AM 210 & 211 Assignments

I haven't updated the blog on week 10 because I thought my shot was bad comparing to my blocking stage earlier and I thought I'll post it with week 11's entry, I thought It will turn out great...and cover that one
But unfortunately I screwed up in the polishing part, it's better than what I had on w11 but still the final shot looks choppy & robotic, with this assignment to wrap up class 2, I need to focus & concentrate more on the polishing part which is my weakness so far in all the assignments this class. Overlapping action too, I'm still weak in this part which can take a shot to the next level...

Now that we're in week 12 we get our mentor's overall critique & with no assignment due next sunday,I need to start some planning for next class, which will start next week, I need to have better ways to balance between my full-time job, sleep, Animation Mentor & a bit of life.
plus I'll have to go through the dvd's I just got from The GNOMON WORKSHOP,fundamentals, mechanics & emotions by Chris Kirshbaum.

Here's W10 assignment


& W11

AM 209: Assignmate wip II

Here's the last blocking pass before taking it into splines

AM 209: Assignmate wip

AM 208: Assignment Submission

AM 208: Assignment wip

AM 207: Video Reference Update

I had to reshoot my video reference for this week's assignment, I had to remove all the docking part and throwing stuff, too much action, makes it complicated & hard to follow, kind of distracting... So I kept the urgency of the action, being chased by something and the door is the only way out. here's the update

AM 207: Assignment Submission

Here's the final shot for Stewie with no arms jumping & balancing from post to post...
I still have some problems that I shall fix hopefully & submit as revision for this week's assignment
some parts is floaty and there's crazy things going with his foot from x47-55



As for the second part of the assignment, in which I have to plan for my last assignment for this term, two things, shooting a video reference & drawing thumbnails showing main keyframes & breakdowns.

PICK LIST:	DIFFICULTY LEVEL:
1. Balance on a beam	*
2. Dive off a diving board	***
3. Throw a ball (Baseball pitch)	***
4. Pull or push a heavy object	****
5. Open a sticky door	****

I have chosen #5 for my last assignment for this term.here's the reference video & thumbs

AM 206: Assignment Submission

AM205: Assignment Update

I have uploaded the latest blocking pass on my public review at my AM profile,
I hope the animation is more entertaining now
I guess I was copying the reference which made it look a little bit boring...
I still need to add more break downs before I take it to splines, specially in the last two jumps, and in every time stewie bends down then up, & work on the overlapping of body/head...
too much work, but I have a feeling it will turn out good...

I'm trying to have a confident personality in him, hope it's working out,

Tonight I shall get more feed back from my mentor's Fri mini critique.

Shot Re-Block


Dasvedanya

AM 205 Assignment Submission

Here's my first pass of blocking for this new assignment, It was really fun working on this assignment.



Yesterday I went to see CORALINE, great movie, I loved it, everything was awesome
The story, the characters, the soundtrack, everything was perfect...
make sure you go & see it in 3D, I have been waiting for it & I would love to go & see it again...
here's a banner add for the movie, amazing Bobinsky



Dasvedanya ;DDD

AM 205: Animating Physicality

This week's lecture was presented by Dovi Anderson
Ratatouille (Animator) Charlotte's Web (Character Animator) Son of the Mask(Lead Animator)
Constantine(Lead Animator) Hell Boy (Animator) The Matrix Revolutions(Lead Animator)
walking through animating a shot where Stewie jumps through an obstacle course and does some gymnastics, from planning stages, through blocking until finalizing the shot, pretty cool stuff.

As for the new assignment I have gathered more reference video, and I'm ready to start with my first blocking, I have chosen the jump from post to post over the 360back flip I was thinking about earlier.

Here's the update on my video reference.

Week 4: Locomotion

Last week's lecture was presented by Dave Mullins,
UP(Directing Animator),Ratatouille,Cars,The Incredibles,Finding Nemo,MonstersINC(Animator),
All about Human movement, weight shift & balance,line of action, plus examples and analysis of movements such as standing up or sitting down, walk,run, lifting or throwing objects with different weights.

As for the assignment, I have to finish my shot (the 180 turn), and start planning for a new animation assignment, new characters unlocked for the new assignment and list of assignments to pick from:

1.Animate a run. Animate three full cycles and the character move forward, ("Ballie" with arms)
2.Have a character leap over a gap ("Ballie" with arms or Stewie with no arms)
3.Jump up onto a box and off the other side (Stewie - no arms)
4.Jump from one post to land and balance on another post (Stewie - no arms)

With a difficulty level of 1 start for the first option, 2starts for the 2nd,3rd option, and 3 start for the last one.













here's update on the spline of my shot then the assignment submission





And the video reference for my next animation, and some study sketches, I had a hard time analyzing some poses because of the bad quality of the ref video.I'm still not sure which one to animate the 2nd or 3rd pick, must collect more video reference to reach for a decision on that.

Week 3: Advanced Overlap & Anticipation

In last week lecture more about overlapping action & anticipation, some great examples and analysis...I'm learning so much from this material... Great stuff

The assignment last week was very frustrating, I kept working on re-blocking my shot, I finished the blocking stage on Saturday almost midnight which gave me a little time to work on the splines,(assignment due sunday noon) where all the problems start to show up! but I managed to pull it up and fix some of the problems, but yet I have so much for this week to finish up the animation.

Here's my progress from re-blocking phase to my assignment submission

Week 2 Assignment Submission

Since I decided to use flipbook (First time ever)to plan my animation which stole some time from me,I had to block the part were ballie get scared and turn around then run, I wanted to focus on the 180 turn and get it done first
so I didn't have time to finish the intro were ballie looks to the side and see whatever the thing that scares it away... the intro which was finished in the 2D planning...

last night just before I went to work, my animation blocking in maya was terrible, So when I got back this morning I spent a couple of hours finishing up & tweaking, and now after I have submitted the assignment Its time to go to bed!!! So tired

here's the assignment

Week 2 Assignment Update

Slight Update on the 2D blocking, Its taking me some time to get used to it
So I jumped to 3D blocking in maya, It's still not finished, I need to finish the 180 turn and the jump run out of the frame then go back to the intro where Ballie get scared...I'll post the finished assignment tomorrow.

Week 2: Basic Posing

Half through week two, pretty great lecture as usual, all about posing in terms of composition,Line of Action,Silhouette,& Negative Space plus more... great examples too

First Critique on assignment was good, some tips about what to wear when shooting video reference, and about framing my shot in the thumbnails

a late but an awesome discovery, FLIPBOOK, what a great software Thanks to a tutorial I bought from JASON RYAN ANIMATION website, great stuff, I bought flipbook and It will be part of my planning for animation in 2D before jumping to 3D. Amazing
here's my first test, timing is off but and still more to come

Week 1 Assignment Update

I have decided to work on the 180 Turn/scared1 the second one which my back is to the audience. I have recorded more reference video for this pick & will breakdown for animation reference.I will start working on the thumbnails once I have something to eat.
I have also updated my Class1 Reel, just added some music and titles
here's the videos

Week 1: Walk Through a Shot

On Monday got back the precious access to the AM site, I first checked who's my mentor for this class, I was so lucky to have my first mentor from Pixar, then my second from Disney... Its just Awesome.

The lecture was so interesting , with Rick O’Connor (Industrial light & Magic’s lead animator) go
through an entire shot from beginning to end. Explaining many “secrets” of animation and some hilarious jokes added more excitement to the lecture... Its FUN to learn here in AM.

Now Its time to apply what Rick have revealed in the next assignment(4 sessions long ), for which we have to pick from a list of:

1. Kick a ball
2. Take a big step to the side
3. Turn around 180 degrees

1&2 with difficulity level of one star, while 3 level of two.

Using Ballie as the character,
We have to submit a video reference acting out the assignment alternatives, & we have to submit thumbnails showing the planning/breakdown of the action .

Here's my video reference,



I think I'll go with the 180 turn/scared1 , the one with my back to the audience but I will have to face it toward the audience in my animation. I love the Opened zipper take, but I'm not sure If I can tackle that one at this stage.

more updates soon

Class 2: Introduction to Body Mechanics

Belated Happy New Year & Blog Update

It was 2 nice weeks away from the computer, unfortunately I had to work new year's eve & 9 nights afterward...Finally I got my week off. Great start for 2009, my second year in USA...

Some News I haven't posted before now, Our Fall 08 Class got divided into two pathways as a result of the new curriculum AM starting in Winter09... 4 Classes Continued on the original curriculum (The Short Film Path) vs. 12 Class ( The new Portfolio Path)

I decided to follow the short film path, It was the main reason why I joined AM. The last AM Short film generation ;)

My mentor for this class is Marlon Nowe,currently working under Glen Keane's wing, on Rapunzel at the Walt Disney Animation Studios. He finished 4 years of classical animation in Belgium, after which he worked in Brussels for 2 years on commercials. In 2000, moved to LA where he worked at Blur Studio for almost 7 years. After a year at Rhythm&Hues, working on Golden Compass, he started at the Walt Disney Animation Studios. With credits on BOLT and now working on Rapunzel.