Star ☆ Collection and ittekimasu <3

Hi blogger world!

It has certainly been a while.

Things that have been different since the last blog posts, is that I am currently working as a 3D animator on the same project at Vishus. I am animating human characters, they are the most awesome rigs and finding everyday really fulfilling :D The voice actors are amazing so it really makes my job really fun and also a challenge to make them alive as their voices :) The project is coming along and I can't wait to see the finished product.

Illustration wise, I had a sudden thought and then it ended up being an illustration set.
So here it is:

Star ☆ Collection

Gingasei☆
(galaxy)

Amanogawa☆

(milky way)

Umeboshi☆
(plum star)

Nagareboshi☆
(shooting star) Konpeitou☆
(sugar star)

Umeboshi is actually the name of a pickled plum, but "boshi" also means star.
Sorry it's a sad pun.
Konpeitou is a star-shaped sugar sweet in Japan.

In other news; I fly to Melbourne this Wednesday then off to Japan.
I probably won't post until I get back, so ITTEKIMASU!
Everyone take care of Australia until we get back :)

xoxo Makoto

Panda ko mako PANDA ☆

Hello :)

Just a quick update. The commercial I was working on at the PRA; a while back now will be screening on TV from today. It's for the Adelaide airport; a campaign for the Panda's that are coming to Adelaide zoo. My role was animating Pandas! YAY! (I animated more but it had to get cut off so I hope I can put up a long version up in future :) ) Also did a lot of cleanup and shadow work on it.

I just came home from watching The Young Victoria at the cinemas :) It was light, pleasant and the production design was fantastic; made me want to draw princesses. Oh how I love period pieces ^^ Emily Blunt was really pretty, but Rupert Friend as Albert was prettier :) <3>

Adelaide Airport - Panda Venture from PRA on Vimeo.

Illustrustrations are on their way but for now
I'm going to go to bed. Oyasumi.

Makoto

Otomegokoro & iro iro (Girly talk & etc. etc.)

Haro blog world :D

This is a very girly Makoto Koji speaking <3

I can't express how much I wish there were more girls in this industry ><
I don't have a problem with guys; it's just.... it's different and everything needs a BALANCE :) Just someone to get all excited over amazing transformation sequences in girly anime and over cake and coffee rather than a discussion about who killed the most or whatever in the last game of Left for Dead. I'm sure if it was the opposite situation people would feel the same way.

BUT! I had a girly date the other day. In a cute cafe, over gingerbread hot chocolate, and it was most refreshing. My head was exploding with ribbons and prism power~~~~!! :) Mum, Dad ... Thanks for making me a girl. I will forever be a girly girl with pride, ohohohooo~.

(Photo above taken by Ari while I continue to make a fool of myself in the great gardens of Versailles.)

I am having fun at work and it seems to be getting more and more busy.
Have to become an expert time management person to fit everything in 0_0!

And in other news, Japanese election, opposition party won. I hope this means things will start changing over there. Ie. Crazy work conditions, family benefits. Because I know it effects so many people I know over there. It will be really interesting to see the results since it has been the same for such a long time. Muni muni~ save the Maruru~. I didn't even get to know you but, goodbye Taro Asou san.

HOI! Girly scribbles!
xoxo Makoto

Tadaima :D

Hi blogging world :D

It has been some time! I have some time right now so I will update :D

I'm back from an epic adventure in France. (Quite a while ago now but... ) A week in the world's most adorable village, Annecy home to an amazing animation festival and another in the massive city of Paris.

Annecy was amazing. The energy of the festival was really something.
I was really lucky to be a part of the festival this year because there were so much fresh and inspiring animation. This includes Henry Selick's new feature, (the lovely man that brought to you Nightmare before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach etc.) Coraline; a thoroughly enjoyable experience. We were also fortunate enough to see The Secret of Kells by rising star Tomm Moore :D and many more! Thoroughly recommend them both.

But now that I am back, I am keeping busy. Have been doing some illustration work and
I have started working at Vishus Productions as a texture artist, another animation studio in Adelaide. I was also back at the PRA for a couple of weeks for a commercial which should screen on TV soon. It has been busy but everything seems to be going smoothly, which is nice :)

And here are some illustrations I did for a competition a while back :D They are these creature monster things -->





That's all for now, but I will update again soon :)

................... BRIOCHE

This was a present from the markets. *Brioche*

(o_o) *stare*

........................
.........................

(o0o) *ooo*

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




xoxo

Makoto

Annecy Animation Festival & Darkstalkers Tribute!

Hallo~~ bloggers~~!!

Well the last few days have been crazy! Filled with so much good news!!
On Friday we found out that Cat Piano got into Annecy International Animation Festival! Go Cat Piano team!! All I can say is that the team worked really hard so I think it deserved to!

Earlier this month after Cat Piano, I entered a CAPCOM/UDON Darkstalkers tribute artwork competition. I love Street Fighter (the characters & game) and have loved Morrigan & Felicia in puzzle fighter and gem fighter :D I recently got to play the Darkstalkers series and fell in love with Q-bee and the game in general. Awesome idea to make a monster version of street fighter! The deal is if you win you win a free artbook with all your favourite DS characters and you also get a place in the tribute book!

Anyway early next morning I had received an email from "Street Fighter Tribute...." in my junk; I was thinking it may be Shintokyo letting me know that my copy of Street Fighter Tribute was in store, and pressed the send to inbox button. But soon realized that I had pressed delete instead! Since it was in my junk to begin with... IT WAS GONE!! I panicked, and sent them an email but later when I checked their site, my name was in the winners list~! I was really stoked to have been chosen from all those entries and I was on a high for hours :D Today we celebrated with tomato udon for dinner :D I entered two pieces and I am not allowed to post the winning piece until the book is out. So for now I will post up my interpretation of the cute bee fairy Q-Bee <3

http://www.udonentertainment.com/blog/?p=838#more-838 (for a sneek peek at what is going to be in it!! >_<)

I <3 you Capcom and Udon Crew! Congrats to all the winners and I can't wait to see it all!
Go Annecy,CAPCOM & Udon!

xoxo

Makoto

The twenty-two crab claw beam!!

Hello! On the 7th I turned..... 22!!!
I received many nice messages and phone calls so thank-you!
I remember when I turned 20 I was freaking out because I wasn't a "teen" anymore. But I have decided that there is no use squirming about my age and came up with a positive solution.
Which is the "Twenty-two crab claw beam!!"!!! You do two peace signs and say "22!!" :) If anyone feels that way you should try it out. It feels liberating.
But it was a very fun day :)


AND! Cat Piano trailer is out! So here it is~~>> Until other stuff is released :D


The Cat Piano - trailer from PRA on Vimeo.

xoxo Makoto

3rd March <3 Hinamatsuri!

Hey everyone~!
Thank-you to the people who left me nice comments on my last one! I really wish everyone could had made it to the screening. I hope that it will show in Brisbane (home town to 4 people who worked on it!!) soon :D

Well in Japan on the 3rd of March is Ohinasama/Hinamatsuri! Dolls/girls festival. (Also my Dad's birthday! hehe and he's a guy :) )
My little doll set is back in Brisbane so I just made some chirashi-zushi, (means sprinkle sushi, or better translated as open sushi) to celebrate! I went all out and Ari got me some eel and I put sea urchin in it~!! (Mum and Dad sent me a package with the sea urchin and chirashi pack :) ) (Gourmet <3 ) It didn't look as pretty as the packet but it was yummy~~!!
Also, I did a quick little drawing, above.



<3 Makoto

Now, that I am finished.....

Hello again!

So I am finished, the next project has not started yet, so I am taking this opportunity to build up my personal folio and works :) and It has been great. I feel much more relaxed and happy that I get to do whatever I want. So here's one I just finished. This one, started off as a loose sketch and then I just ended up taking it a little further. I like when the initial sort of energy just keeps going through out to the end. OK! I'll go do another one (>v<)/

xoxo

Makoto

The Cat Piano World Premiere Night, nya nyan!

Hi blogger land :)
Last night was the night for The world Premiere of The Cat Piano. It was a part of the Adelaide Film Festival's Made in SA screening night, where it got screened along with other short films made in South Australia. It was a really good night, we all dressed up (yay!) and finally got to kick our heels up and relax. I am confident to say, The Cat Piano stood out, being the only animation, most stylish, shortest and loudest. (^o^)/ I think the audience liked it too:) But it was interesting to see what other people are making around in Adelaide as well. Above is just some photos we took last night, with our dedicated crew members (some are missing :( ), food, Alex, food, Ari and yay & see! see! I did my hair :D I was so happy to see everyone being so nice and happy, compared with the gaunt, sleep deprived look we all had during production. (^^;;) It truly was an awesome night.

I finally felt some closure with Cat Piano last night; my first out of uni project, a year's worth of Cat P etc. But I'm excited to see what sort of opportunities it could bring and to move on to another project just as enjoyable :) To close this chapter I did a really quick sketch, now I can move on.