Certamente you know that Google regularly rely on various artists re-design of its logo. Generally occcasions to rehash the logo are linked to historical events of general interest as the birthday of any person who has positively changed the course of history, some important scientific fact or even anniversaries. The project is called Google Doodle and among the many artists who participated in it there's one in particular that I loved it for its style and the ability to direct communication and wraparound. It is Ryan Woodward: cartoonist, art director, director, storyboard artist, concept artist, videomaker and University Professor… In short, a sort of genius of animation that practically everything can do.
The Google Doodle in question was made on the occasion of the birthday of the famous American dancer and choreographer Martha Graham and you can see it below.
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/23562061[/vimeo]
The video was made in collaboration with the Martha Graham Dance Company in New York, the project is very interesting because it has the intent to deepen the study of the movement the human body as seen from two distinct points of view in the technique (dance and animation) but not in the intent. From the partnership between high-level dance and careful animation by Ryan was born the beautiful video Thought of You". For as I see the keyword to understand the video and the choreography is fluidity. The human body and it disrupts reassembles in stunning shapes, sometimes strong and sometimes bodiless strongly present on the scene. The two characters produce a full and taut movement but delicate at the same time and fill the space that surrounds them with a live wake that perpetuates the presence, making it look every nook and corner of the body used to the maximum of opportunity.
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/14803194[/vimeo]
The characters are drawn as preparatory sketches almost like “work in progress” on the character. It almost seems that the choice be dictated by the need to dissolve completely the movements of dancers and merging them into ideas of the movement, in new forms that represent a very specific state of mind perhaps stronger, equity and decided or maybe slow, delicate and melancholic. Makes you want to slide, swing. Stop talking and articulate a movement to tell a story, a mental state.
Ryan Woodward starts his career as an animator in 1995 working with Warner Bros.. Animation, Sony Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, Dreamworks Pictures, Marvel Entertainment and Cartoon Network. He participated in the creation of lots of success as fil Space Jam, The Iron Giant (Il gigante di ferro… bellissimo!), Spider-man 2, Spiderman 3, Batman Beyond (… il ritorno del Joker), Where the Wild Things Are (Nel paese delle creature selvagge), Ironman 2 and the latest Cowboys and Aliens. Not to mention the awards in many numerous international festivals dedicated to the world of animation.
When not working on some movie Ryan is engaged in realization of his personal project Conte Animated where explores his art interaction between dance and animation, motion and expressiveness of the human body, in fact the project Thought of You" it is the ultimate expression of his work in this sense. It is really very interesting documentary on the making of this video because in a few minutes explaining the real challenge undertaken by choreographer (pregnant) and also by animator with all the difficulties of the case. For those who ask how did the video the answer is: Flash, 24 frames per second and a full timeline of keyframes. One for drawing.
For more information on the work of Rayan Woodward visit his site here and here. If you want to see the collection of videos made you go on his Vimeo page here. For those who don't know who is Martha Graham or want to learn more go to here.
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