Archives for: April 2005, 01 - [ p l a c i d c h a o s / A M ]

Archives for: April 2005, 01

Class 1: Week 1

April 1st, 2005

This first week was like any other first "day" of class. It was mainly a time to get comfortable with the site, acquainted with one another as students, and also to learn more about the staff of Animation Mentor; specifically Bobby, Carlos, and Shawn, (the three Great White Animation Ninjas). It's totally inspiring to see how passionate these guys are when it comes to talking about animation. They exude a constant aura of bubbly goo that's both funny and amazing to watch. Rest assured, these guys do have lives outside of animation, Carlos even has his own skate video, (you know, fingerboarding, that fad that died about three years ago). Got to give credit to him though, my fingers are way too uncoordinated to go from an ollie into a cabbalerial...

The assignment this week was to read chapters 1-3 in the "Illusion of Life," a truly great read that is definitely worth picking up if you are even the least bit interested in animation. Along with the video intro and chapters to read, we also had the chance to download and play with our first rig, Stu, not to be confused with NinjiStu as see at the top of this page. Get it? Ninjitsu + ninja Stu = NinjiStu... I am funny, I swear. Say hi to Stu...

Check these out when you have time to kill.
http://www.bobbyboombeck.com/
http://www.carlosbaena.com/

Peace!

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[ p l a c i d c h a o s / A M ]
The fundamental purpose for the existence of this site is to serve witness to my transformation from that of a wannabe animator, wallowing in the mud puddles of Columbus, to a highly skilled animation ninja, stealthily leaping from palm tree to palm tree on the West Coast.
In other words... I am going to post work and such from my studies in animation at Animation Mentor. If you are unfamiliar with AM, it is a totally sweet online animation school that is taught solely by industry professionals, (none of that "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach." stuff). Even though it's an online course, it is easily the best education I have received, as it's structured amazingly well, so check them out!
In case you are sitting there wondering why I would go to all the trouble of slaving away for hours on end trying to learn how to make a ball bounce convincingly, it's because I am enamored with the power of animation. No, I am not saying that I'm power hungry or want to rule the world, so chill with the eye-rolling; what I mean is that animation has a connection with people that is truly rare. Music and live action films can certainly impact people emotionally, but a song or film usually has a very specific audience that it pertains to. With animation, you can sit in a theater and witness a diverse crowd of young/old, Christian/Muslim, and white/black, taken from gut-splitting laughter to tears in a matter of minutes. The only thing I've ever witnessed that impacts such a broad audience is a fireworks show. Everyone regardless of age, race, or creed goes "ooh" and "ahh," (and while I am a pyro, I figure that animation is a safer career choice). Something I consider to be a major perk to being an animator is that you're not continuously doing the same thing; there are always different scenes or characters to live out. To be able to do this effectively you must train yourself to observe the world around you that everyone else seems to flies past. Observation is easy, you just have to stop and watch; the challenge is being able to take the essence out of what you just witnessed and apply it to otherwise inanimate binary code or drawings.
Aren't I eloquent?
The real deal, Walt Disney, said it best; "I am interested in entertaining people, in bringing pleasure, particularly laughter, to others, rather than being concerned with 'expressing' myself with obscure creative impressions." (Eisner should take note)
Enough of my rambling, I think you get the gist of the site and why I want to become an animation ninja. Always feel free to post comments, crits, or questions, however I retain the right to edit/delete any comments found objectionable or profane, so keep it appropriate.
Hang loose, brah!
"You see, we're on a mission from God." -Elwood, Blues Brothers
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