Now THIS Is How You Make a Demo Reel

By
on

We don’t typically post CG demo reels, but this one by Dono really stands out from the pack. It even earned the attention of Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich.

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  • Animated Fragments
    #22

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  • Animated Fragments
    #21

    QQQ

  • “Crumbs” by Eyal
    Lebovich

  • Matthew Koh

    Wow, This guy needs to work at Pixar.

  • Nick Swift

    That just made my night
    and holy crap, “5D”!?!?!?!
    I might as well just quit now, how can you compete with that?

  • http://www.kustomonsters.com Craig Clark

    Epic Epicness!

  • http://www.michaelspornanimation.com/splog michael sporn

    Next time I need a cube animated, I’ll give a call.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/VujadeEntertainment#p/u/0/3HaupcJwAdk Steve Schnier

    I feel that it lacked in the storytelling department and the characterizations were weak.

    Seriously though… Very nicely done.

  • Steven M.

    Who knew a simple block would be so epic.

  • CG Animation Student

    Sorry, but I have to say that the snub that Cartoon Brew gives to CG students is a little disheartening at times. I appreciate 2D animation, but we all know where the industry is right now (at least in the US). Some animation schools are producing really high tamber 3D films, but silly animatics that 2D animation students do in a weekend wind up on the front page of CB (talking about one incident in particular). This isn’t meant to be a critique of CalArts or any other 2D animation program as a school– I think that these schools produce very talented individuals and their films are almost always entertaining. However, CG work has the potential to be equally as entertaining and I wish that this website that I so dearly love would appreciate that from time to time.

    • http://www.elliotelliotelliot.com Elliot Cowan

      CG Animation Student – CB gives a bigger snub to those without a sense of humor.

    • T Kelling

      As someone equally eager to see ANY form of animation, I can honestly say that I sense no obvious bias towards either in terms of posting student work here.

      If anything I’ve noticed its unique content that seems to get something featured here, irrespective of its level of professionalism or method of creation. Be it because it is clever, though provoking, obscene or just a particularly goofy

      Perhaps the bias is in your corner, in wanting to see more of your own chosen artform featured?

    • rudiger

      hahahaha i think it’s funnier than the film that as a CG student you didn’t get it, and i think that film is amazingly funny.

    • Milo Thatch

      First, CB is not a public stage for student work. So to say one medium needs equal representation over another is absurd — for a student of ANY medium to make it to CB is a win for students everywhere!

      Second, maybe the reason 2D student films seemingly get more press (or praise, as it were) is that 3D is VERY unforgiving of lesser quality work. With generations raised on full animation from Disney to artsy short films, limited Saturday morning stuff, and even anime, the 2D medium instantly lets people suspend their disbelief a lot easier.

      CG animation, so closely associated with being “photo-real” and more akin to live action than classic cartooning, has currently trained viewers approach a student CG short film differently than a 2D short film. Bad 2D work still looks passable, probably even GOOD by comparison to the crap on Adult Swim. But bad CG work just looks… really, really bad. It’s hard to say “Just watch for the story” when the animation is so unnatural and wrong.

      Just ask Bob Zemeckis.

      • Chelsea

        This is exactly how I feel about the situation too; and I had to give you kudos for responding as Milo Thatch. If that’s your real name I will giggle and wonder if your voice sounds anything like Michael J. Fox. (In a good way!)

    • http://robertkohr.com Robert Kohr

      2D animation gets the snub pretty much everywhere else, jobs, pay movies blogs articles. Hell the movie going public whole heartedly believes that every disney film going back to Mermaid was animated in a computer. I for one applaud any bias to 2D animation. If you want 3D go to pretty much any other blog or News site.

    • http://mattshepherdportfolio.blogspot.com/ matt Shepherd

      its got nothing to do with being 2d or 3d, if its good it’ll get featured, funny, etc. I thought this short was interesting, and the humor was great, nice story, showed he knew how to navigate through maya, and displayed his creativity and sense of humor. I’d higher him for story development.

      Also, I think creating a quality 2d film takes alot more than you realize, if you think all it takes is one weekend to pump out a quality 2d animation, do your homework. Its not that simple, nor that easy in my humble opinion.

      You’re not doing anyone any favors by knocking the administration at Cartoon Brew. Just sayin.

  • 2011 Child

    Very funny.

  • http://thatssokraven.livejournal.com/ Kelly Tindall

    Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Fantastic.

  • http://www.dougvitarelli.com Doug Vitarelli

    way to go dono!

  • Lisa

    What’s the big woop?

  • Karen

    Look at the rest of this guy’s work, and while he may have momentarily had a flash of humour, this demo reel proves it’s quite literally his best work. That’s when I stopped laughing.

  • Not a Robo Cop

    Ummm ok. I don’t get what all the fuss is about….clueless here.

  • http://bruandboegie.co.za Mike

    AWESOME! I lol’d for real ha ha ha ha ha ha. Too good.

  • http://www.taberanimation.com Taber Dunipace

    We need to get the cube up on the big screen! Maybe in a Frazetta inspired pulp barbarian epic voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan.

    “In a lawless primordial world, it pays to have an edge… or twelve.”

    • PeteR

      Voiced by a vocal personality to match the range and wit of a small plastic white cube: Brad Pitt. Or maybe his brother, Stu.

  • http://www.sibsy.blogspot.com Sibsy

    I didn’t find that funny at all. :\

    • Funkybat

      It’s really only funny if you have had to sit through countless 3D demo reels, and are familiar with the common tropes and redundancies. It can become quite grinding unless the work is excellent.

  • dr. truth

    This made me laugh!! Thanks!

  • Nichol

    It’s sand animation that’s been gettin’ the shaft on CB. Stop motion navy beans and sand used to take Oscars. Those were the days!

  • http://robertkohr.com Robert Kohr

    Someone throw this guy a job that reel was EPIC!

  • http://www.ailhadoceu.com.br Ceu D’Ellia

    Don’t miss Demo Reel Dono 2011- part 2, in 2012, presenting:…….A SPHERE!!!

  • http://myspace.com/edel_illus edelillus

    HAHAHA I wish I went to school with this guy!! Someone hire him immediately.

  • Kyle Maloney

    As funny as I found this to be, I was dissapointed simply because I first saw Lee’s tweet, then cartoon brews on my phone, but the video itself was unviewable on mobile devices. When I Was finally able to see it on my computer to see what all the fuss was about…well you get what I’m sayin. I do have a sense of humor though so I did get a laugh out of it.

    I would like to see more spotlight on student work every now and then though. Ive seen some great work even by animation mentor reels. Seems the brew only posts the worst ones for a laugh.

  • http://danielmaraya.blogspot.com Danny

    wow, that was hilarious! That guy did an awesome job

  • http://artofkevin.com Kevin Cooper

    This was hilarious. From the moment the hi-poly modeling came up, I got the joke. It pokes fun at what everyone thinks a show reel should be. Technically, it shows all the categories of a cg artist.

  • http://kelseighn.blogspot.com Kelseigh

    I think we’ve found a director for the “Mr. Cube Goes to the Cylinder” sequels!

    http://www.cartoonbrew.com/cgi/leaked-pixar-trailer.html

  • mara

    man, i dont think ive seen ANYTHING more fluid than that fluid simulation. smooth as milk.

    and looking at his other works, it makes me cringe. the film about the slave trade ship…wow. and it wasnt awkward due to the topic alone…

  • http://underseriousdaydreaming Sylvester Cat

    a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing

  • Ryoku

    Rubbish, though I’m certain modern car companies would be interested in this guys work.

  • http://www.blahusa.com Andy Arkin

    as a small agency we see a lot of bad pieces, some good pieces, and the some brilliant things. this hits the BRILLIANT button!! someone clearly realized they had a boring exhibition and figured out how to capture and entertain their audience!! the music choice was beyond spectacular!! i am constantly asked how to make a viral spot. i got this link from someone and now i am about to send this all over!

  • http://www.vanessabuldowski.com Vee

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Yes, excellent.

  • http://www.gfxalchemist.com Eric

    Pixar better pick this guy up quick!!!!

  • http://kreatedbykrause.blogspot.com Marie

    Um, OK…

  • http://lipuster.wordpress.com rakesh nanda

    he belongs to the CUBIST SCHOOL OF THOUGHT

  • ScoJo

    Kinda funny.

  • http://www.trickster-belle.blogspot.com TBelle

    X-ray Dog makes all things epic.

    Does this mean I can send in my self-taught, 2d demo reel to Pixar’s internship program without fear?

  • http://jerzy3d.blogspot.com jerzy

    so simple and so BIG!