Toontooga Needs Your Voice!

Certainly you recognize these characters (from top left): Sgt. Schultz, Trelane, Frau Blücher, Natasha Fatale, Prince Herbert's father, and Dr. Phil

Last year, after revealing my plan to create an animated version of the Samson story, I was approached by several people who wanted to do voices for some of the animated characters. Well . . .

I am introducing my own version of “The VOICE . . . “. I’m calling it “The VOICEover . . .” and I am starting with some blind auditions. So here is what I want you to do: 

1. DOWNLOAD the one-page portion of the Samson script here.

2. LOOK at the images above that I have chosen as possible character types for the different voice parts in the Story Reel. Samson's father and Samson are males (duh), but the soldiers (Philistines) in the script can be either male or female.

3. CHOOSE one or more of the parts from the script that you think you might like to VOICE and match it with one of the photos above to mimic. Or forget photos and come up with your own created voice. Or forget that and just talk like YOU!

4. RECORD your voiceover for that character by clicking the link on the right hand side of this page. If you don't see the link on the side of the page, click here. After you record something you like, you will have the option to email it to me.

It is that EASY! It really is. If you want to re-record because you didn’t like the way it sounded the first time, NO PROBLEM. You can record it over until you get what you like, then click send and I will get it in my email. It’s like a contest for the voices that will be in Samson. You can send me as many different voices for as many different characters that are on that one-page portion of the Samson script - just send them each in a separate email, so I don't get all confused.

If it's a CONTEST, there must be a PRIZE, right? Well, since I have no idea exactly when this animated version of Samson will be finished, I am kind of giving some prizes NOW. What I will do is choose one voice entry for each character that made me laugh the most. That is my judging criteria. I'm listening for voice clips that I want to play over and over, and that make me laugh every time I listen to them. What makes me laugh? Find out? Enter the contest! 

And the prize will be . . .  a VINE POST of that character speaking the line in your voice. Woooooo! Oh YES! YES! YES! The sky opens, heavenly glory pours out and there you are . . . VINED!

If you don’t like the contest part, then I have another option (but you still need to send me your voicover on this page). Here is the deal: You encourage (entice, whatever) 10 people to ‘LIKE’ my toontoogafilms facebook page - Here is a link: www.facebook.com/toontoogafilms - then you are a SHOE-IN. That’s right, you will be posted as a VINE voicing a the character, showing them Hollywood cats what it’s all about, on your way to the silver screen.

Maybe you didn’t hear me. If you:

A. Get 10 people to ‘LIKE’ my page www.facebook.com/toontoogafilms . . . 

or,

B. Win the contest

then,

Your voice will be showcased on VINE as one of the characters from Samson.

The contest will end on October 31, 2013 at 11:59 pm. The Vine posts will be November 28, 2013.

Sorry, Zombies! I'll Be Using My Brains!

Zombie PX storefront in Palmyra, PA - All your zombie apocalypse supplies in one spot.

We can all rest a little easier now that we have a place we can go in central PA to get survival gear for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. Those who are attentive can see the signs. Twelve years ago I caught a brief glimpse into the reality of this seemingly mythic problem. I was standing in a cemetery in Orange county California. It was the middle of the week at the beginning of the day. All was quiet where I stood. Resting in peace. But 100 yards away, just past the gate protecting these plots, existed a fury of activity. Automobiles rushing, stopping and going, rushing again and very close together. In a moment I was able to see beyond the veil of the expressionless faces. The dead were driving. The driving dead, making their way down the busy surface roads going - where were they going? By the time of day, I assumed work was the destination. The driving dead on their way to work. No dreams, no hope - DEAD!
This is our zombie apocalypse. Souls succumbed to brain-eating existence because their hearts have stopped beating with the flow of life they once experienced.
Survive the apocalypse! And, bring some zombies back, too. Back to the land of the living. Revived. Alive. Inspired.

Creating to the sound of "the Seven Sweet Sciences of Ghettomation"

About a month ago (maybe almost two months, now) after the fabulously fun MoMA event with Alexia Anastasio's film Adventures in Plymptoons, I connected to the Ghettomation podcast. I guess the connection was when, during the event Bill Plympton was asked by a woman in the audience about African-American and Latino animators that could be role models currently to African-American and Latino students of animation she was teaching. Bill thought a moment and said, "I don't know any." Alexia quickly interjected, "What about Jim Lujan?" "Oh, yeah," replied Bill, obviously knowing Jim Lujan, but seemingly not sure about the category. So, yeah! What ABOUT Jim Lujan?
It was about a week or so after that, I was looking at photos of the event on Alexia's Facebook, and there was Jim Lujan in a photo from an earlier event (maybe Comic Con). And I thought, "What about Jim Lujan?" A short search landed me on jimlujan.com, and in the sidebar was a podcast widget. I was preparing to go on a longish road trip, so BOOM, now I had some listening goodness. First, I listened to the latest podcast, We Don't Need No Stinkin' Badges, then I went to the initial Ghettomation podcast, The Seven Sweet Sciences of Ghettomation.
The heavens opened . . . I saw a ladder going up into heaven with angels ascending and descending the ladder. In the hands of the heavenly host were The Seven Sweet Sciences of Ghettomation.
What are The Seven Sweet Sciences of Ghettomation? If you have not already clicked the links or listened to the podcast, I am listing them here for your quick perusal:

1) KEEP THE FLOW: Most important of all...keep your original energy and excitement and CAPTURE it in your work. People can feel the vibe you give off in your films. Go with it. Run with it....HAVE FUN CREATING!
2) CONTENT IS KING:Remember, the CONCEPTS and CONTENT win the audience, not just fancy animation. Ghettomation believes that STYLE goes hand in hand with SUBSTANCE. Abuse neither, but use both!
3) ACTING: Use your art to make the viewer think there is more movement than there really is. Make your characters ACT through dynamic poses, body language, and facial expressions. You'll save time, trouble, and energy by making your characters ACT when drawing.
4) ECONOMIZE: Save your energy for creating. Why do a lot when a little serves the audience just as well. Enjoy the process, but don't kill yourself on the technical aspects. Cheating is fine in Ghettomation.
5) AUDIO-Your ambient sound,music, and sound effects not only COLOR your animation, but build the world your characters live in. The audience is captured with your sound. Thats a basic pilar to build on.
6) RESOURCEFULNESS: Think on the fly. Pull from whatever resources and influences you can to tell a great story and make a cool movie. It doesn't matter HOW you get there, just GET there.
7) SWAGGER: It is what it is. Don't fret about what you DONT have. Celebrate what you DO have. Be confident and have fun with it!

I have been creating recently to the tune of these, oh so sweet sciences. Many thanks to the hosts: Jim Lujan, Kevin Cross and Raul Aguirre, Jr.

Check out the Ghettomation podcast at the Ghettomation site or on iTunes. Also, check out their different Ghettomation styles - they have links to their work all through the site. I particularly enjoyed Seven Smiles - Check it out (also on the jimlujan youtube channel):

Responding to the mandate: Make Toons that Sell Without Selling Out! a book by Bill Plympton

Make Toons That Sell Without Selling Out! occupies a prominent spot in the Toontooga studio.

I paid a visit to the Plymptoon's studio two weeks ago and came out with this book in my hands. Make Toons That Sell Without Selling Out! by Bill Plympton. Here is my review which I also posted on Amazon.com.

This book contains Bill Plympton’s infamous lists, and is indeed telling you how to do what the title proclaims. However, in my opinion, the title should be read as a command from Bill Plympton. Make Toons that Sell Without Selling Out! Go ahead, read it again as if you were ten years old and your father is telling you for the last time to . . . (fill in the blank). Make Toons that Sell Without Selling Out! This is the Plympton Mandate (not to be confused with the Plympton Dogma, which is covered in the book), from the King of Indie Animation himself. It’s your cartoon dad telling you to do it, and do it now! Bill is very direct in his instructions to the reader about what to do and what not to do (no big feet), but this is by no means a technical manual. It is more a wonderful stream of consciousness flow of Bill Plympton’s  journey as an artist, his methods of filmmaking, and his relationships in sharing and selling his films. I’m not saying that there is NO tech info in the book, one huge treat for me was the Bill Plympton walk cycles. There is also a fab section on character design, and more great stuff in the technique department. I’m just saying it’s definitely NOT a technical tome. My personal favorite section of the book is the “Selling your Film” section. It’s a bunch of great stories around the deals Bill has made in selling his films (or, not selling, in some cases), and this brings me to what I feel is the bottom line of this book - BILL’S experiences. We want to know how Bill did it, because no one else has done it like Bill. It’s true that others have created features on their own, or mostly on their own, but not in the abundance that Bill has, and certainly not with the renown in which Bill has done it. And this is why you want this book.
You will read about what I think are the two hallmarks of Bill’s success: his love of drawing and his ease of connecting with people. When Bill is telling you about technique, he is recounting from his innumerable hours of drawing. When he tells you about the independent film biz, he is recounting opportunities that arose from his connecting with anyone and everyone. I can’t tell which he does more of - drawing or connecting. But, let it be known loud and clear, if you intend to respond to the Plympton Mandate of Make Films that Sell Without Selling Out!, you will need to be drawing and connecting to do it. An encouraging starting point is to get his book and be inspired by Bill Plympton's lifestyle of drawing and connecting.

Get the book direct from Bill at: http://www.plymptoonstore.com/books/written-by-bill/make-toons-that-sell-without-selling-out

You can also add a caricature of yourself by Bill if you order direct (Bill did this one on the left of me during the Bill Plympton School of Animation).

Or, you can order it on Amazon.com
http://amzn.com/0240817796

Or you can go to this event coming up on June 21 at the Museum of Modern Art.
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/249770

Hanging out with Dr Angela

What a wonderful time Dr Angela and I had discussing trademark, copyright and other cool stuff.