Double Whammy!

Finally, here is my senior thesis film from 09, Code Monkey. I tried to keep it for the festival circuits, but never had the funds to distribute, so here it is. Enjoy!

Also, my website is now up! Check it out at artoftheniles.com

Internal Crisis, 3D animation test

My September 11 Second Club entry.

A man is having an internal crisis and talks it out with a puppet.

3D Animation Reel

3D Animation Reel from Niles Bontrager on Vimeo.

A compilation of my recent 3D animation tests, as of January 2011, compiled here for easy access.
Musical Accompaniment is "Tricky Turtle" by Blockhead

Sneak Cycle

Sneak Cycle from Niles Bontrager on Vimeo.

Another cycle test using the Boris Rig. This time it's the sneak!
-With shifty eyes-

"Fish License" Dialogue Test

Fish License from Niles Bontrager on Vimeo.

Here is a 3D animation test I've done using the Norman Rig, to take advantage of its really nice facial capabilities. The dialogue is from the Monty Python sketch "Fish License."
It's really quite wonderful to practice from wittily written dialogue like theirs. Hope you enjoy.

The Confident Walk

Confident Walk from Niles Bontrager on Vimeo.

A confident walk cycle test using the Boris Rig, from Jason Ryan Animation.

Golf Swing Test

Golf Swing Test from Niles Bontrager on Vimeo.

A 3D animation test of Boris swinging at a ball that goes through a window. Then hits a baby. Then lights the house on fire. Then ...

Boris Rig by Jason Ryan Animation

Turn and Reaction Test

Turn and Reaction Test from Niles Bontrager on Vimeo.

The robot is contemplative. The robot doesn't like you standing on his cat.

Took me approximately 26 hours from start to finish.
Boris Rig by Jason Ryan Animation.

2010 Animation Reel

2010 Animation Reel from Niles Bontrager on Vimeo.

This is a compilation reel of my best animation work up to October 2010. All of the animation is done by me, the "BasicMan" rig belongs to CCS and the "Boris" rig was used courtesy of Jason Ryan Animation. The musical accompaniment is "Eitheror" by Little People.

2010 Production Reel

2010 Production Reel from Niles Bontrager on Vimeo.

This is a sampling of all of my completed works for the past 3 years. If I were a company, this would be my show reel for 2010. All of these projects were done either entirely by me, or with portions under my direction. Musical accompaniment is "Gravitas" by Little People.

Spring 2009 Animation Reel

Bumping my demo reel up top for anyone visiting from Ottawa.
Please feel free to contact me with your comments, I'm open to any suggestions too.

I had a wonderful time at OIAF this year. I met a lot of new and interesting people, found some restaurants that I should have found years ago, and above all I got to see my film premiered! More than anything though, this years festival has really inspired me to push myself hard again--just seeing what so many artists are capable of. I know I've got that somewhere in me, I've just got to put it to work. I'm planning on doing some more lengthy and more difficult pencil tests soon, anything creative at this point sounds like heaven.

Long time no see

So I've been gone since July, sorry about the disappearance, but life does tend to happen, and updating my websites has fallen a bit to the wayside. Lately though I have been getting some good work done with animations, and what you see here is a cheetah run test for our final project in animation tech II, finished two weeks early so that I could have time to make another, and maybe some fun cycles of other things before time runs out this semester. Hope you enjoy it.

Chariots of Flour

This is my flour sack animation from Animation Tech 1 this semester. Just a fun little bit on my way to learning how to animate. There's a lot of editing that I should have done to it to make it just a bit better with timing and all, but I am far more inclined to take what I learned from it and move on to the next one instead, seems so much more productive that way. Hope you enjoy!

dancin kitties

Just because.