Motivational Tips for Animators and Artists

Art and animation can be tough and there are times when all artists have gotten in a rut and don't know how to get out. So I thought I'd share some tips with you all on how I keep motivated and keep creating things.

Do you guys have any other tips for me? The more the better :)

Getting back my Mojo at Anim Dojo

At the start of this year I decided that 2018's mission was to be a better animator. This August will be a milestone for me. It will be a decade since I became an animator. While I am relatively happy with my skills, I feel that it's easy to get comfy and I want to push myself to the next level. Another factor of pushing myself is that as an animation supervisor and lead in both 2d and CG I feel it's my job to help my junior animators and my team as much as possible. I want to be a good mentor to them. I feel I owe it to them to get my butt into gear. All of these reasons pushed me to join an online animation school called 'Anim Dojo'. Anim Dojo is a online animation site that is aiming to teach people who can already animate, how to animate better. 

When you've been an animator for many years , someone asking you to explain/ teach your process of working can sometimes feel like a golfer trying to explain their swing. They can use the tech speak but don't really know what they are technically doing to make it different from anyone else...they just do it and can't explain the nuisances, which is where Anim Dojo is coming in. 

We all know the tech speak of key poses and inbetweens but sometimes just saying 'work in a pose' can be daunting to Junior animators.  Animdojo is forcing me to breakdown (animation pun intended) my process. It's amazing to really feel like I'm working out the basics again and it's helping me deconstruct my work. 

Fingers crossed I can know all my bad habits out and build back up stronger. I've done it for two weeks and I already notice a HUGE difference. 

It's been stupidly fun so far and because I am paying for it each month it is pushing me to work in my own time. I have allocated three week nights to it so far but I'm so eager that I may do more. 

It is the cheapest online anim program I've found (which is a huge plus because I'm a horrid cheapskate) at only $30 (aud) a month. This is starting to sound like a paid advert and it definitely isn't. I just think it's something the animation industry has been missing and everyone should jump on it. It also helps that the company running it is called Blue Zoo where I use to work. I know they are an amazingly forward thinking company who are enthusiastic about their animators becoming better and not just worrying about their deadlines. 

To sum up...DO IT! 

I'll keep you up to date and post animations that I do from scratch. There are a lot of tasks that involve Maya scenes with your keys already given to you. This is to help practice timing (such a great idea) or scenes with the start and end keys in place so that you create your breakdowns (another genius idea). I won't post them because I don't want to show other peoples poses but I'll show you some work soon. 

p.s their rigs are to die for! 

2017 - Animation Resolutions

 

Happy New Year! 

 I use to love resolutions when I was younger. I'd make big to-do lists and inevitably put too much on my plate and give up. (I'm sure I'm the first person in history to encounter this issue)
So this year I've decided to make my resolutions a little more focused and aim them toward my animation work.

So here are my hopeful aims in 2017:

. Finish a 11second club -
I've been following the 11 second club since it was 12 second club. I've animated a lot of clips for the site ,but never had the guts to post them. So this year I aim to put one online. Fingers crossed.  Any excuse to animate a dialogue clip! I love them.

. Create a horse run - I've animated so many animals in my career ,but I haven't created an animal mechanics shot purely for my reel since uni (back in the dark ages) . I've always been a very cartoony animator so doing some realistic animal stuff really excites me.

. Finish a project I've been thinking of for years - I've planned it, I've done the thumbnails, I've even set up the maya files. I just need to get going on it.

. Animate something in 2d -
My sister has asked me to help her with an animation for her website so I'm think of animating it in maya and rotoscoping over it in photoshop. It'll be my first step into 2d and hopefully be a good stepping stone into some 2d projects.

 

 . Create a new showreel -
I love editing just as much as animation so I'm going to put together a new reel this year. Hopefully it will inspire me to make some new stuff for it too

Basically my aim is to animate more. After a 14 hour day in work it can difficult to motivate myself to don't own thing, but I love it an it makes me happy. So I'm kicking my butt into gear this year. Here's to a year of creativity.
Happy New Year lovely animated people xxx

The Little Prince - Why You Should Stop What You're Doing and Watch It.

This week I saw a film that i've been excited for since I saw a trailer in Tokyo. In fact I loved it so much that i've already watched it twice.  The film that captured my heart and imagination was The Little Prince.


I saw the beautiful stop motion and I was hooked. Then I saw the stunning CG visuals and I was more confused than excited. What studio made this? Why hadn't I seen posters for this in the UK or Australia and how could I see it?

Then last week Netflix answered my animation request and put it on the site. This film was going to be realeased in early 2016 but it was mysteriously pulled . Instead it was released by Netflix in August. It has so far had positive reviews and has become the most profitable French animation of all time. The studio that created this film is a little hard to discover because a lot of people worked on it. It seems On Animation Studios (or Method Studios) in Montreal did the CG . They also created the quite pretty Chaplin & Co TV show. The Stop motion was also created in a Montreal studio and had great Stop motion animators such as Anthony Scott and Alexander Juhasz .
This is a really interesting little podcast with the two animators:


The Little Prince - Stop Motion Animation from A Scott on Vimeo.

It is a film based on a French children's book called The Little Prince. I owned a sketch book with this little guy on the cover a few years ago without knowing what it was. Boy, am I sorry I didn't know at the time. I remember a stranger being so in love with the sketch book that she ran up to me to ask where I bought it. I understand now why she was so enamored. 

In this film a young girl with an over baring , but caring mother (Rachel McAdams) move into a new house so that they can be in the catchment area of a good school. The only catch is their eccentric neighbor (Jeff Bridges). Throughout the CG story we see the little girl befriend her old neighbor who teaches her lessons through his illustrated stories. These stories are all shown in 2d and stop motion and the animation is just beautiful. The designs and uniqueness comes through in every frame.


It is one of those stories that is appealing to kids , but speaks to adults on many levels. We debated in our house for a while about the themes of the film, which is surely what a good film should do.

Not only is it visually stunning , but the characters are full of charm and very endearing.
Mr Fox is my personal favourite. Especially in the CG world when this cuddly counterpart comes to life and is animated to look like a great muppet. I want to cuddle him!

It inspired me with its beautiful quotes and caused me to doodle a little fan art.
I can't recommend this beautiful film more.
5 stars *****

Beautiful Walk Cycle

Here is a fantastic video of a 2d walk cycle by Felix Sputnik.
Love it!


Animation tutorial trailer from Felix Sputnik on Vimeo.

Podcasts for Animators (a.k.a Happiness for your Ear Holes)

So we all know this famous Milt Kahl pearl of wisdom:

  

but sometimes there are days (mainly when you are fixing intersections)  that your brain needs to escape and listen to something interesting. There use to be a great wealth of animation podcasts , but those fresh faced animators are now all directors and incredibly busy people so I had to go on the hunt for new listening material.

Here are my top 6 favourite podcasts to keep you sain on those fixing days: 

. Imaginary World Podcast - Eric Molinskey has a created the perfect podcast for my geeky mind. He explores a host of imaginary worlds. From Sci - Fi's obsession with sexy robots to translating a comic book characters costume for film. I love them! It also helps that he use to be an animator on the Rugrats so he has a great insight into the animation world too.  Start at the beginning and work your way through them ALL!

. How Did This Get Made - As far as podcasts go , this one is the king. Three famous comedians Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, Jason Mantzoukas (you'd know them all by sight since they are in every good show or film)  and a guest start watch and hilariously dissect awful films. A few favourites of mine are here and here.

Awful films are a secret passion of mine and my Mr's. We both got so addicted to this podcast that we sit down at home like to old timey people from the 1940's and just listen to it instead of watching TV. 

.Toon Talks - With the sad *disappearance of my favourite podcaster Clay Kaytis and his animation podcast, all animators were wandering the lonely animation wasteland in need of a new show. And then Sandra Ni Chonaola appeared. This bright and bubbly lady asks the questions to famous animators that I've always wanted to ask. Check out some of her incredible guests such as Pete Docter and Mark Oftedal   

*I realise this sounds like something bad happened to him but it's the exact opposite. Clay Kaytis is busy directing his first feature Angry Birds.

. The Pixar Podcast - If you haven't heard this one yet then jump on board. There are some great interviews with Pixar animators talking in detail about the techniques and information about specific shots. It's a great listen and the perfect thing to listen to while you are waiting for the next Spine Doctors podcast (one of the original and best animation podcasts around).

.I Was There Too - Each week Matt Gourley talks to extras or bit part actors that were in your favourite movies. These cast members talk about what it was like on the set and share tid-bits about your favourite films and directors. The episode where he interviews all of the people on the bus in Speed is fantastic. Mainly because each person has a different version of events. It's really interesting and done in a light hearted manner that appeals to my nerd love of film and comedy. A great listen. 

. The Canon * - This list was made a 'top 6' at the last second because I discovered a gem of a podcast only yesterday. I'm only a few episodes in but the Canon seems great. Two hosts, Devin Faraci and Amy Nicholson battle it out to decided if a certain film deserves to be placed into the Canon of 'greatest movies of all time'. Most of the time they argue like cat and dog , which only adds to the wonderfulness. They are both stupidly knowledgeable about films and both add depth to their arguments. Somehow I came away from the Temple of Doom episode agreeing that it didn't deserve to be in the Canon (?) . It's worth listening to with your ear holes. 

*I have listened to a bit more of this and I can't bring myself to stop listening BUT I hardly ever agree with their opinions. Saying this , they do have a good insight to films and I think sometimes being forced to question why you love something such as Blade Runner is a good thing. It can be frustrating because you want to argue back at them but I would recommend this show still. Just try not to get to angry at them.

Special mention: Ted Talks - This isn't a podcast as such but I LOVE listening to them. They are stupidly inspiring and leave me overwhelmed most of the time. If you don't listen to Andrew Stanton's Ted Talk and want to instantly pick up a notebook and write stories then you are crazy my friend! 

Now you see it - This is  not part of the main list because you really need to look at it to appreciate it. These little talks about film making are delightful. His love of the old Simpsons and Brad Bird may also have swayed me into loving this.

Happy Listening x

Hitting An Animation Wall

This week I hit a wall.

Not an actual wall but a proverbial animation barrier. 

For weeks I've been over the moon that my work has been coming so naturally. I thought back to uni Tania and chuckled to myself. Then suddenly past Tania got her revenge. It was if all animation skills fell out ofmy head. I could blame the crazy weekend I've had, the stress of a new project or a million other things. Whatever it was I didn't like it.

So I wrote into google 'how to be an animator' and even though I've been doing it for 9 years and could probably predict every step that each website would advice for a beginner, it inspired me.

Most of the advice was basic skills, so I forced myself to sit down and come up with my own advice.

What would I tell another animator if they wanted to get out of their head?

So just for all of you out there who are having a bad day? Here's my tips for getting back on track.

1. Step away from it.

Go make a coffee, get up and walk around. Literally do anything that means you don't look at the screen for ten mins.

2. Do another creative task.

Draw on a post it, make a model out of blue tac or try your hand at origami.

 It feels like you are taking time from the scene, but it activates the right side of your brain.  You've probably chastised the creative part of your brain so much that it's turned off. The right brain is a delicate creature.

3. Delete keys.

Ok this one comes with a warning- Save first!

Create a file just for your little experiment. Go through the parts that are bugging you and delete the thousands of built up in-betweens that are bogging you down. What I normally find is that I have keys and secondary poses that are working, but I get lost in all those little flickers. The fact I know it's a

experiment means I normally try something a little different without fear and 9 times out of 10 I end up keeping the experiment.

4. Get a second pair of eyes

Yes, it’s not looking like you want it to so you aren't proud of it ,but that's why you need help. It's not weakness and people don't judge. When someone shows me there shot I have fun talking with them about it. So I imagine they feel the same way when I show them my work.

5. Listen to something inspiring.

It might be music that reflects the feeling of the scene or a quick podcast from an animator you admire, but it helps to rev those engines.

 I'm animating snappy work right now so sometimes I just play happy classical music since it's so ingrained with Looney Tunes that I can't help but get excited. ..that or I watch a few seconds of Presto or Pocoyo. Those wto never fail to inspire.

Everyone has bad days, but don't let it drag you down. Let it be the spring board to learning something extra.

Happy animating guys.

    

51 Great Animation Exercises

I found this great list of animation exercises today. I have always wanted to try my hand at 2d since I enjoyed it at Uni so I might have to give these a go:

51 Animation Exercises

Frank Thomas

Today I'm mostly watching Frank Thomas' work frame by frame because...well he's FRANK THOMAS!
Have a looksie

Mery Rig - One Week animation Project Pt 5

Well, the week has finished and although it is no where near finished I am happy with the progress I managed to squeeze in there from grabbing time here and there through the week. There wasn't a competition or a deadline but I wanted to set myself a challenge.
The eyes, lipsync...well everything needs more polish but it was a good practice exercise.

I've so much just playing around with this animation and i'm itching to start another.

Mery Rig - One Week Animation Project Pt 4

Hello hello, so my weekend was spent planning and getting ready for my big move to Australia so the animation had to wait for the week. (Don't worry, I bought a new sketch book for the 4 months of travel...yes i'm thinking of the essentials).

Yesterday I turned on the splines and started working on separate body parts. On this rig (as if I don't praise it enough...it's free too...go get it from here) you can make only certain elements viable which means its a great way of getting those curves smooth in the spline.
I am struggling with the dance, I altered it to try and find a bit more variation and comedy so it's a few stages behind the rest of it. Once again, the face is not even slightly done. apart from vague poses left over from the blocking stage. So ignore those horrible face...if you can.
I hope you like it and please forward on any critiques. I'd love to hear your opinions.

Mery Rig - One Week Animation Project Pt 3

Another day and another pass on the animation. Not much has changed since I only had a little time today but the dance is a little more settled.

Mery Rig - One Week Animation Project Pt 2 (blocking)

So I've had a few hours free and I've managed to fill in a few more inbetweens on my animation. It's such a long clip but i'm gonna stick with it and spline it tomorrow.

There are still some poses in there I want to change but it's getting there.

Mery Rig - One Week Animation Project Pt 1 (block)

A week ago my laptop broke. I had been waiting for it to happen for a while but it doesn't mean I wasn't heart broken when the I.T guy said the dreaded words 'it's the mother board'. Poor little laptop.
So I had to bite the bullet and get a new one. Apart from having a new arch nemesis in the shape of windows 8 , it has been great. I am editing my showreel and ready to put everything in order but I couldn't have a new super fast laptop and not try some animation. So here is a little trial acting piece I'm working on. As i've mentioned many times before...I LOVE ACTING SHOTS. So I tracked down a fantastic rig called Mery (here) which is probably the best rig i've ever animated with.
Here is a little block that i've done so far. I'm only a day or two into it so i've got a lot left to do. Also please ignore the face since after I finished the key poses I decided to leave it for later. Now it looks a bit insane.
I love blocking (as i've banged on about on here before) but i'm just about to add some more anticipations and settles before I go into spline.

If you have any feedback...it is always welcome :)

How to tell you're an old animator

There are certain events that make you sit back and realise that you have changed, things that make you aware that there has been a significant passage of time. At the moment I am creating my showreel and cv for job hunting in Australia. I can't tell you how excited I am to apply to work in Australia. The whole reason to come to Korea was to save enough money to animate in countries such as Australia and Canada so this is a big step but it's easy to still think of yourself as a graduate when in fact my CV tells a very different story. Here are just a few things that have dawned on me lately to make me realise that I am no longer a 'fresh out of the box' animator and maybe those 7 years I've been animating in the industry make me an actual animator now.

CV's

Creating your CV when you leave uni is a experiment of words. How can I make the part time job I had in the toy shop at 15 sound like it's relevant to a studio environment? But as soon as you have some jobs on that CV it actually becomes more like a game of Tetris. What to leave off? What should I leave in ? How can I make that really ,really cool thing I did jump off the page? This week I faced a new problem that made me step back and take a breath...'I think I may be old!?' I had to get rid of my A-levels from my CV. Squashing a life time into two pages can prove hard but at 28 I've finally reached the stage where A-levels are such a distant memory that they no longer seem relevant on my CV. That's some scary stuff. I realise in the big scheme of things this is just silly but it's nice/weird as hell to be at an age where something so momentous from my past has well....been sent to the bench.

Rigs

I paid for a rig, yes I know! As a student animator living on cup-a-soups and 'chicken' cola , the idea of paying for a rig was insane. I could use the free ones to my hearts content why would anyone ever buy a rig? Then at some point I crossed that line where I realised how 1. insanely hard rigging is and how I should give them all my money 2. How much time it takes to make a good rig. I still use the incredible Malcom rig and I even still use the morphus (old habits die hard) but when I saw the Body Mechanics set of rigs by Joe Daniels (here) I had thrown money at them before I had my first coffee. Was it worth it? YES. I love them. You definitely get what you pay for and I can now animate things I've always wanted to try such as lady walks and baby walks. It may be age (or laziness) but I've crossed the line where I'm an animator through and through so spending money to be one doesn't seem strange, after all I've been spending every penny I've made on animation books for so long that moving house means I need to hire the world's stoniest man to move my boxes, at least rigs fit on a hard drive.

Remakes

This isn't an important point but the other day I caught some kids in my class reminiscing about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...it took me far to long to realise they were reminiscing about the new modern version. I've become so old that I've started reminiscing about reminiscing.
And there you have it...in conclusion I'm old, and there is nothing wrong with that. Bring on the next stage of animation because something tells me it's gonna be a lot of fun.

Laptop

My laptop broke....ten minutes later I was online looking at how to buy a new fancy one. This isn't so much me since I think all animators would buy a laptop no matter what age but my lovely boyfriend heard my laptop had broken and he went as white as I felt. 'How will you animate?' was the first question that passed his lips. He gets it....so this either means a. I'm annoyingly obsessed 2. He doesn't question I'm an animator. I think there is definitely a tendency in our industry to idolise everyone with experience and I still do, in fact everything I've ever learnt from animation has been a lesson taught to me buy another animator or actor but it's strange to see that the people around you don't doubt that you are an animator too. I feel I've come a long way from my first animation job where i'd go to the toilet just to dance because I was so excited....nahh that's a lie. I'll still be doing that on my first day in every animation job.

Ten of my Favourite Books

I don't get to post on here much since I am stupidly busy and use every spare second to animate BUT I am on a rare two min break in the park before heading into work so I thought I'd do a task a friend set me and put it on here (considering a lot are animation related it seemed relevant)

Write a list of the 10 most influential books you've ever read. 

. The illusion of Life - Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnson.

I got this book for my 16th birthday. I devoured every page and hoped they would reveal their secrets to me. It's a shame it's so huge since I would have loved to have brought it to Korea with me but I photocopied my favourite parts and brought that instead :) I'm a geek.

. Matilda by Roald Dahl

My original copy is worn out and dog eared from excessive use. As a kid I was obsessed I'd move things with my mind if I practiced enough (it also explains my love of 'the force' ) I suppose animation is the next best thing .

. Bill Bryson  - A Walk in the Woods

The author has to go first on this one because I'll read anything Mr Bryson writes. He makes me want to see everything while at the same time never leave the house. It's a special skill. This story in particular is fantastic. You'll never look at a Snickers bar the same way again.

. Eat pray love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

 As much as I love animation , my other passion is travel. After reading this book a few years ago I made it my mission to get out of my rut and find a way to animate abroad.

. Harry potter- J.k.Rowling

Hmmm there is a definite theme of wanting to move stuff with my mind as a kid. I was addicted to these books and read book 5 in one sitting...EXPELIAMOUS

. Acting for Animators by Ed Hooks

This book was introduced to me by Ed Hooks in his lectures and it had a huge effect on me. All animators should read it! 

. The Pixar Touch - David C.Price

I've read a lot of books on Pixar. So many that it could probably be my mastermind specialist subject so I was really happy to find this book since it had a new approach. It's more of an in depth look at their beginnings and great truthful stories.

. It's not easy being Green - Quotes by Jim Henson

I read this book for the entire four hour train journey to my first ever animation job interview. Jim Henson is my hero and this book cannot fail to inspire me. 

. Elegance by Kathleen Tessaro

This book is all about a girl who wishes to be more elegant and less 'face covered in wotsits -asleep on the keyboard' so I could relate.

.Charlottes web by E.B White

When I realised years later that spiders eat their mums when their born this book took a whole new sinister turn in my mind.

Well that's my little list. A mix of animation, travel and kiddie imagination, which just about sums me up.

What books do you love? Are there any that you would recommend.do you disagree with any of mind? Let me know. 

Happy reading/animating x

How to understand your CG animator - Tips and Tricks

A while ago I wrote a post about '20 reasons it's hard to live with an animator' .
So for those people that ignored the last list an are now living with an animator  or who have an animator friend/family member here is your crash course in 'How to understand a CG animator' :

. Keys - You are checking if your animator has locked up your house to safe guard the valuable items inside (mainly the most expensive stack of books you have ever seen)
They are thinking of the important poses their latest work will be using.

Tip: always lock up yourself


. Crunch - You are asking them to pick up your favourite cereal or chocolate bar from the shop.
They have gone into a mini coma thinking about the last deadline month they faced in work. Crunch time!

Tip: if your animator suffers from PTC disorder (post traumatic crunch disorder) be understanding. During an attack cover them with a blanket to keep them warm and feed them biscuits until the memories fade


Anticipation: You are talking about the excitement of an up coming event.
They are working out the intricate moments before you throw a ball.

Tip: never say you are anticipating a baseball match . They will make you watch goofy throw a baseball frame by frame. Ahh that baseball throw!


Weekends:
You hear 'Saturday, Sunday'
They may not be familiar with the term.


Overlap: you are talking about your own busy schedule and the overlapping events you have coming up.
They will just be moving they're arms and staring at their sleeves.

Tip: hide all Newtons cradles and tie long hair up before you plan your week with them.


Blocking: you might be talking about the idiot who blocked in your car in the car park.
They will just be doing the robot in the corner.
Tip: to break the spell shout 'spline'


Maya/ Max:
You mention a friend with these names in passing. To which your animator flips over the table in front of you, screams expletives and sits mumbling and shaking in the corner.
They hear the computer program that has a personal vendetta against them.
Tip: If you happen to have a friend with either of these names
a. Give them a nickname
B. Never leave them alone together as your animator will punch/cry/glare at them until you return.


Disney:
You may like disney films
They Love them with their very being.
Tip: unless you are prepared to know what the '9 old men' means, who they are , what their hobbies were and their shoe sizes it's best to just keep quiet.


Coffee:
You hear a delightful beverage
They here 'lifeblood'
Tip: have a supply in the vicinity at all times


Thumbnail:
You are talking about your hand and your general nail area.
They are instantly drawing on any object at hand. Be warned they may use your arms if a piece of scrap paper/wall/ envelope isn't at hand

Tip: carry a sketch book to occupy them . Hide all sharpies.


Uv:
You may be talking about the strength of the sun today.
They will be looking at the seams on all of your clothes and disassembling all boxes within their reach to study the construction.
Tip: just buy the strongest uv protection and put it on them. They probably don't get out much.

Podcast with Cloudy Creators

Today is a podcast day and a drawing day.
I realise there is many people that disagree (sorry Dick Williams and Milt) but I do listen to things when I draw. When I animate I am just music ....music that captures the emotion in the scene but if its just recreational drawing then I 'Podcast it up'.

Todays choice is a round table from one of my favourite sites from one of my favourite films:
Cloudy 

After listening to this podcast I realised why I love this movie with every element of my being.
The influence was:
. The Muppets
. Presto
. Burning Safari
. Pocoyo
. UPA
....need I say more!
If I listen some of my favourite things that would be it...so if you have some spare time then have a listen.

Upcoming Animated Features for 2014

Wondering what you will be watching with your popcorn next year? Go and have a look at the article I wrote for the lovely people at Skwigly magazine.

2014

Top 10 Animated Christmas Specials

If you are feeling Christmassy but are stuck for things to watch I have written a list of the top 10 animated Christmas specials.

Go and have a look-sie

Christmas