photo courtesy of Lotus Head, JHB, GP, South Africa
Most of what I write about is in regards to character animation for TV series, but I thought it would be a good idea to write about some other types of animation jobs that exist…
The four areas of the animation industry where there is the most [...]
This may very well be the most important post I ever write on animation. I say this because the Principals of Animation are the fundamental building blocks of character animation. They are the principles that breath life into character performance and make it appealing and believable.
If you are studying to become an animator (or are [...]
For character animation the most widely used software in the industry is Flash (for digital 2d
photo courtesy of Jenny Rollo
animaton) and Maya (for 3d animation). Flash is used primarily for series animation (TV series) and TV commercials. But Maya is used in every part of the animation industry – TV series, feature film, [...]
Have you made the decision to become an animator? Or especially if your just thinking about it, the first thing to think about is your motivation. Now I don’t want to get too Tony Robins on you but it does take a lot of commitment and dedication to learn professional animation and it’s a valid [...]
Description/What you learn:
Before we start animating we should set ourselves up for easy character control selections. Here’s two different ways to do it and why. We will use a pre-rigged and textured ball.
Exercises: go to animcareerpro.com
Download and open the file. Set up the ball with character sets (or a shelf button if you prefer). Save it to use in Maya Workshop 4
Quick Animation Review
Packed with action and suspense, this story keeps you on the edge of your seat. Although it reminds me of the chase scene in Ratatouille, it's still original and very well done. I have nothing bad to say about the animation, it's all there, looks fantastic. I especially enjoyed the bit of 2D in there with the chef chopping up the squid - really drives the motive for the escape. Nice cliff hanger at the end - looking forward to another one of these!
This is a short created at Gobelins L'Ecole de L'Image (Goblins School of the Image). A school in Paris dedicated to the visual arts which is best known for the Cinéma Department of Animation. Oktapodi won a flurry of festival awards in 2007 and 2008, and was nominated for Best Animated Short at the 2009 Academy Awards.
Also check out the making if Oktapodi - shows a snippet of the extensive planning and pre/post production that went into the film. It's on the Oktapodi site http://www.oktapodi.com
