May 22nd 2009

Hi all! Time certainly flies when you’re having fun. Class 2 went by in a flash with my mentor Jon Collins and now I’m in Class 3 with freelance animator Dana Boadway.

As before, each assignment builds upon what has been learnt previously so this term I’ve been pushing body mechanics further with a heavy lifting assignment, a push and a back flip (based on Donald O’Connor’s “Make ‘em laugh” routine from Singin’ in The Rain). I can’t wait to get into the acting soon but that’s still a few weeks away!

I’m currently in the blocking stage of my back flip animation but I’d like to share something I learnt from my first assignment this term, a heavy lift. When you’re still learning the basics of animation don’t stray too far from your video reference! Exaggerate of course but don’t go doing something almost completely different. My heavy lifting assignment went a little bit wrong because of this as I couldn’t find footage of something heavy enough for what I wanted. I then thought to myself, no problem, I’ll just make it look heavier when it comes to animating it, good grief I shouldn’t have done that! Anyway, lesson learnt and my next assignment came out a lot better.

After Class 1 the structure of the assignments changed from a new assignment each week to one every three or four, which gives everyone the luxury of polishing their shots to a very high standard. In the industry we certainly wouldn’t get the chance to spend a month animating an eight second shot but it’s certainly a fantastic opportunity at this stage.  As well as the huge amount of time we’re given, the enthusiasm and feedback from the mentors and fellow students help to add that extra level of quality. To see my Animation Mentor work so far you can watch this video here: http://www.vimeo.com/3105513

Going back a few months now I thought I’d talk about how I got started at Animation Mentor and the enrollment process. If memory serves I think I first heard about them through a website called The 11 Second club (www.11secondclub.com), which is a monthly animation competition with the prize being a critique of your work from a professional animator. Animation Mentor sponsors this competition so when I saw the level of work coming from them I looked for as much information as I could find and a few months later after I’d finished University I enrolled.

There’s no previous experience necessary when you enroll, the main bulk of the enrollment process really was there to test your enthusiasm for animation, it seems forever and a day ago now but I remember having to write a brief essay on why I wanted to be an animator and it’s always interesting to talk to other students about their stories as well. Everyone seems to have a defining moment when they decided that animation was what they wanted to do, for me it was a combination of watching Aardman’s character Morph on Tony Hart’s programme “Hart Beat”, Rolf Harris’s “Rolf’s Cartoon Club” and the Wallace and Gromit shorts.

Right o, I’d best get back to my assignment now. I’ve just started a part-time job so time management is getting more crucial. My upmost respect goes out to all the AM students with full time jobs and families!

Thanks again to Nik and Nancy for letting me invade your blog!

All the best everybody!
Simon

When Simon Taylor, a young British animator, first told me about the Online Animation Mentor Program I was anxious to learn how it worked first hand. For the last few months I have followed Simon’s progress.  As he told me more and more about the program I realized that many of you might not be aware of this on-line opportunity and so I have asked Simon to write about his adventure.  Whenever Simon feels that he has something to say and has the time, more installments of his adventure will appear here.

Simon Taylor

Good morning, afternoon and evening fellow wanderers of the Internet.  My name is Simon Taylor, I’m an animation student and I’ve been invited by Nancy to share with you my experiences at the online animation school Animation Mentor. Just to give as brief an intro as possible about myself, I’ve been animating in one shape or form since a very early age. From 2001 to 2006, I was entering films into the Co‐Op Young Film‐Makers Festivals, which really gave me the enthusiasm to keep pushing myself to get better and is how I came into contact with Nancy.

Animation has always been a hobby of mine, but I only started to think of it as a serious career choice relatively recently as I was doing my degree in Italian and Film Studies at The University of Kent at Canterbury. I did a Masters in Computer Animation at the same University run by former ILM animator David Byers Brown. The course taught a phenomenal amount about Maya and animation and has given me a good foundation to find some animation‐related work while I continue my studies through Animation Mentor.

If you’re interested in seeing my work from University please see my current site www.simontayloranimation.com and to see my older and more embarrassing productions please visit www.simontaylorfilms.com !

Right - on with the show!

2nd October 2008

Somewhere in an undisclosed desert, an army of clowns are building a hotel out of legos. As I stand there observing, an alarm sounds out of nowhere and I’m suddenly awake in my room. I turn to my alarm clock and the time slowly comes into focus ‐ 5.01am ‐ and I’m actually excited to be up this early!  Today is my first Q&A session at the online animation school Animation Mentor and in just under an hour I’ll be meeting my mentor Josh Book (who works at Wild Brain) and classmates for the first time.

Two slices of toast and a cup of tea later, I’m in front of my webcam introducing myself to the class, talking about what inspired me to get into animation and listening to everyone else’s back stories. There’s an infectious enthusiasm at Animation Mentor and a surprising range of backgrounds  from everybody, ranging from people in their teens who have always wanted to be animators to people who have spent their lives in one career and wanting a new start.

The Q&As are a weekly meeting with your mentor and classmates and are your chance to get some face to face time with everybody, ask questions on the week’s lecture, and generally get to know everyone.  Each semester, you’re given a new class and mentor, so you quickly build up a collection of current (and hopefully future!) industry contacts.

Class 1 (the first semester) was fantastic - each week was spent on just one exercise which centred around a particular animation principle and made sure we really understood why we were animating something a certain way, which paid off later on. The lectures are a weekly video you watch online and are always very clear. Of course you can always watch them as many times during the week as you like. The assignments each week gently built upon each other so by the end of the twelve weeks, the combination of community feedback and Josh’s excellent critiques really ensured that you improved quickly and build confidence.

I’ve included below a link to a collection of my shots from Class 1. What has really impressed me with the course structure is how logically the characters and the syllabus build upon each other so by the time you finish Class 1 you think of the hips in the same way you originally thought about the bouncing ball and it almost becomes second nature to think about how the weight and overlapping action should be working.

CLICK HERE

liaa logo

Lucerne International Animation Academy 8-12 of December 2009

The institute Design of Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts will organise the first Lucerne International Animation Academy from the 8–12 of December 2009. The goal of this Symposium is to encourage a theoretical debate about current and historical questions of animation as an independent form of the “Moving Picture Production” in Switzerland.

This event mainly addresses researchers, lecturers and students in the field of media (animation, film, special effects). During this unique platform in Lucerne, highly qualified lecturers from theory and practice will discuss topics about animation.

The questions on the specifics of dramaturgy in animation film will be the main focus. It will be discussed whether it is right to use dramaturgic concepts of real films for animation. The objective is to find out whether or not there are independent rules for the Dramaturgy in animation films. Presentations, keynotes, workshops and film presentations will be held in order to discuss the main subject of this event in an interdisciplinary way. The results will be published and used in practical and theoretical lessons in animation and film schools.

Otto Alder, Co-Head of the Animation Department

The 2^nd ANIMART, a summer meeting about animation and related arts, will be held 13 through 20 July in Monodendri, near Ioannina, Greece. 2008 is the Year of Intercultural Dialogue and so workshops and programs will be presented by many leading professionals from around the world.

Workshops will include clay animation conducted by Rony Oren from Israel; animator and ex libris creator extraordinaire Rastko Ciric of Serbia will lead the Cartoon Animation workshop and Portugal’s Fernando Galrito will lead participants through “The Draw and the Pixilation”.

Mohamed Ghazala of Egypt will give us a glimpse into Egyptian and African animation, and Nik and I will talk about the history of music through animation. Nik and Rastko will reprise their musical act in the amphitheatre with a moonlight concert featuring what else? - Moon songs!

The 8 days will be packed with all of this and much more including a live music performance to a classic Greece Silent movie, also in the amphitheatre.

If you need an excuse to come to Greece (and who would ever really need an excuse) ANIMART is it. For more information you can visit their wed site www.animart.gr or you can contact them by e-mail at: info@animationcenter.gr

Animart 2008

As I watched noted director and film critic Natalia Lukinyk’s touching moving documentary film Alexander Tatarsky, Or How To Embrace The Immense . . . I found it hard to believe that it has been almost a year since one of the biggest hearts in Russian animation stopped beating. Natalia’s touching celluloid portrait began as part of her new trilogy of films about creative Russian and Ukrainian artists in three different fields titled The Restless Talents. Sadly the film was completed as a labor of love after the untimely death of her close friend.

Alexander Tatarsky

Natalia gives us a warm and insightful view into the early life that shaped a true artistic genius. Humorous moments of Alexander playing with his beloved toy collection which he said every grown-up child needed and pictures of him with his dogs and cats that played an important part in his life from early childhood show one side of this very complex man. Most beautiful of all are the pictures of him with his wife and of him holding his young son at home in Moscow.The great director and animator went on to found Pilot Studios, the first private animation studio in the new Russia, turning it into one of the world’s leading animation studios. Pilot is world renowned, winning awards at festivals the world over and mentoring several decades of animators and script writers that now work in all corners of the world. Speaking of his dear friend and colleague at Pilot, Valentin Telegin said “He took up a flag and led the troops.” This quote complete summarizes the great man’s life.

For those of us who had the privilege to know Sasha, Alexander Tatarsky, Or How To Embrace The Unembracable . . . brings back wonderful memories. Even though my Russian is limited to a few words I can recall afternoons on the KROK boat, sharing drinks and laughter with a man whose humor and delight of the world knew no boundaries geographically or linguistically. For those who were not lucky enough to encounter this amazing man or his films, Natalia’s documentary serves as a perfect introduction to his amazing world.

Whenever Nik and I travel schools to do our workshops, it’s always interesting to see how each school has set up its curriculum. Recently, we had the pleasure of getting acquainted with the workings of the animation program at the Arts Institute at Bournemouth in Bournemouth, England. I was already familiar with the high quality of the students’ work from festivals such as Annecy and by viewing the 2007 Graduation reel, and was very pleased to receive an invitation to visit the Animation Production Department from Professor Peter Parr and his charming and talented wife Astor. This gave me a chance to find out how their BA (Hons) Animation Program was structured.

With Astor and Peter Parr at their home

The first thing that struck me was the intensive team based program that the staff has put together. Each student is exposed to and required to develop a strong working knowledge of the total production process, giving the young animator a good introduction to the working conditions they will find upon entering the professional animation world.

Students at all levels operate together, and teamwork is stressed as the key to success for everyone’s work. Students in levels one, two and three work alongside each other from the very beginning, giving an added reality to the animation industry, where colleagues must relate to each other and talk ideas through, giving support to a the project and to each other. Far too many schools fail to address this aspect of the industry, leaving students to face a jarring reality when they finally enter “the real world”.

Nik and I have gotten to know Professor Peter Parr over the past several years and have developed a deep respect for him. He and his wonderfully creative course staff are firm believers in the principal that creating excellent animation in any form requires a mastery of practical skills - draftsmanship, technical proficiency, and technical knowledge. Students are encouraged to work in the different mediums of traditional, computer based and stop-motion animation and, while computer solutions are taught, all students must first learn the fundamentals by starting at the beginning of the animation process through drawing. It is easy to see the deep respect and affection that the students have for each other as you watch them work together. These feelings also extend to Professor Parr and the rest of the staff. It is really a pleasure to watch the students and faculty interact with humor and respect on both sides.

The Arts Institute’s animation program recruits students from throughout Europe, and thanks to Astor Parr’s hard work, is also actively recruiting in Asia. A program is open to all students that involves leaving the school for 13 weeks during level 2 to work in a professional studio in Europe. Students are also encouraged to consider the Erasmus Exchange Program which provides the opportunity to study at another European school.

The Arts Institute is one of only fifteen institutions of higher education in the UK devoted solely to the arts. Courses range from the School of Arts and the Design School to the School of Media, and students are encouraged to cross course boundaries to solve problems. The animation studios have been completely refurbished recently, and each student is provided with an individual work station and light box as well as having access to group work spaces. The animation department also has its own computer site.

Teamwork in Action

At the lght tables

One of the workstations

Their modern and inviting library offers a selection of 50,000 books, over 300 journals, DVD’s, videos and CD’s in a bright and inviting atmosphere with ample space for comfortable individual and group study. The library also offers Wi-Fi and access to both pc and mac computers.

From the library balcony

Study alcove

The Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP), established in 1988 is also located in the library and on exhibit is a comprehensive collection of all things plastic from 1880 to the present day. It is a special learning tool for students to be able to view such items up close as Bakelite radios, jewelry, even Mr. Potato Head, and is also an opportunity for visitors to travel back to a bygone design era.

Nik and I began our visit by presenting our “History of Animation through Music” program to a packed auditorium of students who asked intelligent and interesting questions. I spent my two days at the Arts Institute at Bournemouth touring the animation studios, seeing the impressive results of the Fashion Design Program, visiting the library and Plastics museum, touring the model making studio and viewing an exhibit by students of the Interior Architecture and Design Department in their beautiful new building. I took the opportunity to informally chat with many students in different departments, all of whom expressed enthusiasm for their course studies, the faculty, fellow students and most importantly, of all the opportunities that an education at the Arts Institute offers them.

Student audience

Talking film

Nik spent his two days working with the groups of animation students giving advice for the music for the 2008 Graduation Showcase Films. In 2007 he worked with two groups of students to create the music for their films, and will be composing and performing the scores for several of the 2008 Showcase Films as well as consulting with students who need some “sound” advice.

A big plus about all programs at The Arts Institute is that they are designed to be positive and friendly to all disabilities, and all the programs try to accommodate specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia (very near and dear to my heart since I suffer from it and had to struggle my way through higher education with very little support or understanding). The programs are also equipped to handle students with sensory impairments, and medical conditions such as diabetes and epilepsy.

If you are a student looking for the right animation school to study at or a professional in the industry wanting to stay on top of what’s new and where top new young talent is emerging from, check out The Arts Institute at Bournemouth website at www.aib.ac.uk. If you are a student and are interested in attending the next Open Day on 20 February, 2008, or want to arrange for a separate campus tour, you can also register on the website. You can also contact the Course Office in Great Britain at 01202 363 228.

Class of 2006

I am in Switzerland, as a lecturer at Art & Design branch of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (Hochschule Luzern, formerly HGK Lucerne School of Art and Design), staying in Zurich with my dear friend Rolf Bächler. This is the second time Rolf and I have taught a course together titled “What’s Cooking?” which we created last year for the newly introduced Design Management class. As the first instructors at the beginning of the studies, our task is team building while exposing the new group of students to a real-life management and design assignment.

To achieve this goal, we use a hands-on cooking project: In a very short time, the students must plan a meal within a budget for a group of people. They must take into consideration the specific needs and expectations of the people, plan, shop, cook, decorate, serve and clean up – all in a rigid time frame. In Lucerne the service is provided for the “Senti-Treff” Community Center’s regular Tuesday Family lunch-table, which is usually attended by 20 to 25 adults and children.

Students at Work

Nancy and Rolf on boat

In the process of this project, the group must define what needs to be done, break into small task groups to execute the duties and yet work as a total team to complete the task.In a morning lecture, Rolf and I outline the task, but after that we are only there to give advice when we are asked for it, and jump in if we see that anything is going terribly wrong. We want the students to set up their own structure, think and plan through the process and execute every task themselves.

The result of this exercise is to get a group to learn how to quickly build a team while still functioning as individuals and for small groups within the team to solve a problem. They also must apply design techniques in the guise of decorating the rooms and the tables, draw menus, present the meals, etc.

This course has been so well received by our students that we would love to make it available to other schools and businesses that could profit from it. I hope you enjoy the attached pictures from our 2006 class and the comments by one of the participants. If you want to know more about “What’s Cooking”, you can e-mail me at nik@niksprocket.org.

Bon appetit!

Module 1 - What’s Cooking

Comments from one of our students

So, what’s cooking? Or should it rather be called “what’s up”? At least that’s how it could be interpreted. All the same, it is what it says, cooking! But what has cooking in common with Design Management? Definitely more than one might assume at first glance. Just think of all the ingredients that you need to prepare a proper three-course menu and what it takes until the dishes can be served. Nothing to be worried about you might reckon. However, what if it is not just for a handful of friends but for some hundred guests? All of a sudden you are to face a great deal of challenges that you have to overcome i.e. with whom are you dealing, what are their requirements, what’s the budget, how do you “design” this event and its various facets, which premises are suitable catering for this number of people, where and how do I go for shopping and how do you split up the various jobs (obviously such a task could never be managed by a single person) to mention only but a few. Hence welcome to the world of Design Management and the perfect case study and unforgettable experience to kick off this course.

Text by Simon Buikema
DMI - December 2006