I learned that audio is more time consuming than I thought, and should be managed accordingly. I want to be better with my camera movements and angles. Im a little ticked that im not as far along with my animation as id like to be. IM HAPPY THAT BREAK IS COMING SOON.
To close up for this week THIS is why we shouldn't use tumblr! How to- Tumblr
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Frienemy
This article proved to be very interesting in that it covers the differences and the practicality of SFX vs VFX. A couple of videos are provided to entertain the reader with the real bare bones differences, the subject provided was a werewolf transformation. And while the CGI version proved as intended entertaining, the practical version was a cringe fest. I almost dislocated my shoulders in a manner that only cats would understand. The cgi transformation was smooth and only lasted a short while compared to its practical counterpart. where as the practical version seemed to last unnecessarily long with what I felt like were bad angles and poor effects. But I digress, both of these ways of doing things can work just as well hand and hand rather then the enemies they are made out to be. For example in the movie "Alien Revival" There was a combination of cgi and puppets used, and most people couldn't even tell the difference.
Based on what I just experienced if I had to pick a favorite it would probably be cgi just for the reason that it spares my insular cortex...
Based on what I just experienced if I had to pick a favorite it would probably be cgi just for the reason that it spares my insular cortex...
Adventure Time...
This link covers the creator of the shows view on his own work, or at least that what this article seems to convey at first. At least for the majority of the article I felt like I was reading an autobiography on Pendleton Ward, rather than learning from his experience.
All I really picked up on other then the authors ability to loose the reader with descriptions of the subjects rejected garbage and objections to cleanly-ness was the fact that spear-heading a project on a scale this large is both physically and mentally demanding. This can even be supported by the short descriptions of Wards work space and attitude toward the show as a whole.
Bluntly its a pain in the ass. And as far as the article itself it only serves to tell you what all animators feel towards their work at some point, by lulling you to sleep with over descriptive statement reminiscent of something out of a documentary.
All I really picked up on other then the authors ability to loose the reader with descriptions of the subjects rejected garbage and objections to cleanly-ness was the fact that spear-heading a project on a scale this large is both physically and mentally demanding. This can even be supported by the short descriptions of Wards work space and attitude toward the show as a whole.
Bluntly its a pain in the ass. And as far as the article itself it only serves to tell you what all animators feel towards their work at some point, by lulling you to sleep with over descriptive statement reminiscent of something out of a documentary.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Weekly Comment
Cutting to the chase, this week I learned that I need to manage my time better. Im looking forward to learning more about animation as an industry, and its effect on current and future generations. Im a bit peeved that my grades in math and science aren't looking so good. But I was happy to learn that I'll be moving around the 18th. Finally out of an apartment and into a house! But all things aside and seeing as Frozen two has been announced I figured it appropriate to have my link of interest involve something of that caliber.
Frozen animation progression
Frozen animation progression
DePtH and Perspective
I was very excited to read this article because it will be of extreme use in my current animation project! This article goes over the 5 best ways according to Director/Cinematographer Matthew Rosen. Creating depth in film and animation is all the work of illusions. In other words tricking the audience in believing that the two dimensional images they are viewing really extend past their field of vision or are three dimensional.
the first two means of creating depth were high contrast lighting and focus. High contrast lighting when used heavily can give the project depth, while using lighting and shades conservatively can make the project seem 3d. Focus is used by tricking how our brains naturally work.Weather you realize it or not your eyes automatically focus on whats closest to you, so by blurring the closest object on screen it appears farther away making your brain think the object in focus is the object that is closer, getting your attention and creating depth.
The next suggested technique is perspective or simply angle. Having the right angle on something can change its appearance to the audience. For example a 4ft brick wall 10ft away from a camera appears to be nothing more than a short dividing wall, but if the camera is placed directly on the wall looking up, it will appear as a massive dividing structure much bigger than it actually is.
The 4th means of providing depth is known as parallax, or motion. moving the camera actively in the shot weather its quickly towards the object in focus or slowly panning away this technique adds depth by using a changing angle and focus to keep attention.
The last way of creating depth is occlusion. This is where an object in the foreground temporarily blocks the view of the object in the middle or background that is in focus. Doing this makes the audience aware of the cameras position and gives a relative idea of distance from the object in focus, creating depth.
These are all very useful bits of information! I can't wait to apply them to my own work.
the first two means of creating depth were high contrast lighting and focus. High contrast lighting when used heavily can give the project depth, while using lighting and shades conservatively can make the project seem 3d. Focus is used by tricking how our brains naturally work.Weather you realize it or not your eyes automatically focus on whats closest to you, so by blurring the closest object on screen it appears farther away making your brain think the object in focus is the object that is closer, getting your attention and creating depth.
The next suggested technique is perspective or simply angle. Having the right angle on something can change its appearance to the audience. For example a 4ft brick wall 10ft away from a camera appears to be nothing more than a short dividing wall, but if the camera is placed directly on the wall looking up, it will appear as a massive dividing structure much bigger than it actually is.
The 4th means of providing depth is known as parallax, or motion. moving the camera actively in the shot weather its quickly towards the object in focus or slowly panning away this technique adds depth by using a changing angle and focus to keep attention.
The last way of creating depth is occlusion. This is where an object in the foreground temporarily blocks the view of the object in the middle or background that is in focus. Doing this makes the audience aware of the cameras position and gives a relative idea of distance from the object in focus, creating depth.
These are all very useful bits of information! I can't wait to apply them to my own work.
Animation meets box office
This blog heavily covers the extent of animations growth as an industry. Animation super-giant Walt Disney Pictures controlled the animation forefront for years until in the late 90's another two popular competitors came out with their own animated features. Pixar animation studios, and Dreamworks, both began production on several animated titles in order to catch up to the high Disney standard, some of which were Toy story, Shrek, and Chicken run.
The reason all of these films were such a smash hit is because the art style and means of story telling appealed to audiences of all ages.In other words the more people that are interested in the film the more money that feature makes.
Because of the growing demand for animated films the amount of jobs in the animation field also grew, students out of college with only a bachelors degree and no job experience could secure a job in the animation field in 2012 with an average salary of 61,370 a year. Since being recognized by the academy awards as its own category for nomination the animation has had and continues to have a bright future.
If anything this article was a breath of fresh -reassuring- air for animators everywhere. Now we can all continue to do what we love with our minds at ease. Seeing as the industry has nowhere to go but up thanks to a combination of cartoon, video game, and film popularity the future looks bright.
The reason all of these films were such a smash hit is because the art style and means of story telling appealed to audiences of all ages.In other words the more people that are interested in the film the more money that feature makes.
Because of the growing demand for animated films the amount of jobs in the animation field also grew, students out of college with only a bachelors degree and no job experience could secure a job in the animation field in 2012 with an average salary of 61,370 a year. Since being recognized by the academy awards as its own category for nomination the animation has had and continues to have a bright future.
If anything this article was a breath of fresh -reassuring- air for animators everywhere. Now we can all continue to do what we love with our minds at ease. Seeing as the industry has nowhere to go but up thanks to a combination of cartoon, video game, and film popularity the future looks bright.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Weekly Comment
This week I learned how to record and partially edit audio for use in my animations. Which was fun and aggravating at the same time. Although I'm pretty content with what I have learned so far I still feel a bit overwhelmed by the Toon boom interface and want to be able to navigate it better.
I was very frustrated this week by my 101 fever on Friday... so that was a bundle of fun. Though it didn't ruin the whole week I still got to experience Pat's amazing voice skills especially when it comes to producing short shrill sounds.
Facial expressions can prove to be very important and can help to convey what a character is thinking or feeling. This link seemed to help me with some concepts I ended up using in my 2d short.
I was very frustrated this week by my 101 fever on Friday... so that was a bundle of fun. Though it didn't ruin the whole week I still got to experience Pat's amazing voice skills especially when it comes to producing short shrill sounds.
Facial expressions can prove to be very important and can help to convey what a character is thinking or feeling. This link seemed to help me with some concepts I ended up using in my 2d short.
Holy Foley!
While I personally find the host a tad creepy and insufferable, he is at the same time very informative. This article covers the use of a type of what can be referred to as sound effects during a film. Foley is one of three categories of sound. Ambiance, and library effects being the other two. This video goes over the history of foley and even provides some examples of its use in some old films. The host even uses his own studio and some friends to produce his own short comprised of a silent video and usage of foley. but, I found that short very irritating and at one point even found myself removing my headphones to alleviate my poor ear canals.
Regardless use of foley and other various sound effects can prove very useful and can help to spice up some rather otherwise dull scenes. This information will prove to be relevant in its use in future projects, but I would recommend not having the viewer itching to leave because of overuse of sound.
Regardless use of foley and other various sound effects can prove very useful and can help to spice up some rather otherwise dull scenes. This information will prove to be relevant in its use in future projects, but I would recommend not having the viewer itching to leave because of overuse of sound.
Reference material and believable character movement
This article covers the necessity of reference material and how it applies to each persons unique art style. Animator Shawn Kelly talks about different reference materials such as comic books, movies, and pictures. Though Shawn makes it clear that he favors photography, he also lets the reader know that each reference type has its own benefits. For example comic books can give a more dynamic perspective of characters, and live action can help you to understand the movement better as a whole.
This article helped me to understand reference material a bit better. What they should be used for and how. As far as the writers opinions I agree with all of them but one, I personally like comic art style references better than still images. This article will really help me on the 2d short project in that it will allow me to know what type of reference to use when.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Weekly comment
This week I learned that apparently there is a holy right of passage available from the teacher known as the boces all day pass. I'm looking forward to this long project and learning the puppets. This week i was frustrated with my abrupt ending on the 11 sec club. I was happy this week for Halloween.
Storyboard pro ,as long as we are on the topic.
Storyboard pro ,as long as we are on the topic.
Story of the board variety
This article simply gives tips and sums up the basics as well as some complex tactics involved in the story boarding aspect of animating or film making. Multiple ways of using space and emphasizing importance of height and dialog are also mentioned.
This article will prove helpful in creating my own storyboard for the long project. i learned how to better use the space provided, and its relevance to the field of digital media should be obvious in the aspect of preparing for an animation.
This article will prove helpful in creating my own storyboard for the long project. i learned how to better use the space provided, and its relevance to the field of digital media should be obvious in the aspect of preparing for an animation.
The psychology of scary movies
This article and video both cover the hows and whys of horror movies and stories. From young teenagers associating with the killer, to older crowds enjoying the right people get what they deserve every ounce of info is covered. Though there is more than one answer for the real question being asked perpetually throughout the video.
What is the allure of fear for people? Fear can mean many things to many people but the article states that most of our fear even from an early age is associated with animals. Another prominent reason is survival instinct. The different trends in horror come with real life based events, for example the walking dead and the mention of zombies is relevant to our current fears regarding social media.
This article is really informative and has a lot of information that i think everybody can agree with on some level. However I did learn a little bit about the psychology of why i like the movies and games i do, for instance, the notion that people watch and play violent games and movies is to release emotions, was very informative. This has extreme relevance in digital media for nothing more than aiding the creator of the content in understanding his viewers.
What is the allure of fear for people? Fear can mean many things to many people but the article states that most of our fear even from an early age is associated with animals. Another prominent reason is survival instinct. The different trends in horror come with real life based events, for example the walking dead and the mention of zombies is relevant to our current fears regarding social media.
This article is really informative and has a lot of information that i think everybody can agree with on some level. However I did learn a little bit about the psychology of why i like the movies and games i do, for instance, the notion that people watch and play violent games and movies is to release emotions, was very informative. This has extreme relevance in digital media for nothing more than aiding the creator of the content in understanding his viewers.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Weekly Comment
Halloween is coming up, which is one of my favorite holidays. i love everything about the fall weather, light jackets, pumpkin spice, and the best part, everything scary.
Well i believe that proves that this week i am excited about Halloween, but i am not looking forward to handing out candy at my dads. However all hope is not lost because i FINALLY got my drivers permit. The only thing truly frustrating me is Trig as of late, but eventually with hard work I'm sure I'll get it.
For my link of interest something that might help with that four leg walk cycle. I know what it actually is and honestly i do it to torture you guys but regardless it is informative and might help with whatever you choose to do.
YES IT HAS PONIES HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Well i believe that proves that this week i am excited about Halloween, but i am not looking forward to handing out candy at my dads. However all hope is not lost because i FINALLY got my drivers permit. The only thing truly frustrating me is Trig as of late, but eventually with hard work I'm sure I'll get it.
For my link of interest something that might help with that four leg walk cycle. I know what it actually is and honestly i do it to torture you guys but regardless it is informative and might help with whatever you choose to do.
YES IT HAS PONIES HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Picture perfect
In every scene of every movie there is some tactic behind the angle, direction the character is facing, height, and many other factors. These different tedious shots can help to emphasize a characters power or lack there of. Once again proving that there is more to what is going on than what the observer first notices. An angle of the camera above the characters head gives that character the illusion of lacking power or significance, where as an upward one of the same character gives the opposite feeling.
Angles, size, and who is in what scene at what time will all help the director to give a representation of what is going on, even if the audio is muted. This can also be used in animation, still images, or any other form of media, to help further captivate an audience.
Angles, size, and who is in what scene at what time will all help the director to give a representation of what is going on, even if the audio is muted. This can also be used in animation, still images, or any other form of media, to help further captivate an audience.
The little things
as the title suggests it really is the little things, the attention to detail or the mechanics of and object that make that object its own. Ron Henderson (a contributing scientist to a new Dreamworks film) is a prime example of what kind of dedication time and effort can go into something as simple as a bubble.
Of course the first step to giving a perfect artists rendition of a bubble would be to study them, so Ron spent time overlooking drawings, previous animations, and actual bubbles for an entire year.
"What we're doing here is creating tools for artists," Henderson said. "I think it's going to be a success."Quote from.
Ron has awards for his research and development on a fluid simulation system called "flux" and has a doctorate in Mechanical and aerospace engineering. His dedication and time in the scientific field give him an astounding background to be working on projects such as the most current one mentioned in the article.
Ron's hard work really resonates with what an artist or animator or even an engineer will have to commit to if he or she wants to produce high quality work. In short, effort.
Of course the first step to giving a perfect artists rendition of a bubble would be to study them, so Ron spent time overlooking drawings, previous animations, and actual bubbles for an entire year.
"What we're doing here is creating tools for artists," Henderson said. "I think it's going to be a success."Quote from.
Ron has awards for his research and development on a fluid simulation system called "flux" and has a doctorate in Mechanical and aerospace engineering. His dedication and time in the scientific field give him an astounding background to be working on projects such as the most current one mentioned in the article.
Ron's hard work really resonates with what an artist or animator or even an engineer will have to commit to if he or she wants to produce high quality work. In short, effort.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
weekly comment
animation continues to be all that i thought it would, I'm still learning a lot and hope to continue this way. The trip to Villa Maria was Awesome and helped give me a little perspective on college.
This week i learned that i'm still bad at math (according to my 5 week report) and that if anyone needs help with american history or English i'm the guy to see. And to rap it up and get back to the game of Starcraft 2 i currently have tabbed I'm finding myself looking forward to 3D and Maya now.
Can't wait for this movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkILifGifzE
This week i learned that i'm still bad at math (according to my 5 week report) and that if anyone needs help with american history or English i'm the guy to see. And to rap it up and get back to the game of Starcraft 2 i currently have tabbed I'm finding myself looking forward to 3D and Maya now.
Can't wait for this movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkILifGifzE
Hiding mics
Although it seems this would be more useful next year, COUGH COUGH, it is still none the less interesting. there are several different ways that someone can hide a lav mic.
one way is to put it backwards on a tie, another way is to place it under the collar of your shirt. most of the ways depicted involved taping the cord or the mic itself down behind some article of clothing.
While this is useful this is not my most favorite of topics...
one way is to put it backwards on a tie, another way is to place it under the collar of your shirt. most of the ways depicted involved taping the cord or the mic itself down behind some article of clothing.
While this is useful this is not my most favorite of topics...
10 Insights from a Game of Thrones and Guardians of the Galaxy Creature Animator
Nicole Herr has spent her fair share of time working on creatures in many movies easily recognizable throughout the past two decades. During an interview she first explains what peaked her interest as far as animation goes. her dream started when she saw the film the little mermaid, she says it helped her to realize what she wanted to do. But the real tipping point for her was when she received a letter from a senior animator that worked for Disney out of Florida.
Next in the interview she goes over some of her favorite shots that she has worked on. some of which include Fantasia 2000, Sphere, Stuart Little 2, and Sucker punch. next up Nicole talks about realistic animation vs animation with her characters. to cover this she goes into a lengthy explanation about how she makes each one come to life. for regular animation she will record herself in poses and review them to get a feel for how the character should be moving. and for the realistic animation she studies the textures shapes and anatomy of the creatures she is trying to replicate. then in the next two questions she covers her usual workflow and the amount of time she has to complete it.
Nicole then finishes off the last few questions going over common mistakes new animators make such as over complication and how the can fix them like acting out a scene yourself or understanding the characters motion.
Nicole really provides a unique perspective on this topic and gives some cool advice mixed with some of the other suggestions we have heard over and over again. In a general sense I enjoyed the article, even though im not personally a fan of game of thrones.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Dat weekly comment doe
What a week, between fire drills making my ears bleed at what must be an unlawful decibel to having enough work time to make any animator giddy. The projects are getting more involved and I am enjoying it all the same, though I now find music a necessity to help focus in class. COUGH *Patrick* COUGH!! ugh, better watch out that Ebola will sneak up on you. Any how I really am happy with the work we have been doing lately, but yet again I am still looking forward to when we will be adding audio and story line! Well to finish things up for today I'll add something that may come in handy in the future involving lip syncing (yes I know we have an auto-lip-sync feature)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMWiYIVoDis&list=LLtjpWback3AxT4dobdRDkag&index=6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMWiYIVoDis&list=LLtjpWback3AxT4dobdRDkag&index=6
Following the patterns in movie making
From the set of Iron Man 2 movie makers and directors share just how they do what they do when an audience is looking at the screen. Little details such as cgi and animation is used on the parts of the screen that the average person is not looking at, the cool part is that your brain automatically makes the connection. Similar to the way we are currently learning how to animate, your brain behaves the same way having its attention brought to exactly what the artist or director wants you to look at. Lots of time ans studying are involved in the physics of objects in order to make them seem more realistic. to rap this up in a quote from the director of iron man 2 “Everything you’re looking at is real, and everything you’re not looking at is fake,”.
I can't wait to apply these tactics to my own work in order to keep the viewer focused on what I want them to see.
I can't wait to apply these tactics to my own work in order to keep the viewer focused on what I want them to see.
Tips from Rockstar's former art director
Ian Bowden former art director for Rockstar games (creator of the Grand Theft Auto series) shares his thoughts in this article as he transitions from your 50 inch plasma to your 5 inch phone in terms of game design. Bowden discusses important marketing aspects and tools an artist must naturally have equipped at all times. The first thing he mentioned in the article that stuck out to me was the use of a sketchpad. Bowden recommends carrying a sketch pad everywhere you go. Seeing as I personally already attempt to do this it helped me to feel as if I'm already on the right path. Another topic discussed was the watching of current trends in games, movies, and advertising. looking at all of these things not just as a consumer but as an artist. For example what colors stick out, is there a theme in terms of style or shape, etc. Bowden also talks about the importance of not skimping out on the smaller details. Since he himself is switching to creating apps and games for mobile devices he talks about the quality and visuals used in the work itself. Just because the screen is smaller doesn't mean the amount of work should be either. Finally Bowden finishes up with experimenting with new ideas and being humble, both of these concepts can help to get you out of ruts or slumps as well as carry you farther in the workplace.
I think we can take a lot from Bowden's point of view. Though some of it seems like we have heard it a thousand times in the past, I still find it useful. The same information from multiple sources has credibility right? Well at least I can respect that.
I think we can take a lot from Bowden's point of view. Though some of it seems like we have heard it a thousand times in the past, I still find it useful. The same information from multiple sources has credibility right? Well at least I can respect that.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
real quick
just wanted to say that I love the fact that all of us pretty much did our blog on the last day with just hours to spare. xD
♫Posting wrap up, posting wrap up♫
Finally got around to finishing this weeks blog posts, Thank (insert name of deity here). This past week has been nothing but fun for me simply because we are finally animating. I loved learning more about the physics of objects, that will really come in handy for the next few coming months. I really want to get into animating some more complicated scenes or shorts though. And just because I'm looking at the specifications sheet right now something that frustrated me this week? Trig.... I HATE Trig. Something that made me happy? I got a fresh sketchpad. Finally to wrap things up enjoy the animation styles of Hasbro and their show of the principles of animation..take from it what you will.
WINTER WRAP UP { WARNING } Brony content ahead /)
WINTER WRAP UP { WARNING } Brony content ahead /)
Cloudy with a chance of EXAGGERATION!
Just as the title suggests in the film ,cloudy with a chance of meatballs, one of the biggest influences from the principles of animation was exaggeration. Though some of these other mentioned principles were subtle and difficult to pick up on, if you were simply watching the movie for enjoyment rather than for detail. first an foremost as previously stated exaggeration, A couple of scenes in particular stood out to me such as Flint's electrocution near the beginning. In a real life scenario compared to animation electrocution would simply cause someone to convulse and fall over, but in the animated world flint's bones were visible and his body twitched and flailed like a rag doll.
Next on my list is Timing, this one was easy just because of its example i have prepared. throughout the movie there were timing portions in which the machine would scan -wait- and the spit out the food. For "Slow in/out" I would say the food falling from the sky in general should suffice as an example. Staging was depicted later in the movie when the machine was absorbing the clouds at a dangerous rate, if someone had not seen the movie up to that point that scene could have easily summed up what was going on. one of the more comical uses of the principles of animation was the heavy use of "squash and stretch" in the jello castle scene. the movement of the characters, and the very walls of the castle is a good example of this element. Lastly to wrap things up a little anticipation. The scene where flint is about to kiss the weather girl shows anticipation using both of the characters reactions and movements as the example.
Holy crap was this on slightly annoying. i couldn't write as fast as examples were displayed, but hopefully i gave a sufficient amount of information with each of the principles I shared.
Next on my list is Timing, this one was easy just because of its example i have prepared. throughout the movie there were timing portions in which the machine would scan -wait- and the spit out the food. For "Slow in/out" I would say the food falling from the sky in general should suffice as an example. Staging was depicted later in the movie when the machine was absorbing the clouds at a dangerous rate, if someone had not seen the movie up to that point that scene could have easily summed up what was going on. one of the more comical uses of the principles of animation was the heavy use of "squash and stretch" in the jello castle scene. the movement of the characters, and the very walls of the castle is a good example of this element. Lastly to wrap things up a little anticipation. The scene where flint is about to kiss the weather girl shows anticipation using both of the characters reactions and movements as the example.
Holy crap was this on slightly annoying. i couldn't write as fast as examples were displayed, but hopefully i gave a sufficient amount of information with each of the principles I shared.
Box"Trolls" Stop-motion never says die!
I was ,as a writer, disappointed with the literal introduction to the article. It was representative of story telling in its most basic form, and just shy of "once apon a time". The article covers an interview with Travis Knight, the current C.E.O of the production team that brought Coraline, Paranormin, and soon to be The box trolls. In the interview Travis is asked a wide array of questions about the technical and artistic points of the stop-motion film. In the shortest version of a summery possible, his work is tedious.
I used a play on words in the title of this blog because I truly believe that this so called "21'st Century stop-motion film" is no different from those before it. I'm not saying that I dislike the concept or animation style itself, but in a sense Travis and his team are "trolling" (pun intended) his audience. It is true that past experience with one team will help and they will surely work well together, BUT I still found myself thinking that Box trolls will be no different than Coraline or Paranormin.
In the end I can talk all the crap I want but inevitably I will enjoy the film just as well. Hopefully Travis and friends will prove me wrong, all I can do is hope.
I used a play on words in the title of this blog because I truly believe that this so called "21'st Century stop-motion film" is no different from those before it. I'm not saying that I dislike the concept or animation style itself, but in a sense Travis and his team are "trolling" (pun intended) his audience. It is true that past experience with one team will help and they will surely work well together, BUT I still found myself thinking that Box trolls will be no different than Coraline or Paranormin.
In the end I can talk all the crap I want but inevitably I will enjoy the film just as well. Hopefully Travis and friends will prove me wrong, all I can do is hope.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Follow up
In one of my recent reviews I mentioned that i was in a marine corp. group, this is a picture of Pvt.Kelly at a marine corp. base in Quantico Va.
p.s.
yes, i did the most pull-ups. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtsF2twnTq4 I found this going through YouTube. Kind of funny that we just went over this today, but hey review is GOOD FOR THE SOUL. Although there are a lot of tests and projects, I still really enjoy the class. And to tie it all up as simply as physically possible, ME WANT ANIMATE NOW!
Michael Moore, The best from the worst!
This last article was difficult for me to stomach given my personal discrepancies about Michael Moore, but regardless I sucked it up and read on! Though this piece described tactics for film and or documentaries I still think almost everything said is also true of animation. Some factors jumped out more so at me than others though. Laughter being the biggest and most obvious choice for a discussion topic simply because people love to laugh. without some form of humor in any movie, skit, project, or animation, things would get dull very quickly and the audience would loose interest. Even in horror films there is the occasional scene in which the characters may enjoy a moment of peace, and even crack jokes! Humor isn't the only factor to a good story though.
Another item discussed in Moore's tolerable list of do's and don'ts was the factor of writing about something you personally understand or have experienced. for example, those of you who don't know me very well have no idea that I gave a year of my life to a military Marine corp. based group. I bleed, sweat, and wept creating memories that will stay with me forever. I have and will use the ideas influenced from my experiences with the group in later projects.
The last thing i agree with in the article is Moore's idea of "don't tell me what i already know".
stupid humor or story lines make the audience in turn feel stupid. In other words dumbing things down to much or explaining something obvious can be insulting to the audience. People want to feel smart, respected, or even appreciated by the animator. Not to mention the coming up with the deduction of "who done it" or just where the story is going can give the audience a rewarded feeling. Just remember, at the same time that you don't want things to be to simple, they can't be to complex either. Just keep some of these thing in mind before doing a project or coming up with a story line!
Another item discussed in Moore's tolerable list of do's and don'ts was the factor of writing about something you personally understand or have experienced. for example, those of you who don't know me very well have no idea that I gave a year of my life to a military Marine corp. based group. I bleed, sweat, and wept creating memories that will stay with me forever. I have and will use the ideas influenced from my experiences with the group in later projects.
The last thing i agree with in the article is Moore's idea of "don't tell me what i already know".
stupid humor or story lines make the audience in turn feel stupid. In other words dumbing things down to much or explaining something obvious can be insulting to the audience. People want to feel smart, respected, or even appreciated by the animator. Not to mention the coming up with the deduction of "who done it" or just where the story is going can give the audience a rewarded feeling. Just remember, at the same time that you don't want things to be to simple, they can't be to complex either. Just keep some of these thing in mind before doing a project or coming up with a story line!
Hullabaloo! The rebirth of 2D?
Growing up I'm sure all of us have seen a Disney movie at some point. Not the newer ones which are advancing their techniques and shifting over to the 3 dimensional side of animating, but a good old fashion 2D movie. Original Disney veterans such as James Lopez, and Rick Farmilo, are working to bring a satisfying steam punk wonderland to fill the 2D hole in our hearts. These animators have collectively a very colorful background, working on such projects as ; The Lion King, Pocahontas, Beauty and the Beast, and many more. The time that these men and women have put into their work has really helped them to prove what brilliance and life, maybe sometimes even familiarity a well 2D film, short, or series can bring to the metaphorical table.
After reading this weeks provided article I couldn't be more excited for the next big 2D project since the late 90's! Titled "Hullabaloo" this project will be, as previously mentioned, 2D feature. Each frame will be meticulously drawn out by hand before being transferred over to the computer. Not only does this heart-filled project have the traditional animating methods behind its creation but a unique story line containing something the animation industry normally leaves out. Female protagonists "Veronica Daring, and Jules". Living in a steam punk era these two savy inventors will band together in order to help locate veronica's father! I love the idea of a steam punk generated world. For those of you who don't know "steam punk" is a period of time in which people are technologically advanced but are still in the time period previous to your current time. For example, energy rifles and pistols are depicted in a Victorian style era in the promotional video for this project.
To sum it all up with my own personal thought, I cant wait to see something like this. Weather it makes it as a major motion picture, a short, or a television series I could care less! This incredible step twoards a reborn age of 2D animations with better story lines will be one I'm glad I could live to see!
After reading this weeks provided article I couldn't be more excited for the next big 2D project since the late 90's! Titled "Hullabaloo" this project will be, as previously mentioned, 2D feature. Each frame will be meticulously drawn out by hand before being transferred over to the computer. Not only does this heart-filled project have the traditional animating methods behind its creation but a unique story line containing something the animation industry normally leaves out. Female protagonists "Veronica Daring, and Jules". Living in a steam punk era these two savy inventors will band together in order to help locate veronica's father! I love the idea of a steam punk generated world. For those of you who don't know "steam punk" is a period of time in which people are technologically advanced but are still in the time period previous to your current time. For example, energy rifles and pistols are depicted in a Victorian style era in the promotional video for this project.
To sum it all up with my own personal thought, I cant wait to see something like this. Weather it makes it as a major motion picture, a short, or a television series I could care less! This incredible step twoards a reborn age of 2D animations with better story lines will be one I'm glad I could live to see!
Saturday, September 13, 2014
New film techniques promoted in next gen. gaming?
Lately, as I'm sure many of you know, a new generation of video games, movies, and consoles is paving the way for specialized jobs in film and animation fields. One of the most recently promised games "The Order 1886" due to be released in 2015 is boasting their new techniques involving camera work, animation, and story line. Along with many other companies and games being produced and due in 2015, their means of producing is something similar to the way modern movies are made. There are many notable changes you may notice even today in the world of gaming. http://time.com/2896528/cinematography-the-order-1886/ This article and video inform its watchers as to just how some of this is done. One way that stood out to me was the use of cinematic lenses on the cameras in games. For example a certain angled lens can help to provide the illusion of fear like in silent hill. The camera would be positioned overhead the gamer giving them a sense of uneasiness and unfamiliarity.
Silent hill was produced in the early 2000's but these new games will use specialized lenses to give the same feel of the uncomfortable angles without actually putting the player in that position. Movies themselves have become as described by the article somewhat of its own genre or art form.
This impressive new take on gaming is really interesting to me and quite frankly I cant wait until 2015 rolls around.As if promising whats to come the popularly advertised game destiny released for xbox and ps3 recently. Gaming has taken a huge leap forward and while I am excited for whats to come based on this article, I am still a little worried. Games are good and so are movies, but if I try to play a game that feels more like I'm watching a movie it could grow tiresome and boring quickly.
Silent hill was produced in the early 2000's but these new games will use specialized lenses to give the same feel of the uncomfortable angles without actually putting the player in that position. Movies themselves have become as described by the article somewhat of its own genre or art form.
This impressive new take on gaming is really interesting to me and quite frankly I cant wait until 2015 rolls around.As if promising whats to come the popularly advertised game destiny released for xbox and ps3 recently. Gaming has taken a huge leap forward and while I am excited for whats to come based on this article, I am still a little worried. Games are good and so are movies, but if I try to play a game that feels more like I'm watching a movie it could grow tiresome and boring quickly.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Weekly comment
I learned a lot so far this week. Between learning the in's and out's of animate pro is difficult enough, but with quizzes and historical information as well it gets a little difficult to keep track of it all. I cant wait until we are animating full length videos with audio! I'm really looking forward to that. I have been trying to be more organized this week because of the overwhelming amount of projects i have both in and out of Boces. Though i do find a little bit of satisfaction every time I finish a project. By the way, this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eokwbr-RQbQ) might help with the flip book project!
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
To those of you in my class.
I think it would be a good idea to trade email addresses in order to keep in touch outside of class. Its just one of those simple little things that can really make a difference. For those of you interested mine is gagetkelly@gmail.com, I would appreciate if you could comment yours below. Thanks!
By the way, just as an example this would be a good way to communicate design ideas for our class shirts!
By the way, just as an example this would be a good way to communicate design ideas for our class shirts!
Monday, September 8, 2014
Article review for animation blog
This article contained a surprising amount of usefull information. I have always assumed when presenting any type of lengthy work to someone that they should be entertained in the first few minuets but this article revealed that an aspiring animator has less than 30 seconds! That could prove to be challenging, but anything difficult is, in my opinion, worth fighting for.
Another topic this article touched upon was the simplicity of your work. Quality can always be nice especially when making a video or animation, but over exerting yourself can in the end only be counter productive. I understand that even I myself want to give everything I've got for all of my projects but going above and beyond can and often times will be to much. This doesn't mean that you or I shouldn't try just because the task is to difficult, I'm just saying to know your limits. As far as introductions and credits I agree with the articles take on keeping it short and simple. Put simply no one likes sitting through that, no matter how "pretty" you make it.
Next the article hits on the amount of work you should be willing to show. According to the recruiters that made the article "Recruiters would rather see 2-3 really strong performance shots than everything you've done in school." In other words, they are busy people and showing them your best work all the way to simple exercises can be an easy way to quickly get turned down.
Following this the article talks about creativity which is a basic necessity for art in general. Be creative, expand ideas past formerly known boundaries and give them new life. Contradictory to what I stated earlier THIS would be the time to go above and beyond.
Oddly enough the article also recommends acting classes to learn ways in which you can have the character you are trying to create come to life. Which makes complete sense to me, although I myself will not participate in such classes observing those who do can help animators get more lifelike emotions, expressions, and movements.
The article also discusses a rather important topic. The topic of having appropriate content for its audience. For instance, I really enjoy humorous and comedic animations, but my sense of humor can be different from the person I am presenting the animation to. I wouldn't involve vulgar humor in a project that i was going to submit to a teacher. So think before you share certain clips with certain audiences.
All in all I thoroughly enjoyed the articles informativeness, even though i don't agree with all of its points. I learned to recognize my limits, to pay attention to the audience, and arguably most important to be as creative and (for lack of a better word) fresh with my work as I can be.
This article can prove extremely useful to those whom are interested in a career animating. If that is the case for the current reader i recommend taking the advice this article has to offer, maybe one day it could really help you out!
- See more at: http://blog.animationmentor.com/6-tips-from-recruiters-who-look-at-your-animation-demo-reel/#sthash.CXfc70G3.dpuf
Another topic this article touched upon was the simplicity of your work. Quality can always be nice especially when making a video or animation, but over exerting yourself can in the end only be counter productive. I understand that even I myself want to give everything I've got for all of my projects but going above and beyond can and often times will be to much. This doesn't mean that you or I shouldn't try just because the task is to difficult, I'm just saying to know your limits. As far as introductions and credits I agree with the articles take on keeping it short and simple. Put simply no one likes sitting through that, no matter how "pretty" you make it.
Next the article hits on the amount of work you should be willing to show. According to the recruiters that made the article "Recruiters would rather see 2-3 really strong performance shots than everything you've done in school." In other words, they are busy people and showing them your best work all the way to simple exercises can be an easy way to quickly get turned down.
Following this the article talks about creativity which is a basic necessity for art in general. Be creative, expand ideas past formerly known boundaries and give them new life. Contradictory to what I stated earlier THIS would be the time to go above and beyond.
Oddly enough the article also recommends acting classes to learn ways in which you can have the character you are trying to create come to life. Which makes complete sense to me, although I myself will not participate in such classes observing those who do can help animators get more lifelike emotions, expressions, and movements.
The article also discusses a rather important topic. The topic of having appropriate content for its audience. For instance, I really enjoy humorous and comedic animations, but my sense of humor can be different from the person I am presenting the animation to. I wouldn't involve vulgar humor in a project that i was going to submit to a teacher. So think before you share certain clips with certain audiences.
All in all I thoroughly enjoyed the articles informativeness, even though i don't agree with all of its points. I learned to recognize my limits, to pay attention to the audience, and arguably most important to be as creative and (for lack of a better word) fresh with my work as I can be.
This article can prove extremely useful to those whom are interested in a career animating. If that is the case for the current reader i recommend taking the advice this article has to offer, maybe one day it could really help you out!
- See more at: http://blog.animationmentor.com/6-tips-from-recruiters-who-look-at-your-animation-demo-reel/#sthash.CXfc70G3.dpuf
Sunday, September 7, 2014
character design
(Sorry for the shadow)
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Getting used to frequent posting
Just trying to get used to the format of this site. I think blogging will prove to be fun and based on the purpose of the assignment may even aid to relieve stress, similar to a journal. I can't wait to see what next week has in store! Finally we get to start animating!!
Friday, September 5, 2014
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)