Dirty Words Webcomic

new podcast

2011-04-28T00:15:00.000-07:00

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7619633/Podimation_04-27-2011.mp3

We're moving!

2011-03-14T22:55:00.001-07:00

Hey All, this will be my last post, as I'm moving my blogging duties over to www.jessedavidge.com so feel free to stop on by and see what i'm up to.

Later,

Jesse

Music Video DONE!

2011-02-25T20:31:00.000-08:00

Well there you have it, the video is done and in the can! It was a lot of hard work and late nights, but its now there for everyone to check out.

This last week I've just been finalizing colours and doing anything I can to give the animation an old-school style. Everything from adding vignettes, to edge blurs, blooms, film flickers, you name it, I used it.

I've always been concerned with the best way to encode these videos as well, but I've found that the messier your film is the less you notice the compression and artifacting. I've done 3D projects where everything is 1080p, and once its uploaded to the web, the quality suffers. But seeing this video on vimeo in 720p looks as good as the uncompressed version I have on my computer. Until the codecs get better, this is just the trade-off when doing videos for the web. Of course I probably notice this more because I stare at these projects for hours on end, I'm sure for everyone else they couldn't tell the difference.

So thats all for now, I'll continue this blog with my comic book updates, and for any future animated music videos I direct. So keep checking back, cause there's lots more to come!

Compositing Done!

2011-02-14T16:55:00.000-08:00

So the whole video is now comped, it was a lot of work but I'm glad to be over that hump. Now the fun part is finessing all the shots and adding extra elements like animals, weather, etc.

The comping has become much easier, yet the render time to get the whole piece out is sitting at around 3 hours now, the price one pays for usying dynamic linking on your AE scenes. But the ability to sync all my scenes to my editing file has proven to be very beneficial, if you've ever been working on a project and noticed a mistake, you can now just open up AE and make the change which than is reflected in the edit, pretty crazy technology!

The one section I was always worried about was the ending, the moment where Franco is sinking and see's the ghost of his wife needed to have impact, and I found that keeping the shot compositions simple has really helped that. Having a great song to work with doesn't hurt either.

This is probably my last post before the final video goes up, I'm really excited to finish this project and find the next one, hopefully some other artists will like what I did here and want a video of there own.

Compositing Begins

2011-02-04T03:35:00.000-08:00

I've been stop and go for the last week with other projects on the go. Working at a studio doing commercial jobs while trying to put time in on a music video is always tough, but I definitely enjoy the freedom this project has allowed me.

So far I've used the first 9 shots to try out various techniques and looks for the video. I've landed on this faded paint look. Specifically, the characters will look like each frame has been re-painted. So creating a look that has uneven and faded colour was essential. Than I add a ramp to give the colour some variety. All of this is done in After Effects which is essential to making this video not look like another flash animation.

I'm also using the Fractal effect like its going out of style, its helped me create interesting vignettes over objects, faded textures, and smokey fx. The posterize time effect is essential as well, to keep all my effects in time with the animation.

I'm moving forward with compositing, hopefully I can finish by next week and spend another week just fixing things up. Onwards!!

Animation Done!!

2011-01-27T19:14:00.000-08:00

Just finished animation for the whole video. I'm a couple days behind schedule, but this is typical with projects like this one. You always hope for the best but it almost never works out that way.

I'm really liking this style of animation, but I'm back and forth about boiling the lines all the time, I don't want to do it for the sake of doing it, I'm trying to be intelligent when and where I use it. For example, in the slower more emotional moments, I think using less boil would let the viewer focus on the characters reaction. As long as it doesn't take away from the style, we'll see what happens.

I'm moving onto compositing next, where I'll have the ship moving, add in the bg's, which will be done in photoshop. For those I'm going for a messy but stylized look. I'd like everything to look like its been sitting there for years. Onto the next hurdle!!

Layout

2011-01-19T05:03:00.000-08:00

I've finished laying out all my scenes, things are definitely moving on the right track.

At this point, all I'm doing is placing the characters where they need to be, and roughing out some poses to see if it makes sense in the edit. I've already cut 2 shots out of the entire video, which means i'm sitting at 34 shots. I can't see cutting anymore shots, so for now the edit is locked down.

There are a few phototshop BG's I have to paint; such as the map of Franco's journey, and the shot where Franco marks his calendar, these will be WIP during the whole project. Since there are only a few of them, and i can get the animation finished without finalizing them, they dont need to be finished right away.

This loose yet simple workflow is really keeping me on track, I have until this monday to finish animation and I feel confident that it'll be done. With any luck Ill finish on schedule, and than I can give myself an extra week or two to add extra elements like animals and additional animation.

Character Designs 01

2011-01-09T00:56:00.001-08:00

Designed Franco and his wife Sophia, plus the ghost version of Sophia. Kept the line work thin and light, with subdued colours. I've tried boiling the lines on parts of the characters, should work well. Watching a lot of animation now trying to get reference for when I move forward with layout next week

Also, did a concept image for the overall look. Going with a watercolour style for the BG's for now. Stylizing the ocean and clouds is the best way to keep the project on track, I actually like the look and its something I haven't seen too much of, hopefully it'll help this video stand out from the rest.

Jon And Roy - Get Myself A Gun Begin!

2011-01-08T00:09:00.001-08:00

I've recently begun work on a music video for the band, "Jon and Roy", and I figured I'd use this space to chronicle the experience.

Synopsis : The video follows a sailer named "Franco" as he searches the seas for the monster that took his wife.

First I've cut together an animatic, right now I'm sitting at around 38 shots, which is pretty high. I will try to cut some things out, but for now I'm moving forward with designs.

Here's the animatic.

Aye Harpy

2010-08-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

Just finished some concept images for a music video project I'm working on, this one is about a sailor who searches for the sea monster that took his beloved wife from him so many years ago!

Drunk Fight Layout 01

2010-05-16T19:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a new page layout for the new comic, "Drunk Fight" More to come as I finish them!

Page 1 - Dirty Words

2010-04-18T21:19:00.001-07:00

Here's the first page for one of the stories to be included in the "Dirty Words - 01" comic. Written by Andrew Fielden, we follow a night on the town with a part-goer!!

DrunkFight

2010-04-11T19:11:00.001-07:00

Here's a rough of my upcoming comic, I think the title explains it nicely...

Oi Canada

2010-03-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

Hey All, just thought I'd get into the Olympic spirit late! Enjoy this tribute to fans!!

2009-07-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hey All, been awhile and just wanted to show you that I haven't been totally avoiding my blog duties. Here's some character designs for the new issue of Wandering Stars. We're getting the fourth issue ready for December, and next year we'll be putting together a Trade Paperback, wooppieee!! So let me know what you think!

The Wandering Stars MiniComic

2008-08-05T02:05:00.000-07:00

Hey all, just wrapped up a mini comic for some anthologies that are coming out in the next couple of months. Ill be posting the names and release dates when I know them, for now you can check out the pages.

Dirty Words #06

2008-03-26T02:08:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, and by that I mean the two of you that visit this site. Heres yet another Dirty Words comic strip. This ones pretty violent, but hey, all good things are right? Ill keep posting more as I get time, so enjoy them as they come. Till next time faithful drones!
Jesse

Dirty Words #05

2008-01-16T03:28:00.000-08:00

Hey all, well this is my first post after the holidays. Happy New Year to you and yours and if you die this year, may it be slow and painfull....wait? Anywho, I've posted a new comic. This one is all about my obsession with death, fun stuff. So enjoy and leave me a damn comment once and awhile...

Dirty Words #004

2007-12-08T03:38:00.001-08:00

Back again with another installment of Dirty Words. This time I'm getting all fancy with the kool-aid mix. I added some of those drugs that make you think your being clever and thus, wrote a weird poem, thingy. So enjoy my attempts at art, always good for a chuckle.

Dirty Words #03

2007-12-03T04:52:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, heres the newest "Dirty Words" comic. Its a wider format so youll have to click on it using, internet explorer to view it in all its glory. The next few might be a bit farther off, as I'm starting work on my other comic, "The Wandering Stars" issue 3. So keep checking back to see what more weirdness i've put down on computer screen. lata

Dirty Words #002

2007-11-28T01:15:00.000-08:00

Hey again fellows, I'm still plugging away at this idea. Ill be trying out some more traditional panels soon. Hope yer enjoying the birth of what could be one of the weirdest webcomics ever.

This is SPART-BLOG!!

Dirty Words, a new playground for indecency

2007-11-26T00:24:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone, I'm starting up a webcomic so Ill be posting comics up when I get around to it. Once I have enough in the bag, Ill start telling more people about this little webcomic. lata, Jesse