Funny Little Thing

Sorry, no picture today but I thought I would just express something I sorta noticed just now. I recall teachers reciting the page from Richard William's Animators Survival Guide about how you should not work with music. For a while now I respectfully disagreed with this. I myself prefer silence when traditionally animating but I understand how some people feel more comfortable with it playing. I can attest to the fact that when you are not comfortable where you are sitting, then you will not produce good work.

I still feel this way, but have come to better understand why. Recently I have been working in 3D Maya doing animation, and like traditional I worked with no music. But I am finding more and more that the silence of working in that medium is so distracting to me. I find I have been producing better with music playing.

I think the reason for this is the kind of work flow involved and how my mind works. When traditionally animating, you need to think about every element all at once, the flow, the movement, volume, rhythm, proportion, acting, all that stuff, and its a tangible medium...you actively push and pull with your hand to create movement. In a computer its not like that at all, even if you were to use a stylus. I cant just 'draw' the spine the way I want it...i have to poke and push it where I want, piece by piece, and this forces me to think of one thing at a time, consider things slower but more accurately. Because my brain doesn't have a billion things going I have all this room to fill, and the emptiness can be unsettling.

Perhaps you should think of how your brain is working, maybe you can find your comfortable middle ground.

New to View

Just an update post. I started my co-op at Guru studio and it is going well. I am really enjoying it there, though I am just a bit on the stressed side. Prior to this I have only ever been in entry level jobs, where on several occasions I have been fired because I either looked at the boss the wrong way, or I asked too many questions. So I am really hesitant and nervous about doing ANYTHING that could be taken badly. I never know what to say, and I really don't wanna bother people too often for help, especially my supervisor. They are all really great people, people who if I met in school I would prolly get along with no problem. But out here I am just too intimidated to look them in the eye. That is slowly changing and I am getting more comfortable. The place is pretty lax as a whole, and a really nice space to work in. Its nicely lit and comfortable to be.

I also moved in with my new room mate. Hes a pal from school who with wicked computer sense as well as artistic ability. The place is so nice to live in, it is so nice to be living somewhere where there is a room to go to that is not the bathroom or my own room. A nice big living room and kitchen to stretch my legs so to speak. Get out of the studio space and really unwind. Only downfall is its above a restaurant that features live music a lot, and often goes till 2am with nice big base. Even so its still a great deal.

Here is a simple pic to tied me over. Just a doodle I did for a friend.

Finishing up the Year

It's that time again, and man I am really tired. Lot of late nights and stressful days. People are my enemy right now.

On the plus side, I managed to score an internship with Guru Studios (http://www.gurustudio.com/) for my co-op. I am super excited to be working with them, and with a short rest and a brain dump of school memories I am really excited. I will be working with animation, working on some of their TV show projects from what I understand. I will be living in Toronto during the time too. I got a really nice place with a friend of mine working over at Bit Casters. Its looking to be a really nice summer right now. If only school would just DIE ALREADY!

Here's just a manic character I whipped out in the past week. I rather like him. He looks the way I feel when people look at me funny.

Back with Vengence

Finally back from my hiatus and busy as can be. School is keeping me very preoccupied with a group film in the works and co-op portfolios looming over us, as well as other projects that constantly keep us on our toes. I have come to realize in the last little while that I am really not interested in being a traditional animator for a career. I love it, I can do it well, but I would go crazy if I did it all the time, especially all the stuff that comes with it, like clean-up and in-betweening. And that is all right, cause I always wanted to be on the planning end of things anyhow. Alternatively I really enjoy 3D animation, modelling, and even rigging is very zen for me. And I haven't stopped loving character design and other facets of design as well. As such these are my general goals for my co-op placement, probably leaning more in the 3D direction.

With that, here are some pieces I put together with my portfolio in mind.

This is just a model sheet I finally made up for my signature character.

Our 3rd year group film is about one kid fighting a whole team of water gun kids, who are all sorta into the game in their own sorta way. Cowboy, femme fatale, sniper, scout, etc. Not all the designs are mine but I interpreted them here and cleaned them up.

Finally for our 4th year film, we have to start coming up with ideas and images to pitch with now, so I came up with this kid inspired by a lot of Calvin & Hobbes as well as Herobear. In the film he sneaks downstairs to watch some 'late night programming' while his parents are asleep, but accidentally unleashes and terrible alien creature into his living room through the satellite signal. Probably see more about this later.