VIDIEU

BANIA

2012-01-20T18:12:00.000-08:00

My late entry to Austin's Bane CHADES challenge.

Storyboards That Led Me to Work with DreamWorks

2012-01-08T13:15:00.000-08:00

I know a lot of students look at my blog and I wanted to officially share (part of) the boards that attracted DreamWorks to work with me. These were a set of boards for a short I wrote and it's about some sheep that want to go swimming in a lake, but run into some obstacles.

I only posted the first part on this blog, but you can see the rest here.

The producers, directors, and heads of story responded to the ideas and the "charm" of the drawings (the word "charm" came up more than once.) Hopefully that gives you an idea of what to demonstrate for your own boards.

Again, you can see the whole thing here.

Some Sexy Action Girls

2011-12-26T18:12:00.000-08:00

For the fifteen year old boy in all of us.

Attack of the Third Eye

2011-12-18T20:56:00.000-08:00

Did some sketches over the weekend. I wanted to explore the fears that come up when I hear about the "third eye," a prevalent image in religions that originate from India.

Some Artwork for an Upcoming Show

2011-11-20T16:43:00.000-08:00

Just finished these for the upcoming "What If" Show at Gallery Nucleus. The pieces are small, 4" X 6" and are mounted on wood panels. Price TBA. Info for the show: December 10, 2011 - January 2, 2012
Opening Reception / Dec 10, 7:00PM - 11:00PM

Gallery Nucleus is located at 210 East Main Street, Alhambra, CA

Some Old Sketches

2011-06-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

Scary old man faces:

Get off my lawn!

Aliens!

2011-05-18T22:59:00.000-07:00

I drew aliens to celebrate the release of a comprehensive new book on Area 51.

Claustrophobic Kelpie

2010-12-30T18:21:00.000-08:00

The theme of Austin's Character Design Challenge this week is "Claustrophobic Kelpie." What's a kelpie? According to the Wikipedia article, it is

"a supernatural water horse from Celtic folklore that is believed to haunt the rivers and lochs of Scotland and Ireland; the name may be from Scottish Gaelic cailpeach or colpach 'heifer, colt...'
The water horse is a common form of the kelpie, said to lure humans, especially children, into the water to drown and eat them."

Drawing for the Micro Show

2010-11-25T23:51:00.000-08:00

Chubby Boys

2010-08-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

I Felt Like Drawing a Minotaur

2010-08-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

A is for bird. B is for bird. C is for bird.

2010-07-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

A couple bird explorations.

The Birds

2010-06-25T09:49:00.000-07:00

Neptune and His Orca

2010-04-19T16:04:00.003-07:00

Savage Man Exploration

2010-04-19T15:59:00.001-07:00

Crows 2

2010-04-19T15:57:00.001-07:00

Germs vs. Antibodies

2010-04-19T15:55:00.001-07:00

Dead Sea

2010-04-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

Bird People 1

2010-04-15T22:16:00.001-07:00

The Director

2010-04-15T22:14:00.003-07:00

Superman Villains

2010-04-15T22:14:00.002-07:00

The Savages

2010-04-15T22:13:00.003-07:00

Ululating Knight

2010-04-15T22:13:00.002-07:00

Moby

2010-04-15T16:55:00.001-07:00

Six Train at Rush Hour

2010-04-15T16:54:00.001-07:00

Death from Above

2010-04-15T16:53:00.003-07:00

Sea Creatures 1

2010-04-15T16:53:00.002-07:00

Six Train at Rush Hour

2010-04-15T16:32:00.003-07:00

The Savages

2010-04-15T16:32:00.002-07:00

2010-04-06T23:25:00.000-07:00

"i'm often asked why i don't do commercials or ad campaigns or music videos and why i've turned down small fortunes from the corporate universe in favor of just carrying on with my own things. i like to take walks. i like hiking in the woods around here and climbing the foothills and exploring the coast. it clears my head. i find new things. it's something i'll probably always enjoy doing. so somebody comes along and says hey, i hear you like to take walks. how about i pay you to walk? you just have to walk around my house in circles for eight hours a day wearing a sandwich board that has a picture of my product on it. no, i'd rather just walk through the woods and explore my own places out there, thanks. but what difference does it make? as long as you're walking, why not make a lot of money from it at the same time? because money's not the reason i like to take walks. it doesn't really factor into it. i take walks because i enjoy doing it. it's something i'd do if i was rich and it's something i'd do if i were poor." -Don Hertzfeldt

The Aztecs Were Great Character Designers

2010-03-25T22:54:00.001-07:00

I saw this great image on the LA Times blog. It's an Aztec sculpture. It just reminded me the potential of the kind of puppets stop-motion animation can do, if it wasn't bound to appealing to small children (i.e. large eyes, bright colors). To further illustrate this point, take a Stephane Halleux sculpture for example: I believe animated features can make the leap as a more respected art form. If comic book movies can, then animation certainly can. But first, it's up the creators to view their own art that way, and ideally the general audience will follow.

Backdoor Rules of Art School

2010-03-18T00:22:00.000-07:00

I want to comment on my past experiences about the challenges of getting into animation school and landing my first job. I want to do this because I've made several mistakes along the way, and I want students to learn from my mistakes - you don't have to put your hand in the fire to know that it burns (you just have to watch someone else burn). Like I've said in previous posts, my perspective on this is unique from a book or the words of a seasoned veteran because I am relatively fresh to the industry, having graduated about three years ago. So, I feel I'm in a position that understands this current generation. The first point I want to make is that the path is not straightforward. There are many twists and turns along the way - many pitfalls, barriers, landmines, flying tomahawks, and whatnot. What I mean by this is because our field is part of the entertainment industry, everything about it behaves like Hollywood, for better or for worse. There are egos, hurt feelings, and plenty of colorful personalities. And aside from the fact that it's Hollywood, the machine that creates the art that we do is also simply a business - not a public service or charity. Although the studios create entertainment and art, the sole purpose is to make profit, and the machine will die if it fails to generate profit and please its investors. Because of this, the people involved (myself included) might not behave in the nicest ways. With that in mind, one must be aware of the backdoor knowledge that comes with navigating through these murky waters. I will touch upon on three phases of my young career so far. The first is on being a student at CalArts, the second on being an intern at Pixar, and the third being the rookie at Blue Sky. The tone I would like to convey about these times in my life is not of cynicism, but that of caution. Again, I want good people to do well, and the chances of that are better when they might know what they're getting into. On CalArts The experience I had at CalArts is immeasurable and rich, to say the least. The amount of passion and sense of community that I found there was incredible and I look back on it fondly. With that said, I wish I came in with more knowledge of what I can do there and what I can't do. Many of us came in to the school expecting a "boot camp" for animation - a structured, by-the-books institution. So we expected to follow certain rules. Instead we found an open playing field with tools scattered and buried beneath the sand, all stringed together by more of a law-of-the-jungle mentality than anything else. What I mean by this is that the school provides more "freedom" than some students were ready for - they didn't know they can take an advanced class without taking any prerequisites; they didn't know they can switch over to a more competent teacher who taught the same class over in the other section; they didn't know they can negotiate their way to a class outside their school that, according to the course catalog, wouldn't accept them. And most confusing of all is instances of how seniors would take freshman or sophomore classes, because those teachers were better than their supposed "advanced" teachers. Rules, or lack of rules, like this would understandably leave the guys who could not (or refused to) adapt a bitter taste in their mouths. Similar scenarios would occur in important situations like qualifying for the Producer's Show, jockeying for position during job fair, and more. It becomes quite an emotional affair. On the Pixar Internship Pixar is a fun place to be, especially for a place that has so much money riding on it. The atmosphere is light in mood and they really succeeded in creating a sort of resort campus for its employees. And the people have a fun vibe - I get the sense they like each other and all share the common thread of being young at heart. Pixar tried an experiment one summer. They put a bunch of interns in some temporary housing and shoved them in a room to see how each of them would do through a series of assignments. They did this for the three departments: animation, story, and art. Whether intentional or not, what they essentially created was a reality show-esque "Survivor/Apprentice" type situation, but with young art school grads and without the cameras. Though very stressful, it was a unique opportunity. After all, we got to experience the most successful film studio in recent memory. The trouble with all this is that Pixar never made it clear what its intentions were. Was it using this experiment to hire new artists? And if so, how many positions were there? This left everyone on edge, despite the incredible learning opportunities. At the end of the day, yes, they picked up a few guys out of that batch that summer (and as you can guess, I wasn't one of them). I suppose it was naive of me to think the studio was training story artists and animators without taking anything in return, but I couldn't help feel a bit disappointed that they kept their intentions at bay. I suppose this is something to get use to. On Blue Sky I am always thankful for Blue Sky and the producers who hired me for giving me that first break. However brief my stint there was, I finally got the title of "story artist" and it was my first full-time, nine to six job. Let me paint you a picture of how landing that gig went down. Towards the end of the Pixar internship, I get an e-mail from one of the producers at Blue Sky. She heard of me from a friend who started working there and they were aware that Pixar's internship program was winding down. Basically, what I imagine their mentality was at this point is that Pixar will get the pick of the litter to the latest talents at CalArts, and they wanted a piece of the pie. And that is when the discussion began (via email and cell phone conversations during my breaks) about having me come on board. They booked a red eye for me to New York just so they can make me an offer before Pixar had a chance to do so (both parties hadn't known at that point that no such offers would be made). Working for Blue Sky was both exciting and nerve-racking because I had a lot to prove, and everything was new to me. It was the farthest away I'd ever lived and it was the first time on my own. Plus, it was in the east coast, which was no picnic. I worked there for about half a year, my first feature experience being on Horton Hears a Who. The head of story held my hand the whole time and the director didn't use anything I did. It was a constant struggle that never got better, which eventually caught up to me. Where there was a communication breakdown was when I decided to sign a new six-month lease for a tiny studio apartment in Manhattan. To be on the safe side, I had asked my producer if I was on any kind of trial period with my job, or if I was pretty much hired. I didn't want to sign a contract without knowing my paycheck would be steady. He said "as far as I'm concerned, you're hired." A few months into my lease, I was called into the office of the head of HR. I had been let go. What makes me crack a smile when I look back at it is how much it reminded me of the movies when I had to gather all my stuff in a box and walk out of a skyscraper. The way things built up and fell apart made me realize that how companies interact with its employees is like getting into a relationship with someone. They're afraid of commitment and afraid of putting labels on things. And when they let you go, they're indirect and make it feel like it's not your fault, just so you don't go off the deep end. Blue Sky officially "laid me off," but as far as I know, I was the only one laid off at that time: a one man layoff. What I learned was, unless you signed a contract that said otherwise, you're constantly "on trial" and, yes, you can be dumped at any time (most of us signed an "at-will" contract, that says we can leave at any time, but they can also let us go at any time, without notice). In this case, it was naive of me to feel like I had any kind of job security. Conclusion With these three short phases of my life, there were both things to learn from and things to be happy about. Despite my frustrations, going to CalArts, training at Pixar, and working for Blue Sky were each, in itself, amazing times in my life. I have been working at LAIKA for a little more than two years now (knock on wood), and I'm convinced my experiences at those places made this possible. However, I do want to emphasize that one should never make any assumptions that the "right" thing will happen, but in fact, there are underlying rules that come into play that you have to remember - just as there is with anything in life (like never saying "yes" when a girl asks you if a dress makes her look fat). The reasons for these backdoor rules are neither good nor bad, but just is. I think what us artists tend to do is make out big companies and executives to be 100% evil and always up to no good. I personally don't think this is (always) true. I think they're more accurately just trying to survive.

'Evil Guardians'

2010-03-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

My entry for the character design challenge. I was inspired by a bonfire.

It was late

2010-02-19T21:37:00.001-08:00

A Few Drawings from an Idea I'm Developing

2010-02-16T19:10:00.000-08:00

A Few Recent Life Drawings

2010-01-20T15:31:00.000-08:00

Smoking Avengers

2009-12-22T17:22:00.000-08:00

Don't ask.

Straight from the Moleskin

2009-12-10T17:49:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to get back in the habit of drawing all the time again, to the point where I'm almost completely oblivious to whether or not people are looking over my shoulder or not. These are the most recent entries in my sketchbook. I went to Vancouver, Canada a few weeks ago and sketched some of the nice people I met there. The lady in the middle was trying to give a lecture, but the cute little baby on the left couldn't resist being the center of attention, as many babies do. I try to make it obvious to everyone that I will be sketching from the get-go, so everyone will get use to the idea early on and be able to relax. When they eventually do relax, sometimes I catch nice little earnest moments, like someone leaning on his girlfriend's head. I went home over Thanksgiving break and my parents prepared a room for me with a big mirror slide-door - the kind that's used for closets. This was a cue for me to do some self-portraits. I always look pissed off because my eyebrows are so dark and point inward. But people tell me I otherwise smile a lot. Maybe I'm secretly trying to offset my natural pissed-off look. The following drawings were from a recent meditation course I attended. I tried to capture the vibe and ambiance I was feeling at the time.

Balancing Creativity and Draftsmanship

2009-11-13T18:00:00.000-08:00

Lack of balance leads to turmoil, as depicted by this Artist Rendition of Turmoil.

Too much attention to draftsmanship leads to stiffness. Too much attention to creativity leads to lack of professionalism. To work in animation, we need both. Many examples of creativity can be found literally in front of your nose, with homegrown YouTube videos, lo-fi music, student films, etc. On the other hand, we see plenty of slick Hollywood films and big record label music that lack uniqueness and care. Lack of sound technical skills leaves more to be desired, amusing the consumer for a second, but when he asks himself "But would I pay to see this?" the answer is usually no. Lack of creativity leaves one uninspired, and often times bored, even insulted. The response then, is "that wasn't worth my ten dollars" or "that wasn't worth two hours of my time." To be appealing to employers as 'animation artists' (as CalArts teachers like to say), we need to demonstrate both. Professionalism usually suggests one is operating at a high level on a consistent basis - the confidence that he or she can meet expectations. They say the difference between a professional and an amateur is that a professional gets paid to do what he does. We must observe what this means. We must ask ourselves "would I pay someone like me for my services?" There are athletes, cooks, and artists all around us, but what makes a professional basketball player, a professional chef, a professional photographer? They are the ones that show both inspiration and technical skills at a high level, regularly. For animation artists, this translates to creativity and draftsmanship. I mention this now because I often see the imbalance with many students trying to get their foot in the door for a paid position. Some demonstrate great creativity, but their portfolios show little-to-no evidence of fundamental drawing skills, storytelling skills, etc. On the other hand, there are the ones who draw fine, but their drawings and stories are uninspired and bland. This is a shame because these are the ones who have the means to say something but have nothing to say - like a vehicle with no driver. For the animation student, figure out which side of the coin is lacking and work on it. Creativity? Or drafstmanship? Then demonstrate it, through shorts, reels, and portfolios. If both sides suck, then expect the bumps ahead in this path we call Our Career to be the size of mountains.

R.I.P. Mike Mitchell

2009-09-06T20:04:00.001-07:00

Mike did the first edition cover for his friend's famous novel.

I got a text this afternoon informing me of Mike Mitchell's passing, and I forwarded the news to some of you, because I've always felt like CalArts is a second family and everyone should be in the loop with these things. I was just talking to Nate and we both agreed that he led an amazing life - very full. I'm not sure what the memorial arrangements will be like, but I would guess that it would feel like a celebration of his life, rather than something more somber. I mean, let's face it, he lived a very long life! I learned a lot from Mike. Even though he could be polarizing with his views (who isn't though, right?), he helped me creatively in ways no one could ever measure. He and Corny together railed on mainstream animation and rejected the medium as mere 'cartoon.' He berated 'the industry,' but I, for one, think it was only in the same way Bill Cosby berated the black community for using the n word - he berated mainstream animation only because he loved the medium so much and thought it could be even better. What can I say, this man was amazing. He barely slept because he was always working, he led four or five-hour life drawing sessions at CalArts. "That's the stuff" he'd say, when you do something he likes. He'll hang that up on the wall and encourage a flurry of first and second year competition. Shadows, shape, form, color...at times it wasn't even about looking at the model anymore as it is using him/her as a launchpad for your own individual interpretation. Mike hung out with the likes of J.D. Salinger and Ray Bradbury. I can't even begin to imagine filling in the rest of his story before I met him as an old man. There's so much to the guy. He had both his followers and detractors. And he made it personal with his students. I recall a time when he learned I was taking Corny's class my second year instead of his (which was against the curriculum) and chewed me out for it. He cared that much. (Or was that insulted - either way, he was passionate.) I have to admit, he was sometimes 'cliquey.' Mike at times played the favoritism card and his followers (often referred to as Mitchellites) were often accused of being arrogant (I can personally say, yes, sometimes they can be, but they're also very sweet people. And, let's not forget we're all on the same team guys). Despite this, no one can deny his brain was on fire. It was white hot. He encouraged being 'loose' and 'open' in the artistic sense like no other instructor I've encountered. Mike's influence opened the flood gates for the new talent that's in the animation industry today, and we have yet to feel the full effects of it. On top of that, he was a lovely man and someone who I am thankful I got to spend some time with and soak up his wisdom. Long live Mike Mitchell. -v

Baby-Snatching Goblins Sailing the Seven Seas Filming a Documentary

2009-08-28T17:42:00.000-07:00

My Designs are Worn by the Children of America...

2009-08-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

...Or at least these child models for the LAIKA store. In case some of you were wondering what my 'Buffalo Spaceman' and 'Moths' designs were for back in the June 4th entry, LAIKA's media department had asked me to submit some designs for their store. These are the results. Apparently, my whimsical sensibilities fit best with the 'little'nes.' I dig it.

Random Page of Thumbnails...

2009-08-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

Austin's giving me a hard time about too many words on my blog. Click to enlarge...you will see things you wouldn't see with the naked eye! (only because I don't draw clear enough - I'm a bad story artist :(

Head of an Ass, Heart of a Boob

2009-08-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

I came into the industry with the wrong head. I came in with the head of an ass (donkey or butthead, you decide - same idea). By most standards, I've experienced early success in trying to break into feature film animation - I basically got to work right away while most have to toil for a long time in jobs that are more-or-less degrading before moving onto video games, commercials, television animation, and then finally feature film. So I skipped having to draw lamb cutlets for grocery ads or doing bad charcoal portraits at Venice Beach (although that sounds kind of fun). Because of this, I thought I was hot stuff. Towards the end of the Pixar internship, Pixar got to decide who they wanted to hire out of the batch they had that summer. Being nervous about not getting the job, I kept in touch with Blue Sky, who would love to jump on anything that had anything to do with Pixar, since Pixar was and still is regarded as the "team to beat" as far as quality feature animation goes. Pixar did not pick me to be on their team, but Blue Sky did, so they flew me out to New York on a red eye (this was before they knew Pixar didn't choose me, so they felt they needed to act fast). Since this whole process of studios courting artists was new to me, I thought this was a special thing and I, honestly, felt probably more special than I really was. Blue Sky was impressed with my friendly attitude, portfolio, and student film during the "tour" (which, in reality, was an interview), but when it came time to actually getting work done, I carried on that feeling of self-importance too long, and that, in the end, was a detriment to my performance. I voiced my opinion moreso than presented solid, visual solutions with my work. I had less-than-healthy thoughts about my superiors as a way to lash back at the feeling that they weren't using me enough. I was secretly a jerk. A passive-aggressive know-it-all. 'Horton Hears a Who' was my first film, but when Story wrapped and people were getting rolled off onto 'Ice Age 3,' management decided not to renew my contract. The reason for this, they told me, was because they didn't feel I could pump out the necessary number of approved storyboards per month. They had lost confidence in me. This served as a powerful lesson for me, because although they 'laid me off' (I think I got fired, although I was lucky enough to still be on good terms with Blue Sky and the friends I made there), the whole ordeal was a wake up call for me. People put an investment in you. The work environment is, for sure, not ideal for you to serve your own self-interests as an artist, but they do set it up for you to do your best work as a professional, because it's in their interest to have artists do their best work for them. In any situation, there's a huge chance to grow. The trick is to see that chance and run with it. -v

You Are Your Habits

2009-08-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

I want to point out today a key value that animation students tend to overlook: the value of good habits. It's not just about getting into CalArts. It's not just about getting into the Producer's Show. And it's certainly not just about having the right friends. It's all and none of these things. What I learned from CalArts, the part before it, and the part after it (so far) is that you have a certain amount of time to show people what you're all about, and you do this by habituation. You consistently treat people fairly, you consistently put out good work, you consistently try to learn and help in a team, and so on. I think the biggest "in" to getting work is putting yourself in a position where you can be trusted, both as a person and as a producer of valuable creative work. Before CalArts, I went to Corny's life drawing workshops on Sundays. (Corny is a teacher at CalArts who was on the portfolio review board). Corny saw my work and recognized I had "what it took" and was definitely looking for my portfolio when the time came. This workshop is also where I found out about CSSSA, the summer program at CalArts that uses many of the same teachers. This is where I met some important friends (including the likes of Austin, Adrian Molina, Alex Hirsch and more) and learned what CalArts is all about. And this is also where I got a chance to initially show the potential of my work. I made a splash when I was there. And while I was actually at CalArts as a student, I did my homework to the best quality I could on a consistent basis, I went to life drawing class and also did good work there (and occasionally work that suprised myself - which you need to do from time to time), and essentially developed a good reputation for being both a hard worker and a talented draftsman. And the list goes on with this sort of thing. So it wasn't the end of the world that I didn't get the attention of companies at first, or didn't get into the Producer's Show. Enough people have gained trust in me, seen where I've been, where I am now, and where I'd probably go in the future. When you're in a four year program like CalArts, you have four years to make a splash, four tries to make an effective little film, several semesters to show your habits. And you are your habits. Just like people over time know what to expect from a trusted place to get, say, a good burger, and recommend a place like In-n-Out because they consistently had a good experience, you develop trust by being consistent. So students, for your sake and ours, consistently put your art out there, and consistently show what you're all about, all the time. -v

A Picture of My Blog on My Blog

2009-08-13T21:53:00.003-07:00

What a mind freak!

Rejected...Over and Over Again

2009-08-13T09:07:00.006-07:00

I've had my share of rejection when it comes to a career in animation. I got rejected once getting into CalArts, but tried again and got in. I never got a film in the Producer's Show - CalArt's annual showcase for industry execs. I didn't get any callbacks for any of my portfolios until my senior year. I got rejected for a story internship position at Pixar, before I tried again. And when I finally did the internship, I wasn't chosen to stay. Then I worked at Blue Sky and got fired. After that, I did a bunch of odd jobs that spanned from doing commercial work, moping around the house, chasing small children... until my current gig now as a story artist at LAIKA. If I look at the pattern, I should be worried, since every good thing has an end. But I should also not be too worried, since every bad thing also has an end. Like the universe, your career expands and contracts. I can jump into all kinds of theories on what I did right and what I did wrong. But right now, I just wanted to use that re-cap as an example of what one should expect. Just when the dead of winter seems like it would never end, a weed sprouts from the snow. -v

I'm an Expert at Being a Newbie

2009-08-12T09:19:00.014-07:00

What year is it? 2009. And I graduated and started working in the industry back iin...2006. So, I've been working for about three years now and I've already done a lot, from doing bitch work like cleaning up cels, to teaching in a Korean portfolio school, to doing story work for feature. But I am not "the shit" - I'll be the first to tell you that. I haven't accomplished anything. I'm far from mastering my craft, and my poor grandmother is still holding onto her dear life to finally see my name scroll up in the credits at the end of a movie. But I do think I am in a unique position, as far as knowledge of the industry goes. When we go to film school, we're either taught by our peers, who haven't really experienced enough, or veterans in the industry, who often times, like Yoda, speak in riddles. I am, on the other hand, right in the middle. I am a veteran at being new in the industry. I was asked by a friend to write about my experiences, because she refers my blog to some aspiring animators. My friend Austin is also making an effort on his blog to communicate to students. So I think it's only fitting to, how shall I say, "put out." With that said, this blog will be start to have some musings about my experiences from trying to get into CalArts, doing the rat race in school, playing survival with my internships, falling off the face of the earth after losing my job, moping around the house looking for work, having bouts of self-loathing, moving to New York and Portland, etc. etc. The difference between this and a book about a career in animation, is that it's going to be spoken in your language, from one friend to another. It's less "do this now, you will understand why someday" and more about "if you do this, these are the results." It's more near-future results, mind you, but sometimes it's good to be practical. That's why I think what I have to say is worthwhile, in addition to what peers and veterans in the industry have to say. Hopefully someone will get something out of it, but if not, I'd at least have gotten to practice my writing chops. So stay tuned! -v

The Trickster Cheshire

2009-08-03T14:18:00.013-07:00

I'm part of the CHADES Character Design challenge this week (it was really last week, but I arrive fashionably late). Yes, there is a new 'Alice in Wonderland' movie coming out. No, this drawing theme is no coincidence, and no, it is not my idea to plug a Disney movie. This week we're suppose to design the (in)famous Cheshire Cat - who is among the great tricksters in literature and folklore, along with Puck and Brer Rabbit.

Smile for the Queen.

You light up my life.

Eventually he's gotta feed.

Where I Am with Movies

2009-08-01T10:39:00.016-07:00

So I imagine Comic Con is wrapping up and it looks like the buzz coming from there is James Cameron's upcoming 'Avatar.' I don't know anything about 'Avatar,' but did anyone ever read 'Fathom' or 'Soulfire' from the late Michael Turner? The impression I get is that it's going to feel sorta like that...borderline the feeling of Lisa Frank art. But Cameron is one of the forefathers of computer and 3-D technology in cinema, so I'm always curious about what he's up to. On another note, some talk about some movie trailers have been buzzin' about, thanks to the likes of sites like Apple Trailers, and of course, office e-mail chatter. My friend Austin Madison, the biggest geek I can (barely) tolerate, is excited over 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'G.I. Joe.' My comments about that are 1) 'Alice' looks about on par with Burton's 'Willy Wonka' and 2) I hate Steven Sommers and never played with G.I. Joes, so that movie has no chance in my eyes. And there have been mixed reactions about the trailer for 'Fantastic Mr. Fox.' I think it certainly feels like a Wes Anderson movie, who favors PBS specials and the crude style of Rankin Bass (I'm guessing), so I tend to be more willing to look past the fact that, as Henry Selick puts it, the animation looks like 'Robot Chicken.' 'Moon,' directed by David Bowie's son, has been highly recommended to me, but I haven't gotten around to seeing it yet. The trailer looked kinda cool and creepy, but I was never a fan of Sam Rockwell - something about him always felt like a sleazy used car salesman to me. But buzz is about and the word "mind-fuck" came up, so I better make my way out to the theaters before it gets ruined for me, the same way 'Usual Suspects' was. As a final note, 'Where the Wild Things Are' also piqued my interest, and I recommend '500 Days of Summer' which stars the lovely Zooey Deschanel and the kid from 'Third Rock from the Sun.' It's a really fun movie - it reminded me of the level of feeling for the characters and having genuine fun when I first saw 'Little Miss Sunsine.' And the soundtrack is fantastic! -v

Falling back into old habits...

2009-07-13T01:16:00.005-07:00

"Ancient of Days" by William Blake

Hello all, I've skipped a few weeks of creating artwork for my blog and, again, I feel bad about it. Someone give me a slap on the hand. Whenever I can't post, I feel like the next best thing to do is pay respect to artists whose work I admire. Here is a William Blake. It is "Ancient of Days." This guy saw things that no one else did - literally. He would witness trees bursting into flames. Schizo or genius? Again that fine line between madness or godliness is tread upon. It reminds me of a quote by Schopenhauer: "Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see."

Flying Siren

2009-06-21T22:17:00.001-07:00

This is what happens when you think with your penis.

Drawerings

2009-06-04T16:09:00.000-07:00

Spaceman on a Buffalo

2009-05-27T23:42:00.002-07:00

2009-04-04T16:28:00.001-07:00

You can feed them by clicking anywhere!

Mutant Sea Monsters

2009-03-29T14:15:00.003-07:00

I love creature designs, especially the ones for movies. Austin introduced me to Iain McCaig's artbook, Shadowline, which is extremely inspirational to me. McCaig is probably best known for his work on the "Star Wars" prequels, but he's done a ton of stuff for movies in the science fiction and fantasy genre. Monsters and creatures will always have a special place in anyone who loves cinema, animation, comics, and anything cool. I like to add cracks , textures, and horrific elements to pump up the gross factor, and the sense that you can actually touch these things (and it would not be very pleasant to do so). These guys have a calamari-like and even "rectal" quality to them - two things I don't find very pleasant.

Now for something different

2009-03-05T16:15:00.006-08:00

Alright guys. Thanks to everyone who's helped with getting back on board with my blog. I'm surprised anyone's still looking at this page considering how flaky I have been. Now I am aiming for consistency! These drawings are warm-ups for a new assignment I have at work. My drawings otherwise have up to this point suggested that I mostly do really pushed, graphic, and somewhat "flat" characters. But for this particular project, I'm required to do something a little more realistic, without sacrificing expressiveness. These are a couple of exercise drawings I did to get back in this mindset - they are drawn from a reference book full of old world etchings. A military man who looks kinda like Darwin:An angry boy:An angry boy with a funny hat:

Zombie Sloth

2009-02-27T19:10:00.005-08:00

Hi everyone. I haven't posted anything creative for a while. Shame on me. I have no legitimate excuse. But for those of you who do check back periodically, you are rewarded:That's right. It's a zombie sloth. Only slightly resembling a zombie and slightly resembling a sloth. I designed it as a part of Austin Madison's DnD campaign where he has a society of super villains called WOE (World Organization of Evil). I imagine this guy isn't much of a thinker. The important thing is that he's bloodthirsty. I'd say that's a strong qualification for evil.

Watch Coraline!

2009-01-24T17:30:00.002-08:00

Opens everywhere February 6th. Mark your calendars! Imagine all the greatest living stop-motion animators all working on one ambitious project (almost the exact same animation team from 'Nightmare Before Christmas.') This film is the end result. My pals Julian Narino, Kim Slate, and Ben Adams - along with many other talented craftsmen - worked on it, while I toiled away in another part of the studio as the film was being finished. LAIKA gave us a preview screening and I must say that we were all impressed on one level or another - it truly feels like the work of artists who obsess over detail (for better or for worse - you decide), rather than another product that caters to the demands of the market. It's a little too weird, a little too dark, and a little too off-putting for any one demographic, and I think anyone who's a real fan of animation or anything interesting would appreciate it and should really check it out. Enjoy!

Comments should work again...

2008-12-25T01:00:00.001-08:00

So I've been messing with the Comments feature and I think I eventually broke it. It should work now, so please comment away!

Year of the Buffalo

2008-12-22T14:30:00.004-08:00

I did this as a cover for the New Year edition of a Vietnamese news magazine. I reworked and reworked this to my client's liking (without compromising what's acceptable to me), but unfortunately they still butchered it in the printing process - they warped the image and dulled the colors. Even though I've adopted the attitude of being ready to "let go" of my art, I find it bothersome because I work so hard to get the shapes and colors right, to find out it's been altered at the last minute. Let that be a lesson to us all.

The Things You Find in Your Firewire

2008-12-11T01:15:00.005-08:00

So I was making space in my old firewire drive from art school and I stumble upon some old layouts I did. These drawings were for the second year film I never made.

2008-11-21T17:55:00.002-08:00

More Jacques-Louis David

2008-11-12T11:12:00.008-08:00

Death of Marat Intervention of the Sabine Women And a nod to this sensibility: Another homoerotic Dolce & Gabbana Ad And Scarlett Johansson wants to get in on the action, Disney-style:

2008-11-07T16:48:00.000-08:00

2008-11-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

2008-11-07T11:58:00.000-08:00

2008-11-06T15:21:00.001-08:00

First Look: Cave Dwellers

2008-10-10T09:30:00.008-07:00

This is the piece that I submitted for the upcoming LAIKA-sponsored art show happening in the city. Click on the image below to get the most comprehensive view:If you're in the Pacific Northwest, then please come out this Saturday! Here's the great postcard with the info, designed by the talented Stef Choi:

Coraline in LA Times

2008-09-17T13:00:00.008-07:00

LAIKA is starting to roll out media packets for its upcoming film, Coraline. It's even showcased in the LA Times. So far, all of us here at the studio is excited about the film because it looks different from your run-of-the-mill contemporary animation fare - it's stop-motion, it has a very "hand-made" quality without looking cheap, and it looks slightly too surreal and creepy for a general audience. Now I personally didn't have any part in it, but the film is important to me because it will set the tone and expectation for future films that will come out of the company. (Or course, it's also important for the studio for financial reasons). This affects the difference between me drawing things that are pushed and wild for a living, and drawing things that are tired and generic. Hopefully, this tone I'm hoping for will reflect quality and provide a good alternative to the other players on the feature animation court. On top of that, I can really use the work. -v

A Bum Rap

2008-08-29T13:52:00.036-07:00

I Had Coffee with a Transient

Bum. Hobo. Transient. The homeless. Call them what you may, but there's no denying that these dregs of society exist. They go through your trash. They sleep on your lawns. They curse at your cats. And on top of that, they're smelly, hairy, and up to no good.

Or are they?

I've gotten to know a homeless guy recently - his name is Leonard. I made the mistake of stopping to do more than give a bum some loose change. I made the mistake of actually sitting down, talking to him, and giving him my time. Have you ever given a bum your time? It's like spreading barbecue sauce on your arm and letting a pit bull have its way - once I gave Leonard an inch, he never let go.

However, it was a mistake that turned out to be a rather “interesting” surprise.

I first crossed paths with this Native American transient a couple months ago when I first moved here from California and was still finding my bearings. I was walking home and that's when I see the bum.

Oh great, I think to myself. Must walk faster. Don't make eye contact. As I pass the man with the long, dark oily hair, I hear him say in a low, raspy, somewhat gentle voice: “Can I ask you a question?” What do I do? I say “sorry” and speed-walked the hell out of there.

And that should've been the end of my day.

---

Lo and behold, something stopped me that brisk Sunday morning, and I slowly turned around. “Can I ask you a question?” He asks.

“You want some money, don’t you?” I say.

The bum smiles and says “Yes.” So I give him a dollar, thinking that would be it.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

---

“Ask me any question” he insists.

I was hesitant at first, but soon enough, I give in:“What’s your name?”

He tells me. “Leonard”

But that wasn’t the end of it. He repeats himself, like a broken record:

“Ask me any question.”

“Uhh, where are you from?”

He tells me: “Montana... Ask me any question.”

And then it dawned on me that Leonard’s mind was less than the pinnacle of mental health. He motions me to sit down. I agreed, we talked, and it wasn’t long before Leonard tells me that he wants to buy me coffee.

Of course in my mind I laughed at the thought of a hobo buying me coffee, let alone wanting to do it with the one dollar I just gave him. So I say, “No! No! I’ll buy you coffee.”

I couldn’t have played that hand better.

---

It was not long before Leonard and I found ourselves sitting at the Starbucks – a sight looking like a something out of a bad Hollywood comedy. This burly, long-haired Indian hobo and this skinny clean-cut Asian kid having coffee together. At this point, all eyes are on us. We were the show. Everyone around us pretends they're just minding they're own business, but you know they're eavesdropping on us, watching our every move.

I got to know Leonard and he got to know me – but mostly I got to know him. Leonard, turns out, is a Gulf War veteran – a sniper. He said he killed ten people, and he would illustrate how he would do it with hand gestures, demonstrating me how he would hold a gun and showing me his hardened hands saying “These hands...These hands...I've done a bad thing.” And again, he kept on telling me in his low voice: “Ask me a question.” And I would ask him, and he would answer. And this would go on endlessly.

---

I got restless. I didn’t understand what the guy wanted. I gave him my dollar, I bought him a coffee, I asked him his damn questions. And on top of that I was being humiliated by the stares and speculations that swirled all around me at the Starbucks on 23^rd and Hoyt. The nerve of this guy! Doesn’t he know how it feels to be stared at, scoffed, while people pretend they don’t see you?

That’s it!, I think to myself. I got to get out of here.

“Ask me a question.”

“I need a change of scenery.” I tell the Indian. “Let’s get outta here. Walk with me Leonard.”

---

We get back out on the streets and eventually,I force myself out of the scene. “Ok, Leonard. I’m gonna go…” I try to bribe my way out. “Here.” I give him a five dollar bill. “That’s not enough,” he says. And at that point, I was ready to sprint out of there.

“Wait.” And then he grabs me by the arm. Crap.

“Hold me,” he says. “like this.” And he firmly takes my forearm and holds it in place with his hands. It was an Indian handshake.

“You,” he begins “are my friend.” And we just stand there for a moment – this burly Indian hobo and me, the clean-cut Southern California kid.

“You are my brother.”

Leonard was once a sniper in the war.

In the end, I'm sure the six dollars I gave Leonard didn't really mean much to him. He probably spent it on a lager. Maybe a Budweiser. Maybe he really did spend it on food, like an actual Six-Dollar Burger. We'll never know. But six dollars is six dollars – money comes and goes, and it's not really worth much. To Leonard, what's probably worth anything is the six seconds I took to comply to one quintessential request: to “ask him any question.” -v

Passage of Lovers

2008-08-18T17:56:00.019-07:00

Marriage: A Milestone...or Biological Stalemate? A passage is about to commence! One of my good friends is getting married this weekend and I am genuinely excited for him, since I think he and his future bride have shown that they really do complement each other (otherwise I'd tell the groom to run for the hills). Several of my other friends - particularly my female friends - have been lamenting about marriage, since as many of them cut into their twenties and thirties, they expect to get married by a certain time. For one of my guy friends, we'll call him Pedro to protect the innocent, his girlfriend, Mamacita (also a fake name) is pressuring him to commit to tying the knot. Of course, Pedro's terrified of the idea because he doesn't want to be tied down - he wants to "see what else is out there for him." This poses an interesting point, because the idea of the girl wanting commitment while the guy doesn't, is such a common notion that it's the plot point to practically every movie that involves romance. I read an interesting theory about this in a book that attempts to explain men and women on the biological level (I got some funny looks at the bookstore that day): in a nutshell, it's the male's job to spread his seed to as many female eggs as possible and it's the female's job to bat the males away and single out one who'd be there for the "long haul" of taking care of her through pregnancy and childrearing. In other words, men are sluts and women play hard-to-get for a reason - it's all about continuing the human race! Of course, anyone who takes this piece of information too literally is in for a doozy when he uses it to find a date, but maybe it would provide some comfort if you're ever wondering why it's so hard to make a relationship work. Or maybe this theory just made your life a little more dark. -v

Never a Finished Product

2008-08-03T23:18:00.002-07:00

A Construction Crane on the Portland Horizon

I can't help feeling that I'm always under construction. Right now I'm the young adult version of Vi - fresh, naive, inexperienced. It will not be long before I become the middle-aged version of Vi, and then the old version of Vi, then the decrepit version of Vi, and finally the dead version of Vi. Hopefully, when that cycle is all done and through, I've spread my seeds - whether they are in the form of little Vi's, Vi teachings, or Vi memes. It's become more and more clear to me that my life resembles that of a melon.

I Love Drawing Games

2008-07-18T17:17:00.004-07:00

What better way to pass the time among friends than by playing drawing games? These are quite silly, but I find them amusing. The first page on the left is a "Cute Off" as Austin likes to call it - we take turns seeing if we can top each other in drawing something painfully cute. It got grotesque real fast. The second page is a game we'd draw one part of an image, cover it up, and pass it to someone else. Then we'd surprise ourselves by uncovering the monstrosity we've created. These drawings are by Austin Madison, Pat McHale, Amalia Levari, and myself.

Sly O in Seattle

2008-07-06T11:59:00.005-07:00

Space Needle Biznass

So far our little "tour" has been a success! And it's not over yet. Pat's to the left of me as I type this post and Austin's in the bathroom getting his morning started. Amalia got her own hotel last night at the snazzy Sheraton and we're suppose to meet up with her later for a final coffee - hopefully we'll make enough time to pack and get everyone to the airport in time.

Sly O at the Fishy-Smellin' City Market

We got a ton of cool photos, stories, and above all: footage! Austin took the reigns as the documentary cameraman for the trip - but I guess it's up to me to edit it all together, so look for a little video in the future.

Pickin' Up Sly Orange from PDX

2008-07-04T11:55:00.009-07:00

The dreary parking lot of Portland Int'l Airport

In a matter of minutes, I will be picking up Austin and Pat from the airport and join up with Amalia (who flew in earlier) and we will engage in a weekend of mayhem and hilarity. There's not much to say other than the fact the we plan on driving up to Seattle to do who know's what - something about grabbing coffee atop the Space Needle. This should be fun - the keyword is should. I'm practically reuniting with some of my closest friends from college, however part of me is not quite sure how the chemistry is going to play out, since there's a slight chance that we may or may not be the type of friends who just "pick up where we left off." Those friends are becoming more and more rare by the day, so we'll see what happens.

Goblin Prance

2008-06-10T08:52:00.011-07:00

This is a sketch I did a while back for Bert's art auction: Pat ended up buying it for about thirty bucks. In one hand I was flattered that Pat bought it, but I was secretly curious to see how much a stranger would pay for it.

This is one of those sketches where I had fun looking at when it was completed, just because it's so silly and I think it's only really crystal clear to me what's going on. The idea is that this fat goblin is prancing in celebration with a fainted damsel in distress, as a knight looks upon this unsavory sight in outrage.

I'm not really a fan of spending too much time re-working an image, since I tend to get frustrated and eventually give up. I've found that it's better for me to have fun with the process and be excited about the end product, and if people have suggestions afterwards, you can learn from that and apply it to the next drawing. I wouldn't recommend this philosophy to everyone, but I just know I get deflated easily.

With that said, I'm open to any comments about whether this image was clear to you or not, or what you thought was going on. I always love to hear the specifics of what I did right, followed by suggestions on how it could be better.

Thanks!

I'm Not Sure If This Is Sweet...

2008-05-15T18:21:00.006-07:00

...or just sorta odd.
Maybe it's a little bit of both, in a Swedish-humor kind of way.

I made this picture for my mom for Mother's Day (in case that wasn't clear enough). This door-to-door salesman with a sun-for-a-head goes around town with his rain cloud buddy, Pete, selling his sunny outlook on life. He's probably the type of guy that tells you to "keep on the sunny side of life." Why I chose him to send my greetings to my mother isn't exactly clear to me yet.

She got it in the mail yesterday (even though I did next-day shipping last Friday - obviously that worked out) and I think she found it as a nice surprise. I suspect my mom was more impressed with the fourteen dollar frame from Target than the actual picture, but that's OK.

A God and His Orca

2008-05-01T13:10:00.015-07:00

Behold! The almighty Neptune, King of the Ocean. It would appear that he's late for his manicure . Turns out that his newly acquired, more fuel efficient orca is stalling in the middle of the sea. Serves His Majesty right for trading in his six-dolphin chariot for it.

This should be viewed bigger, so if you have the patience, click on the image to get a more appropriate view. If anyone has any suggestions as to how to post things bigger on blogger, I'm all ears.

This piece was fun to do, and certain aspects of it turned out nicely. It is an attempt at Mr. Madison's character design challenge this week (or "CHADES" as he likes to call it), in which the theme is "Hairy Gods." Perhaps I could've upped the hairiness. Oh well.

This was one of my more extensive uses of Photoshop (just to color), and seeing how much fun I had making it, I look forward to doing more color work. The challenge for many of us is to keep the organic quality of a real brush stroke and to "downplay the digital." Whether I succeeded in this or not is up to you, but in any case the colors pretty much turned out the way I had hoped.

It's Coming...

2008-04-29T15:36:00.003-07:00

Austin and I have been talking about the idea of intrigue lately. With that, I'd like to leave you with a snippet of a drawing that I will post up later this week. What is it? You'll just have to wait and see.

Feral Man

2008-04-22T13:35:00.003-07:00

This character has been living in my head for some time, so I thought I'd breathe life into him on paper. I won't say too much about him just yet other than he's somewhat of a "gentle brute," kinda like Andre the Giant, or Jesus Chambrot.

Arbitrary Spread of Sci-Fi Randomness

2008-04-21T19:27:00.003-07:00

Some people like to draw mainly girls. Some people like to draw things they see. In this quickie, I decided to let myself go and revert back to the things that got me interested in drawing in the first place: the Strange.

Protest

2008-04-20T20:06:00.002-07:00

This picture made me laugh...

Reluctantly Saw "Princess Bride"

2008-04-16T12:47:00.008-07:00

I finally watched The Princess Bride, all the way through, after yet another one of my female friends literally handed me the DVD.

I said "Pull my finger!!"

I admit, it was pretty good. Very good actually. It had one of the most profound movie quotes I've heard in a while:

Westley: "Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something."

Sad Flock

2008-04-04T16:58:00.012-07:00

One of the nice things about these blogs is that we get to learn from each other by looking at one another's work, and by reading what everyone has to say about them. The "comments" feature is nice too, because we get to have a glimpse of what viewers' reactions are to these drawings.

Now I discovered, fairly recently, the "polling" feature for Blogger and thought maybe that's another way to learn from the audience. With that said, I have a poll about this drawing that I would love for you all to participate in.

For some of you, these characters may be familiar - if you look to the left-hand column, there should be a question: "What are the sheep sad about?" Please pick the best answer(s) - you can pick more than one - according to your initial gut reaction.

Much obliged.

-v

Justin Wright (1981-2008)

2008-03-26T11:03:00.005-07:00

It wouldn't feel right for me to go on with a new post without addressing my friend Justin's passing.

This past week has been a sobering one, as the animation family has lost a very special member and talent. Justin Wright, who did story work at Pixar, died suddenly of complications of a previous heart condition. We went to school together, cubed together, worked out at the gym, roomed together, and even tried to bite each other's heads off for a job (Justin won).

As much as I thought I understood, this has been the quintessential moment in my life where I didn't quite realize someone's value until he's gone. I think many of my friends felt this way too and made sure we expressed our appreciation of one another when we reunited at Justin's memorial service.

Everyone who knew him seems to agree that he's a guy that made it worth it. He did the most he possibly could with the time that he had and surrounded himself with great people, great stories, and great experiences. He was the one guy that showed me that if you want something bad enough, you'll get it - he wanted his time on earth.

Justin, I am grateful that you kept insisting on being in my life. It's time for me to pay it forward and do some insisting of my own.

Blackbirds

2008-03-07T17:25:00.003-08:00

Some images for a gallery show in Astoria tomorrow. The theme of the show is birds. I set out to draw finches (since a friend of mine observed that I move like one), but I ended up with crows.

Director's Chair

2008-02-28T13:28:00.007-08:00

I plan on submitting work to my friend's magazine soon, and this was sort of a "practice piece." I have a tendency to noodle my drawings, and I'm hoping to be more streamlined for future pieces. For me, it's more a priority now that a drawing is expressive and clear, than have a lot going on. It should've always been a priority, but I have certain drawing habits, and old habits die hard.

As for the image itself, I think I ended up creating a character that's a mesh between Hitchcock and a French New Wave director. The magazine I'm submitting for is a film magazine, so that explains why I picked this subject.

The Driver

2008-02-15T19:25:00.013-08:00

I can hear Maki's voice in my head: "Shape..."

Story Structure Tutorial

2008-02-12T23:51:00.002-08:00

Shepherd Exploration

2008-02-06T18:17:00.000-08:00

Wherever she is, I just want to make Brigette smile.

"Loni"

2008-01-13T20:30:00.001-08:00

These are just some doodles I did on a Sunday night. A while back I wrote a short story about an unhappy girl who buys herself a red dress, and I wanted to develop her a bit.

Dead Sea

2007-11-14T14:18:00.001-08:00

I was recently part of a group art show that took place in Astoria (where "Goonies" was shot, for those who don't know). The theme was "Day of the Dead." I've always thought it was wild that this Mexican holiday and Halloween both happen at the same time.

Work in Progress: "Scuzzy Morlocks"

2007-11-09T19:51:00.001-08:00

Not finished by any means, but hopefully there's enough here to show the direction I'm going. I've never read The Time Machine but I did see both movie versions.

Apologies for the Lack of Artwork

2007-11-01T23:26:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. I haven't been able to post any new art because I've been busy with work for Laika, and sadly I can't post any of that stuff. In the meantime, here's a sketch I did for Austin a couple days ago. We've had this tradition of exchanging gag drawings since first year at good ol' CIA.

Interview on Channel Frederator

2007-09-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

My CalArts film "The Belittled" is currently featured on Channel Frederator, and now my face is on their website. Check it out, if you're so inclined:

http://newtoons.frederator.com/post/4475

Ululating Knight

2007-08-24T20:15:00.001-07:00

Train Robbery Storyboards

2007-08-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

Some old boards I did while I was at the Pixar internship:

Tic Tac Attac

2007-06-29T20:57:00.000-07:00

"Microscopic Placebos" is this week's drawing challenge. This is an image that sprung to mind. I didn't really know what to think of the challenge topic, so I didn't.

The Belittled

2007-06-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

I finally learned how to upload my film! This is my third year film at CalArts, entitled "The Belittled." It's about an oblivious photographer who finds himself in a surreal landscape. Ed Juan stepped up to the plate to help me finish this before the Open Show deadline when I was ready to give up (I was working on it with no sleep for two days straight without food or rest, and ran into countless technical issues). So I'm forever grateful for that. Thanks Ed!