Professional Documents
Culture Documents
In This Issue:
TUMBLE LEAF
ALSO
Los Aeronauts
&
Starburns Industries - The Lost Interview
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
JOHN IKUMA
CONTENTS:
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
AI IKUMA
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
JOHN IKUMA Pg 6 - New Stop Motion Pro Software
PAUL HOWELL
LAYOUT DESIGNER
JOHN IKUMA
Pg 7 - TUMBLE LEAF
O’NEAL PAGNANI
Pg 15 - Los Aeronauts
Stop Motion Magazine is published bi-monthly by StopMotionMagazine.com, 4113 Irving Place, Culver
City, CA. 90232. Content is Copyright 2009-201 by Stop Motion Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reprint in
part or in whole without written permission from the publisher is strictly forbidden. Stop Motion Magazine is
trademarked by John Ikuma.
Motion Control Goodness for Animators
So let me rephrase my statement about the future releases of SMM. Future Issues of SMM will be produced on
a non-scheduled bases... This means there will be issues in the future and Stop Motion Magazine will exist in a
print form but will be sporadic and will hold no official release dates. Due to mainly being a one man show in
producing the magazine I have to face the reality of there is only so many hours in the day to dedicated to work,
family, and hobbies. Since SMM doesn’t make a real profit from advertisers or print on demand, it makes it very
difficult to maintain and hire individuals. I’m lucky enough to have had the help of a couple individuals whom
contributed to the making of Issues 23, 24, and the upcoming issue 25. One such person is O’neal Pagnani whom
I hired for a short period to help me deal with layout while I was busy on the Toys R Us gig. O’neal has a bad
reputation in the industry and I’m the type of individual to not pass judgement unless I have witnessed transgres-
sions first hand. In my opinion everyone deserves a second chance and I truly think his passion, humility, and
kindness proved that his growth throughout the hard times he has faced in the past has made him a better person.
I thank him for his hard work and dedication to SMM and hope his journey to salvaging his reputation is a speedy
and rewarding one. You Rock O’neal and thanks!
In this Issue you will find a great interview with the creators of Tumble Leaf, Drew Hodges, and Kelli Pixler. I’ve
been waiting forever to get this issue released and since Tumble Leaf has been picked up for a second Season and
since they’ve been winning awards left and right from Cannes, Annie Awards, and Emmy’s, it’s probably best to
get this issue out so that the world can see why Tumble Leaf is such an amazing show and why Bix Pix Entertain-
ment is probably one of the best studios to work for in the animation industry. They’re also going to be the main
focus of my energy for awhile so I want to make sure you guys know why. There’s also the Lost Interview with
Starburns Industries which is between myself, Joe Russo, and James Fino that was conducted years ago. This
interview was originally supposed to be a bunch of interviews which would have been with all the higher ups at
Starburns including Dino Stamatopoulos, and Dan Harmon. Unfortunately however their work schedule and my
work schedule never meshed well and the result was the cancelation of the Starburns Issues. Hopefully in the
future one can be produced.
In closing I would like to thank all of the readers of SMM and tell you it has been an honor to produce a maga-
zine which is read in almost every country in the world and has a large loyal following. We just passed 9000
subscribers on our YouTube Channel and are edging past to 3000 magazine issue subscribers. In the future we
may switch to a paid subscription basis to keep SMM running, but for now enjoy the free pdf version or Print on
Demand versions and Keep Animating.
-John Ikuma
(Executive Editor of Stop Motion Magazine)
Stop Motion Software Re-Invented
Stop Motion Pro has gone back to basics, simplify- shapes and instructions using a keyboard alone.
ing the animation capture process giving animators Rig removal tools mean animators can test remov-
instant access to powerful tools with Stop Motion ing rigs on set, ensuring shadows and other issues
Pro Eclipse, for Windows (native Mac version in will not cause problems for post production. Direc-
development). tors will be able to see and approve the shot on set.
“We noticed animators were confused when it came Multiple track audio functions mean sound files can
to learning how to animate - why should software be layered, allowing the creation of the sound track
get in the way of character and story? It should while the animator works. Professionals will love
enhance it!” Says Ross Garner, director at Stop Mo- the ability to add multiple versions of one track
tion Pro. - perfect for extending pauses in dialogue when
Setting out to create the most intuitive animation you need to squeeze in a few extra frames for your
software meant testing and collating feedback with characters performance.
professionals in the industry. “We worked at all “These considerations add up to innovative, smooth
levels, students, home users and professional ani- interface that users will love,” says Ross.
mators, if you know any animators, you will under- Stop Motion Pro Eclipse is available on Windows
stand they are very specific about what they want,” (and Macs running Windows). We are actively
says Ross. developing a native Mac version, the first Alpha of
One click access to tools such as onion-skinning, this software was demonstrated at Annecy Anima-
changing fps and copy / paste frames was essential. tion Festival in 2014.
Dozens of features are now represented using icons Eclipse, with control of Canon and Nikon DSLR’s,
which mean more can be fit onto the screen without starts at $18* per month, or $185* outright.
clutter. Tool tips in multiple languages (English, *USD
French, German and Chinese) give information Any questions can be directed to Stop Motion Pro
on functions. Advanced production management at: admin@stopmotionpro.com Visit their website:
features are a gem, with easy episode, shot and take www.stopmotionpro.com
recording. Animators wanting to work with lipsync
will love the software. It’s possible to assign mouth page6
TUMBLE LEAF
Bouncing on a Bog Bubble and Exploring the Magical
World of Tumble Leaf - Written by John Ikuma
Tumble Leaf is not your ordinary Miro. Miro was a blue little boy show only exists inside the Prime
kids show. For one thing it a stop whom has evolved through the and Amazon websites.
motion kids show which seems creative process to become to-
to be a rarity in todays television days Fig the Fox. Kelli and Drew Regardless, the show is cute and
production. Fig the Fox and his teamed up and pitched the show pretty amazing. The scope and
band of forest animals travel the to just about everyone that would depth of the world of Tumble Leaf
Tumble Leaf Island in an never listen. It was a struggle form what is huge. Without me giving too
ending adventure of discover and I understand, but the perseverance much away I can tell you the ba-
wonder. Each episode is filled paid off and now that are produc- sics. Fig whom is a little blue fox
with magic that tugs deep at your ing one of the most entertain- and his best friend Stick whom is
imagination and heart strings. ing and fun children’s shows on a little caterpillar that rides along
Amazon.com and Bix Pix Studios television. on Figs arm find new items each
teamed up to make this wonderful episode in the Findy Place which
show and since the success of the Now because the show is avail- is a room inside a shipwreck with
first season it has been announced able through Amazon Prime it a treasure chest in it. They set out
that there will be a second season. does have its disadvantages and throughout the day to discover
So how better to celebrate this advantages. For one thing Ama- what that item does. Kind of like
news than with a look into how zon has a large audience through an applied science and discovery
the show was created by talking to Amazon Prime which allows way learning. They meet all sorts
Kelli Bixler who is the owner of them to have a great distribution of cool looking animal characters
Bix Pix Studios and Drew Hodges model directly to the viewer. This whom share in the adventures. It’s
who is the main creator and Di- helps in providing realtime data definitely entertaining and worth
rector of the series. showing who’s liking what. The checking out the season 1 free
disadvantage to this is that many episode. I think you’ll enjoy the
First you should know a little people may not have access to magic and oh yeah the kids will
back story before we dive into the Amazon content due to not having like it too...
interviews. Tumble Leaf origi- a Prime account or because the
nally started out as a short called advertising and promotion of the
Interview With Kelli Bixler right graceful! And I love working with stop-motion
artists, they are fabulous human beings.
Executive Producer - Tumble Leaf
SMM: What were the major challenges you faced in
SMM: Can you tell us how Bix Pix Studios got developing the Tumble Leaf Series?
started?
Kelli: Could we really do it? I mean, for a televi-
Kelli: After working years in live action, I was in- sion budget, in the timeframe Amazon needed it, and
troduced to stop-motion animation on a Playschool with the production value that we were hell bent on
job, where a 2D animator was sculpting clay figures delivering???
at lunch for his own stop-motion short, they were
fabulous and I was hooked! I thought my live action SMM: Is pitching a show hard in this modern day
ideas/scripts could be produced in stop-motion and industry of online instant access media?
that might get more interest…it’s was so different-
unique! Kelli: Pitching has always been a crapshoot, there
are a lot of great ideas out there that don’t find a
SMM: Can you share with us how Miro developed home for a bajillion reasons. I’m convinced this
into the character Fig the Fox for the Tumble Leaf business is still done based on relationships, and the
Series? players change drastically in this town, but if you
stick around long enough eventually something’s
Kelli: Drew Hodges first created Miro, a blue boy gonna stick.
with an odd shaped head, and after pitching to a few
folks, he/we listened to the feedback and reworked
the character.
SMM: how did you get started in animation? what they were up to and try to challenge them as
much as I could.
Drew: The same way a lot of kids do: messing
around with a friend’s video camera - we figured SMM: Do you have any favorite moments during
out how to make stuff move. I always wanted to production of Tumble Leaf you could share with us?
make movies and stop motion was a cool way to get
some big ideas out there on no budget. When I saw Drew: There were favorite moments from all the dif-
‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ I knew that I wanted ferent phases of production. But there were some re-
to make movies like that. I never really cared much ally late night script rewrite sessions that felt closest
about animation itself but the kinds of little movies I to being equal parts insanity and pure creative flow.
kept making started to resemble animation more and Those moments where we rode the edge were always
more and so I eventually just started making fully the most memorable and exciting.
animated projects.
SMM: Do you have a favorite episode of Tumble
SMM: You were very hands on as a director during Leaf?
the Tumble Leaf production. What was it like to play
Director, Animator, Producer and Creative force for Drew: I like “Drumsticks.” I think everything was
the series and not get much sleep? working in that one. It was one of the toughest to
make but also one of the most purely “Tumble Leaf”
Drew: It just felt normal to me. I have a pretty short episodes we did. There was a cool location, beau-
attention span so I like to stay as busy as possible so tifully light with a mysterious new character, fun
things are constantly new and challenging. I had music and great animation.
such a great crew that I was always excited to see
SMM: During production the crew came up with all
sorts of wild stories about the origin of the Island
of Tumble Leaf... Without giving too much away...
Whats the deal with all the ancient buildings?
But the real answer is Tumble Leaf only exists in SMM: What inspires you?
Zucchini the Chicken’s mind. Look closely the clues
are all there… Drew: Really great production design, art and
worlds other people have built or imagined can be
SMM: This show is meant for a young audience, but very motivational.
in my conversations with parents it seems to have
caught their attention as well and is very entertaining SMM: What’s next for you?
to both young and old. Why do you think that is?
Drew: Finishing up a short film I’ve been working
Drew: We were always the first audience so we tried on and off on for the past 13 years…hopefully.
to entertain ourselves and put in elements we were
inspired by. We also tried to put in a high level of
detail and thought into the stories, world and stop-
motion animation which helps appeal to a wider
audience.
SMM: Were there any major challenges for you
during the production that you could share with
us?
LFH: We are certain we will finish this film this SMM: How big is your studio and the facilities you
year. are using?
SMM: What part of Mexico are you working in? LFH: I am working in a great studio ( OUTIK
ANIMATION STUDIO). Here I found all the
LFH: I am working in Guadalajara, which is the equipment I need, a nice set, advice and solution to
most important city in our country after Mexico each problem I had. You can check some of their
City. This city has a big art community and some work here OUTIK ANIMATION on Vimeo
of the best stop motion animators in Mexico. You
can check some great short films like “Jaulas/
Starburns Industries-The Lost Interview
The following interview was back wall with Shadow Machine. into this company?” and he said
conducted with right after the end James and I own a VFX/2D “No”. So we went out and had
of production on the last season animation company called 2/3D lunch, James, Dino and I; and
of Mary Shelley’s Frankinhole. Films and we were walking started talking about putting to-
It was a joy to have had worked the neighborhood and ran into gether a different facility. Some-
with the crew on that production a friend. She said “Oh hey I’m where where people could enjoy
and having spent many months working next door on this show where they’re working and they
there I grew to feeling at home called Morel Orel. I think you are treated properly and compen-
with the studio. This interview know the creator Dino Stano- sated for the work they’re doing
with Joe Russo and James Fino topolous”. I was like “Yes I do instead of being held under lock
two out of the four studio owners know him from the old days of and key like it seemed like was
at the studio was to be released Mr. Show”. She said “You should going on at that other company.
many years ago. There was actu- come by and do a little studio
ally supposed to be a full Star- tour”. To get to the point of where the
burns issue with Dino Stanotopo- name comes from.
lous and Dan Harman, but due So I popped in there and ran
to their heavy work schedule it around the set and talked to a We were bating around different
never came to be. Luckily I found bunch of people who are now ideas for names and I just thought
this interview within the library friendly with Starburns Indus- it would be really funny to have
of stop motion magazines catalog tries. I ran into Dino and I said an industrial twist on the fictitious
of interviews. I hope you enjoy “Hey Dino how you doing? It’s factory setup. Dino plays this
the insight that Joe and James been a long time”. He said “Great character on this show “Com-
provide. I F%^&-ing hate this place. Lets munity” named “Starburns” and I
get out of here”, and I said “What thought that’s an interesting name
SMM: Where did the name do you mean by that?” He said “I in itself, but than to make it into
Starburns Industries come don’t like the people here, I don’t some working factory environ-
from? like the management”. The crew ment “Starburns Industries” came
was awesome but the manage- around. We all thought it was so
Joe Russo: It’s an interesting ment treats him like crap. I said absurd that we had to name the
thing. If we go back a couple of “That’s unfortunate. You should company that.
years when our offices were in do something about that. Start
Hollywood, when we shared a your own business. Are you tied
SMM: How long has the studio field trips out and searching for fect for us. She said “It’s a little
been open? what our building would be. funky. I know it’s not your style.
It kind of has this Castle thing
Joe Russo: We are a year and a Joe Russo: With our amazing going on.” So we came and took
half old now. We weren’t even broker Laura Leeogdan with a look at it and yeah it definitely
supposed to open until this past CBRE. She’s a go getter. We said has a castle look.
February in 2011. we needed 50 parking spaces and
a building next to it. Because James Fino: Literally “Castle”,
James Fino: we were gearing up we could find all these beautiful and we are in a neighborhood of
to do Frankenhole with Dino. facilities, giant buildings with no castles. There are a lot of build-
parking. ings out here that have that castle
Joe Russo: Summer of 2010 we shape theme.
were sitting with Dan Harman James Fino: That’s vital, because
and Dino Stanotopolous, basical- animators are going to be here Joe Russo: And we knew that we
ly talking and having preliminary and then their friends come and were going to be doing a show
meetings about how to get the we are going to have weeklies about the Frankenstein Family
business plan setup. so it just kind of made
sense for at least that
James Fino: Dan was production.
interested because he
had done channel 101 James Fino: The first
and we kind of liked thing we did was
the model he had blackout the ceiling
already setup. About completely. There was
bringing in young up just one huge open
and coming artists space so we had to
and helping them. start hanging dividers
up just to start prep-
Joe Russo: But Chan- ping for the stages.
nel 101 was a non- From the get go we
profit and he wanted were going to have to
to create a for profit work with other com-
model. So Dan was interested on that we are going to need every- panies to help build the puppets
that level and said “What would one to easily get in, work, and to help build the stages and just
it take to get a 22 minute animat- then get out. get them in here as quickly as
ed special from scratch made?” possible. In fact the stages were
So suddenly we went from this Joe Russo: And secondly she showing up halfway done and
idea to getting the ball rolling. said if we found a building out- we had a team of painters here
We didn’t even have a bank ac- side of L.A. County there was a finishing off the stages as they
count yet. different tax bracket for produc- came in. That was exciting but
tion. Which is great, we save a it was really burning the candle
James Fino: And the building lot of money being just this side at both ends trying to make sure
that we had for the company at of L.A. County in Burbank. everything was going seamlessly.
the time was more geared for
VFX. So we knew we’d have to So then we find this building Joe Russo: There were 60 some
have a more physical space. With here in Burbank. She showed us odd puppets made and 40 sets
that came the parking spaces that a dozen places, but she said there built for the Community Christ-
were needed. So we went and did was this one that would be per- mas Special.
James Fino: Yeah we had 10 sweating bullets. But from the When all things are said and
stages that we had setup. We put very beginning the Network was done, we did this thing, and
together a team of animators for like “Are you sure you guys can turned it in, and got the show
the very first time. Some people do it?” some great exposure. It basically
had worked with each other, helped setup the company. We
some people were brand new, but Joe Russo: “Absolutely!” as we used some of the money to get
it was really getting everybody were shitting our pants. into the building and buy equip-
up to speed. ment and get ourselves setup.
James Fino: We knew were go-
Joe Russo: There were no com- ing to deliver it somehow. We James Fino: Community is a
puters, no cameras, no lights, and were going to get it all done. And show that has some really die-
no infrastructure in the building. for everybody that came to work hard fans, and Community (the
It was cabled up in 1978. We had on it, it was a chance to work on show) loved it and helped spread
to put in the internet and have a Stop Motion Christmas Special all the images through the social
the whole thing wired. We didn’t that lured everyone because we networking. Just that look was
have a phone until the beginning all grew up on that stuff. something that everyone really
of this year. likes.
Joe Russo: There was a guy that
James Fino: It was from scratch, put in a 12 hour day and found Joe Russo: One of our animators
every little bit of it. We knew we that he had shot the whole scene Drew Hodges got an Emmy for
only had 6 weeks of animation. wrong. He had preplanned his it.
We had to turn everything in by walk cycle and found out that
thanksgiving (November). Then his characters were in the wrong James Fino: He got it for some
we only had a week and a half of place three quarters of a way amazing pterodactyl scenes he
digital for VFX and it was going through the shot at 12 hours. did, Christmas Pterodactyls. The
to air December 9th. He said “That’s alright I’ll start whole thing was just beautiful.
over” an he basically started at We were half dead when it was
Joe Russo: And we turned in our 1am and finished at 6 am the over, but when we were watch-
last shot December 8th (2010). next morning and it was that ing it with our crew during the
kind of dedication that got that screening party we had, it was
James Fino: It was literally right show done. just amazing to see that we had
up to delivery. Everyone was completed it.
and took his stab at this German
Joe Russo: When we came back Expressionist view of the Fran-
to the stages after the show had kenstein World, and made this
delivered and calmed down, two beautiful style for the show. Last
days prior there was 80 people session looked good, but it was
running around the building and a lot of tights and two shots, and
than suddenly it was dead, no things like that. This session we
one there, stuff everywhere. It got to explore the world a little
was like a big empty box again, bit better.
and it was so weird to go from
complete full bore production to James Fino: We got to explode
nothing. So we dragged a broom the scope of the Frankenhole, all the Starlog Magazines and
across the floor and got ready for were as in session one the bar the Visual Effects Magazines
the next production which was that they all hang out at was a and that’s the direction I wanted
“Frankenhole”. forced perspective miniature, to go. When I came out here
where as this session we built a the first job I got was in sitcom
full scale bar for the puppets and television. Which I though was
a green screen cove (with the just to pay the bills, but I actually
exterior of the bar). We went all loved it. It was really cool to see
out to make sure the quality was a production go from a Monday
knocked out of the park as much table read all the way to a Friday
as we could. live performance in front of audi-
ences. It was something I had
Joe Russo: We got a lot of help never considered. So I got a start
from the guys over at Dragon with the guys from “Mad about
Frame. You”, doing a pilot with them,
James Fino: We managed to and then I went on to “Home
knock out a commercial in- James Fino: Yeah, Jamie and Improvement”, and worked with
between which was for Little Dyami. They helped us setup that team for a couple of ses-
Caesars Pizza. It was a world all the software and stations up. sions. The show was number one
created out of dollar bills. Then They were on the phone with us at its height. I was very fortunate
we prepped for Frankenhole. walking us through it. and came in while the show was
on top of the world, Tim Allen
Joe Russo: Frankenhole started SMM: How did you get started (Star of the show) was too, and
up in February. It was a lot of fun in Animation and Film? he had a number one movie,
getting that one going too. Santa Claus.
James Fino: Actually in a round
James Fino: We got a lot of the a bout way. I grew up with a real
original team back for that, and big love of special effects. All I
some new people to get up to did in El Paso Texas, which is
speed with the look of it, but basically the Tatooien of Texas,
they did it and it was amazing. there’s nothing out there, it’s just
vast...
Joe Russo: We had a produc-
tion designer whom had never Joe Russo: No Star wars Refer-
worked on the show before; he ences...
had worked on Coraline and
Fantastic Mr. Fox. He came on James Fino: All I did was read
During my hiatus a friend of end of that I met Joe (Russo). pus and taking classes because I
mine who was working at Fox I got hired away from King of wanted to see what it was like to
knew I was looking for a gig to the Hill to go work on the first be a Frat-Rat even though Santa
cover those months. She said” he round of dot coms, there was a Cruz didn’t have a frat. About
we’re starting up on a pilot, send company called Media Trip and the same time the school was
me your resume because you’re they hired me away to go work kicking me of the campus and
from Texas and the show has a on a series that Kelsey Grammer catching onto my shenanigans I
lot of heat on it, it’s called King was going to do one of the first got a call from a friend who said
of the Hill.” The show was from Webisodes. So I worked on that “Hey lets move to L.A. and be
Mike Judge who created Bea- and some friends of mine were rock stars”. So I borrowed a mo-
vis and Butthead, and also Rick working with Joe at his studio. torcycle and rode down here and
Daniels who was a Co-Executive What I loved about Joe was his spent the first night here in LA. I
Producer on the Simpsons. So studio was producing animation slept in McCarther Park because
I sent it in and instantly got a of every kind of style I could I didn’t know any better.
meeting the next day and went imagine. I remember think at that
to Century City and met with point that I wanted to work at a I escaped death and found an
Joe Bushey and Mark McKim- place where I have an opportu- apartment soon there after with
sey who had come over from nity to produce different types of a bunch of friends. It was basi-
working on the Simpsons, and styles and not get locked into one cally a bee-hive of anyone who
also met Greg Daniels who was style. So that’s where I met up could afford to hangout with us
awesome. with Joe. for a week or two. In the first
month I was here I ran into a girl
They said “Yeah, this is great”, I knew from Northern California.
and then I got a call the next day She was subbing in as an office
from Joe Bushey, He said “This manager at this little animation
is really acquired, I’m sorry, company because here sister was
but the person who is leaving on maternity leave. We ended up
decided to not leave after all. dating and she got me a job as a
So we don’t have an opening”. PA at this little animation com-
I thought “Oh that’s ok, I’ll go pany.
back to Home Improvement”
and literally the day before I The main thing they were pro-
was supposed to go back to ducing besides some titles and
Home Improvement I got a call trailers for movies was this little
and they said “She changed her unknown cartoon that was on the
mind!” So I took the job and left Tracy Almun show called “The
Home Improvement, but this was Joe Russo: Man I’ve had the Simpsons”. At that time no one
an animation show about Texas most blessed and lucky career. knew what it was and I was just
and these guys were just amaz- I’d like to gear someone who a lonely P.A. doing cleanup work
ing. I stayed with them for 5 ses- stepped in a bigger pile of shit and labeling pages for Wes Ar-
sions and that was my animation and made something out of it. I cher and David Silverman who
school. was living in Santa Cruz, going are the animation directors on the
to UC Santa Cruz, but not en- show. Because they were doing
I was working with the Fox rolled. Just going there because hand drawn animation and they
Producers and writers, and inter- it was next door to my family’s had a minute a week to produce,
facing with all my counterparts house. I couldn’t afford college there was just the two of them
at Film Roman and I learned and was basically getting myself and me. I got thrown into it.
animation that way. Towards the into trouble sneaking onto cam-
were his words were “In the old
country in order to save face you
wrestle”. So I ended up wres-
tling with him, and the producer
walked by the door and thought
I was beating him up and called
the cops. The police showed up
and threw me into the back of a
squad car. The whole time Guado
was laughing. At some point I
was praying that they would just
reveal the joke to the cops and I
wouldn’t end up downtown.
By the end of session two I was tials called “The Perpetually He basically said they were
getting antsy, because I still Grinning Man”, which are great. going to see if they could get a
wasn’t following my dream of If you look them up on Google record deal and were going to
Rock-n-Roll. I was working on they are just awesome. We do some music videos and try
a show that was cool and ev- basically made foam core cut- to raise some money and make
erything but it still wasn’t the outs of ourselves and animated a record. So we got down to do-
dream I moved to L.A. for. It ourselves. It was a blast. I got a ing some production design and
was right about that time that the real hankering for stop motion some art direction. One of the
show went over to Phil Roman then working with all those cool videos that we were proposing
and Klauski was left with some mediums and I didn’t have to to do was a stop motion video.
other shows like Rug Rats and draw. That was important thing. Bill was friends with this guy
Duckman, and stuff like that. So I just had to move something in named Fred Stuhr who if you
I started working on the other increments. I totally understood know anything about stop mo-
shows that Kauski had to offer that part of animation. tion animation you know Fred
and realizing very quickly that I Stuhr is like the God Father of
wasn’t a trained animator, I was It was right about then that I our generation of stop motion
a fairly skilled copier. went to a party and there was animators.
this notoriously party band
I could do the Simpsons only called Green Jell-O. We just got I was fortunate enough to work
because I had done it a billion wrecked and there was a girl at with Freddie on the Green Jell-O
times before, but I couldn’t the party that was being teased “Three Little Pigs” Music Video
translate that into other kinds of by some guys, and I went to try only because I was in the band.
animation. Not as easily as some to get the guys away from this It wasn’t like he could tell me I
of the other people who had girl. We were all on the second couldn’t be on set. We ended up
gone to school for it. So I got put floor of this loft. In the ensuing working on this crazy video in
on special projects, like “Penny” light hearted argument that hap- the course of a weekend. That
for the Pee Wee Herman show. pened I ended up getting pulled and ten other music videos. They
I did a couple of those then I off the balcony and when I hit were mostly live action. But the
worked with this guy, Stephen the ground my ankle shattered. band was fairly a Partridge Fam-
Holland and did some intersti- ily version of Gwar.
really interested in it and I could
see doing this kind of animation,
I thought it was really cool. But,
the label I was on put me on the
road with another band. I was to
tour around the world. While I
was in Europe I saw the “Three
Little Pigs” music video, which
we thought that that band had
come and gone. I thought “what
the hell is going on?”, so I called
management. They said that
the band was blowing up and I
should come back to LA. Green
Jell-O went on the road, toured
the world, and did some really
cool stuff.
We just happened to know some Freddie to come back and ani- I guess someone had heard the
cool people, the singer and drum- mate other videos. I got to work “Three Little Pigs” song in
mer from Jell-O were also in this with him again. But this time it Seattle and then got back to Mtv
band called Tool that was sort was more of a hands on situa- and ended up Matt Penfield on
of this side project at the time. tion where I got to animate some 120 minutes had it as the number
The guitar player for Tool, Adam scenes and get my hand dirty. one song for two too three weeks,
Jones and he worked at Stan There were some scene during it was very popular. It was differ-
Winston as a sculptor. He had that “Prison Sex” music video ent because suddenly you’re not
his fingers in some pretty serious where we were animating meat just affiliated with a band that’s
pies with people who knew how and the meat was cooking under playing goofy shows; you’re in
to build Marquette’s and Ball-in- the lights and the enzymes were a band that’s got some validity.
socket armatures. So when Tool coming out of the meat, and as After that experience of being a
was gearing up to make their first we would wide our hands off rock star it was time I wanted to
music video Sober, my roommate onto our pants I got blisters on settle down and get a career back
at the time was the Bass Player my thighs from the chemicals on on track in animation.
in Tool. He was like “Come on the meat and the glue and shit
down to set and lets make some like that. Than the last night of
shit happen”. So again I got to shooting we had literally finished
work with Freddie on doing the all physical production for the
Sober music video, and doing video before editorial. It was the
some animation with him. That night of the L.A. earthquakes and
video did pretty well for the band. all the cameras hit the ground and
spooled out, and what was left
Mean while Jell-O wasn’t doing behind was used in the video. The
shit. We released the record, and meat man had a much bigger role
no one bought it. At some point in the original video. But that’s
they decided to do another stop what ended up on screen.
motion music video and I got
called back in to art direct and After that, getting this taste for
do some animation. They got working in production, I was
I started my little animation com- model rail roading. I really big and that we had to stay to the
pany in 1996 and then every year into that aspect of world building curriculum and tell a story. I was
I just started plugging away and with miniatures and getting down really into “Herby the Love Bug”
trying to do a little more work. into that level of the miniatures. and so was she (the girl). So we
Oddly enough, Green Jell-O So for me it was something that had something in common to talk
was what put me in contact with had always attracted me toward about.
a show called “Mr. Show” that stop motion. At that time I had
Dino was a writer and an actor my own super 8 camera that my So I came up with this story
on and here we are 10 years later dad gave me. In the garage I was where Herby would be driving
owning a company together with trying to reproduce the cloud tank down the street in one direc-
James and Dan Harman. effects and all the physical stuff tion and the background starts
that was popular at that time, to move. Then we zip panned to
claymation and stop motion. a Russian tank that was rolling
down the street in the opposite
Diving into my fireworks bag and direction. When Herby and the
mixing gun powder and blow- tank meet up, neither of them will
ing things up in the backyard and budge because Herby doesn’t
experimenting in very danger- want to get out of the way. So
ous ways. I just wanted to get Herby smashed into the tank and
my hands dirty and make stories. it crumbled to the ground and
Stop Motion was what definitely Herby drove over the tank and off
drove me toward visual effects screen. Then an SS Helmet comes
and in a round about way taught up from the rubble and a fist
me animation and now here doing comes up and shakes its hand.
stop motion.