Digicon6 Video Festival 2008 - HK Winners

香港獨立動画創作人參加了一個在日本TBS電視台舉辦，全亞洲最大的 video 比賽''digicon6 video festival 2008''，擊敗多個亞洲城市的代表，勇奪大獎，為香港創意工業增光！以下是兩個香港得獎單位的動画短片 :

2 等獎-"我阿媽係外星人"


1 等獎-"動畫鏗鏘集-隱蔽老人"



推動香港的創意工業，香港政府一 直"得把口"，甚麼也沒有做過... 對於今香港創意工業增光，香港政府不但不支持還大潑冷水....

伸延閱讀:
絕望的香港創作人(林祥焜 )
創意工業去左邊？

CYBOT 009 3D Poster

This is a very nice 3D poster, hope that we can make one for Astro Boy...

R.A.W.S REAL ARTWORK SERIES 石ノ森章太郎 生誕70th記念「サイボーグ009」-立体ポスターアート-


see more pictures @ gamu-toys

'Astro' set for October release

The feature version of "Astro Boy" is officially back on track for an Oct. 23 release after producer Imagi Entertainment announced it's completed a $25 million financing plan.

Imagi, which temporarily suspended "Astro Boy" production last month, said late Tuesday that the funding means it will also continue active development of the "Gatchaman" and "Tusker" projects.

The company's U.S. prexy, Erin Corbett, told Daily Variety that the company's has already called back all but 23 of its staffers to complete "Astro Boy." About 100 of Imagi's 120 staffers - most of them in Sherman Oaks -- were furloughed last month.

"We are thrilled by the incredible response to 'Astro Boy's' early film footage and stills," Corbett said.

The financing plan for Hong Kong-based Imagi includes raising operating capital both from new investors and from existing shareholders.

Imagi also disclosed that Francis Kao has resigned as chairman to devote more time to his role as chief creative officer. Kao's being succeeded by Richard Witts, who has over 35 years of experience in Asia including management posts with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Schroder Securities, United Mok Ying Kie and CLSA.

full article: variety.com, announcement from imagi

Astro Boy Comic

Ashley Wood shows us work-in-progress new covers for up-coming AstroBoy Comic in his blog.


IDW Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall also posted a preview of the upcoming Astro Boy comic based on the movie, here are 2 pages of E.J. Su's artwork. It's going to be a weekly release ahead of the movie. Check out his Blog

ASTRO BOY MOVIE PREQUEL: UNDERGROUND #1

Written by Scott Tipton, art by Diego Jourdan, covers by Jourdan and Ashley Wood.

He's back! Astro Boy makes his return to comics, paving the way for his exciting feature film debut later this year! It's an all-new Astro Boy adventure, with Astro exploring a strange subterranean kingdom in search of his lost father, encountering weird creatures large and small. But are they friend or foe?

32 pages, $3.99.
source: comics continuum

KamenRider Black 02

another experiemental piece, I try to play with the graphic pattern I develped recently to do some illustrations... it looks like a graphic filter from phtoshop, doesn't it? : )

Kamen Rider Black

speed paint...

ISHInoMORI CHARACTERS

I really like the design of these "ISHInoMORI CHARACTERS", the 2d illustration is ok, but the the real figure is very cute. There are tons of cute versions of Kamen Rider, i think this set designed by Panson Works is the best.



this Mini PEZ is not bad.see more
http://www.masker-world.com/index.html

Astro Boy anime in the List of Top 100 Animated Series all the Time

Astro Boy is NO.86 in the list of IGN's Top 100 Animated Series of all time.

Though its popularity in Western cultures has waned over the past couple decades, Astro Boy is a cultural icon in Japan. Based on a story by Osamu Tezuka (a.k.a the god of manga), the animated series -- arguably the first "popular" anime TV series -- told the story of Astro, a powerful robot boy created by the head of the Ministry of Science to replace the son he lost in a tragic car accident. Each episode involved Astro using his robot powers to save the day.

The original show aired in black and white, and when American network execs brought it stateside, it became the first anime to be broadcast outside Japan. A 2003 remake of the TV series didn't make waves in the U.S., but the original 1963 series is still considered to be one of the most important forces in comics, animation, and even videogames. The uber-popular Mega Man/Rockman franchise was heavily influenced by Astro Boy's story and character designs.

In 2009, Imagi studios will release a new, "Americanized," CGI incarnation of Astro Boy in a feature film. Fans everywhere are praying that it will do justice to the original, and introduce the beloved franchise to a new generation.

Nebs66 extraxted all anime titles from the list in his blog:
95. FullMetal Alchemist
90. Afro Samurai
86. Astro Boy
78. DragonBall Z
76. Voltron: Defenders of the Universe
73. Mobile Suit Gundam Wing 70. Pokemon
51. Death Note 44. Battle of the Planets
38. Naruto 34. Robotech 29. Speed Racer (1967)
23. Transformers
14. Cowboy Bebop
10. Neon Genesis Evangelion

Source: http://tv.ign.com/top-100-animated-tv-series

Designer!

fun and eye-catching poster about designer.

Retro Robots Sculpture

They are real scupture by Mike Rivamonte, thay are all for sale...
http://www.mrivamonte.com/forsale.html

KameRider 2

More Astroboy Film Stills

IGN.com showed few more stills from the film.



source: splashpage.mtv.com

Smash-Up TMNT Wii Trailer

TMNT Smash Interview @ IGN
BTW, those CG footages was produced by us.

AICN Previews new ASTRO BOY images!

Ain't It Cool News preview 2 new Astroboy photos from the film. Summit Entertainment will be at the New York Comic Con this weekend to promote the upcoming computer animated adaptation of AstroBoy.


Astro soars thru the MetroCity

Peacekeeper powers-up by absorbing other machines' energies

Teminator Salvation Motion Poster

This Poster is super cool, like the concept how the map of LA became the face of Temonator with cool motion and sound effect. check the motion poster here


the look of T-600.
Teminator Salvation Official Website

SHOCKER-001

playing with SHOCKER's costume pattern...

Has The World Hit 'PEAK ANIME'?

Disturbing if true: ICV2 has an article entitled, simply, Worldwide Anime Market Shrinking. In a lecture by TV Tokyo’s Keisuke Iwata, he noted that due to market saturation, illegal downloading, the worldwide recession, and the rising yen, “It is easy to imagine the global marketplace shrinking from 2010 onward." According to Iwata there may be little or no growth potential for anime sales outside of Japan and that the industry “may have to go back to the way it was in the past — back to selling Japanese animation only to the Japanese marketplace."

And with a market already glutted and the massive lead time and resources required to create anime, we should expect to see big crashes. Imagi Studios already had to get bridge financing to complete production of Astro Boy.

Anime News Network has reported that the total revenue of the Japanese anime industry rose rapidly from 2003 when it was estimated at 167.4 billion yen (about $1.9 billion), peaked in 2006 at $258.8 billion yen (about $2.9 billion) and then fell to 236.9 billion yen in 2007. Figures for 2008 aren't available yet, but given the financial distress of many anime producers, another decline is a foregone conclusion.

Also note that Iwata's market factors of market saturation, illegal downloading, and the worldwide recession apply equally to comics.

Source: comicmix

Pixar Links...

Pixar Animation Studios official site
http://www.pixar.com/

The Pixar Blog fan forums and news
http://pixarblog.blogspot.com/

Pixar Planet/ Upcoming Pixar fan forums and news
http://www.pixarplanet.com/blog/

The Pixar Touch fan forums and news
http://thepixartouch.typepad.com/

Pixar history page (by Alvy Ray Smith)
http://alvyray.com/Pixar/default.htm

Year of OX

Happy New Year of OX!! 2009 will be a TOUGH year for everyone.
牛--盡忠職守，勤奮努力，安於現狀而沒埋怨，有力量但溫和，堅毅而不屈。

Photoshop Tool Bar Evolution

從網上看 到photoshop工具列的演進圖，雖然所列出的version不齊全，記得第一次接觸Photoshop是大專讀Design年代，當時的儲存只有1.44MB Floppy Disk可用，連CD-Rom也還未有普及... 現在工作用的也不是最新的vserion CS3，只是PS7 (Linux version)。

對我來說，最感動的是CS1才新加的"WRAP"功能，實在偉大。

你的第一個photoshop又是哪一個version呢？Which one is your first Photoshop version?