Seminar Questions

[jeremyhopkins]

If any member has questions, just thought I'd make a forum post here for people to discuss any issues as they come up during the week. That way we're not rushing to get questions for Wednesday and people who are not able to attend can get their questions answered by Don.

Questions will be for the seminar on Wednesday, August 12. Thanks!

[jeremyhopkins]

One of the issues I've always dealt with during production is speed. It's odd because the research and thumbnai part goes quickly and the original rough out goes fast but the tie downs are very slow and methodical. I tend to produce a tie down drawing for the CGP at about one and hour which is waaaay too slow for a simple character. I just can't seem to work faster while maintaining volume, structure and sometimes the features still slide around. I was curious if there's something I'm missing or maybe there's a more efficient way to work.
Below are a couple examples of my first loose test, then I rub it back with kneeded eraser and put on a general line. Finally I'll go back once all the extremes are done and add a darker line in places to suggest weight & depth. If anyone has any thoughts on this, let me know and we can bring this up on Wednesday.
http://donbluthanimation.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=98&pictureid=469

[dchilders89]

One of the issues I've always dealt with during production is speed. It's odd because the research and thumbnai part goes quickly and the original rough out goes fast but the tie downs are very slow and methodical. I tend to produce a tie down drawing for the CGP at about one and hour which is waaaay too slow for a simple character. I just can't seem to work faster while maintaining volume, structure and sometimes the features still slide around. I was curious if there's something I'm missing or maybe there's a more efficient way to work.
Below are a couple examples of my first loose test, then I rub it back with kneeded eraser and put on a general line. Finally I'll go back once all the extremes are done and add a darker line in places to suggest weight & depth. If anyone has any thoughts on this, let me know and we can bring this up on Wednesday.
http://donbluthanimation.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=98&pictureid=469


Hi Jeremy,

I think we definitely should bring this up on Wed. because I feel like I too am struggling in trying to find a method of working. Don pointed out to me that I am rushing to get my work through and not putting enough thought into my scene. Maybe I should try your way, using a colored pencil and getting the gesture of the pose and go over it in black. Mostly I have been using only one pencil and building on the construction lines as I go. Maybe as a result I can get stronger drawings and a more thoughtful approach to a scene. Thanks for bringing this up!

David

[jeremyhopkins]

Actually, David, I need a little bit more of your speed. Do you mind if I ask how you work?
Another issue that's come up for me is staying too close to the model sheet when there are better choices for design and acting. I realized this when Owen posted his and Don's Sasha drawing:
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p143/robertow/pam-correction.jpg
http://www.donbluthanimation.com/cyber_garage/models-runs/sasha-model.jpg

My first instinct would be to follow the model sheet exactly rather than using it as a guide. Maybe this is from my tv experience.. not sure.. but it really adds something when the model has been interpreted in the right way. My question would be, what is the right way to interpret the model sheet? It is kind of a loaded question since it depends on the personal taste of the director and knowing how tailor a drawing to match that vision. My comment would be just that seeing Don's drawing beside Owen's is so valuable for understanding how to push Sasha's design.

[dchilders89]

Actually, David, I need a little bit more of your speed. Do you mind if I ask how you work?
Another issue that's come up for me is staying too close to the model sheet when there are better choices for design and acting. I realized this when Owen posted his and Don's Sasha drawing:
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p143/robertow/pam-correction.jpg
http://www.donbluthanimation.com/cyber_garage/models-runs/sasha-model.jpg

My first instinct would be to follow the model sheet exactly rather than using it as a guide. Maybe this is from my tv experience.. not sure.. but it really adds something when the model has been interpreted in the right way. My question would be, what is the right way to interpret the model sheet? It is kind of a loaded question since it depends on the personal taste of the director and knowing how tailor a drawing to match that vision. My comment would be just that seeing Don's drawing beside Owen's is so valuable for understanding how to push Sasha's design.


Sure I don't mind. First thing I do is increase the size of a pose on a model sheet to the right size,(9F). That way I can stay on model, by flipping back and forth for reference. I learned this lesson actually from Don during my second scene with momma rabbit. To answer your question about how to inerpret a model sheet, this is what I do. I get my extremes or storytelling poses as close to model as I can, mostly due to the fact that I work in and out of these poses and even if I distort the model I know it will go back to being on model in the end. I agree with you about Dons drawing next to Owens drawing, that it is so helpful in showing how to push the pose yet stay on model. As for tying down the scene, I mentioned I only really use one pencil. I just sketch very lightly a quick gesture and build on the drawing as I go. I don't really have a first pass or overlap pass. If I see the overlap won't work I do go back and fix it as I am inbetweening. Sorry the response is so long. Hope it makes sense and helps a little.

[OwenWelsh]

I've learned a few things from Don about drawing Sasha.

1. She needs a lot of baby fat! Fatter arms

2. Haunches for the legs. In the model sheet her legs look somewhat boney. They should be more haunched and fatty especially when squashed.

[macprofilms]

Mr. Bluth.
I regret that I am working on the day of the open forum on Wednesdays, but I rush home to read what has gone on that day. Hope to be able to participate at some point. Anyhow..

I was wondering if you would be able to do a short film discussion on drawing eyes. I was reading The Illusion of Life book, section which is very good. However, I have been looking at recent films and the eyes seem to be drawn less round. This seems like a simple thing, but I always feel that my characters eyes are not registering the life needed to bring the illusion to life. If anyone has some great tips on drawing eyes, please feel free to post pics or info.

Thanks MIKE

[jeremyhopkins]

If anyone has questions for the seminar during the week, please feel free to post them here. This way we can have a pre class discussion and if someone can't make it to seminar, I'll ask the questions posted.

[arif]

i am still struggling with the legs of the fox...i was wondering how the all characters(like..Rabbit, mouse, fox..etc) leg looks so beautiful and keep the nice form when its stretch and squash....(i always miss the bone part of the legs,especially the hip flesh when it contact with the toe..).....may be , it is a foolish question...:(.....but, it would be great if Don shows us what is the tricks...

i will bring this question today....but, if i will fail to attend(i am fasting)...then please, Jeremy..ask this question...instead of me..

Regards,

Arif

[jeremyhopkins]

No, that's a fair question. Do you mean that you tend to animate in the rubber hose style where characters don't have joints or are you struggling to figure out the anatomy of the rabbit? I'll make sure to ask Don for you if you're not available Arif and I'll try to find some reference that addresses some of your concerns.

[arif]

yea....i have been watching the tips named In between(fox)and the the video from PAM when Don Draws Sasha for own....and found that how beautifully done by don the legs part....when its up and contact or bending position...i am always struggling to create such a nice form....i think, there is a formula about the form...may be it is belongs to LINE AND CURBS video(which still does not released yet)....so, just want to know what is tricks...(all Disney movie and all Don` film....i found the same cuteness of the legs of the animal).....

Note: i can understand the skeleton ..but when it covers with flesh..then, i find some difficulties with the frontside and back side.....please, see the drawings of sasha and the fox..


Regards,

Arif...

[arif]

hello Jeremy..
i think you can bring these questions instead of money and Seth..i found these questions which was not answered yet...here they are...

Q-01...This question from Money....

Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Bluth View Post
For the most part, I do see the character in my head before I draw it on paper. I don't always get it right the first time but eventually I find what I see in my head on paper and sometimes something better.

Do the emotion's one feels in everyday life affect what he/she can and can't visualize/draw?

For example, if a person lives a life that's really happy and filled with love would it be easier for him/her to visualize/draw happy thing's and more difficult for him/her to visualize/draw negative or sad thing's?

Thanks

Q-02

this question from Seth..

Hey Don,

This probably isn't that great of a question, but it's one that I've been stuck on for quite some time. How do you approach emotions for cartoon animals? Whenever I draw an animal their muzzle always seems to get in the way of the emotion. And even if I can make a certain kind of emotion work with one type of animal, I can never transfer it over to another kind of animal. It's stumped me for years.
Thanks.

[Moneyguns]

That's ok Arif. I'll just ask Don my question my self during the seminar today, unless of corse I'm not ther, but I should be.
Thanks anyway.

[jeremyhopkins]

If anyone has questions for the seminar today but can't make it, please feel free to let me know here or you can pm as well.

[johncbeggs]

Hey jeremy, I am wondering if you are able to show Don my scene and tell him that I finnished it and ask if it is acceptable! I would really appreciate it.

I have the some money, just no way to pay online :laughing:

thanks again Jeremy

[arif]

Your rough test is entertaining and shows you understan some animation principals. Finish it up and lets cut it into our reel. Please remember no held drawings; keep both characters alive.

We will give you detailed notes on Thursday.
End.





hello Jeremy,
my computer has been crashed again....still didn't able to fix it..don`t know yet i will able to join today's seminar or not......i was wondering that if you able to bring my question on today`s seminar....tell Don that i have been waiting for his critic all the week along....hope, he is well.....here is the link......


http://www.donbluthanimation.com/videos.php?showvideo=253

i didn't do anything as i was waiting for his detailed notes....

kindly Regards,
Arif

[arif]

besides, i have posted it on the technique questions forum.... you can bring it also.......
http://www.donbluthanimation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35&page=9

Hello sir,

i have purchased a metronome what you have( i have seen it on the dvd)..but, still did`t get the idea how to use it.....it would be great you show us the uses for animation....may be a new tips in the animation tips section...

Regards,
Arif

[wolfsymphony]

Because I cannot make it to today's seminar, could somebody please submit my question and regards to Don for me? Thanks!

Hi Don! Hope you've been well and fully recovered! Last week I finally completed my first storyboard project, it can be viewed on youtube where I've uploaded it as a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh10IIIzcQ0

What do you think? How do you think I can improve my technique, etc? I have another storyboard to start on fairly soon, so any tips that I can keep in mind while working on it would be very helpful..:) Thank you!

[Don Bluth]

Your rough test is entertaining and shows you understan some animation principals. Finish it up and lets cut it into our reel. Please remember no held drawings; keep both characters alive.

We will give you detailed notes on Thursday.
End.





hello Jeremy,
my computer has been crashed again....still didn't able to fix it..don`t know yet i will able to join today's seminar or not......i was wondering that if you able to bring my question on today`s seminar....tell Don that i have been waiting for his critic all the week along....hope, he is well.....here is the link......


http://www.donbluthanimation.com/videos.php?showvideo=253

i didn't do anything as i was waiting for his detailed notes....

kindly Regards,
Arif

I have studied your scene in detail and find that I have no further criticism but would like you to finish up the drawing of the fox so that we can cut your scene into the reel. What I am most pleased about is that you have made your animation very entertaining.
Great Job.

END

[Don Bluth]

Because I cannot make it to today's seminar, could somebody please submit my question and regards to Don for me? Thanks!

Hi Don! Hope you've been well and fully recovered! Last week I finally completed my first storyboard project, it can be viewed on youtube where I've uploaded it as a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh10IIIzcQ0

What do you think? How do you think I can improve my technique, etc? I have another storyboard to start on fairly soon, so any tips that I can keep in mind while working on it would be very helpful..:) Thank you!

Hi there...
In the realm of storyboard, there is a category called Outline Boarding. You can guess what this means. You catch the high points of the story then fill in more details between the outline sketches later. I think your submission is a very good outline board because without words or narration, I can tell what you're trying to say. I find some of your camera angles could be more interesting and also some of your lighting could be improved. You defineatly have a skill for storyboarding.

Don

[zanekohler]

I posted my question at the end of the last forum for next week before seeing this thread which is the proper place.

If I recall correctly you mentioned for the next CGP that you were thinking of doing a story board project? Is that still the plan?

thx
-z-

[Seth]

Being terrible at animation I have a lot of questions to ask. So instead of polluting the board with tons of animation questions I'm going to post them here.

I appreciate every ones help and apologize in advance if the questions seems simple, I'm not the smartest guy around.

All right my first question....

:confused: I seem to have a problem animating where I can't keep my characters the same size through out that animation. It creates a kind of fluctuating effect on the character that looks anything but good. Has anyone else had this problem?

Thanks.

[jeremyhopkins]

Thanks for being considerate and trying to keep all your questions in one thread Seth but this thread was setup to try get a conversation going during the week for concepts that we wanted to discuss with Don. Your questions are great for this thread if you'd like to post here.
I seem to have a problem animating where I can't keep my characters the same size through out that animation. It creates a kind of fluctuating effect on the character that looks anything but good. Has anyone else had this problem?

Yes, this is difficult and the more complex and smaller the character is on paper, the harder it is to draw well. If you character is shrinking in size while you animate it's helpful to have the modelsheet underneath the drawing to compare length. Once you've done your first drawing, it's helpful to have that close or at the bottom of the drawings as well. Try to work with extremes like 1, 9, 17 rather than 1, 3, 5, 7. Volumes always seem to change if you go one drawing after another. Wiggles is another thing and I still have difficulty with that in my animation so it's best to get advice from another on that issue. Only other thing I can suggest is to develop a process. A first pass doesn't need perfect drawings as long as the acting works but having good volumes and keeping the characters size consistent is helpful. Once the acting works, you can tie down all the details later but no amount of detail will save a drawing that doesn't have meaning. Over the past year, that's been my major struggle as well. Hope you can ask Don this question on Wednesday and good luck!

[arif]

Hello Sir,

welcome back from the expo.

you have said in your video tips that start collecting march, walk and run cycles.....my question is how? is it the way that i will pause the frame by frame from the animation film and then print on papers??

Regards,
Arif:)

[arif]

i think, this question of John has not been answered yet.....Jeremy,please, bring the question today`s seminar .....i have found from the last seminar...here it is...


I missed the seminar again! Sorry. My schedule does not often permit my participation. If you're still keeping an eye on the thread, I'm going to ask for some feedback on scene 32.

Thank you,


Quote:
Originally Posted by jtq3 View Post
http://www.donbluthanimation.com/vid...?showvideo=258
tightened up the rabbit's entrance and reworked the rabbit's "take" at end of scene.
Reply With Quote

[wolfsymphony]

I will not be able to make it to today's seminar. Could someone post my question up for me? Thank you!

Hi Don.. hope you're doing well! Over the past weeks I've had a lot of interviews for admissions into various Animations courses next year. Yesterday's interview got my really thinking though.. when presenting and talking about my portfolio the interviewers brought up a point that although my drawings and artwork was good, the style I draw in felt 'too influenced' by already existing cartoons and Disney styles in a way.
They encouraged me to find my own unique style.. but my question is.. (sorry if it seems dumb to ask, but I am really having trouble with this) how would one go about actually finding their own unique style? Because as far as I was aware of.. I have been drawing in my own style but I guess subconsciously a lot of things do influence/inspire me? There are so many different styles out there so how can I find my own and have it be unique and not similar to anything already out there? Thanks!

[johncbeggs]

Hello Don hows your day going, I am sorry but I cannot make today's seminar but I put a lot of work into getting some practice :D!
"I will be at work today digging in the snow!"


http://www.donbluthanimation.com/videos.php?showvideo=268

- Oh and the reason for the foot turning into a peg-leg is so that I can and will make him "spin" :laughing: around as best I can and make this grouchy character walk away!

hopefully Ill be finished it by next Wednesday!

What do you think I have done right in this short scene sofar?
what did I do wrong?
what can I improve upon and fix up?
do you have anything you could suggest to help me?

thank you if you choose to answer any of my questions, and to whomever posted my question thank you I really appreciate it :)

[dentitov]

Hello, Don.

My questions:

1. In your DVD tutorials you'v mentioned positiove and negotive shapes. Can you tell more detail about it? (maybe with some examples).

2. Do you build walk cycle as R. Williams do (with 4 basic extriems) or by your own method?

Thanks :)

[jeremyhopkins]

Sorry guys, I won't be able to make to this Q&A session. It's last minute but if anyone else could grab these questions, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

[Dave]

Sorry guys, I won't be able to make to this Q&A session. It's last minute but if anyone else could grab these questions, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

I got it covered.

[johncbeggs]

thankyou dave

[jeremyhopkins]

Thanks Dave! Alright folks, time to get some more questions. If you come across some problems while animating, post questions here. Here's one from Poulpette:
Hi,

I hope this is the right section to ask this question. If not, I apologize.

I wanted to ask Don something for a while.
I'm a big fan of Banjo, and actually it's also the only movie of yours (if I'm not mistaken) in which you're credited as composer, lyrics writer, and so on if I remember well. We all know you as a great animator, but what about the musician? Did you learn music by yourself or did you go to the music school and get some diplomas? Have you composed other musics?

Being a musician myself I must avoid I'm really interesting about all this.

[jeremyhopkins]

hopefully Ill be finished it by next Wednesday!

What do you think I have done right in this short scene sofar?
what did I do wrong?
what can I improve upon and fix up?
do you have anything you could suggest to help me?


Thanks for posting John and good for you for pressing on and continuing to animate. What can be improved is your workflow. You seem a little lost in your planning. Try going back and giving this another shot using extremes, then breakdowns, major inbetweens and finally whatever inbetweens are left. Try this workflow and see if it works for you for dialogue:

1. Listen to the audio track and please include it in your animation test
-listen till the audio becomes part of your blood and you know each inflection & tone. Visualize the scene, relax and allow the character to express itself.

2. Get a xsheet, write out the dialogue on it. Please think of it as sounds and not as written letters that are defined by how the speakers says the dialogue. 'Get back to work', can be said in many different ways so study the emotion and where the emphasis is in the dialogue track. This is also described as phrasing and there is a musical quality to dialogue that you're trying to capture.

3. Thumbnail. You want really strong posing that matches the dialogue track so it's really important to explore the possibilities. Use extremes which can be drawing 1, 9, 17. Those are just examples and please don't use even timing for changes in expression. Explore drawing 1, don't just settle for the first thing that comes to mind. Push yourself and it's easiest to do that in the thumbnail stage. You're trying to nail down the entertainment & acting at this point. If you jump into animating too soon without developed ideas, you won't magically find entertainment. For each major extreme, try to do at least a page of thumbnails and circle the one you feel is best.

4. Photocopy your thumbnails and blow them up to full size to match your layout. Take your extreme drawings and peg them or tape them using painters' tape(painters' tape uses non destructive adhesive) to animation paper. Keep in mind that that extreme drawings are circled (1) and have timing charts on them to indicate to your assistants what you want. Add the major storytelling extremes or golden poses. These will be the major extremes that your dialogue needs to function kind of like storyboard drawings. Then you can add in other extremes to support or work those ideas and your extremes at this point might be (1), (11), (19), (25), (33) and if your scene if 5 feet long(80 frames), pose out the whole scene first in this fashion. You can shoot a test at this point if you like and show us.

5. Add the breakdowns. Breakdown drawings describe 'the how' of an action. They're usually where things distort, have weight, break joints or add the spice of the animation. Breakdowns are underlined so your breakdown between (1) and (9) on halves is drawing 5/. If you're going to use halves on dialogue shot, that means putting much more emphasis on the breakdown drawing to prevent it from becoming evenly spaced. If you get this far, I'd recommend shooting a test here and showing people you trust for honest feedback.

If you can, avoid going 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, this will slow you down and cause problems for you in the future. Try to think & plan for your success first. Getting to step 5 is enough for now and if you can get that, you'll be set. You don't have to follow this example but you need a path to follow otherwise you're going to get lost and discouraged. Don't be afraid to pose out a whole scene first and show us before the breakdowns or inbetweens are added. It'll save you a ton of time and you can do more in that 9 hour period. Dialogue is a big step and if you don't mind the advice, you can still learn some things from your owl test even if the cyber garage project is done. The benefit of using premade characters is that you can follow the construction and learn how they're drawn. If you design your own characters, you might struggle with the design and lose focus on the animation.

What I like about your test is how you haven't added an action for every word. Might mean you're a natural at understanding phrasing. Good luck and thanks for posting!

[johncbeggs]

thank you Jeremy, Yeah I have problems doing extremes and inbetweens I really need to be in a class with a teacher who can explain it!

Sofar Im just wrapping my head around that Im in complete control! and I was incomplete control of his weight even though it moves weird I controlled it at least.
your definately right it wasnt planned:laughing: I was going through it in my head! but the finger movement was planned with his speech.

I will surely take your advice and thumbnail it out before starting my scene but as you cant tell I like not having a plan, that way I can create and not just finish what Ive already done!

On my Owl scene, I basically did key frames and inbetweens and really didn't like the results at all! actually Im kinda embarrassed by it :laughing:

My animations in flash are a lot smoother and more fluent I think because you really see instant results!

I'm waiting for Dons videos hes been working on were he is recording himself animating!

thankyou again jeremy, you are really a nice guy for answering my question just to help me out!

[jeremyhopkins]

I will surely take your advice and thumbnail it out before starting my scene but as you cant tell I like not having a plan, that way I can create and not just finish what Ive already done!

It's totally up to you and what you want to do with your life and career. If you want to do your own stuff in your own way, that's totally cool and you should be able to experiment and learn in your own way. If you ever want to work in a studio environment and it doesn't matter if it's flash, direct to video, or feature animation, you'll need a plan to get things done while to trying to get the best work from yourself.
Sandro Cleuzo has posted some of Milt Kahl's process on his blog and maybe that will help you out:
http://inspectorcleuzo.blogspot.com/2009/12/milt-kahl-day-12.html

For what it's worth John, I believe you can get it without a teacher. If you have the ambition, there's enough information out there now, you can do a lot yourself. You have the support here as well so I hope you don't feel embarrassed by your work. We all make mistakes and we're all learning. Make all your mistakes now, move on and try not to make the same ones again. If you need any clarification with what I've mentioned, let me know and I'll try to help out more. Again, this is just my advice, you're welcome to learn and take away whatever experiences you need for your work.

[jeremyhopkins]

This clip is from Chuck Jones DVD: Extremes and Inbetweens and about the 2:20 mark, it discusses how Chuck worked as a director. It explains the value of planning and how he planned out his work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfQJQTIPFG8

[arif]

My animations in flash are a lot smoother and more fluent I think because you really see instant results!


though, i am not here in this conversation.....i really agree with that in flash or Digicel ..you can see instant result of your animation...and i think..it is very good ...i can see my animation is working well or not so quickly...that is why it is quick to learn animation in digital.....but..i am amazed how the master did all the smooth animation in paper and went to line test and saw the result after doing all the things....and how many time they had to line test to see that result for one scene!!!!

[johncbeggs]

My animations in flash are a lot smoother and more fluent I think because you really see instant results!


though, i am not here in this conversation.....i really agree with that in flash or Digicel ..you can see instant result of your animation...and i think..it is very good ...i can see my animation is working well or not so quickly...that is why it is quick to learn animation in digital.....but..i am amazed how the master did all the smooth animation in paper and went to line test and saw the result after doing all the things....and how many time they had to line test to see that result for one scene!!!!

yes but the animation may be smoother but the drawing quality drops :laughing:, Ive only wanted to do traditional anyway so Its just a matter of time before I start to understand it! :laughing:

[arif]

yes but the animation may be smoother but the drawing quality drops :laughing:, Ive only wanted to do traditional anyway so Its just a matter of time before I start to understand it! :laughing:

yes..i agree with you..that is why..i was wondering all the time if photoshop has the timeline like Flash or x sheet like Digicel!!!!:p:p

[jeremyhopkins]

.i really agree with that in flash or Digicel ..you can see instant result of your animation...and i think..it is very good ...i can see my animation is working well or not so quickly...that is why it is quick to learn animation in digital.....but..i am amazed how the master did all the smooth animation in paper and went to line test and saw the result after doing all the things

This is part of the problem as well. When you ask most of the experienced artists today, the big thing that comes up is lack of planning or thought with young artists. Maybe it's because of lifestyle and how we want everything right now or maybe we're not being trained properly and don't know how to ask the right questions or possibly we're just lazy today. By spending time pre-thinking our work, it helps us understand an action or feeling. It's not just about making animation smooth, it's understanding the character's natural rhythm. It's best to develop good habits because going back and trying to fix bad habits is far more difficult. I speak from experience.

[KaiserVanDragon]

Hey all, I just hit a wall and I thought I'd bring up what this "wall" is and see if others encounter this kind of thing:

So I'm working in my silhouette phase, I'm constructing some fighting sequences for school. This is a leap beyond me but I'm going to give it my best. Anyways, I've thumbnailed out my poses, and I'm taking them into 3D as per request of my team. As I'm working with the character, I'm suddenly torn between upcoming assignments and the workload I'm putting up. I stress myself out with negative thoughts for no reason.

To be honest, it takes me awhile to thumbnail, I want to be absolutely sure my poses and proportions are correct. So I spend alot of time, perhaps too much time on them. I realize thumbnails are meant to be rough, but I really try to be sure I understand how the body is interacting with the environment.

I notice that every 45 minutes, I become distracted. I take breaks, but my breaks end up being for a half hour to an hour. So the amount of work I put in each day probably amounts to 4 or so hours.

I try and do searches for inspirational stuff, but it gets me over excited and I can't calm myself down to apply the energy to my animation. Actually Don's tutorials slow me down enough to keep myself at work. Although after enough tutorials, I get amused to start watching them instead of listening, and lose pace of my work.


Does anyone else have trouble keeping focused? I read a post about keeping goals, but I'm still starting out and I'm not sure how much time is spent on details and how quickly animators go through their phases and blocking. I understand art is not something to be rushed, but when you're working under a deadline, what's a real steady pace to be working with? How do you get in the zone and keep at it each day?

Also, how many key poses would a professional animator crank out a day? Just curious!

[Hreinzi]

Have you tried Coffee it has been quite helpful in this sort of matter for me

[KaiserVanDragon]

:laughing: At times.

[ManWithGoodTaste]

I know once you thought that all animation is inherently musical, that it takes little to make characters sing. Have you changed your mind now?

[Seth]

Hey Kaiser,

Wow, when I read your post I thought I was reading about myself! I know exactly what your talking about, it is extremely difficult for me to stick with anything.

I notice that every 45 minutes, I become distracted. I take breaks, but my breaks end up being for a half hour to an hour. So the amount of work I put in each day probably amounts to 4 or so hours.

My breaks also often end up with this fate. Do you keep anything around that's distracting? I often find my biggest enemy to be a portable gaming system, or all too convenient web surfing.

I try and do searches for inspirational stuff, but it gets me over excited and I can't calm myself down to apply the energy to my animation.
I'm not sure if I'm on the same page with you or not, but often when I'm in a slump I will look at other peoples artwork to get myself inspired, but in the end I get disappointed because my work doesn't sum up to the picture that got me excited in the first place. Instead I've been trying to keep a picture of inspiration in my work area that I feel is attainable to my skill level. Again, I'm not sure if this has to do with what you're talking about.

Actually Don's tutorials slow me down enough to keep myself at work. Although after enough tutorials, I get amused to start watching them instead of listening, and lose pace of my work.


This is a trap we all can fall into (Don's Tutorials are so good!) but keep in mind we are only human and our minds can only absorb so much in one sitting. Try picking some key points from one tutorial and than apply them for the rest of that day.

Does anyone else have trouble keeping focused? I read a post about keeping goals, but I'm still starting out and I'm not sure how much time is spent on details and how quickly animators go through their phases and blocking. I understand art is not something to be rushed, but when you're working under a deadline, what's a real steady pace to be working with? How do you get in the zone and keep at it each day?


I can't speak for other, but yes I have a terrible time myself staying focused. As for deadlines, with my Art School I often am worried about getting my work done in time. The only way I can keep calm with deadlines is to try to forget about them and just have fun with what I'm doing. Yeah, I know....that's easier said then done.

I don't know if any of these comments will help you with your problem, but be assured we are all going through struggles with our Animation.
Keep your chin up, I'm rooting for ya! :)

[Seth]

I'm not going to be able to attend due to good ol' work. Could someone please ask Don this question for me? I would appreciate it very much.
Thank you.

"Hello Mr. Bluth,

I've had a real problem all my life with always feeling that my artwork is inadequate. I honestly have never drawn something that I felt satisfied with. I was wondering if in your years of drawing and animating have you ever felt this way? If so, how do you stay on the positive side?
Thanks so much for your time."

[jeremyhopkins]

Does anyone else have trouble keeping focused? I read a post about keeping goals, but I'm still starting out and I'm not sure how much time is spent on details and how quickly animators go through their phases and blocking. I understand art is not something to be rushed, but when you're working under a deadline, what's a real steady pace to be working with? How do you get in the zone and keep at it each day?

Also, how many key poses would a professional animator crank out a day? Just curious!

Yeah, you're right, you want to develop good working habits as soon as possible. Every studio and each section of the industry seems to be a bit different. Some feature studios want 3 seconds a week, others want 5 or 10 and sometimes there's some wiggle room depending on the complexity of the shot. TV studios can be from 30 to 60 seconds a week and I have no idea about game studios. When in doubt, aim for high footage because seems like that's the one constant in the industry.. everyone wants more stuff done. If you're going to do 5 - 10 seconds a week, maybe it'll be monday, thumbnail, research and first pass of blocking with director approval late monday or early tuesday morning, then you can work in whatever process you like tuesday, wednesday, thursday, check with your supervisors when you feel the time is right and ask for other animators' opinions of your work often. Plan to have your work done for thursday, get final director approval or revisions. Finish revisions for friday or if you can't get it done in time, work the weekend until it's ready and approved. You don't want too much work to spill over in the next week especially if you're being paid per frame, second or foot. I don't know how this works for games but this is the general way it has worked for me in tv production.


I notice that every 45 minutes, I become distracted. I take breaks, but my breaks end up being for a half hour to an hour. So the amount of work I put in each day probably amounts to 4 or so hours.

Yeah, this is a big problem. If the internet is a problem for you, spend some time surfing the net in the morning before school starts and at night before you home then unplug the ethernet cord or disconnect from your wireless modem while you're working. Plan what you want to get done for the week and then break it down for what you want to accomplish each day and don't leave until that's done. Once you are done, take a moment to celebrate your accomplishment, reflect and be grateful you've done it. Most of the studios I've worked at have been great for trusting animators to get the job done but if you are producing less work than the people around you and still working the same hours, supervisors won't be happy. There's a ramp up period where you have to get use to working at the rate they expect but after that, they'll want you to produce animation at a timely manner. Setup your student life like it's your job, go in, work hard for a good, solid 8 - 10 hours, and if you need breaks, that's fine but keep them short. You need to find things in your own life that motivates you to do your best but you can seek those things after your work is done. Hope this helps you out.

[KaiserVanDragon]

Aha! Took me awhile to figure out my post was somehow transfered over.

This really cool advice, I appreciate the responses!


Sometimes when I try to inspire myself, I tend to look around for stuff that has some heavy adrenaline rush. Now I don't exactly know where this person stands on animation, but I tend to watch a short called "Dead Fantasy" developed by Monty Oum. His work is super popular in the gaming world as it involves game characters having a brawl, much like we see in action movies.

That's what I mean when I get over excited, so I need to try and tone things down with awesome imagery instead.

Again, thanks alot guys!

[Hreinzi]

I wanted to ask Don Bluth when the voice casting of all dogs go to heaven when you were voice casting Killer with the actor Charles Nelson Reilly how was he in person ?

[jeremyhopkins]

KaiserVanDragon, I glad the advice could help. It's tricky to find your footing starting out and even after you have an idea what to do, it's difficult to keep on the right track to get things finished. I hope everything goes smoothly and if you'd like to update your progress, don't be afraid to post or ask more questions.

I wanted to ask Don Bluth when the voice casting of all dogs go to heaven when you were voice casting Killer with the actor Charles Nelson Reilly how was he in person ?

I liked this question but was wondering how a voice actor's natural personality can add or detract from their performance. As a director, how to do you get the voice actor to give their best performance?

[KaiserVanDragon]

Thanks jeremy. Although I don't want to interrupt the flow of questions, like Hreinzi's post, I guess this is a proper place to ask another small question.

Let's say you have a walk cycle, and in the passing pose, at least in some of my animations, I feel like I'm losing a sense of weight to my pose, like it lacks strength. I guess that's what we mean by silhouette.

Is this point supposed to be a difficult perspective for an audience? I mean, it's not a good idea to purposely push out limbs that don't belong there if it's not a correct flow of animation.



http://www.angryanimator.com/tut/pic/002_walkcycle/wlk01.gif

[Hreinzi]

well im actually sorry for posting it here, but it was moved here :laughing:

[jeremyhopkins]

well im actually sorry for posting it here, but it was moved here
It's alright. This thread was set up to make it easy for Don to answer questions from the community. It's very difficult to keep track of many different threads and make sure everyone has their question answered. I try to encourage a pre discussion as well so everyone get their say in first and then you get Don's answer.

[Seth]

Could someone please ask this question during the Seminar? I have to work again. :( Thank you!

Hello Mr. Bluth,

I have been doing vehicle and machine drawings this week for the first time in my life. It's always intimidated me before, but I want to get over that fear. It seems totally different from character drawings. Do you have any advice for drawing Planes, Automobiles, Motorcycles or other various machines for animations?
Thanks for your time!

[dartzy]

Could someone ask Don these, as Im not sure I will be able to attend..Thanks!


Last August, someone had posted on the board that they were having trouble with drawing eyes and I had posted also, about whether Don had any tips about drawing hands the Bluth way. I had hinted about maybe doing something as a DVD or a tip about both. Was wondering if there was any progress on this subject?

Also what is the status of the DVD about the walk cycle that was mention a while ago. Will that be available soon?

Dartzy

[arif]

Could someone ask Don these, as Im not sure I will be able to attend..Thanks!


Last August, someone had posted on the board that they were having trouble with drawing eyes and I had posted also, about whether Don had any tips about drawing hands the Bluth way. I had hinted about maybe doing something as a DVD or a tip about both. Was wondering if there was any progress on this subject?

Also what is the status of the DVD about the walk cycle that was mention a while ago. Will that be available soon?

Dartzy

Excellent Dartzy....i was thinking exactly same question i will post today.....Dont worry, Dave or Jeremy will pick your question from here.....other wise, i will post...Thanks...:D

[jeremyhopkins]

Don't worry, we'll get your question. Anyone else have questions for this week who can't make it to the seminar?