David Daniels – career / events / filmography
SAN DIEGO
Born Halloween / 1958
Conversation with a little tree / 1961 – Outside the apartment, it was my first ‘self reflexive’ memory. Aware of myself and the world as temporary things, bound together in a strange moment of mutual awareness.
Began Sculpting in Claytown / 1963 with Shelley and Cary – I remember the B&W JFK funeral very clearly – it shut down all the Saturday Cartoons!
8th Birthday /1965 – I first realized that slicing and cutting clay open was magical!
Improved Sculpting 1964-1969. – I visited my aunt in ‘Haight Ashbury’ stopping by Disneyland several times on the way. I saw Tijuana, Texas and Indigenous southwest many times. Sixties TV everyday while I sculpted. Loved Pop Art, Daddy Roth, Rat Fink, Dali, VanGough. Yellow Submarine. Sgt. Pepper. Rubber Soul was the first album I owned. All this was influence. And Richard Scary picture books with world-building activities everywhere. I would watch the Vietnam War on TV every night while doing homework or playing with Clay.
My Parents divorce – Summer 1968. Shattering. Endless tears. Yet it gave me more free time to be a kid.
I saw 2001 in Cinerama Giant Screen. Nov. 1968. Peak experience.
Camper Van travel through Europe – Summer 1970. My 18 year old brother is in charge, driving us for a ‘grand tour.’ No parents. We bring avalanche of art ideas back to Claytown.
Began my First Bad Stop Mo Animation/ 1971 – got a better Camera.
Duchy Of Frog / 1972-4 — Award winning Stop motion character short — 9 minutes
Trip to NYC Plaza Hotel – Nov 1974 – Winner of Cinemedia 5 Contest
PHased / 1975 High School is awkward. 55 min. stars Annette Benning
1976 – Contest winner Trip to Hollywood Backlot – Courtesy of Rodrick Paul – I got to see all the BTS sound stage gear and real work shooting scenes in action, red lights and dolly moves in sets for days. Ended with unfortunate drunk producer molestation.
50k B.C. – Summer – 1976 – Never released.
Communications Major at UCSD / 1976-77 – studied with J.P. GORIN, and got wide view of international cinemas and styles. Dropped out to:
Seek enlightenment, have sex in tents, and travel across country in Green Tortise Bus, fall of 1977
SAN FRANCISCO
SF State Filmmaking Student – 1978-1981
Cancerette / 1978 – w/ Annette Bening. Project Never released.
Disco Proletariat / 1979 – Play any radio beat track music short — 3 minutes
Motion Sculpture / 1979 – Abstract Cut Clay Graphic 3d design music short — 2 minutes
Demon Dance / 1980 – Graphic 3d design music short — 3 minutes
Invent rules of Strata Cut as ‘Analog Motion Language’ / Summer 1981 / Lake Merced, SF.
CAL ARTS
I go nuts with motion sculpting & slab art of with slices. 1981-84
While I Shoot and create Buzz Box / 1982-1984
Cal Arts Mezzanine Gallery Show / Spring 1985 – all my ‘slab art’ up on walls
Met Colombe Sept 1984 (and was married 18 months later)
Buzz Box / 1985 – Mixed Media Strata Cut experimental video – 15 minutes
LA
Animated Foam Puppet Octopus in ‘follow up to Flesh Gordon’ 1985 David Allen?? / Jim Danforth??? For three weeks on melrose.
2 months a Cel Checker for ‘One Crazy Summer’ / 1985
Before you were a Baby – 1985 – 3 minutes of sculpture and vfx expanded into 22 minutes for Christian tax fraud scheme.
NYC
Pee Wee’s Playhouse Season 1 / 1986 – Opening Credits: Beaver, Monkeys, Squirrels, Bunnies Deer, Pool Float, etc. / (3) Penny Cartoons
Peter Gabriel’s “Big Time” / 1986 – Opening scene & Strata Cut clips
‘A Not So Random Insanity’ / 1987 – March Kitchen Gallery Show NYC
LA
Pee Wee’s Playhouse Season 2 / 1987 – Characters and Strata Cuts: Columbus & Dec of Independence – 3 min.
Michael Jackson ‘ABC’ Moonwalker / 1987 – Strata Cut & Clay characters – 20 sec.
Wun 2 Forty / 1987 – Sesame Street =- Dyslexic Rotating Numbers
Fred the Fish / -1987 Sesame Street – Strata Cut back grounds and texture characters
1 in 5 and 5 to 1 / 1988 – People from five continents, on five fingers.
“Amnesty International” / 1988 – Human Rights Strata Cut – 1 minute
“Honda Scooter” commercial / 1988 – Strata cut and Clay Face Morph – 30 seconds
Pee Wee’s Playhouse Season 3 / 1988 – Jombi face and Chairy animation – 1 min.
Weird Al Yankovich UHF – 1988 The stop mo bumper cars in pop corn shot parody of sledgehammer around AL’s head.
“7-11-21” / 1989 – California Lottery Scratchers – commercial – 30 seconds
“Pot of Gold “ / 1989 – California Lottery Scratchers– commercial – 30 seconds
‘Stride Rite ‘crazy bouncer’ / 1989 – live action w/l – 30 seconds w curved strata cut ground plane wall for shoes to walk on
“The Wall” (White Room) /1990 – California Lottery Scratchers – commercial – 30 sec.
Jackson Browne “World In Motion” / – 1990 – 30 second excerpts
“Oh no not them” show opening / 1990 – Strata Cut titles – 20 seconds
“Idiot Box” TV show opening / 1991 – Strata and Mixed Media – 30
“Knorr Chickens” / 1991 (3) Latin America Ads – Character Animation & Live blend – 1.5 min
Lily Tomlin ‘Edith Ann’ / 1991 – series development and pre production, never released
“Hi C Box that Rocks” / 1992 – commercial – 30 seconds (last advert with Limelight Pictures)
PORTLAND – Will Vinton Studios
Nintendo ‘Mario Brothers’ / 1992 (6) 30 sec, commercials – Live and Animation – 3 min.
“Pop Tarts” / 1992 – commercial – 30 seconds
“Freaked” feature title sequence / 1992 – Strata Cut and Mixed Media – 3 minutes. Released on my son’s second birthday Sept, 11th 1993
“Power Jewels” / 1993 MTV short for Liquid TV – 3 minutes (my own production)
Fanta Poster Wall / 1993 – Commercial – 30 seconds
Fanta Refrigerator Ride – 1993 Commercial – 30 seconds.
Rock N Jox B Ball Jam / 1993 – My 3Amiga Toasters made Show opens and bumpers for MTV sports – 1 min. (My own production) Proved CG viable for Chips Ahoy later this year.
Levi’s “Woman getting it off her chest” / 1994 – Cel, Charchol and Motion Grahpics – 30 sec.
Chips Ahoy “It’s got it all” / 1994 – Commercial – 30 seconds
Fanta “Caveman” / 1994 – Commercial – 30 seconds
Fanta “Cows” / 1994 – Commercial – 30 seconds
M & M’s — ‘Blue Blue Blue’ / 1995 – Commercial – 30 seconds
M & M’s – ‘Breath’ / 1995 – Commercial – 30 seconds
M & M’s – ‘The Actor ‘/ 1995 – Commercial – 30 seconds
M & M’s – ‘Big Dance Number’ / 1995 – Commercial – 30 seconds
M & M’s – ‘Pink’ / 1995 – Commercial – 30 seconds
M & M’s – ‘Pool’ / 1996 – Commercial – 30 seconds
M & M’s – ‘Tia Bites’ / 1996 – Commercial – 30 seconds
M & M’s – ‘The Party’ / 1996 – Commercial – 30 seconds
M & M’s – ‘Talk Show’ / 1996 – Commercial – 30 seconds
M & M’s – ‘Muscles’ / 1996 – Commercial – 30 seconds – my favorite
Dorito’s ‘Ribbon’ / 1996 – Commercial – 30 seconds
M & M’s – ‘Christmas’ /1996 – Commercial – 30 seconds – most seen commercial of all time.
Cyrix Computer ‘Mutant Cows’ – 1996 – Commercial – 30 seconds
Clearasil – 1997 -Strata Cut HALLOWEEN spot with Guillotine Slicer.
M & M’s – ‘Easter’ /1997 – Commercial – 30 seconds
Tropicana Fruitwise ‘Brave Fruit’ / 1997 – Commercial – 30 seconds
FOX NFL ‘Terry and Technology’ / 1997 – Show promotion – 30 seconds
FOX NFL ‘Muscles / Inflatable Chris’ / 1997 – Show promotion – 30 seconds
FOX NFL ‘Boy Band’ / 1997 – Show promotion – 30 seconds
FOX NFL ‘Dog Pile’ / 1997 – Show promotion – 30 seconds
FOX NFL ‘Commissary’ / 1997 – Show promotion – 30 seconds
FOX NFL ‘On the set’ / 1997 – Show promotion – 30 seconds
FOX NFL ‘Water Cooler’ / 1997 – Show promotion – 30 seconds
M & M’s – ‘Director’ / 1998 – Commercial – 30 seconds
FOX NFL ‘Gumby Head’ / 1998 – Show promotion – 30 seconds
FOX NFL ‘Jockapult’ / 1998 – Show promotion – 30 seconds
FOX NFL ‘Commando’ / 1998 – Show promotion – 30 seconds
FOX NFL ‘Lipstick’ / 1998 – Show promotion – 30 seconds
M & M’s – ‘Mix Up’ / 1998 – Commercial – 30 seconds
M & M’s – ‘Interview’ / 1999 – Commercial – 30 seconds
Doritos Drummer / 1999 – Commercial – 30 sec – Jeremey Renner, first acting job
Mountain Dew / 1999 – Commercial – 30 seconds (my own high BP event)
Gary and Mike ‘Acid Trip’ / 2000 – Strata Cut dream sequence — 30 seconds
Dancing Skeleton – 2000 Footage has been lost. This was my last use of the giant guillotine to slice.
Supreme Court decides election for an idiot – X mas 2000
2001 Dot Com bubble crashes -. – Vintons has spent big on features, but goes too far in debt for Hollywood Dream –
2002 – M&Ms leaves Vinton for a few years. Returns to House Special later (with Kirk Kelley) in 2004
2002 Giant advertising budgets slashed or dropped hard – Vintons debt is bought out to become to LAIKA by 2004
2002 – PORTLAND – Bent Image Lab
Reese’s ‘Center of Attention’ / 2002 – Co directed with Chel White – 30 seconds
Klondike ‘Slim A Ball’ / 2003 – Co directed with Robin Willis – 30 seconds
Klondike ‘Wallet’ / 2003 – Co directed with Robin Willis – 30 seconds
Klondike ‘Treadmills’ / 2003 – Co directed with Robin Willis – 30 seconds
Kellogg’s Fruit Twistables ‘Sarge’ / 2004 – Promotional – 1:30 seconds
Kellogg’s Fruit Twistables ‘Tropical Storm’ / 2004 – Stop Motion – 30 seconds
Kellogg’s Fruit Twistables ‘News Flash’ / 2005 – Stop Motion – 30 seconds
Ring Pops “Hand” / 2005 – CG skate board character – 15 seconds
Kellogg’s Tiger Power “Concerned Mom’s’ / 2005 – Stop Motion – 30 sec
Hewlett Packard “Flea Circus” / 2005 Co-directed with Jim Clark and Ray Di Carlo – 30 sec.
Buzz Box ‘Re-Mix’ / 2005 – Uprez and shorter edit – 9 minutes
Tinactin “Monster Foot’ / 2006 – Live Action and Stop Motion – 30 seconds
Kellogg’s Fruit Twistables ‘Recruiting’ / 2006 – Stop Motion – 30 seconds
Kellogg’s ‘Pirate’ Brand Promotion / 2006 – Stop Motion and CG –
Kellogg’s ‘Cars’ Brand Promotion / 2006 – Stop Motion and CG –
Buzz Box Re-Mix / 2006 Strata Cut and Mixed Media re-master – 9:15 min
Kellogg’s Fruit Twistables ‘DJ Nuts’ / 2007 – Stop Motion – 30 seconds
Afrin “Tunnel Blockers” / 2007 – Live Action and CG —
Kellogg’s ‘X-Box’ Brand Promotion / 2007
Kellogg’s ‘Flushed Away’ Brand Promotion / 2007
Tinactin “Pile on” / 2008 – Live Action and Stop Motion – 30 seconds
Apple Jacks “Big Apple’ / 2008 Co-directed with Rob Shaw – 30 sec.
Apple Jacks “Glider” / 2008 Co-directed with Rob Shaw – 30 sec.
Apple Jacks “Taken” /2009 Co-directed with Rob Shaw – 30 sec.
Coke “Hidden Formula” / 2009 Co-directed with Ray Di Carlo – 1 minute
Scott Towels “The Right Blend” / 2009 Co-directed with Nando Costa – 30 sec.
Hummer H3 “Sand Wave” / 2010 Co-directed with Ray Di Carlo – 20 seconds
Nicotonel ”mint’ / 2010 Co-directed with Nando Costa – 30 sec
Mc Donalds ‘Dump Truck’ / 2010 – Co-directed with Randy Wakerlin – 15 sec.
Mc Donalds ‘Circus’ / 2010 – Co-directed with Randy Wakerlin – 15 sec.
Mc Donalds ‘Race Car’ / 2010 – Co-directed with Randy Wakerlin – 15 sec.
Canadian Lottery – ‘Millionaire Life’ / 2011 / CG and Live Action – 30 seconds
Raleys – ‘Tis the Season’ / 2011 / CG and Live Action – 30 seconds
Anima Mundi 2011 in Rio and Sao Paolo, Brazil / Guest Artist
Youtube Strata Tutorials posted in 2011-12-13
Tylenol – ‘Me Too’ / 2012 / Stop Motion and Live Action – 15 seconds
Tylenol – ‘Label’ / 2012 / Stop Motion and Live Action – 15 seconds
Tylenol – ‘Twins / 2012 / Stop Motion and Live Action – 15 seconds
‘Neon Mud Bucket’ – / 2012/1988 / Strata Cut – 2 minute
‘1 in 5 and 5 in 1’ – / 2012/1987 / Strata Cut – 1 minute
Chilimonos 2012 in Santiago, Chile / Guest Artist
Youtube Strata Tutorials posted in 2012
Raley’s – / 2013 / CG and Live Action – 4x 30 seconds
Anima Mundi 2013 in Belo Horizonte / Guest Artist and Teach the Craft
Youtube Strata Tutorials posted in 2013 / Giant three part lip sync 8 feet of still un-shot talking head time-sculpture, is still waiting.
Raley’s – / 2014 / CG and Live Action – 4x 30 seconds
Youtube Strata Tutorials 2014 – Building up Strata Atom and Spinning Universe cut open later for 2025 Sarah Squirm.
PORTLAND – Spatial Software and Event Space Startup
Youar – 2014 Augmented Reality Computer Vision and Asset sharing Platform
World of Coke 2014 – Interactive formula CG TRAIN event ride and other media installations
2014 onward – Much of my work became AR and Computer Vision for images was helping to generate a software based dimensional entertainment engine. World of Tanks AR Exhibit was first job.
2015 – The Windows 10 AR launch for agency mother in NYC was especially fun, and close to landing, but not.
2015 – Lake of Dreams – 4 musical sync projection wall spots for Michael Curry and Wynn Casino, but never made public.
2016 – AWE with a large YOU sign. Our unique multi anchor spatial network. Y-comb offers to fund a million to seed. We said no.
2017 – Consensus blockchain expo MAY in NYC. I later JUNE introduced Verses around AWE (the future of PoL?)
2018 – scanned the AWE outside trying to build a cloud inside out of the building.
2018 – The double album cover for Freaked soundtrack for Mondo Records- released in 2020
VRARA speaker – Portland XR speaker meet up. (find these links to video somewhere?)
2019 – At AWE – – we brought – a fully functional working SPATIAL BROWSER with multi players full of AR characters playing the game Kiddo in the large open lobby of Augmented World Expo
Right after this, I quit formal work on July 4th. Neuro inflammation / Pain was too much.
PORTLAND – A Solo Artist once again
January 2020, took my work to show at Egyptian Theater new print premiere of ‘Freaked.’
In Feb 2020, my Mother DIES , COVID reshapes everything. In May of 2020, I did my first strata cut in 6 long years. In August my brother in law DIES
2021 – I do my last work on Proof of Location – ‘social spatial scanning as fingerprint of event truth’. I deeply learn about crypto, needed for decentral trust needed for PoL. I recover from auto immune lethargy.
I play with mirrors, glass vases, heat warping Strata Cuts for display.
2022 I accept a Summer Intern art student, Isa Fraga Bazza – she helps me learn to do Instagram. This helps a whole strata cut ball rolling with IG – Tony Alarco sets up a contest, Lee Hardcastle and Ellard and Tay all do amazing blocks. I formally dissolve any leadership in Bent, and pass it on after 20 years.
I make prolific summer worth of new time sculpted cycle and memes. A lot BTS and posting. We took my whole sculpture show down Aug/Sept 2022 Hollywood Pau Haus Gallery Show. I Was able to sell one special piece for 25k and many other good ones for much less.
I created a Time-Sculpted Earth in live performance that October, and also a Cheshire Cat and rotating C live performance at Cal Arts
Winter 2022 – I created a Portland Crow playing strata-guitar on real guitar strings. Part of a Music Video for Lee Hardcastle. This whole year jumpstarts my strata motor off again.
Dec 22 to May 2023. I enjoy 5 months as Sequence Animation Director for HPC (Harold and the Purple Crayon.) These are my last six months work solely as director at Bent, and not as a partner.
In June, I made an unreleased Strata-Pepe, still trying to double flip back the melting irony of OG memes that get re-appropriated, then resurrected, and finally branded as meme coins up against the mighty Shiba and Doge. Clay can become melted trading card strata cuts, A MLM that gives you ‘club’ benefits from the voodoo object itself.
Animation and larger idea both are incomplete and never released. But group identity rituals in the Information Age are strange and powerful.
Sept. 2023 – To make money for my trip, I worked making StataCut blocks on the road, and cutting up several unreleased McDMT strata cuts – these were half finished up on the road and shot and delivered in Chicago.
Oct. 2023 – Brooklyn week long – Pratt Strata Ganza
I get very bad covid on return home
Dec – At my Nieces Wedding – my right knee breaks
Mark G. Memorial, January 2024, I go on crutches
March 2024 – Hollywood PDX theater showing of Freaked. Still on crutches. Enjoyed a great after show talk with audience.
April May – Bionic Knee Surgery. — June July – recovery
2024 Sept Oct Nov Dec – four eyed sponge Bob – Uniqlo and cactus plant flower four eyed brand.
2025 – Jan – April. — 2 Podcast Tutorial multiple cameras (1- For mushroom Strata Cut type face logo) and and another how to demo for BTS Idiot Box rotating O – on reissue of this as a box set.
May and June – My First strata cut motion splats from light field animation.
July aug – Smiling Friends
Sept-Oct – Sarah Squirm
Nov. Dec – Many commisions for clay slab art work
2026 – January this year – A Planet Jupiter StrataCut for LEEhardcastle’s Adult swim April fools special – ‘Ghosts and Chainsaws’
FEB – AUG – Finishing Artwork, Slabs on Plex, finishing, photos and proper storing of art. Writing what is strata? B Box, My bio, my filmography, my thoughts on what shape over time motion art means to life, the world and reality beyond art.
Currently – MY GOAL IS TO FIND A CURATOR, FAN OR FRIEND OF STRATA TO ARCHIVE THE ARTWORK
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UNCOMPLETED SCREENPLAYS, PROJECTS AND EPISODICS
1973 – ‘Prince Barnaby’ was my next more advanced clay project right after Duchy of Frog but animating a cartoon human form well, was next level for me, and the script had no point. Probably just me being junior Kubrick as I was keen on his next project, Barry Lyndon. But in Nov 1974, After Cinemedia V and New York and the 1,000 dollars – I shelved it to pivot – and was able to buy a super 8 sound movie camera, and lots of film. I shifted into live action for the next 5 years, until the shorts: Motion Sculpture and Demon Dance in 1980.
1975-77 – GadFly – this was a longer, better feature version of PHased.
1978 – Bureau Crazy
1979 – Concrete Abstractions
1979 – Auto Reverse
1980 – Shock Generator
1980 – Grand Rounds (the – doctors are everywhere)
1980 – Alien Gardens.- This was a fall script and art deco concept art pitch for a claymation feature. It included Airheads as evil in space suits with no brains, and a group of long legged candy cane striped aliens with various 1, 2 and 3 eyeball configurations Funding after pitch remained sketchy, Dropped when my girlfriend and I left for Cal Arts 9 months later.
I returned to do a draft script using the name in 1999 about future super rich folks who get intentional designer tumors from UV exposure, as a dare – knowing they will be cured. Predicts perverse AI medicine.
1988 – Irrational Exuberance and the Detours of Childhood
1990 – The Laugher – you took a wrong turn at paranoia
1990 – Edith Ann – dimensional animation concept and character designs with Shelley Daniels, and sets by Paul Harrod, Lit by Eric Adkins. Storyboard by Rick Heitzman. Great stereo stills. For Lily Tomlin.
1993 – Power Jewels – for Liquid TV – (Harbor Freight meets Victoria’s Secret in Object Animation)
1996 – Never Too Young – wisdom from the old who survived not to die.
1995 – Pirates of the Sun (Rango before johnny depp)
1996 – Worship the Question – existential self-reflexivity
1998 – Tooth and Nail who live in OOZEBURG. Episodic TV series.
1999 – Alien Gardens revisited, cruise ship excess orbiting earth.
2000 – Far City, later renamed O.B. City. Double wide / high RVs
2001 – 99%C – or the speed of life – if David Bowie lends the soundtrack
2002 – Service workers in Hell.
2003 – Later revised to – ETERNAL NEGLECT
2004 – Seeking Oblivion – unfinished. Still seeking.
2005 – RegurgiNation – A Maximum Orifice Speed-Back Loop!
2006 – Hydrogen Hubs – Info animation for ammonia as green fuel.
2008 – Ballerina Dub Step – CG Strata Cut created by Olivia Daniels
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There was a good creative reason I started each, and a better reason none of them never became worth the years of effort to complete and pursue until finished. Life is too risky to be unemployed for years on dreams alone.
With commission projects I tried to extend well worn formats or create new genres, with unique content that could be tightened up for a wide release audience. However unlikely, I never wanted to be ordinary. But unfinished ideas and others, just had TOO MANY overlapping hurdles in these scripts and design dreams.