Wow I'm Behind!

I haven't posted anything since week 5!  That's crazy!!!  I've been so busy with my assignments I guess I've lost track of time.  So for week 6 we did the pendulum swing to practice the principle of overlapping action.  Below is my shot & the planning.

The Planning

The Animation

For week 7 we combined everything we've learned so far into one assignment, which was Tailor.  It's a ball with a tail so you get timing, spacing, squash, stretch, and overlap all in one assignment.  This was tough!  The tail tends to have a mind of it's own but I learned a TON from this.  Below you will find the planning and the animation.

The Planning

The Animation

Weeks 8 & 9 were the same assignment, the vanilla walk.  Week 8 was spent planning and blocking and week 9 was cleaning up and polishing.  This assignment again combined everything from the previous weeks and is the first time it's more than just an exercise.  You'll find my blocking and final animation below.

The Blocking

The Final Animation

Week 8 we also had the pose for physical strength and week 9 was concern.  Both of these were pretty tough as my mentor didn't allow any props or scenery of any kind so you really had to think outside the box on these.

Physical Strength

Week 9 Concern

We're now on week 10 which is the personality walk.  I've decided to do the sneak/tip toe sneak.  I'll post the blocking once it's critiqued.  Overall, this term has been incredible!  I've learned soooo much.  I'm really looking forward to Class 2 in January!

Class 1 Week 5!

So this week we had anticipation and stretch & squash added to our assignment in addition to the timing and spacing we've already learned.  We were challenged to have a bouncing ball move through an obstacle course.  At first this challenge was pretty tough, but once I got the concept down and decided to work in stepped mode and to block with a combination of pose to pose and straight ahead everything was great!  I first blocked everything in, then I added my breakdowns, and finally added in the moving holds.  When I went to splined I was soooo happy to see that all my hard work in blocking really paid off!  My animation stayed exactly the same!  I didn't have any floating or drifting!  After a couple of days of polishing this is my end result.

The Planning

The Animation

We also had to do a pose to convey the emotion "devastation".  Below is my pose.

Overall, I've learned a TON in just 5 weeks!  I'm soooo excited for what my future holds in animation and I'm sooo thankful for Animation Mentor for giving this opportunity to finally follow my dream!  More to come next week!

Class 1 Week 4!

So Class 1 Week 4 is coming to an end, for me anyways.  I have to work all weekend so I had to have my assignment done today because I won't be able to work on it again before the deadline on Sunday.  I have to admit I had a meltdown this week.  I had put a lot of time into my shot and just couldn't get it to look the way I wanted and the more I tweaked it the worse it got it seemed....so I had to bite the bullet and start over on Thursday and I had to have it done by Friday!  I was feeling sooooo overwhelmed lol.  I took the time to redo my planning and just take my time on it and I think it turned out really well, so much better than my first shot was headed!

Here's my planning

And here the actual animation, it's actually really close to my planning

Animation Mentor has been the best decision ever!  I've made a lot of really great friends with similar interests and have learned sooooo much in a short amount of time, it's crazy!  Next week we get to put the ball in an obstacle course, I can't wait!

Class 1 Week 3!

So week 3 has come and gone and what a jammed packed week it was!  We had our first animation assignment along with the planning and we had to convey the emotion "Excitement" in a single pose....whoooooo, how much fun it was!  Here's what I submitted.

Excitement

My Bouncing Ball planning

and finally the actual animation

Class 1 is finally here!

So Class 1 has finally started!  I've completed the first two weeks out of the 12 week term and have been working on my first assignment the last couple of days.  We were to draw some sketches then pose them out using one of the AM rigs.  Here are the silhouettes from my pose.  I'm going to go with the first one after a couple more minor tweaks.  Next week it's on to animation!

Maya Springboard Progress Reel

With Springboard coming to an end today I compiled all of my shots and assignments into a progress reel for my Class 1 mentor later this month.  It's far from perfect but a lot farther than I was this time last month!

Tweaked Final Springboard Assignment

So based on comments from my peers and my trainer I tweaked my final assignment.  In this tweak I changed the arc of the anticipation at the beginning so One Leg travels back in an arc and not a linear line.  I fixed the translate Z axis arc so that One Leg travels in an arc and not half arc half vertical.  I also added in an overshoot on the landing so he lands, dips down further, then comes to the resting position.

Maya Springboard Final Assignment

So Springboard is coming to an end sadly.  Our final assignment was to animate "One Leg" and to make him do a step.  I made him jump from a higher platform to a lower one.

Maya Springboard Week 9 Basic Animation 5 Redone

So my trainer gave us the go ahead to work on the robot arm but this time without the restriction of 100 frames. He wanted us to just get creative and go with it.  Below is the result.

Maya Springboard Week 9 Basic Animation 5

So this week we had to clean up our blocking of the robot arm animation.  This is what I came up with.

Watch Out! Finished

So I finished Watch Out! today.  It's not perfect but I think it turned out really well for someone totally new to Maya and animation.  Here's the final product.

Watch Out!

So this is my first "short" so to speak. I had a "ball" making it! I call it Watch Out! Red stripe trained hard for the competition! He's not going to lose, or is he?!?

It's far from perfect, but it's made me really comfortable with Maya, the animation principles, lighting, rendering, and the video standardization procedure at AM. Hope you all like it lol.

Principles of Animation Part 2

So I was so into making my ball bounce with a little life in it last night I decided to do it again, but this time he jumps over a wall.

Maya Springboard Progress Reel so far

So we've done a few assignments involving animation and I've done a couple of principle tests on my own.  Here is my progress reel so far.  I rendered these just for the practice before class 1 starts.

Maya Springboard Week 6 Assignment 4 & 5

After today's Q&A I made some minor tweaks to my lighting/rendering.  Here's the results.

In the above image I changed the chair placement to give perspective lines drawing the eyes even more to the ventriloquist on the stage.  I also decreased the height of the table on stage and moved it closer to the performer.

In this image above I moved the child into the scene more and changed the lighting around some more to add a more dramatic effect and give the stage a little more definition.  the curtains were all starting to blend together before.

In the image of the ventriloquist I moved him slightly to the left to get him out of the center of the screen.  I also changed the table as seen in the previous image.  Here you can really see how much better it looks at this height.  You can really see the detail in the glass shader on the cup!

Overall I loved these assignments!  I learned so much in terms of modeling, rigging, shading, lighting, and rendering!  Once I start class 1 in the Fall I really won't have time to work on anything like this so I'm very glad I took Maya Springboard!  The fear of being unable to create sets and props for my characters is gone! Next week we finally get to do some animation!

Maya Springboard Week 6 Assignment 4 & 5

So over the last couple of days I've shaded, lit, and rendered my shots from the set assignment.  Here's the results.  I'm not sure about the long shot of the performer, but it's a start.

Maya Springboard Week 6 Assignment 4 & 5

So this week we're supposed to take our set & characters from the previous two assignments and add shaders & lighting to the shots (mine without either are seen in my previous post).

Well all I can say is that I have a whole new respect for lighters!  This assignment is tough!  Indoor lighting has proven to be 100 times harder than I ever thought it would be.  I originally started by throwing in lights like you would have them in the real world.  Wrong!  After several failed attempts, a major meltdown, and deleting all my lighting I finally achieved something that looks good (at least I think it does).  Thanks to all of the help and support from my friends at the Eager Beavers (yes you Leo!)!

Week 5 Maya Springboard Assignment 3 Part 2

Here's some new shots from my assignment.  After a Q&A tonight I got some good advice and changed some things around.  Here's the results.

Maya Springboard Week 5 Assignment 3

So after we created our character this week to get familiar with the hierarchy we were asked to create a set, import our character into it, and add some cameras.  I tend to go overboard with things (practice makes perfect) so I've created additional characters and some props for the bar (so far).  Below you'll see the shots from various cameras around the set.

Next week is when we officially start adding shading and lights, I started playing around with the lighting already though just to see how it functions.  I love these assignments!

Week 5 Maya Springboard

So this week we learned how to model and create basic characters in Maya.  The purpose behind the assignment was to grasp and understanding of hierarchy's and the relationship between parents & children.  Below is the character I created and the hierarchy associated with it.

First Maya Springboard Assignment

So our first assignment for Maya Springboard is to place basic objects on a premodeled shelf.  The assignment is geared for those that have never worked in 3D space before and allows them to get a feel for the Maya interface.  Below you will see the picture we were to go by and the shelf I uploaded for my assignment.

Picture to copy

My version

It's not a 100% replica, but where's the creative freedom if you make an exact replica of something?!?  Anywho, it was quick, fun, and easy.  Took me about 30 mins to complete.

Second Walk cycle

So today I decided to work on another basic walk cycle but with arms added in this time.  This is the result after my first pass of spline cleaning.

Pre AM Progress Reel

To get used to doing the video standardization for AM I decided to combine all of the stuff I worked on this past week.  Below are the results.  Hard to believe I taught myself all of this stuff in less than a week.

Getting ready for classes! Part 2

So after doing the bouncing ball yesterday I feel I have a pretty good grasp on the concepts and editing the graph.  Today I decided to step it up a notch and I made a basic obstacle course, and I mean basic lol, to play around in.  Here is the first pass results.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/29412741/Bouncing_Ball_Obstacle_v1.avi

I'm a dropbox noob so any suggestions on how to get the video to show up in my post are greatly appreciated.

Getting ready for classes!

 In preparation of classes starting next week I figured I should start hitting Maya heavily again.  Since the majority of class 1 is fundamental stuff I started working on bouncing balls.  Below is the result.

And here is what the graph looks like.

52 Acting Notes for Animators from Ed Hooks

1. Scenes begin in the middle, not the beginning. 
2. A character should be "doing" something 100 percent of the time. 
3. A character enters a scene for a reason, and he exits for a reason. 
4. Thinking tends to lead to conclusions; emotion tends to lead to action. 
5. A gesture need not be an illustration of the spoken word. 
6. Audiences empathize with emotion. The key to good animation 
is in empathy. 
7. Comedy is drama heightened, oxygenated. 
8. An action pursues a longer term objective. (Smile at the girl 
because you want to date her.) 
9. Short term memory causes eyes to glance upward. 1. Scenes begin in the middle, not the beginning.
2. A character should be "doing" something 100 percent of the time.
3. A character enters a scene for a reason, and he exits for a reason.
4. Thinking tends to lead to conclusions; emotion tends to lead to action.
5. A gesture need not be an illustration of the spoken word.
6. Audiences empathize with emotion. The key to good animation
is in empathy.
7. Comedy is drama heightened, oxygenated.
8. An action pursues a longer term objective. (Smile at the girl
because you want to date her.)
9. Short term memory causes eyes to glance upward.
10. Long term memory causes eyes to glance downward, into the soul.
11. The human sense of sight is many times more powerful than the
sense of hearing.
12. Humans act to survive. Find the survival mechanism in your character.
13. Play an action until something happens to make you play a
different one.
14. A scene is a negotiation.
15. "Actors are athletes of the heart" - Artonin Artaud
16. Anxiety is a high or heady power center; confidence is a low
power center.
17. Emotions are automatic value responses.
18. Characters that make steady eye contact for more than a few
seconds are either going to fight or make love.
19. The human smile says, "I won't hurt you."
20. Never underestimate the audience.
21. When you animate, you are saying to the audience, "I
understand this." When the audience applauds, laughs or cries, it is
saying, "I see what you mean."
22. Actors lead; audiences follow.
23. Background characters can be defined with shadow movement - a
jiggling knee, a charcter's mouth moving when he reads the paper,
biting fingernails and so on.
24. "The Iron Giant" is an animation classic. Every animator
should study it, like visiting Mecca.
25. We see things before we hear them; we hear things before we
touch them; we touch things before we smell them; we smell things
before we taste them.
26. A villain is a regular person that has a fatal flaw.
27. A hero is a regular person that has to rise to extreme
heights to overcome an extraordinary obstacle.
28. The "beats" in a scene or script are better perceived as
"beads" in a necklace. One bead leads to the next to the next and so
on. Put the beads together, and you have a story.
29. The purpose of (character) movement is destination.
30. Acting has almost nothing to do with words.
31. Commercials convey almost zero actual information. They are
about emotion.
32. Humans and other animals negotiate status continually.
33. To energize a scene, convert the character's "wants" to "needs."
34. Theatrical reality isn't the same thing as regular reality.
35. Acting is reacting.
36. Animators are not mimes. Mime is a specialized art.
37. A key ingredient of empathy is distance.
38. Old people stoop because their bodies ache.
39. A drunk character tries to counteract the effects of the alcohol.
40. To show that a character is hot, have him try to get cool.
41. To show that a character is cold, have him try to get warm.
42. An "adrenaline" moment is one the character will remember
when he turns eighty and looks back on his life. The best movies
include plenty of adrenaline moments. (Re-read #24)
43. A character analysis is like a character biography.
44. When a character is faced with a choice, be specific. Avoid
ambivalence.
45. Allow your characters to be affected by the atmosphere in a
location, the "feeling" it projects. (A car wreck has an atmosphere;
a church has an atmosphere; a marriage bed has an atmosphere.)
46. Yelling is a weak acting choice.
47. We speak of memory in general terms, but it is referenced in
specific mental images.
48. A character that is listening to another is actually
preparing to speak.
49. The camera tends to follow the character's gaze.
50. A scene should have conflict, otherwise known as an obstacle.
51. Trick for suggesting villainy: tilt head forward; eyes peer
upward, exposing whites in lower portion of eyeball.
52. Character "personality" is actually character "behavior."10. Long term memory causes eyes to glance downward, into the soul. 

I got approved!!!

So last night as I was getting ready to go to dinner I got a call from Sallie Mae.  They're the loan company that I applied to for a loan for Animation Mentor.  I don't usually answer the phone but something told me I HAD to take that call.  So I answered and when the gentleman said he was from Sallie Mae I felt my heart in my throat and my hands getting all sweaty.  He started asking me all these questions about my finances and such and I found myself pacing a path in the carpet.  By the end of the phone call I WAS APPROVED FOR MY LOAN!!!  I can OFFICIALLY be excited as the funding is in place!!!  Everything is falling into place!

Prepped & Ready to Go!

I've watched all of the orientation videos for AM, loaded the AM shelf into Maya, downloaded the ball rig to see if it worked, and have my documentation ready to print.  I'm SO ready for classes to begin!!!  Only thing I need now is a fan by my computer because lord knows I'm going to have my butt glued to the chair for 10+ hours a day, it's bound to get hot in my little nook!

Animation Mentor Orientation has begun!

So those of us waiting to start the Maya Springboard and Class 1 this summer were given access to the AM Orientation this week!  There is sooooo much information to read and retain it's insane!  I must say though, AM has done a great job making the orientation very streamlined and accessible, great job you all!  I really love how things just keep popping up in it for us to do/view!  I can't wait for classes to begin!!!

-C-

CTN Expo 2011 Update

I reserved my hotel room tonight for CTN Expo!  Come on November 17!  I submitted my vacation request at work as well.  I cannot wait to be totally absorbed in the world of animation this Fall.  I can't wait to move to California and be able to hang out with people that share my passion!

CTN Expo 2011

So I just registered for the CTN Animation Expo 2011!  It takes place in November in Burbank, CA.  It's going to be AWESOME to meet my Animation Mentor buddies in person and to hang out with industry people all weekend.  I can't wait!

-C-

Orientation Begins on Monday!

So today I found out that my orientation for Animation Mentor begins on Monday!  It's going to last for three weeks and will have lots of videos and tutorials to watch.  To think that I'll have more animation goodies to look at next week makes me go squeeeee inside!  Only three weeks until the first day of the Summer semester!
-C-

The Journey Begins

In one month I will finally begin my journey to become a professional animator.  This has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, however, I wasn't able to go for it right out of high school.  I've been working as an ICU RN to support myself so that I can work towards my goal....to work for Pixar!!!  On June, 27, I start at Animation Mentor!  I cannot even begin to express how excited I am!!!  Over the coming months I hope to share my journey with everyone.  Wish me luck!

Charlie