End of Week 2
This week we were kickin butt. We start every day at around 9:30 and continue on to around 6pm, with breaks in between. Travis was teaching me some tips about drafting (draw from the elbow!) and complimentary colors. It seems I’ve missed out on a few things by not attending art school.
Our workstations are lean, mean and… clean!! The clutter has been reduced significantly, which has helped our focus (and will probably set Cecilia at ease). He have some a little furniture, but a couch will help fill everything out.
We spent most of the week building a character and R&Ding new rigging components. I have been spending a little time in Maya and Houdini, as well as drawing little doodle animations in Plastic Animation Paper.
It has been raining like mad the last week and a half. Apparently, the weather in Vancouver hasn’t been much better. I suppose this gives me plenty of time to get some stuff done, though dancing around the living room isn’t the best way to get my exercise. Though, I have to admit that I do love living in a house again.
Working at home has its advantages. There is a lot of stuff to absorb and there was a little bit of push to get this character completed, so we decided to take yesterday off to recharge.
Tomorrow I head to Vancouver for the weekend…
Now if only this weather would let up!!!
Completed First Week
First week of working with Travis is complete. We met our deliveries, despite all the setbacks with all the setting up. Computers. GAH! We have full confidence that the second time around will be 1/3 the time. Learning tons from each other. I have really missed this kind of collaboration.
Speaking of computers…
Sometimes they can have light and simple tools that mimic traditional tools that we find in real life. Plastic Animation Paper is one of those tools. The free version allows you to play around and export little animations. Here’s one of the 4 doodles I’ve done in the program. I enjoyed every second of it… and you can expect to see more.
Plastic Animation Paper – Test 1 from verbal007 on Vimeo.
There is something magical about creating something for the sake of creating. No money or deadlines to steer you. Each step is spontaneous.
Hmm… needs some ninjas.
Dragonlance Chronicles
Donating a copy of the Dragonlance Chronicles to our studio library. In my search for images, I discovered that the first book was made into an animated movie, back in 2007. Can’t believe I hadn’t heard of it.
Venom’s Lab – Blender Training DVD Teaser
Did my bi-yearly check on Blender to see if a simplified customizable interface has been implemented yet. Looks like another open source movie is also in the works. This one’s called Durian… like the funky/stinky pod fruit**? No associate intended, I hope.
Blender has some training DVDs coming that look presented, assuming as much work was put into the DVDs as was put into this trailer. Venom’s Lab – Training DVD Teaser from Pablo Vazquez on Vimeo.
** I’ve had the durian fruit a few times. It STINKS… but tastes amazing.
The Monk and The Fish
A classically animated short created by Michael Dudok De Wit. Simple yet beautiful. Powerful use of the music to tell the story. If you like this short and can handle seeing something a little more simple, Father & Daughter is also worth checking out.
Thanks to Des Duggan for getting me to check this out.
Eric Goldberg – Disney Animator
Eric Goldberg directed 2 shorts in Fantasia 2000. He animated the Genie in Aladdin. He’s currently animating on the upcoming “The Princess and the Frog“. He is also author of the Animation Crash Course. What else? His credit list is huge, look it up.
Although it came out last year, I just listened to Part 2 of Goldberg’s podcast interview. Many animators would say that this stuff is common knowledge, but as a technical 3D guy who doesn’t deal with this kinda stuff on a daily basis, it helps to hear it from someone with such experience. What are some of the bits I’ve learned?
- About how, in 2D, you can capture the feeling before you have to worry about the anatomy. The importance of gestures, again, rears it’s head. Capturing this in 3D is a bit tricky sometimes. Another reason to pick up pencil once in awhile and/or work on a 3D solution to simulate this. ;)
- In regards to FX or secondary animation, in 3D, with everything we get for free, we loose control over key story telling elements. He gives the example of the fur in Monsters Inc. It’s all controlled dynamically, but if it’s dynamic, we cannot use the fur as a tool for enhancing the movement, or even the emotion.
- He notices how rigs are usually animated via the torso first, and how this makes CG walk-cycles feel very floaty and difficult to feel the energy.
- He sometimes approaches his animations from the eyes outwards, drawing the eyes first, then the nose, then the cranium around the eyes. The expression builds the shape.
If you want to hear about Goldberg’s recollection of animating Robin Williams as the Genie, or directing Pocahontas, check out the podcast over at AnimationPodcast.com. I’ll have to go back and listen to Part 1, as I’m sure there’s great stuff there also.
Finally, I have to include a link to a clip from the Magic Lamp Theater @ Disney Sea in Japan. I had the pleasure of working with Teunis de Raat, who worked with Goldberg in order to make this 3D version of the Genie come to life. That must have been one hell of an experience. Maybe I can convince him to divulge some details.
Jibber Jabber @ Popvox
The producers & creators over at Bowes Productions & NWFX have made the first two episodes of Jibber Jabber available online and in their entirety! Not only was it a fun project to work on, the episodes still give me the fuzzies.
Jibber Jabber: “Race to the Red Planet”
Jibber Jabber: “Pride of Frankenstein”
Lego Animations
I really have to find out what the little Lego USB camera playsets are called. What better way to get children creating creative content? Working with physical objects, so you’re not trapped behind a computer. Learning about animation, story telling and communication. Lego sets allow you to make almost anything you can think of.
There’s also Spiderman w/ The Peril of Doc Ock (alt ending).
Or maybe some Indiana Solo?
This entry was inspired by this Swedish Playmobil animation. Thanks Cecilia.
Rigging Wizard – Masaki Togashi
Claus, a very talented and technical animator friend of mine and I were talking of the recent events in the company. We were talking about some key things that can really set most rigs apart from the standard. This includes custom icons (locators) instead of just NURBS curves, or broken hierarchies which make it easier to post character silhouettes to camera.
He told me that his favorite rigger was a Masaki Togashi. I looked him up and apparently he was the sole rigger on Ghost in the Shell 2. I guess the guy really knew his stuff, though other riggers found him difficult to work with. A “my way or the highway” approach. In his defense, I can understand what it’s like what you try and go outside the normal boundaries in order to make innovations. Hope to meet the guy one day.
