Aaron Augenblick, part 2
Only days ago, the first half of the Cold, Hard Flash interview with Aaron Augenblick went live. Now we’re back with part 2, where we learn all about the Augenblick Studio production method, Aaron’s thoughts on the future of 2D, and what would drive him to drink.
AARON SIMPSON: You and your team often draw straight into the computer with a Wacom tablet - are there any drawbacks to this method?
AARON AUGENBLICK: Not that I can see. We could not create the animations we do without having the directness of drawing right into the computer. I think my eyesight has gotten worse from staring at an electric hotbox all day. That’s probably a drawback.
SIMPSON: Does your team use the Cintiq tablets?
AUGENBLICK: That’s the ones we use.
SIMPSON: When laying out a sequence, how do you decide when it’s best to draw another pose, or simply re-use and move the various elements around within Flash?
AUGENBLICK: It’s a judgment call. In ‘Shorties,’ we were doing a hell of a lot of reuse and Flash moves. In ‘Wonder Showzen’ we used almost no reuse and mostly real inbetweening. Traditional animation alone can be as boring as Flash tweening sometimes. The interesting moments come from combining traditional methods and modern techniques.
SIMPSON: You were trained in the traditional x-sheet methods of animation timing. Now that you’re doing so much of the pre-production work in Flash, how do get the type of timing you’re after.
AUGENBLICK: It’s really the same thing. It’s still a chart of numbers where you organize your visuals. Honestly, anyone who tells you that they prefer writing complex x-sheets and shooting on an Oxberry is insane. I’ve done a great share of that. Being locked in a hot closet pressing a button for 5 days straight is an awful experience.
SIMPSON: What limitations have you come across in Flash that frustrate you?
AUGENBLICK: There are things I come upon every day. There are a lot of little bugs that pop up. My biggest complaint is that you can only create motion and shape tweens on ones. It would be a huge help to be able to create moves on twos, threes, etc. That seems like it would be an easy addition. Also, the sound editing is terrible in Flash.
SIMPSON: Have you looked into any alternative vector software? CelAction, Toon Boom?
AUGENBLICK: I tried Toon Boom a little while ago. It was good, but still too reliant on Flash as the main animation tool. If it was it’s own self-contained program then that would be something. And, I think that using “automatic” lipsync is ridiculous.
SIMPSON: As a director/producer, how do you decide which elements of a project you want to get your hands dirty on, and which to delegate?
AUGENBLICK: In some ways it’s very selfish. I usually choose to draw the projects I really want to draw. But sometimes I have to make a judgment call on who would be best for the job, which is not always me. You have to be humble when you assess your own level of talent. The one thing I try to maintain is that I am always drawing on a project in some capacity. I don’t want to ever get to the point where I’m only managing people and writing schedules all day. That’s the point when I plan to really sink into alcoholism.
SIMPSON: Do you feel the talent pool in New York is keeping up with your studio’s needs?
AUGENBLICK: I really don’t hire that many people, I mostly work with people I know. But there are a lot of great people out there. I work with very talented people that always surprise me.
SIMPSON: Do you have a sense of how significant 2D animation will be in 10 years?
AUGENBLICK: 2D animation is already obsolete in the mainstream. All I can do is keep doing the kinds I cartoons I like and gravitate to. Personally, I can’t sit through 3D animation. It just looks so bad to me. But that’s my personal taste, which is clearly in the minority. I don’t know. Animation itself isn’t really that significant.
SIMPSON: As your studio evolves, which direction do you plan on favoring - features or TV projects?
AUGENBLICK: I’ve been developing and working on mostly television projects in recent years, so that has become the major focus of our studio. But I would never rule out a feature film project in the near future. It’s still a dream.
SIMPSON: The DVD market seems flooded with re-releases of animated TV shows and shorts compilations. Do you have a recent favorite?
AUGENBLICK: I really like the ‘Cartoons That Time Forgot’ Ub Iwerks compilations. They are so dark and surreal. You can really see why Ub never succeeded after Disney. His cartoons are too weird. ‘Funny Face’ follows Flip the Frog as he gets plastic surgery to attract the girl he loves (in the 1930s!). There is a scene where disembodied heads in a surgeon’s office sing an insulting song to Flip. Really great.
SIMPSON: Thanks, Aaron! Congrats on ‘Wonder Showzen,’ and drop us a line before your next ‘Drunky’ short wraps.
Tags: Augenblick
