One of the big things in my school is to get into the Pixar class. Within the classes, students are classified into different level according to their contemporary animating ability and taught by the animators from Pixar studio. It is the most exciting thing before the semester starts. I regards it as a certification to show you have achieve to certain animation skills. Unfortunately, I didn't get admitted this semester. All my friends who entered the school the same time as I did go in to the class. Even though the news is disappointed, I still need to prepare myself along the way to become a good animator. The sun still rises whether I get into that class or not. The career is a marathon, I NEED TO MAKE SURE I AM STILL RUNNING, and not being stopped by obstacles on the road.
The plan for this semester are:
-music for my thesis
-animation 75% of the thesis
-doing animation follow the pixar class schedule
-prepare for CTN demoreel review
9/07/2012
12/13/2011
Animating Animals: Tips and Tricks to Animating Believable Animal Characters in a Live Action Feature
Animating Animals: Tips and Tricks to Animating Believable Animal Characters in a Live Action Feature(click)
10/27/2011
BBC Motion Gallery
I always wonder where can I get a good reference. Sometimes you can't really shoot a good reference for yourself. Besides finding clips on Youtube, there is another choice "BBC Motion Gallery". There are more things I can dig into now. Enjoy animating!
8/12/2011
[project] Last Dance
This is the animatic I submit for my midpoint review. The story is about a janitor dancing alone while mopping on the stage. The dance reflects his demonic love toward his victim.
For this project, I still need to develop the dance. Since the dance is the most important part of the whole animation, a choreographer is needed.
Sometimes when I look others doing so many amazing work, I gaze upon myself and sigh at the things I achieve now. But hey, all the masters spend time to perfect their skill and perspective. The thing I should do is to practice and practice. Give myself other small assignment other then school work. Talk to friends and teachers. My dream will come true one day.
2/16/2011
Bouncing Ball
This is my first attempt to do the bouncing ball without the tail.
In this one, it is the first time I really dive into graph editor and get a basic understanding about how different tangents work and what kind of mess it will create if you don't key your frame properly. The lighter ball in this one is trying to simulate the real ball bouncing in reality. Somehow, when it strikes the ground, it seems a little bit "sticky."
From this practice, I learn that to create a real mass in the animated word it all depends on "timing." How fast the ball going to change the shape and how fast it falls all create a sense of mass and gravity. When the momentum decrease, how would it affect the relative project (when the ball hit the box, the could just sway a little bit or be knocked off, it all counts on how much momentum the ball brings to.)
This is my second attempt to animate the ball, but this time with tail and more characteristic.
The alive ball it's easier to do, in my opinion. It doesn't have to follow a certain decrease by the law of gravity. We can define its every movement. The only thing is we have to give it enough "energy" to fight against the gravity. Before the ball take a big jump, it has to crouch longer to gather enough energy.
The tail is to show the overlapping actions. When body move, tail follows. It this film I only realize the "overlapping" aspect. Actually, in my opinion, tail has to aspects, one is "overlapping" and the other one is "balancing." Tail follows the major movement, that is correct, but there is a time when the body stays in the same place or when landing tries to buffer the impact force.
There are so many things to learn in animation, and a pair of fresh eyes are needed. Don't be shy to ask others to comment your works.
Jellyfruit
2/07/2011
12 principles for animation
1. squash and stretch
-show the gravity when impacts and traveling
2. anticipation
-telling the audience to pay attention to sth going to happen
3. staging
-how everything relates within frame
4. straight ahead, pose to pose
5. follow through/ overlapping
6. ease in/ out
-to create a sense of weight, mass
7. arcs
-it's just our organic design, the way we supposed to move
8. secondary action
-smaller actions that support whole large action
9. timing
-shows speed between pose to pose, creates emotions
10. exaggeration
-makes animation easier to understanding
11. solid drawing
-posing, silhouette, line of action
12. appeal
-visually interesting, charisma of the art piece
http://www.soundonsight.org/20-greatest-classic-disney-villians/
see how the design of these villains grab audience's eyes
A good animator should always have this list on the place where you can see it. It reminds every aspects you need to check and pay attention, and polishes your animation better!
-show the gravity when impacts and traveling
2. anticipation
-telling the audience to pay attention to sth going to happen
3. staging
-how everything relates within frame
4. straight ahead, pose to pose
5. follow through/ overlapping
6. ease in/ out
-to create a sense of weight, mass
7. arcs
-it's just our organic design, the way we supposed to move
8. secondary action
-smaller actions that support whole large action
9. timing
-shows speed between pose to pose, creates emotions
10. exaggeration
-makes animation easier to understanding
11. solid drawing
-posing, silhouette, line of action
12. appeal
-visually interesting, charisma of the art piece
http://www.soundonsight.org/20-greatest-classic-disney-villians/
see how the design of these villains grab audience's eyes
A good animator should always have this list on the place where you can see it. It reminds every aspects you need to check and pay attention, and polishes your animation better!
11/19/2010
[Story] Madame Butterfly
On 17th, I went to San Francisco Opera to enjoy "Madama Butterfly." This is the opera authored by Puccini. I believe many of you have heard of it and so do I. Not until few minutes before the opera began I finished reading the brief story on the pamphlet. The story is about a Japanese geisha, Madama Butterfly, who is madly in love with an American Lieutenant. In contrast, the Lieutenant replies Butterfly's loyal and innocent love with a playboy attitude. He is gone for three years without a single letter until the day he comes back and address Butterfly to forget about him.
What I am interest in is Butterfly's innocent and faithful love and the remorse of the Lieutenant Pinkerton. Unfortunately, I didn't see much depiction on why Madama Butterfly is irrationally in love with Pinkerton. Her innocent loyalty makes me confused and it doesn't make any sense. In Act 2 we see, Madama Butterfly changes her outfit to western style dress, and the house is remodeled into what she calls "American house." Also, when she prays for Pinkerton's return, she scolded Japanese God and praises "American God" ironically. So far, I understand all these sequence relate to previous plot, that she was declined by her family and she declined her traditional belief. To my understanding, she creates an imaginary world to resolve her love longing.
Butterfly carries "American style" along whole act2 until she sees the battleship entering the port. She then urges Suzaki (her maid) to bathe and dress her in the outfit she and Pinkerton met (Japanese robe). Butterfly no longer needs those imaginary creation to fulfill her loneliness. Sadly her fantasy of love is intruded by Pinkerton's unfaithful and she suicides in her white Japanese robe.
To me, Butterfly hasn't really learned anything, she kills herself because she can't bear the loss of love. I would say, she is still madly in love with Pinkerton, nothing has changed. Since nothing has changed in Butterfly's heart, those changing into American living style and return back to Japanese style doesn't seem meaningful. For Pinkerton, we know he is then suffer from the remorse but he hasn't done anything can be define "a change" Taking the boy away from Butterfly is a decision already made. Nothing really happens in Pinkerton's deeds.
As a story, Madama Butterfly doesn't have a climax and turning curve, and both main characters haven't learned anything.
Besides the story, I quite like the turntable design of the stage. It's a interesting way to focus all the sequence in one location and rest of the story are revealed within dialogue or silhouette in rear scene.
What I am interest in is Butterfly's innocent and faithful love and the remorse of the Lieutenant Pinkerton. Unfortunately, I didn't see much depiction on why Madama Butterfly is irrationally in love with Pinkerton. Her innocent loyalty makes me confused and it doesn't make any sense. In Act 2 we see, Madama Butterfly changes her outfit to western style dress, and the house is remodeled into what she calls "American house." Also, when she prays for Pinkerton's return, she scolded Japanese God and praises "American God" ironically. So far, I understand all these sequence relate to previous plot, that she was declined by her family and she declined her traditional belief. To my understanding, she creates an imaginary world to resolve her love longing.
Butterfly carries "American style" along whole act2 until she sees the battleship entering the port. She then urges Suzaki (her maid) to bathe and dress her in the outfit she and Pinkerton met (Japanese robe). Butterfly no longer needs those imaginary creation to fulfill her loneliness. Sadly her fantasy of love is intruded by Pinkerton's unfaithful and she suicides in her white Japanese robe.
To me, Butterfly hasn't really learned anything, she kills herself because she can't bear the loss of love. I would say, she is still madly in love with Pinkerton, nothing has changed. Since nothing has changed in Butterfly's heart, those changing into American living style and return back to Japanese style doesn't seem meaningful. For Pinkerton, we know he is then suffer from the remorse but he hasn't done anything can be define "a change" Taking the boy away from Butterfly is a decision already made. Nothing really happens in Pinkerton's deeds.
As a story, Madama Butterfly doesn't have a climax and turning curve, and both main characters haven't learned anything.
Besides the story, I quite like the turntable design of the stage. It's a interesting way to focus all the sequence in one location and rest of the story are revealed within dialogue or silhouette in rear scene.
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