Back to New York & Back the Blue Sky Studios

Hello Good Peoples :)

After my short stint of working in Los Angeles, I got an opportunity to move back home again to Saskatchewan with my family. Also, just in time to catch the end of the Roughriders football season...but we don't need to talk about that :)
Around the middle of October I was offered and accepted a full-time position back at Blue Sky Studios in Greenwich Connecticut. I was very excited to get the offer to return there again, and needless to say to move back to my beautiful girlfriend who was living in New York that I met while working on Ice Age 3.
I will be working as a Jr. Character Animator on Blue Sky's next filmed titled Rio. Its the same director from Ice Age 3, and I am very excited to have the opportunity to be apart of it. I'm still getting settled in the new place here and will try to write more soon.

Thank you,

Sheldon

My girlfriend came home for Christmas 2009 :)

Time to slow it down....

Hey Good Peoples,

Today is my last day at Rhythm & Hues Studios and I have really enjoyed it. I've made a lot of new friends, and got to work with some old ones again. My first year and half in the industry has been a great learning experience in both animation and life. But three movies later, and a scary amount of overtime hours.... its time to slow it down a bit. But... I do have a plan :)

The decision is all apart of me working towards my next goal though. I am excited about moving back to Canada and can't wait to spend time with my family and friends. I will also keep busy with personal work and letting my creativity run wild! :)

Heres a picture of the small army of character animators on Alvin 2, which releases in theatres December 25th, 2009.

Thank you,

Sheldon

Latest Alvin and the Chipmunks The Squeakuel Trailer

Hello,

Here's the latest trailer from the film I am currently working on. It wraps up this Friday, and I am moving back home to Saskatchewan to spend some time with my family and friends. We've been cranking on this film, doing 70-80 hour weeks. Time to decompress :)

Thank you,

Sheldon

Ohhhhhh so busy, but still kicking.

Hello Good Peoples,

Its time again to breath some life into this blog. Sooooo...my time back in California again has been great. I can't complain. We've been very busy pushing on the Alvin and the Chipmunks The Squeakquel. My time at Rhythm & Hues Studios has been really positive. Although my job here will end in a couple of months, I can see myself wanting to return again someday for sure. After this I plan to move back home to Canada and take a couple months off. But, I will still be working on some personal work, with hopes of it helping me reach my next goal. I have been pushing really hard during my first year in the industry trying to gain more knowledge and experience with hopes of it paying off, and I already feel that it is :) Its weird to think I am already working on my third movie.

Ice Age 3 Dawn of the Dinosaurs has been doing exceptionally well in the foreign markets. Quoted from an article written yesterday, "In its 10th weekend of release, the toon has replaced "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" to become the fourth-highest international grosser of all time." Yeah....pretty crazy. Here's the full article 'Ice Age 3' roars into record books overseas. Hopefully soon I will get a chance to post up my work that I did on the film. I am very proud to have been apart of it.

For now I will leave you with the latest Alvin and the Chipmunks The Squeakquel Trailer




Thank you,

Sheldon

I'm on the move again! Back to California!

Hello Good Peoples,

I guess the title says it all. Yes, I am heading back to Southern California for my next job, and will be working at Rhythm & Hues Studios in Los Angeles. The movie that I will be animating on is Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.



The coolest thing is that I will be reuniting with a couple of good friends that I worked with at Blue Sky Studios, in New York. My experience here in Vancouver and at Frantic Films has been great, and I am very thankful for the opportunity to have been apart of their team. I knew I would be going back to California someday, just not so soon. :)

I will update once I am all settled in. Moving in 2 weeks!!

Thanks!

-Sheldon

Blue Sky Studios video

Hello Good Peoples,

Thought I would do quick post to say, I'm still doing well out in Vancouver. It already feels like summer, and mixed with the setting of the Canadian Rockies and the Pacific Ocean.....wow its beautiful. But I'm still a proud Saskatchewan farm boy, and go Riders! Anyways....I only have 4 weeks left here, and I will be on the move again. I don't know where yet, but I have some ideas in mind, if possible.

I found this video about Blue Sky Studios, and it shows some Ice Age 3 footage. The video gives a bit of an explanation of how those movies come together. Seeing all those familiar faces really makes me miss it there. Hope you enjoy it. :)

-Sheldon

Long time overdue post

Hello,

Sorry for being invisible here for the last 5 months. I'll try not to make this a novel for you to read :)

My job in New York wrapped up in the end of March. It was such an awesome experience to work at Blue Sky Studios. I learned so much, and made so many great friends that I will really miss. I HOPE, that I get to go back there again someday. Ice Age: Dawns of the Dinosaurs will be in theatres July 4th. I had 3 shots in the last trailer for the film. Click on the picture below to see it, if you haven't already.




Hope you liked the trailer. Once the movie is released I will post my Ice Age reel so you can see what I actually did on the film. :)

My last day at Blue Sky was on a Friday, and that following Monday I flew to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for my next job. By Tuesday morning I was already animating on a new movie. Although I can't give any details about the project, its seems like it could possibly be a big movie when it comes out in 2010. I'm excited to be apart of it. The new studio I am at is called Frantic Films. The most recent movie that has come out that they have done work on is X-men Origins: Wolverine just released last weekend.

After this project is done in the end of June, I might be on the move again. Although Pixar is setting up a new studio downtown Vancouver to be up and running by this fall, so I will definitely be looking into that possibility. They are looking to hire many local artists, so we'll see what happens. :)

Thanks for reading!

-Sheldon

"I don't need a Christmas tree......."

Thats what I was saying to a friend in the store. "When I have to move its going to be extra stuff to pack up. If I fly...how will i get it there?" I was finding all sorts of reasons NOT to get a tree...But then....I walked around the corner of the aisle and saw all the John Deere Christmas ornaments. SOLD!!! Immediately I knew it was the perfect tree for me, because it reminded of home, and my family. For the first few days I only had the mini John Deere truckers hat on top of the tree. But then I got thinking about what Christmas is really about...and its not actually John Deere. So I made my own little star and put it on top of the truckers hat. :)

Work is still going well, and keeping me very busy. We just watched a screening of the movie today, and I am very excited about it. Of course it was a rough version of the movie, because its still in progress. But, when I saw the 20th Century Fox logo attached to the beginning of the film today, my heart began to race a bit. I never thought I would be able to be apart of something like this. I am told by senior animators that the first time you see your name roll across the movie screen....that its a pretty awesome feeling. I can't wait. :) Here's the new website for the movie. http://www.iceagemovie.com/

Hope you like my Christmas tree too! I sure do!

-Sheldon









The only odd ornament, is the pickle as you can see in the picture. I just thought it was funny when I saw it in the store. Its green, so it works. :)





I was playing with a setting on my camera in the picture below and thought it look cool.

Still surviving in NY with a smile on my face.

Hey Good Peoples,

I finally received my computer a couple weeks ago, and have finally found a moment to do a quick update on my blog. Well, things are still going good at work. To be honest, I feel the last six weeks or so, I have really began to settle in more and more. Its tough to explain, but basically I feel like I am able to focus more on my animation and less time worrying about things that I can't even control. I am having fun. :) On the flip side of things. The more I settle in, the more I start to think about how sad it will be to leave Blue Sky, and all the awesome people there. But we'll save that sadness for another time. We still have a ton work to do on the film. :)

In September, some buddies and I went to the second last game ever to be played at Yankees Stadium. The Yankees beat the Orioles 1-0. It was definitely worth over paying for the worst tickets in the stadium.





Here's a video of the 7th inning stretch.


7th Inning stretch at Yankees Stadium Sept 20, 2008 from Sheldon Kruger on Vimeo.

Here's some pictures of a rainy day in Central Park. Such a awesome park! I want to go skating in the park sometime this winter.











I don't really know why I am turning my umbrella inside out. Just being a goofball. :)

One last thing. We're still doing the "Dude Challenge" at work and trying to grow beards. Thankfully we only have one week left, and then we can shave. Its getting really itchy! My photo this week...is...a little goofy. Just a warning. I'm having fun. :) www.dudechallenge.blogspot.com


I hope you've enjoy the pictures. I will TRY to give an update again soon. We are getting into a very busy time at work so my spare time will probably be used for catching up on sleep. :)

Thanks!!

-Sheldon

Dude Challenge Week 2

The new pictures are up of our Dude Challenge "beards". The fun has only just begun. Ha ha.

www.dudechallenge.blogspot.com

Regarding my picture...I don't know why I do the things I do.

Work is going good, and I am super excited about my next shot. :) And...still...no computer. Sorry for no pictures.

-Sheldon

Dude Challenge 2008

So 43 guys at work are doing what is being called a "Dude Challenge". Basically we're not shaving for 5 weeks and seeing what we can carve our facial hair into. We just started this week with clean shaven faces. Some guys have specific styles they will have to grow or atleast try. But others have "freestyle", in which they will get to create their own design. I am one of those freestyle fellas, so we'll see what happens. Some guys at work are doing a blog for the challenge and will update it with weekly mugshots of our progress. At the end of the five weeks, the ladies of our department will be crowning a winner. Should be fun!!!...and scary. :)

Here's the link:

www.dudechallenge.blogspot.com
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I'm still kicking :)

Hey Good Peoples,

I am sorry. I have been without a computer since September 2nd, which is why I have not updated my blog. Obviously I don't want to do it at work, and where I am doing it now isn't really that convenient. But I really wanted to do a quick update so people know I am still alive.

I am still enjoying my time in New York and at Blue Sky Studios. But I am not going to sugar coat anything. As cool as this job is (to me anyways), it can also be very stressful at times. The expectations are high, as they should be. But I am hanging in there though, and working my butt off to find ways to become a stronger and faster animator.

Bottom line, I am still happy, and thankful to be surrounded by so many awesome people at work...to share the stress with. :)

Blue Sky has brought in several speakers for us. The latest one was Richard Williams. He is a Canadian animator that is very widely respected throughout the animation world. He was the animation director for the film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1998). Thats just one example of his many credits. He is also very well known for his book, "The Animators Survival Kit". And it truly is a survival kit...trust me, I have the book. :)

Anyways, here's a picture of him with the Blue Sky Animation Department from the day of his visit. I'm in there, peeking in from the back with a smile. :) You can click on it to make it bigger. Thanks to Tom Saville for the photo.

I will TRY to update my blog again soon. My new computer is "supposed" to arrive this week...but who knows. :)

Thank you!

-Sheldon

I love it out here. :)

Hey Everyone,

Well the title of this post says it all. I am absolutely loving my time in New York so far. I am still settling into everything at work, but its going well. This past week alone was my most productive yet. I hope to finish the current shot I am working on sometime next week. I am going into work tomorrow (Sunday) to try and get even more of a jump on it because I am showing it to the directors Monday morning. This past week we had a screening of the entire movie in storyboard form and got to find out what happens in the rest of the movie. Of course I can't say anything about it, but I can say that everyone walking out of the screening was pretty energized about where this film is heading. I think its going to be really great movie, and I am so thankful to be a part of it.

Today a friend and I took the train into the city and spent the entire day in Central Park. That park is just simply AWESOME. I feel as though I could go there every weekend and just hang out. This was actually my second Saturday there in a row.

I love the look of the trees against the buildings. What makes Central Park so cool is that in some places you can't even see any buildings. You can really relax and almost forget that you are right in the middle of a huge city. Its awesome.



Below is a video of an area where there were just people dancing either in there shoes, on roller skates, or on roller blades. It was cool just to see a whole bunch of strangers just dancing in the park and having a good time. But the best part about it was the guy playing a cowbell. It pretty much made my day. :)


Playing a cowbell in Central Park, NY. from Sheldon Kruger on Vimeo.


Five raccoons just hanging on the side of tree. I thought it was a little weird.



We played a some frisbee in this massive open grass field where there were hundreds of people just relaxing, listening to music, reading, playing catch with a football, baseball, or frisbee.



Here's a picture looking up when we were crossing the road. I thought it turned out pretty cool.



I will try to update again soon. :)

Thanks!

-Sheldon

Hey Good People!

Its was an awesome second week at Blue Sky. I definitely felt a little more settled in, as compared to being quite overwhelmed during the first week. We were given our first shots to animate for the movie. I am really excited about it and can't wait to get back in there tomorrow morning and continue to work on it. All the full time staff at the studio have continued to make us feel really welcomed throughout the week. It really feels like such a great group of people to work with.

A few of us took the train into Manhattan for our Saturday evening. We walked around through Times Square, saw the Rockefeller Center, and went for some New York City pizza at Lombardi's. Its America's first pizzeria and has been around for over a hundred years. It is still labeled as having some of the best pizza in the country. I definitely enjoyed it. :) The picture above is inside of Grand Central Station.

I'll update here again soon! Thank you!

Sheldon

Survived my first week in New York!

Hey Everyone!

Thank you for all the Good Luck wishes!

Last Saturday I flew into Newark, New Jersey, rented a car, put my trust in the GPS and drove about an hour north to White Plains, New York. Last Monday was the first day on the job and seriously everyone at the studio was so incredibly welcoming. People in the animation department were constantly stopping by and introducing themselves to all the new hires. A very cool thing is that five other students from Animation Mentor that I have been going to school with also got hired. It was cool to have friends already, even though we had never met in person.

For our first week we were just trying to get a handle on the way things are run at Blue Sky. The character rigs are about 100 times more complex then anything I have ever animated with before. Its definitely a little bit intimidating, but I have no doubt that I will get a handle on it all. The studio is filled with so many incredibly talented animators, and the best thing is that they are all willing to help. The learning curve is going to be a steep one over the next five months at Blue Sky. I am so excited about it. :)

As for my Animation Mentor education, I decided to withdraw and give all my attention to Blue Sky. Since my time at Blue Sky is only scheduled to be for five months, I may continue Animation Mentor after. Unless another job comes along.

Next weekend a few of us hope to take a 35 minute train ride into Manhattan and see all there is to see. Something I really want to do is go to Yankee Stadium for a baseball game because its the last season that the Yankee's will play in the legendary stadium.

This week we might get our first shot for the movie, so thats pretty exciting. I will try to update my blog whenever I can with how things are going. :)

Best thing of all, is that I gained a new little niece the day before I moved. It was just in time. I was so happy to meet the new little lady before I left. :) I'll be back at home again for Christmas. :)

Thank you!

-Sheldon
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Whooooo-hooo!!!!!!!!!

Hey Everyone!!!

It just got finalized yesterday, and I've been waiting to post this for a little while now but, I GOT A JOB!!!........Its weird to finally say that. I've pinched myself several times, but the job is still there. :)

Here's the crazy details...

I got hired as a Temporary Animator at Blue Sky Studios which is located in White Plains, New York; approximately 30 miles north of Manhattan. I will be joining the team there already working on the movie Ice Age 3. If you haven't seen the trailer for it, click the link: http://www.iceagemovie.com/us/ I will be working my butt off there for approximately 5 months. After that...who knows. :) The thing that excites me the most though, is how much I am going to learn from the many talented people at Blue Sky in all departments. I am considering the option of evolving into Sponge Bob SquarePants so I can soak up as much knowledge as I can. :)

Thank you to all my classmates and professors at California State University Fullerton. Everything I learned there helped me immensely at Animation Mentor, and will continue too. To everybody involved in Animation Mentor...classmates, mentors, staff, Scott Carroll, Bobby, Shawn, & Carlos. THANK YOU!!!

Most importantly I have to say a huge Thank You to my family and friends. I've dragged them down a crazy path to finally get to this point, and they never let go.

Oh yeah, did I mention that I am moving there in 2 days, and start working on Monday morning?!?!? (July 21st). I better start packing!!! :)

Thank you!

Sheldon (I'm so excited!!!)

Class 5 complete!

Hey Everyone,

I have completed class 5 of 6! It was an awesome class where we were guided through the process of how to develop strong stories for our short films. I gained a whole new respect for all people involved in the pre-production stage of a movie, or any project for the matter. I really enjoyed it quite a bit. There are things that I was taught to think about and consider, that the audience will never notice, but will hopefully make it a better viewing experience for them. Thank you to my awesome mentor Cal Brunker, and my entire class.

In the layout stage, I set up all the cameras, figured out the timing, added some basic sound effects, and did some very rough blocking to get my story across. I still have lots of work to do on the creation of the store, and especially the fan and lighting department at the end. Click the picture below to see the layout. I hope you enjoy what I have so far.

Thank you. :)

-Sheldon

FJORG!!! Acceptance!!!

Hey Everyone,

Our team of three just found out last night that we got accepted into the FJORG competition at this years SIGGRAPH convention in Los Angeles. Our team members are Natascha Evans (classmate), Francine Mangin (Animation Mentor Alumni), and myself.

Here's a quick brief on what FJORG is:
-16 teams of 3 participate from around the world.
-32 hours straight to create a 15 second animation based on a theme given at the time of the competition.
-The Goal is to resist distractions and meet the deadline for creating the best character driven animation.

Its going to be so much fun, and at the same time, great exposure since its run by professionals from around the entertainment industry. =)

I've also finally "completed" a couple of my latest assignments. So I compiled all my Animation Mentor work so far into one simple video. It starts with the most recent work and goes back to the beginning. =) Hope you enjoy it!

Thanks for stopping by!

-Sheldon

Animatic

Hey Everyone,

Sorry that it's been a little while since my last post. I have been extremely busy polishing up my old assignments, entering into a 32 hour animating marathon in Los Angeles in fall (still hoping our team of three gets accepted), and at the same time keeping up with the development of my short film at Animation Mentor.

You've hopefully seen my video pitch for my story idea in my last post, and now here is whats called an 'Animatic'. I took my idea and roughly drew it out to figure out the timing. Some areas could still be shortened up a bit yet which I will do in layout, but I hope you enjoy it for now. =)

I can't wait to do video reference for all of this! Ha ha...I'll be making fool of myself yet again...and loving every moment of it. Don't worry I'll put up here. =)

Thank You for stopping by!

-Sheldon

Who's behind the sheet???

Hey Good Peoples,

So its time to tell you what my story idea will be for my short film. I'll start off by explaining what a Story Pitch is. Its something that a person does when they have an idea for a film and want to explain/or convince others that its a good idea. So this week we had to record ourself giving our story pitch. We had a great lecture given by a lady by the name of Mary Coleman who is the story development executive at Pixar. We learned that instead of just telling your story to your audience, you need to get into it, get involved, work in some acting, have variation in your voice, make it entertaining! So those of you that know me...know that I have NO problem at all getting into it if you put a camera in front of me. =)

Just to give you an idea...my story takes place in a Home Depot, has a thief, and two security guards.

One question though: "Who's behind the sheet?". Click HERE to find out and see my pitch.

Thank you for stopping by. =)

-Sheldon
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