Smoked was my project for an animation assignment at Concordia University in the film animation program. The exercise was to create a short narrative piece depicting a “slice of life” situation, using the technique of South African animation artist William Kentridge. This quick and dirty project was shot and animated in one day.

A modern-day couple’s secret love affair comes to a bittersweet end during an evening phone call. Cell phone static creates distance between them as they anguish over details of their relationship. But the visuals of the film reveal something entirely different: the epic re-imagining of their relationship set in feudal China, where family influence, cultural pressures and their lust for adventure makes more sense. Coming this spring, love goes to war over art.

Storyboards

Photos from my Artist Residency at Charles Street Video

These are photos of me working creating the ink wash footage. I worked on the Red camera, filming time-lapse footage of ink and water on different types of paper. I had to be very inventive to use indirect drawing techniques so as to not get my hands or brushes in the frame.

I brought a wide range of different kinds of paper. Some were really smooth, which worked well for the sky and fire elements. Some were really toothy which tended to work better for the architecture and forest scenes in the film.

I would alternate between shooting ink footage with the Red camera and working on the character animation on my Cintiq.

Filmmaker Jonathan Ng turns the notion of otherness on its head in his semi-autobiographical animated short about young, whimsical, asthmatic Winston. As a result of his illness, Winston is unable to participate in the everyday activities of his peers and classmates. But thanks to his artistic ability and one particularly rainy afternoon, Winston learns that his imagination has the power to bridge gaps, transform and empower. Part of the Talespinners 2 collection.

Version Française

Œuvre d’animation semi-autobiographique de Jonathan Ng sur les épreuves d’un jeune garçon asthmatique. Avec beaucoup de fantaisie, Asthma Tech raconte l’histoire de Winston qui, grâce à son talent d’artiste et une forte imagination, surmonte son handicap qui l’empêche de s’adonner avec ses amis aux jeux et aux activités de son âge.

Concept Sketches

These are some very early ink and marker concept sketches.

The character designs in the initial concept sketches were far too young looking. When the film moved into production the characters were slightly redesigned to suit the target age group of 6-10.

The vehicles and flight gear in Winston’s drawings were an homage to Robotech, Transformers, Mask and other such 80′s classics.

This is an early model sheet of the characters in their superhero form.

Despite some basic knowledge in 3D software, I felt a strong imnpulse to do all of the space ship perspective rotations and animation as traditional drawings. The film’s central theme of drawing as Winston’s escape from his asthmatic condition renders the film’s hand-drawn technique as inseparable from the production process.

B-Boy O-Live vs. B-Boy Nugs
The first installment of a mini series of animated b-boy battles we are working on.

Jonathan Ng and Kid Koala Productions presents:
Floor Kids : B-Boy O-Live vs. B-Boy Nugs
Music by Kid Koala and The Slew
Animation by Jonathan Ng

B-Boy Nugs Solo

B-Boy Olive Solo

This was my first student film produced at Sheridan College in 2003. It is a tribute to my mother.

These are some of the first concept art images from the film. I used compress charcoal, and charcoal dust with a tissue blender to be quick and loose. But the emotional impact of the images came out too dark for the film I wanted to create.

Another early attempt at an emotional study for the film, this time I used watercolour.

This watercolour sketch turned out to be much closer to the look and feel that I wanted to go for. I relied heavily on this image throughout the production to maintain the bright spirit of the story.

The old stodgy typeface, Times New Roman, meets some unruly urban Graffiti in an apartment complex for letters. Can these two typographic foes co-exist?