Well this week was a very special week here at work. We all got to meet the legendary animator Ray Harryhausen. He came by the studio to promote his new book. The Art of Ray Harryhausen. 
This visit really got me to thinking about the old movies that inspired and mesmerized me when I was a kid. Back then I was completely enthralled in the creatures this man brought to life. He really is the "10th old man" of sorts. I mean... it's stop motion animation, not hand drawn but the principles stay the same and in one sense I think the animation that Ray did back then was in many ways way more complicated to work out 'cause he had to match up live action footage to his animation... and back then... there was no 3D software package to facilitate the process. Can you imagine!
This visit really got me to thinking about the old movies that inspired and mesmerized me when I was a kid. Back then I was completely enthralled in the creatures this man brought to life. He really is the "10th old man" of sorts. I mean... it's stop motion animation, not hand drawn but the principles stay the same and in one sense I think the animation that Ray did back then was in many ways way more complicated to work out 'cause he had to match up live action footage to his animation... and back then... there was no 3D software package to facilitate the process. Can you imagine!
This guy really pioneered techniques in animation! And today we're all indebted to his efforts. Even the greats such as Pixar and Weta have paid homage to him in their films. It's pretty amazing all the work this man has created and inspired. If you haven't already... I highly recommend checking out his new book there's a ton of insipational images and stories.
