Thursday, February 27, 2014

ONE ARM, a NEW FILM, and a Q&A




Danny, why haven't you posted any thing in a while???????

I'm sorry! I fractured my clavicle not too long ago and life with one arm is very hard. For instance, who knew that eating cereal could hurt you so bad!? I learned the hard way that chewing recklessly uses a lot of neck muscles :(  And forget about laying down and getting up on your own! I'm so lucky to have my girlfriend around taking care of me, though being taken care of makes me feel like a gimp. But I still super appreciate everything everyone is doing for me,

How did I break my collarbone?
by being awesome and playing softball! I dove for a ball while playing the outfield and landed tremendously hard on my shoulder. I had so much adrenaline it took me a few minutes to realize there was a bone sticking out of my neck :)

BUT DANNY, you are an artist! can you still animate??
That is the question of the hour, and yes, with one hand, foot pedals and tiny finger buttons I have found a way to animate at a snails pace. Crunch time is coming and we need all hands on deck. I am not dying or sick, so I am determined to join my friends in the trenches and pull my weight :) The great thing is, I can heal as soon as 3 weeks from now. The bad news: It's such an awkward bone to have broken, they cannot put it in a cast! So with a sling and painkillers, I have to let nature do its thing and wait for my bone to heal.

Now for some Juicy Stuff:
Danny, What are you working on now??


BIG HERO SIX
the image above is our crew shirt that everyone receives for working on the film! BIG HER 6 is a Marvel property that we are making into an animated film. You heard right, a MARVEL and DISNEY collaboration :D Animating princesses was a lot of fun, but it is really cool that now we are to animate a super hero movie. I can't elaborate much about the film but if you really want to find out more then go out and read the comic!

Usually my post are impersonal lectures that reveal very little about me. I'm going to shake it up a bit and post here a real time Q and A I did on my twitter. I hope you find it interesting and that it helps you mentally attach a personality to the person responsible for all these posts :)



STUDENT LIFE TIP: pregame before class so your participation grade goes up


  1. favorite power ranger and why? :)
  2. . white ranger bc it will always be the coolest halloween costume ever


  1. Advice to your younger, student self? (aka, give me advice)
  2. . time management is essential
  1. Which shots were yours?? :)
  2. hmm. One of my shots: olafs final note of his song "in summer!!" Where he finishes as funs off with ana and sven
  1. what's your favorite part of the animation process?
  2. . blocking! And polish :)...and getting finaled.. damn, I think I just like it all!
  1. Was there any particular, "ahhh-ha!" moments that you felt improved your work significantly?
  2. . yes. I was very green and a senior animator sat down with me and destroyed my work and taught me how to layer. Thank you Angus!
  1. And finally, favourite beer?
  1. I have looked up California College of the Arts, why should I go there and not somewhere else? oh and thank you for the answr
  2. bc that school is awesome. but really tho, its a school that will make u into a well rounded artist
  1. When doing anim exercises like the 1s on ur blog, when is it good to call it done? should we take it all the way thru polish?
  2. . give your self a specific amount of time to finish and stick to it!!
  1. When do you not use a layered approach? I cant figure out how someone would use it in an acting shot.
  2. . I pose to pose super physical shots. I like controling my shapes. I layer chest up shots or close ups!!
  1. what tips do you have for future animators? :)
  2. . your personality is 50 of your resume. Be nice to people!And master the 12 principles. They're principles for a reason
  1. Is an animator life amazing? Interesting?
  2. . Animator life: you end up seeing your anim crew more than your family or friends ?
  1. what made you want to become an animator and how did you start working for Disney?
  2. I worked at pixar before Disney. I originally went to college bc I wanted to be a painter. Animation.. just happened :)
  1. Somebody has gotta ask. Fav flavor of ice cream?
  1. Almost every animator has at least one post-it on their monitor to remind them about something anim related... any favorites?
  2. . I have a post It from my gf that says "I love u" That's my favorite one
  1. Will we ever find out about Hans's childhood? He's such an interesting character (and a total jerk but :/ )
  2. . I think your imagination will cook up something better than anything we can confirm
  1. How do you ensure you have good rhythm and texture in your shot?
  2. animate a bouncing sphere to the beats/movements in your shot. If the bounce timing is intersting then ur usually golden
  1. which Disney animator inspires U most and how much access do U get to study/view archived Disney work at the studio?
  2. full access! But don't eat cheetos and try to grab original animation.. they get angry