Reboots and Crashes

• Learned

 I guess I learned a little bit from the tutorial packets that we got on Friday. I really don't like the Kolshov effect and I don't really see what it's supposed to do, but heck, it's a learning experience all the same.

• Want to learn

 I want to learn the different camera angles involved in a fight scene. That's the editing tutorial I'm most looking forward to and I'm a little worried that I'll mess it up somehow.

• Frustrated you

 General directionless angst. Nothing I can't manage in my own time.

• Made you happy

 I'm finally gathering some cosplay materials for my upcoming costume in July. My leggings and gloves came in the mail and I got a cute skirt and some shirts. It's really coming along and I couldn't be happier.

Also, I got to see Emily's musical with my mother. We both enjoyed the hell out of it and I'm really glad I got the chance to go! I kept the program too.

https://youtu.be/v_2aDok_CcQ

• Kids Next Door reboot!! An animatic was released in addition to a bunch of other content on the subject. I was really interested when I saw the animatic and I'm super excited to see this become an actual thing. Kids Next Door was a piece of my childhood and I can't wait to see how it's going to be handled now. Hopefully it will be handled with more care than Teen Titans: GO (which I absolutely despise)

Strength to Adapt

In an article by Janet Blatter, she made some observations about the phrase, "Play to your strengths." First, she asks a series of rhetorical questions about just where/what "strength" might be. Next, she wonders rather animators can really afford to make decisions based on their egos. No matter what, an animator is going to have to face change and make improvise and learn new techniques. Animation is not a static job. Everything will change and new skills will have to be learned. If anything, an animator's strong point should lie in self-efficiency.

The article made a lot of sense and provides something to really think about.
I learned the true extent of how dynamic the animation field is.
I agree that the phrase "play to your strengths" is a bad term because of how ambiguous and destructive the phrase can be.
It's important for us all to understand that we can't rely on one singular, unchanging method of doing things. In the animation field, if you can't adapt, you're not going to go too far.

Filming with Drones

Drones are one of the newest filmmaking innovations that has yet to be fully discovered by directors. They provide great varied arial shots that were previously either expensive or impossible. In addition, they are not difficult to control (after a bit of practice of course) and are considerably less expensive than the alternatives (helicopter rides and cranes). And now that the FAA is creating some exemptions for cinema drones, this sounds like a pretty sweet opportunity. Unfortunately, no new technique is perfect. In addition to learning to fly the drone, image quality and stabilization are also a challenge. Also, the battery life of these drones are often very short and doesn't allow for long shoots. Still, if a filmmaker is willing to face these hurdles and learn, "the future of 'drone shots' is wide open."

I think that this was an interesting article. I had never thought about drones being used for this kind of work and it really is a good idea that more filmmakers should be looking into.
I learned that the drones could possibly be used in the future of cinematography.
How can a drone lift quality camera equipment? It seems like smaller, more light weight cameras are of poorer quality than the big bulky cameras.
This could be the future of aerial cinematography. It is something that filmmakers should definitely take into consideration.

Daily Doldrums

• Learned

Another week that wasn't too knowledge-filled. I pretty much applied my knowledge rather than gained new knowledge.

Though perhaps practicing audio syncing with video could count as 'learning.'

• Want to learn

How to perfectly sync up audio to video (assuming they were captured using different methods like I did with the sound recorder).

• Frustrated you

 Getting interviews is tough and I felt a bit like a bother to all the people that I asked. Even though my interviews took less than 5 minutes each, I couldn't help but feel like an inconvenience.

Also, while I'm getting my work done at a reasonable time, I also find that the work isn't as fun because I didn't get to try anything new. For example, getting my green screen work done was a b*tch, but I had fun doing it because it was something I never got to do before and when it did work, it looked hella cool.

• Made you happy

I'm getting something done on time and with little stress. I'm unused to this feeling. I swear, my life runs on approaching deadlines and stress.

https://youtu.be/Mptpw8fQ-lw

The animation is about a group of mythological 'beings of death' bringing their successors (or whatever they might be called) to Death School to learn how to kill/capture spirits. The first two(three) successors look promising, but then the last one is revealed and even the predecessor is embarrassed/disappointed. The being does not want to kill or collect souls, but rather it wants to create clothing and accessories. In the end, that is what sets him above the rest.

It's a creative take on what we consider 'death' to be. Rather than forcibly taking souls, the misfit being convinces the souls to come along willingly so that they may cross over willingly. I definitely recommend!

Film on a Regular Basis

Filming every single day has some useful benefits that come along with it. Firstly, you get the chance to become familiar with your equipment. You avoid having to relearn what you already know because you exercise that knowledge every single day. It just becomes second nature. Second, we improve upon our skills again, because you're always practicing and learning and honing your talent. Next, you learn to try new things. Let's be honest, when you do the same thing over and over, it gets dull. Practicing every single day encourages you to try new and exciting things. Next, you learn what you're good at and what you need to improve the most. If one technique routinely turns out poorly, you learn that 'Hey, I'm not the greatest at this' and find other ways to do the same thing, only better. Next, filming becomes a second-nature habit. It's a task that you can learn to do without thinking, and you can capture moments and tell stories with video. Lastly, you seek out new and exciting things to film for the same reason you learn and try new techniques. Because shooting the same thing over and over gets dull.

Now, that's not to say that each and every film has to be a full-scale production or a formal shoot. A small hand-held video camera should do nicely.

I thought that, while the article had some good advise, the suggestions were often easier said than done. Sometimes people are busy and can't always film on a daily basis and sometimes there is simply nothing interesting to film.
If the person is willing/able to film on a regular basis, then they definitely should.
Practice makes perfect and if you're able to do this, then all the more power to you.

Animated Music Videos?

In an article with Animation Mentor, Carlos Baena gives us all a lesson on music and animation and how they're related in many ways. Firstly, many terms from one also correspond to the other. Words like tempo, beat, rhythm, etc could be applied to music and animation and have similar meanings. Also, animation and music are meant to keep the audience entertained and make them react.

Timing is essential when using music in a film or an animation. Music can lay out a pattern for repetition, which not only gives the animator/filmmaker to utilize this pattern, but also break it. Breaking the pattern surprises the audience, which can be a useful tool.

The "tempo" of an animation refers to the speed and the pacing. The pacing can be driven by the music to create some cool effects, but even without the music, the pacing can have a huge impact.

 Lastly, Carlos Baena shared his inspiration for the Ratatouille characters, which came from Peter Seller's Inspector Jacques Clouseau from the Pink Panther and Henry Mancini's music.

I thought the article was interesting to read and it brought up some interesting points.
I learned that there are a lot of places (and terms) where animation and music overlap
Music can greatly enhance a film or animation and can provide quite a bit of inspiration for character actions. Oppositely, character body parts can act as "instruments" that "drive the music" even though we know that is not the case.

I found their equivalent in animation terms. Things like tempo, beats, accents, phrase, rhythm, legato, staccato, adagio, presto, finale, monotone to name a few all have things that you can apply to animation in some way or another. - See more at: http://blog.animationmentor.com/animation-as-visual-music/#sthash.STHwTWPz.dpuf

I found their equivalent in animation terms. Things like tempo, beats, accents, phrase, rhythm, legato, staccato, adagio, presto, finale, monotone to name a few all have things that you can apply to animation in some way or another. - See more at: http://blog.animationmentor.com/animation-as-visual-music/#sthash.STHwTWPz.dpuf

Another Hectic Week

• Learned

Effects are horribly temperamental and can ruin a project at the drop of a hat. It's a cruel fate, but what are ya gonna do? I tried at least... *sighs*

• Want to learn

Better and more efficient use of effects?

• Frustrated you

I seem to be screwing up a lot with time management. Like, whenever I look, there seems to be another project due in a few weeks that I had completely forgotten about because I've been so busy working on other things to notice. It's all piling up so quickly and I don't know if I can manage it all.

Not to mention that the one time I try something outside of my comfort zone, it completely kills my project.  Literally, the only benefit I got out of this whole mess is that now I own a green screen. It's a little small, but it's still a green screen.

Also, there was a small fire in my house the other day. My dad's propane heater has been malfunctioning for the longest time, but he never wanted to accept that it was broken. Well, it finally caught on fire and he finally took it back to the store, but only after he complained about that and everything else under the sun first.

Thanks...

• Made you happy

I've been doing a lot more drawing and it's really clear how much I've improved since last year, or last month, or last week even. Seeing my progress keeps me moving forward so that one day I can look back and say, "I've improved even MORE since then!"

http://youtu.be/4wDGqk7iiIw

I got the chance to watch this animator make this and I thought that it was really impressive, despite being choppy. It gets the point across (her two characters are fusing to make a different, four armed being) and it shows some neat motions. I always find it fascinating when people can actually draw a motion blur.

Heh, makes me miss my animating days. I should download Flash again...

Basics of Bouncing Light

Pointing the light directly at the subject in the scene has its pros and cons. It does what it is supposed to, which is lighting the subject, but it may also cast harsh shadows. Some solutions might be to reflect light from different parts of the room, be it the wall, the ceiling, the floor, or off of a reflector.

Reflecting the light off of different areas grants different effects. For example, reflecting off of a wall might eliminate harsh shadows and the light might wrap around the subject in a flattering way, but it might look flat. A reflector might offer the same benefits, but also offer greater control over the light. Reflecting off of a ceiling would offer the look and feel of natural lighting, but you run the risk of setting off the sprinkler system or causing heat damage to the ceiling. Exercise with caution.

Very useful lighting tips that I will definitely use in the future. I learned different reflection tips and tricks that I wish I had known sooner. When should light be shined directly on the subject rather than be reflected? What are the advantages over the other methods? Proper lighting is essential for any cinematographer. Crappy lighting equals not as good of a film. These tips should be utilized or at least kept in mind when filming projects.

The Sponge Hits the Big Screen (Again)

In this new film, SpongeBob and friends get to go on yet another adventure, but this time, they get to do it not only in 2D, but also in 3D and live action. Man, this guy sure has seen quite a few different technical advances since his humble beginning. Anyway, for his new journey into 3D, the animators behind the little yellow guy and the others were hard at work to make him as lifelike as possible, setting him apart from a plastic toy.

Another challenge was getting their heights correct, both when they were tiny and when they grew to be 6 feet tall. Stand-in people wearing frames were used as reference for the characters in that situation. Since Plankon ended up being taller than the actor, so a holey plywood board was used for his height reference.

Next issue to tackle was lighting. Though it may not be directly visible to the audience, proper care had to be taken to sell the "lifelike-ness" of the film. Special tools were brought with the team as they went to film and entire scenes were modeled so that the lighting could be reflected onto the characters as they would in reality.

Despite the characters getting a new 3D makeover, they still needed to resemble their original animation style. For example, SpongeBob didn't turn very well in 2D, so his turns would often be quick, snappy, and accompanied by some exaggeration. The same had to be done for his 3D counterpart.

Lastly, in the scene with Patrick and the ice cream cone, different methods were tested to get the squishy and flowy look that the animators wanted. Originally, they made the ice cream out of a viscus fluid simulation, but that didn't quite produce the look the team was searching for, so instead the ice cream was morphed and animated that way. For the residue left on Patrick after smothering himself in the ice cream, the animation team applied a wet map to the surface of the ice cream, which not only effected Patrick, but it also effected the ice cream itself, becoming glossier and wetter the more it was interacted with.

I don't much care for 2D cartoons that turn into 3D. I don't personally like the result or the story line behind it, but I suppose I can appreciate all the technical advances that went into making this film a success. I learned about the struggles of animation teams to go above and beyond for the best possible film and what they did to achieve such a task. How do the wet maps work and how can they be applied? Other animators could possibly take inspiration from this. It could act as an encouragement to never give up and to keep searching for the right solution. Don't settle for anything less than satisfaction.

Paper Baggins

• Learned

I learned that green screen work is really tough, but it can also be quite rewarding. Next time I do my green screen work, I should definitely place my lights better so that the shadows aren't so bold. That's definitely going to kill my fictional short. That and the length...

• Want to learn

 Better green screen tactics? Uh... How to use a green screen better? I don't know.

• Frustrated you

My keying is turning out horribly. It is definitely turning out better than I originally thought it would, but it is still agitating.

And for the first time ever, I likely won't be able to meet my time requirement unless I turn it in late. But even if I do record extra footage, what will it be? I will have to think of a new scene and I'd have to update my storyboard and everything like that. It is something I am definitely going to have to think about.

• Made you happy

I proved a nonbeliever wrong. That might sound a little mean, but when they willingly admitted that they were wrong, I felt so good about myself. Like, I believed in myself and in the end, it must have paid off somewhere, somehow.

My boyfriend has been the literal biggest help to me this past week. He has gotten me whatever I need, be it supplies, tools, etc, he gave me a wonderful birthday gift for my 18th birthday (a Wacom Intuos tablet), and he has just been such an amazing help. His selflessness is probably what got me through probably one of the hardest weeks of the year so far and it's what keeps me going. I am so lucky to have someone like him around.

• http://youtu.be/_tZzlqkIQlU

Mystery Skulls Magic, the music video! It's a beautifully rendered 3D animation and I definitely recommend checking it out!  Personally, I couldn't follow the story, not like I could follow Ghost's. It got kind of weird at the end, but the animation was just too beautiful to stop watching. The textures were beautiful and the motions were very fluid and everything seemed perfectly natural (motion-wise). Probably not a video I would watch more than a few more times, but it's still an interesting video all the same.

And if anyone is wondering what the title of this post means, I was just in a livestream with a wonderful artist and she drew her audience as paper bag people. We called ourselves The Baggins, as though we were some kind of Lord of the Rings Parody. I had a blast!

Invisible Boy Editing

When you're watching a movie, you can usually tell what the editing quality is. If it's good, you can barely tell that there's any editing there at all. When it's bad, you can clearly tell, perhaps to the point of annoyance. Bad editing takes the viewers' focus away from what is really important. Good editing however, lets the viewer take in the scenes playing before them uninterrupted. It allows the people to take in all the emotion of the scene without any distraction. It sucks you in and takes you along for a ride without you even realizing it until the ride is over. Good editing is an art and takes years of practice to master.


I think that the article was a little repetitive. It basically said the same thing over and over, but in different ways. Though I suppose that the message was still valuable. I learned that the best type of editing is the kind that you can't see. I agree with what the article said. What types of editing techniques are commonly used by professional editors to make their films look great? Filmmakers should all try to pay close attention to their editing and they should always look to improve.

Animating and Baking

Creature animation: While it feels like a whole other type of animation, it essentially falls under the same category as humanoid animation. Really, it is all just animation, and studios are going to be looking for both on a demo reel. Not that someone with just human animation won't get a job, but someone with a diversified reel has a better chance of getting a job. And including creatures on your reel does not indicate that you're giving up on human animation, it more so implies that you are willing and able to learn and experiment.

In addition to experimenting with different types of animations, different styles should be experimented with as well. While Pixar might not be looking for a hyper-realistic demo reel and Weta might not be looking for a super fluffy and exaggerated style, both will be satisfied by a reel that contains both styles.

In the end, we can't limit ourselves. We have to broaden our horizons and try out things we may not be interested in. Having a diverse reel and trying out a variety of different styles may inevitably help you in the end.

Informative. Good to know. Makes sense. I don't think I learned much, because this feels like common sense. I very much agree with what the article is saying. Diversity is very important on a reel and showing that you aren't limited is a great practice. What do the different styles of animation look like and how can they be told apart? Might a difference be, for example, how long a character hangs in the air when they're expressing themselves? Or is there some other distinguishing trait? Demo reels are very important when looking for a job. This article can somewhat serve as a guide to people just starting their reels.