TDI Summer Soaking by *TDI-Exile on deviantART

TDI-Exile brings us a couple of characters we don’t often see together having what looks like a whole lot of fun. Watch out, though; you just know Izzy’s hiding nearby with a water gun the size of a tank!

A Summer Memory by ~huck-finn-forever on deviantART

Speaking of which, the Total Drama girls look like they’re enjoying playing a game without one of Chris’ insane twists in huck-finn-forever’s entry. Awesome!

TDI 6teen Boarding Buddies V3 by *daanton on deviantART

daanton’s piece has a neat story behind it. It’s based on this linework by tdi-exile, but got a complete makeover for a cool one-two punch of winter vacay sweetness.

that how we spent the summer.. by ~CIT-Courtney on deviantART

CIT-Courtney has Total Drama characters in Stoked style and Stoked characters in Total Drama style… I might not know what’s going on, but I know I like it!

You can check out even more awesome work at re:Fresh Pics over on deviantART! Of course, there’s only one art jam theme that could follow this. So for September, the topic is Back To School! Get drawing!

Stay fresh,
Brendan

Stay fresh,
Brendan

Oh snap! Who’s going to protect us from those blood sucking fiends?!

…seriously? Those guys? We’re in more trouble than I realized.

Stay fresh,
Brendan

While the world awaits the MBSIAV movie, which is currently scheduled to air in October – scientifically proven to be the spookiest month on the year – the cast and crew are already gearing up to start filming the epic season finale starting tomorrow, Friday the 13th – scientifically proven to be the spookiest day of the year. Coincidence? You be the judge.

I’ll be providing the inside scoop from my trip to the set over the next few weeks, but in the meantime, here’s something to make sure you’re ready to defend yourselves from vampires, werewolves, zombies and assorted other creatures of the night. I present:

Doug Falconhawk’s Ten Rules to Scare-Finding

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Words to live by, ladies and gentlemen.

Stay fresh,
Brendan

Coworkers Backstage by ~huck-finn-forever on deviantART

huck-finn-forever started off with the esteemed Mr. Coconut then raised the bar by teaming our tree-grown chum with Blaineley! I like to imagine they’re hanging out backstage dishing the gossip that even too hot for on-air!

George and Shania by *Fin-McCloud on deviantART

Lo’s li’l bro George got the thumbs up from Fin-McCloud, along with his pet spider Shania. Say, her screen name is just like the name of the character from Stoked! What are the chances of that?!

For July ReFresh art jam by ~ccsmiles on deviantART

Oh, I know what you’re thinking. “Aw, what a sweet picture by ccsmiles!” Sure, they look innocent, but it’s really just a political marriage to seal the alliance against DJ.

TDI Sleepytime by *TDI-Exile on deviantART

TDI-Exile pointed out that the Total Drama bear is as much a part of the cast as anybody else. That means that he’s contractually entitled to on-set naps (Chris’ lawyers sneaked that in there).

The Kahuna by *DisneyWiz on deviantART

DisneyWiz brings us a personal favourite of mine: The Kahuna! I’d say this picture is definitely worth free entry to movie night down at the theater!

There can be only one topic for August’s art jam, of course: summer vacation! Let’s see what you think the characters from you favourite Fresh TV show do when they’ve got some free time in the sun! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

Stay fresh,
Brendan

Let’s review: Deadline extended to September 15th, 2010? Check. Awesome new swag from Fresh TV up for grabs? Check. Open to any fan anywhere in the world? Check!

Stay fresh,
Brendan

The site has a bunch of awesome games, juicy info on the contestants and videos. Plus, once you sign up for an account, you can create your personal Total Drama avatar and earn tons of points and badges to show off to your friends! Plus you might earn the right to become the next Gossip Monger! What’s that? Well, you’ll just have to head on over to the site and check it out, now won’t you?

While you’re there, come check out my profile! Think you can beat my high scores? Prove it! I’ll see you guys there!

Stay fresh,
Brendan

It’s Michelle’s job to coordinate a team of over twenty animators working to bring the staff of the Surfer’s Paradise resort to life. First, she breaks up each episode into sections and assigns them to the individual animator best suited for the scene. Some might specialize in action sequences or have a real knack for animating a character’s acting. After that, Michelle does three passes of retakes, check for things like continuity error and making sure all of the characters’ movements are believable.

“I just love seeing things move!” Michelle told me. “It’s an interesting process.” Unlike productions created using traditional animation, Flash animation allows the Elliott Animation team to do the entire production in-house, which means Michelle has the chance to see everything along the way. She also sets a high bar for herself and her team. “We’re always trying to achieve more,” she explained, describing Stoked’s quality of animation as being closer to that of a feature film than what most people expect from a television series. For anyone interested in getting into the field, Michelle offered this advice. “Be open to criticism. Always be a learner.”

Thanks again to Michelle for taking us behind the scenes and giving us the scoop on her job! If you’re curious about the process behind your favourite shows, drop us a line in the comments with your questions.

Stay fresh,
Brendan

Stay fresh,
Brendan

As a picture editor, Mary works on each episode both pre and post-production. First, she places the completed storyboards on a timeline along with the recorded audio, assembling the scenes, trimming for time and adjusting pacing. It’s up to her to decide when an emotional moment needs an extra pause and to hit the perfect comedic timing with each gag.

That preliminary version is then sent off to the animators. When Mary gets the post-production footage back, she takes another pass over it, making any further adjustments, like choosing making a transition between scenes a little faster or cutting the episode down to broadcast time. “It’s both mechanical and creative,” she explained.

Watching the same material over and over again takes a lot of patience, but Mary told me that she always finds a new element to focus on. She described pulling together all of the work from each department as being like bringing together a family. She laughed, “People are always telling me I get to watch cartoons all day.”

The most important skills an editor needs to have, she noted, are an attention to detail and a knack for organization. “You have to bring out what makes people laugh, what makes them think, what entertains them.” More than anything, you have to remember to keep it fresh!

Stay fresh,
Brendan