short? Valve sure doesn't, and they prove it with the latest in the series.

The LeBrons

When LeBron James first said he was doing a cartoon, I didn't take him seriously. However, after watching it, I have to give him credit. It is very well done. Broadcast quality animation on youtube.

Episode 7 has arrived!

Hello Fans, Episode 7 of Cel Therapy has arrived. In this episode, I talk about one of the greatest cartoons to ever get cancelled, Sym-Bionic Titan. I found out about the cancellation as I was recording the episode. It is old news by now, but definitely worth mentioning. Basically, ST was cancelled because it did not have enough toys connected to it. I read the story on Cartoon Brew. This story is a great example of how a lot of western cartoons have to have a huge marketing and merchandise strategy. Otherwise, the execs won't even consider it. Great content is no longer enough in this market. That is a shame because there are so many gems out there, waiting for a break, that will never see the light of day. *Sigh* I would love to see creative new ideas like Sym-Bionic Titan. Perhaps we can take a few notes from anime OAV's. Just release an entire series straight to video. ST has a huge following. I'd like to see it back on TV, or a full season release on dvd, given straight to the fans. I'm not sure if they can make money from bypassing TV altogether, but its a thought. CLICK HERE to download Episode 7.
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Discussed: Sym-Bionic Titan