Max Winston's Art and Such

Red Cut-outs

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:49:00 +0000

I cut out pieces of red paper and drew on them last night.

3-word movie review:
Attack the Block
MODERN, ROARING, AWESOME

WOODS! ONLINE!

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 03:58:00 +0000

Hi. After about 3 years (wow, that long?), I have finally put my film "I Live in the Woods!" On the grand ol' internet. Here it is, or you can click the picture on the right for the vimeo page. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not for kids.

Also, Rondal over at Strange Kids Club gave the film a nice review recently. Which is even partly what made me finally put this thing online! Click here for it.

3 - word movie review
Hobo with a Shotgun (2011)
PUNK ROCK DANGEROUS

Metronomy "the look" music video

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 03:09:00 +0000

Hey. I recently finished working on this music video for the band Metronomy. My friend John Joyce and I made the puppets and props, then we both animated it. The video was directed by Lorenzo Fonda, and shot by Justin Gurnari. It was a fun project to work on.

And here's timelapse footage of us (mostly me, sorry John) animating it!

And here's ol' Johnny boy working on the puppets.

And here's an eyeball. Before we changed the design.

3 - word movie review
Suck (2009)
SILLY, CORNBALL, ROCKIN'

Strawberry comic

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 03:25:00 +0000

I drew this a few years ago, but was sifting through old files and thought it was kewel. These were just stream of consciousness, no planning, straight ahead. Made it for my friend who was putting together a collection of comics that I don't think will be published anymore, hmmm... Click to make it bigger!

PS - the page format was supposed to be 7"x7", that's why there's a line down the center. Fun stuff. Fun's tuff.

Hey, does anyone have tips on making a website? I need one!

3 - word movie review
The Illusionist (2010)
SAD, PRETTY, FUNNY

Community Christmas Special

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 01:43:00 +0000

Hello all, some "old" news here. Few months old. I animated on NBC's comedy show "Community". While it's normally a live-action show, they chose to use stop-motion for the Christmas episode, in true "American Christmas special" fashion. It was fun, I got to work alongside some really amazing and talented animators, and other sorts of folks.

I'm not sure if there's anywhere to watch the full episode online, but click here for a preview scene from NBC.com

Here's a timelapse I shot with my phone of me animating one of my favorite shots I got to animate; a "Christmas Pterodactyl" swooping down and carrying this Wizard guy away into the distance.

3-word movie review
Maniac (1980)
TERRORIZING, INTIMATE, CARNAL

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 01:14:00 +0000

Wow, it's actually been half a year since I wrote on here! Ridiculous. I promise to fulfill my unspoken obligation to this blog more next year. In the meantime, I directed, animated, and well, most everything else-ed this Christmas short for JibJab. You can upload your own heads into the video here.

I uploaded photos of my family and our weird pug, take a look...

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

This was a really fun project, and the folks over at JibJab gave me a lot of creative freedom. They trusted me, even though I was making it in my garage away from any jurisdiction. Like uncharted waters. It was great working with them.

Here's some time - lapse videos of me animating it. Enjoy!

Have a Merry Christmas! And if you don't celebrate that, you're probably a weirdo anyways, so uh... have fun!

3-word movie review
127 Hours
CRINGEABLE, CONCENTRATIVE, SUPERHEROISH

Chowder and Flapjack puppets!

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 08:00:00 +0000

WOW! Long time, no post! Sorry. But you get a special surprise for your patience... Here's pictures of stop motion puppets I made for the Cartoon Network shows "Chowder" and "The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack". I really loved making puppets for both of these shows, they had great designs and were both very cartoony. I feel honored to have been able to make these puppets while these shows were on the air, for unfortunately, now both these shows have "ended production". It was fun while it lasted!

Here's a BUNCH of pictures. All puppets made with love at Screen Novelties.

"The Comb King" from Flapjack

"The Evil Comb King" from Flapjack

"Crazy Fruit" from Chowder

"Shark" from Flapjack

"Mushroom Monster" from Chowder

Mushroom Monster with the design

"Señiorita Mesquite" from Chowder

"Crab" from Flapjack (Made this with "Linda Lawrence". The sequence with this puppet was cut)

"Big Food" from Chowder

"Fish (or somethin)" from Flapjack. This fish steals K'nuckles' legs.

Last but not least... "Spongebob Skeleton" This puppet was used in the Spongebob 10th anniversary special intro that we did. Which is really cool... seek it out.

Well, there. There's all my secrets. Revealed. Kinda.

3-word movie review
SPLICE
REFRESHING, INFORMAL, WEIRD

BOOM

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:27:00 +0000

For some reason I couldn't sleep last night until I finished this. It's Tiny.

Being unemployed can have it's expected benefits...

3 - word movie review:
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
COURAGEOUS, WHIMSY, SLIPPERY

2010 AKA THE FUTURE

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:34:00 +0000

Welcome to 2010! So futuristic. I've been drawing a lot and trying to pitch some cartoon show ideas. Here's some drawings.

I doodled the above sorta-poster design recently while watching the film "I spit on your grave". I thought the film was very well done... but definitely NOT for the faint of heart! It is very extreme and messed up and disturbing. But if you're into that stuff, check it out, ha. Alright, have a good time.

3 - word movie review:
I Spit on Your Grave (1978)
TENDER, CRUSHING, TURBULENT

SK8ORDIE!

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:57:00 +0000

Hello fellows and fellowettes, here's a commercial I recently did the music for. Surrrrrre was fun. The visuals were done by my talented Japanese/Icelandic dynamic duo friends over at Magnuzaki studios. They truly are dynamic! Well, enjoy, Merry Fishmas to all and to all a food fight.

3-word movie review:
Joy Sticks
8BITASTIC, UNREAL, RIOTOUS

Commercials!?!?

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:33:00 +0000

Hey, it's been a while. Here's two commercials I animated on recently.

Orbit Gum - "Clean it Up"

The above Orbit commercial was directed by Ace Norton. The drawings in the video were done by GOON.

Other animators were: Musa Brooker, Sihanouk Mariona, Alex Kamer, Celeste Leipham, Nancy Parczyk, Melissa Goodwin.

Bonnaroo 2010

I animated this Bonnaroo promo. It was fun... and fast paced! I didn't do the swirly logo / picture thingies. This was made at Shadow Machine. Click on the videos to go to their respective pages and see em' full size!

Well, more cooler stuff coming up next time... secret puppets from the world of television.

3 - word movie review:
Where the Wild Things Are
DREARY, DISMAL, DEPRESSING

A Comic

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:20:00 +0000

Or something like that?

Also, this guy named John Ikuma has started publishing an online stop motion magazine that has some great interviews and such with talented folks. If you have any interest in stop motion, I recommend it.

Also, my girlfriend Winona Regan put a trailer up online for her fantastic film "Haunted Heart". It was traditionally hand animated and painted on cels. I did the soundtrack to it.

Have a sweaty swell time.

3 - word movie review:
District 9
REALLY WELL DONE

Japanese Kobe Toys

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:17:00 +0000

Here's some funny Japanese toys I recently stumbled across on ebay. Supposedly they are called "Kobe" or "Kobi" toys.

I think I literally jumped a little bit in shock when I saw that they're facial features pop out like that. Weird!

Here's one called "Teddy the Artist". He actually draws... Looks like you put a stencil in the bottom, and he draws it on the top? Sounds like fun.

3 - word movie review:
Bucket of Blood (1959)
CLEVER, FUNNY, PERCEPTIVE

Empire Muggs Back Taun Taun!

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:49:00 +0000

Hello. I recently got to participate in something pretty cool... Lucasfilm decided to do an online auction for charity, in which they chose a large handful of artists to modify these vinyl toys called "mighty muggs" into an interpretation of any star wars character of their choice. They call it "The Empire Muggs Back".

Luckily this happened while I was recently working at Shadow Machine animation, animating on their new show "Titan Maximum", because Lucasfilm asked a bunch of people from Shadow Machine to participate. Good timing!

I decided to go with a character from one of the most memorable shots in the whole series for me. I made the Taun Taun that Han Solo slices open, to warm Luke with it's steamy innards.

Here's a little guy, scared at the sight. Not sure who he's supposed to be actually... sort of like a Han/Luke hybrid../?

So it's up for auction for about seven more days... here's the link to mine directly, if you want to bid on it or something, eh? It's doing well so far, hopefully it'll raise a bunch of money, which will go to the Make - A - Wish foundation. Check out the other ones too, these artists did some pretty amazing stuff.

Oh yes, and soon I will have an artist profile / interview on starwars.com. I will edit this post with a link when that goes up. Horray for helping, yeeeeah!

3 - word movie review:
Hausu
PRE - ULTRAMODERN, STUNTASTIC, OTHERWORLDLY

Animation Show and Flapjack

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 06:59:00 +0000

Hello, it's been a while. You look different. But then again... don't we all? Deep. That's how I am. Deep.

In other news, I recently worked on a few storyboards for a great cartoon show "The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack". It's one of my favorite cartoons on TV right now, so it was a fun experience. Here's a story idea drawing I did one day. The idea didn't really make it into the show, so I assume it's ok if I post it here.

Cave!

Also, I was recently interviewed for "The Animation Show" website. I freaking love the animation show (A collection of animation that tours the country every few years), so this was cool, too! You can go read it and make fun of me for sounding like a dork later...

And finally, no, I did not receive one of the top 3 prizes for the student academy award. Had to throw that in here. But it was still an amazing feeling to be nominated!

Here's links to the ones that won, if you want to check em' out:
1 - Pajamas Gladiator
2 - Sebastian's Voodoo
3 - Kites

Enjoy (?)

3-word movie review:
Drag me to Hell
FANTASTIC, RELENTLESS, RECTIFYING

Student Academy Award!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Fri, 08 May 2009 09:18:00 +0000

Hello. Amazing News! My film "I Live in the Woods" has been nominated for a student academy award! I am amazed, and still a little shocked.

Also, I designed a new poster for my film. This one is more interesting than the last, which was just a still from the film. I wanted to take these things I like about interesting poster design and apply them to my own. Anyways.... here yeh go. Click to make it bigger.

3 - word movie review
Smiley Face
EXPERIENCED, HILARIOUS, SURPRISING

3 x 5 drawin's and such

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Sat, 02 May 2009 08:00:00 +0000

I haven't posted my own art in a while... I'm working on the cartoon show "The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack" right now as a storyboard artist, and these are some doodles I did yesterday in my spare time. My friend and fellow storyboard artist Somvilay Xayaphone introduced me to these brush pens which are very nice. I did these on 3x5 notecards with that pen, except for the last drawing... that one's bigger. Anyways... whoah!

3 - word movie review:
Repo: The Genetic Opera
UNIQUE, CLAMOROUS, CONFUSING

Movie posters for the masses!

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 08:37:00 +0000

Here's some discoveries I've come across recently that stood out.

Never seen the movie... but what a striking image! What's going on? I dunno, but it looks scary, powerful, and unique.

Japanese poster for Nightmare on Elm Street. What a weird design for a movie poster... why would you even do it this way? Just seems so confusing. Unfortunately most Japanese posters for American films I have seen seem to be this style. I kind of like it but I don't think it gets the point across.

Czech poster for Marathon Man.

Czech poster for Cat o' Nine Tails. I like how something as simple as overlaying these two images can create such an odd feeling for an image. I think if I saw this photoshopped though, I would be put off... Maybe it's the painted style that helps make the idea more believable.

Polish poster for The Big Lebowski. So funny! I love the guy saying "I just bought that car last week!". If I saw this poster I would instantly buy 17 tickets.

Turkish poster for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. This is so weird because it combines imagery from both this film and "The Shining". Look, there's Shelley Duvall on the left. Why? I don't know. To get people to come see those actors or something? Weird to imagine this technique being used on today's films...

American poster for Phantom of the Paradise. Love the composition, really does give the feel of this film. Alternately, check out...

THIS American poster for the same film. Very different, much more simple... but still conveys the darker side of the film. The representation of the main character is very different, too. Like sort of a cartoon in a real environment. Which the character sort of is in the film, too...

Anyways, fun stuff. I'm still wondering when film posters of the future will start learning from their past about the possibilities of representing the film's idea, story, and characters in a more interesting and convincing manner.

Also, if anyone wants to buy me the "greatest movie poster collection available anywhere" for $2,000,000 click here. I'm not kidding, check it out.

3 - word movie review
Lunacy
VISCERAL, BLASPHEMOUS, CARNAL

Horrible Photoshop jobs on multi - million dollar movies.

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:07:00 +0000

Maybe hollywood just doesn't like pets?

A better movie poster post to come soon... working like a DOG...

3 - word movie review:
Definitely not either of these
BECAUSE, IDONT, WANNAGOBLIND

Honorable Mention!

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 08:43:00 +0000

Hello friends and kind folk!

My film "I Live in the Woods" received an honorable mention last month at Sundance! The picture above is me at the premiere screening, giving my intro. A weird moment/pose to capture... I think I was telling some joke about a sandwich or something.

I was very surprised, amazed, and excited to receive the honorable mention. Some other shorts got them as well, including this totally insane short "Treevenge" from some awesome Canadian filmmakers, and "Western Spaghetti" by one of my favorite stopmotion filmmakers PES. Twas' an honor. able. mention.

You can no longer download the film on itunes, by the way. But maybe you'll see it I dunno, in a theater, in an airplane, or maybe one day, on the surface of the mooooooon???

3 - word movie review:
Coraline
ENTRANCING, BOLD, UNIQUE. (Bonus word: INSPIRING)

Sundance Update: Adam Elliot video letters

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 03:25:00 +0000

Hello, I'm up here at Sundance. Tis fun. The Sundance folks decided to do a "video letter" exchange between Academy - Award winning filmmaker Adam Elliot and I. Adam has a feature stopmotion film at Sundance, which opened the festival. The film is about two people, a man and a little girl, who are pen - pals. So Adam and I sent these video letters back and forth to each other prior to the festival, sort of mimicking the theme of his film, then they recorded us meeting for the first time at the festival.

Interesting idea! And it was fun. Adam is a very nice fellow. Here's links to the videos... check em' out! The first ones were a bit akward, but as we got further into the "letters" we loosened up a bit, they actually get pretty funny. There's some further insight into both of our films, as well.

Part 01

Part 02

To see the unedited versions of our "video letters" click here! They are about 2 minutes each.

Also, I'm not doing any 3 - word movie review while at Sundance... too many movies here! Maybe will review some later. Have fun, comrades...

Watch my film on itunes!

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:40:00 +0000

Watch "I live in the Woods!" on itunes for free, for the duration of the Sundance film festival! Check it out below... clicky clicky.

Also... review it, if you wish!

More weird ebay finds

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 09:54:00 +0000

I have recently deemed myself and ebay search guru. Basically I sometimes spend way to much time scrounging on ebay finding bizarre things, that are usually too expensive for me to buy, but fun to look at. Here's some recent discoveries...

Licorice Box

Russian Wind-Up toy

Pirate and Tiger-Thing mugs

Wind-Up Scary German Baby

Black Chef buddies

There's plenty more where these came from. Some are still for sale by the way... Don't get bit by the ebay bug, though. Snap...

I actually recently bought a set of audio cassette tapes by my favorite commercial evangelical preacher, Bob Larson. Which may soon be the subject of my next "Precious Joke" podcast... stay tuned.

3-word movie review:
The Shining
PACED, VISCERAL, VORTEX

Woods at Sundance 09!

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 04:51:00 +0000

"I Live in the Woods" has been invited to show at the Sundance 2009 film festival!

3 - word movie review:
Bolt (3d)
HAZE, SIMILAR, PIGEONY

New WOODS page!

noreply@blogger.com (Mad Max Winston) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:08:00 +0000

Hey, I know i've posted a lot about my film "I live in the Woods" on this blog... but there's more news about it. I now have a page on my website for the film. It has all kinds of cool stuff, including a bunch of "making of" pictures with descriptions. FUN!

Also, here is a video I put together of time-lapse footage I shot of myself animating while making the film.

I live in the Woods TIME LAPSE! from Max Winston on Vimeo.

In other film news... "I live in the Woods" recently won the "best international short" award at the Toronto After Dark film festival! That was awesome. Too bad I wasn't there. See yeh.

Oh, also, my film now has an IMDB page. Official! See it here.

3 - word movie review:
Starcrash
TOTALLY FREAKING BIZARRE