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Laer Digital Works (FX, Animation, etc)

L

ladlon

Hi, my name is Larry Adlon, and I've been a visual effects /animation artist for over 20 years. Several years ago, I broke from the fx houses I was working at, and formed my own company, Laer Digital Works.

I am here to bring digital visual effects and animation within the budgets of independent filmmakers, by providing effective solutions, and flexibility. So many times, I've seen (for example) fx shots done with 'tech-overkill'. If a CG truck is going to appear as a small speck in the background, why spend 3 weeks building (and charging for) a complex truck model? I look at what the end result needs to be, as well as your intended budget, and try and find a sensable solution.

Independent filmmakers are often either frustrated with the lackluster efforts of 'cheap' providers... or can't affort (or don't even get responses) from the bigger houses. I'm sort of the guy in between! I'm not dirt cheap (although I am flexible and considerate to the limited budgets), and I'm not WETA digital (and I will let you know if something is out of my scope, and won't sell you more than you need)... but I have surprised and pleased my past clients with 'what they want, and within their budget'. I have a sincere desire to make the shots look great, and never deliver something I feel is not worthy. I keep costs down by finding efficient methods of creating the visual you are after.

There are no surprises either (other than, hopefully, your expectations being met or exceeded!). I give frequent progress resports and sammple images, and keep a one-to-one contact with you throughout. There is no 'waiting and wondering', and emails are responded to on the same day (usually!).

Past projects have included:

-Billy Bob's Medicine Show And Zombie Huntin' Emporium (Short promotional zombie film for the upcoming feature 'My Boring Zombie Apocalypse'). I did bloody digital bullet hits (where there were no practical hit fx done), digital wounds, and eye whitening.

-Air Farce (CBC comedy series). I have been doing a wide variety of fx and animation for the show over its last few seasons, and continue to do fx for the new years eve specials.

-Night Of The Living Dead: Reanimated (Animated, multi-artist version of the classic zombie film). I was one of the many animation contributers to the film, doing my traditional 'cutout' style animation.

-Gun flares for the film Land Of The Dead (...hrmm, I seem to be doing a lot of zombie stuff!)

-...and I even did many of the CG segments of the old Beetlejuice cartoon series!

I cater to clients with both large and small budgets, and really try to give the most in all the work. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, a jack-of-all-trades, and very passionate about my work.

Check out my website(s): www.laerworks.com
I'm also have an IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004420/
A YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ladlon?feature=mhum
And A LinkedIn page: http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/larry-adlon/1/459/33b

Have a look, and please consider me if you are in need of visual effects, animation, graphics... even music or other artistic services. Spread the word! I'm sure there are others who are trying to find a solution, too!

Don't assume it can't be done, or you can't afford it! Contact me for a no-pressure, no-obligation, down-to-earth chat about what I may be able to do for you! Relax, I'm one of the good guys!

Cheers, and much success in your projects!
 
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Thanks, Bird! I'm kind of 'old school' in my ways. Even though I've been doing this for quite a while, I've been independent for most of my career, so not really going with the industry's ways. Just kind of attack things my own (self-taught) ways, and try and find the most cost-effective way to get an effect (using 2D where I can, etc). I'm just starting to get into 3D again, and did my first 3D 'IK rigged character', animated and comp'd into live action footage (...a mech shot I did for AirFarce... which you can see on YouTube), and was happy to see it turned out well (....my first 3D walk cycle and 'realistic' comp of 3D into footage).

I also do music (as you can see on my website), although I'm still new to doing it for money! I've scored quite a few projects, including many of my own. I do websites as well... I'm a self-taught artistic jack-of-all-trades.
 
ladlon said:
Thanks, Bird! I'm kind of 'old school' in my ways. Even though I've been doing this for quite a while, I've been independent for most of my career, so not really going with the industry's ways. Just kind of attack things my own (self-taught) ways, and try and find the most cost-effective way to get an effect (using 2D where I can, etc). I'm just starting to get into 3D again, and did my first 3D 'IK rigged character', animated and comp'd into live action footage (...a mech shot I did for AirFarce... which you can see on YouTube), and was happy to see it turned out well (....my first 3D walk cycle and 'realistic' comp of 3D into footage).

I also do music (as you can see on my website), although I'm still new to doing it for money! I've scored quite a few projects, including many of my own. I do websites as well... I'm a self-taught artistic jack-of-all-trades.
Click to expand...

You even have a cockatiel, Maya! I used to have two, Charlie and Sophie. They're great little birds. Good luck with everything, you seem to be well versed in many different mediums.
 
It was a surprisingly good cartoon series, which many people liked. The story apparently is, Tim Burton originally wanted the whole show CG, but it simply couldn't be done within the budget, so they did short CG segments (usually as ads playing in the show). We were cranking them out in about a week or so, over at the original 'version' of Calibre Digital Pictures (when it was part of a company called Marcom, over in my hometown in Brampton, where I lived at the time).

We would get the storyboards and audio (on a Betacam tape) sent to us, and we used a DOS based program called Crystal3D on the old 386 PCs! We didn't even have networking, but instead used Bernuli drives (not sure if I spelled that correct), which I think could only hold 4 frames, to transfer files/footage. You'd even have to wait for it to spin up and spin down before using/removing them! Ouch!

My last segment was the one for 'Sleep -Eez', and I actually make a cameo in it as a painting above the bed (it's a caricature of me at the time).

We'd often use real objects as 'textures' for things (using a Betacam camera attached to a photo stand to digitize them), including our lunch/supper. My foot and hand appear in some segment (including the one where Barry-Me-Not, the host, was dressed like a guy from Jamaica.

It's still one of my favorite moments in my career... I still use the same 'cutout' technique for my animations today... just in AfterEffects now.
 
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