Advanced Acting... It Has Begun...

So my new class is Advanced acting with Mark Pullyblank.  I haven't met him yet (my class is from 12AM-1AM on Thursday morning... UGH!) but he seems like a cool guy in his profile.  He has worked at Rainmaker Digital, Frantic Films, Weta and is currently at Sony Imageworks in Vancouver.  Cool!  He has some cool stuff on his blog, which I'll link here as well as on my sidebar.  Definitely check him out!

http://pullyblank.blogspot.com/

So I'm ready to tackle my assignment this week, even though I'm not thrilled with the result from last class.  I'll be blocking out the mouth shapes this week and I'll post it either this weekend or after my eCritique.  I'm actually excited to add this step and I'll make sure I fill you guys in on what I learned or other "stuff" that's come up!

Off to watch my 2 hour class!!!  WOO HOO!

Back in to the mix...

It was almost 6 months ago that I took a leave of absence from Animation Mentor.  I admit that I was burnt out and needed a break, but more importantly, my wife and I were proud parents for the second time.  Keegan was born in January and life hasn't been the same since (not to mention super crazy with two kids needing attention!).  Now that he's over 2 months old, it's time I got back to finish AM.

Monday I hit the ground running, whether I'm "in shape" or not!  I'm sure it'll be a struggle to get back in to it the first week or so, but I know it will all turn out for the best.  Only two classes to go!  :D

So, I decided, as much as I'm not perfectly happy with Class 4's work, it needs to be posted to this blog.  I'll have it up within the next day or so because, after tomorrow, the posts will be 100% devoted to the future!  I've also decided to add a little extra to my posts since I've noticed a lot of traffic from all over the world, mostly students looking for AM reference.  I was there too and I wished people would have posted not only what they completed, but any ideas, breakthroughs or insight on their projects.  I'll do my best to give as much info as I can without breaking the AM rules.  Also, feel free to post comments or questions and I'll be more than happy to help with anyone's work.  I love to critique, help out and can even make it a point to visit your AM page.

Thanks for reading!  See you guys in a few days with some more great animation!  :D

- boywundr

SIGGRAPH 2010 - It's no NAB!

SIGGRAPH is an annual conference held in Los Angeles for computer graphics and things related to computers and that industry. SIGGRAPH stands for Special Interest Group on GRAPHics and Interactive Techniques. It's something I've heard about for years, investigated things via the net during or after it happens and only dreamed of going to. Is it nerdy? Yes. Is it my cup of tea, mooooost definitely.

So, about 3 months ago I applied to be a student volunteer (through Animation Mentor) for SIGGRAPH 2010. I found out on Monday that I was accepted and I will be out there from July 24th to the 29th. Basically it involves me working for 30 hours over the course of 5 days with people who work in the animation, effects and motion graphics business. My payment is friendship, connections and a free pass to the exhibit and everything that's being displayed for when I'm not "working". It sounds absolutely awful.... but I guess I'll go. Hehehe.

I don't have a lot of info yet, like my schedule, free time, what I'm doing or whatever, but I do know I'm going! I'll keep this blog up to date about my trip and when I'm out there. No, really, I will. I swear, better than my assignment updates... maybe. :D

Stewie Soccer Throw In - Polish

So here's the final pass I handed in. The arms are "hitchy" to say the least. I talked a few things out with Marlon, both in the Q&A as well as letting him know when I turned the assignment in, and he gave me some great advice. Another cool thing was the video lecture this week actually talked about a few things the AM rig has to counter act my issues. I plan on redoing the arms for this animation in the next few weeks, so expect an update!

Overall, I'm not satisfied with this one, mostly because I didn't give myself enough time to finish it. It's something I do not plan on doing again! Animation-wise, if I hide the arms, I really like it and think it has some potential. I'd like to work on some of the easing, maybe speed up the throw and also do something with the end of the throw in where his arms extend (offset them so they don't hit at the same time, etc).

Final... for now.

Until next time... and let's hope that isn't another 3 weeks!

Blocking Plus -Soccer Throw-In

Man, I have been slacking when it comes to posts. I can't even make my once a week! **sigh** Sorry to all 4 people who read this blog! Anyway, here's my blocking for the soccer throw in, part of my AnimJam for class 3. I've received very little in the way of critique about this, in a good way. Marlon really dug it and thought it was going to be a really strong animation. I like it myself, but I noticed a serious issue with the arm controls and how Maya is handling the animation (you'll see it in my polished phase, and I think I learned a way to combat it for further assignments!). Anyway, without further ado!

Stewie the All-Star Soccer Guy

Oh yeah, and I left my reference video on the end of this one. Marlon asks us to submit it every weeks tacked on after our animation so he can show us where we may have strayed, issues to work around, etc. I seriously think not shooting reference was one of my biggest issues before AM. I would just wing it and, well, we see where that got me!

No Rioting, Please...

It's the start of another session at AM, and this time my class is in Advanced Body Mechanics. My mentor is Marlon Nowe, who has worked at Blur studios, Rhythm and Hues, and is currently animating at Disney Animation Studios (animator on Rapunzel/Tangled). He's a really cool guy and I can tell already, he expects a lot out of his class. This is a really good thing! It's going to be a tough semester, but I think I can hang!

The first spin of the semester! We weren't given a pick list this time (list of 10 or so animations to choose from), but rather expected to come up with our own ideas. We also had to decide if we wanted to do an "Anim Exercise" (3 totally different animations/themes) or an "Anim Jam" (3 animations with the same theme, but not a short). I went with Anim Jam, and more specifically 3 soccer related animations. I thought I could get some subtle stuff in there as well as some really big actions so I could practice (or learn!) the whole gamut of a realistic style. So, here's the blocking for my first shot - a traditional soccer throw in.

"Only Americans would call a game you play with your hands football..."

So far I think it's working well. Marlon had a few things to comment about my silhouettes (i.e. - the ball and head were visually "touching" in one pose and it needed some negative space) but overall, he was pretty positive. I felt good about it especially since I didn't feel like I spent enough time on it before I had to rush and turn it in. I need to be a bit more stringent with my time, but if you know me, you know I'm a procrastinator! Hehe. Anyway, I'm off to Blocking Plus this week so it will have a lot more breakdowns and probably hit spline mode before I turn it in. Here's hoping for no red cards....

Final Assignment - Finished.... for now.

So, I made it through another class. I'm really stoked about the progress I've made and I can directly attribute that to my mentor, Steve Cady. The dude is just plain awesome. He nitpicked the little stuff, but that's what makes or breaks a great piece (in my opinion). He gave me great suggestions, his classes were seriously informative (using students pieces to show how he would do things, etc) and he was just a really nice guy. OK, enough butt kissing... ANIMATION TIME!

Here's what I handed in for my final assignment. I really like it, but there are a few things I want to go back and polish or just straighten out. Overall, I feel that I really got a better grasp on overlapping actions, smoothing some motions out, etc. Plus, I survived the dreaded Gimbal Lock and walked away, alive!

Stewie, man of few words and many actions.