Animation skills are very useful in multiple careers. All media requires talented and creative minds with animation skills to help realise a vision/concept.
Some examples of companies in different genres of media are:
Games
Odd games
6 foot kid/Halfbrick
Serious games and simulation
Holopoint/Rheinmetall
Effects
Rising Sun Pictures
Emergen
Resin
Kojo
Animation
Monkeystack
Vishus
A bit more on certain workplaces:
Rising Sun Pictures
A company that specialises in visual effects in film. Their work includes Harry Potter, X-men, and The Hunger Games.
· Work predominantly with visual effects
· Work on extremely high profile movies
· Have won numerous awards and were nominated for an Oscar
MonkeyStack
An animation company that works mainly with advertisements, and also works on animated TV shows, games, and concept art.
· Work on both 2D and 3D animation
· Get mostly advertisement work
· Also work on animated shows and games
· Showreel
ANIFEX
Another leading animation company that focus on stop-motion animation. They do a lot of advertisement work and have a lot of well known characters from TV advertisements.
· Work mainly with stop motion animation
· Get a lot of advertisement work but also create short and feature films
· Have won numerous awards
Other Australian companies include
Halfbrick Studios
· Game Developer
· Based in Brisbane
· Created the mobile game Fruit Ninja in 2011, which had accumulated 300 million downloads by 2013
Vishus
· Animation company
· Based in Adelaide
· Created the children's television show Figaro Pho
Tuesday 1 December 2015
Monday 23 November 2015
My Future/Career
At this current moment in time, I work a casual position in Hospitality and my spare time consists of art. I am a digital artist and have been working under an artistic persona for 3 years. It's an unofficial second job at times and my main hobby too. I am always looking to further myself creatively which is why I undertook this Cert III in Media. Learning animation and how to make it work was appealing to me, especially the 2D animation as it lined up with what I already do, drawing in a two dimensional space.
What I like about this course:
- 2D animation projects
- Character design/concepts
What I dislike/not very interested in:
- 3D animation, not really my thing but good to know how it works.
My strengths are definitely in 2D animation as I came into this course with drawing skills and experience with character design.
A weakness is 3D. Something I had never touched and also was introduced in the course at a very busy time in life outside of the course, which has affected my progress.
Possible pathways to take after this course:
- CDW Studios, the most likely choice as they offer what I am interested in through multiple courses.
- Taking this information and skills I have learnt and using them for personal projects.
Methods of "breaking in" to the career:
- Conventions, showing off talent to other talented minds or meeting and discussing with them.
- Indie projects with peers
- Youtube, Vimeo and other online sources to share projects/work
- Seminars, meetings and networkings
What I like about this course:
- 2D animation projects
- Character design/concepts
What I dislike/not very interested in:
- 3D animation, not really my thing but good to know how it works.
My strengths are definitely in 2D animation as I came into this course with drawing skills and experience with character design.
A weakness is 3D. Something I had never touched and also was introduced in the course at a very busy time in life outside of the course, which has affected my progress.
Possible pathways to take after this course:
- CDW Studios, the most likely choice as they offer what I am interested in through multiple courses.
- Taking this information and skills I have learnt and using them for personal projects.
Methods of "breaking in" to the career:
- Conventions, showing off talent to other talented minds or meeting and discussing with them.
- Indie projects with peers
- Youtube, Vimeo and other online sources to share projects/work
- Seminars, meetings and networkings
New Ways and Means
In today's technological society, new ways of creating and producing are appearing all the time.
Websites providing paid & free resources, applications that can take your work and improve it through cloud powered technology, and multiple media websites providing an outlet for creative minds to share with others.
Video games, movies, television & multiple other sources of media and entertainment are growing larger everyday, with a mixture of older experienced veterans of the career mixed with younger generations and new people bringing in their new ideas and methods to pave the way for new and exciting ways to create.
Free software is always available through the internet as a way to give anyone a chance to seek resources and help for what they are doing.
Blender , Gimp, 3Dsweep
Lightworks are some examples of these.
Cloud based software is the next big thing and it's efficient and useful. Video game brands such as Xbox, powers itself through Microsoft's amazing software capabilities and their use of the Cloud. While they are in early stages of using the Cloud to their advantage, they are coming closer to realizing it's potential with every game they release that is able to use it's power.
Some examples of cloud based resource software is
Mixamo,
p3d, Kwiksher, 123Dcatch & puzzlescript.org
Resources are also available on the web as free or paid services. Websites that provide what someone may be looking for at a potential cost. Turbosquid, for example can provide a wealth of 3D resources, but the quality of that resource determines it's price. A fully rigged model from a movie can be upwards of $100 while a basic model of something similar that isn't rigged or of high quality may be less than $10 or even free. These resources cater to a varied audience.
In this age of sharing and creating media, multiple websites have provided a way for people to share their creations with the world, for free. If particular content creators become quite popular, they can even end up becoming paid by the company for their works and for them to keep on creating. Youtube is such a website that embraces this model. Vimeo is another recognizable name.
Another new technology is the tablet. Wacom is a huge brand in particular and one I take advantage of. I own 3 Wacom tablets through upgrading to the next model over time.
Websites providing paid & free resources, applications that can take your work and improve it through cloud powered technology, and multiple media websites providing an outlet for creative minds to share with others.
Video games, movies, television & multiple other sources of media and entertainment are growing larger everyday, with a mixture of older experienced veterans of the career mixed with younger generations and new people bringing in their new ideas and methods to pave the way for new and exciting ways to create.
Free software is always available through the internet as a way to give anyone a chance to seek resources and help for what they are doing.
Blender , Gimp, 3Dsweep
Lightworks are some examples of these.
Cloud based software is the next big thing and it's efficient and useful. Video game brands such as Xbox, powers itself through Microsoft's amazing software capabilities and their use of the Cloud. While they are in early stages of using the Cloud to their advantage, they are coming closer to realizing it's potential with every game they release that is able to use it's power.
Some examples of cloud based resource software is
Mixamo,
p3d, Kwiksher, 123Dcatch & puzzlescript.org
Resources are also available on the web as free or paid services. Websites that provide what someone may be looking for at a potential cost. Turbosquid, for example can provide a wealth of 3D resources, but the quality of that resource determines it's price. A fully rigged model from a movie can be upwards of $100 while a basic model of something similar that isn't rigged or of high quality may be less than $10 or even free. These resources cater to a varied audience.
In this age of sharing and creating media, multiple websites have provided a way for people to share their creations with the world, for free. If particular content creators become quite popular, they can even end up becoming paid by the company for their works and for them to keep on creating. Youtube is such a website that embraces this model. Vimeo is another recognizable name.
Another new technology is the tablet. Wacom is a huge brand in particular and one I take advantage of. I own 3 Wacom tablets through upgrading to the next model over time.
3D Project II
Our second 3D project was a little more difficult as we modelled the head, hands and feet ourselves and attached them to a premade body. We went through many steps to make the body work with the additional parts and then begun animating.
We first modelled a head out of clay as a reference, and then built the head in 3DS Max to then use as our characters head.
I was pushed for time during this project in my personal life and it impacted on this final project quite heavily. I was eventually able to complete the project and add sound.
The purpose of this project was to put the character in an awkward situation and have a surprise happen to him afterwards. This is what I ended up with.
3D Project
Our first 3D project focused on a strong emotion change which could be easily portrayed visually.
I went with a character who almost knocks over an expensive vase which causes initial shock, but to his quick relief he is happy to know it didnt fall.
We used a pre rigged puppet for this project as the main focus was the animation itself, and having a pre made body/face really helped.
Monkeystack, and 2D Project II
Our second 2D project was overseen by Troy, one of the owners of Monkeystack. He visited us and spoke about his company and what they do and how it works.
We were given a brief and discussed ideas with Troy before moving forward with the project. It was about expressing emotion from one to the other eg. happiness to sadness and vice versa.
My idea was set in a post apocalyptic setting, where humanity's ideas on valuables had changed drastically. I had a boy, scavenging in a pile of rubble who emerges with a shiny ring, which he chucks away without any second thought. He does this to illustrate the change in society and how this boy has been raised to take interest in what he can survive on, a ring that was once considered valuable now no longer has value. He emerges from the rubble once more, finding fresh water to which cues his celebration and spark of happiness.
We were given a brief and discussed ideas with Troy before moving forward with the project. It was about expressing emotion from one to the other eg. happiness to sadness and vice versa.
My idea was set in a post apocalyptic setting, where humanity's ideas on valuables had changed drastically. I had a boy, scavenging in a pile of rubble who emerges with a shiny ring, which he chucks away without any second thought. He does this to illustrate the change in society and how this boy has been raised to take interest in what he can survive on, a ring that was once considered valuable now no longer has value. He emerges from the rubble once more, finding fresh water to which cues his celebration and spark of happiness.
Monday 6 April 2015
Creativity
There are a number of things that can get in the way of creativity. Most of the time the left side of the brain will try to override the right sides creative thinking with things like:
First Idea Headset: Falling in love with the first idea you come up with, neglecting other ideas that come after.
Pre-Judgement: Judging ideas before they are even created.
Social Anxiety: Being too anxious that you will be judged on your ideas, causing you to hold back.
Habit: Staying in your comfort zone which can prevent you from furthering your creativity.
Lack of Time: Running out of time and therefore rushing the work.
Fear: Being scared of your ideas not being good enough.
Workplace Pressures: Being pressured to do what you do not want to do or not do it in your own way.
Tensions: Other stresses in life that can put up roadblocks in creative thinking.
Lack of Exercise: Too little exercise/sleep results in poor creative thinking.
The left brain tends to be a distraction for creativity. It requires training and focus to be able to strike a balance and also utilise the creative power of the right side of the brain.
First Idea Headset: Falling in love with the first idea you come up with, neglecting other ideas that come after.
Pre-Judgement: Judging ideas before they are even created.
Social Anxiety: Being too anxious that you will be judged on your ideas, causing you to hold back.
Habit: Staying in your comfort zone which can prevent you from furthering your creativity.
Lack of Time: Running out of time and therefore rushing the work.
Fear: Being scared of your ideas not being good enough.
Workplace Pressures: Being pressured to do what you do not want to do or not do it in your own way.
Tensions: Other stresses in life that can put up roadblocks in creative thinking.
Lack of Exercise: Too little exercise/sleep results in poor creative thinking.
The left brain tends to be a distraction for creativity. It requires training and focus to be able to strike a balance and also utilise the creative power of the right side of the brain.
Friday 3 April 2015
2D Project
Now for something bigger. Dave gathered everyone round and handed out a design brief for us to look over. This was a basic look at what a job with a client would be like. Our objective was to design a small, non threatening and visually appealing robot character for a side scrolling game. We were instructed to find a collection of inspiration images and then draw up multiple sketches and have 3 of our best chosen by the project lead. We would then refine these drawing and choose a final character design.
Example of inspiration images:
My own sketches:
Chosen Three:
Chosen draft character actions and coloured character:
Final animation of character:
Wednesday 25 March 2015
Cel Animation
Week 4: In this week we had an experienced animator come in to tell his story and teach traditional Cel Animation. We were to again draw from life and copy what we saw from children's toys before drawing our own character and doing little sketches of expressions and getting to know the character.
After that we were tasked to draw a series of images over a lightbox to then take photos of and string together into an animation, I animated the example of a walk cycle.
Week 5: I then went on and animated one of my older drawings, one which I had always wanted to animate.
I added a lot of new frames in to compensate as originally they were 4 serperate drawings so I had to draw more to fill in the gaps.
After that we were tasked to draw a series of images over a lightbox to then take photos of and string together into an animation, I animated the example of a walk cycle.
Week 5: I then went on and animated one of my older drawings, one which I had always wanted to animate.
I added a lot of new frames in to compensate as originally they were 4 serperate drawings so I had to draw more to fill in the gaps.
Character Design
After we had a practice with drawing upside down, we then moved on to creating our very own characters to then animating it to do a basic walk cycle.
My first design was scrapped as it may have been too much of a challenge and too time consuming to animate my character walking on a moving earth.
My second character was a simple one that would be much easier to animate with basic limbs. It was also a good choice to cut the two legs in half so they could be animated quite realistically with proper leg movements.
Animation:
My first design was scrapped as it may have been too much of a challenge and too time consuming to animate my character walking on a moving earth.
Animation:
Wednesday 18 March 2015
Upside Down Drawings
As part of our continued drawing sessions, Rob opened a series of images on his computer through the projector that the class then observed and tried to draw, except with a challenge. To draw upside down.
Here are the 3 that I did.
Burns was the first and most successful of the three, as it was a more detailed imageto begin with.
Here are the 3 that I did.
Burns was the first and most successful of the three, as it was a more detailed imageto begin with.
Monday 9 March 2015
Elements of Design
Isometric
After perspective drawing I was introduced to Isometric drawing which I was already interested in doing as I had seen some work before and was excited to learn how to make it work.
Isometric art can be used in gaming and as an artform, both of which interest me. I designed a sort of Church/Tower building which could be a building for an isometric "Age of Empires" type game.
Isometric art can be used in gaming and as an artform, both of which interest me. I designed a sort of Church/Tower building which could be a building for an isometric "Age of Empires" type game.
 |
| With Grid Lines |
 |
| Without grid, cleaner look |
Perspective
Another lesson brought something new to the table, this time drawing in Illustrator not on paper.
Perspective was the tool I was taught to use this lesson, including 1, 2 and 3 point perspective.
Here are a few examples.
Out of these practice drawings, I found that I particularly enjoy 1 and 2 point perspective more.
Perspective was the tool I was taught to use this lesson, including 1, 2 and 3 point perspective.
Here are a few examples.
Out of these practice drawings, I found that I particularly enjoy 1 and 2 point perspective more.
Drawing from life
In this lesson we began to draw while observing real objects, using our eyes more so than our memory of what we think we saw. I am happy with how most of these turned out and picked my top 3 to show.
Monday 2 March 2015
Lawn Bowl Puppet
Our second task in this lesson was to use a pre-made puppet and animate it to mimic the action of bowling a ball. We were looking at getting basic positioning and movement for the puppet.
Monday 23 February 2015
Creating an orignal character for After Effects
I created a bearded character with a basic frame for a body and a base with wheels. I did this so I could just start learning some basic movements with the head, arms and base. I was introduced to the puppet pin tool as a way to make lines move as I want them too, which made me able to make the arms wavy.
In this gif pictured you can see multiple actions my character is doing. The left and right movement, the head moving up and down and the arms waving about.
Wednesday 18 February 2015
Creating a bouncing ball in After Effects
In our first lesson with After Effects, we were taught how to simulate the effect of a bouncing ball.
The gif featured is a final animation of the bouncing ball, using the "Squash and Stretch" technique was very helpful to provide the convincing effect of the ball hitting the ground. We were also taught the "Easy Ease" which softens the movement of an object.
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