Better Animations

This TED presentation by Torsten Reil will really blow your mind. His company NaturalMotion works to create animated characters from the inside out. Instead of animating with key frames or motion capture techniques, these guys use Biology to create a virtual person with bones, muscles, and a nervous system. Then, using what they call "artificial evolution," they teach the character how to react to differing situations. The technique is very powerful. The implications for life-like characters for games are obvious, but Torsten also talks about using these characters for digital stuntmen.

I will warn you, though. If you believe in any of the sci-fi "computers will take over the world" type of stuff, this may freak you out a bit. Seeing the robot trying to escape from chains is pretty weird. Of course, the really weird part is that this presentation is from 2003. Wow!



Here's the direct link to the talk. Make sure to check TED.com for other great presentations. Let me know what you find.

Going The Extra Mile

Think back to when you first began learning magic. Those were the days, eh? You had never heard the names Vernon or Marlo; you thought Han Ping Chien was something that you would order at a Chinese restaurant; and the word "practical" wasn't a part of your magic vocabulary. So what if a trick required you to carry around two handkerchiefs, duct tape, and a jar of peanut butter... you were doing magic, baby!

Of course, as you gained experience, you realized that maybe it was all a bit too much. I mean you could get great reactions with stuff that would fit in your pocket, so why keep lugging around that Mirror Box, right? Slowly but surely you started to weed things out of your repertoire. "If it doesn't fit in the case, it doesn't go in the show." Well, maybe that wasn't your experience, but it certainly was mine.

I remember carrying a car load of stuff an hour and a half away for my first paid show. I made fifty bucks, and I was perfectly content. It didn't bother me to have to run to my car multiple times to bring in all of the stuff. It seemed fine to go off into the corner to prepare a few props before the show. But as time went on, and I started thinking of performances more as business than pleasure, I slowly condensed the show down to a small briefcase... and it isn't even full. Now, I arrive to the show ready to go, and can walk out the door with all of my stuff within minutes of my closing routine. "Pack small, play big" became my motto. It was inevitable.

But lately, I've been feeling a little differently. With all of the things going on in my life, I don't perform nearly as much as I did through college. As a result, I have found my performing priorities shifting: and it's very freeing. Here's a recent example of an effect I recently performed that I would have NEVER thought of trying a couple of years ago. It's called "Supercool" from Jay Sankey's great new Kaleidoscope DVD. The effect is simple: a selected card appears inside a block of ice inside the card case. I don't think I'm giving anything away by telling you that the method requires a bit of advanced preparation. It's definitely not something you'll be using during walk-around. Still, in the right environment, this is a reputation maker.

I'm so glad I went through the extra effort to perform this effect. It was quite an experience for me and something that I'm sure my audience won't soon forget. While I think practicality is essential for a working pro, I also believe we all need to be reminded that sometimes going the extra mile to pull off a one-of-a-kind effect is worthwhile. So, what tricks do you perform on those special occasions?

The Perfect Park by Leon Sooi

This animated short really shows off the power of Blender, an open-source 3D animation program that's FREE to download. Everything in the clip was created from scratch using the program. It's very impressive. The story is cute and engaging, and the animation is top notch. His stylized characters and environments are really something to see.

Here's the description from Leon Sooi's youtube page.

"The protagonist of The Perfect Park, a Perfectionist, is obsessed with parking his car perfectly. Equipped with measuring tools and gadgets, he demands from himself the highest standards in the art of parking.

But perfection is relative the surrounding environment. How can one park perfectly in an imperfect car park?

Directed, Produced, Animated by Leon Sooi
Music Composed by Irvin Duguid"

Blender - 3D Animation

Lately, I've been playing around with an open source animation program called Blender. So far, I've just been following a few tutorials and watching some instructional videos. It's been a fun but scary road trying to learn how to use the application. It's very powerful but not easy. That's not to say that you won't be able to pick it up, but it will definitely take some time and work. The best thing about the program is that it's completely FREE to use, so there's really no risk. If it looks like something you might be interested in, visit www.Blender.org for the download link. There's a huge community of Blender users that will be happy to help you along the way.

Just for fun, here's a few of the projects I've finished so far. They aren't anything groundbreaking, but I learned a lot working on each one.

Snowman

Tutorial may be found here: http://gryllus.net/Blender/PDF/Snowman245.pdf






Burlap Teddy Bear

Tutorial may be found here: http://www.cgcookie.com/articles/2009/05/18/creating-a-teddy-bear-part-2






Octopus

Tutorial may be found here: http://www.biorust.com/tutorials/detail/77/en/





Intro to Character Animation

Tutorial may be found here: http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:Tutorials/Animation/BSoD/Character_Animation






Abandoned Mine Ride

Tutorial may be found here: http://www.blendernation.com/tutorials/blender-3d-beginner-tutorial-a-ride-through-the-mines/


I'd love to see what you're working on if you're into this kind of thing. Send me a link.

Alex Elmsley's 1002nd Aces

For my money, this is the best ungaffed Ace Assembly around. It's just beautifully constructed with no overproving or awkward sleights to get in the way of the magic. For the record, the vanishes of each of the Aces aren't from the original Elmsley routine; they are just little embellishments that I added for fun. The routine can be found in The Collected Works of Alex Elmsley Vol. 1 or from Elmsley's Tahoe Sessions DVD set.

Steve Beam's "Back To Aces"

Steve Beam is one of my favorite magicians. His Semi-Automatic Card Tricks series has been a source of inspiration for me for years. There is so much good magic hidden within those pages. If you've never seen him perform live, you are really missing out. He has a unique sense of humor that you'll never forget.

The following trick, "Back To Aces," is from Steve's book Counter Attack. It is available from his website (www.SteveBeam.com). It's a great read.

Storytelling Through Dance

The art of storytelling is something that has always interested me. Obviously, this is a big reason why I am such a fan of movies and theater. But it was also the storytelling that drew me to professional wrestling when I was a child. More than the spectacular slams, the stories are what kept me a fan for all of these years.

More recently, I've been turned on to storytelling through dance. This is in large part to Fox's So You Think You Can Dance that is currently in it's fifth season. The program showcases dancers from all backgrounds and disciplines performing every genre of dance imaginable. I began watching back in season one with my wife. At first, I only really enjoyed the flashy hip-hop routines. Now, however, I have a real appreciation for every type of dance I see. My favorites, though, tell a story. Nowhere is this better exemplified than this routine which aired last week.

The dance (choreographed by Mia Michaels) tells the story of a young addict. Kupono Aweau plays the part of addiction, while Kayla Radomski struggles to free herself from him. It's a very moving and powerful piece that illustrates how performers can tell a story to the audience without uttering a single word.