Greetings and Salutations...

Hey there! Thanks for visiting JohnHerzog.net!

If you're looking for Flying Man Pictures or Szobinski Bros. Filmworks, don't panic; you're right where you need to be. Both of the aforementioned companies have been dissolved and, sadly, are no more. If you need to get in touch with me or anyone who was involved with Flying Man or Szobinski, feel free to e-mail me. You can find my e-mail address in my complete profile on this blog.

Through this blog, I hope to chronicle my return to the world of animation. Five years ago, I decided to stop pursuing a career in traditional, 2-D animation due to the overwhelming mentality that it was no longer a relevant or profitable medium -- a foolish notion, in my opinion, considering that the most important aspect of a movie is the story. While computer animation was embraced and heralded, traditional animation fell by the wayside, seemingly abandoned by studios and audiences alike in favor of a new medium. In 2004, after Walt Disney Feature Animation closed their doors here in Orlando, I decided that the industry was no longer aligned with my interests and desires. I then decided to pursue a career in writing and directing live-action films.

While I have thoroughly enjoyed making live-action films, I've felt that there's been something missing in my life. I have wanted to be an animator since I was five years old, and parting ways with that dream was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Thankfully, I believe that redemption is not far off for the traditional animation medium. This Christmas, Disney is releasing The Princess and the Frog and it looks fantastic. I'm hoping that it will usher in a new resurgence of "old-fashioned" animated films -- the kind of movies that stirred my imagination as a child.

I'm also hoping to use this blog as a kind of sounding board, to share my opinions about everything and anything. I'm not much of a journal keeper, but I'm hoping that, someday, my children will be able to pull up this website and read about what their father was like in days long gone.

Well, I'm getting sentimental, which means I should probably get going. Rest assured, I will be posting on a regular basis, so stay tuned!

Thanks again for coming and enjoy!