It all started with a screening of classic Fleischer Bros. cartoons in Los Angeles where we found ourselves seated next to the great Paul Dini, one of the original producers of Batman: The Animated Series. BTAS has been in the DNA of what we love about animation since Day 1 at Open The Portal, and we have always hoped to get involved or pay homage in some way. When Adult Swim came to us for a new Rick & Morty interstitial, Batman was top of mind, and we were over the moon when the project was greenlit.

Thanks to Animation World Network for doing our first interview on the spot, since then it has been picked up by several posters and publications, and you can watch a Frederator video breaking down how it all came to be right below these links:

Animation World Network: https://www.awn.com/animationworld/channeling-caped-crusaders-rick-and-morty-anime-promo

Comicbook.com: https://comicbook.com/anime/news/rick-and-morty-batman-the-animated-series-intro-watch/

Gizmodo: https://gizmodo.com/rick-morty-batman-bumper-2000493646

Dark Horizons: https://www.darkhorizons.com/rick-morty-batman-short-animators-talk/

Bleeding Cool: https://bleedingcool.com/tv/rick-and-morty-adult-swim-promo-honors-batman-the-animated-series/

After months (near years!) in cartoon purgatory, Max Winston’s stop motion Looney Tunes epic Daffy in Wackyland is at last available to the public for your viewing pleasure! The official video can be found by following these instructions on HBO Max, or you can take a peep at this YouTube upload that may or may not be officially sanctioned by the Brothers Warner:

In the early 1980s, a young Tim Burton and Rich Heinrichs produced this Japanese Horror inspired version of Hansel & Gretel for the Disney channel (!) with nods to movies like Godzilla, House, and the candy coated surreal aesthetic of 80’s kids television. The Other Vault on YouTube does a great job of breaking it down here, and you can view the full film in all its recently resurfaced glory via the Vimeo link pasted below!

This ain’t your Mama’s stop motion waterfall effect. We’ve never seen better, and honestly have nothing to add to the conversation after seeing this incredible BTS videos. Bar set, minds blow, bravo, Inspira!

Joining the ranks of Bladerunner, Batman, and Star Wars, the jam sessions between the miniature and VFX teams in Lord of the Rings produced one of the most seamless cinematic fantasy experiences ever captured on film, and this Behind the Scenes feature only serves to expand the scope of wonder induced by these effects.

Squad Goals:

Brought to life by master animator Stephen Chiodo (who taught us everything we know about stop motion), this 1982 Tim Burton directed short is one of our all time favorites.

Czech animation master Jiří Barta features some of the most interesting production design in all of stop motion. You can take a look at this trailer for his newly restored 1986 feature The Pied Piper, as well as several minutes of his unrealized masterpiece of experimental technique, Golem.

It was a great honor to be interviewed by Cacao Magazine in a newly published article you can read right here!

C:Open The Portal is an extremely unique and cutting edge animation studio who collaborate with a lot of big studios but also independent artists, like Netflix, Adult Swim, and Kangmin Kim. What are some of the projects that Open The Portal had worked on, and what’s the creative process like, from ideation to final animation?

David: Maybe a good place to start on this is that you mentioned the collaborations, and we have done a lot of films with Kangmin Kim, who is one of our best friends and biggest influences. Jason has produced some of his films, Barrett has done sounds.

Jason: Yeah, I think there’s different ways that we approach and produce our narrative and creative films. One way is to work closely with collaborators, like Kangmin Kim, so basically if that’s the case, artists like Kangmin come to us and explain the vision and idea of what he wants to do, and we basically create a support system for him to execute that vision to the fullest way possible. So we give him the studio space, the materials, and the support. Everything it takes to finish the project and Barrett comes in and works with the sound. Basically, we just create a structure and support system for these collaborators.

David: On the other hand, for our independent projects, sometimes we just come up with ideas, maybe from devices that we find in stores. For example, our first animation, Robota, I found a crazy looking machine in a thrift store, and we started to develop a character, idea for the project. So what I think is really unique about OTP is that we were really open to all of the process. We don’t just look at some objects, or everything has to come from the ground up. There’s a whole library of ways to come out with idea, and we really like working with people, so it’s definitely a more open connection with people that help the entire process more clear and fresh.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Great Mikey Please!

A portrait of the director:

This 1985 short by Garri Bardin taps into the rich history of stop motion puppets smashing the absolute $#!# out of each other. With some stellar exaggerated character animation and a fantastic use of the notoriously difficult-to-handle medium of clay.

From Cartoon Brew: Zagreb Film produced some of the wildest, most eclectic animated shorts of the 20th century, but their work has been exceptionally difficult to view — until now.

From Animation Obsessive: Basically, this stuff follows its own rules. It’s weird. It’s dogmatically anti-Disney. It often features stories never previously tackled in animation. The films don’t look normal, and they don’t even sound normal — as [Zagreb Film diretor Dušan] Vukotić once said, animation that doesn’t imitate real motion requires abstract sounds that “do not imitate real noise.”

From Open The Portal: If you’ve never treated yourselves to the animated delights of Zagreb Film, you are in for the luckiest day of your life. Check out a zag-zonking sample below, and then head over to this link to view the best of their newly uploaded catalogue on YouTube.

We have nothing but the best of non-existent words to shower praises on this music made for the non-existent radios of non-existent nations. Dva were some of the earliest friends of OTP, having provided the musical soundtrack for our 2013 short film Robota, which was the first project to bear the Open The Portal name (linked in this post with a couple of our favorite video/song combinations of theirs). Enjoy!

When he’s not busy moonlighting as Tommy Stanfield’s ace editor, Sean Buckelew spends his time making animated short films!

Click here to see our interview with Chorus.fm about the Fall Out Boy video: Open The Portal on Chorus.fm

And check out some BTS of the band hanging out at the studio during the shoot below!

Serve your short sweet time with this sweet short served up by the wizards over at House Special, with an unexpectedly spicy twist.

Released in the heat of WWII, this stop motion short is a masterclass in visual storytelling and the art of simplicity in production design. Restored by the fantastic folks at Puppetoon.net–support their work so we can see more re-masterpieces from the works of George Pal!

Watch a fairy tale lull you into a sense of curious wonder before a nightmare rips the rug beneath your feet, and you’ll have to watch ’til the end to see how it resolves…

Dragonframe is the worldwide animator and industry standard software for stop motion, and without it we’d all be clawing around with no eyes in the dark.

You can take a look at the feature via the link right here, and if you’re new to the world of stop motion we highly suggest giving Dragonframe a shot!

The software is named after this brain roasting commercial Jamie Caliri (the creative director behind Dragonframe who developed the software with his brother Dyami) shot for United Airlines:

It’s a special feeling coming across anything made post-1993 that still feels like you are watching actual magic unfold on the screen. 2003’s “Fast Film” is one such example.

And for all you masochists out there, you can experience the delightful pain of exactly how this piece came to life:

We can’t say too much yet about the spooktacular night Protozoa has in store for you on the 22nd, but we can assure you it will be a fright to remember.

Git yer tickets right here!

Clayfighter: “It’s not safe to play in the street.”

We grew up with this doozy of a Super Nintendo fighting game that was one of the few 16-bit offerings to include actual stop motion animated elements.

If you’re wondering what Helder K. Sun is doing in this video, we are just as confused as you are.

Our dear friends and kindred spirts at Apartment D films recently released this fantastic new short, check it out below and give their wondrous stop motion work a peep:

In theaters October 21st, streaming on Netflix 7 days later.

Look ye not away from this, the greatest Karen this planet has ever known. And while you’re here, scroll below for the mini-feature length documentary of her life rendered in hand puppeted Barbie dolls.

Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story by Todd Haynes:

Once every 200 years we crawl out of our cave and post a behind the scenes clip. This is one of those videos:

Remember to floss, and check out Smiling Friends on Adult Swim RIGHT NOW

If you’ve never heard of the STRATACUT technique, or the brilliant mind behind it David Daniels, you’re in for a psychedelic rabbit hole of treats by visiting Stratacut.com and his Instagram page, where he is gradually scanning and releasing brand new high quality versions of his mind numbing work.

To get you properly started, here’s a very simple video showcasing the technique:

…and a bit of Stratacut 101:

Information on his upcoming exhibit in Los Angeles can be found here:

If you haven’t been exposed to the radiation of Jordan Speer (aka BEEF STRONG)’s artwork, take a moment to familiarize yourself before dipping into the world of SUNBELLY by clicking here: Beefstrong

The Great Wayne White, the man who out the “bam” in Alalbama, the bubblin’ brain behind some of the strangest and most recognizable puppets and set design of the last 30 years, shines like a dazzling dog dog star diamond in this fascinating documentary.

…and just for the hell of it:

A little bit of trivia: The armature for the stop motion puppet that stood in for Val Kilmer on the animated sequences of the movie Willow makes a cameo inside one of the puppets here–see if you can spot him!

Here is Mike’s original artwork that the video was based on:

Hello there,

This is OTP creative director David Braun with a message about a very special movie I was lucky enough to join the animation team on with some of our best friends and collaborators. Writer/director Dean Fleischer-Camp and animation director Kirsten Lepore have crafted a miniature masterpiece worth its weight in sand dollars premiering this Friday via A24.

The kindness and positivity Dean & Kirsten brought to the screen feels like an ice cold drink of water after being lost in the desert, and I believe that everyone from kids to grandparents to aging crust punks will find something to love about Marcel (produced by our great friends the Chiodo Bros).

Now let’s all get out there and help give this film a shell-deserved success at the box office this weekend! You have to sea it to believe it.

This feature length documentary on one of the greatest video games of all time speaks for itself, and we highly recommend giving The Game Historian a follow on YouTube if you dig it.

The 3D zoetrope effect used in Pharrell’s new music video for “Cash In Cash Out” draws and builds upon inspiration from projects by both Studio Ghibli and Pixar. Now that you’ve seen the hot shot kid, check out the low key parents:

There’s no time like the present to jump in an elevator, switch off your mind, and enjoy this flabbergasting opening sequence from Severence, created by Oliver Latta, AKA Extraweg.

Mashable has a great article on the creation of the sequence at this link: Mashable on Extraweg

Our dear pals at RatBat studios created this fantastic spot, directed by Max Winston with animation by Josiah Clements and Rich Zim:

For those of you in the Los Angeles area, you can meet the goblins at Fontaine HQ this Saturday. Here’s a link to their website.

With Daniels new movie Everything Everywhere All At Once slapping its hot dog fingers into theaters (for the still-uninitiated, check out the trailer here), we thought this would be the perfect time to shine a light on the soundtrack for their first feature, Swiss Army Man.

Brought to life by Andy Hull and Robert McDowell, the equally talented musician/producer team behind Manchester Orchestra (for clarification, they are both musician/producers), they were somehow able to convince the film’s stars to record hours upon hours of howling nonsense that was somehow spun into this beautiful album of movie music.

Here is the full version of “Jurassic Park” (which the the directors reportedly had to employ some creative techniques to obtain permission from John Williams for) and a couple other highlights from the soundtrack:

And just for good measure:

For all of you poor unfortunate souls lucky enough to grow up in the Golden Age of Wee Sing, you already know exactly what’s coming when you hit the play button above. For all others out there…

Through me you pass into the city of Sillyville:
Through Silly Whim you pass into eternal pain:
Through Wee among the Sing lost for aye…

Before me Silly things were none, save things
Wee, and Wee Sing I endure.
All hope abandon ye who enter here.

If you have ever sat in the bathroom at Open The Portal, you have likely come across one of our most prized possessions–the production book for 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It’s a production nightmare with a happy ending beyond your wildest dreams, and we were so happy to see Yesterworld turn it into this fantastic video.

Q. Who ever heard of a snozzberry?
A: We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dreams.

Artist: Devo (cover of Jimi Hendrix)
Album: Shout

From Wikiwand:

A lavish video for “Are You Experienced?” was produced by the band in conjunction with Ivan Stang of the Church of the SubGenius. The video includes Devo as floating blobs of wax in a lava lamp and Jimi Hendrix (played by Hendrix impersonator Randy Hansen) stepping out of his coffin to play a guitar solo, and the cover children Zachary Chase and Alex Mothersbaugh.

Despite being one of Devo’s most visually complex and expensive music videos, costing about $90,000 to produce, it was not included on the 2003 DVD music video collection The Complete Truth About De-Evolution (although it had been included on the LaserDisc of the same name issued in 1993). In an interview, group co-founder and bass guitarist Gerald Casale explained:

E.C. (earcandy.com): Speaking of de-evolution, why didn’t the Hendrix estate give you permission to put the “Are You Experienced?” video on the DVD?

Gerald Casale: Further de-evolution. You understand that the consortium of people that now represent the Hendrix estate are basically run by lawyers; the lawyer mentality. Lawyers always posit the worst-case scenarios. Though that video was loved for years by anybody who saw it including the man who commissioned it—Chuck Arroff, a luminary in the music business, who still claims to this day that it was one of his five most favorite videos ever—they [the lawyers] didn’t get it and assumed we were making fun of Jimi. That’s like saying “Whip It” makes fun of cowboys. This is so stupid it’s unbelievable.

Welcome back, R-U-X.

This is one of those videos that’s absolutely perfect to watch when you’re stuck in bed sick, sleep deprived, and have perhaps accidentally taken one too many Tylenol PMs. The layers that unfold as the video progresses are as unexpected as they are intriguing, and reminded us that we at Open The Portal once made a little piece of Garfield inspired fan art of our own…

From their trippy early shorts in the 70s all the way up through the mostly-silent anarchy of the Shaun the Sheep films, we at OTP have consistently worshipped at the altar of Aardman. This week, they released a fantastic documentary that tells their story in a crisp clean hour that’s very much worth your time:

and just for good measure, here’s “Adam,” one of our favorite early Aardman shorts:

Enjoy, Gromit!

Excelsior! Presenting Stan Lee’s passionate and well-reasoned defense of the F word:

This animated short by OTP collaborator Aron Fromm is part of an upcoming series of original shorts we will be announcing more information about very soon. In the meantime, go subscribe to Aron on YouTube to get the latest and greatest as we prepare to roll it out!

Aron Fromm on YouTube

Many friends and family of OTP are currently at work on a brand new stop motion imagining of Pinocchio, directed by the great Guillermo Del Toro. Enjoy this short teaser, and keep you eyes peeled on Netflix this December!

Teaser #1:

Teaser #2:

Keep an eye out for Kat, the teen protagonist in WENDELL & WILD—Henry Selick’s new animated film, co-written by Selick and Jordan Peele.

Tune into her boombox at https://t.co/JPcanxHV2m

WENDELL & WILD comes to Netflix in 2022 pic.twitter.com/mq5ZLpXU2H

— NetflixFilm (@NetflixFilm) December 8, 2021

OTP was part of an incredible team nominated for a SXSW 2022 Innovation Award! You can view the finalists by clicking here.

You can also read all about the process by clicking on these articles from Muse by Clio and AdWeek.

The most controversial take in here is that Looney Tunes: Back in Action is better than Space Jam. We’re listening…

Nutcracker Fantasy, a Japanese stop-motion film made by one of the creative minds behind many of the iconic Rankin/Bass Christmas specials, categorically transcends weirdness and becomes an absolute force unto itself.

Thanks to our friends at Screen Novelties and Animation Breakdown for raising awareness surrounding this forgotten gem, and Merry Christmas from your friends at OTP!

You can view the screening trailer made by the Lost & Found Film Club here:

And for the not-faint-of-heart, you can get the entire shebang newly released on Blu-Ray along with (apparently) a 3D version?! Let us know if it works out! Get your fistful of yen ready and click the link here.

Merry Christmas!

In/Frame/Out makes the compelling case in this short video essay that 1992 Muppet Christmas Carol is the best and most faithful adaptation of Charles’ Dickens 1843 classic to date. We are inclined to agree.

Whatever your opinion on the ranking of the film, one thing we can ALL agree on is that the Muppet “Ghost of Christmas Past” is the single most horrifying image ever committed to film:

From Film School Rejects: “The Muppet used for the Ghost of Christmas Past was a rod puppet that was submerged into a tank filled with baby oil. However, that high quantity of baby oil proved to be too expensive, so most of the shots were done in a water tank, which achieved the same gentle flowing effect of the robes, but the water reacted with the glues and paints, causing problems.”

Happy Horrifying Holidays!

If you like what you see, go become a Screen Novelties superfan by clicking here, here, and here!

Enjoy this beautiful short documentary by filmmaker Jinho Choi (@zinographer) about one of our best friends and longest collaborators, Kangmin Kim (@studio_zazac).

We will have an English subtitled version of this short documentary available soon, but in the meantime enjoy this soothing Korean version, featuring our favorite footage ever taken of the studio. Thank you Jinho and Kangmin!

Panique au village est une série télévisée d’animation belge en vingt épisodes de cinq minutes réalisée par Vincent Patar et Stéphane Aubier, diffusée en 2002 sur Canal+ Belgique, et co-écrite avec la collaboration de Guillaume Malandrin et Vincent Tavier, également producteurs, associés alors avec Philippe Kauffmann.

-Wikipédia en français

Regardez la bande annonce du film:

If you have been to a party at Open The Portal, you have likely heard the sweet saxophone sounds of the one and only Quique Rivera, head of Acho Studio and a dear friend that we’ve known for ten years now. He just directed an incredible stop motion sequence for Netflix’s Big Mouth which you can see a sneak image of via his Instagram page here, or you can stream the episode right now on Netflix: Season 5, episode 8, “A Very Big Mouth Christmas.”

Here’s a sweet shot of that sexy sax man, and you can scroll below to see one of our favorite masterpieces created by Quique.

You (yes you!) are invited to celebrate the WORLD PREMIERE of Open the Portal’s first original pilot PSYCHO PSALMS! Presented at Cinelounge Outdoor Theater by our friends Mauricio Alvarado and Jerry Beck. After the screening, we’ll be hosting a Q&A/meet and greet with our crew of animation superstars.

We’re honored to be sharing this evening with Betty Boop’s Halloween Party, a screening of brand new scans of rare 1920s and 1930s classic Halloween cartoons that inspired our pilot! Adult beverages, food trucks, and gourmet popcorn will be available along with official cartoon merchandise from RockinPins.com, and a chance to meet some of the puppet stars in person!

Tickets available via Cinelounge right here!

Take a deep swig of Moon Boggle juice and get comfortable for this unexpectedly sweet and psychedelic story of the mind behind Gumby, Art Clokey. And for a quick hit of instant joy, it’s always worth 55 seconds to revisit the perfection of the 1967 Gumby song and opening sequence:

Hell of a night at the opera.

It feels impossible to summarize Norm Macdonald in any way, shape, or form–suffice it to say that he was well loved by everyone here at Open The Portal, and many of those in our friends and family as well. Whether you are familiar or unfamiliar, his book Based on a True Story is a serious work of heart and semifictional genius, and we can’t recommend it highly enough. Definitely worth the audiobook version so you can hear it in the late author’s voice. Click this link for more info: Based on a True Story

…and just for good measure, here are a few of our favorite Norm-related bits to help pass the time while you wait for the book to download:

Bob Saget’s tribute:

Twilight Zone SNL sketch:

Norm MacDonald Live interview with Jerry Seinfeld:

For anyone lucky enough to have visited an animation festival in 2018, you more than likely had a chance to see the fantastic short, Min Börda, and probably also saw it win something too. It’s now available to view in it’s full unedited glory online, and we can’t recommend a better use of your next 15 minutes:

This stop-motion nightmare has been 30 years in the making, and we can’t wait to get our eyes on it.

From the Oakland Standard:

“When the digital revolution hit, Tippett began work on a personal film project—-Mad God—-which he describes as a cross between Tex Avery, Samuel Beckett, and Hieronymous Bosch. Tippett worked in stop-motion, shooting the first scenes on 35mm film. But he shelved the movie as Tippett Studio got up and running as an all-digital visual effects company…A few years ago some of the employees stumbled across Tippett’s old, 35-mm footage of Mad God. “They thought it was some Czech experimental movie,” Tippett told us. When they found out what it was, they convinced Tippett to resume work on the film.

A big thanks to the folks at Shoutout LA for this feature on OTP! Click here for a look at the full piece: Open The Portal – Shoutout LA Interview

Thanks to the creepy weirdos at the BBC, we have this beautiful video of the strangest mating ritual known to nature, shared with you courtesy of us creepy weirdos here at the OTP.

Remember these? They’re back and better at hurting your face than ever with this all new animated approach! All kidding aside, it’s a very cool effect–but beware of watching it in the bathroom at a party…

Frank Gorshin voices three Kirk Douglasses (Douglasi?) in Tristan Oliver’s 1994 mini-masterpiece of stop motion noir.

“You guys are all the same!”

In honor of Suzan’s birthday last week, see above for the most recently updated collection of her films, which can be purchased here, along with a short letter we posted when she passed on two years ago:

Rest in peace, Miss Suzan Pitt! Equal parts intimidating and inspiring, Suzan was a fiery force of nature in the animation classroom where I was first introduced to her. A smiling, sweet old lady with her dog one moment, she could instantly transform into a fire-breathing mentor who could coax the very best (or worst) out of you, and was never afraid to tell you exactly what she thought. Suzan introduced us to the works of Emile Cohl, Lotte Reiniger, Winsor McCay, and countless other animation gods and goddesses past and present in tandem with her weekly lessons on technique, making for a cocktail of inspiration and action that instilled a glowing love of the art form deep within our hearts. Her respect was always earned, and while it was no easy task to get a smile out of her, when Suzan expressed genuine joy or laughter in the work of her students it always charged the room with an overwhelmingly positive energy. I used to say that in the early days of her class it feel like living a week in a few short hours, brains caught on fire by the carefully selected works she would share with us and the resulting discussions directed by her unique perspective.

Thank you for being one of the most influential animators and artists in my life, Suzan!

-David Braun, 6.17.2019

Oskar Fischinger was a pioneer in (and the first master of) “visual music”–abstract colors and shapes in motion designed to replicate what goes on in the human psyche while listening to music.  The concept is well explained in Walt Disney’s Fantasia, for which he designed two sequences, but chose to remain uncredited due to Disney’s alteration of his work.  This 1938 short is one of his greatest, all the more mind-blowing for the fact that it was created without the use of computers (although he did have limited access to certain alien technologies that allowed for the precise measurements necessary to give the film its sense of perfection).

We’ve had a few friends and initiates who were wild enough to put some of our doodles on their flesh for good! Here’s lead OTP Fabricator and tattoo artist MingHuei Huang (lower left, click her name to see her website!) showing off the results of her multi-talents:

We still hope to one day create a complete animated short in tattoo–here was our first test:

Hiroshi Teshigahara’s masterful documentary on the Catalan architect Gaudí is a nearly dialogue free feast for the visual senses. It’s a Criterion Collection film that somehow found its way onto YouTube for free, so we encourage you to take advantage while it’s still here!

“I do not know if we have awarded this degree to a madman or to a genius; only time will tell.” When Antoni Gaudí received his architecture degree at the University of Barcelona, this was the famous remark made by his Dean. Over 100 years later, many are still asking the same question, but the work has undeniably stood the test of time.

We have always been drawn to the tightrope between madness and genius, and have been greatly inspired by the many portals Gaudí left behind for us to open.

In many ways when it comes to STELLA, the less that is said, the better. There are 3 guys – Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black, and David Wain. They wear suits. They listen to funk rock. The share an apartment. And you might need a shower and an enema after watching their show… Released as a single season on Comedy Central in 2005, STELLA has yet to find its way online in any official capacity, but this sainted individual on Vimeo has done the Universe a favor by uploading every single episode.

Give the pilot a shot–you’ll know pretty quickly if STELLA is for you or not. If you like it, we can’t recommend the entire run highly enough. If not, there’s always Mr. Popper’s Penguins.

“I like the choppy waves!”

This is by far our favorite sequence from the bizarro-educational 1958 film Gateways to the Mind (which is saying a lot, because it also features some on-point animation from none other than Chuck Jones and his fabulous team). For those brave souls out there who enjoy the sequence and would like to dig deeper, the entire flick has found it’s way onto YouTube. Worth a late-night watch with some munchies:

We’re absolutely hypnotized by this fantastic animated opening sequence by Stefan Nadelman / Tourist Pictures for HBO’s new documentary Q: Into the Storm. Apparently peppered with Easter Eggs, although even as longtime conspiracy buffs we aren’t quite sure exactly what we’re looking for.

The docuseries also gets a high recommend from us, although we are only on the second episode and have no idea where things might land. Nothing is what it Qeems.

Although the YouTube upload below does not contain the famous “NO-D” glasses (some assembly required) included with every Honker Home Video release, we’re sure you’ll love every whiff your eyes get. Warning for the faint of heart: Lots of gore ‘n violence in this one, kiddos!

Enjoy the Amazing Mr. Bickford!

(Copyright 1987, Honker Home Video)

SXSW has recognized our new film KKUM from director Kangmin Kim with the Special Jury Recognition for Innovation! You can click here for a full list of winners and SXSW’s official statement on the film: SXSW 2021 Awards

“An awe inspiring masterclass in creativity, resourcefulness, and innovative lighting and stop-motion techniques. This film manages to elevate simplistic materials to create mesmerizing sequences, while also taking you on a poetic, dreamy, and emotional journey that serves as a beautiful tribute to a mother’s love.”

Special Jury Recognition for Innovation
KKUM
Director: Kang Min Kim

This is our second SXSW award, following a Special Jury Recognition for Kangmin’s film Jeom in 2018.

We look forward to sharing the full film with you once it premieres online! And for any ASIFA members out there, we are also up for Best Short Subject at the 2021 Annie Awards!

We have been looking up to GLAS since day one at OTP, and had the honor of hosting parties and screenings with them in the days of yore when large gatherings in our studio were permitted. Their 2021 program is all online and looks absolutely fantastic, with a price that absolutely can’t be beat for a full week of curated experimental animation screenings. You can register by clicking the link below:

GLAS 2021 – Register

We’ll see you there!

We’re often asked about the sound behind our projects, and are always proud to report that nearly 100% of all audio in our original work, Instagram content, live events, and commercials comes from our own in-house composer and studio co-owner, Barrett Slagle. His most recent work can be heard in the OTP produced KKUM (directed by our longtime collaborator Kangmin Kim), and you can check out his official library of OTP-centric music & sounds via his website:

www.barrettslagle.com

…and click hear for a mini-spotlight from ASCAP:

Sundance 2021 Composer Spotlight: Barrett Slagle

As a final treat, here is an interview about our sound conducted by Animation Magazine when we opened the studio in 2015 (and when I say “conducted,” that’s a PUN):

Yo Magic: The snack for survivors!

One of our nearest and dearest friends and OTP collaborators Quique Rivera (founder and CEO of Acho Studio) directed the 90s inspired stop motion commercial for the most recent episode of WandaVision:

You can read a great article attempting to make sense of what it means for the greater scope of the show via Decider here.

…and while you’re at it, why not venture down the rabbit hole of 90’s stop motion kids commercials? You can start with this cartoon confection by master of clay and OTP collaborator extraordinaire Rich Zim:

Cowabunga, dudes!

Visual artist and animator Allison Schulnik created this quiet masterpiece of abstract stop motion in 2011.

Bimbo’s Initiation (1931) – The animated cartoon and the cultic world of secret societies have never been integrated so seamlessly as in this masterpiece of a cartoon by Dave & Max Fleischer (although we here at Open The Portal are doing our damnedest)! Watch for an early appearance of Betty Boop, retaining a few hints of her original canine features. This cartoon is basically OTP’s spirit animal.

Whether you grew up on this show, discovered it recently, or live in a (non-bat) cave and have no idea what it’s all about, this brand new officially sanctioned documentary on Batman: The Animated series will leave you glued to your seat, and serves as one of the most informative and intriguing documentaries on the TV animation process ever created.

There’s so much going on in this clip from Neil Young’s mostly maligned 1982 film Human Highway that we figured the best thing we can do is just present it without comment. Well worth your eyeballs.

Here’s a trailer for a recent restoration of the film. Let us know if you can make any sense of it?

Peace on Earth is a one-reel 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon short directed by Hugh Harman, about a post-apocalyptic world populated only by animals, as it is claimed in the short that human beings have gone extinct due to war.

Two young squirrels ask their grandfather (voiced by Mel Blanc) on Christmas Eve who the “men” are in the lyric “Peace on Earth, good will to men.” The grandfather squirrel then tells them a history of the human race, focusing on the never-ending wars men waged. Ultimately the wars do end, with the deaths of the last men on Earth, two soldiers shooting each other, one shoots the other soldier and the injured soldier kills the last, but slowly dies as he sinks into a watery foxhole while his hand grasps into the water. Afterwards, the surviving animals discover a copy of an implied Bible in the ruins of a church. Inspired by the book’s teachings, they decide to rebuild a society dedicated to peace and non-violence (using the helmets of the soldiers to construct houses). The short features a version of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” with rewritten lyrics, and a trio of carolers sing this song outside of the squirrels’ house.

(From Wikipedia)

Eleven years ago, we had our first visit to the Chiodo Bros. studio–an experience that would create an indelible stamp on the formation of the then-fledgling idea we had for Open The Portal. From the life size animatronic Ninja Turtles suits, to the original characters from the 1986 puppet horror masterpiece Critters, to being starstruck by puppet after puppet (The aliens from Killer Klowns! The burger from Good Burger! The winter creatures from Elf! The Cyborg from Land of the Lost!), we were completely enchanted. One of the first things we remembered seeing upon entering the studio was a display stand featuring a small hardcover children’s book called Alien Xmas.

Eleven years later, it’s an honor to have been their friends for over a decade and finally to see this vision become a reality in the form of a stop motion Christmas special for Netflix. Check it out right here today, and we’d like to spend a special thank you to Stephen, Ed, Charlie, and everyone at Chiodo Bros. for being such a great inspiration and support for Open The Portal for all these years.

When it came to Saturday morning cartoons in the 90s, there was the good (Batman the Animated Series, Garfield & Friends), the bad (Hammerman, although we may have secretly been fans), and the outright otherworldly fantastic, of which Bump in the Night falls into a very slim category alongside masterworks of weirdness like The Tick, Project G.e.e.K.e.R., and everything going on at Nickelodeon during those days.

But Bump in the Night had the exceptionally rare distinction of being a stop-motion animated series with unique characters, killer writing, and top quality animation. Created by Ken Pontac (of “Happy Tree Friends” fame) and David Ichioka, the series combined clay, puppet animation, life sized sets, and surreal lighting to pitch perfect effect. You can watch our favorite episode ‘Baby Jail’ above, and get in the holiday spirit with “Twas the Night Before Bumpy” below:

If you’ve ever noticed any similarities between our work and the work of Czech surrealist Jan Švankmajer, it is completely intentional. He is one of the all time greats in both stop motion and experimental cinema, and we are extremely jealous of his motorized three wheeled bicycle thing featured in this trailer.

Until someone finally puts this puppy up for streaming, we’re going to host the video here for your viewing pleasure! And two extra factoids for any animation fans out there:

1. Tales From the Far Side home the Grand Prix at the Annecy International Film Festival (!)
2. This film was directed by Marv Newland, creator of the legendary 1969 short-short film “Bambi Meets Godzilla” ~

Have a spooky Halloween on the Far Side!

“There are only two kinds of talent worthy of identification: one that you find [if you are very lucky] within yourself…and two, the talent to surround yourself with talent. Of the two, the only one I am confident that I possess in abundance is the second.” -Chuck Jones

Finding and sharing animated works of heart that scratch the weirdest itches in the human brain has always been a major part of Open The Portal, as important to us as the work we produce ourselves. When we first opened our studio doors in 2015, we did so as great admirers of the many unsung sorcerers of the stop motion world, and decided early on that we would host screenings as often as possible to share our favorites and watch them together on our homemade big screen with a live audience. Our friends at GLAS (www.glasanimation.com) helped us put together our first show, “The Purple Curtain Stop Motion Screening,” on May 27th, 2016.

Being that we have been unable to host live events in 2020, we decided that this would be the perfect time to share these special screenings with you to watch from home. We are happy to report that in the years that have followed beyond this screening, we have had the opportunity to collaborate with many of these virtuosos of psychic (or psychotic) creative energy behind the animated films that make up the program, many of whom are working with us on our first animated pilot at this very moment.

Please enjoy “The Purple Curtain Stop Motion Screening.”

Part I: New Classics

1. Misha Klein – “Fred”
2. Mark Osborne – “More”
3. Tennessee Reid Norton – “The Lizard Whomper”
4. Helder K. Sun – “Lint People”
5. Rich Zim – “Birdhouse”

~Intermission by Billy Burgess, Max Winston, and Janelle Miau~

Part II: New films

1. Ainslie Hendersen – “Stems”
2. Steve Warne – “Pombo Loves You”
3. Quique Rivera – “Uni’s Adventures on the Moon”
4. Max Winston – “Total Reality”
5. Kasia Nalewajka – “Pineapple Calamari”
6. Grace Nayoon Rhee – “Unicorn”
7. Calvin Frederick – “Hangin’ With Mr. Kuper / NEIV”
8. Kangmin Kim – “Deer Flower”

Poster autographed by the filmmakers hanging up in our LA studio:

See if you can find the moth stuck in the glass!

Stay tuned for more digital Purple Curtain screenings to come.

At the time of its release in 1995, Runaway Brain was the first Mickey Mouse short to be released in a whopping 42 years. Featuring a radical departure from the classic Mickey tone, this short featured feral brain swapping, sexy Minnie jokes, a hefty dose of violence, and a creepy-sleazy chimp mad scientist named Dr. Frankenollie (whose demise may be the most spectacular out of any Disney short ever):

The short didn’t sit well with Disney fans who pined for the syrupy sweet mascot Mickey of yore (leading to the studio generally brushing it under the rug), but it is remembered with great relish by those of us who like our Mickey with a heavy dose of spunk and fire. And besides, if you look back far enough in history, you very quickly realize that Runaway Brain actually wasn’t so much of a departure after all… One needs look no further than 1933’s The Mad Doctor for all the evidence you need:

Happy Halloween!

Mashup of the brilliant 1974 Czech animated film starring Krtek (the Little Mole) created by Zdeněk Miler, and Radiohead’s song “Nude” as a part of a remix contest by the band.

We did not create this, but found it online and can’t find the original creator. It was deleted so we saved it from the annals of the internet. If you know the creator please introduce us so we can give them credit!

Wake up looking at “Woke Up Looking” by Gideon Irving.

…and you can wake up tomorrow treating yourself to this fantastic little behind the scenes feature:

Feels Good Man (click the link for info) might tell you more about internet subculture than you ever hoped to know, but o holy goodness it’s a worthwhile watch. Ignore the silly trailer, just go straight for the film! If you don’t like it, we’ll give you your money back! Or at least email the filmmakers on your behalf.

Filmmaker Fokion “Foks” Xenos brings some killer Greek flavor to the world of the beach and stop motion in this highly re-watchable adventure beneath the sun.

With the Pentagon greasing the wheels to release “new details of UFO encounters” to the public, we thought it would be a good time to remind the universe that Catalonia has been ahead of the curve for decades. Take a look at 33 Years of UFOs of Catalonia for a summary.

A few years ago, we took a trip down the the rabbit trail with our collaborator, screenwriter, and Catalan ambassador Víctor Sala to the reported UFO sightings of 1345 and the enigmatic “Black Madonna” on Monserrat. We even found a UNFC (unidentified non-flying car) on our journey.

Well worth the online trip if you can’t make it in person, and the cable car ride up is an absolute smasher. Woe be to those with a fear of heights!

Wendy Carlos melting the lines between classical and electronic with a blowtorch of synthesizer sounds. Here’s a fascinating BBC excerpt on her process:

It’s an absolute online treasure hunt to find the actual tracks from Switched-On Bach themselves–if anyone manages to find a link, please let us know! The best lead we’ve found so far is Wendy’s website on the matter. There are plenty of CDs and (extremely expensive) vinyl on the market, but we haven’t been able to track down a place to stream the record yet. Happy seeking! Plus a shoutout to what may be the greatest album art of ALL TIME (from Switched-On Bach II):

Every once in a while, a Spaghetti-O’s commercial is just the medicine you need.

Chef Calvin Frederick comes out of the shadows for a sneak peek at this kaleidoscopic madness he’s been cooking up. For those unfamiliar with his work, check out the killer predecessors to Night Mail 2020 in Bermuda and Agrabagrabah.

Night Mail!

The heroic LA-Z-BOYs and -GIRLs over at the AV Club have done us all a stunning favor by compiling 21 of the most horrifying sequences in children’s entertainment into one neat and convenient package. We wish we could say more about why we folk over at Open The Portal are so drawn to this specific subset of media, but we’ll leave that up to the psychologists to figure out. After all, stop motion is famous for creating entire films (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, The Adventures of Mark Twain) that walk the tightrope between “kid-friendly” and “horror.” Always great to see that “Large Marge” is still the reigning champion. Enjoy!

Click here: Nightmare Fuel: 21 Horrifying Moments from Children’s Entertainment

Here’s our top 3:

Artwork by kaptainmyke

If you spend enough time perusing Open The Portal’s work, website, or Instagram page, it probably becomes apparent very quickly that The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of our all-time favorite films, and biggest influences on what we do.

Now, there’s a podcast that goes deeper into the production of Nightmare than ever before, and if you’re anything like us, that STILL isn’t deep enough.

Check out WE KNOW JACK (click the bold text for the link)

And check out our friend and OTP collaborator Rich Zim on set during the production of Nightmare in 1992!

…plus a couple of bangers from the We Know Jack website photo section:

Happy listening!

One of our all-time favorite sources of pure, undistilled joy here at Open The Portal when we need a jolt of humor is none other than Leslie Nielsen. for those of you unfamiliar with his oeuvre of staggering genius, treat yourself to the following short film:

Also, do yourself a huge favor and check out Episode 1 of Police Squad! (the original [and arguably even greater] inspiration for The Naked Gun):

“If in animation we are to advance our craft we must each eventually face the terror of creativity and each of us must some day do it before the great crowd, for animation is not only an art form, it is also a method of entertainment and a method of communication.” -Chuck Jones, 1974

Every few years, an artist comes along who pushes the craft of animation into a whole new realm with the use of the new and ever evolving technological tools at our disposal. Sam Gainsborough is one such artist, and the proof can be found in his astounding film “Facing It.”

Enjoy this beautiful mini-masterpiece.

Ever wanted to see babies climbing up a 700 foot tower? Welcome to Prague, where you can look no further – or – look a little closer! Being once pegged as “the second ugliest building in the world,” the history of the cosmic Žižkov TV Tower has some extremely dark roots, but artist David Černy’s addition of copper babies climbing up and down the structure quickly found favor with the public. When he will be returning the babies to their families is soon to be revealed…

You can check out more of David Černy’s heartwarming, mostly NSFW sculpture work (at your own risk) via his official website at http://www.davidcerny.cz/start.html

A beautiful little comic story drawn and told by Rebecca Sugar, creator of Steven Universe. (Media courtesy of https://imgur.com/gallery/ZsACh) If you haven’t seen the Simpsons clip that inspired the title, scroll to the bottom of the post for a well-deserving peep.

We were lucky enough to share a studio at the Chiodo Bros with the incredible Zina Nicole Lahr during the Summer of 2013, and became friends for a few brief months just before she passed away. This little video about her life is a breath of peace and sweetness during these uncertain times, and for those with an inkling to dig deeper, her story in this article and writings at www.normallyoddzina.com are teeming with beauty and insight.

Rest in peace, Zina!

Although Shaun the Sheep has a warm and snuggly exterior, both his first and second films (courtesy of England’s smashing Aardman Animation studio) accomplish something that strikes to the heart of children and adults alike, and with almost no dialogue! Streaming on Netflix as of this week–if you’re a subscriber, get on it!

Before Alien Xmas drops later this year, give yourself a refresher on the coolest critter effects the world has ever known!

You can check out the original article via Bloody Disgusting here, and be sure to read up on Alien Xmas as well!

Noah Harris and Andy Biddle take us on a wild journey of exploding eye candy in this fantastic abstract stop motion piece.

There’s an excellent write-up and making of article at Director’s Notes for those seeking a peek behind the curtain: Evolution Evolves

Click here to find the fantastic New Yorker article on early animation, and look below to ring in 2020 with the magnificent 1908 classic, Gertie the Dinosaur!

Besides having one of the greatest names of all time, Tadahito Mochinaga is a master animator with a largely unheard history that links Japanese WWII propaganda films and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Our most highly recommended watch of the year:

Siqi Song has made a huge step into a new realm with her film 妹妹 / SISTER.

A long time ago (2004) in a galaxy far, far, away (Orange County), there was a band called Great Glass Elevator that would form the bones of what would ultimately become Open The Portal.

We haven’t played a proper show since 2009, but after the passing of our good friend David Del Fonzo (guitarist for our comrades in The Color Turning), his band decided to get all of our crews together to play a tribute show in his honor. So here it goes!

The show takes place at the Troubadour on November 17th, and tickets are available here: Friends of David

You can find the music of GGE here: Elevator Music for You

And the stop motion music video we made that marked the first audio/visual collaboration of the OTP crew:

See you at the show!

We were honored to be a part of Blake Derksen‘s amazing sci-fi stop motion project The Other Space, inspired by his own battle with cancer. Blake was an intern at OTP and went on to be immediately hired as a collaborator on some of our commercial work.

You can check out the article and press release on “The Other Space” here: The Other Space livestream

Tune in to the Live Stream with Blake on 10/29! Info can be found in the link posted above.

It’s always a treat to see the almighty Kirsten Lepore flex her stop motion storytelling muscles, from sexy cupcakes to star-crossed sand people to spiders and creepy butt folks who maintain eye contact for prolonged periods of discomfort, but this is the first time we’ve seen her dip her toes into the arena of science fiction (and we couldn’t be happier):

Enjoy the simulation!

Beyond bringing some of the most interesting state-of-the-art stop motion special effects into the world, Phil Tippett is also a widely unsung designer of some of the most iconic creatures to ever grace the screen, including the Rancor, the Taun Taun, and Big J himself, Jabba the Hutt.

Thanks for all the years of inspiration, Master Tippett.

Before Trey, Matt, & the Chiodo Bros. created Team America, there was Gerry & Sylvia Anderson’s Thunderbirds–filmed in stunning Supermarionation®. Accept no substitute!

Here’s a lovely article on some of the mod sci-fi worlds created for Thunderbirds: The Marvellous Mod World of Sci-Fi Marionettes

And for good measure, here’s a glorious behind the scenes from 2004’s filthy-mouthed love letter to the Supermarionation (lovingly crafted by our friends and mentors the Chiodo Bros.), Team America World Police!

“Now, Jessica is a rabbit by marriage only…”

In 1983, Disney had a version of Who Framed Roger Rabbit in pre-production that laid some groundwork and made some interesting choices, but this internal behind the scenes video really says it all:

You can read more about this almost-made version of the film via Rolling Stone here.

It’s a fascinating watch and read, but the proof in the pudding of the final product shows just how visionary and talented the late legendary animation director Richard Williams (who would end up directing the version we already know and love) was. Hope you’re having a great time animating on that big old light box in the sky, Richard.

Photo by ITV/Shutterstock (526721ow) Richard Williams in ‘Europe Now’ – 1988

In a time before remote controls, turn signals, and electric razors, World of Tomorrow, directed by Tex Avery (AKA The King of Cartoons), gives a big tickling look into how the past predicted today.

Enjoy this cutting-edge talk from world renowned Thought Leader, Pat Kelly! Known for his groundbreaking work in the ether of common knowledge, and the credulous tendencies of the modern human being; welcome to thinking about nothing, while thinking about everything. Presenting the world’s premiere THOUGHT LEADER:

Ah the golden age of 1934… twas the tail end of the Great Depression and the beginning of a bright, new (Hollywood) era. This musical scene in Dames, choreographed by the proto-psychedelic filmmaker Busby Berkeley, would have definitely been worth seeing for your last loaf of bread. Resulting in countless successful remakes of the dreamy song, and a following fantasy era of Berkeley’s works, this meticulous scene gloriously embodies a precious 1930s romance.

And some more Busby Beauties for your royal consideration:

Do you think it’s dangerous to have Busby Berkeley dreams?

Somehow, somewhere, in the mystical age of 1993, all of our favorite things in the world magically coalesced into this masterpiece of animated and musical artistry. Special note to Weird Al or any Close, Personal Friends of Al who may be reading–Open The Portal wants to work with this man! We will happily commit to giving him our first 27 children if he’d only consider a quick visit to the studio. If he is not interested but you happen to know where he lives, we are also very good at stalking (but not in a creepy way). Please send any hot leads to hello@opentheportal.com

Here’s a wonderfully 90s BTS on how they made the video:

…and here is the majestic final product:

What’s better than the old seeing the new? The new seeing the old? The new seeing the old seeing the new? Either way, Black Mirror will surely have their share of thoughts on this satirical commentary on their mindset that everything is indeed going to hell- technology being the most sinister temptation to take us there. Prithee my lord! Take not thy self, take thy screen! But wait.. what if thy self is thy screen…

(Also, ten points to anyone who can name the film the picture below comes from)

Anthropomorphism at its finest: A human face made out of a staged fatal car accident and a – quite frankly – ruined breakfast (booo). UK-based surrealist animator, Cyriak, bangs out another one! Paired with an electric beat to make your cells dance, this (intended-to-be) informational video from the 40’s transforms before your eyes into what feels like its true destiny; madness. Say goodbye to the most important meal of the day (and eating it in the street), and say hello to hysteria!

Here’s a sweet little write-up on the piece from the AV Club: https://news.avclub.com/cyriaks-latest-video-turns-a-corny-psa-from-the-1940s-i-1836523015

One of our favorite films we came across on the festival circuit last year was this little piece called Negative Space, created by Ru Kuwahata and Max Porter. It manages to sweetly approach a difficult subject, and employs some of our favorite stop motion techniques throughout:

Here’s a short making of featurette:

There have been many, many approaches to making stop motion water effects work over the years, from baking powder, to hardened hot glue, to ripple glass, and everything in between. Stop motion special effects mad scientist Javan Ivey (who you know from his killer animation on Western Spaghetti, among other things) came up with one of the most unique ways to simulate animated water ever devised. The behind the scenes video is a zen experience, highly recommended with some Tchaikovsky or binaural beats (or both) playing in the background:

Here are a few classic examples of other water techniques explored in stop motion and sequences involving stop motion:

“Inspirace” by Karel Zeman, 1949:

“Frog and Toad are Friends” by John Clark Matthews, 1985:

“Elf” (animation by Chiodo Bros.) 2003:

Warner. Bros have announced 1000 new minutes of Looney Tunes shorts to take place over the course of approximately 200 individual cartoons. We’ve heard a few rumors swirling around some of the animators and projects involved, and let’s just say our bunny ears are perking up. Here is a look at the first short (and teaser for the new series), Dynamite Dance.

You can check out a great write-up on the project via The AV Club by clicking here:
https://news.avclub.com/new-warner-bros-bugs-bunny-short-evokes-the-greatness-1835484478

(headline image by Open The Portal and Armando Sepulveda Medoza)

White-gloved hands down, this is our favorite sequence that’s ever been featured on Drunk History. Here’s to the Timecrow getting his own feature on a future segment–bottoms up!

(The only downside to this segment is that it does not feature our all-time fave DH contributor Duncan Trussell… Duncan, if you’re reading this we love you)!

Mickey and Timecrow forever and ever!

This theatrical track by MOON HONEY needs to spread like a virus upon the face of the Earth.

If you have the opportunity to check out Moon Honey live we can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s like reading Alice in Wonderland on NyQuil while getting a foot massage from an off brand muppet.

A surreal short story of ice bears and extra terrestrials from the OTP archives, created in 2008. Our style has come a long way in eleven years, but this is still one of our favorite examples of animated storytelling in our oeuvre of goopy weirdness. All shot in a single bedroom, which ended up smelling like the dumpster behind a Chinese restaurant after the animated food montage sequence. Enjoy!

Music: “15 Step” by Radiohead

Two years ago, we had the great honor of hosting stop motion master artist Bruce Bickford’s 70th birthday party at our studio. He passed away on April 29th and left behind a legacy of mind-scrabbling animation that I’ve often described as “what thinking looks like.” For an in-depth article covering the best highlights of Mr. Bickford’s career, check out this link to Cartoon Brew.

If you have the opportunity to view the fantastic documentary Monster Road (currently available to watch for free on Tubi), it’s an absolute treat.

Rest in peace, amazing Mr. Bickford!

Join us for an evening of celebrating the life and artwork of the legendary Chuck Jones! This Saturday, we will be hosting a special charity event at our studio in conjunction with the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity. You’ll have the opportunity to view works inspired by the life and times of Chuck Jones. There will be drinks, light snacks, activities, art, screenings of rare footage, raffle prizes, and a special presentation of a new creative project by OTP. Tickets are limited so make sure to RSVP today by clicking HERE if you’d like to attend this free event!

Many thanks to the CJCC for putting together this amazing evening celebrating one of our all-time favorite cartoon creators.

Whether or not you were old enough to understand exactly what was going on when the Heaven’s Gate Away team took their final exit in 1997, the content of this podcast may be one of the most fascinating listens you’ll ever come across. Recommended for fans of cult-culture, science fiction, and seemingly impossible real-life stories. Not recommended for the faint of heart.

Click here for the show: https://www.heavensgate.show/

And if you want to open up a really strange rabbit hole, the original website of the group can still be found here.

Our friends at Starburns Industries just announced that they will be producing the upcoming documentary on the late Will Vinton, creator of Claymation® and one of the all time great stop motion directors. Check out the write-up here, and go watch you some Vinton!

When you’re livin’ in a bubble and they’re tryin’ to steal your air…

Mel Brooks’ classic Spaceballs, in our eyes, is one of the undeniable all-time greatest cinematic achievements ever committed to film. And for one night only, this Thursday the 28th of March, it will be back on the big screen in North Hollywood. You can get your tickets by clicking here, and be sure to say hello if you bump into any OTP-sketeers at the screeing!

In the mean time, here’s a fantastic behind the scenes feature:

Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime historic opportunity.

Most everyone alive on Planet Earth has some memory of their first interaction with the great Bugs Bunny. Mine happened to be through the secret doodles of one of his original fathers, Chuck Jones.

Every Monday afternoon from the time I was six years old, my mom would drive me to a strange house filled with all sorts of curiosities for my weekly piano lesson. My octogenarian teacher Margaret Neumann and her husband Max were collectors of peculiar and interesting artworks and objects, which they used to decorate every nook and cranny of their house.

Photos: Max blowing out his birthday candles in front of an artist’s interpretation of The Ride of the Valkyries sheet music, heavily reminiscent of the Chuck Jones film “High Note” (click here for a clip), and Margaret giving my sister and me a lesson on her organ.

Upon exploring their house one day, some pen and ink doodles tacked up on the wall caught my attention. Mr. Neumann noticed my interest and asked how much I knew about Bugs Bunny. Before long, I was being treated to a near mythological account of how integral Chuck Jones had been in the creation of some of my favorite cartoon characters.

Max and Margaret were part of a square dancing group that included Mr. Jones. The prized piece of Max’s collection was a huge sheet of white drawing paper covered in dozens of cartoons entitled “Chuck Jones – one year of doodles,” dedicated personally to Max.

For me, this began a lifelong admiration of the work of Mr. Jones, his co-conspirators in the cartoon world, and animation at large, eventually leading me to study animation at the very school Chuck himself attended.

Here’s a fantastic entry point into his work:

Fast-forward twenty-five years, and I find myself here at Open The Portal, more than a little inspired by the Termite Terrace studio described in books by Chuck and his fellow animators of that Golden Age of animation. After driving by the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity in Costa Mesa several times, I finally decided to stop inside and have a chat to see what it was all about. I walked in wearing an enamel Daffy Duck pin, and the wonderful Carol Erickson at the front desk was kind enough to invite me to an upcoming art opening. Within a matter of weeks, I had met Mr. Craig Kausen, grandson of Chuck Jones and head of operations for the Chuck Jones Companies, which functions as an active charity and manages Chuck’s original artwork, among other things. We bonded quickly over a mutual love for his grandfather’s work and the animation world in general, and have been collaborating on projects ever since.

On Saturday, April 27th, we’ll be hosting our biggest collaboration yet in the form of a Los Angeles sneak peek of the annual Red Dot auction put on by the CJCC. It’s going to be hosted by Craig at our very own Open The Portal studio, and the invitation is open to the public. We’ll be posting more about it in the very near future. We hope you can make it to meet Craig, bid on artworks, and see some very special, never-before-seen exclusive clips of Chuck Jones in his own words! You can get more information by clicking the link here: Red Dot Sneak Peek

See you at the studio,

David Braun
March 2019

It’s been one of our all time dreams at Open The Portal to do a Gumby episode in our style–if you work with Gumby please contact us once he gets out of jail! You can read the full text of the original article here: Gumby Tries to Rob 7-Eleven

But this 36-second YouTube video tells you everything you need to know:

Ever tried a Synesthesia Synthesizer?

PS: Here’s a rare snapshot of Michel Gondry rubbing fingertips with OTP circa 2009:

Some of our nearest and dearest space siblings HOTT MT (Hour of the Time Majesty Twelve) released their brand new album Earth on Heaven today! Click here for the Spotify link: HOTT MT – Earth on Heaven

This is the first album by the band to feature synthesizer contributions by the OTP-birthed sentient android TTM-1 (colloquially known as “Tapey”). Tapey also appears in the upcoming music video for “California Sunset,” which we shot with the band on Super-8 at the Salton Sea last year. Keep your eyes out, and in the meantime give the album a listen as you enjoy a few of our favorite stills from the video!

We couldn’t stand the awful resolution of all of the versions of this classic film by Jan Švankmajer on YouTube, so we made a secret upload for Portal users only.

Many years ago, I had an animation class that met at 7:30am, and the instructor decided to open with a screening of this stomach-churning surrealist masterpiece. Some of the more squeamish students in the front row didn’t make it through the whole thing. If you happen to be eating heavy food at the moment, maybe bookmark this page for later. Bon appétit!

There is an incredible screening of restored classic animation coming to UCLA this Sunday, February 18th. It includes the work of George Pal, creator of the “puppetoon” series, earning his work a position in highest echelons of stop motion animation. Click here to get tickets, and whether or not you are able to make it, take a peek at this bonkers collection of clips from 1987’s anthology feature The Puppetoon Movie below:

Our friend Tommy Stanfield came across this gem and decided to upload it for the world to see. You can check out a nice little write-up on it over at Cartoon Brew. If you want to know more about Tommy Stanfield, we are definitely not the people to ask.

Somewhere in the strange, crunchy psychedelic afterburn surrounding the animation of Terry Gilliam, 1970s features like The Point (which warrants a future Portal Post of its own), wallpaper patterns from a bygone era, and ancient medieval tapestries lies the mysterious world of the young Felix Colgrave, a man who needs no introduction for many animation fans. Here is his most current magnum opus called Double King, destined to be replaced by himself in the years to come.

Enjoy!

In this day and age, even a 90 second video can seem like a lot to sit through, but if you can free up an hour and eleven minutes of your week to dedicate to the Rock-afire Explosion, we promise it will be worth your time.

This is the impossible story of a man with an unbridled creative vision that never went off the rails because it never even went NEAR them. Embedded in his story are the roots of Chuck E. Cheese, a legacy that’s touched the hearts of a select few exceptional individuals who kept his spark burning for decades, and a recent revival found in everything from the work of Key & Peele to the creative team behind Deadpool. Our written words can’t do this unbelievably true myth one much justice–all we ask is that you trust us, open your heart, and give ’em a chance.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Rock-afire Explosion:

For those fortunate enough to remember the magical miniatures that graced the early days of HBO, you already know what to expect from this incredible behind the scenes video. For those who don’t, you’re in for a fantastic treat:

One of the most unexpected sources or existential peace we’ve discovered in the past five years came in the form of “The Chris Farley Show” A Biography in Three Acts,” a book about the late comedian’s life made up of stories collected and organized by his brother. You can order the book here and tell ’em Uncle Hesper sent you.

22 years later, one of Chris’ best friends and fellow comedians made this musical tribute to him. Enjoy:

For a short, golden period of time, there was a crop of video board games on the market in which an “interactive” tape was included to be played alongside the game. In the case of Nightmare (one of the first and best), the tape is left on to play without stopping as the mysterious “Gatekeeper” (who bears a striking resemblance to Stu Mackenzie of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard) leads the players through the game. Some games (such as the Gargoyles VHS game) required players to fast forward and rewind to various points of the tape in a choose-your-own-adventure style, which seemed like a good idea, but beat the tar out of the tapes and machines used to play them.

We have a mint and very playable copy of Nightmare at the studio. Send us a message if you ever get the courage to give it a try…

In 1983, the folks at Walt Disney World debuted an attraction called Horizons, a dark ride designed to give you a look into the human civilization of the future. The ride was less of a hit than expected, with popularity significantly waning as the years slogged by. Two unknown heroes would change the course of history for all of us when they learned to surreptitiously (and extremely illegally) leave the ride vehicles with the intention of documenting the experience, eventually getting to the point where they were hanging out on various scenes of the ride for hours at a time.

Here’s a link to the original fascinating article, and a bit of text to whet your whistle: The True Story of the Unauthorized Daredevil Documentation of the Horizons

Let’s fast forward…to December 1995, as two best friends in their late twenties were working mind-numbing desk jobs… Dave Ensign (aka “Hoot Gibson”) and Ed Barlow Jr. (aka “Thunder Chief”) had been insanely huge Horizons fans ever since it opened when they were 15 years old…Hoot and Chief set out to document the ride and get as much photo, video, and audio coverage as they could before it closed again. Not knowing exactly how much time they had to get it done, not knowing how it would be done, just knowing that it had to be done.

Hoot and Chief started Phase I of their operation with a very basic strategy for exiting their OMNIMOVER ride vehicle: “Jump out, get shots, jump back in.” However, after this went on for a while they wanted to spend more time on the sets, so they began testing different strategies using trial and error to get a larger gap of empty ride cars. Chief would hang out right near the loading area and watch people board the ride using the mirrors in the entry hallway, and Hoot would stay at the front entrance where people entered the building. Chief would count the ride vehicles; there always had to be at least six empty vehicles ahead of them and six empty vehicles behind for them to remain unseen. Upon boarding the ride and rounding the corner they’d jump out and run like the wind to get as far ahead as possible. By keeping count of the car numbers they had a precise idea of how much time they could spend in each individual scene, sometimes 30 seconds, sometimes a minute or two.

One of the great unsung heroes of stop motion animation is the incredible John Clark Matthews, whose behind the scenes video that accompanied the 1985 short Frog and Toad are Friends was one of the two main sparks that ignited my interest in stop motion. (You can see the wondrous BTS short here, but we will give it a Portal update all of its own in the future). Besides the also fantastic Mouse and the Motorcycle film he created in 1986, I would consider Mouse Soup to be his magnum opus as an animated storyteller. When I was a kid we had a low-fi EP version of the film recorded off PBS (where it was made for the underrated ensemble show Long Ago and Far Away). I was delighted to find this MUCH higher quality version had been recently uploaded to YouTube. So here, for your enjoyment, is Mouse Soup. Be on the lookout for my favorite quote, “…aaaaaaand we DON’T have BELLY buttons!”

Technically referred to by the horrific term mise en abyme (“placed in abyss”), the Droste effect (so nicknamed for its appearance in the imagery on a container of a Dutch cocoa brand by that name in 1904) has a mysterious quality about it that can hypnotize the viewer into madness after just a few seconds. Here’s an updated and animated version of the effect with an anime-style girl standing in (Click here to watch it in action–I chose this one because the speed on the original is near seizure inducing):

This “picture-in-a-picture” effect has origins tracing all the way back to medieval art, but at least one artist of the modern day has taken it to a new level with the genesis of the animated gif. Check out the link below for a great article on the works of artist Feliks Konczakowski and his Droste-dripping dreams:

https://beachpackagingdesign.com/boxvox/feliks-konczakowskis-animated-droste-effect-labels

One of our favorite YouTube accounts, KaptainKristian, just returned from a 1 year sabbatical with this fantastic video essay on Disney’s 12 animation techniques, as defined in the book The Illusion of Life by Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnson.

Stop motion offers both advantages and restrictions when it comes to the application of these ideas, and one of our quests at Open The Portal is to capture these techniques by finding new ways to break the limitations of shooting animation in 3D space. Stay tuned…

If you have ever braved the mysterious “Prince Bathroom” (so named for the symbol on its door) at Open The Portal, you may have come across the November 1993 “Collector’s 3D” issue of Disney Adventures magazine, featuring Cruella de Vil and the Addams Family children on the cover.

Upon delving further into this magazine as you sit and contemplate your business, you may have also discovered a pair of anaglyph red and blue 3D glasses, and turned to a fantastic page full of 3D photos from the set of The Nightmare Before Christmas. (You can see loads of original anaglyph 3D photographs by animator Joel Fletcher on his website here).

This specific article was one of two catalysts that lead me to initially pursue my interest in stop motion, lighting the fuse that would ultimately ignite the infinite trashcan fire that has become Open The Portal. 25 years later, we’ve seen dozens of stop motion TV shows, movies, commercials, and short films come and go, but for my money the most perfect example of a project that utilizes stop motion animation to the utter peak of all its strengths is none other than Nightmare.

Here’s a wonderful behind the scenes feature we recently discovered via Cartoon Brew:

Enjoy the Nightmare Before Christmas wormholes we’ve just laid out, and here’s the another fantastic 25 years of watching this amazing film!

We here at Open The Portal are big fans of things that resemble things we love created by things one wouldn’t expect to create said things. In this case, the first “thing” is a science fiction short film called “Sunspring,” which resembles (“thing #2”) many science fiction short films that we love, and was created by an unexpected entity (“thing 3”)–an artificial intelligence that named itself “Benjamin.” We had to good fortune to meet Benjamin’s delightful parents, Oscar Sharp and Ross Goodwin earlier this year, and found we had more in common than we could keep track of.

You can follow Benjamin’s exploits in writing film synopses at his Tumblr page here: http://benjamin-ai.tumblr.com/

And watch his groundbreaking masterwork “Sunspring” directly below via Ars Technica:

Enjoy!

Our in-house audio wizard, unlicensed magician, and general man of mystery Barrett Slagle brought this gem to our attention today:

“Stumbled onto this innovative use of old magnetic tape. Typically used to capture sound, Japan’s Open Reel Ensemble is using it to create sound.”

You can check out the original article here.

We recently had the supreme honor of hosting a panel of some of our favorite special effects wizards of all time at Comic-Con International 2018. “Stop Motion as a Special Effect” asks the question of why stop motion animation hasn’t been taken seriously as a viable medium for special effects for the past two decades, and what we could do to change it. We made a short video intro and cut it together with one of our favorite moments from the panel below. Look for more to come on this subject from OTP later this year!

A write-up on our 2018 BIFAN leader film (directed by Kangmin Kim) was recently featured on the Dragonframe blog–(click bold text to view). For any budding stop motion animators or dabblers in curiosity out there, Dragonframe opens up a whole new world of possibility in the realm of what can be done in a stop motion project, especially when you are dealing with limited resources. But BE YE WARY that buying Dragonframe is the final step in the journey toward a life of stop motion addicted madness, and there can be no hope of returning once it is in your possession.

Check out the link here to try it for free!

A few years back, we were watching The Sandlot in our old studio (a one-bedroom apartment that functioned as an office, shooting stage, and board room, among other things), and had the idea to sync the 4th of July scene up with a song from a popular new album at the time, “Carrie & Lowell” by Sufjan Stevens. The results left us melted alive in a puddle of our own nostalgia, so we decided to upload the result to share with you. Have a happy 4th of July, and enjoy!

Our newest short film, directed and animated by Kangmin Kim, continues to wow and astound audiences as a selection for the 2018 Sundance Shorts tour, for which info can be found by click the text directly below:

SUNDANCE SHORTS TOUR 2018

We are very proud to have our film included in this special showcase, and even more proud of the first image that comes up when you type “Sundance Shorts Tour” into a Google image search:

Salutations! Salute your shorts!

You can scroll down in the Portal (the unofficial official name of this spiral-helmed section of our website) to find Mike Jittlov’s stone cold stop motion classic, “The Wizard of Speed and Time,” but this lesser known earlier work was just brought to our attention a week ago, and I felt compelled to share it. Simply put, this man sweats, bleeds, and urinates genius. He is one of our all time favorites. Enjoy “Animato,” from the early archives of the great Mike Jittlov.

For those of you who haven’t been to our studio or picked up on it yet, Open The Portal has a bit of an unhealthy obsession with clocks. You can find them in every nook and cranny of our production space, peppered throughout our films, and even in the face of our main character, the Timecrow.

You can only imagine our excitement upon discovering this gem from the mind of the one and only Jim Henson, a 1966 Academy Award nominated short film, “Time Piece.” We hope you’ll enjoy these clips as much as we have.

With all the ’80s nostalgia flooding Netflix and the World at large these days, we decided to take a progressive step into the future and imagine what a Netflix bumper might look like in the technologically superior world of–the 1990s!

Featuring original music by Open The Portal and guest animation by the undisputed master of clay manipulation himself, Mr. Rich Zim!

Back in 2003 there was a fantastic traveling festival created by Don Hertzfeldt and Mike Judge called “The Animation Show.” I came across their second DVD collection of shorts and enjoyed them all, but one particular standout called “Pan With Us” gave me goosebumps all over and quickly became an obsession. I used to share it via scratched up DVD with almost every visitor who made their way to my house until the disc wouldn’t play anymore.

I’m very excited to finally be able to share a high quality version of the film–until last year it had not made it’s way onto the internet and was only viewable via old Animation Show DVDs. Not only is it now available, but it has been uploaded by Mr. Russo in a much higher quality than the original home release. So here at last in all it’s glorious glory is “Pan With Us.”

This short definitely deserves a bigger online audience, so if you like it please share it like wildfire!

One of our favorite human beings on Planet Earth (his current location, planet of origin is debatable) Creed Bratton, recently tapped into the Portal Universe for his brand new music video for the song, “More Than You Know.” The music video, with animation by the infamous Maureen Kuo (based on the artwork of Vance DeGeneres), is available for you viewing pleasure via Creed’s YouTube channel, and directly below:

Some of our best friends in the animation world are the fine folks behind the GLAS (Global Animation Syndicate) Animation Festival, held annually in Berkeley, California. This year’s festival takes place from March 22-25th, and will feature our newly produced short film Jeom, directed by Kangmin Kim. Click here for the full program lineup, and this link for all that sweet, sweet information on how to attend: GLAS 2018