MetaFilter posts tagged with toys and animation

Jul!

The Ardship of Cambry — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 10:15:49 -0800

Jul!, a creative and delightfully disturbing animated advent calendar (some images possibly NSFW). Via.

A stop-motion road trip, in miniature.

BoringPostcards — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 07:54:21 -0800

Address is Approximate. "A lonely desk toy longs for escape from the dark confines of the office, so he takes a cross country road trip to the Pacific Coast in the only way he can – using a toy car and Google Maps Street View."

It's full of ponies.

ZeusHumms — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 22:39:00 -0800

On the eve of the show's second season debut, My Little Ponies creative director and former showrunner Lauren Faust was kind enough to grant a retrospective interview looking back at season 1. (Previously, previously and previously.)

"The world is veiled in darkness."

Fizz — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:10:17 -0800

Sephiroth the World's Enemy [SLYT] A Final Fantasy stop-motion video. Also: a behind the scenes look at the toys & animation, involved.

C-C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER

Rhaomi — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:42:17 -0800

It was bound to happen eventually. After a quarter-century, 26 Academy Awards, and an unparalleled streak of eleven artistic and commercial triumphs, Pixar's latest project, Cars 2, is Certified Rotten. Critics have assailed the film as a slick but hollow vehicle for Disney's $10 billion-dollar Cars ~~merchandising industry~~ "lifestyle brand," replacing the original's serviceable tale of small-town redemption with zany spy games, hyperactive chase sequences, and even more lowbrow aww-shucks potty humor from Larry the Cable Guy. But it's not all bad news! Along with a fun new Toy Story 3 short, preceding today's (3-D) premiere showings is a first look at next year's Brave -- a darkly magical original story set in ancient Scotland featuring the studio's first female lead (and director). Evocative high-res concept art [mirror] is available at the official website, and character sketches have leaked to the web, with the apparently striking teaser trailer sure to follow. Also, be sure not to miss the sneak peak of Brave's associated short, "La Luna"!

My Little Brony

The Devil Tesla — Sat, 28 May 2011 22:18:26 -0800

The best word to describe it is probably “relentless,” in that it’s relentlessly cute, relentlessly happy, and relentlessly entertaining. In its own way, it reminds me of a movie like Singin’ In The Rain, in that both properties aim to overwhelm any cynicism directed at them via sheer and utter joyfulness. It seems like it should be easy to watch either property with an ironic sneer of detachment, but both utterly wear down all defenses. - The A.V. Club. My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic (previously) is the curiously addictive cartoon accompaniment to the famous girl's toy line. It just finished it's first season, and all of the episodes can be seen on YouTube (start here) and this all encompassing torrent. While intended for girls 6 through 8, the show has spawned a surprising additional fan base of young-adult men. Calling themselves bronies, they have created a staggering amount of fan material (check the blog Equestra Daily, chan Ponychan, and image dump Ponibooru) and turned the ponies into a widely pervasive meme, all with the apparent blessing of Hasbro. Here are some highlights of Bronydom: An animation error in the pilot episode has lead to the legend of Derpy Hooves. The character has been acknowledged by show runners and she has since gone on to show up in later episodes in increasingly prominent roles. Truly we are dealing with UTTER GENIUSES here. Other background ponies Doctor Whooves and DJ P0N-3 have suffered a similar fate. And that's just the start. YouTube user RainbowCrash88 has converted the entire first season's soundtrack into Gameboy chiptunes. The source material: Winter Wrap Up, Art of the Dress, Giggle at the Ghostly, Evil Entrantress. Just about every trailer and music video of the past five years has been given a pony version. Here's a quick rundown by The A.V. Club. PONIES The Anthology is a half hour compilation of AMV style fan clips. It starts off with a bitchin cover Kanye West's Power. Space core shows up at 16:50 and 18:50. The disturbing fan fiction Cupcakes (think Sweeney Todd) has gone on to become somewhat legendary. (previously on metafilter) Witness the deterioration of the American educational system in Physical imposibilties in My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. I'm also partial to this blow-by-blow of Pokemon vs. Ponies wrestling match, also featured previously.

The cyclotrope

nickyskye — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 03:10:38 -0800

The cyclotrope is a cycle of 18 images that is spun at a certan speed so that the frame rate of the camera filming it gives the illusion of animation. Created and animated by tim wheatley. Like a Zoetrope or Phenakistoscope but using a bicycle wheel. Optical toys Similar idea using a phonograph turntable, Phonographantasmascope Crystal zoetrope Masstransiscope. Bill Brand’s Masstransiscope was installed in the abandoned Myrtle Avenue subway station in Brooklyn, New York in September 1980. It has been seen by millions of commuters for over twenty-five years. The 228 hand-painted panels are viewed through a series of vertical slits set into a specially constructed housing. The piece works on the principle of the Zoetrope, a 19th century optical toy. Previously, previously, previously.

I want to tell you about the Transformers!

The Devil Tesla — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:22:47 -0800

The Transfomers Wiki is a surprisingly complete resource about everything related to one of the largest sci-fi franchises that exists to sell toys. You can find information on everything from 1986's The Transformers: The Movie to the more recent Transformers Animated and the bizarre Japanese line Kiss Players (that one gets NSFW). The wiki has just reached 10,000 articles, which I guess means that it is ruined FOREVER. More highlights! Pat Lee was the president of Dreamwave Comics, a company that started selling Transformer comics in 2001. Things went sour once his artists realized that he wasn't paying them, and Dreamwave imploded with debt over a million dollars. He is the inventor of the dull surprise. The fandom page, with a history of how it developed and a little primer on how they act. Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers. Humans and kissing. The terrible Energon cartoon.

A film by Wes Anderson

hippybear — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:31:14 -0800

Toy Stories: Dan Meth explores some up and coming movies inspired by your childhood toy chest.

Crotchy Lives!

nímwunnan — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:12:23 -0800

Presstube.com has lots of curious and attractive projects, but none as mind-bendingly awesome (and crotchful) as CROTCHY. (NSFW? NSF Anyone?) Previously.

zoetropes, praxinoscopes, kinetescopes & other pre-cinema diversions

madamjujujive — Tue, 04 Mar 2003 17:21:46 -0800

Pre-cinema devices & diversions - before film, multimedia amusements ranged from zoetropes and magic lantern shows to praxinoscopes and kinetescopes. Whether you're a film buff or a photographer or simply just prone to nostalgia for a day when the world seemed less jaded, you will love this site - take the time to take the tour.

Skeletor and Gang:

emptybowl — Fri, 05 Apr 2002 06:24:54 -0800

Skeletor and Gang: What is it about the combination of stop-motion animation, He-Man action figures, and sped-up heavy metal that makes me laugh until I hurt? "Skeletor, Mantenna and Grizzlor are having a party! Oh no! Moss-Man attacks! Defend us Squeeze!"