What do you get when a 3D animation manager is also a huge Elvis fan? I found out in an e-mail from Tim Jones of Los Angeles, and what he sent me is simply spectacular. It is a YouTube video that knocked me over. I’ve watched it a dozen times and don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it.
In fact, it was so good I decided to learn how to post videos on ElvisBlog. I’ve been trying unsuccessfully for four years to keep my blog simple, but as of today, YouTube videos will be another part of ElvisWorld that is presented here. Now, every time I run across a nifty one, I can no longer use the excuse that I don’t know how to post them. What’s next? A podcast?
Back to Tim Jones. He works for a company called Knowledge Adventure and has the dual titles of 3D Art and Animation Manager and Lead Character Modeler. So, he knows some stuff. Knowledge Adventure makes educational games like Jumpstart and Math Blaster, which teach children math, reading, critical thinking, and more. Tim has been working the past few years on adventure-based 3D virtual worlds for kids 3 to10 years of age.
Tim first got the idea to mix some Elvis moves into a dance game that is part of Jumpstart. That was so much fun, he decided to make his own video of one of the characters singing an Elvis song, complete with many familiar Elvis moves. He chose Pierre, a rotund Panda Bear. Tim says, “I picked him over our other characters because I thought his size would accentuate the animation.”
So, what Elvis performance did Tim use for his video’s model? How about the one on TV that shook up America on June 5, 1956. This was Elvis’ second performance on the Milton Berle Show, and the last song he sang was “Hound Dog.” When Elvis finished it with suggestive bump–and-grind moves, it set off a fury of outrage. Tim did not include this infamous finale in his video, but everything else Elvis did that night is here for your enjoyment. ElvisBlog is proud to present the Tim Jones video “3D Elvis sings Hound Dog. As a big happy panda.”
Tim has said, “Someday I’d like to create a 3D version of Elvis and animate it to one of his classic performances.”
I can’t wait. If Tim chooses the song “Hound Dog” again, I sure hope he uses Elvis’ complete performance on the Milton Berle Show. It wouldn’t be nearly so shocking today, but it sure would be cool.
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