“It’s been three months since I updated my blog; I was very busy with
my first term at AnimSchool.com (and with my full-time job!)… I wrote
this article to summarize the assignments that I did within this term at
AnimSchool.
“First, I was extremely lucky in this term to be one of Sabine Heller
students; I had wonderful days having Introduction to Rigging with her.
And before I start showing my term assignments, I would like to talk a
little bit about Sabine….” continue reading…
Dreamworks Supervising Animator Hans Dastrup is joining AnimSchool Winter Term! He will be teaching a General class–for all AnimSchool students–teaching them how to improve their shots and assignments. Hans has a strong reputation in the animation industry for being a versatile performer– capable of the finest subtle acting, as well exaggerated comedic and physical shots.
We are thrilled to have Hans Dastrup here at AnimSchool. He’s the latest addition to all we offer our students: the highest quality resources, characters, and industry talent.
During CTN Expo in Burbank, California, AnimSchool announced we are
releasing to the public the new… AnimSchool Picker! This is an amazing
new software that incorporates all the capabilities from film studio
“picker” GUIs for selecting and controlling characters.
The features are unparalleled, and it’s free for friends of AnimSchool! (some restrictions apply).
AnimSchool Picker is tightly integrated into Maya, highlighting when you make a selection in Maya, as well as picking from the buttons. Users can zoom and pan using standard Maya navigation hotkeys.
Authoring a picker is very easy. Make single or multiple object buttons–even vertices. Make script/command buttons. Move buttons or groups of buttons with the control key. Nudge buttons precisely with the arrow keys. Arrange and distribute buttons horizontally or vertically.
Reuse pickers in an instant by switching it to another character’s namespace. AnimSchool Picker automatically changes all buttons and scripts to update to the new character.
The AnimSchool Picker will be released late first quarter of 2013 for Maya versions 2011+, PC and Mac. Softimage version likely to follow. The AnimSchool Picker is offered with restrictions similar to the Malcolm rig: free for
most uses outside of online instruction similar to AnimSchool. Look for more details soon, including a video tour.
The Los Angeles Times reports that this year the Academy Awards will have 5 nominees for best animated film of the year. It’s often limited to three, however, this year there are more films in consideration–21 animated films–for the Oscar nomination.
There need to be over 16 films in consideration for the category to grow from three to 5 nominations. This is an indication of just how many animated films have been produced this year; this has only been done three times (2002, 2009, 2011) since the category was introduced in 2001.
AnimSchool would like to introduce Jim Donnelly. Jim, can you tell us a little about your background and what 3D experience you had before entering AnimSchool’s 3D Character Program?
I come from a traditional film background. I started off working as a camera loader and later as a camera operator for music videos and TV. As a lover of visual storytelling, I’ve always been intrigued by the power of 3D animation, but was a bit intimidated by it. I thought that working in CG required a degree in computer science. It wasn’t until I played around with a friend’s copy of 3ds Max that I realized I could actually make 3D art. My first piece was a cube and I’m still proud of it. From there, I was completely hooked. I tried to teach myself as much as I could about 3D modeling before eventually taking some classes in Maya at the Rhode Island School of Design.
What peaked your interest in becoming a 3D Rigger? What do you enjoy about rigging?
My interest in Rigging came as a result of wanting to do more with the models I created. I absolutely love the modeling process, but once I’ve completed a character, I find myself wanting the ability to play with it a bit; try new poses, facial expressions, etc. Learning how to create and install the controls that would make this possible was the next logical step for me. As it turns out, I enjoy it a lot more than I thought I would. It’s a part of the pipeline that has its own unique set of challenges and utilizes several different skills. For me, it’s the perfect mix of visual art and technical problem solving. It also rewards my need to stay organized!
What artists inspire you?
Oh wow, there are so many artists that inspire me. Like many interested in 3D animation, I’ve been inspired by Glen Keane, John Lasseter, and Brad Bird. Their ability to push boundaries and further the medium has been nothing short of amazing. I’m also astounded by the work of fairly recent digital sculptors like Laurent Pierlot, Alessandro Baldasseroni and Rafael Grassetti. Their attention to detail is just incredible. But, I also have to mention that AnimSchool’s own Marty Havran actually played a role in kick starting my fascination with 3D. I was just starting to study cinematography when I saw the film ‘Contact’ in the theater. There were a couple of shots in that movie that just did an amazing job of playing with perspective and seamlessly blended cg with practical elements. I remember buying the issue of American Cinematographer with ‘Contact’ in it so I could read how they pulled those shots off. It totally blew my mind when I saw Marty’s reel and learned that he worked on one of the very shots that I was obsessed with. What a crazy coincidence!
Looking back at past 3D films, is there a character that you would have loved to model or rig? Why? What do you like about the design/character?
I would have loved to model and rig Scrat from the Ice Age films. I just find that character’s design to be so appealing. So much is communicated without even speaking. It’s hard not to smile when he first appears on screen. And I think the challenge of designing a rig for a such a dynamic character whose body is subjected to nearly every force of nature would be a lot of fun too. The poor guy is such a glutton for punishment.
Now that you’ve had a couple rigging classes at AnimSchool, when you watch a 3D film do you see it differently? How?
Absolutely. I’m so impressed by the amount of thought and effort that goes into creating a feature rig. Before taking these classes, I hadn’t truly considered the amount of design challenges you’d encounter when trying to accommodate all of a character’s particular animation needs. Rigging not only requires a firm grasp of anatomy and body mechanics, but you have to understand the technical hurdles within the software as well. I have a much greater appreciation for all of the hard work that goes into these films.
After having the rigging classes has your thought process behind 3D modeling changed?
Yes, totally. I think I’m much more economical with my modeling now. In the early stages, I try to focus on conveying as much detail as I can without the weight of unnecessary geometry. After having rigged a character, I can now fully appreciate the importance of proper edge flow and knowing where to strategically place resolution for clean deformations. I think it’s great that we’re exposed to different areas of the pipeline so that we can directly see how our work impacts others down the chain.
How has your experience been at AnimSchool?
My experience at AnimSchool has been phenomenal. Learning directly from the people who have helped create some of my favorite animated films is a truly rewarding experience. Just the breadth of practical knowledge being taught by our instructors, who are dealing with real-world production challenges day in and day out, has been priceless. The classes are so well-structured and thorough that no questions are left unanswered. There’s a strong sense of community at AnimSchool as well. Fellow students are very encouraging and supportive. And, because the classes are live, I feel close and connected to people who are on the other side of the globe. It’s pretty cool. I’ve had the desire to work in this field for quite some time, and through AnimSchool, I’m finally starting to feel the confidence I need to reach that goal.
AnimSchool
was in full force at Siggraph 2012 last week, August 7th-9th! For three days, hundreds stopped by our
booth to learn about the offerings we have at the school.
Siggraph is the most popular conference on computer graphics, with approximately 20,000 3D students and professionals attending presentations, panels, and walking the show floor.
We had four 3D animation film pros in addition to staff and students on hand to interact with interested conference-goers.
We answered questions about our 3D animation programs and the process of learning online.
Some came just to take pictures of our attractive booth, which glowed brightly and offered a warm and inviting space for Siggraph attendees.
The booth art highlighted AnimSchool’s world-famous characters and wonderful student work.
We were treated to a compilation banner of the many uses and mods of AnimSchool’s free “Malcolm” character. Malcolm has been downloaded by over 8,000 users worldwide, and has been called “the best rig I’ve ever used” by top animators and animation contest winners.
AnimSchool pros reviewed student reels free and offered detailed critiques to help them in their learning.
AnimSchool 3D animation pros from Disney, Dreamworks, and Blue Sky Studios reviewed the animation work of conference goers, whether students or professionals. It was a popular offering, with a line forming for the free demo reel and portfolio reviews.
But the most popular event at the AnimSchool booth was the free giveaways near the end of each day. AnimSchool gave away dozens of T-shirts, free online-critiques, and the most anticipated items: free animation art books!
Lucky Siggraph attendees won copies of:
the Art of Tangled
the Art of Brave
the Art of Pixar
Eric Goldberg’s Animation Crash Course
AnimSchool’s Mike Mattesi’s Force Animal Drawing!
And the grand prize of the conference: a half-price tuition discount on a term at AnimSchool!
There were many happy prize winners at the AnimSchool booth last week!
For many, AnimSchool was already a familiar school, famous for our Malcolm character and impressive programs, but others learned of us for the first time.
Many visitors to the booth expressed a desire to learn with us at AnimSchool.
We’ll be seeing some of them in the months ahead online at AnimSchool.
Going to Siggraph in Los Angeles next week?
Stop by the AnimSchool booth! The exhibition is August 7-9 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. http://s2012.siggraph.org/
We will be there with THREE 3D animation professionals to chat with conference-goers all day. We will be offering reel reviews several hours each day. Come and have your work reviewed by our animation pros from Blue Sky Studios, Dreamworks, and Disney.
We are also giving away prizes at the show. (some really exciting!)
Come ask your questions about AnimSchool or just say hello!
Today I got the chance to interview talented animator, Aulo Licinio, who placed runner up in April’s 11 Second Club competition. Aulo, thank you for joining us today!
First of all thanks for having me here, I’m very happy with this opportunity.
What made you want to get into animation?
I think I got into animation mainly because of my father. Not that he’s an animator, but he forced me to watch cartoons with him when I was younger. It was the kind of thing that I would like to go out and play, but he forced me to stay inside accompanying him with his cartoons. There was another situation, when I was a little older and “got into videogames”. That made my grades go way down and eventually my father always ordered me to go study and let the videogame go. One day in defiance I said that I would work in games someday, which was what really turned out to happen. I don’t know why but I simply couldn’t get this out of my mind.
There are a lot of rigs out there, can you tell us why you decided to use AnimSchool’s female Malcolm Mod Rig for your animation?
For a long time I was trying to test the Malcolm Rig, I think since it came out. I looked at other animations and his flexibility looked amazing. I just kept imagining all the things I could do with it. Then, finally I got some spare time to test it out.
What were some additional modifications and adjustments you made to the rig to suit the purpose of the story?
Since it’s an old lady talking in first place, I had to see if I could get her to look older than the actual model. After a quick “study” of the rig, I could spot the parts of the mesh I needed to tweak. The loops are actually good, so that a basic mesh sculpt would do it. Another good thing is that I only showed the upper body, so I wouldn’t have to worry about the legs or a dress. The earrings, necklace and glasses had a simple hierarchy (ConstrainGroup/ControlGroup/Mesh).
You had a lot of great subtle animation in your shot. What were some of the challenges you were faced with when animating? Did the AnimSchool Rig meet all you expectations?
About the rig, I have no complaints at all. Actually, I think that I didn’t push it far enough in some parts. The subtle animation was a big challenge itself, but since the start of the shot I knew that I would like to put in a lot of details, and I wanted to go with a pose-by-pose mixed with a lot of straight ahead animation. This way I could plan myself better to accomplish the deadline. Having to manage my spare time was the biggest challenge of all. I pretty much had a little more than 24 hours divided in some weeks (1-2 hours per day). To achieve this, it took me some planning as well.
I guess it’s to continue studying and trying to get better. Right now I’m focused on some small projects/shots and I’m hoping one day get to direct my own short film.
We’d like to thank Aulo Licinio for taking the time to share his experience from the April 11 Second Club competition.
