Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry Christmasss

I'm posting this video until Youtube makes me take it down.




Casey Tatum, u so fine.

Monday, December 21, 2009



Today was a lot of "hurry up and wait", if I may quote, well, at least a dozen people today. Guys, making a movie is hard. Me, I was just standing around while stuff happened around me, so I was perfectly fine waiting. My job wasn't the hard one.

I was an extra in SUPER, primarily because I had a full free day and because, really, I like observing. I was torn between film and 2D animation when I entered college, then debated a double major, then opted for the cheaper, quicker option, which was a single course of study. I did make some delightfully vapid student films in the film classes I did take.

I also know how much I enjoyed being an extra in 'A Time to Kill' when I was a teenager (and entirely violating child labor laws because no one checked my ID when i showed up for 2 weeks of work). I liked the fact that I was doing my French homework and Oliver Platt chatted with me about it, and I liked watching Kevin Spacey put on reindeer antlers and dance and sing because it was nearly Christmas. I really liked the fact that even though I was sheared off the left side of the screen in the television-formatted pan & scan, when my part of the movie comes up, you can still hear me go "NO".


fast forward to 2:00

Eh. It was fun. It's the little things.

Never mind the fact that 'A Time to Kill', upon its release, painted everyone in not just my hometown but entire home state of Mississippi as either a racist or a hick. And none of us owned air conditioners. They kept spraying our faces with baby oil to make us glisten. "But the Madison County courthouse HAS air conditioning," we'd say, half joking, half wishing they'd stop spraying us with baby oil. The funny thing is, as cringe-worthy as it all is-- Kevin Spacey's horrible accent especially-- everyone was so proud of that movie. People saw that movie as a stepping stone to bigger and better things, things that in most cases, never really came. One kid was even profiled on CBS' 48 Hours; they came and did a feature on how the town of Canton came alive with a flurry of activity surrounding the film. I had a piece of paper "autographed" by all of the guys who played baliffs; they were all planning on getting agents. Canton was, the film commission hoped, going to be Hollywood South.

Of course, it wasn't, and for the time being, I'm again in Hollywood South. Which is, in a way, ironic, because I swore to myself two things:
I would never move to Hollywood
I would never move back South

One or two people today were grumbling, because it was cold, or because they'd been standing or any number of things. They'll forget that when the movie is released, and 15 years from now, they can point out where they're either visible or oh hey, there's their shoulder! or just the general area of the screen where they think they should be.

The morning of that scene above in the youtube clip, I woke up late for the 5am call-time and we sat in holding for 5 hours. I had a sinus infection, and maneuvering behind some scaffolding to avoid the crowd of extras, I physically ran into Kevin Spacey and may or may not have accidentally stabbed him with the pencil I had been doing my French homework with. I got on camera because I'd become friends with the second second assistant director. It was a pretty good day.

I hadn't set foot on a movie set since then aside from walking past sets in New York but this was a pleasant experience and it made me wonder if I shouldn't have pursued a double major after all. The thing is, I enjoyed myself today, because I was watching the people actually making the movie. So I didn't mind hurrying up and waiting.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

How are you doing?

I'm doing (art for a movie called) SUPER.

So.

It's like this: the fairly badass James Gunn wrote this fairly badass script, a hilariously dark take on a man who attempts to reinvent himself as a superhero. It's starring equally badass actors Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, and other household favorites.

Rainn Wilson's character, Frank, is... well, I don't want to say sadsack, but he hasn't got a whole laundry list of things going for him. What he does do, is he likes to draw, and tape those drawings up to his wall.

That, ladies and gents, is where I step in.

"But Danielle!" you cry. "You can draw real good."

"I know," I say. "I do draw real good."

Thing is, Frank doesn't. A local studio in town is working on some vfx for the film and due to my close, personal ties with "someone" working there, when their initial passes didn't cut the mustard (ie, they were too good), I decided to give it a go. I basically drew as I did when I was 8. Which was really quite fine for an 8 year old, but pretty bad for a 30 year old professional artist.

James Gunn liked them.

I lost count of how many drawings I did that weekend-- I was told on Friday I was working on the project, and on Tuesday we had to deliver something like... I don't know, 100 drawings? James gave us a list of about 50 things to draw, and the rest we just started brainstorming. They became rather ridiculous. All the while, they all had to look like how I'd been drawing. With 3 different people that can be difficult so I'd end up redrawing some things. We put in one 14 hour workday, and at the very end, we were emailing drawings of one shot to James, and he was writing back saying, "They're too good, make it simpler..." I was so exhausted, I had lost the ability to be truly awful.

Wednesday morning of that week was the first day of shooting. The first scene being shot was a wedding scene, and they needed someone on set to draw. I went out there, in 30 degree weather, and surprisingly managed not to snot all over the drawings. They were filming inside of a local house, so the art department, where we were finishing up some work, was the bathroom, which we actually had to clear out of when one of the star needed to use it.

And I can't very well show you photos of my artwork, or how it looks in the movie. You'll have to just wait for the theater. Or! Or! How about, how about you buy it on bluray and we'll freeze frame it! And then look at it! Rainn Wilson told me not to get too attached, since it'll be in there for like 4 seconds, so I think that's what we just hafta do guys.

Check out James Gunn's website for any SUPER production details.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

APE

Oh, right, I remembered just now that I have a blog.

Flying out to San Francisco on Thursday to go to the Alternative Press Expo. This time Art Squared won't have a table--the cross-country moved distracted from applying in time-- but I'll be roaming the aisles.

Exciting.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Saturday, July 25, 2009

My objective to post more regularly via my camera phone and posterous has been thwarted due to TOO MUCH HAPPENING.

Just know stuff is happening.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Why my car service is The Worst

So, last Saturday night, when I realized I was running late to Kelly's birthday (#1 of 2 birthday parties I was going to that night) so I called the car service and asked how much a ride to Williamsburg would be. $12 or whatever it was sounded fine so they headed over, and I jumped in the cab saying, "North 6th and Berry in Williamsburg!" and then busied myself on my phone. So then what happened next maybe I would have noticed it had I not been on the phone, but really, it didn't matter.




I'm providing a map for those of you who don't know NYC well. Just know, I live in Queens. Williamsburg is a neighborhood in Brooklyn. Brooklyn is a borough directly south of me. Across the East River from both Queens and Brooklyn is Manhattan. Y'know, the place with all the buildings. There are a number of bridges that connect Brooklyn to Manhattan, one of which is the Williamsburg Bridge, named such, because it sorta starts in Williamsburg? And then it goes to Manhattan? Got it?

Basically what this idiot did was jump on the exit for the bridge to Manhattan.


I looked up just in time to see the "You're leaving Brooklyn; Oy vey!" sign and see that I was over water and I was like "What are you doing?! Where are we going?!"
Him: "We go to Williamsburg!!"
Me: "We're going to Manhattan!!!"
Him: (scoffs) "You never been to Williamsburg?? You don't know how to go??"
Me: "WE ARE GOING TO MANHATTAN. WILLIAMSBURG IS IN BROOKLYN."
(we come off the bridge and drive west on Delancey Street, now firmly in Manhattan)
Him: "This is Williamsburg!! You don't know Williamsburg?!"
Me: "DO YOU?? Williamsburg is a neighborhood in BROOKLYN, you took me to THE WRONG BOROUGH."
Him: (continues to scoff) "No, no, not Brooklyn!!"

I then called the dispatcher and put him on speaker and went, "Out of curiosity sir, where is Williamsburg? Is it Manhattan or Brooklyn?" "Brooklyn!" "Well your driver just took me to MANHATTAN. We're on Delancey Street!" "What! You wanted to go to Delancey?" "NO YOUR DRIVER DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S DOING" the dispatcher was like, aw man, and got off the phone with me to call the driver. At this point, we just kept moving further and further away from the bridge... but there was no U-turning anyway because of the traffic. And then it occurred to me I didn't want to depend on this idiot to drive me anywhere so while we were at a red light I just got out without paying him (i threw a couple of dollars and THAT was too much, in hindsight), and flagged down a taxi who took me to Williamsburg. In Brooklyn.

So that is why I hate my car service.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Mocca, etc.

Well, I officially hate my camera. That's what I learned at MoCCA.

My scanner completely and ultimately pooped out on me, and so I wasn't scanning pieces as they were finished, and being that I have a craptastic little Sony point and shoot, I didn't really get any snaps of them at home. It occurred to me once the pieces actually started selling that I didn't have record of them. Duh.

So, utilizing the awful lighting in the Armory, I took some blurry photos of the table.


Not many really turned out too well. Bah.


In this one, I put little asterisks (...which you can't actually see unless you click on the image. ha.) on the ones that I still have, and didn't sell. I actually brought even more in on Sunday, and sold out of all the new items. So out of the 20 or so that I made, the ones you see with the asterisks are all that's left, and going onto etsy in the next day or so.


And quite frankly? I can't decide whether to be upset or glad that this one didn't sell. It's my favorite one. I did it at TCAF and it didn't sell there either. Seriously, people; it's a bird and a donut. How can you turn your back on a bird and a donut? I will probably make a print of this just to have for myself in the event that the original sells either via the blog or etsy.


This was something else I liked, and it sold pretty much right off the bat. A guy pointed at it, and asked his friend if someone would like it, and the friend was like, "If you don't get it for her, I'm going to get it". So that was pretty cool.

The Armory was hotter Sunday than it was Saturday, I think, and a prolonged lunch up the street was most welcome. I then came back and melted awhile. I didn't really get to walk around like I promised myself, except to buy Meredith Gran's excellent third volume of Octopus Pie.

All in all, MoCCA was a fair success. I am looking forward to Comic Con in San Diego, though I know I'll have the opposite issue with the temperature; I will freeze my butt off and run outside for brief moments where I can sit in the sunshine... and watch dudes joust on the terrace.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

MoCCA.

I didn't bring all of my business cards by accident today, and so they were all snatched up. Some people who may have gone to my website may wonder why they are looking at a blog, and not a real website. Well, let's chalk it up to "not being able to get my crap together in time", and so I just set it to redirect to my blog. It's exciting stuff.

So far, it's going pretty well! I am at home, exhausted, not doing fun stuff, because not only did I do too much fun stuff too late Friday night, but it was hot in the Armory. By the way, MoCCA is in a freaking National Guard Armory. It's sort of strangely forboding, like, you feel like you're trapped inside while the zombie hordes are clamoring outside. It's huge and hot. I was very tired by the end of the day, despite consuming a total of five shots of espresso and one grande iced coffee from Starbucks.

I sold a number of framed pieces, and like I said, gave away all the business cards that I had. I managed to walk around briefly when my friend Nicole arrived. I also acquired the following things:

This great shirt from Squid Fire

and


This amazing print from artist Stephanie Yue.

I didn't get any books, or much time to look at any; I had to head back to the table to hold the fort down while Joe drew caricatures. Tomorrow I aim to score some more sweet loot, probably including the latest 'Octopus Pie'.

I better take some photos, too. I always forget to. Mostly because I'm stuck sitting behind a table, not wandering around...

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Dear NBC

Three things.

Number One:
we have enough tv shows where people can read each others' minds. It was a neat episode of 'The X-Files' (i'm... pretty sure it was an episode of the 'x-files'), but let's just move on.

Number Two:
If you're shooting for having a suspenseful drama, don't name the protagonist Toby. Toby. For Chrissakes. Seriously.

Number Three:
Soft lighting works for Tyra Banks, but not for a primetime drama. About reading minds.

If you're wondering what I'm referring to, it's the new summer hiatus time filler The Listener. Why we couldn't just have a night of reruns of '30 Rock' I'll never know.

Oh you crazy kids and your robots and comics


So, MoCCA starts Saturday. A problem I had with TCAF was just that I didn't have the ability/opportunity to make enough originals or to make prints. I'll have a few more originals this time around, and also some prints. I'm emphasizing the words some prints.

But whatever; I'm looking forward to it. The Art Squared table will have all the books of course, including 'Famous Corpses'. I'll be there with my tiny corner reserved for the mini art, and I'll sign copies of 'Famous Corpses' as they sell. I'm interested to see how it sells at this crowd; the NYCC and Mega Con saw a bit of interest, but it was TCAF where people were all over it. I'm assuming because it's a more indie, irreverent crowd? And so is MoCCA. So we'll see.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

TCAF 2009: A recaf. I mean recap.





So this is how it went down: 9am, I piled into a van with fellow artists Joe Bluhm, Brendan Burford, and Rina Piccolo, and we drove a million hours and crossed the border into exotic Canada. I experienced Tim Hortons. I say "experienced" because all of my Canadian friends have waxed poetic about it for so long. My experience was mundane, though tasty.

It occurred to me upon arriving that, oh shit, I didn't have business cards. Cue hurriedly throwing something together on a laptop and then running a thumb drive to the least helpful printers in North America. But whatevs, I ended up with cards.

Essentially, I was there to sign copies of 'Famous Corpses', but I also--at the last minute-- brought some mini pieces of artwork, which sold very well, considering I really didn't bring enough, and particularly didn't bring enough robot pieces, because as we all know: People love robots.

No matter! I'm going to be completely prepared for MoCCA, which is creeping up on me.

At any rate, I had a lot of fun in Toronto, met some fab people, and saw a good number of things. I just wish I'd been able to buy more books-- I did manage to pick up Kate Beaton' book, which I heard sold out. I believe she should have more at MoCCA, for anyone who may be there. It's totally worth getting.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis



In which he interviews cartoon pilot and star of 'Mad Men', Jon Hamm. So dreamy.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

TCAF 2009

Now that I've remembered there's an internet to be on, let me take a moment to say that the answer to your burning question is that yes, I'm going to the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. Art Squared will be at a table (most likely dominated by a banner featuring George Costanza's giant head, as seen on Rachel Maddow (about 18 seconds into this clip) and I'll be sitting there. If someone wants a book, I'm there. If someone wants to steal my chair so they can get drawn by Joe Bluhm, well, I'll be... right over there.

At any rate, WOW! Exotic Canada! I've never been! I one time went to the Canada Pavillion in Epcot. The educational video I watched tried to tell me that everyone in Canada ice skates, and is either a fisherman, a dog sledder, or a cowboy. Scott Pilgrim tells me everyone is a cartoon, and when you fight people, coins appear from the sky. So I don't know who to believe.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

MegaCon: simple & to the point

Really, these photos pretty much sum up Orlando's MegaCon.







Actually, there were a shitload of teenagers leading each other around by these stupid leashes, but I didn't get any photos of that. So just pretend there's a photo of some unhygienic dipshit 14 year olds with chains around their necks, holding "FREE HUG" signs and stuffing their faces full of soft pretzel from the concession stand.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Austin, eh?

Wow, so someone in Austin is into this blog. You're here like, every day!


Does Austin get humid or is it more of a dry heat in the summer?

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Tabloids Pt II

Damned if I didn't call it. In a post dated November 4th, 2008 (where I shared my favorite, creepy tabloid covers documenting their sick obsession with celebrity babies) I said, "the idea of Shilo and Suri cavorting together is OK's biggest possible wetdream"



YAY IT'S JUST LIKE IN MY FAN FICTION

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

I am becoming less and less inclined to go see 'Watchmen' and have Zack Snyder ruin that book for me. The more I hear-- which is surprisingly vague, but negative-- the more I don't want to see it.

I took my hard-earned money to see 'Coraline' instead; now that is a decision I can be happy with. Some have pooh-poohed the character design, but I go on record now saying they are super mega-wrong. I just really like it. I was equally impressed with it as I was the tiny costumes (they were knitted!), the tiny sets, the background, and the superb animation. Not a bit of it disappointed me.

I owe a post to MegaCon; I will probably get around to it later tonight, now that I've actually thought of it. Been back a week and I haven't reported at all, save for a Facebook photo album.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

The Fisher King



A twelve year old probably doesn't understand Terry Gilliam so well. Or at least, that's what I would assume at 29. I saw a trailer for 'The Fisher King' when I was 12, and was so impatient to see it-- it was rated R-- I bought the movie novelization, and read it intently during study hall in school. I loved the story, and re-read it, envisioning the story the best I could. It may well have been borne out of a great like for Robin Williams, or perhaps of a budding love of Monty Python, but I wrung my hands until the title was released on VHS, at which point, I immediately watched it. My parents reasoned that I'd already read the book-- and I assured them there was no sex--so they allowed me to watch it. All the same, I remained scandalized at the full-frontal nude scene of Robin Williams' although to his credit, his intense body hair obscured anything obscene that a twelve year old would have no business seeing.

The video was returned upon its due date, and over the years I rented it again and again, finally owning the copy in college. I started using it as a litmus test of sorts with friends and boyfriends; it remained my favorite movie-- was it New York? The composition of shots?-- and it became important that people knew it. It's like that scene in 'High Fidelity'; it's not what you're like. It's what you like.

The scene above is my favorite scene of the movie, or maybe of any movie. It's because the scene imbued me with a sense of wonder at twelve that still persists today. I saw it the first time and just wanted to go to Grand Central Terminal, where it was filmed. And everytime I pass through it today, I think of that scene. My real life experiences in that space are nowhere as beautiful or seemingly effortless, but I still look up at that clock in the Main Concourse and think of that scene.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Didn't heed my advice, I see.

Seriously, Craigslist: What is your deal?

In all honesty, I would say that every other ad I have clicked on has been for an unpaid "intern" position, and half of the legitimate-sounding jobs have actually been fake ads, trying to scam people into chasing after some sort of ridiculous, fake, "work from home" thing. I responded to something that sounded absolutely perfect... and got an almost immediate reply that the position had been "filled" (in 40 minutes since the ad was posted!) but they had a SECOND position.... that of posting newspaper ads! From home! For commission!!!

What kind of animation studio does that?

NO KIND, that's what.

Oh, economic recession. You're ruining my year.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

New York Comic Con Wrap Up...

I got my new copy of 'Scott Pilgrim Vs the Universe' signed by Bryan Lee O'Malley.

I signed some books of my own at the publisher's table:


I did a lot of standing.

Um... AND I MET JOSS WHEDON AND SCOTT ADSIT.




I promise you I normally don't chase people for photos, but they both wandered dangerously near my table so I threw caution to the wind and cornered them. Win!


Mega Con is the end of this month. I expect to do some signing and standing there too, but in a warmer climate.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Hey, Craigslist.

Stop sucking.

How many more ads for artists do I have to see, where the poster isn't offering compensation other than "experience" and in general, a queasy feeling that you just got used like an ugly girl at prom?

Those things do not pay the bills.

Friday, January 2, 2009

spective; retro

2008 sort of sucked.

Look, we're not going to get into the particulars, the why and the how; I just want you to recognize that the year sort of sucked. And let's be done with it.

2009 is being built up as the bestest year ever by people. Optimists. 2008 just sucked so bad, you have to think that whatever is around the corner just has to be great. It just has to be.

I'll reserve my judgment until we're, say, at the halfway mark. So far 2009 for me has just been about wine, cheese, Scrabble, and my Target gift card. I also went to the gym. I wouldn't say it's overly promising but it hasn't disappointed me yet. The jury is out.

I know there are a few things I'm planning to accomplish by year's end. I won't dare call them resolutions. I also won't dare share them here. But I, like everyone else, am looking to 2009 with wide open eyes. 2008, after all, was pretty bad.