Just saw another nice review of FM here:

http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/movie/decade/2000-current/fragile-machine/

On rottentomatos he referred to it as "the best animated film of 2005". A nice compliment, indeed.

-s

12.05

Getting to do the IdN video was a nice treat. We've respected them for so long that it's nice to be included at such a great exhibition (Special thanks to Katharine at IdN!). We were pretty depressed at not being able to attend DesignEdge personally, but our plate is quite full with the album and pre-production work for our next film.

I also had a blast in Ontario at WFAC. Festival Director Joseph Chen put on a great event, which also featured Eiko Tanaka and Marimi Sakurai of Studio4°C and Mike Nguyen (lead animator of The Iron Giant). Tanaka-san showed off their brilliant new film Mind Game and Mike lectured on core animation principles as only an animator of his caliber could. We are definitely looking forward to his film debut. Matt from Drawn.ca was there too with write-ups on Fragile Machine and more.

We hope everyone is enjoying the holidays. Later this month there will be a special present for all of you right here at Aoineko.com.

Until then!

-s

11.15

That's right I'm getting a free vacation. :-)

I can't wait to meet some of you at WFAC, I'm sure it will be an event to remember. In other news the Fragile Machine First Edition DVDs are nearly sold out! If you are looking for one of these exclusive collectors' item DVDs you'll need to order it this week. We are currently preparing the Second Edition so we can keep the film in stock; more info on that will be forthcoming.

MUSIC UPDATE! The first music EP is coming along very well. X, Op J and I have been slaving away feverishly on it and it will definitely be out by Christmas.

BTW Fragile Machine is also set for showings at the Anchorage International Film Festival.

-s

9.02

Ok.

Op8 and I got to visit Seattle last week to support the Press Start Button film at PAX2005. The lovely and ethereal X managed to stay here at Aoineko home base, being far too cool for such things ;-)

We slept on floors + couches provided by the inimitable The People Now. Gratis members may note TPN frontman Turkish's lilting guitar on the last track of Fragile Machine EP One. And yes, I did have a hand in the making of their site. It was also fun to watch episodes of Sealab 2021 with them directly after hanging out with MC Chris (voice of Sealab's Hesh) + his friends at PAX.

PAX itself was positively surreal. Some of my favorite moments were watching the DDR kids, seeing the final Tank round of the Omegathon, making some new friends, and chatting with talented fellow creators like Tycho and Gabe from PA and Burnie from Red vs. Blue.

Of course things weren't perfect. Often it appeared that only the most ardent fans were seeking out PSB and really "getting it", but after I appropriated a hidef TV that was stationed behind us and started showing the FM trailer on loop, the situation got more comfortable. TEE HEE.

So I guess I did feel like we were a bit out of place there, but it seems to me that art like ours can be appreciated in a lot of different ways, and reaching out to different audiences is really necessary in a world where the purveyors of traditional modern art don't have anything resembling a clue about what's really happening in the world. I suppose my ultimate point is this: the connection we make with real people at a place like that is a lot more profound than painting a giant canvas blue and charging $30k for it. And that pseudo-intellectual stereotype + the surrounding art "scene" is pretty damn omnipresent. There are a lot of successful modern artists I don't envy. I mean,money just doesn't mean anything if your work doesn't help people. Maybe I sound like I'm taking it too seriously, but that's just because for me art has always been a life-preserver, keeping my head above water.

To answer a question here I got asked a lot at PAX, yes I did all the 8bit stuff in PSB and yes, it was incredibly fun to do so. Also, read quite a nice review of FM before I left for Seattle. Here's a link.

-s

7.28

Netlfix ordered 60 copies of FM. Sweet...

Hope they go to good use. I am not expecting Netflix users to be particularly kind to the film, mind you, they gave WWFT's brilliant Finding Eutaw and North 2 stars. What the eff is that?

Also, it might be fun to clear up a popular misconception on the internet about us. I have read on countless sites, even fellow indie animators Broken Saints that we are apparently rich beyond belief. I can assure you that is not the case.

-s

6.30

Had a bit of a nice vacation in Nashville this month, visiting the one and only Bureaucrat D. He is indeed the real power behind Aoineko, bandying about watching paint dry and conversing with tree men. I am not making this up. That is what the man does. How he manages to keep such a vastly overpaying job as Aoineko Interior Vice Commerce Assistance Executive Secretary is truly a mystery. Of course we've all completely lost it in our own ways. Just consider my earth shattering lust for power.

Somewhere between the hiking, exploring, eating, and assorted games + movies, we found time to play two-front chess and do some drawings. Two front chess is playing two different chess games at the same time, and is quite fun because they generally end up having played out in completely different styles. I draw quite rarely, but was very happy with how this illustration turned out.

-s

5.31

So, our label SOAC has relaunched their site.

You diehard fans may remember the lovable eggman Mr. Biji (That's Engrish for Mr. Business) from way back when. He's hanging out there, and sporting a hawaiian shirt + tie combo, no less. Now tell me you don't love that.

We've put another music EP in Gratis, this one featuring some Fragile Machine tracks and one song off our first demo from a years back.

Have you ever seen the film 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould? It's a big Aoineko favorite, but there's always been one scene I just never understood. Another favorite of ours is songwriter Takako Minekawa, especially that music video for her song Picnic at Loose Rock.

-s

3.10

It was our pleasure this past weekend to attend the Sedona International Film Festival.  It must be said that it was a delight.  We were able to meet a great many amazing and talented people.  Directors from all over the world had submitted their material and it was truly a pleasure meeting so many of them.  We were also able to watch a great many people laugh, cry, and even enjoy our film.  Sadly though, we were too busy to attend all the films we had wanted to see.  For, the festival directors infused an intense amount of activity into the tiny resort town Sedona.  At one point it was too difficult for Pilot S to even eat for most of the day.  It was actually quite a sight, watching him continue to function throughout the day: meeting, greeting, chatting, and still walking.  I think I got hunger pains from just watching him.

The trip's highlight was the director's work shop.  Normally these events are quite drab.  It turned out that the directors that were invited were sensitive to this; every one of the guest speakers gave their hearts to explain their theories on filmmaking.  I would like to thank Patrick Schweiss, Jim Colletti, Dr. Sheila Jackman, Linda K. Smith, and everyone else with the SIFF for all their hard work in creating such an amazing event.  It truly was something special.  

If any of you get a chance to head down to Arizona in the spring next year, I would seriously suggest checking it out.

2.16

BUSY BUSY BUSY. Along with the massive crunch time that finally finished Fragile Machine we were wrapt in experimention with some new composition techniques. As a result there's been little time to update the site. Finally got to take a break today, so I thought I'd share some love with you all. Got a chance to see Samurai Fiction. Word to the Hiroyuki Nakano. Here's a link to a page by him proving he's the coolest guy in the world. I also found out he was a judge at CDCC so I almost got to meet him. Damn.

Did some nice recording today. X's voice is sounding as beautiful as ever. The girl has talent NDAT. The songs we're working on at the moment will probably form the more intense half of the album. They're more immediate than what we've got up now and I think you'll like em. :-)

Every time I get bored with electronic music I go back to BoC and FSOL. And besides BoC's absolutely lovely melodies I think one of the main reasons is the sound layering elements they take care to include. I like music with a setting and a story. I like music that takes me somewhere. 95% of electronic music fails to do that. Most of it's really dry and lifeless. To wit. So remember kids, when you make those songs with the fat beats, don't forget the heart.

In other news augmented rat brains are now flying jets. About damn time.

And lastly, the fine folks at Pixelsurgeon took the time to get inside our heads. We talked a bit about Fragile Machine as well as obligatory influences, techniques Qs, etc. If you want to find out who our favorite artists and film directors are or if you just have 10 minutes to waste check it out.

[pixelsurgeon interview]

While you’re at it, you might as well read their interview with Cornelius, too. He’s good people. [pixelsurgeon interview with cornelius]