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Inkthinker — OLD WORK - AMPM
Published: 2009-12-30 09:08:06 +0000 UTC; Views: 7277; Favourites: 99; Downloads: 252
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So here's a little something I pulled out of the back of the Humoring the Fates archives . These were done back in (I think) 2006 for Buck LA, who were representing the convenience store chain AMPM (we have 7-11 and Circle K here in Florida, but I'm told it's basically the same thing).The client gave us the basic story for the commercial (two guys fake being sick to get out of a boring meeting and feed their need for a snack attack at the nearest AMPM) and told us they wanted "lots of energy and enthusiasm". These short animated sketches were originally placed in sequence with storyboard frames and presented to the client as a 30-second animatic. I have no idea what data hole the rest of the animatic has fallen into, but the fainting cut ended up in one of the studio reels. The missing cuts mostly consisted of storyboard images, things like the other items they buy, and their 2-second dash back to the office where they pretend they've been in the bathroom the whole time.
The feedback was that this was a little too energetic and enthusiastic (and "anime" which, amazingly enough, is still a dirty word). In all honesty, I don't think we expected 'em to go with this anyhow... they're essentially trashing the store in their love for hot, convenient beverages and snacks. But we were pushing as always for crazy action, and people do stupid stuff in commercials all the time, right? I'd like to think people don't actually go tearing through the candy aisle because of some cool thing they saw on TV, right?
...
-_-
©Humouring the Fates , etc.
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Comments: 44
It's amazing.. I can imagine that,..
Can I ask you, Sir?
What program do you use? and do you sketch traditionally or digitally?
I would like to know
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I work almost exclusively in digital media now, but for most of my career I worked with pencils, pen and ink. I still use a pretty traditional workflow (thumbs, roughs, cleanup), only the tools have changed.
Most everything I do is in Photoshop or Manga Studio. I used Photoshop and AfterEffects for most all of the animation work I did from 2007-2011, and I use ToonBoom Harmony for the work I do on The Awesomes currently.
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You're welcome, I always love your animations. I appreciate the energy in your work.
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A lack of imagination from the client? How sad.
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the movement of the character was very funny and dynamic.
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is it me or does there not seem to be much liquid in that bottle?
thanks for the link, some awesome, awesome work on those reels.
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He's got his lips locked on it at the beginning, to indicate he's drinking from it before the cut starts, but yeah... it would have been good to extend the open-mouth pouring a little longer.
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yeah, i got that...maybe have sloshing liquid in the transparant bottle going down?
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In a cleaner version, that'd be likely.
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They are worse off today for not using that. Man, It gets me so inspired to animate and eat junk food.
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That is craaaazy good 
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Great work, man!
Your style of animation is just always entertaining to watch! I'm hooked from the moment the camera begins to scan around.. the perspective is just done so well!
Can't wait to see some more fighting sequences! I just know you're gonna have to do some..
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Well, I don't know if anyone's going to pay me to make more fighting action animation, but I enjoy it enough that it'll probably happen again at some point, in some form.
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That's what I was hoping you'd say!
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No one really does that, but isn't that what it feels like when you are really craving something sweet. Or like, when you really want a slurpee. Its not what you do outwardly, but on the inside, this is what your brain is doing. At least that's what mine does.
And honestly, I've worked at a gas station before, if anyone came in and started doing that I'd beat them with the mop and then make them clean it up.
But anyway, I liked it. If I would have seen this commercial I would actually want to get up and go buy something at the store, sans tearing through it like Taz.
I actually want to get get something right now. Damn you're good.
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Oh man this was fucking brilliant! Too Bad some clients just don't know what they want.
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With commercial work there's often a lot more cooks in the kitchen. The studio has internal layers of approval that have to be met, then that goes to the client, who usually represents the actual product managers, and at every stop there's the potential for someone to topple the apple cart based entirely on their subjective perceptions at the time.
It's one reason why it's so difficult to get anything done in television or movie production, and even more difficult to ensure excellent quality. Most productions, even small ones like :30 ads, require teams of people and a lot of investment, and that means a lot of people who got a personal stake in the project.
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I like the exaggerated rush through the store. Especially the power up right before he grabs the candy. I could never be that energetic when going out for sugary goodness, I wish it was like that though.
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Wow this is awesome 
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It doesn't take as long as you might think. The three action cuts were done in the space of an afternoon, the fainting cut was done the next day. These are incredibly rough and sloppy, they're only intended to convey a sense of the final action.
The process of producing the final work is pretty intense, but it's a team effort.
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Aside from the energy burst section, which could have easily been ignored or simply edited, I'm not getting what they meant by 'anime.'
I could easily imagine this being an advert with some nice blues/whites. Low energy backrounds to fight off the high energy action would make this very pleasing to the eye, and somewhat catchier than an average commercial depending on the soundtrack chosen. I'd say the company or group in question passed on a great peice. Unfortunate.
Though in general, I do love the fluidity of your human movement and the dynamic angles you choose.
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I think they might have fixated on the anime-influenced look of the faces and hair in the action cuts, which were done before we got a mandate on the design style. Roughs are nothing like finished linework, but sometimes a rough idea gets fixated upon early in the process and it derails the whole train. Maybe it was the speed lines.
I can't honestly speak to anything more than the feedback which was passed down to me from the people who do the actual talking (directors and producers usually interact directly with clients, nobody wants to talk to the pit monkeys. Except sometimes art directors, and that's usually a one-way conversation), so I don't know why they eventually decided to pass on this version. Marketing Media clients are especially inscrutable.
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The soda machine button pressing made me laugh. Fond memories.
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yea... i think it makes sense. the idea that they just go BALLISTIC for the food makes sense to me. im a QuikTrip FANATIC so i feel it lol
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you are my idol for all of these full-of-energy animations.
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Bill my friend..
Yes Ted my friend?..
Strange things are afoot the the Circle K.......
I miss the CircleK's from SoCal
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Congrats on a most triumphant Bill and Ted reference!
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