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About Stop Motion Animation By Aldo Rodrigo Sánchez Tovar The Dragon from CRONOS Tiempo de Todo!

I have always wanted to be democrathic, I write in spanish because I was born in Mexico, is my natural language and I pay respect for my ancestors trying to speak and write it properly.Also I write as much as I can in English. My Grandfather insisted in my English lessons all over my life.Once again, I try to be respectful of the language of a culture that is different from mine but that had opened the doors of the universe to me. Unfortunately I don't have the skill and the experience I would like to have, my English sounds forced, rusted, and I'm pretty sure that there are a lot of mistakes on my writing and pronunciation, but I try to keep on, because My words are not just for some people, my thoughts and experiences are for my children, my students, my friends and for all the soulmates I have been discovering all over the world.I try to translate the less that I can. If i write something in spanish, try to leave it that way, keep it on the shape it was born, the same if I write in english. It is sad to acknowledge that my German, Italian and french are so poor that I would keep on reading slowly the greatness of this languages but will never pretend or try to use them. Even It is risky to write in english because there are many people that can take a look on my texts and find a lot of childish mistakes.
This time I would like to leave some words about stop motion animation and several books and films that can be useful for the people that would like to start learning this fabulous techniques. But who am I speaking freely about this?
When I was a kid, in Monterrey Mexico, there were a lot of Christmas specials based on stop motion together with some of the greatest adventure films that I can remember.
Today I'm still haunted by flashbacks of great puppets comig to life on Rankin and Bass productions and Ray Harryhausen pictures on the sunday morning movies at the extinct Elizondo Theather.
These images and the wonderful models and maquettes of the japanese movies and serials, the beautiful ships and landscapes of space 1999 and Thunderbirds or captain Scarlett, were mainly the reason of why I became someone with greater love for the inner world of my imagination instead of the dull reality of a gray city.
I can remember walking out of the movies with my Father after Watching Dark Star on 1976. The movie was slow and not suitable for a six year old kid, but still I was stinged with the images of the open space, the ridiculous alien ball and the ship.
There were also mexican horror and science fiction movies with cheaper look but still with that fantastic environment that assaulted my brain, the monsters, the silly rocket ships, the creepy webbed castles.
Even so, there was the time after school filled with anime and cartoons pretty old but being showed on Mexican tv as if they were brand new. The submarine adventures of Triton of the sea,the soap opera like story of the Arrow Emblem (Gran Prix in spanish), Par man (Hombre par), Sombrita, Fantaman (Fantasmagórico), Ultra Man (both in animated version and Tokusatsu), Captain Ultra (Capitán Ultra) and Cometto San (Señorita cometa)
There were also the Science fiction, horror and both, bizarre tv serials and shows like Dr Who, People of tomorrow, Night Gallery, Tales of the Unexpected, The Outer Limits, UFO, the invaders and Star Trek to list a few.
With that kind of an input I was not speaking the same language of the kids omy town anymore.Sure, they sometimes watched the same serials but they were far from being abducted for the same forces that were struggling inside my soul.
I was scared for the little creatures of the tv movie "Don't be afraid of the Dark", was scared to death of encountering the creature of Dementia 5 of Rocket Robin Hood and his recycle at the amazing spiderman Bakshi's crafted show. Feared a lot the little fetish demonic doll of Karen Black's Trilogy of terror, and still started to feel the fears of forgotten cartoons like Pigs is pigs, where a porky like character is seduced by a mad scientist into a feeding creepy machinery, or Fish tales where Porky is fished by a family of evil fishes.
Yes, I have to confess it, I was madly in love with Pam Dawber, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, Kelly Preston, Heather Langekamp, Phoebe Cates, Kim Catrall, Catherine-Mary Stewart and Tami Stronach.
But aside the fantastic adventures that started happening in my mind with the input of so creative shows, cartoons and pictures, there was something missing, I had this need of a Journey that could make me to be inside so marvelous environments, rescue the princess and get fame and fortune.
Suddenly with flashing light swords, George Lucas casted a spell on my life.I went to see Star Wars one afternoon and after that there was everithing clear, I had to understand why a princes not as beautiful as the exotic (and naked) italian heroines of another science fiction movies, was so special, why a boyish hero like Luke Skywalker was so admirable after watching cooler and more muscular heroes at cartoons and tv serials, why the brief animation sequence at the Millenium Falcon was so exciting that made me forget years of watching Sindbad stop motion filled movies.
There was Star Wars and nothing else, yes I went to see Close Encounters and Flash Gordon, Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek the Motion Picture. Yes, Krull and Dune were wonderful, The Neverending Story, Legend, Labyrinth, Indiana Jones and E.T.
But.
Still there was Star Wars at the bottom of my soul making so much noise that I was wondering if I haven't lost all memories of have being part of that universe always.
Even I started trying to fill my hunger of fantasy with the avalanche of horror inputs at my adolesence, I became a close friend of Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hellraiser and of course George A. Romero and his Dead-Undead. More so I've discovered my own limits on the feeling of being haunted and disgusted after meeting Nella Citta di Morti Viventi (City of the Living Dead) and L'aldila (The Beyond). Watched both with interest and laughter Hell of the living dead, and Nightmare City aside of Let sleeping corpses lie.
But there was still Star Wars, yes, I still wanted to be the Man of atlantis or Steve Austin The six Million Dollar Man, wanted to overcome the apocalyptic world of Mad Max or defeat Urko and his minions on Planet of the apes, but still the Star Wars universe was growing, expanding, and becoming more and more familiar to me.
Instead of collecting toys and paraphernalia, turned back to hundreds of books and comics with the idea of purging away the feeling of being sucked to a universe that was fascinating but didnt belonged. There were Star Wars fans making small movies, showing oversized toy collections and speaking Huttese. I was not as crazy as them. I was just sure that there had to be something better that soccer games and beers in my future.
As a Scout, learned to be polite, patient and skillful, as Karate Do Goyu Ryu student learned discipline and contention, at the school, with teachers like Mr Ross and Teacher Connie, polished my English and started to love theatre plays and musical movies.
But there I had two secret skills, writing and making modelling clay figures.
By the Grande Illusions Tom Savini influence, started making special makeup effects for school plays and for my own.
Wanted to take the adventures of the thousands of little armies and ships that I've had created on plasticine to the next step and started taking pictures and making small movies and special optical effects. Read a lot about filmaking and tried to not to loose any special effects based movie or tv serial.
And in the process I've became an adult trapped on the dullest, cheap and ignorant city of the whole world: Monterrey, Mexico.
Yes, I love my country, and yes I love my roots and State. My city has some of the most beautiful landscapes of the whole world, but...
The people of my city are more provincian minded, are so little guided toward progress and advancement. They want to become a Major Metropolitan city, but without having to risk their souls on the devilish ways of accepting any culture out of money, soccer games and beer filled sundays.
So I became the crazy creature of the village. The mad scientist that walks into the city hall or the town church and people watch him with disagreement.
Years passed, and kept on taking away my anxiety for being pulled into the stupidness of normal city life, by travelling, falling in love and trying exciting work experiences.
After being embalmer, air traffic agent, supervisor and manager, after working at hotels and restaurants, being miles away from my home, being close to death, being married and experiencing the marvel of becoming a father, life went without being able to pull out my energy from the creative scene. Became a low famed sculptor having several expositions and museums, gave lot of interviews for tv shows and radio and from time to time gave lessons of literature and Modelling clay sculpture.
The time came when my discourse was so overwhelming for the society and authorities of my city.I spoke about opening spaces for the young creators, to bring the chance for professional and amateur artists to feedback with society and to have an alternative instead of falling in the claws of addictions and vice. My statements became harder and the local authorities and media became angry of having this crazy man telling them what to do. More so, on a city that was awakening to the great economical and global chances of crime and drug dealing.
So by all means, started my own journey, the one that started with Star Wars and all my hero vs villian based adventures, I started a battle where the villians are resourceful, treacherous and evil, and in the other hand I have no experience with their tools and weapons, I dont have the wealth to construct a batcave, don't have the secert powers of a radioactive spider or a Kryptonian heritage. I have only discipline, faith, a well trained brain and force of will to play against gangsters and corrupt government heads that won´t allow at any cost to stop the wealthy mining of their fortune on the price of young people health and moral.
This is where I keep reading, observing and creating, when this story started I was a kid with a whole life to transit.
Today I´m a 40 year old man with arthritis and expelled from society because of my beliefs.
But my word is spread by my witnesses, my students and my friends, people who believe that this journey has a purpose.
Sure I´m not Luke Skywalker, not Yoda and by no means the Punisher or Spawn.Do not have super powers or an ancient legend to announce my challenge.I'm just the older version of a boy that discovered the secret language of the people who decide to make more with their life.
I strongly recommend some books for the ones interested on Stop Motion and short or feature movie producing:
- Roy Thompson and Christopher J. Bowen: Grammar of the Shot
- Nicholas T. Proferes: Film Directing Fundamentals
- Susannah Shaw: Stop Model Skills Craft Skills from Model Animation
- Tom Savini: Grand Illusions Vol 1 and 2
- Mark Sawicki: Filming the Fantastic Visual Effects Cinematography
- Meickle Denis: History of Horrors, the rise and fall of the House of Hammer

At this point it would be necessary to acknowledge my great friend and companion Alfonso Hinojosa Arroyo for helping to collect and read these and many other great fountains of knowledge.

Also it would be helpfull to watch the behind cameras and production files for movies such as
-Star Wars (all movies I'm afraid)
-Jim and the Giant Peach
-Trekkies
-Scream greats: Tom Savini-Labyrinth
-The Nightmare before Christmas
-Starship Troopers
-Diary of the Dead
-The Abyss
-Le cinquieme element
-The Planet of the Apes
among others

And pay respect to all those movies that made Theathers, churches of the spiritual bonding between human imagination and lifelasting achievements.
To speak of some:
The ten commandments
Hindenburg
Papillon
Zorba the Greek
The Bridge Over Kwai River
The Wizard of Oz
Ghandhi
The Lord of the Rings

If you wish to become a great cinamatographer, effectist, make up artist, director, producer, stop motion animator or any part of the mistic of moving pictures royalty, and don't study and are not humble enough to watch the great efforts of the artists of the past, there will be no computer program, no new digital technology that can give you the skill and sensibility that is needed to tell a great story to the world and make a change in it.
I wanted to translate this to spanish but I'm afraid that my hands are pretty much harmed for today and sadly there are lots of persons that speak my own language, that use it only to insult and to destroy the great possibilities of comunication between intelligent forms of life. Hope that the people that read this natural english readers or not, pardon me for my clumsinness writing and do better things with this text.


Aldo Rodrigo Sánchez Tovar
Founder of
CRONOS
Tiempo de Todo!
Arte Enseñanza Esparcimiento
aldocid@hotmail.com

I have accounts on MySpace, YouTube, Msn Spaces and Blogger. You might take the time to visit them and leave some thoughts.
Still, my walk on life might not be as impressive, but it is my own path and for sure I'm not a fat collector and mere watcher of other people's achievements.
Today, my 3 year old kid is deciding wether to become spiderman or Luke Skywalker.The difference this time, is that over his head, there I am, with a wider mind than the people of my time.
All I ask is a chance for him and the new generations to grow up in a healthier and wiser world.

Aldo Sanchez, aldo rodrigo sanchez tovar, Plastilina, monterrey, modeling clay, enseñanza, el mejor, secretos plastilina, padre de todos, omniscente,

Aldo Sanchez, aldo rodrigo sanchez tovar, Plastilina, monterrey, modeling clay, enseñanza, el mejor, secretos plastilina, padre de todos, omniscente,


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