On October 15th and 16th, the United Nations Millennium Campaign launched STAND UP, a worldwide effort against world poverty. Over 23 million people stood up as a reminder to world leaders who pledged to end poverty by 2015.

Several artists joined the cause, including Hornet Inc’s Aaron Stewart, who animated a short titled All Together Now. The characters in this piece were all animated in Flash and then composited with live action footage in After Effects. The person on the right is actually Aaron.

Stewart also animated a short interstitial for VH1′s Best Of Thanksgiving ’06 program. The entire short was animated in Flash by Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson, produced by Hana Shimizu and Courtney Cosentino, and art directed by Jim Fitzgerald.

Aaron Stewart, one of the big-name directors at the design and animation studio Hornet Inc., recently completed a series of web-only spots for Jack Link’s Beef Jerky snacks. Working with Carmichael Lynch, the Minneapolis-based agency, Aaron crafted 3 Flash-animated shorts in the vain of dry, instructional ’50′s PSA films.

All three spots are available for viewing at the Hornet Inc. website (view Loin Cloth – view The Rabid Tball Fan – view The “Talker” in 5B) or at the Jack Link’s website.

On the heels of a 2-part interview in February of this year, Aaron sat down to answer a few questions about his latest effort.

AARON SIMPSON: How long did the Jack’s Links project take?
AARON STEWART: It took about three weeks to complete. With me and two other animators (Dan Abdo & Jason Patterson).

SIMPSON: Did you produce animatics before getting the final greenlight?
STEWART: We created a detailed story board and a test animation to show how the vintage film would look like.

SIMPSON: What type of animation direction did you pass on to your team to achieve the look you wanted?
STEWART: I wanted to create a dead pan, instructional animation feel. Making it a little clunky created the charm I was looking for. We wanted to look like a old instructional film that a teacher would show his student. Like we found it in storage and it was created 50 years ago.

SIMPSON: Who designed the characters for the spots?
STEWART: I created the characters and designed the overall look of the piece.

SIMPSON: Other than Flash, what software was utilized to finish the spots?
STEWART: We used After Effects to create the vintage look and to edit the piece to audio we used Final Cut Pro.

Now that the hurricane waters have receded and the New Orleans brass bands are again striking up the bittersweet notes of jazz funerals, it brings new meaning to the collaborative music video between Kid Koala and Monkmus – ‘Basin Street Blues.’ The now ever more poignant animated short is both somber and celebratory; depressing and highly inspirational. Much like the procession that inexplicably ascends into the air, the imagery sends your emotions soaring. It is exactly the type of work we’ve come to expect from Monkmus.

But music videos are surely not all he creates. After attending school on each coast, RISD in Rhode Island and CalArts in Los Angeles, he’s worked on animated features, but also live-action shorts. He’s animated high-profile TV commercials for Burger King and Nike, and his animated short ‘The Topside Rag’ recently aired on Cartoon Network as part of their Sunday Pants block. He’s also an illustrator, a comic book artist and a recent addition to the Hornet Inc. team in New York City.

But it’s the music videos that the world has come to know him for. At this year’s SxSw Film Festival, Monkmus’ animated music video for Badly Drawn Boy’s ‘Year of the Rat’ won the Jury Award for Best Music Video. And the same video picked up the 2005 award for Best Music Video at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival. Watch the video and you’ll soon understand. Monkmus took a beautiful, well-written song and turned it into a visual poem. It’s a story about hope and reconciliation, and however idealized the message may be, the video makes an undeniable, emotional impact.

Cold, Hard Flash recently got together with Monkmus to discuss his ascending career, his Flash-animated projects and what inspires him.

AARON SIMPSON: Your music video for Kid Koala’s ‘Basin Street Blues’ seems even more meaningful in the wake of the Katrina disaster. What inspiration did you originally draw from as you created the video?
MONKMUS: Pretty much the music. The idea of doing a funeral procession just popped into my head as I listened to the track. The more I listened
to it, the more the idea grew. I just went with it.

AARON: You recently signed on with Hornet, Inc. How did you first meet up with them?
MONKMUS: I cold called them. My contract had come to a close with my former reps and I was actively searching for new representation. I don’t specifically recall how I had ever heard of Hornet Inc. (I believe through a friend), but I checked out their website and was immediately impressed with the site and their body of work. So, I e-mailed them to see if they might be interested in working together.

AARON: You took home some fairly prestigious awards this year – Best Music Video at both Annecy and SxSw. Did you make it out to France or Austin this year for the ceremonies?
MONKMUS: No. I would have liked to… but between my schedule and the expense I really couldn’t afford to go. I’m really honored, though, to have won those awards at such great venues. I’m always happy to hear that people enjoy the work that me and my associates have created. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to win anything, so the awards are all a bonus.

AARON: Growing up, did you know that you would work in a visual medium?
MONKMUS: Well… I could always draw well, and I enjoyed it, but it never really dawned on me that I could make a career of it until late into High School (11th grade). For the longest time, I figured I’d go into a profession: Science, Medicine, Law, Business, etc…

AARON: When did you first add computers into your creative process?
MONKMUS: I’ve had computers surrounding me my entire life. My father had a knack with them, so even when I was 10, there were like 3 PC’s, 1 Macintosh (classic), 2 electronic word processors, and an Atari 400 sitting around the house. It wasn’t until college that I started using the computer artistically (and I’m using this term very loosely). Nowadays, there’s always a computer around when I’m working.

AARON: At RISD, did you work with filmstock in your production classes, or was it all digital?
MONKMUS: Film stock. The look and feel of film is amazing. I kinda miss cutting on a Steenbeck, those machines were kinda fun to work on.

AARON: Did you take animation classes there?
MONKMUS: Yes. I learned a lot about experimentation, conceptualization, and working with film when I was at RISD. On the other hand, I did spend a year at CalArts, where I learned about story structure, acting, and design. A friend of mine from school always commented on how I had the best of both worlds having attended both RISD and CalArts. In light of this, I feel very fortunate.

AARON: How did you learn animation timing?
MONKMUS: Also at CalArts. I wasn’t all that great of an animator in school, but I learned the basics there. I’ve gotten a lot better since then just through application, observation, and experience.

AARON: Did you learn After Effects at school?
MONKMUS: No. Other than Photoshop and Quark, I’ve learned to use every piece of software by reading books and manuals, then applying what I’ve learned directly into a project. A few programs I learned by just winging it until I got good at it. I figure this ability came from hours of video game playing, where I’d rarely read the manual except to look at the cool artwork.

That’s the end of part 1 of the Cold, Hard Flash interview with Monkmus. Check back soon for part 2.

Earlier this week, I profiled Aaron Stewart, an animator and designer for Hornet Inc, an Annie-nominated spot house in New York City. In the final half of the interview we discuss his design style, animatics and his passion for Japanese toys.

AARON SIMPSON: Do you think the animation industry will start to quickly adopt new technology like Wacom’s Cintiq
AARON STEWART: There will always be new applications coming out that will change the way everyone works. We shouldn’t be dependent on the programs to create our work but our ideas and the different ways in creating them.

SIMPSON: You often design without outlines. Do you find this style easier or harder to work with?
STEWART: I think it’s all the same. Sometimes I have trouble keeping clean lines together in Flash. I usually create things in Illustrator and import them into Flash cleaning them up. But there are so many ways to do something and I am always learning.

SIMPSON: Are there other artists at Hornet Inc working in Flash?
STEWART: Yes, there is a directing duo – Archer$Beck (animators on Linklater’s ‘Waking Life‘) who use Flash as well.

SIMPSON: Flash is an excellent animation tool, but it’s also helpful in the various development stages. Before a project is ushered into production, do you use Flash to sell projects internally and to clients?
STEWART: When I am creating animatics for the clients and showing rough animation I use Flash.

SIMPSON: The MTV ’2-Way’ promo is packed with style and humor, but also a heavy dose of absurdity (self-clapping clap boards, land sharks and talking liver). Is this an accurate definition of your taste?
STEWART: Somewhat. Clients usually come to me with written ideas of what they want and then I create around their ideas. The most important thing for me during a project is to have fun and make myself laugh. I try to entertain myself and if the client likes it then great!

SIMPSON: What’s in your DVD player?
STEWART: Yesterday was Valentine’s Day so my wife and I watched ‘Dawn of the Dead.’

SIMPSON: You’ve animated sequences for independent films, which I assume you’re doing in addition to your work with Hornet, Inc. Are you currently involved in any personal projects or side work?
STEWART: I’m always creating personal work. It’s great working at Hornet because a lot of times I will bring my work to Michael (Feder), Executive Producer at Hornet for feedback and help on making it come alive even more.

SIMPSON: If given the latitude to develop a curriculum, what is the ideal class you’d like to teach?
STEWART: I taught Illustration at Parsons for three semesters. The class I taught was on how to use computers for your art work. It was a very broad class and it was really hard to teach them so much in such a short amount of time. I would love to teach a class on Character Design.

SIMPSON: You collect old Japanese toys. What do you think of the recent vinyl toy explosion?
STEWART: It’s great! So many amazing toys keep popping up. It’s quite overwhelming to see everything. I can’t wait to add some of my own creations to this over populated explosion!

SIMPSON: What Japanese toy would you most want to make the subject of an animated project?
STEWART: I would like to somehow combine them all together.

Check out Quicktime clips of Aaron’s work by clicking on the images below and then head on over to Aaron’s site to see more of his work.

If you haven’t been paying attention, you might have missed the latest 2D animated revolution. It’s the flat, ultra-rich blossoming-graphics explosion that’s skipped right out of a skateboard mag and onto every cable channel in the guide. Sure there’s plenty of 3D elements in these hipster commercials, promos and title sequences, but the appeal is all 2D, and it’s all Flash and After Effects. Aaron Stewart knows. He’s the man behind a whole heap of MTV and VH1 promos, and another dozen eye-catching 2D spots produced out of uber-hip Hornet Inc. Let’s catch up with this Wichita native who now calls New York home.

AARON SIMPSON: Did you pick up Flash while studying at Parsons School of Design?
AARON STEWART: I graduated in 1998 when Flash just started so I didn’t really pick it up until 2000. I did all my animation in Affter Effects and Director pre-Flash.

SIMPSON: Your professional career started in design and animation, but with a more interactive focus. Do you use the interactive components of Flash any longer?
STEWART: I graduated with a degree in Illustration but incorporated animation and design into my studies as much as possible. I used to work a lot on interactive websites but now I’ve just been doing animation and design. I hope to get back into it because I love creating projects viewers can participate in.

SIMPSON: What influences led to your design ethic?
STEWART: Every day I see something outside that influences me – even other people’s work. My favorites are old animated commercials. They have a simple, charming quality and get right to the point just like my work. I want people to instantly understand what they see and I want to try and show it in a creative way.

SIMPSON: While 3D animation is surely the new king, 2D work is abundant in TV animation, station IDs and promos. How much 2D work will be around in 10 years?
STEWART: I think, for the most part, it will remain the same. 2D expresses a different feeling and look than 3D does. Ten years from now, Flash may be gone and we will be using some other program, but the look and style that the artist is creating will be the same. The computer is just a tool for artists to use. We think of how we want our work to look and then decide the application.

SIMPSON: Do you have a favorite Flash animated TV show?
STEWART: I LOVE CARTOONS! ‘Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends‘ and ‘Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi‘ are my favorite cartoons. I didn’t realize they were created in Flash until I read about it and I was quite surprised. I was thrilled to hear they were created in Flash and think they were smart in doing it. Flash is a great, simple program to use and I hope more animation studios apply the program.

SIMPSON: Early in you career, you worked in TV on Nickelodeon’s ‘Kablam!’ Is there something about the short format you currently work in that’s more appealing?
STEWART: I worked as an After Effects animator on ‘Kablam’ for two years. I wish we used Flash because it would have saved us a lot of time. I loved working on an animated TV show but working on short :30 spots keeps everything fresh for me. I love creating characters and visually solving problems which is what the short spots allow me to do.

SIMPSON: Explain your animation process. Do you typically animate in Flash and then export into After Effects?
STEWART: I usually sketch my ideas out and create the main art in Illustrator and then export into Flash. Then, if needed, I bring it into After Effects for the final movie.

SIMPSON: Do you ever design straight into the computer?
STEWART: I love to just jump right into the computer to develop ideas but I think it’s important to sketch out ideas on paper first.

Check back soon for part 2 of my interview with Hornet Inc’s Aaron Stewart. And in the meantime, check out these clips below of Aaron’s work and then slide over to Aaron’s site to see more.