Winners of the 2011 Stop Mo Film Fest L.A.!!!!

I am proud to announce the winners of this years Stop Motion Magazine Film Festival 2011.

Purple Monkey Award (Audience Selection) - Beware the Bear by Steven DeLuna

Golden Monkey Award (Editors Pick) - Pineapples and Pork by Zack Williams

Silver Monkey Award (Jury Selection) - Goodnight Molly by Julianne Eckert

We all had a great time at the event and I personally want to thank everyone involved. Especially our sponsors Stop Motion Pro 7 and AnimationSupplies.net for making this event possible.

SMM Film Fest 2011 Streaming Tonight at 7:30pm!!!

Tonight Stop Motion Magazine will be airing the SMM Stop Motion Film Festival 2011 online at 7:30pm (US Pacific Time). Check it out at www.stopmotionmagazine.com

Watch live streaming video from stopmotionmagazine at livestream.com

Stop Mo Film Fest on OCT 7th and the Entries Are!!!!

The Stop Motion Magazine Film Festival 2011

is happening October 7th 2011 @ 8pm

The festival will be held at the Echo Park Film Center (www.echoparkfilmcenter.org)

Current accepted entries to be screened are as follows: 

Kevin Harman - An Inconvenient Fish - accepted

Kevin Harman - You're My Ghoul - accepted

Zack Williams - Pineapples & Pork - accepted

Brooke Duckart  - Cat WACO - accepted

Ethan Winsby - The NEOMORTS - accepted

Sean Cruse - Refresh - accepted

Julianne Eckert  - Goodnight Molly - accepted

Steven DeLuna - Beware the Bear - accepted

Kenneth C. Tyner - Encounter Attack - accepted

Melissa Bloom - Otto - accepted

J. Hasani Walker - They Forgot - accepted

J. Hasani Walker  - Snip - accepted

J. Hasani Walker  - Tailypo - accepted

Maureen Zent - Bostle Sleench - accepted

Trevor Clarke - Roy - accepted

Michelle Williamson - The Craftsman - accepted

Louis Morton - Moe's Musical Morning - accepted

Karin Ito - Pandora's Box - accepted

*If you do not see your name or film listed above, please be aware that this is currently a partial list and there are a few entries waiting to be reviewed. Note that not all entries were accepted. Main reason for festival rejection this year was due to unplayable file formats and or content of an extreme nature.*

Issue#12 and the Cancelation of Twisted Clay!!!

The New Stop Motion Magazine Issue #11 June 2011 is now officially available for Free Download at www.stopmotionmagazine.com. I know, your saying "Hey, it's August! Where's Augusts Issue?!?!". Well, since everyone is on vacation that helps with the Magazine, plus being on the crew of a stop motion television show for the summer, the magazine is way behind. But, I'm pushing through with getting the issues out. Hopefully my crew will come back soon, LOL. So I hope you enjoy this issue which marks the 2 year anniversary of the magazine. WooHoo!!! 2 Years!!!

On a Sad Note....

Twisted Clay Film Festival is Officially Canceled!

The Twisted Clay Film Festival was apparently just a pipe dream this year. I wanted to provide a place for animators of all kinds to showcase their strange and disturbing work and dedicate a festival to them. Due to the lack of Entries and the fact that we already have the Stop Motion Magazine Film Festival 2011 on its way. I felt taking the handful of entries from the Twisted Clay and playing them at the Stop Motion Film Festival would just make things easier for everyone. Sorry, but I got to keep it real...

Also, this may be the last year for the Stop Motion Magazine Film Festival due to the overwhelming flood of Stop Mo Festivals that have popped up all over the world. When we started the first festival there was only the G.I. Joe Festival that we knew about. Over the past year I've seen a handful of festivals that are taking free entries. Which is great!!! But since the magazine is located in Los Angeles and the price of renting theaters is high out here I am forced to think about the time, effort, and necessity of such an event. We will however run this years Stop Motion Magazine Film  Festival 2011!!! The location is still up in the air. 

With that said.... Keep Animating...

-John Ikuma

Executive Editor

Stop Motion Magazine

Film Festival 2011 Entry Fee Reduction

This years Stop Motion Magazine Film Festival 2011 will be reducing the entry fee for films 5mins to 10mins from $35 to $25 per film. We will also be giving College Students a discount with valid student ID, student entry fees will be $15 for each film entered.

So the entry fees are as follows:

Films under 10mins - $25
Student Films (with ID) - $15

Also,
We have a new item in our free section of the website. You can now download and use for any type of production the 6 shot storyboard template.

Enjoy!

Japan Issue of Stop Motion Magazine Available for Download!!!

Stop Motion Magazine Issue #10 is now available for Free Download at www.stopmotionmagazine.com!

This issue was originally scheduled for release in February but due to technical issues (Hard Drive Failure), along with further delaying the issue out of respect for our friends and their families that were effected by the Tsunami. We are happy to announce that the issue is now available. There are some great interviews in this issue. We interviewed Fumiko Magari (Animator : New Adventures of Pinoko, Mad Monster Party, Pingu), dwarf inc (Domo, Komaneko), Ryo Yoshida (Master Ball Joint Doll Maker), and upcoming animator Keita Funimoto. 

I really wanted to put a lot more into this issue. But since most of the photographs and some interviews were lost during the making of this issue, I was lucky enough to have backed up a good portion of the main articles. I will definitely be going back to Japan in the future and will have more opportunities to meet with animators and studios to give you more insight into Stop Motion in Japan. Also, I will most likely be venturing to other parts of Asia and the world and this will result in further issues of the magazine focusing on those regions visited. 

I hope you enjoy this issue as much as I have.

Keep Animating

John Ikuma

Executive Editor

Stop Motion Magazine 

Issue#11 April 2011 Available Now!!!

Ok, I know your thinking"Wait thats the December Issue!", but it's the April 2011 Issue with the image of Will Fiesterman which was mistakenly put onto the December 2010 Cover...

So what did we do with the December Cover you ask? We'll we reposted it with Will Vinton on the Cover the way it should have been in the first place. It's only right to have the King of Claymation be on his own cover. There are however some pictures of Will Fiesterman in Will Vintons article, but thats unavoidable considering how few images we were allowed to use for Vintons Interview. Anyway......

Back to the Issue at hand. This issue (I mean the April 2011 Issue) has tons of great stuff in it and a very awesome interview with William Fiesterman. The guy is such a wealth of knowledge and experience. I really think he should have a memoir written.

I also would like to take the time to thank Don Carlson for a great beginners tutorial for lighting Clay Animation. We hope to keep Don around to write some more articles for us and not just tutorials. He's a fun guy to have around and we appreciate his contribution to the magazine.

There's much much more in the issue and instead of you reading this Blog Entry, I'll let you go so you can get to reading the latest issue.

Oh Yeah! Stop Motion Magazine is taking submissions for the 2011 Stop Mo Film Festival. So tell your friends!!!

Keep Animating
John Ikuma
Executive Editor
Stop Motion Magazine

Pax Paint Tutorial is Now Available

Ok, its been a long time since we update the blog. There's a bunch of reasons for this so I'll give you the short list... Computer Failure, Tragic World Events that effected us, Payed Commercial Gigs that ate up the little time I personally had....

Good News!!! We are back in action! The video you see above is one that many many many people have been requesting of late. It's the basic tutorial on how to make and use PAX Paint in a brushing method. This video is the last in the Stop Motion Foam Latex Puppet Series.

There will however be more puppet making videos in the future. So keep an eye out for those. Also, some fun short films will be added.

So for now, checkout the video and start making some awesomely cool puppets!!!

December 2010 Issue #9 Finally Available!!!

Yeah!!! The December Issue is finally available for free download. Sorry for the delay. Will Vinton was kind enough to do an amazing interview with us and we hope you enjoy it.

Go to StopMotionMagazine.com and download your free copy now!!!

Count Down to final moment of Donations

So the final count down has started and there are only a few hours left to donate your hard earned money to help in the production of  the Feature Length Documentary "In the Shadows of Light". You can make a donation at this link: http://www.indiegogo.com/In-the-Shadows-of-Light
Production has been great! Though some interviews have had to been rescheduled due to the Holidays. But not a worry at all since shooting should conclude by the end of January. There's so much to do with the film and so much footage to review and edit. It's been great meeting people in the Stop Motion Community here in Los Angeles. Everyone has been really supportive and open. Recently I interviewed the makers of the short film "Nanuk" and their lead animators. They were super awesome and fun to hang with.

If you can make a small donation to the film that would be great and would help in the supplies cost for making this documentary about Stop Motion in Los Angeles.

All the Best
John Ikuma
Executive Editor
Stop Motion Magazine

Harryhausen Issue is Now Available!!!

The long awaited Ray Harryhausen 90th Anniversary Issue is now available for free download at http://www.stopmotionmagazine.com/!!! Enjoy!!!

Harryhausen Issue Coming this Week!!!

The Picture above really tells the story of whats been going on. It's totally been a "Tortoise and the Hare" race around here. Some things are going very fast and others are taking a very longtime to finish. For one thing I am very greatful to Tony Dalton and Ray Harryhausen for helping out on the latest issue. Many many many hick-ups along the way have delayed the issue far beyond it's due date. But luckily we are close to completion. In fact the issue should be out this week!!!

On another note... The Documentary has been keeping myself very busy and filming is halfway done. If you'd like to help out with a donate then please do... It would make a great Christmas Gift for someone and would help to push the project along.

"So whats been going on really?" you ask.... Fo one thing there's been a ton of puppet making and animating thats been happening. Recently I was forced to make some Puppet Rigs for animating Walk Cycles using a Ball-N-Socket method. Fun but a ton of work. Also, we have a couple of videos in production for our YouTube Channel. One is a Sappy Robot Love Song and the other is a cute Munny Animation Song. Juggeling these with the normal everyday work is very dizzing. But it's all moving along.

And one last note.... Will Vinton interviewed with us for the up coming December Issue which will be out on Christmas. Will was awesome to speak with and we hope you enjoy that issue.

Stay Tuned this week for when we announce the release of the Harryhausen Issue

Keep Animating
John Ikuma
Executive Editor
Stop Motion Magazine

Funding a Documentary "In the Shadows of Light"

Time to make a Documentary about the Los Angeles Stop Motion Underground. This project has been in the works for a number of years and was first announce on the Stop Motion Animation website a few years back. What had transpired was a maze of life altering moments piled one after another and eventually led to the making of Stop Motion Magazine. Since then the project was put on hold and the focus was more on making animation (which should be the focus) and starting the magazine.

Whats lined up so far and the focus of the film is all based around the Stop Motion Community in Los Angeles. Don't worry all you people outside of L.A., you haven't been forgotten!!! So far I have Justin and Shel Rasch, Shelly Noble, and Tawd Dorenfeld scheduled for interviews. Also I've mentioned the project to the guys at Screen Novelties and Buddy Systems, along with a few other Stop Mo brother and sisters. So far its been well recieved and should be very enlightening.

We are searching for Angel Investors to help push the project along. This means I can probably make the documentary happen without investment but it will be a major challenge. The funding will go to DV tapes, Hard Drives for Storage and Backup, Travel Expencise like Gas and Parking, Camera operator for special shots, Puppet making supplies for those inbetween interview animation sequences, etc....

So if you want to help out then checkout our Indie-Go-Go widget on this blog and make a donation with some pocket change it you have it. We really would appreciate the help and you'll probably get a big thank you in the credits of the film.

Winners Announced for the 2010 Stop Motion Film Festival!!!

Stop Motion Magazine Film Festival 2010 Trophy

Stop Motion Magazine is proud to aanounce the winners of the 2010 Stop Motion Magazine Film Festival!!!

Here are the winners:

Best Puppets Award - In the Fall of Gravity (Directed by Ron Cole)

Best Story Award - Miracle Lady  (Directed by Michal Abulafia & Moran Somer)

Best Technical Achievement Award - Operation: Fish (Directed by Jeff Riley)

Editors Choice Award - Miracle Lady (Directed by Michal Abulafia & Moran Somer)

Grand Prize (Audience Pick for Best Film: the Purple Monkey Award) - Bygone Behemoth

(Directed by Harry Chaskin)

We want to congratulate the winners in the competition and congratulate and thank all the directors that took part in the film festival for such a great night.

Now for the Highlights:

So we started the night with a sold out and packed venue. This picture doesn't even give justice to how full the place was since after the picture was taken about 15 to 20 viewers showed up and sat on the floor and in the isles. It was so packed the I (John Ikuma) couldn't even watch the show and had to stand outside the door and turn away a lot of people since there was no more room. Next year we will have to have a bigger venue.

Here I am officially opening the film festival and starting the show.

Here you see all us stragglers at the very end of the night before the doors were closed. Whats great about this picture is all the talented animators and vfx artisits possing for the camera.... Sorry I didn't label the names but you should know that it was officially a great moment for our art form.

Here's myself with Lina Younes (Director of BlackOut) at the following days Stop-Mo BBQ.... She came all the way from Dubai just for the festival!!!

Here is Audrey Holland (Director of the Snow Princess) possing with here Snow Monkey Award. This is a special award given to only the directors that were in the festival who showed up to the BBQ!!! Lina I'll mail yours right away!!! Whats funny is the idea came from Audrey asking "Can I have a Blank Monkey" and someone yelled out "It's the Snow Monkey Award!!!".  Super cool... We'll be doing that every year since it took a couple of seconds to make infront of everyone. We had about 40 people at the BBQ but I was to busy talking about animation and cooking hotdogs that I only took a couple of shots from the night. Next year you directors better be there to get your "Snow Monkey Award!"

With that being said I have to get some much deserved rest. Don't worry I haven't forgotten about the Harryhausen Issue..... But I need some sleep for a couple of days.

Official Entry Selections and Festival Event Announcement!!!

Here's what many of you have been waiting for, the official announcement of the Stop Motion Magazine Film Festival Selections!!!! YEAH!!!

For this year (2010) Stop Motion Magazine Film Festival the official selections for showing and competition are (in no specific order):

Black Out -by Lina Younes

The History of Man Part 2 & 3 - by Jeff Draheim

El Diablo - by Matt Ellsworth

How to Make a Baby - by Cassidy Curtis and Raquel Coelho

Make A Mate - by Jennifer Jordan Day

Operation: Fish - by Jeff Riley

The Epiplectic Bicycle - by Lauren Horoszewsky

Clay Lunch - by Egor Ivanov

To the Rescue - by Emma Coleman

Sunday - by Kris Daw

M.A.N.D.Y. vs BookaShade "Donut" - by Stephan Hambsch

What A Night -by Jesse Brunt

The Happiness Tree - by Mac McCord

Keeping the Heat  - by Al Oldfield

Further - by Ki Taube

Bygone Behemoth - by Harry Chaskin

In the Fall of Gravity - by Ron Cole

Super Battle - by Ethan Marack

Miracle Lady - by Michal Abulafin & Moran Somer

The Snow Princess - by Audrey Genevieve Holand

The Festival will be held August 28th at 7:30pm to 11pm at the Echo Park Film Center (http://www.echoparkfilmcenter.org/)

Admission is $5 and open to all ages. Space is very limited (Only 55 seats) and there is only 1 Showing.

We will be Streaming the Event Live for those of you around the world unable to attend. Please go to our Website in the Festival page we will have a player boradcating on that day. Check the World Time Clock for appropriate time in your region of the world. Festival is held in California (Standard Pacific) Time.

We hope all of you enjoy the event and hope to see you there.

All the Best
John Ikuma
Executive Editor
Stop Motion Magazine

June 2010 Issue #6 Available Now!!!

The June 2010 Issue #6 is Now Available for download at http://www.stopmotionmagazine.com/!!! This issue is severally late but it is well worth checking out. Harry Walton is our cover story and his work spans across the spectrum of amazing animated films. 

The Ray Harryhausen issue will be available soon along with the Film Festival being held on August 28th at the Echo Park Film Center starting at 7:30pm.

Official Selections will be announced in a couple of days. 

Japan Rocks!!!

This week has been completely amazing. Traveling all over Japan has given myself a completely new look on the world we all live in. For one thing you can only bow so much until your back starts to hurt and Ramen is the best food in the world when you can't get a greasy cheese burger.

But enough of my waxing nestalgic. Here's whats really been going on. Today I interviewed the heads of Dwarf studios. Their most famous character is Domo-Kun for whom you've probably seen in marketing campaigns in your region of the world. Mr. Goda and Mr. Minegishi are two very inspiring people who have earned my undieing respect as both people and creative geniousis.  In the above picture you'll see from left to right-myself (John Ikuma), Director and Head of Dwarf studios Mr. Goda, and famed stop motion animator Mr. Minegishi. Apparently Domo-Kun likes the sake I brought for the creators....

In the picture above you see myself and Master Ball-Joint-Doll artist Ryo Yoshida. The only way I think I can describe meeting Mr Yoshida is that it was like meeting Rembrandt. He is considered one of the most important people in the art form of Doll Making and one of 2 people in history to have developed and pioneered the Japanese style BJD. Such a profound moment in my life to have spent a couple of hours talking to him. I hope to meet him again some day in the future.

In the above picture you see myself and Ball-Joint-Doll Graphic artist NORI at the last day of his gallery show. Very cool to hang and talk about his methods of making his paintings and Photography. His art is both in computer graphics and photography in which he depicts dolls in different environments. Wicked Cool!!! Look him up.

And Finally the Neiko-Cafe!!!!

Yes there is a place in the world that is called the "CAT Cafe" and what do they have? CATS!!!! And what do you do with them? Play!!! Also you drink coffee and tea and read manga and watch anime. But who cares about that stuff when you can play with the CATS!!! SOOOOOOO CUTE!!!! I spent a half hour there and don't feel at all guilty about paying to play with these cute little fur balls. If only there was a Dolphin Cafe.....

Getting Even More Lost In Japan

It's very possible that I have no idea where I am and what I'm doing here. But I'm sure having fun! The other day I was very lost for 3 hours. This time it wasn't on the train but on foot. I was looking for Creative Studios where Village of Malhem Studios is located and can you believe I passed it 6 times in one hour and never found it!!! Hahaha.... Seems when I was taken to the studio the first time we went the back way. Thus my confusion and the total craziness of being lost for 3 hours. Thank god I remembered the business card in my wallet and how to ask for directions in Japanese.

One of the greatest things about Japan is the food. But it seems I've been eating a lot of Giant Scallops lately and can only guess at how expensive these things are in the U.S.... We eat 2 cases of these and half a case of sea snails at a friends BBQ in Innoshima. Then theres all the Beer and Fireworks!!! Whats even funnier is that this was all on the 4th of July. Apparently they have a Shinto Festival on the same weekend.

Here's a picture of the shrine and the some of the crew carring it up a steep hill. My shoulder was so bruised from walking the shrine from house to house. But each house had beer and treats. It was basically like Holloween where you go house to house scarring the bad spirits and in exchange the people at the house give you treats. But in this case it also comes with the drunken climb up the hill with 70 other people.

And finally the "Asse the Sale" sign, which actually reads "Ace the Sale". But I couldn't resist the American prenunciation of the sign. God only knows what they are really selling.

Long story short I have been totally dragged around Japan and finally I'm settled after 2 weeks of travel in Tojo Japan which is located in the mountains away from all the big cities. Also I should mention that it's raining so much I haven't seen the sun in 2 weeks. But honesty I don't mind since I see it ever day in Los Angeles. I'll be taking the next 2 weeks to write two Issues of Stop Motion Magazine and to also get the Documentary script written. The Doc will most likely be shot in September and has been on my plate for years. Hopefully now I can finish it before January 2011. 

Stay tuned!!!

Getting Lost In Japan

So the magazine is a month behind and I'm relaxing playing in Japan. Guilty as charged. Actually I'm out here on assignment for the magazine and doing a tone of work. But the upside is I get to eat all the Ramien and Pork and drink all the Sake I want.

I can tell you though that I have gotten severally lost in Japan and one night I was lost for two hours on the train and luckily caught the last train to my station. Not just that but I also only speak a little bit of the language and often found my head spinning when someone would answer me in anything other then Yes or No. Hahaha... I'm starting to get the hang of it though.

One of the great things about Japan is reguardless of the rushed pace of Tokyo everyone likes to relax and get some R&R. This is most obvious when seeing the business men passing out on the train after a long day of work. I thought I'd join in the experience....

I was very lucky on this trip to make some great friends on my first studio stop in Tokyo. In the picture you see in the front Atsuko Miyake (Compositor), in the middle myself (John Ikuma), and in the back Keita Funamoto (Village of Marhem: Studio Owner and Animator). It's amazing how many places Keita took me in two days. Lets just say that my legs are tired and all I want to do for the next couple of days is write. But what an awesome crew of people he's working with.

In this picture you see: (upper left/Tetsu Kawamura: Famous Armature Maker and owner of the Arm Benders brand of Armatures), (upper right/Jenya: Anime Voice actress- Her first big break was in Evangelian the Movie!!! Wow!!!), (bottom left/Atsuko Miyake-Compositor and Animator),(Middle/Myself),(bottom right/Keita Funamoto-studio owner, animator, and new best friend).

Here's Keita Funamoto autographing his Stop Motion Training book.

And just to get your juices flowing for the next issue of the magazine I thought I'd post a picture of one of Keita's wifes dolls which are made at the studio. They are trying to pioneer a new method of puppet making using Japanese Ball-Joint-Dolls. Pretty amazing!!!

So I will be heading to Dwarf Studio's on the 20th of July, and then I believe there are three other locations I will be visiting. Also, I will most likely be interviewing a few well known and famous animators for whom you've most likely watched their work but never knew their name.

O'Boy!!! I got to go I think it's lunch time!!!

BAd NEws..... June Issue Massive Delays....Boooooo

So I have some really bad news for everyone. The June Issue of Stop Motion Magazine will be delayed until August due to waiting on Photo Clearance and a number of other issues related to publishing. It's a very difficult situation since we were planning on releasing the "Ray Harryhausen Birthday Issue" and since Uncle Ray is such a major icon we are faced with a daunting task of putting this issue together properly. I was hoping to get a backup idea published in time but it seems like this won't be possible as well. BOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo........................ Believe me I'm majorly bummed. But I would rather have Ray Harryhausen represented in a proper light instead of throwing an issue together just for the sake of meeting a deadline. With this said I hope you all can wait until the August for the Double Issue Release!!!