Alex Williams 2D Animation Reel

Recently I've been digging around online to find HD copies of some of the best shots I have done on various 2D animated feature films over the years (my existing 2D animation demo reels were of doubtful quality, with low resolution images). Above is a selection of my best work on films from "Roger Rabbit" in the 80s and 90s all the way through "Thief and The Cobbler", "Iron Giant" and "Sinbad" (my last 2d feature) in the early 2000s.  Edit by Miguel Teixeira, music by Pixabay.  All in full HD. 

What I Learned on "The Iron Giant"

"He's a giant robot Dean; it's a little...undignified"

In 1998, I had the privilege of working as an animator on The Iron Giant at Warner Bros. Feature Animation, under the direction of Brad Bird.  Working on Brad Bird's "The Iron Giant" was one of the best experiences of my career in animation.  

We had just come off "Quest For Camelot", a movie which had suffered from low morale - and which did not perform well at the box office.  

After Quest, Everyone at Warner Bros was excited for Brad's Iron Giant - and the team was confident it would be a hit. After all, with a strong story, a great director and a great animation team - what could possibly go wrong? 

Why Animators Should Work on Multiple Shots

Recently a student at Animation Apprentice was getting stuck on one of the weekly exercises, and I suggested that he work on a different shot. At first he resisted - he didn't want to give up on the shot he was working on.  

But I explained that lots of animators like to work on multiple shots at once - it helps to be able to rest your eyes, and come back fresh to a shot after working on something else for a while. 

Jim Van Der Keyl Live Action Reference

Above is a lovely piece of live action reference by animator Jim Van Der Keyl who I worked with many years ago on Brad Bird's classic animated film "The Iron Giant". Jim, like many animators, used live action reference to help create the best animation possible with the most believable acting choices. In this case, he ended up being nominated for an Annie Award for his hard work. 

Mini Iron Giant Reunion in London Last Week

Barry O'Donoghue, me, Mike Nguyen and Sydney Padua

Last week we had a mini Iron Giant reunion; Mike Nguyen (who animated lots of great shots of Hogarth) was visiting London from Korea, via Ireland, where he has been working with Producer Barry O'Donoghue on "Little Caribou", an independent feature film that I personally can't wait to see on the big screen.

Remembering The Iron Giant

In this excellent blog post, animator Stefan Franck reflects on  what it was like to work on The Iron Giant under the leadership of the supremely talented Brad Bird.

Iron Giant has just been re-released in theatres in the USA, a fitting tribute to a film which under-performed at the box office when it was first released in 1999.  For those of use who worked on the film, this was a huge shock. How could such a great film perform so poorly? Why did no-one want to see it?

Conspiracy theories grew. The studio wanted to kill it (because giant corporations love losing money!). The marketing department screwed up.  "They" wanted to close down Warner Bros Feature Animation. "They" wanted to teach Brad Bird a lesson.

Brad Bird and the Magic Circle

The Iron Giant

Many years ago I worked on The Iron Giant, a wonderful film and a priceless opportunity to work with one of the very best animation directors - the legendary Brad Bird.

I learned a great deal from him both as a director and an animator.  Brad's style of directing was always clear; he always knew what he wanted, and how to communicate it to the animators.

One of the cleanest and most useful concepts I learned from him was the importance of "The Magic Circle" - a simple rule of composition, and the animator's best friend in a tight spot. Here is how it works.