Channel Frederator Blog

A new genre of musical pain will be unleashed upon the world this week.
No, it’s not Emo.
Nor is it from the Delta. Or Chicago.

Brace your sad, sad, self for the Red Robot Blues.

This week’s episode features some down-on-their-luck ‘toons from four different artists, plus all the fan written blues riffs about depressed robots that you can handle.

If you don’t watch it, it’ll be a low-down, dirty shame.
Whether you do or don’t, we’ll love you just the same.

Mercy! Take it home!

“Summer Heist”, submitted by Anton Bogaty – A bank heist goes bad in this darkly funny music video for Seattle based band Denelian

“Message in a Bottle”, submitted by Louis Hudson – Short, painful, and hilarious. ‘Nuff said.

“Goat Away”, submitted by Steve Stark – Barnyard animals giving you the blues? Here’s a cure all with heinous consequences.

“Barfy the Pig: Episode 7!”, submitted by Joel & Ryan – Even this cute lil’ guy can’t catch [Read more…]

Bouman Studios‘ “La Mañana Maldita” is a hilarious horror story… without a happy ending. The film’s director, José Martínez, chats with us about what inspires his work, what freaks him out, and what’s next.

Channel Frederator: Where did you study animation?

Bouman (José Martínez): From when I was small I liked to draw and did my little things. I learned how to [draw on my own]. I did a couple of shorts before entering a school where I did Bang! but I think self-taught after the experience.

CF: Who or what has influenced your work the most?

B: My brother, who is two years older than me, we started to draw, and the Japanese animation series that I saw on TV. Once I grew up, I saw Bill Plympton’s films and it is thanks to him that I was encouraged.

CF: What gave you the idea for this film?

[Read more…]

Animator/creator Jon Izen’s “Black & White Episode 44: Bearly Worth Watching” is some of the fastest, funniest animation around.

Channel Frederator: Where did you get your animation education?

Jon Izen: University of Manitoba and Vancouver Film School

CF: Who or what has influenced your work the most?

JI: Two things -

1. People that push themselves to create fantastic and unique work . To name a few - Marv Newland, Danny Antonucci, Scotty Underwood, Todd Ramsay, Alex Dron, Hobo Divine, and the killer talented Mike Geiger.

2. The desire to produce work and make a living, that is fueled by nothing more than the ability to express myself in any way I choose…

CF: “Black & White” is so random! How did you come up with it?

JI: I thought they made sense…I”ll have to get back to you on that.

CF: Are you working on any new projects you can tell us about?

JI: I am not sure if I can leak [Read more…]

Studio Lepore

Channel Frederator’s first featured filmmaker Kirsten Lepore’s artistic talents stretch across the arts (songwriting, directing, and animating to name a few). Her work was brought to our attention from different areas of the web - ranging from food websites to personal blogs. Despite the Internet explosion her work has undergone and being busy with new projects, she still found time to discuss this week’s films, neurotic narwhals, and her love affair with food.

(Click here for part one of our Kirsten interview.)

CF: What’s your favorite food?

Kirsten Lepore: Prosciutto di Parma with some crusty Tuscan bread and a glass of red wine.

CF: Have you ever entered a cook-off or other food based competition?

KL: I haven’t actually, but for a while I really wanted to have an iron chef style competition with my friends. I think that’d be amazing. Or maybe I’ll just stay out of the competition and be the tasting judge…

[Read more…]

Kirsten Lepore

Channel Frederator’s first featured filmmaker Kirsten Lepore’s artistic talents stretch across the arts (songwriting, directing, and animating to name a few). Her work was brought to our attention from different areas of the web - ranging from food websites to personal blogs. Despite the Internet explosion her work has undergone and being busy with new projects, she still found time to discuss this week’s films, neurotic narwhals, and her love affair with food.

Channel Frederator: Where did you study animation?

Kirsten Lepore: At the Maryland Institute College of Art – although I was toying around with animation as early as 5th grade when I tried to shoot stop-motion on an 8mm camcorder using jelly beans as my characters.

CF: Did you have any instructors that were particularly influential?

KL: My 2D animation professor, Laurence Arcadias, at MICA was a big help to me during my time at school. She even helped me get the studio space that [Read more…]

Frank Thomas, Floyd Bishop, and Ollie Johnston

Channel Frederator asks filmmaker and Channel Frederator blogger Floyd Bishop about his career and work.

Channel Frederator: Where did you study animation?

Floyd Bishop: My degree is actually in graphic design. I taught myself animation by reading lots of books, watching lots of films, working through tutorials, and seeking out people in the industry to help me learn more. The mentoring of others has really pushed me to learn as much as I have so far. Some of these people included Doug Sweetland who gave me lots of great feedback early on when I was still in college. I would send him my reel, and he would send me feedback. He was super patient and very helpful.

I met Jan Pinkava at the Ottawa International Animation Festival in 1998 and got to work on a stop motion film with him (“67”) during the festival. I picked his brain as much as I could [Read more…]

Funkadillo CEOs

Funkadillo: Hey there, Channel Frederator!

Barfy just informed us that you wanted to know a little more about the two of us. He does all of our emailing and what not, but since he has hooves at the moment, he wasn’t able to write you back himself. He was so excited you’d taken an interest in him, we had to hose him down in the backyard till he was calm. Ah, that pig sure does love the hose. The neighbors think we can’t see them peeking through their blinds.

Channel Frederator: How long have you two been animating?

Joel: I think we’ve both been at it pretty much all day. We took a lunch break, then there was the laser tag, the trip to the aquarium, the deep fryer incident, and building the squirrel-a-pult, but yeah, other than that, it’s been nothing but animating.

Ryan: I don’t think that’s what they meant. We’ve been animating professionally [Read more…]

Art Grootfontein (photo by Stanley Portobello)

Animator (and Channel Frederator fan!) Art Grootfontein helps ring in ‘09 by glancing back at ‘08 through the eyes of bumbling spyparazzi Stanley Portobello in “Snap!shots of the Year”. Art is a busy cat who digs all kinds of animation… and thanks to us you won’t need a super-spy to tell you that.

Channel Frederator: Where did you study animation?

Art Grootfontein: I never studied animation… That’s why I only try to add a little move into illustrations! I studied at a French national school of design in Paris, but animation became a real passion a few years after I graduated. Actually, I learned animation watching how “real” animators and directors were doing it themselves.

CF: Who (or what) has influenced your work the most?

AG: There are many… but the biggest for me are John Sutherland, for his elegant fifties touch, Mary Blair for her extraordinary use of color, Saul Bass for his graphic rhythm, [Read more…]

Nick Bachman

Stop-motion whiz-kid Nick Bachman gushes about his favorite artists, his film “Chocolate and Mices”, and why he’d submit himself to death by cookies.

Channel Frederator: What was it like studying under Schell Hickel, a Will Vinton Studios alum?

Nick Bachman: It was really a great experience. Schell is a very talented sculptor and animator, plus he’s the perfect guy to joke with while waiting for clay to melt. I couldn’t have animated the piece without his teaching, so big thanks to him!

CF: Who has influenced your work the most?

NB: Jim Henson will always be my biggest influence. He had an unbelievable imagination and never stopped pushing forward with his creativity and venturing into new territory. I also always enjoy gawking at the work of Mary Blair, Basil Gogos, Brian Froud, and Sid & Marty Krofft. On a slightly more contemporary note, I’m a big fan of what I’ve seen from JG Quintel and Pendleton Ward as well.

CF: What [Read more…]

Animals. Spies. Numbers. Spew. These have a unifying theme, right?

Nope. They do not. And that disorder… is the theme of this week’s episode.

WOAH! I JUST BLEW YOUR MIND!

I joke. If your mind was blown by that, I sincerely apologize. At Channel Frederator, we’re comfy in the knowledge that all of these films are awesome, and that is what is at the heart of this episode.

Awesomeness.

“The Ditching of 2008”, submitted by Floyd Bishop – 2, 0, and 0 decide to give 8 the slip… getting friend dumped is such sweet sorrow. Well, there’s nothing sweet about it, really. Bummer.

“Barfy the Pig: Episode 6”, submitted by Funkadillo – Your favorite vomiting other-white-meat is back!

“Chocolate and Mices”, submitted by Nick Bachman – A group of mice plot to get their paws on some chocolate… just like… in the title. Hm. Perhaps I should go back to construction.

“Snap!shots of the Year”, submitted by Art Grootfontein – Spyparazzi Stanley [Read more…]