On any production, there's always work that end up on the cutting floor, and the My Little Pony Movie was no exception. Four months before its release, it was decided by the "Powers that be" that the film should be trimmed by 3 minutes to fit the distributor's wishes. Some stuff was cut from the middle, which was fine because it helped the flow of the film. The most disturbing decision, however, was the removal of the prologue. This part was featured right before the title appeared and set up the protagonists of the story in a stylized manner.
I learned of the demise of the scene shortly before the release and was deeply saddened by the news. I won't hide the fact that I completely disagreed with its removal, but take comfort in knowing that Hasbro has released the scene as an iTunes extra so that people can at least have a peek at what might have been.
The stain glass windows were beautifully designed by Alexia Tryfon, while Marc Fortin and Hein Schlebusch did an excellent job on the compositing. I handled all the Tempest effects which start at the 1:01 mark.
During my vacation between finishing up My Little Pony Movie and beginning full time work on the Saga of Rex Movie, I was contacted by Passion Pictures with an urgent email asking if I could help out on the new League of Legends trailer.
The work consisted of a couple of shots of 2D FX CG paintover. This was an extremely fast turnaround but a fun little ride, and it was also the first time I got to create some animation for Passion Pictures in London, a company that produces work I've admired for many years. You can see my FX in the 3 shots pictured here featuring fiery ambers, smoke pillars and arrow magic.
Update Sep 11:Thank you for the overwhelming response. I am no longer reviewing storyboard portfolios. I made my choices.
I'm currently looking for storyboard artists for The Saga of Rex feature film. Must have feature film storyboarding experience (or demonstrate the ability to storyboard on a feature via samples). This is for a 5-month period starting October 2nd. Four positions available. I'm looking for strong draftsmanship and good filmmaking sensibilities. Work will be done remotely.
Please send storyboard samples and resume to gagneint@aol.com and title your email: "Saga of Rex Storyboard". Please allow a week or so for response.
I've been re-configuring my work-space for The Saga of Rex feature film. Got rid of two computer workstations (still two remaining) and replaced them with a traditional animation desk. I've been paperless for nearly 10 years, but for Saga of Rex, I'm making a return to old school hand drawn animation on paper.
I wrapped up my work on My Little Pony Movie last Friday after 12 intense months of production, and it felt like ending a marathon–exhausting but cathartic at the same time.
I probably took on a bit more than I could comfortably chew, but the extra effort paid off. I hope animation fans will agree when the film is released on October 6th.
I'm so proud of my friend and all around good guy, Jayson Thiessen who directed the movie. He's a solid and inspiring director to work with. The rest of the crew was equally excellent. We're having our "Farewell Skype" on Wednesday. There might not be a dry eye in the room.
For the last 4 years, I've been going from one project to the next without break, facing daily/weekly deadlines and long hours. Having no deadline looming over my head is a strange feeling but at the same time, it's quite liberating.
I need to recharge my batteries. I'm going to do some reading, catch up on tv shows and movies, work out at the gym doing cardio while reading comics, and more importantly, spend time with my wife doing some cool stuff. I want a spiritual break, before I embark full time on The Saga of Rex Movie starting September 4th. The future is exciting!
My Little Pony: The Movie is going great, but the schedule has been extended beyond what we anticipated. I was initially supposed to end in February, and move on to Spider-Man: The Animated Movie in March.
When February came, the power at DHX (the studio responsible for creating the film) asked if it would be possible to extend my commitment until the summer. I would hate to leave half way through a production, so I agreed. And besides, I really enjoy working with the talented DHX team. I think people will be very surprised to see how good the film looks.
Sony, on the other hand, still wanted me to go on to Spider-Man starting in March. DHX agreed to let me go for three weeks so that I could help design/animate one of Spider-Man's key signature effect in the film, but come April, I had to return to MLP. Sony thanked me for my services and, since I'm no longer available for the immediate future, they decided to move on without me.
Unless someone at Sony Picture Animation unexpectedly comes calling after I finish MLP at the end of July, this was my last stint on Spider-Man. They seem happy with the material I created in the four months I was on the project in 2016/2017. Hopefully, I'll get a decent credit on the film.
These past three years working on big studio projects have taught me how important it is that I keep developing my more personal projects as well. After MLP, it's high time I start building The Saga of Rex Movie into a reality.
My Little Pony: The Movie is going great, but the schedule has been extended beyond what we anticipated. I was initially supposed to end in February, and move on to Spider-Man: The Animated Movie in March.
