GORK Sci-Fi trailer Rotoscope animation

New info included below: Here's the history of how I made it. It's a short film I made in collage back in the 80s. Started in 1985 and finished in 1989.. Real short huh. It was shot live action 16mm film and then I edited it and Rotoscoped the whole thing. Roto the serious Old School way. Using a "downshooter" camera system. Not like those new flash rotoscope commercials . However, all this didn't take 4 years, it was the cel painting that took so long.. I had very little help.. anyway.. This was a Student film from my days at CalArts (California Institute of the Arts) in Valencia, California, USA.
Rotoscoping:
In order to keep the look consistent I had to draw fast. I felt that lots of detailed images were not necessary because the motion filled in the information. The details become apparent even in a very loose or messy drawing sequence. As in the Stogie or the walking Cigar. I drew that pretty loosely. So I had it down to 2min per drawing. I had a watch sitting on the table and everything. This was also due to the fact that I didn't want to be drawing for 2 months. I drew on Cartoon colour acetate animation cels with peg registration holes. I used a sharpie or should I say... many many sharpies...

Here's an interesting tid-bit I forgot to add. I was taught how to rotoscope by Michael Patterson. He was an instructor at CalArts at the time. He was also a freelance artist who was in the middle of making the music Video by the group A-ha called 'Take On Me'. yeah the mother of Rotoscope films.

Hope you like Gork .. I'd love to make this into a series or movie someday soon.
I forgot to mention that the 3D was done using Maya in about 2002. The original 3D, which can be seen on the 16mm film, was done in the 80s using CubiComps 3D software.. it's quite a long story... If there is enough interest I'll post up footage of the making of Gork.

In answer to some of the great responses...
Yes, I'm doing something like this still to this day. Only 3 years after Gork was finished I started my own company called.... you guessed it..... Gork Enterprises. So I've been my own boss for over 15 years. Nice... Thankfully I've been able to have a career doing work that I love to do, in the entertainment industry.
Lately I've been doing VFX for TV shows From the last season of Ugly Betty to the Last season of LOST and now I'm the VFX Supervisor on a new show called MY GENERATION Starts Sept 23rd on ABC. Hope you'll tune in and take a peek.
Check it out my company web site.
http://www.gorkenterprises.com

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Rotoscope
• Animation
• Student
• Film
• Short
• 3D
• Gork
• Spoof
• Space
• Sci-Fi
• Science
• Fiction
• comedy
• animation
• cartoon
• scanner
• darkly
• ben
• arthur
• art
• rotoscope
• student
• spoof
• space
• A-ha
• Take
• On
• Me

[codycoppin]

Very cool. Have you been able to emulate this using today's technology and software?

In other words, if you were to revive GORK (which would be excellent) how would you go about creating new sequences without sacrificing the original feel of this piece?

[SteamRolln]

@codycoppin

I think so, yes. I really haven't investigated how I would do it at this point, but I'm more than certain you could. I was doing some tests with painter 10, but I think a program like toon boom might be better. I'll have to investigate further, but the wacom tablet pretty much allows the same kind of freedom with the lines that I had on the original. I've added more notes to the info about how i kept the look consistent.

[outsideliesmagic]

PUSH IT, DON'T SMASH IT!!!

Ha... this is a great video and example of some experimental animation. It's very inspiring! What are you doing these days?

[SteamRolln]

Thanks for the comment. Currently I'm the Visual Effects Supervisor on an ABC tv show called MY GENERATION. Due to air Sept 23rd.

[mrozshow]

this was fuckin AWESOME!! Very impressive, great informative back story you got in the "more info" too! The colors are kick ass, this should have aired on Liquid Television!!

I can totally understand the time it takes to do this, I just completed a rotoscoping animation that took a whole year to finalize...it's my latest upload right now, I highly encourage evry one who dug GORK to check mine out, I'd love to hear what some viewers thought!!

-mr.oz

[testiclesDOTca]

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. I hope you are doing this for a living, because I loved it.

[Yesitis808]

Not even a flora is safe from Hedge-mo! xD

[Yesitis808]

@johnTwisted Wow. any updates?

[mrcatfacefrog]

I swear this was on TV or too ten best animations or something somewhere. I feel like ive seen it before

[BigGator5]

I thought I commented on this video before, but couldn't find it.

Anyway, this is a gem in the sea of crap on YouTube. I come back to it very few months or so, because it is that awesome. Never gets old.

[NewAgeDirector]

Great video keep up the good work.

[duesx187]

Anybody else think Gork sounds like Zordon??

[johnTwisted]

@Yesitis808 Hello, thanks for you comment. You guys are inspiring me to make new things. I'm so glad people can see my hard work of passion and enjoy it so many years later. I'm getting soooo close to directing a 3D animated feature. If it ever actually happens.. you guys will be the first to know. Thanks again.

[Yesitis808]

Klaatu Barada Nikto... Oh wait, wrong Sci-Fi.

[Yesitis808]

This is the best thing in the universe ever.

[bueyokyan]

this is so good! would love to see behind the scenes footage. especially since i'm a bit clueless as to the 3D stuff you're talking about.