Term 2

It’s getting pretty scary now that term 2 is ending. I’ve got a pretty solid idea about what I want to do for my demo reel, but I also feel like a toddler about to take his first steps.

Time management has definitely been a factor throughout the course. I’ve gotten a pretty good control over it, but I still need to improve on it.

Now that we’re approaching Term 3, I definitely need to kick it into high gear.

Confidence

I’m really happy with my progress so far in this course. I’m definitely not where I want to be, but compared to about 6 months ago, I feel that there’s a vast improvement. My level of confidence and comfort with the programs that we use, has gone up.

All I need now, is more practice. Hopefully, with all the assignments that we have I’ll be able to fit in tutorials to improve my skill.

Muppets are awesome

It may come as a surprise, but one of the shows that inspired me to take this digital animation course, is the Muppet Show from the late 70’s and early 80’s. The design of all the characters, the vibrant personalities, and memorable skits are definitely inspirational.

The experiences in the course have convinced me that there are a lot of principles that are transferable to animation. Posing and timing definitely play a big role.

Someday, I hope to make pieces of animation that are just as inspirational.

A new medium for art

As I progress through this course, although having good reference definitely helps with realism and authenticity, but on the other hand, having good artistic sense really improves CG work. It sounds really obvious, but it hasn’t really been all that apparent until recently.

If you compare any Pixar film to any of Dreamworks’ animated films, Pixar definitely wins extra points for appeal. Most people in the industry know that making a CG piece look authentic to the human eye, is extremely difficult. Therefore, I can appreciate stylized art along with high quality visuals.