Sketch A - Emily, IKEA et al

So, in a previous entry I wrote about the sketch, here are the details: I spent some time watching my little girl Emily, who's starting to get the whole walking thing, but her balance is still questionable. A PERFECT subject I thought, and I was not disappointed. Beyond that, I also got an idea for reversals while at the IKEA, which had a little lunch area. I had my pad with me, so I thought I'd jot it down. I noticed people going to get coffee had nice, upright, direct, confident walk in general. The cup hooked loosely in their fingers. On the way back, they would inevitably have filled the cup too much, not having anticipated the amount of cream they added would fill it up, and they walked very slowly and softly back to their chair, taking great pains to not spill any coffee by trying as hard as they could to cushion each movement to avoid jostling the cup. Fascinating. I'm going to explore this one some more.

This stuff's a lot of fun!

Week 2 - And there off!

So! Just watched the video of the Principles of Animation which is the week 2 video from primarily Carlos, but Bobby and Shawn pop in as well, along with some of the other faces from the industry I'm starting to get familiar with. Very interesting, and it's easy to see how understanding these things will be essential to good animation. The only problem i, there are TWELVE of them! E-gad! How am I going to remember to think of al of that as I animate!? Oy. Well, as they say in the video, you do it over and over and over and...well you get the point. Eventually they become second nature. THAT I understand. Interface design and functionality also have a lot of principles that take a while to grasp and engrain, but when you get it, the constraints actually FREE YOU UP to be more creative. I think it has to do with understanding your boundaries so you know when you're within them and when you're crossing them. It's kind of like a runner who has ALL this ENERGY but doesn't know in what direction to run! There's TONS of want-to, but without direction, he can't pick up any speed! Ok, maybe that's dumb, I'm not sure. I'm gonna go with it though.

Here's to week two!

Week 1 a bit slow...

With all of the hype heading into the classes, I think I was hoping we'd just DIVE right in! But that was not the case, and probably rightly so. Although I may have been living vicariously through the first class last semester, reading all I could about the program and the classes and sucking up as much info from forums and blogs as I could, not everyone had access or knew where to find that stuff and are coming in fresh. They needed to be acclimated. So week one was about getting involved in the Q&As, meeting the founders, meeting my mentor Warren, introducing myself to my fellow students and getting myself prepared with software and hardware to be able to produce for the class.

I couldn't help it though. It was too much. I needed to sketch, do something. So, I began week 2's assignment, sketching in a public place and then posing "Stu", our emmaculately rigged character, to follow a pose we sketched. That was a whole lot of fun, and I'm glad I did it, because it forced me to work out some kinks, including the fact that my webcam is not so good at the detailed still frames. So, I ended up having to use the digital camera instead. But I got it up there, and here's a look at one of the sketch frames to the right. I'll describe the sketch in a blog entry called "SKETCH A - Emily, IKEA et al."

That's it for now,week 2 is officially under way, so there will surely be quite a bit more to come!

Indie Explosion Around Corner?

Excellent article in the L.A. Times that focuses on the upcoming animated film "Valiant", but also discusses the future of the animation industry from the standpoint of cost vs return . It's a very positive and enlightening look at the corporate bottom line that is driving huge dollars and incredible growth potential in the animation industry, not only for large investors but even for the small indie projects as well.

- Sean

Steve Jobs: Hungry and Foolish

I know that there are some links to this out there already, but I couldn't help myself. If it's possible to have scaped hearing about or reading this commencement speach, it's worth your time to immerse yourself in the philosphical drippings of a true innovator. If you happened to be there, lucky you.

Steve Jobs, Commencement Speaker, Stanford Graduation, 2005

Stay hungry, stay foolish.

- Sean

Week 1 - First Q&A with Warren!

So I barely have time to catch my breath when we get right into the FIRST of many Q&A sessions with our most excellent mentor, Warren Trezevant. He did not disappoint. Warren was very personable, humble about his amazing work, open about sharing his experiences and very good at expressing his views, understanding of animation and gave us a good, realistic view of the trials and pitfalls of the young animator to be. He is going to be a really valuable resource and a fun guy to talk with to boot!

So far, this AM thing has been really cool. Very inspiring and ALREADY, without having animated a single shot for AM, I've learned a tremendous amount just soaking up what these guys have to offer. Getting a feel for how they "see", observe, plan, collaborate, experience the world around them has been a huge lesson already. There's just a TON to learn, but I feel like I'm in good hands.

Ok, enough of that. Some of the Warren Q&A highlights:
He shared with us that he does a lot of the shots that have a bunch of characters interacting. Some he mentioned were the dinner scene in the Incredibles, the Blueberries troup in Bug Life, school of fish in Nemo, Seagull Chase in Nemo.
His favorites were shots that were sort of a zen experience for him, where he just felt the shot through without even really thinking much, it just all worked: Violet screaming in Winnebego at the end of Incredibles, Blueberries shooting down the plant into hideout bouncing off the mushroom in Bugs Life were two he mentioned.

It was a really good time. Our first assignment is to sketch in a public place and then pose a character called "Stu" in one of the poses. That's gonna be fun! I'm on it!

Week 1 - Browsing, video, Global Q&A!!!

So I've had a chance to check out the "campus" which is very cool, including lots of resources, a forum for the latest gossip and get news, student pages and a TON more.

My favorite section so far is the video section. It has a lot of stuff to orient us newbees to the program, and get us pumped for the course, as well as really good tutorials and the live Q&As, which (if you're not familiar) are amazing because it's basically a huge video conference, with the Mentors video always up, and they can select students to show up in the other video window to ask a question or just introduce themselves.

But it's not just for the fact that so many students can interact with each other and the Mentors that makes this REALLY rock, but the very fact that the Mentors are there to discuss animation with us on a regular basis! So far I've been involved in two Q&As, one was a GLOBAL Q&A, which had the three faces and founders of AM, Bobby, Shawn and Carlos answering our (all 350 or so of us) most indulgent of prying questions as well as those about the program itself. They're really high energy, fun, smart animation gurus who we are blessed to have running the show. It was a great time. The video was pretty choppy because of the number of people logged in, but good sound, and I even got to ask a question! I was so nervous I don't even remember what I said, except maybe something about thanking the first class for how open they've been and plugging Siggraph (AM will be there, I'll get a chance to meet them in person). I didn't really have time to prepare for them putting me up on video (through my webcam), so the first shot they got of me (remember, the video was really choppy) was me with a face full of nachos which remained up for a REEAAALLLYYY long time 'til the screen refreshed! Oy. The very fact that I was able to recover from THAT first impression that I'll never get back was, I think, remarkable in itself. I've been playing with the idea of having my Avatar (a computer likeness, like a caricature or other image) be a goofy shot of me with nachos all over my face.

A few notes I made were:
1) There will be a Star Wars Q&A coming up with Delio Tramantozzi, Charles Alleneck and Kevin Martel! That's going to be extremely cool, I can't wait to see what they have to say.
2) There's a book by Shawn's mentor, Wayne Gilbert called "Simplified Drawing for Animation Planning" that's recommended reading, but we shouldn't go out and get it yet, they're working out a discount for AM students.
3) They related to us an advanced animation topic called "force" (no, not THE force), apparently a tough concept and one of the specialties of Mr. Gilbert.

Semester 1 is here! FINALLY! My Mentor is...

Warren Trezevant!

I've had some difficulty finding info on Warren, but here's the AM slant and the tidbits I could Google:

Here's the official AM bio: "Warren has been with Pixar Animation Studios since "A Bug's Life." He has since worked on all of Pixar's films up through the upcoming 2006 release of "Cars." One of his recent highlights was in the dinner sequence in the "Incredibles" when the family is arguing and Helen (mom) has to use her super powers to take charge of the kids while Bob (dad) comes in and picks up the table in frustration, while Frozone rings the doorbell and the family pretend like nothing happended."

Dexigner describes Warren as "a core member of Pixar Animation Studios' award-winning animation team..."

On February 7th, Warren was a Special Guest at Cal State Berkeley discussing "posing the human body to communicate a character's emotional state.

He did an interview for "a3dGraphicsite" in late '99 or early '00...

That's basically it that's relevant.

All in all, it sounds like he's not new to teaching, nor does he have any trouble communicating and he's been with Pixar for about ten years, so he knows his stuff. I'm excited to get to know him some more and really explore his knowledge in the Q&As. This is going to be a whole lot of fun!

Madagascar

I've been reading a lot of the blogs, getting a feel for the Animation Mentor program, and possibly a head start in thinking about the work to come. The insites have been invaluable, not only for preparation, but just animation knowledge as a whole. So, when my wife and I, in a rare moment of baby-less-ness went out to see Madagascar, I had an even more sharpened appreciation for the work that goes into making a feature length animation. Wow. I don't need more inspiration, but seeing how they approached the shots, the camera angles, the application of the principles discussed so often in the blogs and what I knew already, and then just the level of originality, taking those tools and applying them in a way that looks fresh and interesting...Impressive.

I don't think I ever watched an animated movie and paid so much attention to the individual qualitities of the characters or paid as close attention to how the audience reacted to them, for instance, listening for when they laughed, or didn't when they were supposed to, (which was rare). Also how who the characters are and what we know about them affects how they move. It's about physical limitations and potential, emotional tendencies and expression...it has become more and more obvious why a course like this one is so important, to get the tools out of the way, make them second nature so you're not thinking about that anymore so you can focus on really bringing the characters to life. Giving them the individuality and definition to really play well as a personality.

I also recommend sticking around for the credits. It has has become a mainstay of animated features to give you a few more neat little playful moments. In this case, they take all of the main characters (and some secondary characters) and they all dance to the same song, one my one. It's a study in how just what we know about each character affects how they move and dance to such an extent that they are all unique. I was mezmorized.

Siggraph Explored:

Siggraph 05 is coming up July 31 to August 4th.

My company is willing to send the art department! So I'm going! I'm also going to look into a student rate now that I'm taking the degree progam at AM and maximize the company's $600 per person budget.

Anyway, here are the highlights...

SIGGRAPH 2005

Keynote Address: George Lucas - 1:15-3:15pm Sunday

Computer Animation Festival

Electronic Theatre will have matinee (except Sun) and evening showings:
1:30-3:30pm, 7-9pm
Animation Theatres are showing 1-6pm (Sun), 9am-6pm all other days

Experience the year's finest achievements in animation, visualization, simulation, visual effects, and technical imagery.

Courses:

1. Anyone Can Make Quality Animated Films! (The Eight Basic Steps to Success)
Half-Day, Sunday, 31 July, 8:30 am - 12:15 pm, Hall A
Whether the film is one minute or one hour, there are simple basic steps to producing any animated film. This course explains how anyone with a little talent can apply industry-standard techniques to create polished, professional, commercial animated films. All the basic techniques, from developing the initial concept to compositing the final release print, are summarized and discussed. Comprehensive handouts guide attendees through the process.

5. "Madagascar:" Bringing a New Visual Style to the Screen
Half-Day, Sunday, 31 July, 1:45 - 5:30 pm, Hall A
New insights into the creative and technical thought processes required to evolve a new look for a CG movie. Highlights include how moving away from stylized realism required rethinking the creative process, development methods, and technologies, plus a comparison of the approaches that worked with approaches that did not.

17. Acting and Movement for Animators: Students, Teachers, and Professionals
Half-Day, Monday, 1 August, 8:30 am - 12:15 pm, Room 502A
Animators perceive and apply acting theory in a different way than do stage actors.
Ed Hooks, author of Acting for Animators (revised 2nd edition, 2003), pioneered acting workshops that are specifically designed for the needs of the animator. Each consists of a lecture, simple improvisations, and acting analysis and deconstruction of clips from films. Hooks does not try to make stage actors out of animators. He teaches them acting theory in a fun, painless, and empowering way. The primary focus of Acting for Animators is to explore the connections among thinking, emotion, and physical action as they relate to performance animation.

Attendance at this course is highly encouraged. Its exclusive content will not be recorded in any post-conference video documentation.

22. Résumés and Demo Reels: If Yours Aren't Working, Neither are You!
Monday, 1 August, 3:45 - 5:30 pm, Petree Hall D
Beginning Learn what it takes to get a job in the computer graphics field. A top career coach and recruiter reveals the secrets of how to create an irresistible résumé and showcase your talent in a demo reel to get the job you want. Sample résumés and demo reels are included.

23. Taxonomy of Digital Creatures: Interpreting Character Designs as Computer Graphics TechniquesTutorial
Monday, 1 August, 3:45 - 5:30 pm, Room 515A
The process of developing digital creatures from concept to the screen is presented as a series of decision points. The focus is on classifying issues to allow design and performance requirements to drive the techniques employed in execution of the final product.

34. The Invisible Actor
Tuesday, 2 August, 1:45 - 5:30 pm, Room 515 A
An examination of the role of staging and composition in computer-animated films. Using examples from "Madagascar," the course explores the core elements of composition and how they are used to create a visual style.

MAYA 6 and a bare neck

I asked one of the support people at AM what version of MAYA I'd need, and I found out that the version I have (4.5) will not do! So, I need to purchase the student version of 6.5 ASAP!

On another note, I went a head and stuck my neck out and suggested an L.A. Chapter of AM Mentees. We'll see what comes of that. I thought it would be cool to meet the other students, perhaps at least haev contact to share info specific to the L.A. animation scene. We'll see...

Itchin'

Got my student id today and registered. It kind of sucks that I can't actually get into the campus area 'til June 20th. I've been filling the void with the CG Talk thread, just reading through, taking some notes, going to some of the student blogs, getting a better feel for what's to come. I realized this space is probably a much better place for me to keep animation web "favorites" rather than in the browser bookmarks, so I put some of those in the links section. I've been collecting tid bits of info as well, like people have been talking a lot about the Logitech Quickcam 4000, I have a different Quickcam, but we'll see.

All in all, fairly anti climactic first day as a student. At a physical campus, I'd at least get a chance to hang out and get a sense of the atmosphere, the coffee shops, the walking distance between classes. I guess the web version of that experience is the blogs. So I'm sucking it up.

Getting started

Looks like I'm in for it now.

Not 2 months ago, I was wondering what direction my career was going in. I'm currently a Senior Multimedia developer for Raytheon ITSS in Pasadena, CA. When I moved here from Boston, I thought I'd gotten quite the deal, having fenagled a company to actually pay for me and my (at the time) girlfriend to move out here. My plan was to prepare for grad school and then apply to USC's grad program in film. Well, one Marriage, a mortgage and a gorgeous baby girl I wouldn't trade for anything later, and I still hadn't applied, and had, in fact, decided against USC because it was too expensive, and I'd have to quite my job, which was now paying me really well. After having taken some MAYA classes (that I got the company to pay for) at UCLA, I realized UCLA might be a possibility, but their animation program didn't look real stellar to me, given my situation. We were just getting ready to trash the dream and move back to Massachusetts when I saw Animation Mentor.

As far as I'm concerned, this program was a gift from god. Regardless of what comes out of it after I graduate, I'm thankful this opportunity exists and I get a chance to see if this "Animation thing" will really pan out after all. It's been a desire of mine ever since I was a little kid, and is what prompted me to become an artist in the first place.

I'm really excited, and I hope I can prove worthy of this chance.

In that vain, I plan to give you the point of view of a full-time professional multimedia developer with a mortgage and a family and all kinds of "want to", trying to make this dream a reality.