Animation is about Possibilities and the Choices

We are all profoundly connected.

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

11 Second Clubin'

I submitted an animated peice for the 11 second club last year and I told myself that I would stick with it every month. And I didn't. Not 'but' I didn't. I don't want the implied 'being sorry' held in that little word 'but' overshadow the lack of integrity in failing to meet a goal. Not that there's anything wrong with that, and that IS the point. Once 'something is wrong' is taken out of the equation, then I can address the why as to that thing not being done, instead of the implied morality around making mistakes. But (joke) I DID enter it in July and August 2010 and I've started the September contest.

My little Bipshere project featured a line from 'Defending your Life'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydCqJKdsBWs&feature=related

For the July2010 11 Second Club animation challenge. The clip is from ' Requiem for a Dream' , one of the most depression films of all time. Coming out of splines mode I deleted a small walking section and threw off some of the timoing. I didn't feel comfortable uploading it for the contest. This is a playblast. I may tweak it and do a final render pass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Wd9-W3V9E

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Thursday, November 19, 2009

The power of being

I've wasted so much time trying to do things. Then I beat myself up for wasting time. When the truth is that time is not mine to waste, if time exists anywhere besides in the minds of humans, I am here when I am and I'm gone when I'm not. But marking my passage and holding the universe accountable is inauthentic to an infinitly expanding universe. There is no time, only being. The idea of 'now' is equally as pointless a concept in infinity, because there can be no other thing. Now does not exist in infinity, and it is all that there is. I've never tried. I've only worried; fretted, considered, and sought consensus. I call it trying to feign progress. Thinking about doing is a waste of...infinity? In infinity all moments shrik to nothingness, and in nothingness all things are possible. Freedom to create comes from the ultimate blank canvas. But this damn cause and effect thinking is a rusted trap. If I could just get beyond the effect and just be cause, leaving the effect in the past instead of in the future. Move ahead of result or leave it for those trapped in time to consider. To be cause and being in one quintessential point of infinity, leving effect to shrink into nothingness with the rest of the universe that is always expiring. Never to strive. Never to try. Just being.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Power in Observation

Probably the most underrated skill an animator possesses is his powers of observation. Its all of the subtly of life that give us the character and personality that truly great animation possesses. We all basically walk the same, eat the same way and share language, but it’s in the small differing ways that we west about doing these things that make us individuals. Those are the parts of us that our loved ones know about us. It’s our flavah. And it’s the subtly of animation that the audience can connect to. ‘I know THAT guy’. The who, what, where, and why are important ingredients to the events in a story. But the ‘How’ of an issue is what makes it interesting.
When I am in public drawing, it’s not enough to draw what I see. I must capture the ‘how’ of the thing. And do it until it is a part of my way of seeing. Until I spend my more public times in a natural state of observation.
Today I noticed a mother flip her long hair back over her shoulder before the squatted, heels high, to lift her toddler from the play structure. I noticed how erect she held her head so that her hair would not flip back to the front of her shoulder. Had she leaned forward she would have to make her hair adjustment with arms full of baby. My impression was that this was a young mother who still found herself quite beautiful and was at the opposite of the mom who cuts her hair to accommodate her maternal lifestyle. She was natural and adept at her style of mothering and posturing amongst the other moms.
Animation Mentor’s Shawn Kelly says in his tips and tricks e-book, that when you’re out in public drawing, don’t forget to wear sunglasses so you don’t creep people out! Of course that e-book is so much more than a treasury of tips. It’s a look into the inner working of how an animator thinks, feels and views the world. His powers of observation are inhuman, and the information contained in his e-book is so casually presented that it’s easy to forget how difficult this stuff all is. He breaks it all down like Einstein explaining physics. It takes a true master to make the impossible sound easy.
I'm trying out a few poses for the 11 second club in June. Not sure that it's readable yet. I'm trying out this new rig named max too. He works great, but I'm not used to the chest controler. I need to act this out a few more times and refine the concept. I used the entire character training packet from AM, laying out this charater a a prisoner who is digging his way out of the prison, but he pops up in the wardens office by mistake.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjMVIG13xhU

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

E3 2009

I went to E3 at the LA Convention Center. Not the madhouse it was in the past. I was there to promote MojoMediaCSI llc. on behalf of Thor, Dan and myself.

www.mojomediacsi.com

LIFE AFTER PEOPLE, THE SERIES DEMO REEL
http://www.mojomediacsi.com/reel.htm
History Channel's 2008 Emmy Award nominated special

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Fiiinal

I crashed at my friends house last night and saw my animation on youtube with a fresh set of eyes in the morning. I was mortified and had to rush home to fix the horrible way that this guy was sliding down his chair. Then I didn't like the sliding hands, then I didn't like the popping elbow, and then and then and then...I got it into the competition with 15 minutes to spare. It refused to acept my .mov, which it had before, but finally accepted an .avi after I lost a little hair. There are still a couple of areas that I need to smooth out but this one is in the bag.

In the previous version, the body started of rigid as he layed back in the first 2 sec, and the right arm was resting on the bar. But the additional body contortions moved the rt arm forward so that it was floating. So I moved the hand to rest on the right thigh. As he adjusts his body in the first 24 frames I made the hands really wrap around the leg as is slides up his thigh. I also played with the reverse curvature of his spine. I calmed down the return of his extended rt arm after the point too. I turned it in with 20 minutes to spare.

Although there is some smoothing to do in a couple of places before it's reel ready. Not to mention lighting, a reaction shot, etc. Film Director Dan halprin has offered to assist me with the cuts and has alredy made some great suggestions o keep it natural and story driven. This exercise was a estament to the words of Brian DeMetz who told me that in CG it takes 10 percent of the time to get 90 percent of the work done. The last 10 percent of the work takes the remaining 90 percent of the time.



www.jgibsoniv.com

Saturday, May 30, 2009

First final to 11 second club.

My first FINAL submission. Nice workout. I did manage to get a day o surfing in this Tuesday at Sunset beach. Water was a tad icy and I broke my zipper suiting up, but I had a relaxing session. I saw UP today with the fam. I wept. The story gets to me and also I marvel at teh artistry of the Pixar clan. I just cant believe that storytelling can be so wonderful. I feel myself going down the emotional path , I'm aware of every device that they use and I jus cant help but be swept awy. Live action film seldom moves me like they do. Pete Doctor spoke at my graduation ceremony and he said to persue my passion. I am. And HE has a monkey!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKHMWospgm4

Thursday, May 28, 2009

day 3 of Barfly

I took the recomendations of the online community and added a few frames to the beginning. I also removed some of the center poses for more acting opportunities. I might back down some of the head movement but I need to move forward. next is to offset keys, do facial animation, adjust the eye target. Thanks to PhelanS and KeithE for your input.



://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LaINfPTaVE

www.jgibsoniv.com