Joe Murray's Journal

There are a few projects going on that I want to document here, so that others know one of the possible paths to take if they wish to  go a similar, more independent route. I’m trying to keep it as accessible as possible, like using Flash and After Effects for my film rather than a fancier animation program. I’m also trying a different approach to creating and selling a series that I’ll keep posted here.

An important journey, which I’ve already been on, is trying my best to keep production and business methods as green as possible. So that you know, and other studios know, it’s realistic and business smart. I just had some beautiful press folders and new business cards printed on 100% recycled stock, by a company who is certified green called The Sustainable Group ( www.SustainableGroup.net) They were great, and I highly recommend them. I’m also looking into new business models for web business concerning animated film. Maybe you can help keep me posted as well. I’m expanding my book Crafting a Cartoon to carry more alternative approaches.

Thank you to Jeff Hutchins for helping me build my sound effects library and getting me up on Pro Tools!

Long live 2d!

Churning

Days and nights working on a film seem to meld into each other. The only thing that breaks the grip is the schedule with my daughters. Back to work after putting them to bed. Eyes begin to burn. Try to go to sleep while still working out a scene. Brain churning. A good size publisher is making an offer on my book, so says my New York book agent. Due by July. Brain churning. An international deal seems to be back on the table for my new series. Maybe, possible. Never know.  Brain churning. Don’t get to busy and pull time away from being a Dad. Brain churning,  churning churning. Stop buying books. Churning.

My cat has taken to wanting to sleep right next to my face. A wrong turn causes me to spit out cat hair.

Live in the moment I say. Hmmmmm. Churning.

Repost from October 16th. Before the hacker destroyed my blog.

I was at a book fair once doing a book signing. Near where I was sitting, I saw three people making balloon animals for kids. Two had a small line, and one had a large one. I noticed the one with the large line was making amazing animals, while the other two were making the standard run of the mill poodles and giraffes. I’m sure they were all earning the same hourly wage, but the guy making the extraordinary balloons was getting some great tips.

Later, in the break room, I ran into the amazing balloon maker, and asked him his secret to success. He smiled modestly and said ” Well, a few years ago, I was down on my luck and happened into a job making balloon animals. I thought, well I could be an average balloon guy, or the best balloon guy there ever was. So every chance I got, I was practicing, practicing, practicing. I started making animals that no one had ever seen before. Pretty soon, I was getting so booked at parties and events, I had to turn work down.”

I loved this story, because it’s advice I give to any artist, and anyone working on any of my crews. When times are tough ( as they are now) it’s the artists who stand out, and go the extra mile who can make it even in the most difficult times.

I know we will do well as a species. We have talent, ingenuity and persistence. I heard someone on the radio yesterday ask an economist if consistent growth is impossible in a finite world. He said ” Our materials and resources may be finite, but our passion as humans is not. We will make changes. We will adjust. And we will continue to grow.”

I thought that was fantastic!
—————

From this art it’s obvious the metamorphosis my film Fish Head has already taken. These inspirational paintings show a fisherman with a mustache, but some of the other characters look the same. They were done a few years ago when the story was getting worked out in my head. Then Camp Lazlo took over.

I’m working to keep this painterly style for the backgrounds. The characters themselves will become a little more monochromatic. 

When ever I need some peace in my head, I think about this film. It centers me. I believe we know when our art is coming from our center, or when it’s forced. I was reading recently about Cezanne how he felt he had more “balls” than the other impressionists because he was willing to listen to his own voice with much more clarity, and was willing to act on it without concern for outside acceptance. They were often a frustrated bunch. But I think they were hungry. When we all get that way, how can we break through? 

This art for fisherman reminds me of the times when people laugh at artists and their ambitions. I have certainly had others laugh at my choices ( Including my Father). But sometimes I feel those who are laughing secretly wish for that choice. Of risking all for something so sacred to them. 

But what they don’t know is everyone has that ability.

Another crazy rainstorm is ripping through here. My hut is standing against the elements pretty bravely. 

I eat my Chicken Biryani making sure not to drop anymore in my keyboard. I  glance outside every now and then to make sure the neighbors house and truck are not floating by. 

My girlfriend accidentally broke my coffee maker the other day. Then brought hers over.

Then I accidentally broke hers. 

Now she and I have a new coffeemaker. Maybe it was a sign we should stop drinking coffee.

Except coffee goes so well with rainy days. Hmmm. Back to work.

How much of your work comes from a spontaneous thought that figures itself out?

This is actually the second part of Gene’s question that I don’t think I answered.

The creative process is a hard thing to dissect. It’s like how Gary Trudeau talked about defining how you come up with humorous ideas. He said “ Trying to figure out humor is a bit like dissecting a frog. It can be done, but the frog tends to die in the process.”

Everyone tries to put creative formula or process in a bottle. But channeling creative thought is like a tree suddenly finding itself bearing fruit. It just buds, blossoms and happens. How you harvest it can be a deliberate process, but the ideas find the fertile ground. It’s up to us to provide that soil. Keep a clear head and an openness to the possibility. Trying to stay out of the ego helps too.

Characters happen to me. I don’t think them up. They knock on the door. If I let them in and  give them a stage, they find their own stories and conflicts. If you try and force something on them that doesn’t fit, they tell you. 

I guess many people may stumble upon this blog looking for a crazy lunatic that spews out demented Rocko like views on the world. I’m not going to deny that I am a crazy lunatic, but my characters tend to say things that I would never say or do. I don’t like to explain why a character says or does something.

It’s a bit like dissecting a frog I guess.

Question from Gene:

Pertaining to grimacing at your older work, have you ever regretted painting over or erasing something? How much of your work comes from a spontaneous thought that figures itself out?

To Gene;

I guess you could say that there is no such thing as bad art. It’s all in how it’s perceived by the viewer. The artist could be their own worst critic ( as I am). Look at all of the Van Gogh’s that ended up in a tree. The impressionists were scoffed at for years as making “bad art”. It’s a good thing they didn’t give up, or keep their work from being shown. I look at some of my old work and wish I could do something over again.(the sound equipment we had was so old and falling apart. I could easily re-do the sound, but then it becomes something totally new again.)

I just tend to look at everything as school. My first indie film was an exercise for my college animation class, and I had to be convinced that it was worth sending in to festivals and competitions ( it ended up winning a Student Academy Award and a Focus Film Award). If my animation teacher, Kim Tempest, had not been so persistent, it may have ended up just another animation assignment.

Seeing the MTV spot brought back great memories of working on it. Scott Shearer, Mark Millard and Rob Ripplinger and I had some great times, and smeared a lot of pizza on those cels we were painting. The original film in it’s entirety has a tape of us doing Roger Rabbit impersonations over the credits. Quite often the doing is more important to me than the finished product.

The sun is out today, showing a lot of snow on the mountains from the storm we just had. The clouds parted last night in time for the full moon to put on a show. Want to go out for a run while the air is still clean.

How much are we defined by our past, or our future?

When someone found a link to that old MTV spot on YouTube, I was partly excited, and also grimacing. It’s hard for me to watch old work at times. I look at it and say ” Oh, that’s wrong. Ouch. That sucks”. I do that with my old films and also TV episodes. I’ve always been on the “Earn while you learn plan”. My paid work has given me a lot of my schooling ( as well as my independent, grant driven work). But I don’t like showing a lot of it. It’s gotten me where I am today.  But a lot of it should remain in the darkness of the archives.

So how much can we rest on what we’ve done in the past as who we are? I say none of it. The ego wants to hold onto the success and the awards to define ourselves. The part that likes to beat up on ourselves likes to hold onto the failures, both professionally and personally. Neither are who we are right now.

Are any of them relevant to this moment? Only in the wisdom we derive to make this a good moment. Or a good piece of work.

And how about the future? 

Will I be a better person when this film is done? No. Am I enjoying working on it right now? Yes.

And when that moment rolls around when it’s done, I’ll probably enjoy that too. But I can’t postpone life until that happens.

We worry about finances. But truth is, at this moment, I’m fine. I’m alive, and my kids are healthy.

I’m going through a tough time personally. The small amount of wisdom I have derived in my years, tells me I will get through it. Artistically, I’m in a good place. I’ve got food, a roof over my head, and art materials to do my stuff. And two amazing daughters who often work on their art side by side with me. To them, I”m Dad.

I like that.

” If you are careful enough, nothing good or bad will ever happen to you.”

                                                                             -Postcard on my Mother’s refrigerator

Well,,, the independent film Ground hog came out of his hole, and saw the projector shadow, predicting another year of work on my film. Hmmmm.

When I gave a talk at a college a few weeks ago, I was shocked when one of the students mentioned a spot I did for MTV in the 80′s. It was actually the first appearance of Heffer ( before Rocko) with the cow flying out of the TV and the brand on his butt being the MTV logo. I believe it was called “Shed the Jungle, Shun the Cow”. My colleagues Scott Shearer, Rob Ripplinger and Mark Millard worked with me on it.

MTV was pretty progressive in encouraging the independent animation wave of the 80′s, commissioning work from several animators unknown at the time, like Henry Sellick, a young Bill Plympton and the Brothers Quay. The MTV show liquid television also carried Peter Chung’s Aeon Flux.

Came across a cel set-up from that MTV spot. I thought I might share it.