-
JS 44C/SDNY
REV. 4/2014nCC f"r>.'^
JU"O CIVIL COVER SHEET
TheJS-44 civil coversheet and the information contained
hereinneitherreplacenorsupplementthe filing and serviceofpleadings
orotherpapersas required bylaw, except as provided bylocal rules
ofcourt. This form, approved bytheJudicial Conference ofthe United
States inSeptember1974,is required foruse ofthe Clerk ofCourtforthe
purposeofinitiating the civil docket sheet. # n^ _^
DEFENDANTS -*- ^JFX NETWORKS, LLC,TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME
ENTERTAINMENT LLC, andDOFS 1-10
ATTORNEYS (IF KNOWN)
PLAINTIFFS
MICHEL LEAH KECK
ATTORNEYS (FIRM NAME, ADDRESS, AND TELEPHONE NUMBER
BRESSLER LAW PLLC, 3 WEST 35TH ST., 9TH FL, NEW YORK,
NY10001
TEL (917) 969-4343
CAUSE OFACTION (CITE THE U.S. CIVIL STATUTE UNDER WHICH YOU ARE
FILING AND WRITE ABRIEF STATEMENT OF CAUSE)(DO NOT CITE
JURISDICTIONAL STATUTES UNLESS DIVERSITY)
17 USC 101 et seq. (including Sec. 501 direct and indirect
copyright infringement; Sec. 1202 copyright management info,
violations)
Has this action, case, or proceeding, or one essentially the
same been previously filed in SDNY at any time? Nc&esQludge
Previo|Jl4|esig'r}ed/
If yes, was this case Vol. Q Invol. []] Dismissed. No Q Yes Q If
yes, give date &Case No.
Is THISAN INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION CASE?
(PLACE AN [x] INONEBOXONLY)
No 0 Yes
NATURE OF SUIT
CONTRACT PERSONAL INJURY
[ J no INSURANCE ( J310 AIRPLANE[ 1120 MARINE ( ] 315 AIRPLANE
PRODUCT[ ]130 MILLER ACT LIABILITY[ 1140 NEGOTIABLE [ J320 ASSAULT,
LIBEL &
INSTRUMENT SLANDER[]150 RECOVERY OF | ] 330 FEDERAL
OVERPAYMENT & EMPLOYERS'
ENFORCEMENT LIABILITY
OF JUDGMENT [ ] 340 MARINE[ ] 151 MEDICARE ACT [ ]345 MARINE
PRODUCT[ ]152 RECOVERY OF LIABILITY
DEFAULTED [ ] 350 MOTOR VEHICLESTUDENT LOANS [ ] 355 MOTOR
VEHICLE(EXCL VETERANS) PRODUCT LIABILITY
[]153 RECOVERY OF [ ] 360 OTHER PERSONALOVERPAYMENT INJURY
OF VETERAN'S [ ] 362 PERSONAL INJURY -BENEFITS MED
MALPRACTICE
[]160 STOCKHOLDERSSUITS
[ ] 190 OTHERCONTRACT
[ ]195 CONTRACTPRODUCT ACTIONS UNDER STATUTES
LIABILITY
[ ] 196 FRANCHISE CIVIL RIGHTS
[ ) 440 OTHER CIVIL RIGHTS
REAL PROPERTY(Non-Prisoner)
[ ] 441 VOTING[ 1210 LAND [ j442 EMPLOYMENT
CONDEMNATION [ ] 443 HOUSING/[ ]220 FORECLOSURE ACCOMMODATIONS[
]230 RENT LEASE & [ ] 445 AMERICANS WITH
EJECTMENT DISABILITIES -
[ I 240 TORTS TO LAND EMPLOYMENTI ]245 TORT PRODUCT [ 1446
AMERICANS WITH
LIABILITY DISABILITIES -OTHER
[ ]290 ALL OTHERREAL PROPERTY
[ ] 448 EDUCATION
Check ifdemandedincomplaint:
CHECK IF THIS IS ACLASS ACTIONUNDER F.R.C.P. 23
PERSONAL INJURY[ J 367 HEALTHCARE/PHARMACEUTICAL PERSONAL , ,
625 DRUG RELATEDINJURY/PRODUCT LIABILITY
[ ] 365 PERSONAL INJURYPRODUCT LIABILITY
[ J 368 ASBESTOS PERSONALINJURY PRODUCT
LIABILITY
PERSONAL PROPERTY
[ ] 370 OTHER FRAUD[ ] 371 TRUTH IN LENDING
FORFEITURE/PENALTY
SEIZURE OF PROPERTY
21 USC 881
[ ] 690 OTHER
[ ) 380 OTHER PERSONALPROPERTY DAMAGE
[ ] 385 PROPERTY DAMAGEPRODUCT LIABILITY
PRISONER PETITIONS
[ ]463 ALIEN DETAINEE[ ] 510 MOTIONS TO
VACATE SENTENCE2B USC 2255
( ] 530 HABEAS CORPUS[ ] 535 DEATH PENALTY[ ] 540 MANDAMUS &
OTHER
LABOR
[ ] 710 FAIR LABORSTANDARDS ACT
[ ) 720 LABOR/MGMTRELATIONS
[ ] 740 RAILWAY LABOR ACT
[ ] 751 FAMILY MEDICALLEAVEACT (FMLA)
[ ] 790 OTHER LABORLITIGATION
[ ] 791 EMPL RET INCSECURITY ACT
IMMIGRATION
[ ] 462 NATURALIZATIONAPPLICATION
[ J 465 OTHER IMMIGRATIONACTIONS
PRISONER CIVIL RIGHTS
[ ] 550 CIVIL RIGHTS[ ) 555 PRISON CONDITION[ ] 560 CIVIL
DETAINEE
CONDITIONS OF CONFINEMENT
CV 199&V
fj- -.I *>W
ACTIONS UNDER STATUTES
BANKRUPTCY OTHER STATUTES
I 1375 FALSE CLAIMS[ J422 APPEAL [J 400 STATE
28 USC 158 REAPPORTIONMENT[ 1423 WITHDRAWAL [ ]410 ANTITRUST
28 USC 157 [ ]430 BANKS & BANKING( ]450 COMMERCEI J460
DEPORTATION
PROPERTY RIGHTS [ ] 470 RACKETEER INFLUENCED & CORRUPT
[X] 520 COPYRIGHTS ORGANIZATION ACT[ 1830 PATENT (RICO)[ 1 840
TRADEMARK [ ] 480 CONSUMER CREDIT
[ ] 490 CABLE/SATELLITE TV
SOCIAL SECURITY [ ] 850 SECURITIES/COMMODITIES/
[ ] 861 HIA (1395ff) EXCHANGE[ 1862 BLACK LUNG (923)[ ] 863
DIWC/DIWW (405(g))[ ] 864 SSID TITLE XVI[ ] 865 RSI (405(g)) ( ]
890 OTHER STATUTORY
ACTIONS
[ ) 891 AGRICULTURAL ACTSFEDERALTAX SUITS
[ ] 870 TAXES (U.S. Plaintiff orDefendant)
[ ] 871 IRS-THIRD PARTY26 USC 7609
[ ] 893 ENVIRONMENTALMATTERS
[ ] 895 FREEDOM OFINFORMATION ACT
[ ] 896 ARBITRATION
( J 899 ADMINISTRATIVEPROCEDURE ACT/REVIEW OR
APPEAL OF AGENCY DECISION
[ ] 950 CONSTITUTIONALITY OFSTATE STATUTES
DEMAND $250,000+ other injunction
PPgY^O^Cl^M THIS CASE IS RELATED TO ACIVIL CASE NOW PENDING IN
S.D.N.Y.?
JUDGE DOCKET NUMBER
Check YES onlyifdemandedin complaintJURY DEMAND: EYES LKlO NOTE:
You mustalso submitat the timeof filing the Statement of
Relatednessform (Form IH-32).
-
ORIGIN(PLACE AN x INONEBOXONLY)
1 Original (Zl 2Proceeding s(ate Couft ^
| | 3. all parti*; represented
Removed from L-1 3 Remanded Lj 4 Reinstated or LJ 5 Transferred
from Q 6Reopened
Multidistrict
LitigationI I 7 Appeal toDistrict
Judge fromMagistrate JudgeJudgment
from
AppellateCourt
| | b. Atleastoneparty is pro se.
(PLACEAN XINONEBOXONLY) BAS|S OF JURISDICTION 1 U.S. PLAINTIFF Q
2 U.S. DEFENDANT fx] 3 FEDERAL QUESTION D4 DIVERSITY
(U.S. NOT A PARTY)
(Specify District)
IF DIVERSITY, INDICATECITIZENSHIP BELOW.
CITIZENSHIP OF PRINCIPAL PARTIES (FOR DIVERSITY CASES ONLY)
(Place an [X] in one box for Plaintiff and one box for
Defendant)
CITIZEN OR SUBJECT OF AFOREIGN COUNTRY
PTF DEF
[ ]3[ |3
PTF DEF
CITIZEN OF THISSTATE ( ] 1 | ] 1
CITIZEN OF ANOTHERSTATE ( )2 | ]2 INCORPORATED or PRINCIPALPLACE
[ ) 4 [ ) 4OF BUSINESS IN THIS STATE
PLAINTIFF(S) ADDRESS(ES) AND COUNTY(IES)
MICHEL LEAH KECK
271 EAST 400 SOUTH
VALPARAISO, IN 46383
PTF DEF
INCORPORATED and PRINCIPALPLACE (]5 []5OF BUSINESS IN ANOTHER
STATE
FOREIGN NATION ]6
DEFENDANT(S) ADDRESS(ES) AND COUNTY(IES)
FX NETWORKS, LLC, Fox Networks Group, P.O. Box 900, Beverly
Hills, CA 90213, Los AngelesCounty.TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME
ENTERTAINMENT LLC, 2121 Avenue of the Stars, 7th Floor,Los Angeles,
CA 90067, Los Angeles County.
DEFENDANT(S) ADDRESS UNKNOWNREPRESENTATION IS HEREBY MADE THAT.
AT THIS TIME, I HAVE BEEN UNABLE, WITH REASONABLE DILIGENCE. TO
ASCERTAIN
RE31BENCE ADDRESSES OF THE FOLLOWING DEFENDANTS:
DOES 1-10
Check one: THIS ACTION SHOULD BE ASSIGNED TO: Q WHITE PLAINS \x\
MANHATTAN(DO NOT check either box if this a PRISONER
PETITION/PRISONER CIVIL RIGHTSCOMPLAINT.)
DATE 3/17/15. it^NATURE OF ATTORNEY OF RECORD ADMITTED TO
PRACTICE IN THIS DISTRICTA/\\V-w- ~_ 11 N0\Jt\\_S>
-
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT JUDGE ENGELMAYERFOR THE
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
MICHEL LEAH KECK,
Plaintiff,
15 CV 1
FX NETWORKS, LLC, TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX
HOME ENTERTAINMENT LLC, and DOES 1-10,
Defendants.
Civ. Act. No.
COMPLAINT
DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL
COMPLAINT
Plaintiff Michel Leah Keck ("Keck"), by and via its counsel of
record BRESSLER
LAW PLLC, alleges for its Complaint against FX Networks, LLC
("FX Networks"). Twentieth
Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC ("Fox Home Entertainment"),
and DOES 1-10
(collectively, FX Networks, Fox Home Entertainment and DOES 1-10
are the "Defendants"):
Nature of the Action
1. This is a civil action againstDefendants for their wrongful
acts of directand
indirect copyright infringement and for their copyright
management information ("CM")
violations (U.S. CopyrightAct, 17 U.S.C. 101 et seq.).
The Parties
2. Plaintiff Keck is an individual having an address at 271 East
400 South,
Valparaiso, IN 46383.
3. Defendant FX Networks is a limited liability company
organized under the laws
of the State of Delaware and qualified to do business in New
York. On information andbelief,
-
FX Networks has a mailing address at Fox Networks Group, P.O.
Box 900, Beverly Hills, CA
90213-0900. Its registered agent for receipt of service of
process recorded with the New York
State Department of State is CT Corporation System, 111 Eighth
Avenue, New York, New York
10011.
4. Defendant Fox Home Entertainment is a limited liability
company organized
under the laws of the State of Delaware and qualified to do
business in New York. On
information and belief, Fox Home Entertainment has a mailing
address at 2121 Avenue of the
Stars, 7th Floor, Los Angeles, California, 90067. Its registered
agent for receipt of service of
process recorded with the New York State Department of State is
CT Corporation System, 111
Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10011.
5. Defendants DOES 1 through 10 inclusive currently are unknown
to Keck; as
such, Keck identifies those defendants in this action with
fictitious names. Keck is informed and
believes that each of the defendants designated as DOES is
legallyresponsible at least in part for
the events and actions constituting the conduct damaging Keck.
Keck will seek to amend this
Complaint to identify and include the actual names and
capacities of such defendants after Keck
has determined such data.
Jurisdiction and Venue
6. This Court has jurisdiction over the subjectmatter of this
action pursuantto 28
U.S.C. 1331 and 1338(a) and 17 U.S.C. 501(a), as this action
alleges infringement of
Page 2 of 17
-
registered U.S. copyright rights and other violations of the
copyright laws of the United States,
17 U.S.C. \0letseq.
7. This Court has personal jurisdiction over FX Networks because
it does business,
transacts business and/or is qualified to do business within the
State of New York for all times
relevant to Keek's claims asserted in this action.
8. This Court has personal jurisdiction over Fox Home
Entertainment because it
does business, transacts business and/or is qualified to do
business within the State ofNew York
for all times relevant to Keek's claims asserted in this
action.
9. Venue is proper in this judicial district pursuant to 28
U.S.C. 1391(b)(1),
1391(c)(2) and 1400(a) because FX Networks and Fox Home
Entertainment are subject to
personal jurisdiction in this district.
Facts
Michel Leah Keck and Her Original Works of Art
10. Plaintiff Michel Keck is a fine artist by profession. Since
2003, Keck has focused
her efforts toward earth-tone abstract painting, mixed media
paintings and collages, and art using
recycled materials, among other media. Keck is a rare breed: the
self-taught, self-represented,
successful and critically acclaimed artist. In 2006, Keck
successfully opened her own online art
gallery www.michelkeck.com, as well as her own fine art
publishing company. By the end of
2006, Keck sold over 1,500 original paintings to art collectors
throughout the U.S., Canada,
Brazil, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Ireland,
Chile, France, Italy, Austria,
Page 3 of 17
-
Portugal, Greece, Norway, Malta, Puerto Rico and the United Arab
Emirates. Keck has exhibited
originalabstract art paintings and mixed media assemblages in
London, New York, Chicago,Los
Angeles, Dallas, Indianapolis, High Point, Pittsburgh, Lake
Tahoe and Las Vegas. Keck is
regarded as one of the most successful self-representing artists
working today, and she continues
to pave the way for self-representing artists worldwide.
11. Keck is and has been for all times relevant to the claims
asserted in this action the
exclusive owner of all copyright rights in and to the original
works of art reproduced and
attached to this Complaint as Composite Exhibit A. each of which
is registered with the U.S.
Copyright Office effective on November 10, 2014: "Sink or Swim"
(U.S. Copyright Reg. No.
VA 1-933-894); "The Best Is Yet To Come" (U.S. Copyright Reg.
No. VA 1-933-895); and
"I Don't Want To Hear It" (U.S. Copyright Reg. No. VA 1-933-898)
(collectively, the "Works").
The "specimen" watermark has been added for this Complaint
exhibit to the copies of the Works.
A true copy of each copyright registration certificate is
attached to this Complaint within
Composite Exhibit A behind each Work to which it pertains.
12. Keck is the sole author of each of the Works. For all times
relevant to this action,
Keck owns and has owned all copyright rights in and to each of
the Works since their creation.
Each of the Works is original to Keck, is a propersubject of
protection under the U.S. Copyright
Act, and is protectedinternationally by valid and subsisting
copyright rights.
Page 4 of 17
-
Defendants and Their Animated Television Series Archer
13. Defendants produce, broadcast and otherwise distribute the
animated television
seriesArcher, an award-winning, critically acclaimed, wildly
successful adult-oriented half-hour
spy workplace spoof comedy. Archer features its main character
Sterling Malory Archer, a
suave, narcissistic, self-absorbed, caustic, sniping, womanizing
James Bondtype, always witha
clever quip andcocktail in handnotwithstanding the grave
perilshe faces while executing his
masterspy missions for the "International Secret Intelligence
Service" (or "ISIS," as the show
calls it).
14. While tackling matters of geopolitical conflict and global
espionage, Sterling also
must sort his profound unresolved mother issues, not in small
part because that domineering
mother - Malory Archer - runs ISIS and is Sterling's boss.
Archer'smother-son conflict is a
dominanttheme pervading the series. The show repeatedly pits
these two central characters
against each other concerning Sterling's feelings of childhood
abandonment, his flouting of ISIS
office rules directed to expense accountabuse and
fraternization, Malory's unwillingness to
applaud Sterling for his indisputable master spy talents and
achievements, and other matters
cultivated andcalibrated to leverage and amplify the show's
irreverent, snarky tone.
15. TheArcher series exhibits a distinctive andreadily
recognizable artistic design.
Characters' faces are based on the actual faces of actors and
models. Sets are based on
photographs andother works of art. Theseries' design aesthetic
juxtaposes camp character
illustration and animation against sophisticated, life-like
sets. A 2014 interview withArcher's art
director and animation director provides a glimpse of how
intricately andthoughtfully Archer is
Page 5 of 17
-
designed and produced. Quoted from that interview: "[T]he
important thing about Archer is just
how it looks. [...] We wanted the backgrounds to have those lush
painted textures." A true copy
of the interview is attached to this Complaint as Exhibit B (red
text highlight boxes added at its
pages 4 and 6 for convenience).
16. To better understand how closely Archer's design aesthetic
tracks its real-world
underpinning, compare the "before" and "after" Archer images
pasted below. Note the
substantially identical color schemes, perspectives, wall tile
arrays, sink shapes, faucet shapes,
mirror frames, mirror wall mount, and reflections of the sink,
faucet, door frame and wall-
mounted hand soap dispenser. On information and belief, the
Archer's inclusion of these
elements in the "after" image is a conscious, deliberate design
choice.
17. Archer's ISIS headquarters are housed in well-appointed
office space withina
commercial building in New York City, thoughtfully designed to
accommodate the unusual
Page 6 of 17
-
needs of a spy agency. Ms. Archer's office is a primary Archer
set, pervasively featured
throughout the first four seasons of the series. Episodes
feature Malory's office as the place in
which Malory briefs her subordinates on the spies' missions,
monitor operations, disciplines
misbehavior, andconducts sultry videoconferences
withherclandestine, geopolitically incorrect
romantic interests.
18. Archer has grown from a cult phenomenon into a wildly
popular show, expanding
its audience since the pilot episode's 2009 televisionpremiere.
On informationand belief, it is or
has beenthe number one rated show on FX Networks among adults
age 18-49 years.
19. Archer won the Critics' Choice Television Awards for Best
Animated Series in
2012, 2013 and 2014. It also won the IGN People's Choice Award
for Best TV Animated Series
in 2011. Archer has receivednumerous othernominations, including
one for the 2014Primetime
Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, and Annie Awards
nominations in each of
years 2012,2013,2014 and 2015.
20. On January 8, 2015, Archer's season 6 premiere aired to an
audience of
approximately 1.5 million viewers. In March 2014, Archer was
renewed for a seventh season. On
information and belief, no plans have been announced to wind up
production.
21. On informationand belief, Internetaudiovisual content
streamingservices
Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Primeprovide the 62 Archer episodes
aired duringseasons 1-5 to
their respective subscribers for continuous, on-demand viewing,
making the series episodes
highly and conveniently accessible to vastaudiences. Defendants
also sellanddistribute copies
of those episodes to the general public on DVD format digital
discs. Viacom's Comedy Central
Page 7 of 17
-
purchased off-network rights to the Archer series for broadcast
via its cable channel scheduled to
begin in May 2015, which will further expand the reach of and
audience for Archer.
Defendants' Unauthorized Uses of Keek's Works In Archer
22. In November 2014, Keck discovered that Defendants
havebeenusing her Works
in Archer.
23. Ms. Archer's richly detailed ISIS office set features
prominent framed paintings
that use the Works, orderivatives. True copies of screen
captures derived from Netflix streaming
ofa representative Archer episode from each of the first four
seasons are attached to this
Complaint as Composite Exhibit C.
24. Neither Keck nor anyone else authorized Defendants to usethe
Works in any
form as part ofArcher.
25. Archer does not credit Keck as a contributor or
otherwise.
26. On information andbelief, FXNetworks and Fox Home
Entertainment operate
sophisticated media production and distribution businesses with
trained staff and an excellent
working knowledge of copyright lawprinciples and rights
clearance practices. Inexplicably,
Defendants used the Works as part ofArcher without even seeking
thenecessary permission to
do so.
Page 8 of 17
-
FIRST CLAIM FOR RELIEF
Copyright Infringement
As against all Defendants
27. Keck repeats and realleges the allegations set forth in the
previous paragraphs of
this Complaint as if fully set forth herein.
28. Without authorization or consent, Defendants created
derivative works based on,
reproduced, publicly displayed,distributed, transmitted, and
otherwiseused the Works as part of
Archer.
29. On informationand belief, Defendants knew that they did not
possess any rights
to use the Works as part ofArcher or otherwise.
30. On information and belief, Defendants cropped, blurred
and/or otherwise
manipulated the Works to conceal that those manipulated works
were derived from Keek's
Works.
31. On information and belief, Defendants have received
substantial benefits from
their unauthorized reproduction, public display, distribution,
transmission and uses of the Works,
which contribute to the unique artistic appeal, look and feel
ofArcher.
32. On information and belief, Defendants performed their
wrongful acts willfully
and knowingly, with intentionaldisregard for Keek's
exclusivecopyright rights in and to the
Works, and for the purposes of trade and profit, including by
meansof the sale and licensing of
audiovisual content, merchandise and advertising services.
Page 9 of 17
-
33. Keck has been damaged by Defendants' unauthorized uses of
the Works,
including without limitation in the forms of diversion of trade,
loss of profits, dilution of the
value of rights in the Works, and erosion of the market value of
the Works, in an amount to be
determined at trial.
34. Among other relief, such wrongful conduct entitles Keck to
an award of a
permanent injunction against continued use, and actual damages
suffered as a result of such
infringement,plus Defendants' additional profits attributable to
such infringement, in an amount
to be determined at trial, plus recovery of its costs. 17 U.S.C.
504(a)(1) and 505.
To the extent that Keek's registration of copyright rights in
and to the Works is timely, Keck is
entitled to opt for an award of statutory damages in an amount
up to $30,000 (or $150,000 if
infringement is willful) per work infringed, and also is
entitled to an award of a reasonable
attorney's fee.
SECOND CLAIM FOR RELIEF
Secondary Copyright Infringement
As against all Defendants
35. Keck repeats and realleges the allegations set forth in the
previous paragraphs of
this Complaint as if fully set forth herein.
36. On informationand belief, Defendants knew and intended that
third personsand
entitieswould take, reproduce, transmit, distribute, publicly
display, and proliferate the Works as
part ofArcher without Keek's authorization or consent.
Page 10 of 17
-
37. On information and belief, because Defendants contributed to
and induced third
person infringement ofthe Works and knew orshould have known
ofsuch infringement, they
are liable for contributory infringement of the Works.
38. On information and belief, because Defendants had the right
and ability to control
reproduction, transmission, distribution, public display, and
proliferation ofthe Works as part of
Archer, which benefitted Defendants commercially, they alsoare
liable for vicarious
infringement of the Works.
39. Among other relief, such wrongful conduct entitles Keck to
an award of a
permanent injunction againstcontinued use, and actual damages
sufferedas a resultof such
infringement, plus Defendants' additional profits attributable
to such infringement, inanamount
to be determined at trial, plus recovery of its costs. 17U.S.C.
504(a)(1) and505. Totheextent
that Keek's registration ofcopyright rights inand to the Works
is timely, Keck is entitled toopt
for anaward of statutory damages inanamount up to $30,000
(or$150,000 if infringement is
willful) per work infringed, and also is entitled toanaward of a
reasonable attorney's fee.
THIRD CLAIM FOR RELIEF
Provision and Distribution of False Copyright Management
Information (CMP
As against all Defendants
40. Keck repeats and realleges the allegations set forth in the
previous paragraphs of
this Complaint as if fully set forth herein.
Page 11 of 17
-
41.17 U.S.C. 1202 (a) prohibits providing anddistributing false
CMI: "No person
shall knowingly and with the intent to induce, enable,
facilitate orconceal infringement - (1)
provide CMIthat is false, or (2) distributeor import for
distribution CMI that is false.
42. 17 U.S.C. 1202 (b) prohibits removing or altering CMI and
distributing CMI
knowing that it has been removed oraltered without the
permission ofthe copyright owner:
No person shall,withoutthe authority of the copyright owner or
the law
(1) intentionally remove or alter any copyright management
information,(2) distribute or import for distribution copyright
management informationknowing that the copyright management
information has been removed oraltered without authority of the
copyright owner or the law, or (3)distribute, import for
distribution, or publicly perform works, copies ofworks, or
phonorecords, knowing that copyright management informationhas
beenremoved or altered without authority of the copyright owner
orthe law,
knowing, or, with respect to civil remedies under section 1203,
havingreasonable grounds to know, that it will induce, enable,
facilitate, orconceal an infringement of any right under this
title.
43. CMI includes "(1)the title and other information identifying
thework, including
the information setforth on a notice of copyright, (2) thename
of,andother identifying
information about, the author of a work, (3)the name of,
andother identifying information
about, the copyright owner of the work, including the
information set forth in a noticeof
copyright, and ... (6) the terms and conditions for use of the
work." 17 U.S.C. 1202(c)(1),
(2), (3) and (6).
44. On information and belief, with the intent to induce,
enable, facilitate and/or
conceal infringement, Defendants removed or excluded Keek's
name, her Works' titles, andher
Page 12 of 17
-
copyright notices, and instead applied without authorization or
consent or other right
Defendants' own copyright notices and claims.
45. On information and belief, withthe intent to induce, enable,
facilitate and/or
conceal infringement, Defendantsprovidedand distributed false
CMI with their unauthorized
reproduction, public display, distribution, transmission and
uses ofthe Works as part ofArcher.
46. On information and belief, with the intentto induce, enable,
facilitate or conceal
copyright infringement, Defendants knowingly provided and
distributed false CMI when they
applied their own CMI to the Works (for example, the copyright
notice), in violation of 17
U.S.C. 1202.
47. On information andbelief, knowing or having reasonable
grounds to know that
Defendants would induce, enable, facilitate orconceal
infringement ofexclusive rights under
Title 17 U.S.C, Defendants (1) intentionally removed oraltered
CMI for the Works, (2)
provided false CMI for the Works (for example, by providing the
FX Networks Copyright
Notice without authorization and consent), (3) distributed false
CMI for the Works without due
authority; and (4) distributed and publicly performed and
displayed copies of the Works with
false CMI without due authority, all inviolation of 17 U.S.C.
1202(b)(1), (2) and (3).
48. Such wrongful conduct damaged Keck in an amount to be
determined at trial.
49. Among other relief, such wrongful conduct entitles Keck to
an award of a
permanent injunction against continued CMI violations, and
actual damages suffered due to such
violations, plus Defendants' additional profits attributable to
the CMI violations (17 U.S.C.
1202(b)(3) and 1202(c)(2)), orifand as Keck opts in her sole
discretion, statutory damages in
Page 13 of 17
-
an amount of up to $25,000 per CMI violation (17 U.S.C.
1203(c)(3)(b)), plus a reasonable
attorney's fee and costs (17 U.S.C. 1203(b)(4) and (5)).
Prayer for Relief
WHEREFORE, Keck respectfully requests judgment against each of
the Defendants
as follows:
a. declaring Defendants liable for direct infringement of the
exclusive
copyright rights in and to the Works;
b. declaringDefendants liable for contributory and vicarious
infringement of
the exclusive copyright rights in and to the Works;
c. declaring Defendants liable for removal or alteration of CMI
for the Works
and for provision and distribution of false CMI for the
Works;
d. enjoiningDefendants from unauthorized reproduction, public
display,
transmission, distribution and all otheruses of the Works, from
providing and distributing
false CMI for the Works, and from removing or altering CMI for
the Works;
e. for Defendants' direct, contributory and vicarious copyright
infringement,
awarding Keckmonetary damages in an amount equal to her actual
damages and
Defendants' additional profits attributable to such
infringement, in an amount to be
determined at trial (17 U.S.C. 504(a)(1)), plus costs (17 U.S.C.
505), or if and as Keck
opts in her sole discretion to the extent that copyright
registration of the Works is timely,
an awardof statutorydamages, and also an award of a reasonable
attorney's fee;
Page 14 of 17
-
f. for Defendants' CMI violations, awarding Keck monetary
damages in an
amount equal to her actual damages and Defendants' additional
profits attributable to such
CMI violations, in an amount to be determined at trial (17
U.S.C. 1202(b)(3) and
1202(c)(2)), or if and as Keck opts in her solediscretion,
statutory damages in an amount
of$25,000 per CMI violation (17 U.S.C. 1203(c)(3)(b)), plus a
reasonable attorney's fee
and costs (17 U.S.C. 1203(b)(4) and (5));
g. compelling Defendants to account to Keck for all profits,
income, receipts
andotherbenefits derivedby them fromthe reproduction,
distribution, transmission,
public display, promotion, and sale of products, services and
media that infringe copyright
rights in and to the Works (17 U.S.C. 504(a)(1) and 501(b));
h. compelling Defendants to account to Keck for all profits,
income, receipts
andotherbenefits derivedby them fromtheir removal or alteration
of CMI for the Works,
andfrom theirprovision and distribution of false CMI for the
Works (17 U.S.C.
1203(b)(3) and 1202(c)(2)); and
i. awarding Kecksuchotherandfurther reliefas the Courtdeems just
and
proper.
Page 15 of 17
-
Dated: New York, New YorkMarch 17,2015
Respectfully submitted,
^hua R. Bressler (JB8780)sler Law PLLC
3WeV35th Street, 9th FloorNew York, NY 10001Tel: (917)
969-4343Fax:(917)591-7111
Counselfor PlaintiffMichel Leah Keck
Page 16 of 17
-
DEMAND FOR JURY TRTAL
Plaintiff Michel Leah Keck hereby demands trial by juryof all
issues sotriable
under the law.
Dated: New York, New YorkMarch 17,2015
Respectfully submitted,
JoshMR. Bressler (JB8780)Bressle^Law PLLC3 West 35th Street, 9th
FloorNew York, NY 10001Tel: (917) 969-4343Fax: (917)591-7111
Counselfor PlaintiffMichel Leah Keck
Page 17 of 17
-
Sink or Swim
-
.g.wt.uU.vu
>?:). r-jads ;j r-i-.ri O: the Copyright Off!'.:;?
^-.ros'&s
Title ofWork: Sink or Swim
Regisfcratioa Number
VA 1-933-894Effective date of
registration:
November 10,2034
jwwmmwuww*m'
Year of Completion: 2008
Date of 1st Publication: April 20,2008 Nation of 1st
Publication: United State
***JM**^*****M***MxmYYWYmmr\rmn
* Author: Michel Leah Keck
Author Created: 2-D artwork
Work made for hire: No
Citizen of: United States
Copfright claimant ;
Domiciled in; United States
Copyright Claimant: Michel Leah Keck
271 East 400 South, Valparaiso, IN, 46383,: United States
glits and PermissionsWWWXIWWULVJWtMAIWOUAJPCW
Nanae: Michel Keck
Email: micheI@michelkeck,com
Address: 271 East400.South'
Valparaiso, IN 46383 United States
WWWWJWMCWWWWwgw^^
Name: Joe G. Naylor
Date: November 10,2014
Applicaat's Trackiag Number: 1122-A
aooooowooooaoaooaaoflo
Pane 1 of
-
Registration #: VA000I933894
Service Request #: 1-! 885185307
ImageRights InternationalJoe Grant Naylor275 Grove Street, Suite
2-400
Newton, MA 02466 United States
-
SO
O
iS
CO
CO0)
QQ
a>
f5
u|FN pr\o men iqqt^> j. *s VV
-
\ ' \ i&xVx#f&j* '- ...' '' .-^.-'.^s^^^^ft^.X '
'Mi-'^fr^. IV>|S. V*
Registration Number
VAl~933-895Effective date of
registjatiOH:
'. November 10,2014.
aooeeMOMoaeoommeooooooeoooooeeooi
JOO^oaaotinnniwvinficmMoeon^^
title of Work: The Best is Yet to Come
WWWWMffMMflMMWlflWflfldaswlflfla
Year of Completion: 2007
Date of 1st PubifcatioEj: October 31, 2007
88 Author: Michel Leah Keck
Anther Created: 2-D artwork
Work made for hire: No
Citizen of: United States
Natioiti of 1st PubSicatioa: United States
Domiciled in: United States
ghtciCopyright Claimant: Michel Leah Keck
271 East 400 Soutli,Valparaiso, IN, 46383, United States
S lucwwwjwwwyuwwwuww
Najne: Michel Keck
Email: [email protected]
Address: 271 East 400 South
Valparaiso, IN 46383 United States
Name: Joe G. Naylor
Date: November 10,2014
Applicant's Trackisjg Number: C1122-C
raMPBMWSWMjWUPIM
Page 1 of 1
-
Registi-atioii #;. VAOOOl933895
Service Request #: 1-1885,237615 :
FmageRights InternationalJoe Grant Naylor275 Grove Street, Suite
2-400
Newton, MA 02466 United States
-
CD
a:
i2
3-
o
Q
SPECIMEN - FOR D SIONO
-
Registration Number
VA 1-933-898Effective date of
registration:
November 10,2014
wMMwwwumBWMjwwwwwppwa oaaoaoocwMowwttoiawWTO^^
Title of Work: I Don't Want To Hear It
letfoii/Pyblicatiori -----YearofCompletioji: 2008
Date of 1st PablkatioE: Sentember 3,2008 Nation of 1st
Publication: United States
88 Anther: Michel Leah Keck
Author Created: 2-D artwork
Work snade for hire: No
Citizen of: United States
Copyright claimant
Domiciled in: . United States
Copyright Claimant: Michel Leah Keck
271 East 400 Soutli,Valparaiso, IN, 46383, United States
Hsgfits and PermissionsName: Michel Keck
Email: [email protected]
Address: 271 East 400 South
Valparaiso, IN 46383 United States
Name: JoeG.Naylor
Date: November 10,2014
Applicant's Tracking Namber: CI 122-B
flM'WWWA'w^^ "mwmM"f
Page 1 of 1
-
Registratioja ik VAGOOl933898
Service Request "#: 1-1885185580
ImageRights InternationalJoe Grant Nayior275 Grove Street, Suite
2-400
Newton, .MA 02466 United States
-
.Animating 'Archer' | Animation World Network
http://www.awn.com/animationworld/animating-archer
lof7
6
#
f
r
In
AWN! Nsfwart;.frjt'r: 5 =t{iis**r DC-S0 a
HOME NEWS BLOGS ANIMATIONWORLD VFXWORLD EVENTS FORUMS JOBS
MORE
Animating 'Archer'Art director Neal Holman and animation
director Bryan Fordney explain how FloydCountyProductions brings us
FX's animated gem.By DanSarto andJames Gartler | Monday, April 21,
2014at 10:21amIn2D,CG, People, Technology,Television |
ANIMATIONWorld
Lana Kane (Aisha Tyler), Archer (H.Jon Benjamin) and Cheryl
Tunt(Judy Greer) share a tense momentinthe fifthseason finale of
Archer Vice.Copyright FX Networks.
Adam Reed's spyseriesArcher underwenta bitof a changethis
season,withthe animated heroesforced bythe FBI to jettisontheir
spybusiness in exchange for lives ofcrime and cocaine-selling.And
country western musicproduction. As you can imagine, they've
approachedthe crimebusiness withthe same bravado and dysfunction
that they used to approach the spy business.Luckily, there're still
thesame people keeping things running smoothly behind-the-scenes.
FloydCounty Productions hasbeentherefrom the beginning, infact,
andwith five seasons undertheirbelt - and two more still to come -
art director Neal Holman and animation director BryanFordney
practically havethe process down to a science. Overseeing a
staffofsixty at theirAtlanta-based studio, the duo open up about
their economicalapproach to keepingArcherand hiscrewlooking so darn
good,using3Dsoftwareto create the 2D worldofAdam Reed's
hilariouslytight scripts.
Watch the fifth season finale, "Archer
Vice:Arrivals/Departures," tonight, April 21st at 10pm on FX.Latest
AWN Must Reads
Travis KnightTalks'The Boxtrolls'
Bonnie Arnold Talks 'How to Train Your
Dragon 2'
Dan DeLeeuw Talks'Captain America: The
Winter Soldier'
StephaneCeretti Talks Rocket, GrootandtheVFX of 'Guardians of
the Galaxy'
A Resurgent Women in Animation Turns 20
See More
Top Headline News
Animal Logic Blasting off with 'Astro Boy'
'RWBVCreator Monty Oum Dies at 33
2/5/2015 11:26 AM
-
Animating 'Archer' | Animation World Network
http://www.awn.com/animationworld7animating-archer
2 of 7
Ai Cher and the rest uf the ISISgang ai e the guests of
GustavoCaldcron(FredArmisen)and his wifeJuliana(Laui
enCohan).Calderon is a bigfan of Charlene butJuliana is a biggerfan
Df Archer.
Dan Sarto: Tell me a little bit about how this wonderful series
comes together. What are yourroles and what's your production
pipeline like?
Neal Holman: Archer is not your average cartoon. Weworkvery,
very quickly and the departmentheads and production heads
haveallworked together for so longthat our process is
reallystreamlined. Ascript iswritten and then things start to sort
of branch outward. I will startworking with the storyboard team and
while they'rebusystoryboarding a scene, my associate artdirector
Chad Hurdand I will be designing backgrounds and then workingwith
our characterdesigners. Atthe same time, we're workingwith our
3Ddepartment helpingto buildthebackground designs
into3Denvironments. Onthe other side of the track, the
producersarecastingand doingthe voicerecordingwith our actors. By
the time they are done with an audioedit, we will have storyboards
to put to their audio and then pass that off to our illustration
andbackground directors. That'swhenthey start building Archer in a
junglesuit or Archer inatuxedo. The background department will be
painting over renders from our 3Denvironments.Bryan takesall
ofthese elementsand the animaticwith audioand he'll line up all
ofthe elementsto go with it and begin animating and
compositing.
Bryan Fordney: Another unique thing about the Archerpipelineis
that the animation process isactually done separate from the
drawing. Thedrawings are done based on the storyboardsandthe
illustrationdirector also sort of directs drawing sequences. We use
Adobe After Effects for thecharacter acting, whichisalmost more
similarto 3Danimation than it is to traditional animationbecause we
are essentially creating rigs, like3Dcharacter puppets, but we are
doing it in 2D. Thatallows us to workveryquickly and it allows us
to add varioussubtleties that we wouldn't be able todo with
traditional animation.
Pam Poovey(AmberNash)makes a deal that puts everyone in
danger.
DS:So the backgrounds are done using 3D software tools?
NH: Yes. The waywe get a design going is Chad Hurd and I will
work on something that we thinkbest suits the needs of the scripts
and the aesthetic that Adam is going for in his scene. We'llgethis
thoughts on it and once a design is locked, we give it to our 3D
team and they build thatenvironment. Once it's built, we can put
our camera anywhere inside it and kickout a render and
DisneyStock Soars Above $100 Per Share
Coming Soon...to YourLiving Room:StudioGhibli Titles on
Blu-ray
First Look: Disney's 'Frozen' Short, 'FrozenFever'
BoxOffice Report: 'Hobbit' Threequel Reaches$900 Million
Stitching Together the VFX of 'Birdman' withRodeo FX
Iconix Acquires Strawberry Shortcake Brand
See More
AWNtv Featured Videos
Professional Spotlight: Professional Spotlight:Jon Landau at FMX
2014 Chris DeFaria at FMXParti 2014 Part!
Professional SpotlightAndy Serkis at FMX 2014Parti
Professional Spotlight:Alex McDowell at FMX
2014 Parti
Professional Spotlight:
Carl Rosendahl at FMX
2014 Part 1
Inside Out-Teaser
Trailer
2/5/2015 11:26 AM
-
Animating 'Archer' | Animation WorldNetwork
http://www.awn.com/animationworld/animating-archer
3 of 7
then pass itonto ourbackground team,ourpainters, who pain over
that render. So, it'snotjustan out-of-the-box render that goes
straightto television. It goes throughour paintersfirst so itlooks
more like a paintingthan it does a stale 3Drender.
DS: Now,am I mistaken or is some of the 3D animation done
somewhere else in the Midwest?
BF: Trinity Animation does a lot of3Dworkwithus, like the
3DenvironmentbuildsI'mtalkingabout. Werelyon them pretty heavily.
They're at Lee'sSummit, Missouri.
RayGillette(Adam Reed)and Krieger(Lucky Yates)move some
dangerous cargo.
DS: What program do you use for the 2D characters?
NH: Adobe Illustrator is where we're building all of the
elements for the character rigs. We'll drawArcher standing in a
tuxedo, but that one illustration of Archer in his tuxedo is split
up into severaldifferent layers, so that his hand is on a layer,
his forearm is on a layer, his bicep is on a layer, etc.In After
Effects, we'll linkthose three layers together, so that when I move
the bicep, the forearmand the hand move with it. It becomes like a
puppet rig.
BF:The heads themselves are like a whole other beast, though.
When we draw on a body, we puta dummy head on it because the actual
head is a really complicated rig that takes a long time todevelop
and we stick on everybody that we draw.
NH: It's all about economy and getting the most of what you are
doing. There's a lot of smokeand mirrors. Wetry to make it
looklikea lot of animation, but we're very economical. Ifwe
aregoingto builda head then that head rig is going to be
reallygood. We'll build it once and use itthroughout the year.
Weare tryingto use everybit of everythingand nothing reallygoes
away.Any bodythat Archer is drawn in, likea suit or polo shirt or
whatever, you will see repurposed ondrones in the background
throughout the season. Nothinggoes to waste here with
ourillustrations and our rigs!
11 k pi ii lu n,l" |-ik iar Cyril Figgis (Chris Parnell)and
Ray.
DS:But on the flip side, when you look at the finished episodes,
it doesn't look like a minimalistvisual presentation. It looks very
stylized.
NH: That's the goal.
Career Connections
Multimedia Producer
Redbird Flight Simulations
MULTIMEDIA SOFTWARE ENGINEER
NVIDIA
Web Designer
CGHTechnologies, Inc.
Art Director
2eCreative
Designer
2eCreative
Multiple Full-Timeand VisitingFull-TimeFaculty
Ringling College of Art and Design
Recent Comments
Fudge
Season 7 airs in March something. We should begettig a trailer
either next week or the week afterRainbow and Nickelodeon Announce
'Winx Club' Season
Seven
*S**!:w^ Letting artists do art...
Bonnie is the single best producer atDreamworks today. Too bad
the other producersare too ego-maniacal to learn from her.
She's
2/5/2015 11:26 AM
-
Animating 'Archer' | Animation World Network
http://www.awn.com/animationworld/animating-archer
4 of 7
BF: There has tobea balance, but we really do feel like
theimportant thing about Archer isjust Ihow it looks. I
DS: Right, right. He isall about his looks! Turning thesubject
toAdam Reed for a second, does hesend you a finished script and
then you work with him onthecreation ofthestoryboards?
BF: We usually geta script that isn't quite locked,
butnotfarfrom it. When he's ready to get FX'sresponse, that's
thedraft we getandstartbuilding from. Adam isjustsuch a strong
writer thatwecan go ahead and startmoving forward with themajor
builds. And after that, once we have donea pass ofAct One, wewill
send him a PDF ofthestoryboards along with some notes toguide
himthrough itandhe'll sendback whatever feedback hehas. After all
theseseasons, I have a prettydecentidea ofwhatAdam isgoing
forwhenhe writes a scriptor a scene, so the noteshavebeenpretty
minimal.
There isanother storyboard revision afterweadd inthe audio. In
mostshows, storyboard goesstraight to audio andthatisa luxury
thatwe don't have because ofourschedule. We generallyfinish
storyboards fora full episode intwo weeks and two days,
andthat'smoving really quicklyforfour people. Sometimes when the
audio comes in, an actor's read will be much different thanhow
wewerereading itwhen weweredoing the boards, sowe have to make
revisions. Oneofthebest thingsabout our production isthat we
canturn on a dimeand still keepthingsmoveprettyfluidly.
NH: Also, wedon'tjuststartoneepisode, work it until it
isdoneandthenstartanother - theyareall overlapping invarious
stages. So, while oneepisode isbeing written, the previous episode
isbeing storyboarded and the episodebeforethat is being built
andthe episode beforethat is beinganimated. We generally havefour
or sometimes five episodes going in production at one time.
Cheryl is more than a matchfor a group of bikers.
DS: What's the total timeframe for the production of an
episode?
NH: I think it's ten weeks, is that right Bryan?
BF:Yes, that sounds about right.
DS: Do you do the post yourselvesat Floyd CountyProductions?
NH: Astrangethingabout this showis that the postworkis done
inAfter Effects, the sameprogram that we use to do the character
animation.
BF: Theediting isdone in Final Cutbyan editor,but we often
haveto makeadjustments inAfterEffects for timing and
everything.
NH:The onlything that's really not done in-house is the
recording and audio mixing.
confident enough in her own skin to let othersdo what they
were...
Bonnie Arnold Talks'How to Train Your Dragon 2'
As a matter of fact I loved and still LOVEthe old
cartoons -Thejetsons, The Flintstones, WackyRacers, Scooby Doo,
Hannah-Barbera as awhole. I don't think they are weak pieces of
art,their...
ADVANCEMENT IN ANIMATION WRmNG
Could it have been a browser issue? We didn't
receive any other reports about the feed notworking properly,
but we're sorry you weren'table to watch the show!
Wau:h ihe 42 nd Annual Annie Awards Live!
Amazing1 Congratulations to Everybody,especially all Those
Employees from PDI.Your Contributions were well Worth-It.:)
'Huwto Train Your Dragon 2' lups 42nd Annual AnAwards
::x: ;:;>: Amir All
AllIranian Animators have boycotted thisFestival. Everyone knows
it's PERSIAN GULF, Idon't know what's with these Arab
countries?!!
Animate Dubai - Call for Animation
Featured Poll
Who do you think will the Oscar for Best
Achievement in Visual Effects?
.S Captain America:The Winter Soldier - DanDeLeeuw, Russell
Earl, Bryan Grilland Dan Sudick
: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes -Joe Letteri, DanLemmon, Daniel
Barrett and ErikWinquist
:; Guardians of the Galaxy- Stephane Ceretti,Nicolas Aithadi,
Jonathan Fawkner and Paul
Corbould
:;. Interstellar-Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian
Hunter and Scott Fisher
; X-Men: Days of Future Past - Richard Stammers,Lou Pecora, Tim
Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer
2/5/2015 11:26 AM
-
Animating 'Archer' | Animation World Network
http://www.awn.com/animarionworld/animating-archer
5 of 7
Theunflinching voiceof reason - Malory Archer(Jessica
Walter).
DS: Adam Reed told me recently that the team at Floyd County
regularly managesto makethegags in the script so muchfunnier than
he ever imagined...
NH: Well, one example that comesto mindis
episode402,1think...the one with Lucas Troy, whowas Timothy
Olyphant last season....
DS:Oh, yes, his close buddy...
NH: ...Archer's best friend. That episode ends with a just a
silent shot of Archer, Lanaand the car.Thecomedy in it
comesfromArcher's facial expression - that tellsthe wholestory.
Wejust stayontheirfaces as theythinkaboutthe horrorsthey've
justgonethrough. Itwas kind offunny inthe script, butjustseeingthe
wayBryan's team really soldthat makes it standout in my mind asone
of the best examples of our character acting.
BF: Yeah, the cool thingabout that was it was the laststep in
the production. Oneof ouranimatorsjust decided, "OhI'mgoingto
makethese really hilarious frowny faces on thesecharacters at the
very end." It reallywasn't planned out that way.
NH: Becausewe havesuch talented improvactors on our cast, I
think a lot of people believetheshow is primarily improv and I'd
say...95% of it iswritten. What seem like improvised
jokesareactually writtenon the pageand that speaksto Adam's natural
talent as a writer. Heis reallyincredible. We're a littlespoiledin
that weget Adam Reed scriptsevery two to three weeks. Whenwe have
to shift and work on other projects, I always hold [the other
writers] to that samestandard and there is alwaysa disconnect at
first, because they are not Adam.
BF: There is a real confidence in the scripts. Like, ifwe are
confused partwaythrough theproduction because, "This joke justisn't
working," andthenwelook back at thescript we're like,"Oh. That's
because we didn't do it by the script!"
Archer takes a break from love making and
narco-trafficking...but only for a short while.
DS:The stuff is brilliant on a lot of different levels. I think
the visual design of this show sobeautifully complimentsthe tone
and the comedythat I cannot think of another visualstyle thatwould
make it any better.
Bonnie Arnold Talks'How to Train Your Dragon 2'1 comment 1 day
ago
ADVANCEMENT IN ANIMATION WRITING'
1 comment 2 days ago
Watch the 42nd Ann ual Annie Awards Live!'
2 comments 2 days ago
'How to Train Your Dragon 2'tops 42nd AnnualAnnie Awards
1 comment 3 days ago
Animate Dubai - Call for Animation*
8 comments 3 days ago
TheAnimation Pimp:ATaleTold byan Idiot"4 comments 1 week ago
2/5/2015 11:26 AM
-
Animating 'Archer' | Animation World Network
6 of 7
NH: Yeah. Whenwe were doingthe pilotwe wanted something with
reallybold linework,thickheavy lines. Wejust didn'twant to looklike
another Family Guy or Simpsons. Alot of the cartoonsthat we were
seeing had this razor thin line work and that's not to knock those
cartoons - it wasjust something we didn't reallywant to followsuit
with. Wewanted something that would bedifferent and give a more
graphic appeal to the characters. We wanted the backgrounds to
havethese lush painted textures. At first it was lookingmore likea
'60s comic book but it has sort ofmorphedfrom there.
DS: Last question - what are the biggest challenges you face
day-to-day and week-to-week inbringing Archer together?
NH:Some of it is dealing with how best to do really cinematic
sequences with limited animationand limited time. That is something
I actually really enjoy because it gives you constraints to
workagainst. Wedefinitely don't have an unlimitedbudget and we
definitely don't have unlimitedtime...but we swing for the fences
in our storyboards and really try to make the biggest, baddestcar
chase we can and then boil that down into logistical elements that
we can actually do. It's onething to board a giant fight scene and
it's quite another to plan it out to where you can do itwithout
killing all of your animators.
BF:Yeah, and on these big action episodes, you're really trying
to find a balance between theaction-packed sequences and the
natural comedy of the voiceover work, which is the core of theshow.
With normal episodes, that just comes along naturally, but when we
get to these crazyepisodes with tons of adventure, it's vital to
find a balance.
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World
Network.
James Gartler is a Canadian writer with a serious passion for
animation in all its forms. Hisworkhas appeared in the pages of Sci
FiMagazine, and at the websites EW.comand Newsarama.com.
^Tags Archer Floyd County Productions FX TV Animation
:= More From ANIMATIONWorld:
Next Post ' Previous Post
Q Box Office Report:'Captain America'Three-peats j Annecy Fest
Redefines Conference Program >with$26.6M j
% Related Content
Adam Reed, Adult Animation and the Brilliantly
Naughty'Archer'
Adam Reed Talks the "Smilthy" Good Fun of 'Archer'
Tomm Moore Talks
Song of the Sea
http://www.awn.com/animationworld/animating-archer
2/5/2015 11:26 AM
-
Animating 'Archer' | Animation World Network
http://www.awn.com/animarionworld/animating-archer
7 of 7
Top 10 Cancer Causing Foods You Eat 'Strange Magic' Meets the
PressEvery Day ;:.:
Controversy Over New SteroidAlternative .;;.::,
Cathy R. won $1,334,641.22 playingMillionaire Genie, hitting the
largest
Popular White Actors With Their BlackSpouses :.':
2 Comments
ILM Goes Behind the Magic of 'CaptainAmerica: The Winter
Soldier'
Animate Dubai - Call for Animation
DreamWorks Animation Shuttering PDI
Carl Pinson -
Verycool and informative.Thanks for the cool interview!
Eclwina
Thank you for this. Archer is one hot mess. And I mean that in a
good way.
Elsewhere on AWN
A Maverick in the
Making
A Candid Talk with
Scratch Film Master
Steven Woloshen
Marcy Page Leaves Her Hayao Miyazaki - TheMark on the NFB
Interview
Chris Landreth Talks
'Subconscious
Password'
Animation World Network
Contact Us | About Us | Terms Of Service | Plivacy Policy |
Media Kit
More Animation World Network Sites
AWNtv.cum: AWN Tylovisiun | Vid^us | Channels | Categories |
Playlisls | Submit Your Finns
AIDB.com:Animation Industry Database | Production Companies |
VFX Houses | Sciools
2013 AWN, Inc. AWN.com-Part of the Animation World Network-13300
VictoryBlvd.Suite 36S Van Nuys, CA91401
AWNi
The MagicalJunk-Filled
World of Jifi Barta
2/5/2015 11:26 AM