Design Guides

Computer Animation in Post Production

2010-11-17T15:27:00.001-08:00

Computer animation in Post Production

One of the most sought after jobs in the market today is computer animation. The technology of computer animation is getting simpler and simpler day by day; simultaneously, the opportunities for people aspiring to become computer animators have increased tremendously.

The Technique

Traditionally, animation always used to be done in the manual way. The most popularly adopted method was to create a series of cartoon frames, which were then combined into a film. Another method was by using physical models, which were placed in a certain place and the image was captured; the model was then moved and the next image captured; and the process used to continue.

But, the conventional way has been replaced by computer animation. Computer animation, which is a part of computer graphics, is the technique of creating moving images with the use of computers. It is created by means of 3D or 2D computer graphics. Computer graphics is also referred to as 'Computer-Generated Imagery'. An image is shown on the computer screen, which creates an illusion of movement and this is replaced by a new image, which is slightly different from the previous image. Sophisticated computer animation involves moving the camera or the objects in a more refined way, wherein, the law of physics is used for achieving this.

The Software

Computer animation can be created with the help of a computer and animation software. Cinema 4D, Amorphium, Poser, and Ray Dream Studio are some examples of animation software. Many software options are available and prices vary according to the sophistication of the programs.

Computer animators are creative artists who use high-tech tools for achieving their creative perfection, but the ultimate reason for their achievement is their creative vision.

Forms of animation

There are different types of animation available:

o Scripting Systems was the earliest system used for motion control, where the computer animator writes a script in animation language. One of such scripting languages is Actor Script animation Language.

o Procedural animation (which defines the movement over time), uses the law of physics for generating a movement. For example, consider a motion, which is the result of another action, as in the case of a ball, which if thrown towards an object, hits that particular object and causes it to move in the desired direction.

o Representational animation is a technique, wherein an object changes its shape during animation. This is sub-divided into three categories - articulated object animation, soft object animation, and morphing.

o Stochastic animation, which controls a groups of objects like fireworks and waterfalls.

o Behavioral animation, where a group of objects behaves according to a set pattern as indicated by the animator.

Computer generated animation is used in various diverse fields such as films, television, videos, advertising, gaming, website designing and in a host of other situations. Due to its wide range of application, computer animation has seen a spurt in growth in the last few years.

Audiences all over the world, especially young audiences, are captivated by the extreme graphics and sound effects, which have been introduced in television programs, movies as well as in commercials. Use of multimedia makes the presentation even more attractive and effective.

Soar High With Computer Animation Careers

2010-11-17T15:26:00.002-08:00

Soar High With Computer animation Careers

Have you ever wondered how the characters in the films Shrek, Finding Nemo or The Incredibles were made? The characters in these films

are all products of computer animation. animation companies hire creative people with a broad

knowledge and experience in drawing. This is the reason why animators should have the passion for animation, as well as talent in drawing. During the

earlier years in the movie making business, cartoon series episode are done manually or drawn using the artists bare hands. But as

technology advances, the tricks of the trade have been developed, which is why the animated films being shown today become more of a

visual delight.

Two-dimensional and three-dimensional computer graphics are being used in computer animation. In two-dimensional or 2D animation, separate transparent layers and drawings

without skeleton are used. In three-dimensional or 3D animation, the virtual skeleton is manipulated with figures. Just like the U.S., Japan is a highly developed country

which has great fascination for animation. They used

unique formats in traditional and robot animation,

taking pride in products like Voltes V and Gundam. If you want to partake in the success of the computer animation industry, then you need to think about

concentrating on computer animation careers where

there are a lot of options to choose from.

Today, computers are used to give life to animation.

It helps animators perform their tasks easier. If you have enough knowledge in kinematics as well as an extraordinary talent in

drawing, then you are the right person for animation.

But if you are interested in the same field but you are not blessed with real talent, do not lose hope. There are schools that offer

courses in various creative arts and help people with their computer animation careers. You will learn about the fundamentals of artistic designing, coloring, drawing, graphic designs,

video designs, cartooning and other essentials of animations.

Computer animation careers are illustrious because

most companies producing animated films need creative animators. The beauty of an animated movie lies on the creativity of the

animator. Animated movies will look realistic depending on the knowledge and creativity of the animator. If you would like to work as

an animator, you are required to acquire a degree in animation. You may find several schools offering courses that teach technical skills and include actual practice.

There are also online computer animation schools that

offer short courses in the same field.

However, do not expect to become a great animator in just one day. You need a lot of practice and patience to attain the skills needed

in animation. In a few years, with your time,

patience and effort, you will surely gain the appropriate skills needed to become a successful animator. animation companies prefer to employ animators with

exceptional talent. Also, having a good reference in school is an advantage for future employment. After gaining enough skills and

experience, you are now ready to sink your teeth in the amazing world of computer animation with computer animation careers.

Animation Career Paths – The Storyboard Artist

2010-11-17T15:26:00.000-08:00

The storyboard is the visual shot-by-shot translation of a script and is the basis for the entire production process that follows, including design, background and layout, animation, and post production. Despite changing technology, storyboards are still mostly drawn by hand.
Storyboards represent the finished product long before great time and expense goes into a project. The storyboard artist, working in the style of the production, maintains storytelling continuity, breaks down the script into scenes or shots, establishes the size relationships between characters and props, and indicates the acting by hitting strong poses on each story point. In addition, the storyboard artist is often the first to rough out new background locations, characters, and props. A storyboard artist balances strong drawing skills with a good knowledge of anatomy, acting, directing, staging, and the ability to think creatively and quickly. With such commanding skills, story-board artists often develop into animation directors.
Veteran storyboard artist and co-creator of Frederator/Nickelodeon’s Call Me Bessie!, Diane Kredensor, describes the daily duties of a storyboard artist, “First, you go through the script and thumbnail out your shots. Then you pitch your thumbnails to the storyboard supervisor or animation director for notes and changes. From there, you flesh it out, adding the acting, into a full rough storyboard. Some productions already have the voices recorded and the board artist will board to track. Otherwise, you create (draw) the acting and the voice actor match your board. Once your rough board is approved by the director, you make it pretty, putting everything on model, and then you’re done.
What kind of training and skills does a storyboard artist need to develop to start out and to keep advancing in her career? According to Diane Kredensor, you want to be a good draftsman, able to draw the human figure in a variety of poses. “ Other skills should include strong storytelling, cinematography, staging and composition. Storyboards should clearly communicate ideas to the entire production team, so strong communication skills are an important asset”.
All the experts agree that the most intensive learning takes place on the job. The more experience you have out there working with other people’s good boards, the better your own boards become.

Animation Career Paths – The Character Animator

2010-11-17T15:25:00.000-08:00

Character animators work in 2D or 3D or in dimensions yet to be discovered, bringing life to talking rabbits, dancing hippos, anthropomorphic cars, near-sighted fish, and more dysfunctional families than you can shake a stick at. The principles of animation, including stretch and squash, weight, anticipation and overlapping action, were fully developed (largely at the Walt Disney studio) by 1942. Since then, character animators have applied these principles to projects with an infinite amount of stylistic variation, from full animation to low budget for the Web or TV. The character animator is a journeyman, accumulating experience and expertise over the courses of a career and a lifetime.
What kind of training and skills does a character animator need to start out and also to keep advancing in their career? Feature animator Travis Blaise (Brother Bear), advises starting with the grass roots. “Try to attend a school that teaches the fundamentals (figure drawing, painting, sculpting, art history) along with traditional animation.” TV animator and director Jim Petropolis adds, “If you learn nothing else, learn how to draw a proper human figure”.
It is also important to understand storytelling, continuity, and acting. It’s less important to research technical “how-to-animate” books and more beneficial to find books on your favorite artists or illustrators. It is better to develop your own voice and its easy to get stuck animating the way everyone else does.
What Are The Daily Duties Of A Character Animator?
TV animator Justin Simonich answers: “ As an animator you’re responsible for any scene given to you by the director, animating any characters assigned to you, and handing it by the deadline. The deadline is paramount; you have to work in a quick, yet deliberate manner.
The daily duties of a character animator often go beyond their job descriptions. Jim Petropolis feels that once you’re in a loop, expect to wear many hats simultaneously. “Over time you’ll probably be asked to do something different than what you might have hitherto been accustomed to.
Character animators, whether they work in 2D or 3D, need to keep up with technology to stay employable. To stay current with technology, read articles about new software and try them out. If you see a cool look or effect on TV, try to imitate it with Flash and After Effects. It helps you build an arsenal of styles and looks.

7 Future Preditions of Computer Animation

2010-11-17T15:24:00.000-08:00

Computer animation is created by two or three dimensional graphics of computers. Two dimensional computer animation is used for quick rendering and for low bandwidth animation. In cartooning, the computer to be used and the film that is the image generated by the computer is considered. This is a concern especially when making a movie. To create movement in a model, the photo is placed in the screen monitor of the computer used and then changed by a slightly shifted image that looks the same as the previous one. This method is used in making motion pictures to project a movement that is an illusion of how it is with reality.
All computer animated objects uses different computer programs for the detailed representation of the characters in the film. A great challenge for animators is to make a realistic image of humans using computer animation. Today, movies that are computer animated are mostly animal or fantasy models and sometimes humans that are made to look like a cartoon. There are many attempts for movies that are computer generated to make human characters look real. This can be seen in movies like "The Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within". But because of the complexity to replicate the human body, motion, and bio mechanics, it is still a big problem to simulate real humans.
It was planned to make a software program wherein the artist will create a sequence in a movie that shows a photo of a realistic human model, going through some believable movements. The clothes and the physical attributes of a real human like the hair are included in making the realistic human photo. It is also the animator's goal to put a complex yet natural-looking background, and, if possible, they aim to make realistic characters which blend together and make a realistic whole. Artists attempt to do this in such a way that the people watching will not think that a movie is generated by computers or made with the participation of the actors acting in front of the camera. This plan of simulating real human characters is definitely not going to happen in the near future. However, a concept like making realistic people can have a bearing in the film and computer animation industry for future developments.
Animators for computer games and television are doing animation using photo realistic design with a high detail. The quality of computer animation used in making movies would take many years to accomplish if you are using a personal computer alone. To make the photo realistic design possible, powerful and high quality computer work stations are used. The workstations that are used to make computer animations are specialized to render the images for a soft realistic output of the cartoon.

The Implications of 3D Computer Animation

2010-11-17T15:22:00.002-08:00

3D computer animation is making a big impact in the animation industry. Realism is the key for the rising demand of 3D animation. It is a challenging technology for prospective artists and for professional animators alike to develop new editions and versions of the existing 3D animation programs. The frames of the models and the shots are sometimes simple, but the motion or the movements of the characters is where the creativity and skills of the animator comes in.
In 3D computer animation, visual styling is one of the categories that need to be considered. It is not just how the objects being animated are going to look but it also focuses on how the images are going to be rendered, as well as the methods to be used for animation. It is about the complexity of the process. The production of the object must be capable being done within the limits of the work. Blending the motion of the characters is possible to achieve with the use of many new sources, provided that the movements of the cartoon is realistic. Planning and putting guidelines before the actual production of the picture must be done. Directing the movements of the character must be done by actual people who are experts in taking shots of any characters motion. Cinematography is also a vital element of animation since the animators have the power to control the position and the movement of the camera when doing a computer animated picture.
3d Computer Animation
In the actual story, the sequence of the drawn images and the applied lighting has a big impact. These aspects of the process are done during the planning stage and the formation of the three dimensional characters. Facial animation is now more prioritized than in the past when it comes to 3D computer animation. Even the slow blinking of the eyes and the movements of the eyeballs are now given detailed attention. Facial manipulation level and the methods on how it will be done will give each character a good effect and style.
If you are planning to enroll in animation schools and you are interested to become an animator, try to do some early work on 3D animation programs to practice your skills. Whichever field you are leaning to, and whatever direction you would like to go in the field of animation, it is still better to have an idea on how have the basic skills in 3D computer animation. 3D computer animation is considered one of the most popular types of animation today. It includes making films, video games, and animated characters. Entering an animation school is the best way to improve your potentials and to learn everything about three dimensional computer animations. It will surely help you in deciding what career in the field of animation to take.

3D Computer Animation: The Skills and Training You Need

2010-11-17T15:22:00.000-08:00

3d animation or graphics make use of a 3 dimensional depiction of content that is in geometric form for the reason of rendering images that are in two dimensional forms. The usage of 3d animation may be immense. It may be used in computer graphic applications, making 3d animation games and even cartoon films for the kids. 3d animation may also be used in corporate reports and in websites and consequently because of their three dimensional nature make a better impact and sound understanding.
Similarity and difference between 3d animation and 2d animation
Although there is an entire dimension addition in 3d animation when compared to 2d, yet the basic algorithm on which 3d animation rely upon is the same in both the case. This similarity is apparent in the wire frame format mainly.
The difference between the 2d and 3d animation is not enough. They both use each other to get the desired effects. For example 2d animation uses 3d effects like lighting and at the same time, the 3d animation uses rendering techniques that are taught in 2d. although there are differences like a 3d animation is technically not a graphic till the time it is rendered in such a way that visually it attains the stature of 3d. Thus, in order to be trained in 3d animation, one needs to be skilled in 2d graphics as well.
3d animation training
Bringing characters to life is not as easy as it appears. It needs a lot of practice and hard work. Although with a proper training in visual effects and an in-depth knowledge of 2d graphics and 3d animation, one can easily create, out of the world website, design products, make games that truly belong to the next generation and much more.
The answer such high goals and aspirations is a thorough and strong knowledge of Graphics and the various packages that may help you to render a sketch into life. Some of the packages that may make you a skilled in 3d animation are flash, macromedia etc. But before you know such 3d animation packages, it’s always advised to have an idea and perfection in packages like Photoshop that forms the basis of any graphic activity.
The 3d animation is taught in various schools and institutes focused in animation and communication design. Different institutes have different curriculum to offer its students in order to train them into skilled animators. Usually, computer animation courses include 2d and 3d animation, digital arts, digital animation course, editing and visual effect course etc.
The best part about 3d animation is that even professionals can excel the art by doing some online courses in the same field that enriches their art further and make them further skilled and expertise animators.
The Basic 3d animation knowledge
·Developing primary characters by using bouncing ball principle.
·Understanding the anatomy of the character and setting models with the help of knowledge in proportions.
·Colour theory knowledge.
·Bone structure and skin textures.
·Colour rendering.
The Intermediate 3d animation skills
·Modeling the character and understanding mesh tool.
·Shading skills
·Sketching and rigging skills.
·Software knowledge and making their use.
Advanced 3d animation training
·Conceptualizing an animation along with facial features and creating full fleshed characters.
·Making short animation movie.
·Shading, lighting and rendering using layers.
·Giving the final fluid effect. Practically using all the packages together along with sketching to get the perfection in 3d animation.

How To Land A Job As An Animator

2010-11-17T15:20:00.000-08:00

In a typical animation career you wear many hats. You may have a specific expertise, but chances are that just as often, you’ll juggle many skills and titles from job to job. Animation artists find most of their work via word of mouth. No offense to agents, reps, and recruiters, but to succeed in finding work in the business of animation is to develop and maintain relationships. We are, as Barbra Streisand sang it, “people who need people.”
The Simple Truth:
The key to finding work in animation is to accept that this is a people-driven industry. People who know people who recommend people who hire people. Those who take a negative view of the importance of relationships to the job hunt boil it down to, “its all based on who you know”. This makes “who you know” sound like some random act of luck. In reality, you are responsible for “who you know”, for the relationships you create and sustain. Relationships require energy and effort.
The business of animation in North America is small enough that even within a few short years, you could know someone connected to every studio on the continent. We’re all six degrees from our animation Kevin Bacons. Simple enough, right? But these truths are not self-evident and if they are, we certainly don’t behave all the time as if we hold this to be true. This simple truth will show up over and over again in this book.
While there’s no guaranteed way to find work in the animation industry, there are a lot of things we can do to create the best possible odds for success. Happily, finding work in the animation industry is something that gets easier over time, as you expand your network of contacts and your reputation open doors for you.
Sustaining Relationships Can Lead To Work:
In the animation industry, sometimes, the most effective job-hunting happens in the most indirect way. Often, even when we make a good connection at a studio, the timing is not right for an immediate job. So, what can we do to “hang around” until something opens up without risking a restraining order? My favourite solution is to stay in touch with people via the occasional email.
Recently, I was in a producer’s office when he received n email from a mutual friend of ours. “I guess he’s out of work again,” said the producer. I asked how he knew that without reading the e-mail. The producer replied, “This guy only e-mails me when he needs work.”
People are not keeping in touch with their contacts enough while they are working. We need to nurture our contacts. Periodically send out updates to your contacts. Let them know where you’re working and why it’s a great experience. Either way, your contacts will be tickled that you thought of them. Over the years, I have received a few job offers as a result of mailing out some congratulatory message. While I wouldn’t say sending out email messages and updates should be anyone’s main focus for job-hunting, they are a part of what builds up a career over time.