Episode 10 Spooktacular
SEASON FINALE!
From the creators and contributors of AWC, thank you for supporting Season 1. We are truly thankful to have shared this journey with you, and we look forward to what the future holds for Animation Wild Card.
Check out the episode and learn more about the contributing artists below:
0:11 Magical Cat
Animation Wild Card presents @_Threadwood ⠀
(individually known as @alexiseved & @sdaros):⠀
⠀
We're a married stop-motion animation team hailing from the North East (CT specifically) and currently located in Los Angeles, CA. We've been collaborating and working together for over 10 years!⠀
⠀
We've been a part of many stop-motion projects, big and small, and various studios here in the city. Scott has won an individual achievement Emmy for his animation skills, and we've both had team wins on 2 different Robot Chicken episodes as Animation Director and Art Director. Even with those freelance commitments, we've always prioritized working at home on personal projects that make us laugh.⠀
⠀
We spend a lot of our down time making weird faces/voices/dance moves at each other to try and make the other laugh - and sometimes they make for good shorts. This short series "Magical Cat" was inspired by a dumb song we sing to our cat when we get home from work (or if he emerges from another room after a long snooze). ⠀
⠀
We'd like to make it back to the North East and continue to share our sensibilities and sense of humor with anyone looking for a chuckle, or an eyeball-grabbing commercial.
(individually known as @alexiseved & @sdaros):⠀
⠀
We're a married stop-motion animation team hailing from the North East (CT specifically) and currently located in Los Angeles, CA. We've been collaborating and working together for over 10 years!⠀
⠀
We've been a part of many stop-motion projects, big and small, and various studios here in the city. Scott has won an individual achievement Emmy for his animation skills, and we've both had team wins on 2 different Robot Chicken episodes as Animation Director and Art Director. Even with those freelance commitments, we've always prioritized working at home on personal projects that make us laugh.⠀
⠀
We spend a lot of our down time making weird faces/voices/dance moves at each other to try and make the other laugh - and sometimes they make for good shorts. This short series "Magical Cat" was inspired by a dumb song we sing to our cat when we get home from work (or if he emerges from another room after a long snooze). ⠀
⠀
We'd like to make it back to the North East and continue to share our sensibilities and sense of humor with anyone looking for a chuckle, or an eyeball-grabbing commercial.
Alexis and Scott
Creators @alexiseved & @sdaros of @_Threadwood , shared a bit about the process of making "Magical Cat - Episode 6":⠀
⠀
"This one swipes in reverse order! It's also the second time during this season of Animation Wild Card where we've had to set up a stage from scratch in order to shoot Magical Cat. For those that don't know, Scott and I very recently moved across the country, and of course this would be the first thing we'd want to shoot in our new space. Because we're now in the North East and it's quite chilly, our shooting space had to be in the house instead of our garage where eventually we'll set it up! We're very excited to continue to make work, and are definitely looking forward to having a more dedicated studio set up soon... I kept the first photo 'cause I can't handle that blep! In the second one I tried to get a panorama of our lighting set up and Scott photobombed and shook his head 😑 check out that ridiculous nose 👃🏻"⠀
⠀
"This one swipes in reverse order! It's also the second time during this season of Animation Wild Card where we've had to set up a stage from scratch in order to shoot Magical Cat. For those that don't know, Scott and I very recently moved across the country, and of course this would be the first thing we'd want to shoot in our new space. Because we're now in the North East and it's quite chilly, our shooting space had to be in the house instead of our garage where eventually we'll set it up! We're very excited to continue to make work, and are definitely looking forward to having a more dedicated studio set up soon... I kept the first photo 'cause I can't handle that blep! In the second one I tried to get a panorama of our lighting set up and Scott photobombed and shook his head 😑 check out that ridiculous nose 👃🏻"⠀
Blep Pose
BTS Panorama Outtake
Animation Room
Blacking Out the Stage
New Animation Table!
Table Fabrication
———
0:49 Zombug
"Hey there! I work as a stop motion animator, current place of work being Stoopid Buddy Stoodios. Iʼve worked on RC, Buddy Thunderstruck, Super Mansion and Iʼm currently working on one of the Stoodioʼs newest shows.⠀
I live in beautiful Burbank, California! Also born and raised in Glendale. I started into animation from my free time I had being homeschooled with my parents pushing me to pursue what I wanted to do, which really helped me focus my talents and get me where I am. On the side,Iʼve also drawn a lot, so itʼs been a natural transition for me to move myself into 2D animation, with this short I hope that it shows my ability in that area!⠀
Sean Willets
Animator / Creator, @Sean_Willets , shared a bit about the process of making "Zombug":⠀
⠀
"This was a joy to make! I had a little help in a couple areas but for the most part I made it all top to bottom. I even got to make the soundtrack in Garageband which went surprisingly well since I couldn't find the right sound I needed for free online. Now I know I can make it myself if I have too. Garageband is seriously underrated!⠀
⠀
"This was a joy to make! I had a little help in a couple areas but for the most part I made it all top to bottom. I even got to make the soundtrack in Garageband which went surprisingly well since I couldn't find the right sound I needed for free online. Now I know I can make it myself if I have too. Garageband is seriously underrated!⠀
Hereʼs a couple rough first passes on the animation to block out the movement. After those would be the refining the lines, then the color pass, all in Procreate and then I use After Effects later for shading and lighting.⠀
I mostly used my keyboard on my laptop to play the notes but coming up with the later half I needed a full keyboard so my mom whoʼs a music maker let me use her great set up and I was able to jam out on it until I got what I needed.⠀
The musical keyboard is useful but you can only do so much with it.⠀
My friend Forrest also helped out with some VHS effects over the visuals which helped a lot.⠀
The Zombie voice was from the Film Masters YouTube channel, they gave out their zombie voice for free, just asked for linking to their channel. "
Zombie Head Animation
Zombie Coming Together in After Effects
Roughs and a Friend
More Roughs
GarageBand Keyboard!
Storyboards
GarageBand
———
1:36 carried your compliments
By: kindclutter (robby cimino)
Instagram: @kindclutter
Twitter: @kindclutter
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/kindclutter
Animation Wild Card presents, @kindclutter :
"hello again wild cardinals. this is kindclutter but you may also call me robby. it’s always lovely to share ideas with you. i hope that if you’ve gotten compliments recently, you are still enjoying them & they haven’t been poking into your back. instead of including a photo of myself, i’ve included a picture of 3 chameleons who have trouble blending in. each of them tries to hide for different reasons: the red chameleon hides out of fear, the yellow chameleon hides to sneak up on others, & the blue chameleon hides because it isn’t sure what it’s like not to hide. they’re not very good at hiding now, and i can’t say i wish them well.
-kindclutter"
"hello again wild cardinals. this is kindclutter but you may also call me robby. it’s always lovely to share ideas with you. i hope that if you’ve gotten compliments recently, you are still enjoying them & they haven’t been poking into your back. instead of including a photo of myself, i’ve included a picture of 3 chameleons who have trouble blending in. each of them tries to hide for different reasons: the red chameleon hides out of fear, the yellow chameleon hides to sneak up on others, & the blue chameleon hides because it isn’t sure what it’s like not to hide. they’re not very good at hiding now, and i can’t say i wish them well.
-kindclutter"
Animator / Creator, @kindclutter , shared a bit about the process of making "your compliments":⠀
⠀
"here are 2 photos & small video of what i did to make this short. i decided to animate some of this project using cut-outs; something no doubt inspired by the delightful stop motion contributors to wildcard. here are characters i snipped from newspaper & origami paper. i tried to make the newspaper creatures crass & off-putting like ralph steadman does with his characters. their voices too. i did some research & found that the professionals at aardman & laika studios use book lamps clipped to vacuum cleaners to light their films; i had no choice but to rush out & buy these for my own rig. the last thing i’ve included is an armless, bagless rough of the walk cycle in the short. i especially enjoyed animating the nose. real noses usually just stick to your face without much movement. that isn’t much fun, so i made mine bouncy. thank you for reading & i hope you find a chance to balance a large, precarious book over your face while underneath a blanket that works. ⠀
⠀
-kindclutter"⠀
⠀
"here are 2 photos & small video of what i did to make this short. i decided to animate some of this project using cut-outs; something no doubt inspired by the delightful stop motion contributors to wildcard. here are characters i snipped from newspaper & origami paper. i tried to make the newspaper creatures crass & off-putting like ralph steadman does with his characters. their voices too. i did some research & found that the professionals at aardman & laika studios use book lamps clipped to vacuum cleaners to light their films; i had no choice but to rush out & buy these for my own rig. the last thing i’ve included is an armless, bagless rough of the walk cycle in the short. i especially enjoyed animating the nose. real noses usually just stick to your face without much movement. that isn’t much fun, so i made mine bouncy. thank you for reading & i hope you find a chance to balance a large, precarious book over your face while underneath a blanket that works. ⠀
⠀
-kindclutter"⠀
Cupouts
Shooting Setup
Rough Animation
———
2:10 Nice to Meat You
Story, Animation, & Puppets By:
Brett Scanlon
Instagram: @robot.owl.monster
Website: brettsartistry.com
Brett Scanlon
Instagram: @robot.owl.monster
Website: brettsartistry.com
Art By:
Calley Macdonald
Devin Dahl
Special Thanks to:
Arlo Ramirez
Catherine Saldaña
Zoe Miller
Animation Wild Card
Animation Wild Card presents, @robot.owl.monster :
"Hi, I'm Brett Scanlon! I'm a stop motion animator and fabricator currently based in the LA area, originally from Oregon.
I've been working in the stop motion industry, and couldn't be happier about it. Stop motion as a medium has been a lifelong favorite, and as I got more into creating it myself I discovered how many interests of mine it combined into one art form. There has always been something about seeing an unreal creature, character, or setting that is fantasy, but you can still tell it exists in our physical reality that excites me. It is a small niche art form that I am fortunate enough to be able to practice professionally. Some of the projects I've been able to work on include Kubo and the Two Strings, Robot Chicken, Wendell and Wild, and Modok.
Outside of stop motion I enjoy camping, hiking, traveling, music, concerts and festivals, sculpting, and sci-fi."
"Hi, I'm Brett Scanlon! I'm a stop motion animator and fabricator currently based in the LA area, originally from Oregon.
I've been working in the stop motion industry, and couldn't be happier about it. Stop motion as a medium has been a lifelong favorite, and as I got more into creating it myself I discovered how many interests of mine it combined into one art form. There has always been something about seeing an unreal creature, character, or setting that is fantasy, but you can still tell it exists in our physical reality that excites me. It is a small niche art form that I am fortunate enough to be able to practice professionally. Some of the projects I've been able to work on include Kubo and the Two Strings, Robot Chicken, Wendell and Wild, and Modok.
Outside of stop motion I enjoy camping, hiking, traveling, music, concerts and festivals, sculpting, and sci-fi."
Brett Scanlon
Animator / Creator, @robot.owl.monster (Brett Scanlon) , shared a bit about the process of making "Nice to Meat You":⠀
⠀
"This short started as a quick idea I wrote down sometime in the last few years. With some help in the fabrication process I was able to put everything together and animate it in time for the submission deadline for this episode of Animation Wild Card.⠀
⠀
A lot of this was put together pretty quick, so there wasn't a lot of time for experimenting with different build ideas. The skeleton is made up of Sculpy, aluminum wire, and brass stock, with some plastic hands glued on. The humans were repurposed and modified fashion dolls with aluminum wire inserted to let their arms be able to bend. Modifying these dolls made me feel like Sid from Toy Story. Finally the full meat suit is aluminum wire, aluminum foil for mass, and covered in clay and Sculpy meat. I added some quake gel and paint to some parts to make him look more wet and gross."
⠀
"This short started as a quick idea I wrote down sometime in the last few years. With some help in the fabrication process I was able to put everything together and animate it in time for the submission deadline for this episode of Animation Wild Card.⠀
⠀
A lot of this was put together pretty quick, so there wasn't a lot of time for experimenting with different build ideas. The skeleton is made up of Sculpy, aluminum wire, and brass stock, with some plastic hands glued on. The humans were repurposed and modified fashion dolls with aluminum wire inserted to let their arms be able to bend. Modifying these dolls made me feel like Sid from Toy Story. Finally the full meat suit is aluminum wire, aluminum foil for mass, and covered in clay and Sculpy meat. I added some quake gel and paint to some parts to make him look more wet and gross."
Stage Setup
Foam Sculpting the Landscaping
Stage Profile
Grocery Set
Armature Buildup
Armature Prep
Doll Modification
Meat Suit on Stage
Stage BTS
———
3:42 Goodnight
By: Johnny McHone
Instagram @johnnysclaymation
Twitter: @JohnnyMchone
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnnyMcHone
Instagram @johnnysclaymation
Twitter: @JohnnyMchone
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnnyMcHone
Animation Wild Card presents, @johnnysclaymation :
"HEY! I'm an artist and animator living in Los Angeles, CA currently working at Stoopid Buddy Stoodios! When I'm not at the studio, you'll find me making music videos and animated shorts from home. I love comics and cartoons which fuels my passion for character animation!
For more of my work, head on over to youtube.com/mchonebone or Instagram: @johnnysclaymation. Thank you!"
"HEY! I'm an artist and animator living in Los Angeles, CA currently working at Stoopid Buddy Stoodios! When I'm not at the studio, you'll find me making music videos and animated shorts from home. I love comics and cartoons which fuels my passion for character animation!
For more of my work, head on over to youtube.com/mchonebone or Instagram: @johnnysclaymation. Thank you!"
Johnny McHone
Director / Animator, @johnnysclaymation , shared a bit about the process of making "Goodnight" :⠀
⠀
"I like to create my characters first, get to know them, then place them in their environment. We hang out and they show me their best side before I set the camera angle. Once they are comfortable, I set the stage with LED lights. In this case I dimmed one to a softer tone while having the indoor one yellow and harsh. Sweetums likes their room simple, so it was easy to decorate. The monsters were also polite and really nailed their lines. This skit was a team effort and I encourage others to listen to their creations."
⠀
"I like to create my characters first, get to know them, then place them in their environment. We hang out and they show me their best side before I set the camera angle. Once they are comfortable, I set the stage with LED lights. In this case I dimmed one to a softer tone while having the indoor one yellow and harsh. Sweetums likes their room simple, so it was easy to decorate. The monsters were also polite and really nailed their lines. This skit was a team effort and I encourage others to listen to their creations."
Stage Setup
Animation!
Practical Sky
Poster Set Design Progress
Dressed Set
———
4:15 Eli in DJ PINKLEPUSS
Story & Art: John Sumner & Gunnar Sumner
Website: johnsumnerdesign.com
Website: johnsumnerdesign.com
Original Music:
"Eli Intro"
Written and Performed By: Eli Gunnell
"Pinkleparty"
Written and Performed By: Sylvain Carton & Mouzhan Yousefi
Website: tzmeproductions.com
Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: @tzmeproductions
sylvaincarton.com
Instagram: @sylvaincarton
mouzhan.com
Instagram: @mouzhany
—
Animation Wild Card presents, John Sumner : ⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀
"John Sumner spent most of his young life as a journeyman, traveling across the country and working a ton of odd jobs. Ultimately, all of these experiences would come in handy as he settled into the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, CA. ⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀
For the past decade, John has been primarily working as a Production Designer/Art Director/Builder for Film, Television, and Internet Content, with a focus on stop-motion.⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀
When John isn't working on professional jobs, you can usually find him carving tikis, drawing comics, and trying not to get his butt kicked by his wife and kids in Tae Kwon Do."
⠀⠀⠀⠀
"John Sumner spent most of his young life as a journeyman, traveling across the country and working a ton of odd jobs. Ultimately, all of these experiences would come in handy as he settled into the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, CA. ⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀
For the past decade, John has been primarily working as a Production Designer/Art Director/Builder for Film, Television, and Internet Content, with a focus on stop-motion.⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀
When John isn't working on professional jobs, you can usually find him carving tikis, drawing comics, and trying not to get his butt kicked by his wife and kids in Tae Kwon Do."
John Sumner
Creator, John Sumner, shared a bit about the process of making "Eli in Pinkleparty" :⠀
⠀
"Notable points, inspirations, and thoughts about this episode...⠀
⠀
I know I mentioned this in the past, but since this is the AWC SEASON 1 FINALE, I think it's important to say it again... "Thank You!" to everyone at @AnimationWildCard for inviting me to participate by submitting my Eli Series. It has been a great honor to be a part of this incredible community of artists and friends. ⠀
⠀
Long before the quarantine hit, I have been working on my Eli series during periods of downtime, and the cornerstone episode at the start of it all is "Pinkleparty". It's the one that began the process of evolving Eli from a comic strip doodle in sketchbooks to an animated series.⠀
⠀
Inspiration for this episode came about when my daughter Gunnar had trouble sleeping one night. So we pulled out some crayons, pencils and paper and started drawing an Eli comic strip where he couldn't sleep because his stuffed animal, DJ Pinklepuss kept having parties with all the other toys. That was 5 years ago.⠀
⠀
Along the way, I've had the privilege of enlisting some very talented people to help bring things to life. Thank You to everyone who contributed:
⠀
"Notable points, inspirations, and thoughts about this episode...⠀
⠀
I know I mentioned this in the past, but since this is the AWC SEASON 1 FINALE, I think it's important to say it again... "Thank You!" to everyone at @AnimationWildCard for inviting me to participate by submitting my Eli Series. It has been a great honor to be a part of this incredible community of artists and friends. ⠀
⠀
Long before the quarantine hit, I have been working on my Eli series during periods of downtime, and the cornerstone episode at the start of it all is "Pinkleparty". It's the one that began the process of evolving Eli from a comic strip doodle in sketchbooks to an animated series.⠀
⠀
Inspiration for this episode came about when my daughter Gunnar had trouble sleeping one night. So we pulled out some crayons, pencils and paper and started drawing an Eli comic strip where he couldn't sleep because his stuffed animal, DJ Pinklepuss kept having parties with all the other toys. That was 5 years ago.⠀
⠀
Along the way, I've had the privilege of enlisting some very talented people to help bring things to life. Thank You to everyone who contributed:
⠀
Julia Rosner for Costume Fabrication on DJ Pinklepuss⠀
Rachel Mark for Puppet Fabrication on DJ Pinklepuss⠀
Melody Palisoc for DJ Booth Fabrication⠀
Justin Michael for being the Voice of Eli⠀
Dan Lippert for being the Voice of DJ Pinklepuss⠀
Sylvain Carton and Mouzhan Yousefi for Writing and Performing the original song "Pinkleparty"⠀
Eli Gunnell for Writing and Performing the original song "Eli Intro"⠀
and Gunnar Sumner for creating "DJ Pinklepuss", without whom this Eli series would not have even been an idea."⠀
Julia Rosner for Costume Fabrication on DJ Pinklepuss⠀
Rachel Mark for Puppet Fabrication on DJ Pinklepuss⠀
Melody Palisoc for DJ Booth Fabrication⠀
Justin Michael for being the Voice of Eli⠀
Dan Lippert for being the Voice of DJ Pinklepuss⠀
Sylvain Carton and Mouzhan Yousefi for Writing and Performing the original song "Pinkleparty"⠀
Eli Gunnell for Writing and Performing the original song "Eli Intro"⠀
and Gunnar Sumner for creating "DJ Pinklepuss", without whom this Eli series would not have even been an idea."⠀
DJ Pinklepuss
Costume Patterning
———
Thank you for viewing Episode 10 of Animation Wild Card, our Season Finale!