...reach...

yeah brother...keep reaching, because there is always something to strive for...even if you think you have attained everything

...searching heads...

just searching for a head design...happened to have these scanned

Sergio Pablos Part 1: Acting, Entertainment, & Variation

I decided to make another animation video for 2012. I played with the idea of a live webinar series, bit I think there would be more benefit to having a downloadable turorial. I sent out an email asking the people who purchased the first video and I received some great feedback. The name of the video currently is: "Acting, Entertainment, & Variation"...but keep this one as an option ("Acting, Performance, & Entertainment"). My last video focused on workflow and not the thoughts behind the acting. I touched a little on some of the aspects of it but I will dive deep into acting on this installment. Not only will I be talking about it, I will be talking with inspiring veterans. So far I will be talking to James Baxter, Sergio Pablos, & Kristof Serrand. 

-This is very exciting

...drawings on a lazy day...

 ... I am always drawing but its just a matter of scanning and posting.  I wish there was an instant scan or something attached to a drawing pad.  The new Wacom toy looks nice but I will wait for the version that can read a larger drawing surface.  Any way..here are a few that I did on a Saturday at home.  When Croods is over I will post some of my thumbnails and pose studies for my shots.. who knows maybe some will get into "The Art of Croods"   .....that would be cool...

Acting,Entertainment, & Variation: Video Flowchart/ Work in Progress

I decided to create the next video much differently than the first.  I asked for a lot of feedback from the people who picked it up and I got some great ideas.  There were things people liked and other parts that could be enhanced.  I really appreciate all of the great information I have been writing things out and planning accordingly.  This flow chart is apart of the layout of how the video will be created.  The red blocks represent major areas of discussion and the topics/details are underneath.  Its pretty simple in concept but will make a better user experience.  I will continue to refine this as I move forward and the chart will get a little bigger as well

thanks again guys

-jamaal

CTN EXPO: Live Animation

I will be at the CTN EXPO this year animating live at the iAnimate Booth.  If you are there, you can ask me questions of any kind while I work away on a shot.  This should be a fun event as always!  I like getting to see the people I havent worked with in a while as well as seeing all of the goodies the artists have to offer.  I will be animating for a few hours on Saturday and Sunday.  Jason Ryan will be at the booth as well as a few other instructors from the iAnimate school. 

Hope to see you there!

Pressure Anim & New iAnimate Character....new Video Tutorial on the way!!!

This is the animation I created for the "...from Planning to Polish..." video.  There are few things I can do to it but I am not going to touch it.  The purpose was to show how I go from start to end on this kind of shot.  I am going to be working on another video that will talk about the thought process behind going through the two extremes of acting in one shot; subtle and broad.  I am working out the details of how to discuss it as well as figuring out the exact type of animation that will help reinforce the ideas.  We talk about many things in the studio as animators and most of it comes from time and experience.  Thats probably the biggest benefit of working in production...having access to the different experiences of other animators and the things they have discovered through their journeys.  This video wont be as long but I plan on giving a lot of good information...

stay tuned...

This is another great rig created by Victor Vinyals for iAnimate.  I will be using this character for the new video.  I will post more information very soon!

...focusing on your work...

this is an original drawing from Treasure Planet by Sergio and I was geeked to get it.  Its rare to get a hold of any of his stuff so it was nice to add it to my collection.... and I will never tell where I got it from!


Its not surprising to hear that the people you look up to were and are hard workers.  I have heard many stories about different animators.  One story was about Sergio Pablos who painstakingly inbetweened his own work on Treasure Planet.  It was his way of making sure his performances were exactly what he wanted.  I never had the honor of working with him but everyone that has had the pleasure states that he is a very focused animator (as most of the top guys are).  With the way we work today you can find that there are many distractions in the workplace...ESPECIALLY with the damn internet.  You can get pulled away in an instant if you do not  FOCUS.  If you think about the way any great professional in history had to work to get things done some things will become clear.  Imagine being up on a skyscraper during the industrial age, putting in some rivets, and suddenly getting on Facebook to post something real dumb. You probably would have lost your life not to mention doing a half ass job on an 80 story building.  Its an extreme example but you get the idea.