FRANK production blog 15

todays update consist of a few drafts of the final (?) shot of this project. here we see a few different thoughts on what the final shot would look like. i am almost done with the backgrounds, they are taking longer then hoped but what doesn’t when it comes to making art..

thumb nails of what the final shot could look like, along with some some rough key frames of the animation

thumb nails of what the final shot could look like, along with some some rough key frames of the animation

a value study and the original final shot for the animatic but not the storyboards

a value study and the original final shot for the animatic but not the storyboards

a version closer to the final layout

a version closer to the final layout

some where along the process i decided to flip the building. i wanted to convey a sharp and un natural feel, something is out of place in the end, which is how the after math feels when we screw up in life. I also decided to distance the city, it suppose to give you a feeling of disconnect as well. does it do that well?, im not entirely sure, now that im uploading this im having second thought about its effectiveness…lol. there is much work left to be done but as always i look forward to taking it one day at a time.

a more updated version of the final layout.

a more updated version of the final layout.

FRANK production blog 14

the revealing shot of franks apartment, at first i was going to cut between the two, but i have decided to use a pan east move. this background has been in the works for a long time, i have a hard time making the call for a final version on backgrounds. i love exploring its space. the evolution of a scene is quite fascinating. the birth of a project is a wonderful thing, i love the process. i specialize in animation production haha (inside joke)

pan 2leftA.png
pan 2rightA.png

FRANK production blog 12

okay! Im back for the final installment of 2019! While its been a while since I posted anything about this current project, its not because i haven’t been working on it. Just the opposite, I regularly log time into animating. Process has been made but you know how it goes animation take a long time.

I’ll really just do an image dump, its new years eve and I have to get ready for my outing. I just finished putting some time into some back grounds. Since the beginning I knew I wanted a brick building, something about brick is very appealing to me.

current final back ground for this shot

current final back ground for this shot

Below is a few different variations on this back ground. Most of these are very similar, probably because Im pretty sure with what I want

So it being the new year real soon, I want to try and develop a better habit with posting something on this blog, Im constantly drawing but I suppose Im just all in on animation I don’t devote much free time to else things. All in due time, for now Im still focused on completing FRANK.

SEE YOU IN 2020, best wishes -alex-


FRANK production blog 11

Below are some screen shots of my work space. I use TV Paint 11. Its a very easy software to learn. Its specialize for 2D animation and works amazing. Frank will be my third animated cartoon using the program. It come from France and has been around for a while now.

I used the standard Adobe Flash when I was in art school and for some freelance projects after graduation. I didn’t like it so much, there are a few reasons why but i honestly think I am just bais towards it.

I been using TV PAINT for a while now and just keep loving it more and more. Im not very fluent with all that the programs offers, I have my methods and I stick to them however old school they may be.

There are two versions of the program, the student version and the professional version. https://www.tvpaint.com/ check the site out for all the details

Still from FRANK

Still from FRANK

Still from FRANK

Still from FRANK

FRANK production blog 10

todays update consist of some rough key frames for a scene and a few old story boards. this scene has been a lot of fun to work with, pretty easy and simple action to animate. the biggest challenge has been the flowers, trying to keep count of all the petals and their size in every frame. non the less the scene has been easy and fun. it needs one more pass of clean up, and then on to coloring. the colors are subject to change a bit

rough back ground and colors for this scene

rough back ground and colors for this scene

more updated key frame

more updated key frame

more updated key frame

more updated key frame

more updated key frame

more updated key frame

more updated key frame

more updated key frame

old draft key frame

old draft key frame

old draft key frame

old draft key frame

old draft key frame

old draft key frame

old story board

old story board

more updated board with character design

more updated board with character design

old story board, possibly the 1st draft a very very long time ago

old story board, possibly the 1st draft a very very long time ago

FRANK production blog 9

HEY THERE! Its been a while, thank you for coming back. I will not apologize for the time away, I have been very busy with the film, happy to say much progress has been made.

This update will be about the Alpha and the Omega.

Fun card for the film

Fun card for the film

Below are a few different variations of the opening scene. So many different way to introduce the character but can only animate one.

alphab.png
alphac.png
alphae.png
alphad.png
alphag.png
alphaf.png

The thumbnails below are from me trying to figure out what composition I should go with. Now most of the scene is worked out in my head but Im still not sure on how to draw it…. the pressure!

Thumbnails of some layout options

Thumbnails of some layout options

FRANK production blog 8

No big update today, but got some good images to show.

!!!MAJOR reveal alert!!!

These are a few animation keys I recently finished up. I cant wait to color them and composite the scenes. I cant wait to be done with this thing, animation is hard!!!……

But I been enjoying the whole process even when it moves at snail speed, which honestly is like 70% of the time….

The Game aka distraction aka life

The Game aka distraction aka life

4x4 vision

4x4 vision

all for one and one for all

all for one and one for all

4x4 vision3.png

FRANK production blog 7

This scene is about Frank pulling out the built in charger, this key drawing is from the 2nd pass of animation. Im currently finishing up the 3rd pass. Im hoping it will be the last pass but sometimes a 4th pass is needed.

animators note for the scene

animators note for the scene

plug in00008.png

This scene has taken me by far the most time yet. There are so many elements moving I have had to really take my time with this. Even now while wrapping up the 3rd pass Im still not fully happy with the outcome. I might have to rework it….not looking forward to it but ah las…it is the only way forward.

plug in00015.png
plug in00017.png

So to anyone reading this, do not forget I am chipping away daily on this project on mine. It has come really far and it has further to go but I look towards that. Wishing you all the best!

plug in00022.png

FRANK production blog 6

Todays I am posting some back grounds and some key frames from a early scene in my film. Below we have a scene where Frank is passionately smelling his flowers. I am currently cleaning up this scene, Going through the 3rd pass of animation for it. It’s a LONG scene and it’s taking me quite some time. Happy to say I’am almost done with it and can not wait to move on!!

early sketch of window

early sketch of window

2nd pass of window

2nd pass of window

maybe final design for window..and a key frame of drank and flowers

maybe final design for window..and a key frame of drank and flowers

more key frame of frank

more key frame of frank

more key frame of frank

more key frame of frank

Many people have mentioned FRANK’s stiffness. I have many left to right/right to left/ frontal framing. I know this, probably because I really like Wes Andersons work, and early motion picture work. Story telling in this way though sometimes called stiff and rigid can be very effective and when done right will be visually appealing. Early into the conception of this film I had shots like this in mind. I hope they work as well as I want them to, but that is still to be determined. Animation and and story telling is hard, in case I haven’t mentioned

FRANK production blog 5

Todays I wanna share a few thumbnails, boards and other sketches from my film. Animation is a long process and I really enjoy the pre production stage.

For any project it might be my favorite stage. I’m really captivated by the freedom to invent and experiment with design. It’s so much fun to play with ideas and just come up with the most odd things, things that sometimes end up making it to the final project and sometimes finding their way to a different project.

I had a general idea of what I wanted the world of Frank to look like but its always hard to find the right combination givens all the POSSIBILITIES! 


I got a few early and i mean early sketches of Franks apartment. I even found an orthographic view from really early on.  I also have a few building drafts, for the outside world, and some early color studies. I’m still unsure of which direction I will go with. I like both city and isolated versions. Everything shown here has evolved over the past months but the new versions still have a little bit of these drawings in them. A final pass is coming soon to pick the right one.

anyway enjoy all the brain farts from a few years ago.