Danny's Dream

Here is a project I was a part of when I was in Fatballoon Animations, Chennai. I love the concept and the look of it. It was immense fun animating. Below is the list of shots I animated and the rest was animated by Anand Kumar.

Thoughts

 

Ever imagine a life that they show in sitcoms. happy, and if sad, it doesn't feel so much and you get over it. Those perfect moments, those perfect dates, those perfect beautiful gardens and cozy coffee houses. Those stupid, little but worthy things to live for. is it real?

It's so weird. Everything. I am learning that everyone's perspective are REALLY different, even more than they say. By they, I mean' I don't know who exactly, but somebody'. It's so hard to function with another person with a different view and a different persona.

How two minds function with each other. How they don't. How to manage people and teams, how not to. There are books, there are sessions for life but doesn't it just goes as it have to? It's too random, the universe is. Too elusive to hold and tweak it the way we want. We can only be prepared for it. Not control it. I don't think there is really a way to learn to do all these things when you want to. Trying to organize this uncertainty is impossible. Should we stop trying and instead, just live it.

You must be wondering why I am being so philosophical and staid on a blog called Art Life. I figured,  'it's art AND its life, so let's think over on life a little'. Bear with me.

I think of all this because I am too malleable sometimes emotionally. A song I hear, a picture I see, a film I watch or a place I visit. Suddenly I get lost in something which is not real. I get lost in that song, that picture, that film or that place. What it say and what it makes me feel. Those feelings don't become a cliché for me. They affect me in a new way again and again and I just sink down and down. At that moment, I become a creator. An artist. At that point is when I start working automatically. At that point I have a personality.

There is a story in everything and that is my job as a filmmaker. To tell a story. And the moment I create it I start working on telling it. We all do this in everything we do. We imply our ideas or share them. We portray everything we like and that's what we become as a person. A personality. This brings us to the start. The question is how two different persons, because they like and live different lives physically and mentally, can agree with each other, work together or live together. Some traits can be similar co incidentally but completely, it's impossible.

 I know I know I am saying 'impossible' too much but I don't want to be positive if the things I am talking are not. It's too random, can't figure it out but I have a feeling that I don't have to.

One more crazy step

Yeah I know. The same old thing. ‘I am sorry. I didn’t write for a long time’ and blah blah bla! I think I should kick myself for that but I’ll spare me this once ;-) Hopefully I am feeding my blog just in time, before it dies of starvation.

A lot of things happened.  I don’t know where to start. I left my job as a Character Animator at Fatballoon Animations, Chennai. I am back home. And there were few reasons to leave a good job like that. The major one is, well, even my friends from that studio may not know this ;-), ‘making my own short film’. Yeah you guessed right. I am THAT guy with THOSE dreams. Crazy I know. A risky or a stupid step I know. You better call me and my team here MAD, because that’s what we are.

I can’t reveal too much about the short like who and where and how we are working on it. But I promise you guys, at mid august, we will be launching the website of our short film with some of the Pre production work and the team members. All I can tell you is that we are having so much fun working together on our dream. I don’t care then if it doesn’t fill our tummies for now honestly. This is the time we can do it. This is the time we are doing it.

An old initial rough concept.

Keep up with the calendar as we will be launching the website and the work we are doing. I hope that you’ll enjoy the journey through the entire production of this film with us. Adios!         

Going Home :-)

Inspired from J.B. Monge, this is something I tried. Painting Fantasy Life is what I enjoy most. Hobbits, Goblins, All kinds of Fairies, Elves, Dragons, Wizards...oh! I know I haven't painted as much as I am saying but its coming. That is the world for me :-)
I used a BIG wacom Cintiq fo this one. We got a new one in our office and I thought of trying my hands on it. Its AWESOMEE!
Going home. ... Going...home ^_^

Itcha

 This is a Title Animation we did at our studio for a TV Series. I am responsible for the animation. There is a lot we could do more but the director was in a hurry it seems :-)
I am posting this just for fun here. . .


Itccha from Nilabh on Vimeo.

I also designed this character, here is the Final paint :-)

My First shot in the studio

Heya guys. Here is the first complete shot I animated in the studio.


Alex Enters from Efbi Balloon on Vimeo.

I know. The animation is not that good. I was struggling in this shot and learning the methodology. Did many corrections, iterations and finally it was approved. I got the learning that I needed. I did better in the shots that I animated after this one and am improving for sure.
Also check this out which my supervisor Anand Kumar animated.


Introducing Alex from Efbi Balloon on Vimeo.

Will post the latest work as and when its out of the studio.

On the Job

Hello folks!

I AM ON THE JOB. yeah thats right. I got hired :-)
Its a Studio in Chennai, India, named Fatballoon Animations. We are currently making animated serial called ‘Big Top‘ which is 26 x 5mins episode, based on a universal content and also we are into producing Ads. I joined Fatballoon Animations 2 months back as a Character Animator. Its great learning here and I am improving a lot as an animator. You can visit the website and also read about the studio in the news. HERE

 

Well, living in Chennai is very hard for a North Indian like me. I am still struggling to adjust to the Food, the Weather, the language, the culture....everything .I miss home a lot already :-(
Sorry that I didn't get the time to post anything this last 3 months. Working in a studio really takes everything out of you. But I have plans to schedule everything properly and I am thinking of another competition on the conclave soon.

Really looking forward to the get together with my old team too. See you soon guys!

Digital Painting competition 2, My entry - THE DOCKHOUSE

Once again we had a Digital Painting competition at Animation Conclave . It was Fun. We had only 2 hours to complete the painting but of course, nobody could. It was very late night so we dicided to give it more time and complete it the next day. Had great discussions on the WIPs and fun painting it. Please check out all the entries on the Conclave
This is mine.

Batman

My favorite Superhero has always been Batman. I used to read, and I still do, the comics since I was very young and then I was fascinated by the 1992 cartoon series that used to air on cartoon network. The intensity of the show was not exactly for the kids and so many didn't like it. But it was my favorite. And of course you cannot ever forget the Music by Danny Elfman....ahh! those days!

My New Guitar - Cort Evl Z4

I know I know. My blog description says 'All about Animation and Music' but I have seldom posted anything about MUSIC, or rather nothing at all I think. Well I played an Acoustic guitar for 3 or so years, not so often like practicing everyday and all but just because I like it. Then I started loving it and now I am crazy for it. And so I started saving for an Electric guitar as I was always interested in Rock. And I am proud to present you ..my Beast!!

Cort Evl Z4 
Mahagony Body, Maple Neck, Rosewood Fingerboard, EMG HZ Pickups, Licensed TonePro Bridge, EVL inlays, Metal EVL Truss rod cover.

Isn't it sexy? I will hopefully post some music soon. See ya. ;-)

Sheriff Boulding

Its been long since I posted anything. I have been too busy with stuff and many exciting things are happening. I will surely tell you guys as and when they happen :-). But for now, I wanted to post this character design I did for my friend Tanmay as he wanted a Casual character to Model. I don't know if he has finished it yet but if he did, then I'll post the 3D version too.
This is just a basic wash in PS. Ain't he too cute to be a Sheriff? .. hehe ....That was the general idea anyway ;-)

Gornad

Gornad. A poor Goblin who used to be rich. He lost his fortune, his family, his magic and his eye. And he seeks for all of these. But he must face the dark magic all alone and with no magic to himself. With bare hands he lurk and search inside deep caves of the Dwarves and through the forest of Trolls to get everything back.....  The journey which may never succeed.

A Short Break

Finally I completed my Character Animation Showreel. Weee heeee!!!

Now I am taking a break, maybe will read some other books, maybe watch lots and lots of movies day n night, maybe will work on something that is  pointless or maybe just chill having wine every night. I know, not for long though. I gotta search for a job and all 'Duniya de jhamele'. But hey, I have plenty of time to enjoy before that. And anyway, I am desperate for a job not because I need it but I 'want' it. I want to learn from someone, have a mentor and learn truly. Want to work in a team and be a part of the industry. That, will be the LIFE!
If you want to watch my reels, both of them, Animation or Illustration (yes both are separate....obviously) then you can mail me at nilabh.umredkar@gmail.com
Have fun!

Stage Dance

Hiya guys. Hows it going? watched the new 'Despicable Me' trailer yet? Its AWESOME! Check it out. Can't wait to see it.
Here is what I've done recently. A sloppy dance. I know I know. I need much more Exaggeration and Staging in the stage. Ya i missed on that but it just came to happen. Anyway check it out guys.

 Please comment because I think there is a lot to criticize..he he :-)

How to turn the Head - Animation Workflow Tutorial

Heya guys! I did this shot for my practice and in anticipation of a new dialogue shot I am gonna do. So I thought of making a tutorial for you guys hoping that this work-flow might help you. I am no expert and whatever I did is my way of working. It could be wrong or you just might not like it, and its OK. Every other perspective is welcome as there are so many ways to animate. :-)
So go ahead and read this tutorial here:  

http://animationconclave.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-to-turn-head.html

And here the Final subtle shot:

Tell me if it helped :-)

Have A Nice Day - Short Film

I didn't posted this one too....here it is. :-)



Wow! My first short film.

We were fresh students, about 3 months of training and then BOOM. We made a short film in 40 days flat. What an experience. This had been one of my best time in life, to learn, to create, to argue, to decide, to Animate,, to Direct, to play original music or to listen it recorded live by expert artists, to edit every frame of animation later, to redo many shots, to remake the rigs and characters....oh can't finish it.....

A Medical Trip

Hi there!

I can’t seem to rest my feet at one place at all. No matter how many times I decide to shut myself in my room, for a month at least, and work, and then come out with dark circles under my eyes and a long, straggly grown beard like Tom hanks in Cast away, it doesn’t work. Well for the better good I suppose.
I was in Bailhongal, Karnataka these last two days. My friend Dr. Vishwajit, who is in his second year studying B.A.M.S, insisted for me and Tany to come and visit him, see his college and all. So we went very early in the morning (which seldom happens). It is a 2 hrs ride on the groovy NH4 down south to Belgaum (where we had breakfast – Medu Wada – in a hotel named ‘Tumkur Tatte’) and then half an hour to Bailhongal. It is a small town having a single main road and attached lanes. We couldn’t understand what was what there because of the language. We couldn’t even understand the bus destinations as it was only written in Kannada. ‘Zilebi’ language is what we call it. No offense but I don’t understand a single word of it. (They write Zerox for Xerox :-)

By the way, does anyone like Cadbury’s Crackles better than the plain one? I do. I like crunching munching while writing :-)

So we met. We talked walked (a lot actually as there is no ‘in-city’ transport available) and spent some good time. We visited a temple of lord ‘Sai Baba’ and it was great. You know the ambiance you get inside the structures like a temple. The aroma of purity and sanctity. At the midnight, we went to vishwajit’s college, Shree Gangadhar Viraktmath Ayurvedic Medical College and Research Centre, just for fun. It is huge with nearly 128 gallery arches on the building. A big Playground, a school and ITI inside the campus. We sat there in the dead silence feeling like ghouls under the Neem tree. Watching the structure and wondering if we can go inside to those long passageways, creepy classrooms and empty patient beds where many were cured but some could have died. And we knew, as Vishwajit told us, that there is a dead Body inside the dissection room up the 3rd floor. We came back soon.

As we opened the lock of the room where we stayed that night, Vishwajit went in first, took out his old bicycle and said that he’ll be back with a skull, and rolled. After 5 minutes or so he brought a Real Human skull in a white polythene bag dangling on the handle of his Bicycle.

He had almost entire set of Human skeleton in his closet and now brought the skull. It was the first time I took a human skull in my hand and scrutinized. My first thought was – ‘Only if I could’ve got this when I used to draw anatomy extensively’. And then the second thought – ‘Oh my God, Oh ma God….. It would have been a person before. A living breathing Human!’  We spread out the entire bone set on the floor and started arranging it. Vishwajit did it right way finally as we were all putting the radius and ulna under the femur bone and tibia fibula beneath the humerus. And then we looked and stared at it with a creepy silence. We exchanged bemused glances and decided to put it back inside. I have a feeling that our ‘Doctor ‘friend was smiling on us.

 

 

The next day we went to the College. And the tour began. Do you know Mercury? We die instantly if we eat it, right? But in Ayurveda Mercury is heated at about 600 C for 3 days and the patient then eats it to cure the diseases. Ayurveda is the only place where mercury is used for therapy. I didn’t know that! I saw the original 9 Gems, right in front of me. Diamond and ruby and all. I was tempted to steal them honestly. We played with Deer antlers and saw Deer Musk. Wow! It smelled wonderful. I got to see all the Organs of the human body (the real ones kept in glass containers) and also babies. Twins too.  I wondered again if I would have been there and had so much reference to sketch from! Then in toxicology department we saw snakes and scorpions and in Shalakya (surgery) department we learned about human diseases. Then there were other departments like Swasthvrutta, Paedriatic and physiology where we learned about other stuff. Sorry I don’t remember the proper names though. And then it was on the Top floor we went. There was only one room in use and every other was empty. It was creepy up there even in the broad daylight. It was . . . . The Dissection Room!

Vishwajit specially got the keys with significant efforts to show us this particular room. As he said last night, “there is a Dead body up there!” He opened the door and we went in. It was gloomy and the light was sneaking in through the pane less windows. And suddenly it smelled awful. I looked around but I could only see some stretchers and dissection table were spread out around the corner. I took a snap and went in. There was a big white tank kept behind those tables in the far corner like we have on our terrace for water. I knew. Vishwajit slowly opened the lid and there it was. A dead body of a man around 30 years of age immersed in a kind of clear transparent liquid called Formalin. We were stunned. Horrified. His skin was all torn up and his right hand was removed and dissected. It was a month old body and we could see his insides. There was a rope tied to his neck and his foot. Vishwajit told us it was to pick him out of the water and keep him on the table to dissect and study. He then grasped the rope which was attached to his neck and pulled. The body rose and we were like petrified. Words fail me guys. I don’t know why I am writing ‘his’ and not ‘its’ but it just feels weird. For Doctors, it’s a subject. It is a reference. It is ‘it’. And it should be that way as to say. I took some snaps but I am afraid I can’t show you. I can’t put them here. I don’t want to put them here anyway. 

So that was it. The college tour was great. We strolled through their plantations where every plant and tree has an ID card… hehe! Later in the evening we talked about our old college days and the stupid, wild and free fun we used to have . . ah . . those days! And then, we left!

Gurhal - A documentary

Today I went through my blog editing and updating it and I realized that I haven't uploaded my first ever serious documentary here. This Documentary earned me many compliments on film making at the start of my career.
Its a documentary on a traditional Jaggery making factory from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India.




I love travelling and roaming around anywhere I can reach. One day me and my two friends set out with my Handycam just to shoot out the beautiful nature that surrounds Kolhapur. On the road I saw this GURHAL and it struck me in my mind to see exactly how it works. I had the camera and so we decided to make a documentary on it.
Everything is done ON THE SPOT. NO planning, no Pre Production, no storyboarding, no script. I shot all the sequences and directed as and how it came to my mind. My friend tanmay did the hosting and Yogesh provided a back support (eating Jaggery) . We had excellent interactions with the workmen and were treated marvelously.
I can never forget their excitement of being in the camera. they were frequently asking that are they gonna be seen on TV. I told them this is a student project but I don't think they got very much out of it. They were still happy.
I did the editing in one day and we did the voice recording and synching in a night. Great experience.
It is a film we did in the very start of my career. too many improvements to do, but still it is a benchmark for me and I am proud to show this to you all. It is in Marathi language. Sorry for that but the villagers don't know any other language so we had to speak in Marathi.
hope you will enjoy this sweet journey through sugarcanes.

Cartoony Run

Hi there!
I know I am not posting as frequently as I did before. I will not say that I am too much engrossed in work. I don't know. So many things have come up. Like...ummmm....forget it. There are so many! Anyway here is what I did, a few weeks ago, actually. A cartoony Anticipatory Run. brrrr. I dont know what to call it.:-)
Will post some serious stuff soon.

Had Fun working together again...

As you all know...or maybe nobody knows, but we had a Digital Painting Competition on www.animationconclave.blogspot.com . We friends, my old team, not all of them but most had participated and we all worked together online after so many days. It was fun. everybody was motivated by each other and kept on working, submitting the work before deadlines. No one was in a comfort zone of  " Ah! we are friends,...its OK if I get late" or something like that. Everyone was serious, worked hard and I felt like I am back with my Team. Animation is Team effort. It's a Team Game. And I love working in a Team.
All the final entries are submitted and we are waiting for the results. I hope we'll have something to work on together again. Cheers guys!
Here is my Final Entry for the competition.:-)