CTN was fun! I made the big transition from attendee to exhibitor this year, and it was very encouraging to see people buy the artwork/toys at our desk. Jerry Beck (Cartoon Brew) offered to publish an exclusive review of my short film after I finish it.
At the same time it was a big reality check from some studios when they'd look at my portfolio and say "This is great but it's not what we're looking for" or "Well, try more" or sometimes straight away "We are sorry". I got to know what exactly each studio was looking for (stuff beyond the things they mention on their website) - so hopefully I'll be able to tailor my reel/portfolio by next year.
I got to meet the amazing 'Moebius' (Jean Henri Gaston Giraud) and talked about his method of posing the characters in his art.
Dean DeBlois (Director of How to Train your Dragon) gave a few tips on 'How to be a good director' when I told him I was passionate about direction.
Sergio Pablos shared his contribution to 'Despicable me'
Del Carmen talked about storyboarding on 'Up'.
Andreas Deja gave some really helpful Animation tips like using the eyeblinks and darts to anticipate other body action and the huge importance of hand gestures. A lot of the things we're learning in this class were also mentioned - like when you said toes pointing straight forward and hands like pancakes make the characters look robotic..The thing Andreas pointed out very well is that when we're drawing, the flow of lines force us to automatically pose the whole body different each time and maintain the flow and rhythm of animation. Even before getting to the point of thumbnailing/blocking the shot - he would just draw the character in different poses and study the anatomy and construction in and out. This way when he's animating he knows exactly how the character would move/behave.
He said that in CG animation, we assume there is no model sheet or no need to practice the character before we get to animation. But in fact, CG characters also need to stay 'on model' not in terms of the consistency of drawing (because 3d is already defined shape-wise) - but in terms of the character and personality. Which is why it helps to just pose the character (still frame) a few times and try to define the attitudes. Though thumbnails could be very rough too, I couldn't stop noticing the beauty of Andreas' thumbnail drawings. It's practice!
Tony DeRosa gave a small animation demo, and he was so fluent I want to steal his hand! Looking at his demo it seemed very easy, but his 30 years of practice and experience made it look so flawless! For some reason, watching someone like him makes me want to quit CG and go back to pencil and paper!There was more stuff that I couldn't see because of managing the exhibition desk. It was all together very inspiring to see so many talented artists under one roof.
The competition is very tough, every other person had an amazing portfolio/reel to show. But I guess finally who we are matters more than what we do. Staying humble helps!
Hey Sonia,
ReplyDeleteI recognize that picture. I had no idea that we were in the same class, but on different days. It was nice meeting you at CTN, and by the way, Samantha loved her Funny Little Bunny.
Great booth Sonia! And thank you so much for the detailed post.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you met all those amazing animators...I feel like a chump for not going. Moebius!!!
I was lucky enough to hear Dean Dublois lecture this year at work...super humble guy, to the point where he points out his strengths and weaknesses in storytelling, and how partnering up just helps make better work - the kind of guy I wish I could work for.
Love the Andreas Deja tips...earlier in term when I was having you guys do pose sketches, this was exactly what I was after (I don't come up with these exercises on my own...it's distilled from how the pros work) - at many studios, they start off with poses and cycles to see how the characters move, and to start getting into character, as it were.
I think you took away a lot of great info...this is also why I'm not hung up on models...ultimately, it's the quality of the work and how your work fits in to the needs of the studios.
And having a humble attitude is key. Once you stop being humble, you tend to stop learning. I've worked with people like that...and had students like that - (I actually had a student repeatedly tell me they couldn't finish their assignment because they were too busy with their Pixar classes, as if the magic glamour of Pixar would infuse them with greatness. No slight at all intended towards those classes, but most breakthroughs come through patient hard work and learning how to 'see' animation with greater clarity and detail)
thanks again for posting! your booth looked great!!
Hey Bryant! Glad to know she liked the Bunny! Talking of humble attitude, you too are one of those guys :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the appreciation Jeff! As a student we have limited exposure/view of the industry. It's quite easy to get lost and run after a 'dream job' like Pixar/Dreamworks/Bluesky etc without realizing there could be something else we might enjoy more. Places like CTN are helpful for us in discovering what we really like - I figured my stylized designs were rejected by most feature studios, but the TV guys loved them. That took away a lot of depression - every artist has a place, we just need to find it!
Thanks sonia for this great information .
ReplyDeleteHey jeff after reading your comment i realized animation is just not all about key frames poses and timing alone there certain principals which you need to follow to become a good one .
ReplyDeletethank you jeff