Blacksite News

Things are moving along pretty well on Area 51-Blacksite. We are in our final stretch before the game ships. That being the case, Midway is trying to get awareness for the game to peak. They did a press tour in the US and in the UK. The game was received very well at every venue.

I personally worked on a helicopter railshooter section that seems to be getting the most positive reviews of what has been seen so far. The entire railshooter is fun, but I specifically worked on the last part of it where you meet up with the boss creature. The animation was split among 4 animators. I animated a section and directed the rest. It took a great many talented artists to make this railshooter as cool as it is, and I am glad I played a small part.

Here are some of the comments we received and the link to the respective article.

“The octopus-like creature was a sight to behold and ranks as one of the most impressive moments I've seen in video games to date.”

http://www.pro-g.co.uk/ps3/blacksite_area_51/preview-487.html?commentpage=1


”This scene is easily the coolest that we saw today, capped off by the creature's death. As it breaths its last breath, or whatever it does to survive, it slowly slinks off one side of the bridge as it grabs a hold of the road. As it eventually falls, it rips the bridge apart and carries tons of concrete down with it. It's one of the coolest deaths we've seen in a long time.”

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/795/795818p1.html

Area 51-Blacksite Demo on Xbox Live

This past Friday the Xbox Live demo was released for Area 51-Blacksite. This is the game I am currently working on at Midway studios. The game seems to be really shaping up at this point. I am excited to finish it up and ship the final product.

As you can see in the image to the left, taken from IGN.com, Blacksite is rated the 2nd most popular Xbox game for the weekend. That is very encouraging to all of us here at the studio. It is good to see your hard work being received well.

I remember a project I worked on not too long ago.. ahem Ant Bully ahem... that was not marketed well, and had a less than stellar box office performance. Some of my own family still ask me, "What was the name of that ant movie you worked on.? When is it going to be in the theater?"

Anyhow... if you have a Xbox live subscription, mosey over to the demo section and download the teaser for a short but sweet intro to the game. Enjoy!

Monster's Inc - Laugh Floor Comedy Club

So, this is the cool attraction I worked on back when I was in California. It's The Laugh Floor Comedy Club, starring Mike Wazowski and company. Mike is always coming up with the next big idea at Monster's Inc, and this is no exception. He figures it makes more sense to harvest laughter from crowds rather than get it from one person at a time. I think he's on to something. You can find out how his concept tests in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World, while Roz grades the results.

I was able to work closely with Mike along with some of his close friends that perform as comedians, who will attempt to tickle your funny bone. If you happen to pay them a visit, tell them Tonymation sent ya!

Moving Right Along

Kermit and Fozzie sang about it in The Muppet Movie, and Tonymation is living it. It's been quite some time since I paid a visit to my lonely blog. There is a reason... because nobody reads it. Actually, it's because I have been busy doing freelance work for Reel FX, Janimation, and getting a full time job with Midway Studios back in Austin, Texas. That's right, I am traversing the same roads that brought me to L.A. to get back to Texas. This time a little further south than our once home in Big D.

Mrs Tonymation and I were initially going to buy a house, but found that property taxes in the Austin area border on extortion, so we decided to rent. After searching the high and low, at apartments, we did a search for rental houses. They were a tricky bunch to track down. I think they are a bit on the shy side, and like to fly under the radar... kind of like how you wouldn't admit you were a freshman in high school. But, eventually we were able to find a great 4 Bedroom home. So, that means all of you are welcome to come visit any time you like.

Disclaimer: Visits are limited to weekdays between Saturday and Sunday. All travel dates must be approved by the Pope, Jesus, and Elvis, and must have proper signatures from Walt Disney on the required WD-40 form. Standard fees apply. Side Effects may include: loss of wallet, nausea, gas siphoning, sudden urges to scream, missing organs, and loss of memory.

We are still waiting on our stuff from California to arrive. Until it does, our furniture consists of a love seat, and a couple of air mattresses. There's nothing like camping in your home. Soon our precious valueables will arrive in thousands of unrecognizable pieces. Ah… moving is so grand.

Until next time...

Mulitiplicity - Starring Tonymation

Ever see the movie, Mulitplicity? The story is about a guy played by Michael Keaton, who's job has taken over his life, leaving little to no family time. He's approached by a scientist that has made it his secret hobby to clone people. Keaton goes for the idea and, BAM, there are two of him to get his work done in half the time. Things get a little crazier and eventually there are a total of 3 clones. Of course he keeps all of his shenanigans from his wife, which is a recipe for trouble. He soon realizes that he doesn't need more clones, but a more balanced life. It was a cute film that I enjoyed, but that's not why I bring it up. I have become that guy. No, I haven't cloned myself... yet.

Deadlines are always the enemy of the animator. One never truly feels like a shot has gotten all the finesse it deserves, but the producers push you along with crazy deadlines, and the directors final the shot, taking it away from you forever, as you reach out your hands desperately grasping for it. Yes this is exactly how it is. Inevitably the project ship date arrives and all work must be complete. The final months of a project usually call for "crunch time". This means, the unrealistic deadlines you had before will be a distant memory as you now have less time to complete more work. Usually one of two things will be sacrificed by the animator, time or quality. The directors aren't about to allow the quality to be sacrificed, but are more than willing to suck more of your time into the vat of animation production land. I am currently in crunch time at my job which makes it difficult to have quality family time.

However, working twelve hours, six days a week is not exciting enough for me. No sir. I like it extreme baby. So what I do is take on a large scale freelance job for my former church to keep things interesting. This way I can spend twenty hours a day sitting on my butt in front of a computer. That's living boy, I tell ya!

Here's my daily schedule:

Wake up around 9am
Arrive at work around 10am
Leave work around 9pm
Get home around 9:30pm
Work on freelance job until around 5am
Sleep for 4 hours
Get up and do it again

I live for Sundays. I actually get to sleep in. (getting a full 8 hours of sleep is like sleeping in for me)

Why do I do this you might ask... well if my brain was functioning at normal levels right now I might have a good answer for you. This business is a crazy one, and I have to take work when it arrives in order to buffer for the lean months of no work. Unfortunately, work comes in waves and leaves just as quickly as the tide. I'm riding this wave in zombie mode. I am grateful for the work, but look forward to finding the balance that will signal the credits for my movie.