The Exposition of LA LA Land

Moving the Blog

2010-07-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

Wow! I cant believe its been almost a year since I've posted here. A lot has changed for me. I've decided to take my show on the road and travel for work a little bit before I settle down for good. If you'd like to continue to follow my my new blog go to my website at www.johnvassallo.com. The blog link is http://www.johnvassallo.com/blog. I've migrated old posts over there and I'm going to start adding new ones again soon. Theres going to be lots of great stuff to share, so head on over! Thanks for visiting!

Monthly Music Find - Passion Pit

2009-07-29T09:59:00.001-07:00

Hey I'm gonna try and bring this section back to life. Its been a while since I did my last monthly music find but this song made me decide to start sharing my new music finds again. This band began as a valentines gift for the kead singer's girlfriend and grew into something more. Their first album was released a couple months ago. This song stands out for me. I love the happy synth pop. Hope you do too.

Getting Better

2009-07-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this blog post from the animation mentor tips and tricks blog. It's written by Pixar animator Chris Chua and covers how to become a better animator. Theres some great advice in there that I think everyone can benefit from. Very cool and worth the read.

Gawwd I love animtion!

2009-07-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

Coldplay - Strawberry Swing Video

Saturday Night at the Geffen

2009-06-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

Melissa and I had a really nice night out at the Geffen playhouse on Saturday night. We went out to celebrate Melissa's Birthday which was last Wednesday. Anyway, I took her to see Farragut North, a play starring Chris Pine (Star Trek's new Kirk) and Chris North (Mr. Big from Sex and the City). Its the story of a political campaign troubled by backroom politics and sexual tension. It was awesome! I have seen to many plays live and especially not one that was acted so well. I forgot I was watching a stage show. As an animator its great to reference good acting and to see it up close, so for that aspect it was great too. Theres a few shows playing this season at the Geffen that we'd like to check out. I think we are hooked on the theater now!

Gobelins - Annecy 2009

2009-06-18T10:46:00.001-07:00

Amazing work. Watch these right now, you will not regret it.

Band Together: First Teaser

2009-06-10T18:56:00.000-07:00

I have finally found the time to block out a little teaser for Band Together. I am using it as an opportunity to develop the character's personalities as well as style of motion. The story for this little teaser is still in the works, but the basic idea is there. Now I just have to find the time to finish it off. That might not happen for a little while.

Coming Soon

2009-05-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

The latest project I worked on. Out in July. Night at the Museum 2 opens today as well. Lots of hard work in there.

Princess and The Frog Trailer

2009-05-12T09:47:00.001-07:00

Disney's return to 2D. Yay!

New scene from Shane Acker's 9

2009-04-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

This is looking awesome. I'm excited for an animated feature that pushes the genre into a darker, more creative place.

Allen Park goes Hollywood

2009-04-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

The big news out of Michigan lately is all the new film production business that has been migrating there. This is a pretty exciting prospect for the state of Michigan and my family, not to mention myself. Yesterday it was announced that a huge new film production studio called Unity studios would be built on aproximately 104 acres of land in my hometown of Allen Park. It's expected to bring 3,500 badly needed technical jobs to the area. Read more about the project here. I'll be keeping my eye on this one. Maybe someday I'll be able to move back home to good old A.P. Who would have thought?!

Concept images of the new Unity Studios.

Feeding My Obsession

2009-04-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

Recently I decided to take another animation class to push my skills in acting amongst other things. I was able to take a class at Gnomon for free through the employee training program in the state of California with the help of Rhythm and Hues. It seemed like a great opportunity, so I thought, why not? I'm glad I decided to do it. The class is being taught by Chris Kirshbaum, an animator at Dreamworks. And the best part? Theres only 4 people in the class, including myself. So I'm getting lots of personal critiques and mentoring. I couldn't be happier. I am super busy at work on They Came from Upstairs right now, but hopefully I will be able to put some time into this class and really improve in the next few months. So this clip is the first blocking pass of our first assignment in Chris's class. It needed to be short and have two people acting. I've been dedicated to learning all I can this summer and between the new Walt Stanchfield books I just picked up, and the class and overtime at work... I think I should be doing pretty well. Hopefully I wont run myself into the ground. What can I say.. Its an obsession.

Marker and Newsprint

2009-04-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

Did these quick character sketches last week while watching some bad reality tv shows. As a quick update, I know that jvportfolio.com is down right now and I'm working with my friend Dan to make a better homepage for my work. So when thats done I will post the link. Work is winding down on Night at the Museum 2 right now. I should be finished with it by the end of the week at least.

Late Night Drawing Salon, March

2009-03-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

I didn't stay that long at the drawing salon this month, Melissa and I had a pajama party to go to. Ha!But I did get one decent drawing in before we left to go play twister.

Wild Things trailer looks AWESOME!

2009-03-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

I loved this book as a kid and I think Spike Jonze is gonna do it justice! I cant wait to see this!

Monsters vs. Aliens

2009-03-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

I got the chance to check out Monsters vs. Aliens last night at an advance screening in Hollywood thanks to some friends at work. It had some fun characters, lots of action and tsome great stereoscopic 3D effects. Some of the gags made me groan, but overall, the story moved at a good pace. I think kids are going to love this one.

There was a Q&A with the director and animation director after the show, and I got to ask about the challenges associated with animating for a film shown in 3D. The answer? - 3D made it harder to cheat the action for the camera, and that characters' eyelines had to be spot on. They went on to talk about the decisions they made as far as the story and scope of the film was concerned and what other challenges they faced during production.

So if you are in the mood for an action/scifi monster movie in 3D,the film comes out friday.

Where the Wild Things Are - First Photos

2009-03-23T10:59:00.000-07:00

I just caught this on firstshowing.net which has a whole group of photos released from the Spike Jonze directed version of "Where the Wild Things Are". Theres many things that I'm excited about in this film, but the best part is the Wild Things. I'm glad they decided to use guys in costumes, rather than trying to do it all with visual effects. I mean I like cg as much as the next guy (obviously) but some things are better left to reality. The faces are animated though, which should make for a very convincing look. So go check out the photos and article on Firstshowing!

Life in Technicolor

2009-03-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

I've been loving this song lately.. Its an extended version of the song on Coldplay's Viva la Vida album.

Watch the Watchmen!

2009-03-09T19:49:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I went with a few people to check out the Watchmen. We saw it at the cinema dome at Arclight Hollywood, which was a cool experience in itself. That theater is huge! Anyway, theres been a lot of opinions thrown around about this film from the very beginning of its production. It was deemed unfilmable and even scrapped after a few false starts. Its based on a very influential graphic novel of which I read the majority. So coming into the film I had the perspective of someone familiar with the characters and the themes from the graphic novel but also the curiosity of a newcomer. The real question was how do you make a film for both groups of viewers? The ones who want to see their beloved comic book come to life true to form, and those who just wanted to see a super-hero movie. In the end, I think it was difficult to satisfy both. As a movie goer, I really actually enjoyed this film. I think its easy to get caught up in the back story of a film production and miss the point of movies in the first place - entertainment. I decided to put aside what I knew about the film and just come into it with an open mind. Sure some parts could have been better. The subtle nuances of the novel's subplots are lost, and certain performances leaving you disappointed. If you just sit back and enjoy the visual aspect of the film and invest what you can into the characters, (Rorsach was great!) then you will enjoy this film more. I would say to go see it despite what you've heard. Yoou might be surprised.

New UP trailer..

2009-03-06T16:06:00.000-08:00

Every trailer Pixar releases for Up just seems to get better and better. Check out the animation on the dog in this newest trailer. They nailed it! Cant wait for this movie, it looks great.

Matt & Kim - Daylight

2009-03-05T18:00:00.000-08:00

I heard this song a couple months back on KCRW here in LA, and meant to write down the name. Of course I forgot. Luckily I ran across it today while looking through upcoming shows at the Henry Fonda Theater. These guys are playing with Cut Copy later this month, but unfortunately both shows are sold out. Good to see that people are still paying to see good music. Sucks that I didnt find out about that show sooner. But hey, I remembered the name of that song I loved on the radio. Here it is:

Late Night Drawing Salon - February

2009-03-02T22:19:00.000-08:00

I had a chance to attend the Late Night Drawing Salon in downtown LA a couple weeks ago, and this is the result. I heard about it a while back and finally made the time to head down there to check it out with Lindsay. It was really awesome. Its a figure drawing salon run out of a loft down town just off the 10 in strip club country. Its a $10 suggested donation, and they have a bar setup along with a DJ. Its held once a month or so and its great practice. I can wait to go again. More info on events like this can be found at illustration.org.

Terminator Salvation Trailer

2009-03-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

Just saw this trailer for the latest terminator installment. I have to say - it looks better than I expected. I might have to go check this one out.

Yankee Gal: Amazing short film

2009-02-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

Produced at Supinfocom Aniamtion School in France. Beautiful work all around! The art direction and style of this piece along with the precise story telling and stunning visuals make it very unique. Check it out!

Best. Acceptance Speech. EVARRR!!

2009-02-23T09:21:00.000-08:00

Kunio Kato For Best Animated Short - La Maison en Petits Cubes

This one definitely deserved the oscar. Great film! Watch it if you haven't yet:

See the full list of winners here.

Coraline: Review

2009-02-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

I finally had the chance to catch Coraline with Melissa on Saturday night. All I can say is uhhh-mazing! This film is beautiful and entertaining. Its worth seeing in 3d too, it wasn't too distracting. The detail in the facial animation blew me away. And as a side note, I found it funny that she's from Michigan. Go see it, you wont be disappointed!
Also, check out the panel discussion about the crew's creative process on the film:

Creative Stop Motion

2009-02-11T19:56:00.000-08:00

I've found quite a few creative stop motion animations on the web recently and thought I would share them on here.

love the dog in this one! Thanks for the link Will..

Everything about this one is awesome!

The depth and inovation in this one are very cool.

Make little changes to earth..

2009-02-03T17:07:00.000-08:00

I have been diggin this album from scottish band Frightened Rabbit for the last couple weeks now and I thought I would share it on the blog since I haven't been doing monthly music finds lately. This video for the single "Heads Roll Off" makes me smile. I love how kids will dance to anything. Anytime, anywhere. You wanna dance? Kids are always down. How sweet is that?

Feeling Contemplative

2009-01-23T09:45:00.000-08:00

If I could find a video to help describe my angle on my career and life in general, I'd be hard pressed to find something better than these two videos by Sigur Ros. I've always loved this band's eclectic and unique orchestration, but these videos spoke to me in a way that I just had to share them here on the blog. In a way they represent my feelings about animation. Working in this field is a crazy journey and there's been moments where I just had to jump off the deep end and have faith that everything would turn out ok. My reward for this had been the ability to live a life in which I never really have to grow up completely. I'm never more than a few frames away from my childhood in a way. I can stay connected to my imagination and push it everyday if I choose to. That, I feel, is the real key to staying young and enjoying life. It's easy to get burned out, and I've been feeling a bit of that lately. Looking at videos like these always help me to find more inspiration and to keep on plugging away.

Enjoy. Happy Friday!

Oscar Nominees Announced

2009-01-22T09:34:00.000-08:00

The nominees for this year's Oscars have been announced. Check them out here.

Recent late night scribbles...

2009-01-21T23:32:00.000-08:00

Maybe a new idea for a painting? We'll see..

Melissa wants a french bulldog bad. Like really bad. All I can do for now is draw her pictures of them until we have the place to keep one.

Top Albums of 2008

2009-01-12T11:22:00.000-08:00

The music blog Zeitgeist has released a list of the top 50 albums of 2008 according to its blogging community. The best part is - you can listen to each album in its entirety! Very cool, although I'm not sure I agree with the #1 album. Happy 2009!

Bloc Party in stop motion

2008-12-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

Bloc Party - One Month Off

I just came across this video from Bloc Party for their new single off of "Intimacy". It combines some retro looking stop motion with classic fables and modern themes to create a pretty interesting juxtaposition.

Fireworks

2008-12-11T21:26:00.000-08:00

Started a new one...

Updates: Band Together

2008-12-09T19:48:00.000-08:00

I've been pushing through the rigging phase of the short lately. 3 of the characters have body rigs and 2 have face rigs as of right now. I was hoping to get all 4 main characters done by the new year, but that seems like it might not happen now. I am happy with my progress overall though. I finally have some animation to show! Check it out:

And.. if you hadn't noticed already, the film has a logo! Its about time it had one of those..

First Image: "Cloudy"

2008-12-09T15:05:00.000-08:00

Cinema Blend just posted the first image from "Cloudy with a chance for Meatballs" the upcoming film from Sony pictures animation. The character designs are interesting. I'm not sure that I like the hands but the faces and bodies look pretty cool and stylized. I cant wait to see them in motion. You can read the full article here.

Gobelins Student Films

2008-12-08T10:39:00.000-08:00

The latest batch of student films from French animation school Gobelins is online now. As usual, its awesome stuff!

Animated News and updates

2008-12-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

Hey, I hope everybody had a good Thanksgiving. I am working away on Night at the Museum 2 right now, but I wanted to take a timeout and update the blog with a few cool animated trailers that are floating around the web right now. I had the chance to see Bolt when it came out last week and I really liked it. Its too bad its not doing better at the box office. I'll be back with some more stuff from Band Together soon. I've been working on it quite a bit lately.
Coraline:

Tralier:

Making of featurette:

Astro Boy:

Also, the Annie Award Nominees have been announced for this year, check em out. Thats it for now!

Band Together: Progress Update

2008-11-09T23:19:00.000-08:00

For the last 3 weeks or so I have been working on Band Together almost full time. I've made a lot of great progress during that time. I finished this concept art for the Cave Oasis in the story last week. I've been able to finish all the models, as well as a few rigs. In fact there is only 1 rig that I havent started and that should go fast at this point. I started doing some test animation on the first versions of the rigs and its looking promising. I am shooting to have all of the rigs done, weighted and ready to go by the end of the year so I can concentrate on the visual story telling and animation style starting in 2009. Its been almost a whole year since this project started, and I am enjoying every minute of it now. I can't wait to get these characters moving. More updates soon!

Oblivious

2008-11-09T23:13:00.000-08:00

"Oblivious" acrylic on canvas

Finally finished this piece over the weekend after a nice week long vacation. Back to work tomorrow!

Painting for the People

2008-10-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

Heres a look at the piece I did last night live in Long Beach at Downbeat Lounge. Oil paint pens and pencil on acrylic:

"Media Mogul" 2008

UPDATE:
Heres a few more pictures taken By my good friend Ryann

Live Art: Thursday Oct. 9th in the L.B.C.

2008-10-06T23:21:00.000-07:00

This Thursday, come on down to Long Beach and enjoy some good drinks and music while I bust out some original paintings live! Its the first time I have done something like this, so it should be interesting to say the least. One of my good friends DJ Supah C, will be spinning that night. That's worth the trip right there. So come check it out!

Character Model Progress: Elder

2008-10-05T22:31:00.000-07:00

I have been working pretty hard on Band Together lately. I actually finished this model a few weeks ago, but decided to keep working on some details. I think its pretty close now. This guy is the Tiwi tribe Elder, and calls the shots for the group. Hence the sweet hat. The textures on him are very preliminary, but the color should be similar in the final version. I have a few more details to add to the rest of the models, (teeth, mouth interiors, ect.) but they are all done. I've moved on to the rigging process and I am currently looking for a good modeler to help with the sets. Then its on to story reels and tweaking. I cant wait!

The original concept art for the Elder

Z-Trip Obama Mix

2008-10-02T12:59:00.001-07:00

DJ Z-Trip ( one of my all -time favorites) just released a mix that he's been doing for different Obama beinifits in the L.A. area. Its free for download here. Enjoy and spread the word!

Monthly Find: September

2008-09-25T22:22:00.000-07:00

This month's song of interest was a real find. I got to check out the Submarines as they opened for the Brazlian Girls last night at the Wiltern in L.A. Their sound in warm and inviting with a certain playfulness that I can really appreciate. Their song You, Me and the Burgeoise is awesome. And it's my favorite song pick for the month. I should note also that Bloc Party just came out with a new album. You can buy and download it from their site now, before its store release in October. I've already done that and its awesome!

Deadheads!

2008-09-16T16:52:00.000-07:00

Deadheads is a new horror/comedy tells the tale of a zombie on a quest for long lost love and the answer to mystery of his untimely death. This project is a labor of love for two brothers from the Detroit area, Drew and Brett Pierce. They just put out a teaser for the film and it looks like a lot of fun so far. Check out their website for more about the project. In the meantime, check out the teaser:

DeadHeads Iceman Teaser from Brett Pierce on Vimeo.

A little kick in the pants

2008-09-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

I've come across a few really cool animated videos online recently through my constant blogosphere scouring. I thought I would collect them here in one post so they can hopefully do for you the same thing they do for me - give a little motivational kick in the pants.
Oktapodi

oktapodi from inkman on Vimeo.

The unnatural history of Wall Street
http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=5289f5128a10cb48b74da764a9c1e0373c00f994

Nike: Sanders Nieto
http://www.paranoidus.com/projects.php?p=253

The making of a supervisor

2008-09-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

Theres an article over on CGtalk right now about my current supervisor Matt Logue. He is a great guy and fun to work with. Its definitely a good read.

By the way, today marks the one year anniversary for this blog. Time flies eh? Thanks for stopping by!

Viva la Mexico

2008-09-01T16:33:00.001-07:00

IMG_2808
Originally uploaded by JPVA_LA

So its been a minute since my last post, but this is why: Melissa and I went on a week long cruise down to Mexico. We stopped in Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Porta Vallarta. It was great! The week after I got back I had arthroscopic knee surgery to repair some torn cartildge in my right knee. On top of the, Cirque du Freak is into its final weeks of production so that mean crunch time! I'll have some more updates coming soon, but for now, ejoy the pictures I took in Mexico. (This is only a few, alot are still witing to be uploaded.)

Monthly Find: August

2008-08-07T22:35:00.001-07:00

This month's musical find is coming a bit early but I couldnt wait to share this one. Brazilian Girls came out with a new album recently. The song Good Time reminds me why I love music so much. Its my monthly find.

Oh yeah, and the Dark Knight...

2008-07-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

I went to see the latest Batman installment a couple weeks ago when it opened. I even got to see it in IMAX in Las Vegas with a bunch of friends. I didnt write anything about it because it seems pretty pointless... theres so many reviews and stuff about it online already that it really didnt make sense to do another one. So I'll keep it real short. Lets just say that I liked it. A lot. And the IMAX was awesome. Well worth it. I'm just waiting to see what kind of records it breaks next..

BBC Olympics Coverage

2008-07-24T11:50:00.001-07:00

Jamie Hewlett (Tank Girl, Gorillaz) Has created a series of characters to promote the Beijing Olympics on the BBC network. There are some animated sequences as well as desktop applications to promote the games. Hewlett has got to be one of my favorite artists. Hopefully we'll see more of this in the future. Check it out

Monthly Find: July - MGMT

2008-07-22T11:16:00.001-07:00

This song is definitely my musical crush for this month. Enjoy.

Watchmen Trailer, a day early

2008-07-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

Not sure how long this will be up, so check it quick! Plays in front of the Dark Knight this weekend..

http://io9.com/5026402/watch-how-faithful-watchmen-will-be

Sketching in Motion

2008-07-16T23:59:00.000-07:00

Beast Run from John Vassallo on Vimeo.
Running beastie, done in plastic animation paper. Wish I could get it to loop in vimeo. Oh well.

Remix Artist Collective, Volume I

2008-07-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

I found this mix just the other day on Stereogum. Artists include Bloc Party Ra Ra Riot and Chromeo. It represents a growing trend of free online mixtapes which are popping up online. There was a similar mix released by Ratatat a few months ago covering some true gangster rap. These mixes are free to download legally. Viva freedom! You can also listen to it right here if you want:

Here's an excerpt of the liner notes from R.A.C. creator André Allen Anjos:
One of the main reasons I started RAC was out of frustration with the current remix scene. I was just plain bored with the lack of variety at the time. Things have definitely come along just in the past year or so with more and more bands remixing each others songs. I strive to create remixes for music lovers who want to hear the song re-invented, not just re-interpreted and chopped up. I hope people experience the original songs in a different way that not only complements the original, but takes them somewhere else.

Have a great weekend!

Character Model Progress: Chi

2008-07-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

He's the Hero of Band Together. Now he's also done being modeled. woot!

Gotcha

2008-07-09T21:26:00.001-07:00

A couple new paintings underway...

2008-07-07T18:56:00.000-07:00

Watchout for them squids, they just come outta nowhere..

Flickr set from Seattle

2008-06-30T20:54:00.001-07:00

Seattle_engagement_08 029
Originally uploaded by JPVA_LA

I finally posted a few of the photos from my recent trip to Seattle. Theres more to come once I get around to uploading the other camera.

New Bolt Trailer

2008-06-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

The latest animated film from Disney has a new trailer out. Looks pretty cool!

Character Model Progress: Golath

2008-06-23T22:56:00.001-07:00

This guy is the antagonist of the story for Band Together. I am still making some progress on the project even though I have'nt posted anything about it lately. Most characters are in the final stages of modeling. I'll be showing more of them pretty soon.

Radiohead Animation Contest Finalists

2008-06-18T11:59:00.001-07:00

Animboom has narrowed the field of contestants down to 13 entries in the Radiohead music video contest. Go check them out and vote until June 30. There are some really nice creative entries in there!

Monthly Find, June (birthday edition): Mates of State

2008-06-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

There is a great new album out from Mates of State. I am digging the first couple singles. Although they sound a bit like Death Cab, theres a unique flavor to this band that I love. Check out their video for "Get Better" right here:

Oh ya, and its my birthday, woo! Its been a good week.

Hulk Opens Strong

2008-06-14T15:27:00.001-07:00

I had a chance to check out the film yesterday for the first time on opening night with the whole family. We enjoyed it and critics have been giving it decent reviews. I worked on the University Raid sequence and also a shot in the final fight where Hulk stabs the Abomination. Heres the trailer and some other stuff..

2 o'clock Critics - The Incredible Hulk from RedFence on Vimeo.

Go check it out! I hope everybody enjoys it, we all put alot of work into this one.

Engaged!!!

2008-06-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I was lucky enough to get engaged to the girl of my dreams during a hike on Orcas Island near Seattle. I am so happy to be sharing my life with Melissa. She is my best friend and makes my life exciting. I am looking forward to doing her laundry for the next 50 years.

Bigger Faster Stronger

2008-05-31T12:25:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to check out a screening of this documentary film at the Arclight in Hollywood last night. Bigger Fast Stronger takes a hard look at steroid use in American culture and how it affects our self image. Its a very thought provoking and well laid out story told through one family's struggle with the moral and ethical implications of doping. Its a very socially responsible film which allows the viewers to really make up their own minds about the issues presented. It had 100% on rotten tomatoes yesterday when it opened in LA and New York, which is amazing. I really feel like it earned this mark and I'm not just saying that because one of my good high school friends Brian Singbiel was the editor on this project. It really is eye opening. Everyone should check out this film. Here is the trailer:

Big Buck Bunny: Open source aniamtion

2008-05-31T12:14:00.000-07:00

*I posted this video a couple weeks ago, but it turned out that it hadn't been officially released yet, so now that it has, I am re-posting. Enjoy!

Big Buck Bunny from Blender Foundation on Vimeo.

This project was created completely with software available for free on the internet. Pretty amazing. The story animation and rendering are top notch. It shows money does not create good movies. For more information about the film, go here.

Presto, a Pixar article

2008-05-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

There is an awesome article over on awn.com about the new Pixar short "Presto", which will play in front of Wall-E in June. It details the creative process that was utilized to bring this slap-stick comedy to life. Its a good read.

*EDIT*
Just saw this clip on cartoon brew from Presto. Looks awesome!

A Little Aniversary

2008-05-26T22:36:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day and the week following it mark a special anniversary for me. During this week, five years ago, I moved to LA from my hometown of Allen Park, Michigan to start my adventure in Hollywood.

Looking back, its been quite a journey. I wasnt even 22 yet and fresh out of college. Starting out, I was living on couches and scraping to get by. I rediscovered my love for animation and found out who I really was.

The best part of it all is the variety of creative, passionate, inspirational, and crazy people I have met along the way. They make my life worthwhile. Even if they are miles away or right next to me at work everyday, I am so happy to have them all in my life. So thank you to all my friends for keeping my life rich.

I am very fortunate to have everything that I have, and continue to take nothing for granted. I cant wait to see what the next five years will bring.

My latest animation reel

2008-05-25T14:44:00.001-07:00

Animation Demo Reel from John Vassallo on Vimeo.

My character animtion demo reel for 2008.

Monthly Find:May

2008-05-25T14:38:00.001-07:00

This month, I came across this band courtesy of one of my fellow animators at work. Its his brother's band. I really liked both the video and the song so here it is: The Sam Roberts Band, "Them Kids"

DA da DA DA!! Indy makes his return to the big screen

2008-05-24T15:06:00.001-07:00

I went into this movie really excited. I had high hopes. Maybe too high. I mean come on - its been 20 years since this franchise was in theaters, but the impression it left on my generation is profound. Would it live up to my expectations?

I went to see this film on Friday, a day after its long anticipated release. It opened well, everything felt right, but then, it happened. About 3/4 of the way through the picture, after stretching the already loose sense of reality that is the Indiana Jones legacy, Shia LeBouf got snarled in a dense tangle of vines and began to swing from one vine to another, along with a family of monkeys. At that point, I was taken out of the film. Really? He's really swinging like Tarzan above the jungle? And he lands perfectly amidst an ongoing car chase/battle? Give me a break. I had to laugh. At that moment, the movie jumped the shark and the rest of the ocean and never really looked back. The plot continued to get more and more ridiculous and as much as I enjoyed watching it, I dont think I would sit through it again. Or maybe my hopes were a little too high.

Wall Painted Animation

2008-05-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

This is amazing! Just thinking about how long this must have taken...wow!

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Go Speed Racer

2008-05-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

(image: yahoo movies)

In keeping up with the summer movie season, I went to check out Speed Racer this past weekend, the new anime adaptation from the Wachowski "siblings". Although it got a good deal of bad press and only pulled in a lousy 20 Million at the box office over the weekend, I actually like this movie quite a bit.

The pure imagination that went into this film is what really struck me about it. I was thinking to myself while I was watching it - "This is so impossible. A car could never do that, the G force would be too much, gravity doesnt work like that...etc." But thats what makes it so great! If you are going to go over the top on a movie, go all the way. And thats just what the Wachowskis did. You dont go to see an action adventure movie like this hoping that it could all take place in the real world. Its an escape. A glimpse into another universe.

Speed Racer was fun and worth seeing in the theater if not for the colors, then for experience of the speed and danger that it brings to the screen. Don't take my word for it though, you can watch the first 8 minutes online courtesy of yahoo movies.

Iron Man

2008-05-04T23:23:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty excited to see Iron Man for a little while now, at least a couple months. On friday night I finally had the chance to see it with a bunch of friends, and it didnt disappoint! I loved this movie. It was action packed from start to finish, with enough of a storyline to keep it going. I had the feeling that this movie was going to be big. It turns out the it did around 100 million in ticket sales this opening weekend. I can only hope Hulk, Marvel's second movie produced will do as well. The new trailer played in front of Iron man and it got a pretty good response. Its gonna be a great summer movie season with Indiana Jones and Speed Racer coming up as well. I cant wait!

A Freaky New Project

2008-04-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

After nearly six months on Incredible Hulk, I am moving to a new project and staying with Rhythm and Hues. The new one is called Cirque Du Freak. I chose it because it looks interesting. It should be a fun movie to work on. So far its been great.

Artistic Capitalism

2008-04-28T16:39:00.001-07:00

I've never been a big fan of commercials. Our culture is saturated with them. However,the Zune arts campaign rides the thin line between art and advertising in a really interesting way. By commissioning different and unique films loosely related to music and the Zune itself, Microsoft has allowed some cool little spots to be created. Since it ultimately fosters creativity and animation, I decided to post a couple of my favorite ones.

Monthly Find: April

2008-04-24T17:45:00.001-07:00

Its coming up on the end of April already, hard to believe. So here is my monthly music discovery. I owe this one to my good friend Marie all the way out in NYC. Everybody Else is from LA and was chosen as the Alternative Press's "100 bands to know in 2007". They have a sound that reminds me of weezer in a good way. So check em out on Purevolume. If you have a suggestion for the monthly find, email me about it!

New Wall-E Featurette

2008-04-17T09:23:00.001-07:00

Andrew Stanton talks about the character he has created for the latest Pixar film due out this summer. This reminds me of an article that I've read and re-read numerous times on the awn website about Pixar's story process. If you haven't read it yet and you are interested in story development, definitely take a look at it here.

Environment Concept art

2008-04-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

Here is the first in a series of concept work for Band Together, my short animated film. The story takes place in a jungle gripped by a deep freeze. I have a few more drawings done that I ned to paint up in photoshop, and I will have more time when Hulk finishes next week, so expect to see more soon.

Monthly Find: March

2008-03-27T09:55:00.001-07:00

The monthly find for March is going to be a two-fer. First I wanted to share this video from Yael Naim. Its the song used in the new Macbook air commercial, and if you're like me, you wanted to hear the rest of the song and not just the 15 seconds they play in the commercial. The video is cute, in a whimsical sort of way and doesnt take itself too seriously. I think thats why I like it. Second, check out this song from Matt Costa, former skateboard pro turned singer/songwriter who recently signed to Jack Johnson's music label, Brushfire records. This may be old news to some, but I found it this month, so its my Monthly Find.

Louis Leterrier talks Incredible Hulk: Empire Magazine

2008-03-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

The director of the new Incredible Hulk talks about his approach to the super hero flick on Empire magazine's website. Theres a few blow by blow descriptions of the trailer and a few insights as well.

Fanboys Unite!! Hulk is coming..

2008-03-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

So I can finally share a little bit about the project that has been taking up most of my time lately. I've been working hard on this since December and it will premiere in June. Enjoy!

Character Concepts

2008-03-07T15:40:00.000-08:00

These are some of the first concepts I did for Band Together. The look of the Golath character is still evolving a bit, but its almost done. Some of the models are already started and the concepts for the environment are being developed as well.

All Points West Lineup Anounced

2008-02-27T19:51:00.000-08:00

I didn't get a chance to post this until today, but the lineup for the new goldenvoice concert being dubbed "the east coast coachella" has been announced. It features two nights of Radiohead as a headliner and will take place in New Jersey. I think I'm interested. Anybody else want to go?

...And the winner is:

2008-02-25T09:02:00.000-08:00

Sunday brought a whole list of winners. For me the most exciting win of the night was Rhythm's win for Best visual effects in Golden Compass. Even though I didnt work on it, I'm still proud of everyone here that did! Congrats!

The Monthly Find: Young Punx

2008-02-24T11:23:00.001-08:00

What's this? A new section on the Exposition blog? A monthly reminder that there are some great bands out there waiting to be discovered. I found the Young Punx through a few online articles and their myspace page. They have a pretty interesting electronic mashup sound that borrows from House, D&B, rock and other influences, along with a strange facsination with clowns. Yeah... you just have to check it out.

Anouncing: Band Together

2008-02-15T16:06:00.001-08:00

Over the Christmas break this year I had a lot of stories running through my head. Traveling across the country always seems to stoke my imagination. I always get the urge to do a short film and since the time is never going to be just right, I decided to go for it.

The story I wrote during the vacation became "Band Together". This will be the basis for my short. It follows the story of Chi, the smallest in a tribe of tiny little forest creatures. They are being starved by a giant beast which guards the source of their food. Chi has to find the strength to unite the tribe in their quest for food. Their fate depends on trusting one another and to defeat the larger, stronger, hungrier beast.

The drawing above was the first one I did as the story developed in my head. The look I am going for is kind of a "Dr. Seuss" meets "Where the Wild Things Are". I have some concept drawings done for the characters and I will post them once I get the color versions done. I've been really busy at work but I've stayed motivated and will continue to work on this as much as I can.

If there is anyone interested in getting involved with this project, get in contact with me - jvass@jvportfolio.com. I could use some modelers and environment artists to get this project moving.

And the Nominees are:

2008-01-22T10:18:00.001-08:00

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning. Pirates got a nod for best visual effects! Even though I had only a very small part in this film, its still cool that it got a nomination. Surf's Up got a nomination for best animated film. Juno got a nomination for best picture. The Golden Compass got a nomination for visual effects as well. Congrats to Rhythm and the team of people that worked on that film.

The Lineup

2008-01-21T17:51:00.001-08:00

This lineup appeared on an LA times article late this afternoon. There are a few cool acts on there although I have seen most of the ones I want to already. Melissa and I have been thinking about skipping Coachella and going on a different vacation this year. We'll see what happens.

The Orphanage

2008-01-21T17:50:00.001-08:00

I dont usually go to the movies on Monday night. Last Monday night was different. I went to see this film at the West side Pavillion with Melissa and a few other people from work. I have to say it was well worth it! What a film. It is produced by the same guy who directed Pan's Labrinyth and carries alot of the same intensity. The story is a dark twist on the Peter Pan fable. It does a great job of creating a scary and intense experience without resorting to obscene violence and gore. Eli Roth should take note. I give it 5 out of 5 stars. Go see this one!

Just a few drawings

2008-01-13T15:13:00.001-08:00

From the figure drawing class I was taking recently at R&H.

Father and Daughter

2008-01-10T16:57:00.001-08:00

I've been looking at alot of short animated films in my free time lately. This one stood out to me. It has good animation, great style and a touching story. Thats a hard combination to accomplish.

Happy New Year!!

2008-01-07T09:45:00.001-08:00

What a trip! I just got back from my second trip to Michigan in as many months. It was one of the best visits I've had in a while. After a week or so I was ready to get back to LA but seeing family always helps to put things in perspective. I also got to see alot of good friends from high school college. I had a chance to meet up with my good friend Ryan Pretzer. I've been friends with him since, well.. lets just say that our parents knew each other before we were born. Thats a long time. He works as a sports writer for the Pistons now and gave me the chance to come and check out a game from his point of view. It was amazing. I got a tour of the Palace of Auburn Hills and got to go "backstage" as the Pistons took on the Indiana Pacers. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love the Pistons, so this was a huge thing for me. Here's a couple picutres from my time there. I hope everyone had a good New Year. Good luck in 2008.

A Chance to Deliver

2007-12-20T15:33:00.000-08:00

Last week I took some time out from my latest project at R&H to pay a holiday visit to a local L.A. school. Rhythm has been sponsoring an annual toy drive for the 66th street school in Los Angeles every year for the last four or five years now. I had the chance to go deliver those toys with a group of people from the studio. We had a blast. The kids did a rendition of a Christmas song and we got to participate in some crafts projects. Donating to a drive like this is one thing, but actually interacting with the kids who were so excited to be the recipients of the toys was even better. What a great way to start your day. To see more pictures from the day, click here. All photos by Phil Holland.

I'm off to Chicago tomorrow morning and then on to Detroit to visit family for Christmas. I'll be back in LA for New Years. Merry Christmas!

Who is the real critic?

2007-12-16T23:24:00.000-08:00

Early last week, the reviews started coming in for Alvin and the Chipmunks. Now I will admit that the film is nothing groundbreaking. It is however, made for a specific target audience. An audience I think it reached.
The film took in an estimated 45 million dollars at the box office this weekend. Its a very strong showing for a film most figured would only gross half of that in total.
I'm glad to have had a part in this film. Seeing it in the theater with a hundred screaming kids was great! They loved it. It felt good to know that someone was enjoying all the hard work put into this film. That was rewarding. Thats why I love animation! It reaches people. It doesnt matter to me if those people happen to be 3 year olds.
The film is actually better than you would expect. Like I said, its nothing spectacular to be sure, but give it a chance before you bash it. You might be surprised.

First time for everything

2007-12-05T12:22:00.000-08:00

So I finally "finished" my first ever hand drawn, 2D animation. I took advantage of the 11 second club contest as a motivation and produced this little piece of work over a couple weeks last month. It was quite a challenge. My final score for the contest wasnt as high as I had hoped, but it was my first time entering the contest too. It was a good learning experience and I got to draw alot. I am thinking about continuing work on it sometime in the future to make it good enough to put on my new reel.

Download my creatures

2007-11-12T10:05:00.000-08:00

So I had all of last week off from work. That gave me just enough time to do a few things that I've been meaning to do. One of those things was laundry. Another one of those things was to share some of my creature rigs online. There is a Quadrupedal creature and a deer (for the creature to eat of course). Check them out on Highend3D.com. Let me know if you enjoy them, and send me animations if you make some with them!

What is Animation?

2007-11-07T17:57:00.000-08:00

This seems like a pretty staight forward question. Thanks to newer technology, many people are having a hard time definig just what qualifies as an "animated" film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is having the same troubles, especially when it comes to nominating films in this year's animated category. This article in Variety describes the truly difficult question of what defines an animated film these days.