I left a little Santa Scooby for my office mates... Happy Holidays!!

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To promote the Tooncast Top 20 Greatest Cartoons stunt airing in 2011 and 2012, I created a :30 promo that used live-action, 2D animation, and 3D animation techniques. While the one long camera move across a big corporate lobby looked simple on paper, the blocking and timing of the camera move across the compressed space on the green screen stage proved to be fairly complicated (see pCAM Camera Diagram below). Thankfully, I had an awesome cast and crew that were up for the challenge. We decided early on to use the Milo Motion Control Unit for precise and repeatable camera moves, as well as build a CGI version of the lobby and composite our actors and animated characters into the scene. We shot HD, but protected for 4:3 for final SD delivery. The opening headquarters exterior was shot using a Canon 5D Mark II, taking advantage of the clear blue skies for creating the After Effects comp of the animated world outside the Tooncast offices. Production timeline: 7 weeks

Tooncast was launched by Cartoon Network Latin America in December 2008. The channel features all of our classic and favorite cartoons.

http://www.tooncast.tv

Credits

Writer/Producer/Director - Aaron Weiler
Production Company - Turner Studios (Atlanta)
Animation/VFX - Turner Studios (Atlanta)
Editor/After Effects - Battle Axe (Atlanta)
Audio Design - Slam! Creative (Atlanta)
Daffy Duck - Jeff Bergman
VO Talent - Scott Hilley

pCAM Camera Diagram

Behind the scenes green screen shoot

(view full size on Vimeo)

Behind the scenes of me directing the green screen shoot at Turner Studios. The crew used a Sony F950 HD camera mounted on a Milo Motion Control Unit for precise and repeatable camera moves. The live-action plates and motion control data were later used in the 2D/3D animation phase of the production. A big thanks to Turner Studios for providing this video clip.

Turner Studios is one of few companies in North America to own a Milo Motion Control Unit. This portable motion control system features a solid portable platform with eight axes of robotic control for visual effects that require precise control of camera movement. It's ideal for shooting stop motion, miniatures and models, high speed & slow motion, time lapse, table top work and live action that's combined with animation.

©2011 Turner Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Tooncast Top 20 Greatest Cartoons Promo

(view full size on Vimeo)

TM & © 2011 Tooncast. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.

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In October 2011, I traveled to Argentina to produce and direct a multi-camera shoot for Mattel. More than 20,000 people attended the three day event at the La Rural in Buenos Aires. The client wanted to capture all of the activities and excitement as kids and their parents enjoyed the world of Hot Wheels all in one place. The resulting six hours of event footage and interviews were then edited into a :30 Team Hot Wheels capsule, which aired on the Argentina and Mexico Cartoon Network feeds. This was the final piece in a year long project for Mattel, and the kids said it all... "I love Hot Wheels!"

Credits

Producer/Director - Aaron Weiler
Production Company - InJaus (Buenos Aires)
Animation - Awesome Incorporated (Atlanta)
Editor/After Effects - Battle Axe (Atlanta)
Audio Design - Slam! Creative (Atlanta)

(view full size on Vimeo)

© 2011 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Absolutely awesome!! Check out the “Looks That Kill” trailer by Kevin Dart (Sym-Bionic Titan) and Stéphane Coëdel. Produced entirely in After Effects using Kevin’s artwork, the stylish and inspired short is the latest in the Yuki 7 and the Gadget Girls adventures.

Web site: http://www.yuki-7.com

PRE-ORDER THE BOOK + DVD NOW! http://yuki7.bigcartel.com/product/looks-that-kill

Directed by:
Kevin Dart // www.kevindart.com // twitter.com/​kevindart
Stéphane Coëdel // vimeo.com/​steffromuk

Music:
Cyrille Marchesseau // www.cyrillemarchesseau.com
Vocals // Emma Rey
Lyrics // Kevin Dart
Musical Assistant // Sébastien Poitevin

Additional Animation:
Sung-Jin Ahn // http://sungjinahn.blogspot.com/

Additional Storyboards:
Elizabeth Ito // www.kikutowne.com
Kristen Lester // http://roxxykristen.blogspot.com/

ELAN Magazine Cover:
Megan Brain // http://www.meganbrain.blogspot.com

Yuki 7 and the Gadget Girls © 2011 Kevin Dart

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A quick note to say that I just found out my Tooncast "Groovies" interstitial package is a PromaxBDA World Gold Promotion and Marketing Awards Finalist in the INTERSTITIAL/"PROMO-TAINMENT"/PROGRAM WRAPS CAMPAIGN category. Thanks to the super teams at Primal Screen and Slam! Creative for their excellent work on the project. I'm hoping to attend the conference and awards ceremony in NYC, June 28-30. More later as I know details.

My Projects: 2010 Tooncast "Groovies" Musical Interstitials
http://aaronweiler.posterous.com/my-portfolio-2010-tooncast-groovies-musical-i

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It doesn't take a "Boy Genius" to know that today is Dexter's 15th anniversary... oh... and of course, Dee Dee's, too!!

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With all of the Apple FCP and Avid drama surrounding next Tuesday's FCPUG SuperMeet at NAB in Las Vegas, I just had to post the funny (but true) commercial parody by Jill DiBiase. Enjoy a laugh or two!

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Really great news!!

ATLANTA, GA - The Georgia Production Partnership (GPP) Government Relations Committee and Executive Board are pleased to report that the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act and Entertainment Production Sales & Use Tax Exemption will stay intact, and that each will be withdrawn from the Georgia Joint Special Committee on Revenue Structure's substitute HB385 bill, plus any subsequent or related bills during this session.

HB385 is scheduled for a full Joint Special Committee vote on Monday, March 28, 2011 before it can move to the two legislative chambers for further ratification.

Shay Griffin
Ric Reitz
Wilbur Fitzgerald
GPP Government Relations Committee

*** Follow-up note... The various Georgia film tax credits no longer have a sunset date.

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Hey everyone... KaboingTV.com has finally launched. I'm an Associate Producer on Joe Murray's (Camp Lazlo, Rocko) new online venture and first Web series, "Frog In A Suit." Take a look and help support independent animation and alternative distribution at... www.kaboingtv.com

Animation was handled by the great Jantze Studios here in Georgia... Co-director and line producer Michael Jantze, Animators: Kelly McNutt, Brandon Berger , Assistant animators: Lisa Crowther, Tracy MacLauchlan, Grant Harwell, Matt Doering, Production assistants: Colette Jantze, Harrison Jantze

Note: This series is not affiliated with Cartoon Network or Time Warner.

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2011 PromaxBDA World Gold Promotion and Marketing Awards Finalist in the INTERSTITIAL/"PROMO-TAINMENT"/PROGRAM WRAPS CAMPAIGN category.

Tooncast was launched by Cartoon Network Latin America in December 2008. The channel features all of our classic and favorite cartoons packaged within a contemporary network design. Our 2010 on-air branding initiatives included the creation of three new "Groovies" musical interstitials, designed and edited to series theme remixes by Brazilian DJ, Rodrigo Sacoman. From the many toon favorites that comprise the "Cartoon Cartoon" universe, to Scooby and the gang's never-ending chases, to Dee Dee's relentless evasion of Dexter's elaborate security measures, the "Groovies" interstitials highlight the playful cartoon DNA at the heart of Tooncast.

Credits

Writer/Producer/Editor - Aaron Weiler
Design/Animation - Primal Screen (Atlanta)
Audio Design - Slam! Creative (Atlanta)

The Project Details

As a start-up network, the production budget and timeline for a new set of musical interstitials were big concerns. Primal Screen met the creative challenge head-on by successfully using a mix of roto, motion graphic, and 3-D techniques... No original character animation was created. Production timeline: 2.5 months

http://www.tooncast.tv

Groovies - Dexter DJ Remix Interstitial

(view full size on Vimeo)

Groovies - Scooby Doo DJ Remix Interstitial

(view full size on Vimeo)

Groovies - Cartoon Cartoon Remix Interstitial

(view full size on Vimeo)

TM & © 2010 Tooncast. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.

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Handell manufactures and sells several lines of toy cars throughout Mexico. In 2008, they asked our in-house group at Cartoon Network to create ideas for a commercial to launch a new line of large, radio controlled (R/C) cars known as Handell RUSH XRC. They wanted to target the holiday buying season. The spot was so successful, that Handell's sales grew 130% after the commercial aired across several channels in the region.

Credits

Writer/Producer/Editor - Aaron Weiler
Animation - Hook Up Animation (Buenos Aires)
AE Compositing - RGBtv (Atlanta)
Audio Design - Slam! Creative (Atlanta)
VO Talent - Carl Christie

The Project Details

The client wanted to showcase four of their new cars in three distinct branding environments... Solar City, Metal City, and Polar City. There were many creative hurdles: the budget was very small, the production timeline was shortened in order to hit the holiday season as early as possible, we could not shoot live-action because the prototype models were mostly non-functional, and we had to show-off the unique abilities of each R/C car. So, I created a :30 script that featured three of the cars in an off-road race to the finish line, across a mythical island of diverse landscapes. I decided we should produce this in 3-D, but we could only afford to model four cars and rig three of them for animation. So, while we see three cars in the race, we eventually see that another car has already finished ahead of them. The client was extremely ecstatic with the final results. Production timeline: 3 months

Animatic of the storyboards for timing & flow

Handell_RUSH_XRC_Animatic.mov Watch on Posterous

Handell RUSH XRC - RC Cars Commercial

(view full size on Vimeo)

Photo of the actual R/C cars in my office

TM & © 2008 Cartoon Network. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.

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Hello my Georgia production industry colleagues...

Did you know that the 2008 Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act (Film Tax Incentive) is under review in the state legislature today? It could be written off the books unless action is taken now!

The Georgia Production Partnership (GPP) is on the offense. The first phase of our plan is to populate a Facebook page with industry success stories and photos. We are calling on all Georgians to sign-on to the Facebook page and tell us how the Film Tax Incentive has impacted you. We need everyone to do this.

Sign-on to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Georgia-Films-Create-Georgia-Jobs/125145060889730?v=wall and share "why you stayed in Georgia to work," "why you came back to Georgia to work," or "how you or your company has benefited from the Film Tax Incentive." Please do this now!

A big "shout out" to our Teamsters Local 728. They were the first to sign-on to the Facebook page and tell us how they have more than tripled the number of working members since the Film Tax Incentive was enacted in 2008. These are the types of stories we need.

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Ever wish you had an extra display for editing on the road? Well, with an iPad and the Air Display app from Avatron Software, now you do! The Air Display works over a local Wi-Fi network and works in portrait or landscape configurations on both Mac and Windows. I found the iPad's 1024x768 display to be very responsive and perfect for holding my Final Cut Pro bins... allowing for more screen space on my MacBook Pro.

Ditch the mouse!
The iPad's touch display also allows you to reach out and interact with your FCP bins using the newly added touch gestures for mouse right-clicking and scroll wheel. I highly recommend this app.

Check it out for yourself...

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/air-display/id368158927?mt=8

http://avatron.com/apps

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Welcome to 2011. Just a quick post about my new favorite ipad production app... Cut Notes by Digital Rebellion. They say you can create timecode-accurate notes, but I'd call it "timecode-in-the-ballpark notes." Hopefully, they'll enable the use of actual timecode reader hardware in the future, but that's just being picky. According to the Digital Rebellion site...

With a single tap of a Note Key, your notes can be as short as one word or an entire phrase, all added instantly at the current timecode. Cut Notes frees you from looking at what you're writing and allows you to focus on what's important: the cut. Change any Note Key, create new pages of Note Keys, all centered around your workflow. Cut Notes tailors to your Post Production needs.

Cut Notes is platform independent. Whether you're screening a DVD, a QuickTime file the Editor sent out, or sitting in an edit bay with your team, Cut Notes just works. After you've made your notes, Cut Notes can e-mail Avid Locator or Marker List files, which can be imported into NLEs like Avid Media Composer, Final Cut Pro, and more. Cut Notes can also e-mail, copy, and print your notes using AirPrint. Importing a Marker List into Final Cut Pro requires the free Cut Notes Marker Import utility for Mac OS X.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cut-notes/id395617220?mt=8

http://www.digitalrebellion.com/cutnotes/

Take notes in landscape view...

...then rotate to portrait mode to view and export your notes.

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The new Gorillaz album “The Fall” is now available online for streaming and digital download. Artist, Damon Albarn, set out to create a completely different kind of record using an iPad. While the 15 tracks feel a bit more experimental than recent Gorillaz albums, they're definitely worth a listen. The various apps used to create the album are listed below, as well as the video for “Phoner to Arizona”...

iPad Applications Used: Speak It! / SoundyThingie / Mugician / Solo Synth / Synth / Funk Box / Gliss / AmpliTube / Xenon / iElectribe / BS-16i / M3000 HD / Cleartune / iOrgel HD / Olsynth / StudioMiniXI / BassLine / Harmonizer / Dub Siren Pro / Moog Filatron

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Here is a superb "fan-made" opening title sequence for the upcoming AMC series, The Walking Dead. It was created by Daniel M. Kanemoto of Ex Mortis Films, who incorporated the haunting zombie images from Robert Kirkman's comic book, illustrated by Charlie Adlard & Tony Moore. We'll find out if the "real" opening title sequence lives up to this level of artistry when the series premieres on October 31.

We are arriving at that unique moment in time where the term “fan-made” becomes moot. This is extraordinary.
~ @DamonLindelof, Executive Producer, LOST

By the way, The Walking Dead's zombie apocalypse was directed by Frank Darabont and was shot in Atlanta earlier this summer. Production on the second season should begin in early 2011.

THE WALKING DEAD "Opening Titles" from Daniel Kanemoto on Vimeo.

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I recently purchased the new 2TB USB 3.0 CalDigit AV Drive for my portable Final Cut Pro editing rig, replacing my aging 1.5TB CalDigit S2VR Duo eSATA RAID. I also purchased the new USB 3.0 CalDigit SuperSpeed ExpressCard, for use in my late-2009 MacBook Pro 17" laptop. This two-port card and driver reportedly enables the use of next generation USB 3.0 technology on the Mac with speeds up to 5Gbps. While I didn't expect top Mac Pro speeds, due to Apple's continued use of PCIe v1.0 on their laptops, I am happy to have an external drive that is faster than standard 60 MB/s FW800 and more reliable than my eSATA RAID connection using the ExpressCard/34 slot.

This video is my own AJA speed test on a late-2009 MacBook Pro 17" laptop, using the 1920x1080 10-bit RGB, 4GB file size setting. The MacBook Pros still use the older PCIe v1.0 technology, so results are not quite as fast as a 2008 or later Mac Pro using the better PCIe v2.0 technology ( where speeds would be roughly 145MB/s ). See my previous blog post for CalDigit's official Mac Pro AJA speed tests.

WRITE SPEED: 111.9 MB/s
READ SPEED: 122.4 MB/s

Hardware: Late-2009 MacBook Pro 17" laptop, 4 GB RAM, Mac OS X 10.5.8, 2TB CalDigit AV Drive, CalDigit SuperSpeed ExpressCard

Speed Test software: AJA System Test, 1920x1080 10-bit RGB, File size 4 GB

Test Updated: October 15, 2010

My @CalDigit USB 3.0 Expresscard-MacBook Pro AJA Speed Test from Aaron Weiler on Vimeo.

***UPDATE***

AV Drive FW800 AJA System Test using 4 GB, 1920x1080 10-bit RGB settings:

WRITE SPEED: 70.1 MB/s
READ SPEED: 78.2 MB/s

About the CalDigit AV Drive
The single drive storage market has been saturated with products that only look different, but offer the same functionality. CalDigit ( http://http://www.caldigit.com ) sought to design a product that looks good and performs even better than the competition. We present the CalDigit AV Drive, a single drive designed with the user in mind and optimized for Audio and Video, CalDigit's most affordable drive yet! Perfect for the workplace or on the go, the AV Drive is made for performance and reliability. Featuring a dual interface with USB 3.0 and FireWire 800 connectivity, the AV Drive is one of the most uniquely designed single drive systems on the market. The CalDigit AV Drive is PC friendly and the first USB 3.0 drive for the Mac, all in a sleek, sturdy and compact design. The AV Drive offers awesome performance, reaching extreme speeds up to 145 MB/s.

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I recently purchased the new 2TB USB 3.0 CalDigit AV Drive for my portable Final Cut Pro editing rig, replacing my aging 1.5TB CalDigit S2VR Duo eSATA RAID. The drive should arrive within a week, along with the new USB 3.0 CalDigit SuperSpeed Expresscard, for use in my late-2009 MacBook Pro 17" laptop. This two-port card and driver reportedly enables the use of next generation USB 3.0 technology on the Mac with speeds up to 5Gbps.

I will post my own MacBook Pro set-up/hardware specs and AJA speed tests as soon as I receive the drive. In the meantime, here are a couple of overview videos of the AV Drive posted by CalDigit on Vimeo...

CalDigit AV Drive from CalDigit on Vimeo.

About the CalDigit AV Drive
The single drive storage market has been saturated with products that only look different, but offer the same functionality. CalDigit sought to design a product that looks good and performs even better than the competition. We present the CalDigit AV Drive, a single drive designed with the user in mind and optimized for Audio and Video, CalDigit's most affordable drive yet! Perfect for the workplace or on the go, the AV Drive is made for performance and reliability. Featuring a dual interface with USB 3.0 and FireWire 800 connectivity, the AV Drive is one of the most uniquely designed single drive systems on the market. The CalDigit AV Drive is PC friendly and the first USB 3.0 drive for the Mac, all in a sleek, sturdy and compact design. The AV Drive offers awesome performance, reaching extreme speeds up to 145 MB/s.

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I received this note from Norman Berns, admin and moderator of The FilmBudgeting Group and http://reelgrok.com. Please contact your Congressman regarding the importance of extending Section 181.

From Norman...

I just got a call from Corky Kessler, the attorney who helped the IRS draft the guidelines for Section 181. Before it expired at the end of 2009, this major tax legislation helped secure funding for many indie films. Unfortunately, renewal is now languishing in Congress where final passage isn't guaranteed.

Please get involved. This tax legislation can definitely impact your ability to raise funds for your next film and television project. If you'll help, it is possible to get this bill passed.

"The Senate Finance Committee has asked that I send out a call to all of you to contact your Congressman regarding the importance of the extension of 181.

"181 is part of the Extender Act and was passed by the House and the Senate. The Senate and the House now need to go back and find revenue sources to match with the losses projected for the Extender Act.

"181 is a Jobs Bill and must be talked about solely in that framework.

"Please review the exchange that I have had with the Senate Finance Committee and please contact your Congressional Representatives to voice your concerns.

"The problem waiting for (the) return (of Congress) from vacations, is that (Section 181) will sunset at the end of December (2010) if extended and we will have little time to move on it before we fight the battle to get it extended for 2011. I would even suggest that if extended in 4th quarter, that we have it for a full year from then.

"Also, it is hard for me to fully understand why there appears to be a waste of time in the House and Senate to pass the Extender Act and now wait for revenue considerations. Section 181 is revenue producing. It produces revenue in tax paid by workers on films as well as revenue to the state or states that the money on a film is spent.

"I cannot begin to tell you how many film and television projects were fleeing the US for incentives in other countries. Production Companies were shutting down and people in the business had no business. The business was fleeing. Section 181 was great as it built confidence in the US that we cared about jobs in the entertainment industry and we began to build back a strong base of movies staying in the US due in major part to 181. We have made progress.

"Unfortunately many productions are once again fleeing the US. We need to bring 181 back ASAP.

"If the President is serious about jobs, then 181 is a great start as independent production companies will be busy on films in the US. It is hard for someone not in the industry to imagine how many US businesses are affected. Those affected include Hotels, Union Members, Employees of Production Companies, Restaurants, Food Services, Shops and Other businesses where filming takes place."

Hal "Corky" Kessler can be contacted at kessler@dlec.com for any further information. His direct phone number is 312/853-8448. Corky's complete post is on reelgrok at http://reelgrok.com

PLEASE get in touch with your local congressional representatives. They need to hear from you ASAP.

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I went with my family to the theater yesterday to see Toy Story 3 in 3-D... an amazing adventure that is destined to become a film classic. While the images were definitely stunning to watch, the 7.1 sound design was incredibly subtle and artistic.

Skywalker Sound’s Re-Recording Mixer and Sound Designer Tom Myers, Sound Re-Recording Mixer Michael Semanick, Director Lee Unkrich, and Stuart Bowling, Technical Marketing Manager at Dolby Laboratories take you behind-the-scene to discuss the sound of Toy Story 3 in the following "Sound for Film Profile" by Michael Coleman.

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