COVID Dystopia: Security

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The barefoot woman in this scene remains perfectly still while the horde of zombies shuffle through the security checkpoint without bothering to take off their shoes. The security guard gently feels between the woman’s breasts to check for any hidden virus.

I am traveling quite a bit to Film Festivals across the country promoting COVID Dystopia. Having to remove the mask for security is probably the most dangerous thing I need to do other than crowding into a sardine can with recirculated air. After a long flight it is a relief to step outside and remove the mask for a deep breath of air. I have had a  cough for over a month. I have checked for COVID and it is not that, but even if is only the remnants of a cold, I don’t think it is wise to spread it around.

COVID Dystopia is available to be seen at the Virtual Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival happening now through November 24, 2024. COVID Dystopia can be seen in the Eventive – Chiller Theater Block 2 – Shorts online. It can be seen anywhere in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. After you start watching the films, you have 48 hours to complete watching them. Tickets are $18.

 

Pandemic Studio

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I did this sketch of my pandemic studio for one of my online students. Today I find myself doing a similar sketch as I plan for a tight space.

The Disney Feature Animation desk is huge and heavy along with the flat files and a hand made bookcase.

Since I am doing a similar sketch today I will probably do it the same way by adding a bit of depth using one point perspective.

In July of 2020 about 8200 Americans were dying due to COVID-19 each week. Much larger waves of death would follow, and I sat in this studio documenting the vents each day through my surreal paintings. The COVID Dystopia animated short film is doing the rounds at Film Festivals ad the 200 page book with over 600 illustrations is nearing completion. The pandemic is not over and a new virus, H5N1 is spreading in California. That new virus has a mortality rate of 50% while COVID has a mortality rate of an estimated 1.4%. If H5N1 starts spreading from human to human the devastation will make COVID look like a walk in the park.

FAVO

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Faith Arts Village (FAVO), 221 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL, is a former motel where each room has been converted into  studios for local artists to rent.

With Christmas coming up there is a big push t buy local art at FAVO.

The studios will be open to see the art work on December 6 and 7, 2024 from 5pm to 9pm. You can find provided parking if you turn off Colonial Drive onto Highland Avenue and take the first left into the FAVO parking lot.

After finishing the sketch I visited the studio of Mirjana Novak Cesar who is married to former Disney Animator Darko Cesar. There were about 5 former Disney Animation artists there so it became a sort of mini reunion. It was good to see some of the old crew. Mirjana does large paintings of weathered buildings along with some very textural found object jewelry. I did do a full round of all the studios. I just held my breath each time I entered each studio space. That kind of limited the amount of time I spent looking at art.

COVID Dystopia: Someone Died in My Bed!

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This scene from COVID Dystopia has the large bear’s muzzle opening as he roars. It is simple animation done using after effects pins and puppetry tools. With the depth map applied, there is plenty of motion for such a short shot.

This weekend I helped a friend build a large sculpture. It felt good to get out of the studio and work outdoors with my hands. The hope was to get the sculpt finished for an exhibition at the end of the week. Things just didn’t fall into place But the piece will be finished for another exhibition down he road.

I plan to sketch as the sculpture if being fully assembled for the first time.

This weekend I am heading to the  Pittsburgh Film Festival. I am slowly getting used to these fast paced trips. Since I only travel for a day or so, I just bring one change of clothes. I only bring my leather art bag to keep from having to check in luggage.

COVID Dystopia: Racoon Dog Theory

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Genetic material collected at the Wuhan Chinese Market where the first human cases of COVID-19 were identified, show raccoon dog DNA commingled with COVID-19. Some scientists believe COVID most likely jumped from animals to people, others believe the virus could have been leaked from one of the several Wuhan coronavirus research facilities. The genetic material collected does not prove that a racoon dog stated the pandemic. Human DNA was also found in the sample. A human may have infected the animal, or the animal may have never harbored the virus. People search for blame. The final answer as to how the pandemic began has yet to be definitively proven.

COVID Dystopia is available to be seen at the Virtual Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival happening now through November 24, 2024. COVID Dystopia can be seen in the Eventive – Chiller Theater Block 2 – Shorts online. It can be seen anywhere in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. After you start watching the films, you have 48 hours to complete watching them. Tickets are $18.

COVID Dystopia: Lions Genetically Entwined

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A lion at a Zoo in South Bend, Indiana, tested positive for COVID after it started coughing and became breathless. Zoo workers who had cared for the lion later caught the infection. The lion that was infected with the coronavirus probably passed it on to two zoo employees.

COVID continues to spread not just human to human, but between species.

This scene involved animating the two lions walking around the virus. This was my second time animating lions so the mechanics were fresh in my mind. The lion balancing on the viral ball was subtly animated in After Effects using the puppet tool, and his tail was fully animated. So many of these shots involved keeping very subtle movement so that the painting was the primary focus.

The COVID Dystopia book is nearing completion. Today I just have to catch up on double checking the index and the editing is being done vary carefully 3 spreads a a time.

COVID Dystopia is available to be seen at the Virtual Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival happening now through November 24, 2024. COVID Dystopia can be seen in the Eventive – Chiller Theater Block 2 – Shorts online. It can be seen anywhere in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. After you start watching the films, you have 48 hours to complete watching them. Tickets are $18.

COVID Dystopia: In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lion

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April was to be the cruelest month. Doctors and nurses hit the brink of exhaustion. All they could do was watch people gasp for breath and die. Ventilators were thought to help but they resulted in even more death.

In this scene I did subtle animation on the lions behind the nurse. I used puppet tools in Adobe After Effects to move a few lion heads. I used the same toll to have the nurse lean forward a bit.

Most of the hand drawn animation in this scene came in moving the lions pacing in a circle. I have not animated many quadrupeds so I looked at reference of peoples African safari videos to study the lion’s walk. It was a challenge but I am pleased with the result.

COVID Dystopia is available to be seen at the Virtual Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival happening now through November 24, 2024. COVID Dystopia can be seen in the Eventive – Chiller Theater Block 2 – Shorts online. It can be seen anywhere in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. After you start watching the films, you have 48 hours to complete watching them. Tickets are $18.

The Great Comet of 1812 at Theater West End

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Theater West End in Sanford is presenting The Great Comet of 1812.

The core of the story revolves around princes Natasha, who is engaged, falling hopelessly in love with Anatole, a known womanizer who is married.

When friends warn Natasha, she will not listen.

This is a modern pop opera since the music dominates every story line. The cast is large and the relationships intertwined. What I loved most about the production was the boisterous energy, with the cast often moving in among the audience. I tired to capture that energy bu sketching a violinist who was just feet from me on a ramp down to the stage. It seems much of the cast were also musicians.

This is a high energy production and should not be missed. This show runs through December 8, 2024. Be sure to catch it. Tickets run from $33.85 to $40.27. It is a wild time. Theater West End, 115 W 1st St, Sanford, FL 32771.

The Great Comet of 1812

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The Great Comet of 1812 with music and lyrics by David Malloy is built around a 70 page segment of segment from Leo Tolstoy‘s War and Peace.

In the show, princess Natasha, though engaged,  becomes smitten with the young and handsome Analole who is a womanizer.

The musical is set in 1812 Moscow Russia. Theater West End does an amazing job of allowing the large cast to mingle and perform among the audience. The fast paced music is dissonant and often slips into spoke word set to the beat. I found myself swept away and moving to the beat. So many scenes are a profound joyous celebration while others question life itself.

Seated on the upper level of the stage, Pierre Bezukkov glumly overlooked the proceedings. is wife, Helene, played a role in entangling Natasha and Analole. So much is happening that I had difficulty deciding what to include in the sketch. The center stage spins and and often the entire cast is dancing among the audience cafe tables. At one point a purple egg was dropped on my table. I discovered it was filled with rice or stones and made a nice rattle to keep beat with the music. In this was the show is a bit like the Rocky Horror Picture Show set in 1812 Russia.

This show runs through December 8, 2024. Be sure to catch it. Tickets run from $33.85 to $40.27. It is a wild time.

COVID Dystopia: At Lincoln’s Feet

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11,223 Americans died the week I did this sketch.

Funeral homes in New York could not keep up with the number of dead that needed to be buried. Cardboard boxes were propped up between chairs as a way to store the dead in every room.

The former president wanted to be interviewed at the feet of Lincoln by Fox News because appearances are very important. Appearances are always more important than facts. People eat up appearances which often go viral.

This week the former president is pretending to work at McDonald’s at the fry counter for the sake of appearances. We will see if Americans truly buy the false gestures. They seem ready and willing to accept any and all lies as long as it promotes the new normal.

COVID Dystopia will screened at the Orlando Film Festival on November 1 and 7, 2024. It won the Best Animated Film Award.

The screenings were just before and just after the American presidential election. We might be done with COVID, but COVID is not done with us.

COVID Dystopia is available to be seen now at the Virtual Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival happening now through November 24, 2024. COVID Dystopia can be seen in the Eventive – Chiller Theater Block 2 – Shorts online. It can be seen anywhere in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. After you start watching the films, you have 48 hours to complete watching them. Tickets are $18.