Downloadable puppets/props/etc from TV show- massive library

[BA]

Hey kids,

I thought people here might be interested in this...

The show I work for, Odd Job Jack, has made all of its resources available to the general public to use under a creative commons license. This means that you can do whatever you want with any of our characters, props and locations, providing it's not for a commercial enterprise.

If you are curious how things are done for a broadcast-quality Flash show, this is a great learning resource. Not only can you use the artwork for whatever you want, but for anyone building their own character puppets this might give you some insights on how to set them up (in Flash - although many of the same principles can and should be applied to Moho).

Every week as a new episode airs, all the resources for that episode are made available online (via bittorrent). This is a show with a whole new set of locations and cast of characters every episode, so the library is really really huge - from celebrities to obscure props to really weird and disturbing oddities, you'll find them there.

The link: http://www.oddjobjack.com/freejack.php

Check it out, and feel free to ask me if you have any questions about the resources.

[DarthFurby]

Thanks for sharing these! I see more studios using Flash because it's so cost efficient, especially with re-usable library assets. You just need some dude to move the pieces around, and you can hire him at el cheapo rates.

But adding Moho to the production line would take Flash studios out of the Stone Age. It's cheap, saves time, and doesn't take much training to get superior output. You can get your stuff looking like traditional animation instead of limited animation with the same amount of time and effort, and probably with the same team.

It doesn't look like your studio uses Moho, but I'm sure you must've told them about it. What did they think?

[BA]

well - I can't speak for the people I work for, but I'll say this:

Any studio that has one or more TV shows in production is generally working under extremely tight timelines. It's really crazy busy - don't even get me started, that's a whole other thread.

But, in this situation, where the studio has an entire system set up around using Flash, shifting things over to Moho in the midst of everything is rather problematic. For one thing, it means that the entire library of characters, props, etc, can't be re-used (trust me, I've tried translating these puppets from flash to moho, and you might as well start from scratch).

Combine that with the re-training that would be required, as well as the changes to the overall production pipeline, and you can start to see why a flash-based studio would be hesitant to make the jump to a relatively untested, unproven app like Moho - even though to some of us it is clear that MOHO IS WAY BETTER THAN FLASH.

If LostMarble/eFrontier is reading this, hopefully it indicates one of the main hurdles that Moho/AnimeStudio/whatever will face when trying to get itself into the hands of more professional operations. I think part of the solution will just be for more cool stuff to be made with Moho, proving its value...

Speaking for myself - any new projects of my own will DEFINITELY be done in MOHO.... more updates on that front coming soon...

But, back to the topic of this thread - does anyone here use flash, and has anyone tried downloading the Odd Job Jack stuff? I'm telling ya, it's a HUGE pile of well-built puppets!!!

[bupaje]

Wow, sounds great! I just fired of emails to the instructors at my school as it might be useful for students as examples.

[jorgy]

BA, I've actually started downloading them and WHOA. They are huge, but complete, and definitely worth the wait! It is great to see how things are put together. I was especially fascinated to see how the "glow" of the lights, the neon in the casino, etc. was done in a separate layer. The characters are great!!!

Now I need to remember to set my PVR to record the show. Sorry I haven't done so before now!

Thank you so much for sharing, it is very, very generous. Be sure and thank your superiors for allowing the sharing of the intellectual property.

jorgy

[DarthFurby]

I've played with a few of the puppets to see how they were constructed and learned quite a bit. The models are EXTREMELY flexible, and I studied the joints carefully. Despite using 2d cut-out puppets the show somehow manages to animate like "The Simpsons."
That prompted me to watch the behind the scenes videos, which are fantastic. The director mentions some of the limitations of Flash and I kept thinking "you need Moho dude." The best part was when he critiqued the other animators. This guy is sharp.

I also got a strong R. Crumb vibe from the designer. It's like he decided "I'm going to make everyone look like some guy's hairy butt." Mission accomplished.
Jack, Betty, and Bobby are the only normal looking ones. I generally prefer my characters to be easy on the eyes, but the design fits well with the show's humor.

But the most important thing is this:

You had Don Knotts on the show.

You guys rock.