How In-Depth Was Your Education at Animation Mentor? Has it Given You an Edge Over the Competition?

I didn't realize what I didn't know until I began Animation Mentor.

I had been working at a game studio for about five years and I thought I had the “animation thing” under control. When I began as a student at Animation Mentor, I was very happy to find out that there was so much I still had to learn.

One of the most powerful things that Animation Mentor taught me is that I will never know everything. I will always be a student of animation. That mentality keeps me constantly working to expand my horizons, and hopefully will make me a better animator little by little.

Guest Blogger Josh Riley

What are Some Fundamental Concepts of Facial Animation?

This question actually doesn’t have a simple answer. It’s actually pretty layered.

Let’s look at facial animation through the steps of animation (at least the process that I’m accustomed to). I treat the face as part of the drawing when it comes to blocking. It finishes off the pose and has everything to do with the appeal, the line of action and the intent. The face has to carry what the body is intending. I like to move almost everything that can move (brows, lids – upper AND lower, cheeks, lips) out of their zero pose. This allows the character to be different than normal so it seems a bit more alive.

The second part is dealing with blocking plus. How does the face go from one pose to the next? Is it leading the action or is the character thinking before he does something? This is setup a little in the anticipation but mostly on the breakdowns and in-betweens.

Did you notice one thing that I haven’t mentioned at all yet? It’s lip sync. I personally think that lip sync should be done last. If you can make a character emote and TALK without moving his lips, the sync will simply be icing on the cake.

As a director, I would ask that no lip sync be put on the blocking pass at all. I felt like it would do two things. First, it would distract the heck out of me. I wouldn’t want to look anywhere else because those dang lips were flapping! Secondly, it could make the overall animation weak. Remember what I said about making the character talk without sync? This is where it comes in. If you spend all of your time doing sync before the rest of the animation is done, you will lull yourself into thinking the animation IS done. You may not even notice the character is out of balance and could lose out on an opportunity to make an OK scene great.

Guest Blogger Mike Gasaway

What is Your Advice to a Graduating Student as They Begin Their Career as an Animator?

I would say, for starters, to not be afraid to put yourself out there. I almost didn't give a demo reel to ILM because I assumed it was pointless. Needless to say, I was shocked and thrilled to find out that they wanted to hire me. Don't decide that you aren't ready for certain companies until you have at least tried. You might be surprised.

Also, there are a lot of factors that go into whether you are hired that have nothing to do with whether you have enough talent or skill to do the work. Sometimes it is simply a matter of timing, so if you don't get the job of your dreams on your first go around, don't think that you won't have other chances. Shoot for the stars!

Another thing that can be a fine line to walk with companies is trying to sound enthusiastic without sounding desperate. I've heard stories of people trying to play it cool and instead just came off as disinterested. That won't do much for office morale. Companies like to feel that you want to be there and that you want to be working on the project. It's ok to geek out a little. However, it is not a good idea to tell them that you would clean the toilets to get a foot in the door. You want them to leave the conversation respecting you a bit more than they did before, and toilet scrubbing just doesn't do the trick.

As far as progressing in your work, the one thing that has always served me well is that I always like to take on whatever scares me the most. You will learn far more by trying something and not quite getting it right than you will from animating things that are easy. If it scares you, then there is something to be gained from it. You may not nail it the first time, but you probably will the second or third time. No one in the industry asks about what your grades were or how successfully you completed your homework. They want to know if you have the skills needed to animate well, and the fastest way to get there is to push yourself beyond what you are comfortable with. Don't worry about the demo reel all the time. Try to take on shots that you will learn from, and you will probably end up with a great reel anyway.

Lastly, BE NICE! Everyone I work with is super friendly and great to be around. There aren't any jerks, because no one wants to hire them. You want your co-workers to like you, because that is the number one way that you will get jobs in the future. Personality means so much in this business, so just be friendly and enthusiastic. This job is a ton of fun, so take the time to enjoy it!!!

Guest Blogger Travis Tohill

Why is Flexibility in the Face Important?

Flexibility allows the face to show a very broad range of expressions. Think about Clint Eastwood’s stone-cold show-down face compared to Jim Carrey’s reaction expressions. Now there is range in flexibility.

The only problem is that their skulls are solid and do not change shape. Well, that might not be true for Mr. Carrey’s cranium, but let’s assume it is. A face is comprised of moving parts all related to one another working as an aesthetic team and is part of a larger team – the character.

Each team has a leader. The eyes are the first to act on internal orders or internal force and lead the face into action. If the eyes pinch shut, the entire face is probably pulled in toward them, forehead and eyebrows down with nose, cheeks, chin, and mouth drawn up - squash. When the eyes pop open the face is pushed away – stretch.

There will be exceptions, so note this as a 99% rule, not an absolute. For example, eyes close during a big inhale and eyebrows go up, not down toward the eyes. A face shows confinement and release of emotional energy, as does a hand or the entire body. The degree of flexibility in a face depends on the design and nature of the character in context to its world - is it cartooned or real?

Guest Blogger Wayne Gilbert

If You Don't Have a Short Film, What Do You Show in Your Demo Reel?

What you show on your demo reel all depends on which studio you are applying for. You have to cater your reel not only to the studio, but more specifically for the project you are applying for. For example, I wouldn’t apply to Blue Sky with the work I did on Iron Man 2. I am proud of what I did on that film, but it doesn’t fit the style of the work coming out of that studio. So I would put together a reel with a more cartoony style, with some other styles peppered in. I think it’s good to show you can adapt to different styles.

Let’s say you haven’t done anything in the style of the studio or project you are applying for. If you have time, do a piece or two in that style. If you don’t have time I would send what you have anyway. I believe studios are looking more for animators that have an understanding of animation rather then style. Style is easier to teach than principles.

As for the actual reel, don’t make it too long. Only put your best work on it. Quality over quantity is definitely key here. From what I understand, a reel over two minutes is too long and a reel under a minute might be too short. I have also heard to start out with your second to best piece to “wow” them so that they keep watching, then finish with your best piece to finish strong. And, I wouldn’t get too fancy. Let the animation speak for itself. I don’t think it’s necessary to have your name fly in from off screen or anything like that. Also, if you have a dialogue piece – turn the music way down (if you have music in the background) or off for that section. It’s a bit frustrating to be watching an awesome dialogue piece and see the jaw flapping, but can’t hear what the character is saying.

Guest Blogger Jess Morris