3DA2

Burn List

​Animator

• Work with modelers and layout artist.
• Manipulate the existing characters in a digital environment.
• Hand key movements as well changing numeric values to control joints.
• Match animated action to script and audio provided.
• Work well with production Directors.
• Revised, and refined to a perfect fluidity of motions.
• Animate with reference sources to simulate life.

Skills & Education

• A solid foundation in traditional art.
• A college degree in computer animation.
• Education in anatomy.
• Thinks conceptually.
• Works patiently.
• Years of preproduction experience as a story artist.

What to Expect

• Entry-level work as a junior or assistant animator.
• Work with a mentor.
• Short deadlines.
• Lots of paperwork.
• Expect nothing and let your work speak for you.
• Competitive environments.
• Work Hard.
• Document everything.
• Never miss a deadline.

3-D Animation

After taking 3-D Animation I'm 99.99% sure this is what I want to do but there is a 1% chance that I might like rigging better, however, that remains to be seen because that's a few months down the line.

3-D Arts

Creating 2D Animation with FlipBook

Recently I was able to create my first 2D Animations using FlipBook and I think It's probably the easiest app we will ever use. The first time I used Flipbook I admit there were some glitches but it's still not clear if the application was actually faulty or if it was a server related issue. There are probably other apps to use for creating 2D animations that are much better, or worst, but I can only vouch for this app because it's the only one that I've used so far. I love 2D animation, In a perfect world, I would wake up every morning to create 2D animations to get my ideas across to a broad audience. Shooting each frame is a breeze and it's just a matter of timing after that. 

I made good use of the space bar when capturing images because it sped things up and is a lot more convenient than using the mouse. My hands were free to remove the last picture taken and replace it with the next frame. I would lose track of time ( experience flow ) when capturing the images and was usually pleasantly surprised to see the pile of paper that looked like a mountain a few minutes ago were all photographed. All I had to think about was saving, exporting and making sure I used the correct naming convention.

                            

I didn't realize until recently how much I love 2D animated movies. There is something magical about it, It's a feeling, like the satisfaction of how it made me feel to create one. 

I've wanted do animations since the first time I saw He-Man, Gi-Joes, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones, Jetsons, and Captain Caveman, the list goes on and on. 

After high school, I'de shifted my focus from American 2D animation and was only interested, primarily, in Anime movies when I'm in the mood to see a 2D animated film. Maybe it's because they have successfully integrated computer animation on their 2D animated movies instead of abandoning 2D animation all together. To be fair so has the American cartooning industry but the style of anime storytelling is still a bit different and more appealing. 

I remember being amazed the first time I saw Akira or Ghost in the shell,  Fist of the North Star, and Ninja Scroll, It's always been a fantasy of mine to be a part of a 2D animated project of that caliber from  concept to creation one of these days.

                            

I Hope I haven't given anyone who hasn't taken 2D Animation the wrong impression. Just because FlipBook is pretty much a no-brainer, don't underestimate the level of difficulty you will encounter if you can't draw fast, or pay attention to detail. I recall finishing assignments, getting a critique, and starting the entire object over from scratch right around or after the lunch break, coming back and completing the assignment by the end of the day. I hope 2D animation comes back in style at some point in the future because this is something that I would like to do forever.

2D Animation

 What I know about modeling...

What I know about modeling is that it’s a very technical, and very creative line of work. It is possible to achieve a good workflow once a clear understanding of the software is established. Initially, learning how to model using Maya was an extremely challenging experience. It was unbearable not knowing what to do early on, but like the instructor said, “it will get easier” and it has, however, it will take lots of practice to achieve professional level modeling skills. Modeling is like drawing from life. You have your reference and you just have to train yourself to model what you see, not what you think you see. Understanding how things operate, and knowing their components is a huge part of it. Modeling is an exercise in utilizing artistry and, logic with a keen eye for detail, and never forget the fundamental laws of what makes a scene look good. The same rules that are applied to photography or paintings can also help to create a great 3d model.  At the end

of the day, it is art so it should appeal to your eyes and your soul at the same time. There is a lot that I don’t know about modeling but I'm still learning and there isn't anything on or off earth I can't get better at if I try hard enough and practice long enough. This accelerated program will supply me with ample opportunities for that.

This is how I think the fine arts competencies relate to modeling.

The fine art competencies relate to modeling in more ways than I had ever expected. For instance, the metal and glass shapes not only showed me about geometry, there were lessons about transparency, and lighting that even up to today were not obvious to me until I revisited these assignments.  Drawing animals and human anatomy taught me about texture and organic lines. Other assignments like the pipeline and the still life taught me a lot about how geometric shapes work together to form recognizable objects when doing block outs in Maya. The list goes on and we are only just scratching the surface.

I still have these questions...

How do I incorporate what I’m learning now in 2D Animation that I can apply to my upcoming 3D Animation classes? How can I achieve the same workflow that while modeling that I experience while drawing character designs? How can I make a 3D character as believable as one drawn by hand? The are a thousand different things that I need to know and hopefully, I will ask the right person the right questions to get the answers that I need.