Sunday, February 28, 2010

Free Anime Movies

The term "Anime" refers to Japanese animation movies, sometimes called as Japanimation. Japanese comics called Manga heavily influence Anime movies. They are made of bright colors and stylized images with variety of settings and storylines. They cater to a large and varied audience all over the world.

The term Japanimation preceded Anime but has now fallen to disuse. Earlier, in the1970's and 1980's the term was common. But in 1990's, animation movies reached worldwide market, so Japanimation refers now only to domestic animation. In Europe, Japanese animation is also called as Manga after the Japanese comics.

Osamu Tezuka's "Astro Boy" in 1963 was the first popular Anime series. In the 1970's the Japanese animation industry split from its Western roots and started unique genres like Giant Robots. The 1980's saw a boom in anime production and 1990's and 2000's saw the rising popularity of anime in the overseas market. In 2003, Spirited Away won the Oscar for best animated feature.

Anime covers a wide range of genres like science fiction, romance, live action, fantasy, erotica, adventure, and even social commentary. Most Animes come in three formats-films, television series and original video animation. Films are released in theatres and have the highest budgets and the best video quality. Popular Anime films include Akira and Spirited Away. A television series is syndicated and broadcast on T.V. and an original animated video is similar to a made for TV movie.

There's is a controversy around fan subs that are Animes subtitled by fans and released for download through Bit Torrent and distributed for free. Also problematic are bootleg versions of Animes from Southeast Asia.

Free Anime movies are available at a few sites that allow free downloads of several types of movies or are exclusively dedicated to Anime movies. For example, a new site called Anime Monarchy is a one-stop site for free shows like Pokemon and movie downloads like Kiki's Delivery Service, Anime games and Anime lyrics. Besides these, Anime Collections.com, 1StopMovies.com and TV Central have free Anime movie downloads.

Full Anime Movies

What is anime? It is a Japanese animation that uses visual styles. Full anime movies are just like a normal movie in that they tell a story and have a main theme. But they are animated and they usually have very complex stories. They are known for having futuristic themes which are often mature. The number of characters is usually several and the visual style is highly emphasized.

The list of full anime movies is quite extensive. There are even rare and hard to find anime. Even though everyone may not have heard of anime the oldest one known to exist was made in 1917. It is only a two minute clip; nonetheless it is considered the first one to have been screened.

Called "An Obtuse Sword" this is the oldest one known to be in existence. Created as humorous, this anime tells the story of a samurai warrior who through trickery purchases a dull sword. The samurai tries to attack people he passes on the street to see if the sword is really dull. The tables are turned as the people living in the town retaliate and knock the samurai down.

The expansion of anime from Japan to other markets did not really start until the 1960s. During the 1980s and 1990s anime turned into a major export as the full anime movies became quite popular. According to the Japan External Trade Organization anime in the U.S. is worth $4.35 billion. The world loves movies and anime is very popular when it comes to a different twist on the typical movie.

One of the best full anime movies for the family is Spirited Away. Available in English, French and Japanese this movie is rated PG. The story revolves around a young girl that becomes trapped in the world of the spirits and must find her way out of this world. The story as well as the animation is superb and reviews of this anime are all thumbs up.

If you have never seen a full anime movie, you do not know what you are missing. The most common form of anime is known for exaggerating certain aspects of the physical appearance. Huge eyes, very long legs and arms and tall hair are the most common. The subject of the movie may have speech bubbles that are shaped strangely.

Anime can be either drawn by hand or it can be generated by a computer. Today computer anime is much more common especially for the full anime movies. Not only is anime used for movies but it is also used for video, commercials and even television - especially series of shows.

There are many aspects that should alert you to the fact that you are watching anime if you are unaware of the fact. But the main thing you should do is sit back, relax and watch your first full anime movie. Who knows? You may become hooked on them.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Cartoon Me - How to Draw a Cartoon Avatar Face Easily

If you are an artist, you know how difficult it is to draw a 'cartoon me' avatar face by just looking at a photograph. Making the drawing look accurate while still resembling the person is the biggest challenge. There are very few artists who are able to draw caricatures very well. It takes years of practice and a lot of tedious work. You need to draw every detail meticulously and then match all of the colors correctly. If your colors are too light or dark, this can have a definite impact on the quality of your drawing.

One of the newest ways that takes away a lot of the busy work of drawing a cartoon me avatar face by hand is to use several computer programs. These programs actually help guide you and draw all of the intimate details of a persons face. When you draw you have to be sure to make the caricature look accurate and funny, while not offending someone at the same time. This can certainly be an issue if you are trying to draw someone of another race or ethnicity.

If you ever are stuck and frustrated drawing a 'cartoon me' face avatar, you should sign up for an art class at a local community college. They have instructors who will help develop and hone your skill. However, there is no guarantee you will get results because most artists are just naturally talented. Some people try to draw caricatures for years and are never really able to make them look accurate and funny.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Interesting Ideas When It Comes To Hiring A Caricature Artist As Party Entertainment

Interesting ideas when it comes to hiring a caricature artist as party entertainment.

When it comes to entertainment you should hire the best quality caricature artist you can afford. Being a professional caricatuirist is a fun and enjoyable job. I've been working as a caricaturist at parties since 1982. I imagine at this point my art school education has paid off ten fold. Caricatures are a unique drawing, one of a kind, and hand drawn. Some artists offer digital caricatures, which can be sent as an online caricature in the form of a pdf file or jpg file. Caricature artists' drawings are timeless and great for any type of party idea or gift idea. Most people look at a caricature as being a bad portrait. Remember a character drawing Is not a celebrity photo. It's a funny, exaggerated cartoon portrait. A caricture is a big head drawing with a little body. I know a great amount of party cartoonists and party caricaturists working in the entertainment business. New York City caricature artists seem to get the most work.

I really enjoy doing a show or convention. Most conventions are for multiple days. The more days you sketch caricatures for, the bigger the paycheck. Artists are a popular tradeshow entertainment attraction. I draw characatures at a trade show quite often. The illustrations I do make people laugh out loud. To enjoy a party cartoonist you need to have a sense of humor. That's why having a caricature artist working at your trade shows is a great idea. At a tradeshow the caricature should be drawn as quickly as possible. I like tradeshows the best, I always get great response.

Weddings are also a lot of fun to draw cartoons at. A prom is like a mini wedding.

Many people like to make a sign up list. I find sign up lists do not work.

At a dinner or banquet, listing names can get very much unorganized.

At a kids birthday I give out an index card with a number. Birthdays have always been very popular for a caricature artist, but I still think for humour a clown can be more popular.

The custom caracatures I draw are in color or black & white.I think color charicature is better looking, but of course black & white charicatures are faster. Caricature artists work for many different entertainment agency type companies.Most party planners hire lower tier artists. When it comes to party planning you can do a lot on your own.With a little research you can come up with your own party planning ideas. You can Google words like cartoon cartoons, cartoon artist, cartoon artist New Jersey, caricaturist tri-state area or new York party caricatures.

You can also search proms, gifts, or wedding. Always check out the sample caricatures New York artist's show on their website.

Last year I went to Brooklyn, NY to do a post grad party; it's similar to a post prom or after grad party. At this post graduation I drew for seven hours. The next day I did an after prom party in Long Island, NY. There are many funny characters at these post proms parties. At one of the after proms, I drew 2 sets of twins in the same cartoon picture. They were acting like clowns.The ride home back to New Jersey is difficult after working such long hours at the after graduation. I like doing project graduations closer to home. Project grads are really long hours wise.

Bar mitzvahs are great to draw at as well.

Many bat mitzvahs in Manhattan have at least a hundred plus kids to draw.

At a bas mitzvah I've done a silhouette, which is a cut out portrait on black paper. I prefer doing cartoon caricature drawings over silhouettes.I draw caricatures in NYC, about 20 times a month.

Denmark Cartoons or Islamic Caricatures - Six of One or Half Dozen of the Other

Denmark's Jyllands-Posten newspaper issued an apology and whisked it off to the Jordanian news agency Petra for publishing cartoons that supposedly were insulting to the prophet Muhammad. The arguments about the poor taste of the cartoonist notwithstanding, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Denmark's prime minister says he and his government cannot apologize for the country since the newspaper is independent and not an agency of the government. To most people this makes sense but Islam is not most people.

It would seem that this entire tip toeing around Islam is far above absurdity and much closer to insanity. Can anyone remember an apology coming to Indonesia for the bombings there by radical Islamists? Did the British get an apology for the bombings of its subway? Who has heard one representative of any radical Islamic group apologize for the death and destruction wrought in America on 9/11?

Is the apology offered by the Danish newspaper for there lack of taste and discretion or is it for other reasons? Is it because boycotts of Danish products like milk, insulin and food stuffs? Or finally is it the fear or reprisals in the form of terrorist attacks on embassies, public places, schools and homes. Perhaps it is only a reasonable attempt at diplomacy that a free nation would employ under any circumstances in a civilized world.

Terrorism by any other name is still just terrorism, insulted prophets notwithstanding. If free nations have decided not to negotiate with terrorists on any level then we are forced to ask, why then are we making apologies for cartoons? Last time I looked, no cartoon had ever toppled a building or killed a child in the street.

The behavior of radical Islam is creating a cartoon all on its own. It is more like a caricature than a cartoon. A caricature by nature is a cartoon that depicts something by exaggerating it's most prominent or obtrusive qualities. The "would be" beauty has hips and other feminine features exaggerated to say she is voluptuous. The guy who wants his strength accentuated has the artist draw muscles way out of proportion to his body to accentuate that point.

Islam has been creating a caricature not with brush or pen for the last several years all around the globe. It has exaggerated features including the bombing of men, women and children almost always without mercy, without warning and without reason. Not one apology has ever been offered for this dreadful radical Islamic cartoon.

I have been warning Christians for over thirty years of the coming portent of the world's last dictator commonly referred to as the Antichrist. It is well known to them that the bible clearly predicts that he will exalt himself above every other world leader before him and above every kind of worship of God, be it the worship of the true God or some aberration, heresy or cult. II Thessalonians 2:4 "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."

It is barley known to the Muslim faith and certainly would not be heeded or even acknowledged but that last dictator will make no apologies to them either. He will endeavor to crush every major religion in the world. He will momentarily succeed but not with warfare of force but rather by drawing the entire world into an economic system that no one will escape.

Only a handful of westerners have ever converted to Islam in its entire history because of pictures it draws much like the Danish cartoon. Those pictures make a caricature of its ugliest components which are death, judgment and punishment, both on an unwarranted and unreasonable scale. Maybe civilized people still prefer pictures of a gentle Savior with children around him. Or a woman caught in adultery saved from stoning by a merciful Messiah who came to save the world rather than judge it. Millions of people have been converted by these pictures and will be much more until the end of time.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Learn to Draw Cartoons Like a Professional

The art of drawing is one of the oldest in the world. Think of the extraordinary prehistoric paintings discovered in the Cave of Altamira and you won't need any more examples. Drawing is still among the most popular hobbies nowadays because it is not only inexpensive (anyone can grab a piece of paper and express his or her feelings by handling a simple tool like a pencil on its surface) but also challenging. When you start drawing you don't always know what the final result will be like.

In the past few decades, cartoon characters have been number one among children's attractions and many of our children, particularly fond of one character or another, have tried to copy them, recreate them on paper to keep these colorful idols closer to their hearts. Of course, not all these 'kindergarten fans' turn into famous cartoonists, but many such artists started their career in front of the TV screen and most of their 'creations' probably looked like monsters for some time.

Cartoon characters are sometimes more vivid than real ones in a film, thanks to technology which has been given such a tremendous boost in recent years. However, all this cartoon industry began with a pencil and a piece of paper plus inspiration and hard work. Though it may look simple to those who have never tried it, drawing cartoons is not a joke. You need a lot of talent to make a character come to life with some lines, circles and curves. Shades play an important part in this and so does the colour choice.

Life without a computer is inconceivable nowadays. This intelligent 'tool' has taken over most fields of activity including drawing. The simple paper and pencil tandem has been replaced by the graphics tablet and stylus, not to mention the fantastic software that allows you to modify your work in myriad ways. However, this is only a means of materialising your ideas and saving your work more easily and accurately; the basic rules of drawing are still the same.

Programs like Corel Draw, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, Quark Xpress and many more are used by designers to perfect their ideas and make their work easier. It takes some time to become an expert, but with a little patience and basic knowledge of the software, anyone can do it. For novices, Adobe Photoshop is the perfect choice. Children use it successfully and so does the film making industry. There is nothing you cannot do with Adobe Photoshop, what you need is good knowledge of its options - the rest is piece of cake.

There are many cartoon makers you can use to create funny cartoon characters, personalized cartoons of your friends or add a sketch effect to a cartoon photo; some of them are free. It is very easy. You only have to load a high-resolution photo and your caricature is just a click away. Such programs are widely used to create greeting cards, several types of announcements and of course to illustrate books and newspapers. Caricatures look great on T-shirts, mugs and other kinds of gifts; many people use them to improve the appearance of their websites and make them unique.

Where to Get Free Golf Cartoons

Golf is a major sport enjoyed by many people. It is a very popular game, especially to the elite class. But serious and enjoyable as it may seem, golf can be a funny sport too. It is often the subject of ridicule and jokes - much to the delight of both golfers and non-golfers alike. And if you are looking for golf jokes, your first stop should be the free golf cartoons that are currently available everywhere.

The primary source of free golf cartoons is over the internet. There, you can find hilarious jokes, anecdotes, and stories that can definitely put a smile on your face. They are especially helpful if you've recently had a bad day at the golf course. Many of the punch lines delivered in golf cartoons have a ring of truth in it. So you can only laugh at yourself either because you're guilty of acting that way or you have thought that way in one way or the other.

Golf humor is best depicted by golf cartoons. And if you keep a golf-related website yourself, you might as well get a load of free golf cartoons to spice up your site a little. These cartoons are eye-catching. Your visitors will surely be compelled to stay, if only to read the daily golf cartoons you have up.

Aside from over the internet, free golf cartoons can also be obtained from other golf reading materials. They are usually included in newspapers and golf magazines, more particularly in the entertainment pages. If you can't possibly access the internet everyday, at least you can try the newsstand daily and check out the latest version of your favorite golf magazine and look at their entertainment section. There should be some golf funny pictures there included. If there aren't any, you can always write the editor and request for some. He might grant your request and feature a funny golf cartoon for you regularly starting on the next issue.

The people who would benefit most from free golf cartoons would be the ones who maintain a golf blog and those who publish some golf-related newsletter. These cartoons would surely add delight to your readers. What's more, they might even look forward to your newsletters if only for the funny golf cartoons you always insert in one of the pages. Hilarity is important in life - especially in golf where hitting the ball with a golf club seemed to be the hardest thing in the world.

One reason why golf jokes and cartoons are popular is because of the fact that most golf players do not play by the rules of the game. The hobby players, most especially the novice ones, think that all they have to do is to hit the ball with the club up until they reach the hole. Simple as that may seem, there are things that you can and can't do while in the golf course. But of course, not all players would stop and read the golf book before embarking onto the field and play. Some would rather learn the game as they go along. As such, more jokes and funny stories are told. And more ideas for golf cartoons are obtained.

Free golf cartoons are definitely a good way to attract customers. Cartoons are always good marketing techniques. People may not always stop by the picture of a famous superstar because it's seen almost everywhere. But it if were a cartoon with funny looking characters, fifty percent of the people who have seen that picture while passing by would stop and read what it has to say. This is because people are always ready for a good laugh.

You can also get your free golf cartoons straight from artists themselves. Of course, you can always ask somebody to write you up a good joke and then ask another to draw a funny cartoon about it. Then add it in your brochures, posters, flyers, and all other marketing materials. You will surely get better sales, readership count, and subscribers. Maximize the power of humor. Golf cartoons can surely help you boost the page rank of your website. If you have not tried it yet, now is the right time to do it.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Animation Movie Clips

Movie clips containing animation, both solely and partly, can be classified as animated movie clips. In general, the best example of an animated clip would be a small cartoon film or a cartoon character in a normal clip.

Animated clips are used predominantly in advertisements. This is so because they are both different and eye-catching. However, movie clips from animated movies such as Shrek 2, Finding Nemo and Toy Story 2 were also released on the Internet as trailers.

An animated movie clip can be saved in all normal formats such as AVI and MOV, but the format SWF or shockwave flash is best suited for files containing animation. However, the drawback in using this format is that the user must have the shockwave flash runtime player installed.

Animation movie clips can be of two types: 2-dimensional (2-D) or 3-dimensional (3-D). A 2-dimensional animation clip is often created using traditional methods that involve drawing the characters on paper. Hundreds and thousands of individual frames are drawn and then transferred to clear plastic cells. These are then hand painted and filmed in sequence. On the other hand, a 3-dimensional animation clip is created mainly with the help of computers. The basic difference between the two, apart from the increased realism in 3-D, is that, in 3-D animations, the amount of time, labor and equipment required is far less.

Creation of animated movies has now become a large industry and provides immense employment opportunity to thousands of people. For those wanting to pursue creating animated movies as a career, courses in both 2-D and 3-D animations are taught in colleges across the United States. Learning basic animation can be exciting and a lot of fun. Just about anybody can create his own animated movie clips and release them on the Internet.

Online Animation Competitions - Moving Art to the Next Level

Online animation competitions are an essential method of generating exposure for amateur creators. Back at the dawn of YouTube, animation hits like "Peanut Butter Jelly Time" were fun to watch, but showed us that something serious could be achieved with the reach of the Internet. To date, Peanut Butter Jelly Time has been viewed more than 11 million times on YouTube. This is truly amazing considering that the animated short cost next to nothing in production expenses and was distributed and publicized for free.

Seizing upon this ability, video sharing websites have created competitions of varying reward levels. Some provide creators with exposure and little more, while others involve large cash prizes and potentially lucrative contracts.

One important innovator in this area is aniBoom. aniBoom holds yearly amateur animation competitions that reward 50 creators with prizes ranging from $10,000 in cash to free animation software. The aniBoom website also shows various videos that receive regular rankings in various categories, and which are posted mostly as short, funny clips.

aniboom is also increasing in stature in the general animation industry, due to events like the Radiohead In Rainbows animated music video contest. This competition awarded several animators for original animated videos based on Radiohead's music, and judges included members of Radiohead.

Other websites hosting animation competitions include Facebook, YouTube, and Famecast. Regardless of the type of awards, these competitions provide the exposure that is essential to getting noticed and getting hired. For animation creators with true talent and unique modes of expression, the Internet may be the fastest way to move their moving art up to the next level.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

The Top Animated Movies Of All Times

The list of the "top animated movies of all time" falls into an entirely different category to all other movies. In the past animated movies were created by artists who drew endless pictures of moving figures. Today, animation is based on the advanced technology of the age. The modern animator sits and manipulates the images on the computer.

In the past, animated movies were for only for kids. Coloured movies like Snow White or Cinderella. Now a days you can find grown ups sitting in cinemas with no children in sight watching movies like Shrek and Nemo.

In our family, we make sure we go see all the animated movies so we can joke and laugh, and recite them at dinnertime together. Animation is no longer only for the young ones.

When you go through the top 10 animated movies, you can see they are all new (the oldest one being from 1992)
• The top most animated movie was "Shrek 2" which was a Disney production and came out in theatres in 2004. "Shrek 2" made a total worldwide gross income of $920,665,658. Shrek 2 came out only three years after Shrek first appeared and become one of the most profitable animated movies. (the movie, Shrek is the 9th profitable movie of all times)
• The second best animated movie was "Finding Nemo". DreamWorks Production made this movie and it totaled a worldwide gross income of $864,625,978
• The third animated movie was the oldest movie in the top 10 animation movies of all times. The movie "The Lion King" came out in 1994 and had a total worldwide gross income of $783,841,776
• The 4th animated movie was the Disney movie "The Incredibles" (2004) with a total worldwide gross income of $631,436,092
• The 5th animated movie was "Monster's Inc" (2001) with total worldwide gross income of $529,061,238
• The 6th animated movie was another DreamWorks movie, "Madagascar" (2005) with a total worldwide gross income of $527,890,631
• The seventh animated movie was "Aladdin" in 1992. It was a DreamWorks movie. This movie totaled a worldwide gross income was $504,050,219
• The eighth animated movie was Disney's production "Toy Story 2" from 1999 and had a total worldwide gross income of $485,015,179.
• The ninth animated movie was none other than "Shrek" (2001) with a total worldwide gross income of $484,409,218, almost half of "Shrek 2".
• The 10th animated movie was "Tarzan" (1999). Which was a Disney movie, with a total worldwide gross income of $449,391,819

It is easy to see from the list that DreamWorks and Disney are leading the animation industry and that their move to advanced animation technology has contributed greatly to their success.

While many people think that sequels are just leveraging the first movie and have nothing extra to give the audience, we can learn from the list of the top animated movies that sequels have a great advantage and have a potential to break profit records. Shrek 2 and Toy Story are great indicators of that.

Because animation is based on technology, and many of the animated movies are computer generated, it is funny to write, "Top animated movies". The progress of technology is speeding so fast that by the time I finish writing this article, a new animated movie, made with new technology, will jump into the top 10 list of the most profitable movies of all time.

After Effects - Animated Gifs Backfield in Motion

Backfield in motion .... it's a new emotion.

Motion is the effect and some of the best motion is the natural effects we capture in our everyday life. It's easy to use an image for a background on your site, maybe just a section but it's not so easy to use a movie. That's where animated gifs come in.

Animated gifs are too easy - just like setting a background image for a div, you specify your animated gif, and that's pretty much it. You now have the animated movie as the background property and with this, you have motion graphics as your background adding much more life to your site, but placed typically at the header section so it doesn't compete with your content.

When I saved my movie in After Effects, I checked the format options 'dithering' and 'looping', mine didn't work otherwise and it's one of those really nice effects with very little work.

It was pretty large without compression - I used another cool After Effects trick I like, time remapping, and that is - to actually capture enough of the clouds floating by to actually see them float by - ( that sounded bit funny but ) it required about 45 seconds - which is pretty long for an animation.

I used the entire capture of the clouds floating by but used the 'time remapping' feature to reduce the length of time and thus the length of the file. When you enable time remapping, a keyframe is placed at beginning of movie - you drag movie in as much as you like - set closing keyframe and it's quite seamless.

This helped a lot. And I really like my crisp blue sky.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Collecting Funny Cartoon Coffee Mugs - Double The Stimulation

Ahhh...The '60's. Long hair. Timothy Leary, Woodstock, and organic foods, not to mention all the vices that came with that generation.

If anything positive came out of my very confused generation (that thought we knew it all at the time), it was a. unique music that is often duplicated, rarely replicated, and an attempt to eat from the earth, that is, more naturally. Health food stores began popping up everywhere and I even owned one. The jury is still out if all the good foods, vitamins, minerals, monthly fasts, etc. counteracted all the nasty chemicals we put into our bodies "out of experimentation". Yes Virginia, I DID inhale, but then again, I'll never run for political office, never plan to, and if you don't like it, that is your issue. I don't do so now.

Even though we did learn some good things out of the Woodstock generations, like "coffee is bad" because it contains too much caffeine and perhaps that is why our "parents were so weird", now we are in the coffee generation.

I can prove quite easily. If I had the power and gave you the choice, two free tickets to a brand new third Woodstock, but if you went, which would include airfare, I would be forced to shut down every major coffee chain in the world. You don't have to tell me. I know what you would pick.

It's like that tough question. How important is the Internet to you? If you had to give something else up, just as important what (or whom) would it be? That's a tough question and one we usually have to ponder.

One good thing about the coffee-age in which we live, is that we also love to make our own gourmet taster rarely drinks chain coffees knowing that they can be stale and that rancidity covered with flavors and chemicals so many of us opt to drink our gourmet coffees at home.

This means enjoying our favorite coffee mugs. Many are even beginning to collect the best coffee mugs on the market. Many can be found on Ebay, Amazon.com and even speciality coffee mug shops. I shop all around, but my favorite are at Just Funny Mugs. They each contain a Londons Times Cartoon on them, and nothing is more fun than to wake up in the morning, get one's caffeine fix, and remember that funny cartoon all day. It can be a double lift.