Thomas Richner and Aaron Cole on diving into ONE (link)

Haven't share on this blog forEVER.  Had a nice article done by Toonboom animation about our animated film ONE. 

 

My hope is to conitnue this series and keep pushing these faces.  I uploaded them in reverse order, the first image was fairly simple (the man with the glasses and the moustache), but as I went through the designs, I started to push them more and more, finding my groove a bit with the characters.  Series two might have a background color transitioning from yellow to red (each series will be indentifiable in that way- a different set of transitioning background colors).  I'm excited to see how far I can push these designs and where the second series of 100 will take me.  

If you have quesions, please follow me on twitter at either @trichner or @TrichnerNFT and feel free to DM me there.  Thanks for checking these out!! 

 

RADIAL 12 COLLECTION:

A Series of Animated GIFS and the Individual Frames

Motion is at the core of this collection of radial images.    It's imperative to see the motion and how the frames relate to one another.  The animated GIFS are the core NFTs in the series.  There are 49 GIFs in this first batch of Radial 12 art/animation.  The GIFS are organized as follows:

ONE GIF of the entire batch of images which contains all 462 pieces animating together. 400 x 400 pixels in size.

SIX shorter GIFs, one for each round of art which contain 77 images (six rounds of 77 images equals 462 images). 800 x 800 pixels in size. 

And, finally, there are FORTY-TWO partial round GIFS which break the 77 images within each round into 7 sets of 11 images. 1200 x 1200 pixels in size. 

The animated GIFs are on 4's, animator speak for each image within the GIF (film) is held for 4 frames.  Most animation today is done on 2's, or 12 images per second of film.  There are 24 frames per second of film.   The movies also loop- they play forward to the end of the sequence then play in reverse back to the first image and loop endlessly. 

 

The individual frames are 2400 x 2400 pixels.  

One can think of this series as owning an entire animated 'film', and/or sections of an animated film, and having the opportunity to also own the individual 'cels' from that film.   The individual frames are the highest resolution. The motion of each GIF is unique and makes each GIF a unique item.  As a filmmaker and an animator,  I'm intrigued by the notion that combining different images together at varying lengths of time can create unique pieces and distinct experiences. 

I hope you enjoy these pieces and look forward to the series progressing as I work towards what will eventually be a collection that contains 10, 472 images (16 unique collections of radial art). If the entire collection were to be projected at 4's per second, it would combine to make a film with a running time of around 29 minutes. 

EVENTUALLY, if a collector were to own all the BATCH GIFS, this would unlock the entire film and the collector can contact me directly to mint an NFT of the entire collection/ one large GIF.  The details of how and what that would look (i.e. length, size, how long each image is held) can be determined at a later date. (*It's also possible this would be a video instead of a GIF)

 

If you are interested in this series, please follow me on TWITTER:  @TrichnerNFT

 

OPENSEA NFT STOREFRONT

 

https://opensea.io/trichner

This series of art developed out of my love of drawing.  As an animator on The Simpsons, I'm often drawing with a very specific goal in mind.  This series was meant to be freeing and to allow me to just draw- draw whatever I wanted.  I've also been an animator for nearly 30 years now and it only took me a few drawings into this series to realize I would be morphing these images- animating them- from frame to frame.  The organization and thought process behind the series developed farily quickly within the first dozen images or so.  

For the time being, not knowing where these images will end up, I didn't want to include any unlockable content.  HOWEVER, I would VERY much like to make available an NFT film at some point of ALL the frames together.  One of the best ways to view this is in motion.  So, once the series is out as a set of still images, I may come back and mint a movie.  Maybe those with the highest percentage of owned pieces can choose to purchse it.  We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.  

The BEST way to reach me is through Twitter- 

https://twitter.com/TrichnerNFT

Please DM me with any questions about the series.  There are parameters and characteristics of the pieces which make some more rare than others.  In each round of 77 images, ONE piece has a stray element making it asymmetrical.  There will also always be one black and white frame in each collection.  And, there will definitely be error images, ones that don't follow the pattern of motion.  There is one in the first half of Radial Collection 12 (#268).  Hopefully there are not many of these, but if they happen, I will not correct it.  The series is like a snapshot of my consciouness as I was drawing- it was loose, it was fun, it touches on a lot of things I love and has a look to it that might be recognizable.  

Thank you for checking out this series.  Please feel free to reach out with any questions.  I don't currently keep a website, but this blog has some information about my work.  If you'd like to check out my production credits, the link is below for IMDB.  Happy bidding!  

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1519341/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

Cardboard Millennium Falcon

https://www.starwars.com/news/fully-operational-fandom-an-incredibly-detailed-cardboard-millennium-falcon

Animation for Gripman Investment Financial

GAVBX Fund Summary from Brian Bookheimer on Vimeo.

Produced by Cap City Studios, LLC in 2016.

Back on The Simpsons

Its been a little over a year now since I've been back on The Simpsons and its been fantastic so far!  I started back as a layout artist and took a test for storyboarding soon after I started.  The first episode I got to board was Werking Mom, XABF21 from last season, which just aired recenty.  It was a THRILL to see shots that I worked on with our TALENTED storyboard team light up on the screen.  Mike Anderson, David Silverman, Matt Schofield along with the other board artists and the amazing layout artists brought the show to life!  There was a wonderful Article in the Dispatch about this epsiode at the link above.  I'm about a aweek away from starting work on my 4th board now and I love the process!  Looking forward to getting to do more in the in the future and continuing to learn and develop in this area!  Below are stills from two of the shots I boarded in the show. 

Baby Animals Rant the News

To date, we have produced well over an hour of animated content for our web based series entitled Baby Animals Rant the News which I co-created along with writer/ producer Dan Ewen.  The series has a home on Twitter as well as a page on Facebook with over 1.6 million impressions on Twitter.   We've been fortune to attract some well known voices for our 2 minute animated rants, which usually have a political slant, including comedian George Wallace and actress Constance Marie.  We've currently produced 36 episodes and plan to hit the 100 episode mark.  We've really enjoyed producing this series and look forward to continuing it as long as we can.  The first episode premiered on Dec. 22, 2016.  Tune in and follow us on our sites! 

Connecticut Science Center Lava Animation

Lava Animation Video Link 01

The Connecticut Science Museum recently went through a LARGE renovation, and I was excited to be able to animate the 40 foot tall lava animation that is one of their new showcased pieces.  The animation consisted of two one minute loopable cycles of animation (a resting state and an exploding state, pictured above) with :30 second transition animation inbetween so that the volcano can be active indefinitely.  It was a ton of fun to do and always enjoy fun freelance projects like this.  Can't wait to see it in person sometime. 

In Honor of the Olympics!!!

Way back, I got to work with director Steven Dean Moore on the episode where the Simpsons go to Rio for Carnival.  Favorite scenes I drew on- thongs disappearing into Homer's crack, the guy on fire who says, 'I am on fire and I dance' and the sea of multi colored rats.  Simpsons took a little heat from this episode, but city looks AMAZING so far in the opening ceremonies of the Olympics.  Can't wait to watch, especially swimming. 

Former Student Alan Becker and Animator VS. Animation

Shttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1zj5mj1DHOk&rdm=23f0pc3by&client=mv-google

Alan Becker, my former student at CCAD, posted a retrospective video of his work on his his web series Animator Versus Animation.  I had Alan in a number of classes and he exemplified all the qualities you like seeing in a student- hard working, listens to critiques and asks a lot of questions, works a LOT outside of class and always looking to improve.  He's built a huge following on YouTube of his animation and continues to grow his brand each day.  'Thanks' to Alan for the wonderful shout out in he video.  I was an extreme pleasure to get to work with him.  With someone that driven, as a teacher, you're suggesting little course corrections here and there but basically step back/ get out of the way and let them go.  Best of luck, Alan, as you continue to grow as a filmmaker and can't wait to see what the next ten years has in store for you! 

Toonboom Article About Greg and Charmaine

http://blog.toonboom.com/news-and-opinion/greg-and-charmaine-debuts-as-funny-or-die-exclusive

TOONBOOM Article About Web Series Greg and Charmaine

A nice article went up on Toomboom's website today about my new web series Greg and Charmaine.   Click here to be redirected to their website.  A copy of the text is included below:

The animated web series “Greg and Charmaine” debuted as a Funny or Die Exclusive December 17th 2015.  This marketed co-creators Dan Ewen and Tom Richner, debut on the highly popular site Funny or Die. “Dan and I had kicked around various concepts and pitches in the past, all of which led to an unending abyss of sadness,” Richner said. “We decided it was time to make something from scratch.”
The process was not that simple, as Ewen is based in Santa Monica, and Richner was animating in Columbus, Ohio, 2,250 miles away. “We had this nice, little production pipeline going where Dan would write and record the episodes, then rifle the audio to me for animation,” Richner adds. “We hope people enjoy watching them as much as we did making them.”
The series revolves around a quirky family in suburban Atlanta, where chicken franchises flank yoga studios and new ideas mingle with old. “The ‘New South’ has always fascinated me,” explains co-creator and writer Ewen, an Athens, Georgia native. “New ideas spread faster and further now than ever before. Tom and I agreed that it was fertile ground, and we’re honored that the fancy pants Funny or Die people seem to think it isn’t horrible.”
Ewen also felt like a fresher take on the South was called for. “The media tends to boil the region down into clips of Larry the Cable Guy riding jet skis and popping Prilosec, no offense to Larry the Cable Guy’s fans, jet ski enthusiasts, and or those who suffer from heartburn, which is a very real thing.”
In addition to working as a layout artist and timer on “The Simpsons”, Richner continues to work as a freelance artist and animator and is currently an Associate Professor of animation at the Columbus College of Art and Design. Ewen wrote and is producing the franchise reboot, SON OF ERNEST. His DEAR SATAN is at 20th Century Fox, with the Farrelly Brothers set to direct. Ewen also has a blind TV deal at Universal Cable Productions. He is repped by APA. Richner and Ewen originally met as film students at Denison University, in Granville, Ohio.

The Making of Greg and Charmaine Video

CLICK HERE or click HERE, or HERE, or HERE or even HERE to be rerouted to YouTube to watch a short 'Making of' video for the web series Greg and Charmaine co-created by Dan Ewen and me (Tom Richner).  Thanks!

Production Art from Greg and Charmaine, A New Exclusive Animated Series on Funny Or Die

Initial concept sketch from background artist Brandan Leathead.

Color Study by Brandan Leathead.

Color Study by Brandan Leathead.

Color Study by Brandan Leathead.

Greg

Charmaine

A terdle.  Fun fact: The name TERDLE Productions came from the initials of the series creators.

Greg singing at church.  One of the photos posted on their social media accounts at the start of the pilot.

Scene setup.

An initial scene layout for the second episode, 'Charmaine's Boba Fettish'.

Close-up of the family.

Full view of the elements in the scene.

The kids: Herschel and Walker.

Concept for Fan #1.

Concept for biker fan.

Concept for ambulance driver fan.

Initial concept sketch for the kids.  They are (from back to front/ left to right) Couric, Maury, Lauer, Herschel and Walker.

Attending The Columbus Toy Fair on March 22

This March 22, I will be attending the Columbus Toy Fair at the Ohio Expo Center at the Lausche Building (717 E. 17th Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43211).  I will be displaying both the cardboard Millennium Falcon and some new builds as well.  Stop by if you can!  Hope to see you there!  BTW, here's a little taste of some of the new models below. 

140 Hour Cardboard Millennium Falcon Project

So, the adventure of posting the photos taken of my cardboard Millennium Falcon build online started  two days ago and culminated today in a mini-viral event online which is still ongoing.  This is that story.  Let's begin now...

Not so long ago in a basement not so far away...

Okay.  Enough of that.  Last summer (a year and a half ago), I was going through my basement and found an old globe that I had gotten from my godfather back when I was nine years old.  It was broken into two half pieces and was in a pile to be thrown out.  We were cleaning out the basement a bit, but the artist in me saw these two perfect half spheres and thought, 'Those would make perfect R2D2 and minion heads'.  They were spared and were turned into... 

R2 prior to paint. Kind of liked the rough look.

Great.  Fun project.  Done.  The end.

On top of teaching a full load at The Columbus College of Art and Design  and producing a 1/2 hour animated special and maintaining the art direction for some companies online presence, I was unaware that another large scale side project loomed large for me on the horizon.

(Oh, guess I should mention, inbetween the R2D2/minion and the falcon, I made a life sized Liberty Bell for the 4th of July neighborhood parade. We actually won first prize for our swim team float, but that's another story for another time...)

From July 4th

Cut to September of 2014...  I had never been one to attend comic cons or toy conventions.  I have always been a fan of Star Wars, but I would have classified myself (and probably still would- though the artist in me seems to say otherwise) as a 'casual' Star Wars/ Sci-Fi fan.  When I worked on 'The Simpsons', a decent number of artists would travel down to San Diego each year for Comicon.  I liked toys, but I wasn't ever a collector really.  Then, I decided, on the recommendation of some friends, to go to the Columbus Toy Convention this past Septemer...  Mistake.  I was transported back to my childhood.  That, mixed with my 40th birthday coming up soon and you've got a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

After coming home with a few vintage Star Wars ships and figures, I got bit by the bug.  I went back through the old toys I still had tucked away in boxes that I hadn't really looked at in 25-30 years.

I'm not sure where the jump was made from looking at some old toys to building my own version of the five foot Millennium Falcon ship model that was used in the original Star Wars trilogy, but it happened.  My father is an artist, and we always built things when I was growing up.  When I was 10, I built a paper mache Ghostbusters nuclear accelerator for my Halloween costume, many other things and also a number of different sized Falcons.  The Empire Strikes Back was one of the first movies I remember seeing at the theater and it STILL stands as probably my favorite film of all time and I'm sure had a lot to do with my wanting to pursue a career in film and entertainment.

So, I think of all the ships from the films, the Falcon was probably my favorite and thus began the 2 month/ 140 adventure to create that ship.  It had been 30 years since I'd built one.  Since then, I'd gotten my MFA from the UCLA Animation Workshop, animated for six seasons on 'The Simpsons' and taught animation for the last 10 years at The Columbus College of Art and Design.  If I was going to make another Falcon, it would be the best, most complete one I'd ever done!  

Images owned by Lucasfilm/ Disney

Example of the blueprints I found online and studied

My ship in close to the same stage as the above set piece

I started by studying pictures and blueprints I'd found online.  I took a bunch of measurements to make sure I was very CLOSE to the right proportions.  I intentionally wanted to keep the ship loose and somewhat imperfect, almost an impressionists take on the ship, like the previous other builds I'd done.  I'd seen some VERY slick cardboard models (which are AMAZING!!! LOVE THEM!!! Like the work of Chris Gilmour...), but I didn't want to go in that direction exaclty.  I liked keeping things rough, seeing the glue, seeing the cuts on the cardboard when you're up close. But, I also loved how the material disappeared as you move back from the ship and it just looks like The Falcon.  I wanted to leave the artist's hand visible in the final product, but I love how it does dissolve away as you back up from the image (kind of like the matte paintings in the films... upon close inspection, they're not incredibly precise- they look like paintings, but they WORK in the film).

The surface details took about as long as the blocking in of the basic structure.  I wanted to track my hours (something we always do as freelance artists, but something I don't usually do on fun/ side projects).  It ended up being about 140 total hours spent on the project.

I spent the bulk of my time working on it late into the night.  I'm still paying for it a bit now and catching back up on some sleep.  But, this is what I love doing.  As an artist, you get lost in your projects and time FLIES.  I'd go downstairs to start working sometimes at 10pm and look at the clock and see it was 4am and realize I need at least a couple hours sleep before my 8am class.  As a working artist, spending 60 hours a week on drawings or models at a studio is your job.  It's what you do.  It's work, but you love it and have to pinch yourself sometimes to remind yourself (especially when you might be frustrated) that, 'WOW!  Someone is paying me to draw all day!'  That's pretty cool.

Even though I'm primarily teaching these days (though I do freelance animation on a fairly regular basis), I just love producing things.  This was an especially fun project because it combined physical model building with a film that I have always loved.  It would love to make more of these and display them somewhere.  There is a nice recycling aspect to the work (#starwarsrecycle maybe???).  I did clear out a lot of boxes from the basement, but there are enough left down there for maybe a Tie Interceptor (in proportion to this ship- so probably the size of the Kenner toys- that would be much less time consuming). 

Thanks to everyone who has looked at this post online on Imgur or voted me up on Reddit!  This was my first experience with a semi-viral anything online and it was a real joy hearing all the wonderful comments from fans of the piece.  I really enjoyed interacting with everyone and hope to continue making these types of pieces in the future in some capacity.

You can find some links below to posts around the internet.  

TOM


Reddit Post

Imgur Album

Break.com Article

Toyland Gizmodo

Sourcefeed

Makezine.com

GooglePlus

Make on Twitter

Post by Christina Marie Popinkins.

R2D2 Paper Mache Done!!!

So, it took some time, but I finally finished up my paper mache R2D2.  Was debating about whether or not I should paint him, and I decided to go ahead and just do it.  I really wanted to see what he looked like in full color.  I equipped him with a voice chip so when you push a button hidden in his restraining bolt, he talks.  Also has lights in his head and the fan on the bottom front panel also spins.  He is 2/3 the size of the actual R2D2 and is made COMPLETELY of cardboard and hot glue.  

I've always LOVED paper mache, and I've gotten hooked again the last year on making things in that medium.  For this past fourth of July, I created a life-sized replica of the Liberty Bell.  This bell was featured on the Worthington Hills Swim Team float which one first prize for Best Organizational Float in the recent neighborhood parade.  That was fun and was also the first time the swim team won a prize for best float!  

This last fellow I started right after I began working on R2 in the fall of 2013.  Really happy with how he turned out as well.  

Sure there will be more to come on the paper mache front!!!

More Awards for Lumin

Lumin just won another award!  Click here to read the article on the CCAD website.  Congrats again to the talented group of students who produced this film!!!