This Week's Recap: The Gauntlet

No but really, it totally feels like a gauntlet running through one project after another. I've never worked this hard in a year!

I liked getting to chose my own project this time. The Independent study has really allowed me to break more boundaries and try ideas I couldn't have done before.

Many problems have punched through of course. Just lots of obligations and mounting stress. And the microreciever on my gamepad is broke! Gah, the injustice!

I learned that there really needs to be a good balance between quality and efficiency in animation, and I think I've finally gotten close to mine working on the independent study. Hope it keeps that way.

I'd really like to learn how to better clean up my art and motions in flash. I'm sure I'll get better over time, but I'm sure there's some kind of method involved to help at least.

So I went to the movies last night and saw Noah. When I first heard about it, I was entirely skeptic about any success and the whole idea sounded like a failure waiting to happen, but lo and behold, what came of it was actually a very entertaining movie with some very lasting visuals. Most notably: The Watchers. These guys were my favorite part. I think they were animated in some kind of CG stop-motion combo, but I'm still not sure. Either way, it's cool as hell.

Unfortunately I can't find any video of them just yet, so you all will have to stay tight, but the film did feature some excellent animation effects nonetheless.

More Pro Level Advice: Pixar Version

The webpage won't load in it's standard formatting for me, and it's making me angry, but I'm determined not to let my grade drop for some minor inconvenience!
So, Pixar. Really, what do I need to say? It's all been covered and there's nothing I can add that will do much a difference for their reputation. So it's a good thing we're covering things to learn from the heads instead.

-Prepare or die. Usually something doesn't go best on its first run. As a musician that's an extremely truthful proverb. Animating isn't something to just waddle into. You've got to have an idea of what you're doing before you actually go and pull it off. If you got a complex scene ahead of you, do not go straight to the final rendition. Develop it! Practice! And make it easy for yourself with smaller loads. You'll thank yourself when the outcome is better.

-Always refer back to your basic knowledge. You need to have your settings at your ideal. Keep paced and don't lay back or go too fast. You'll either get poor quality or nothing done at all. Remember that while the animator is responsible for the majority of the work, your software has quite a few ways to help you out. Don't be afraid to use them.

-The animator is a scavenger and a predator. Use anything that will help you in your work. Walk cycles, anatomical structures, and even models alone are within your reasonable reach to use. Just be kind and don't totally rip off and steal what you please. That's just being a bad artist. Be picky with how the project looks. Something doesn't look right? Pluck it out. Don't look back. It's your work.

Animating for the pros really isn't too different from what we as students do. It's all about good time management and using your skills to their best. What you learn will stick. It's a very odd environment for an artist to be in, but the smart ones are rewarded.

While it's a great idea to pick up tricks and ideas from others (with respect and permission of course), I personally prefer to do everything myself. It's not an elitist stance or anything, I just feel I can better learn and develop my skills by doing it all from my head. It's a good challenge for an animator and really gets you thinking and problem solving. Good ideas come from an engaged mind.

So we've gotten tips from 2D and 3D animators. While we haven't done it, stop motion still interests me to some degree. Are there any pros in that field with advice to give?

Budgeted Fliming: Garage Studios

Even though I have a job, as a teen I can't be expected to afford much anything to help me produce a film. Especially not the studio itself. Thus many film on location. But it seems you can always work with what you've got, even out of your own garage, and Joey Shanks shows how. 

-Thrift shoppin. Yep. You can find a good amount of stuff you need at your local Salvation Army or Goodwill. Be sure to look for cables (preferably loose and right angled) and ankle weights so you can better hold down objects and set pieces. 

-Let there be light. And by light we mean color. (Sorry Kevin.) Get yourself a Philips HUE wireless bulb, and smash that sucker open. The end result gives you color control over your stage that will blend in with the lights. That way you can have cool, color oriented scenes, like the green tint in The Matrix, or that orange/brown in many westerns.

-Control your environment. You may not have a whole building to command, but you can still exert some amount of influence over your stage. First off, get unwanted light out of the picture and block whatever windows you need to. Weather can be a bit of a problem too, but if you have a big enough garage (and clean enough for that matter) you can always just move your project inside. 

I personally really enjoy learning all these life hacks of independent filming. I don't know if I'll ever reach that point in my studies, but if I do, at least there'll be some cool tricks I'll know to employ. 

While a lot of this stuff seems kind of obvious, I think many still forget about these ideas and can't think realistically when trying to film or set up a stage. When people get a project going, we often forget the big problems until we run into them. It's a good idea to address everything head on. 

So a garage can be a great idea, but what about a basement? Sure storage is the same, but are there even more tricks you can pull off in one comparatively?