The “Unofficial” Tangled Animators’ Audio Commentary from Animation Podcast

http://animationpodcast.com/archives/2012/10/31/tangled-animators-audio-commentary/


A great behind the scene interview with many of the animators working on Tangled. ^^

FROZEN: Making of

Crayon Fantasia

Crayon Fantasia from David Jang on Vimeo.

I just uploaded a new animation musical short with inanimate objects called, "Crayon Fantasia". I made this while I was at Gobelins and it came out in the end as a tribute to Fantasia. Enjoy~

The truth about the rise and fall of Big Idea Studios

http://philvischer.com/phil-news/what-happened-to-big-idea-part-1/

This might be one the most important things you will ever read, if you are planning to make your own animation studio or if you are working in the animation industry in general. This article was written by the creator of Big Idea Studios. Phil Vischer, the creator of Veggie Tales. And it is by far, one of the most riveting, inspirational and honest articles I have ever read on the internet. Period.

It's about the truth about the studio that brought you Veggie Tales and how it went from a sky-rocketing "the next big thing" to a fiasco law-suit battle worn, bankrupt studio with millions in debt(that in the end they were able to pay off).

But this article is so much more than that. 

This is a blueprint to what most people might go through if you make your own animation studio. The ugly side of Toon Town. Where back deals are made and politics get dirtier than the mob, you will read and understand how things really go down in the animation industry. And it ain't pretty.

But, it's actually more than that. It's a great story. 

Phil Vischer really left everything in this article. He poured his heart out and even though it's eleven pages long, it feels like two. Go ahead give it a read, you won't regret it.

New Card! New Studio! New Movie!

Ha! I can honestly say that this is the dopest business card I have ever had. Not that business cards are what matter the most, but still......doesn't hurt to have a nice one. lol. Anyhow as you can tell, I have a new job now! I am working at a place called Wonder World Studios. We do feature films and tv series, so it's a pretty big & busy pipeline. I am part of the feature film department and we are working on a new film, which I shouldn't talk about. BUT! I will tell you that one of the voice actors that will be in this movie will be...............ROB SCHNEIDER!!

YES, FOLKS.....the SNL legend and San Francisco native that has stormed into our memories unabashedly through movies like Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Judge Dredd, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, Muppets from Space and series like Seinfeld, South Park, Ally Mcbeal has come on board for our film at Wonder World Studios. 

I've already seen some of the footage for the voice recordings and he is a gas(!) although a lot of the stuff he said probably can't be used for the actual film. lol. The other voice actors are all very good just as well and I am stoked to be animating these voices! I really hope I can do them justice.

HOW TO GO ABOUT A SHOT: by Blue Sky Studios Supervising Animator Nick Bruno

A very helpful article on how to go about animating your shot by Nick Bruno.

How I Approach My shot by Nick Bruno

When I get my assignment and kick off from the director, I usually spend a whole day away from the computer planning my shot. I refuse to lay down one key until I can see the whole animation in my head. Now I know not everything in my head may work during my execution, and I know some other things may evolve, but it's important to have a clear plan before messing around in the computer.

Here is my own personal checklist put into a rough sequential order. I say rough order, because different shots call for different things.

• Know the character(s) you are animating. Look at their model sheets for expressions. Read their character packet to know their arc (storyline) in the movie, and understand their personality traits and their limitations.
o Also understand the type of animal they are and how they move.

• Study the sequence - what is the pacing throughout the sequence. Think of the sequence as a roller coaster. What part of the ride does your shot fall on? Is it building to something else? Is it the peak before the fall?

• What kind of moment is it and what is the point of my shot? Happy, sad, calm, crazy, is it a reaction shot, or a bridge to another shot. In my opinion, this is the most often forgotten thing. There are many ways to nail a point, but there are even more ways to miss it, or overdo it. As animators, it’s in our nature that we want to do something awesome, fresh and new, and sometimes we tend to overdo some of those simple moments.

• Look at the storyboard panels. Amazing artists work long and hard on capturing each beat of a sequence. What I always find amazing, is that the artist manages to capture some of the most complex actions and feeling in just a few drawings. It’s that simplicity and clarity that we need to study.
o Keep in mind these guys and gals are really good at drawing, so we can also learn a lot from their drawing skills in how they design the character and capture the essence of that particular feeling they are going for.

• Toggle around the set. When you get your assignment, you usually get your camera and set along with it. I always find it very useful to toggle around in it to get a sense of the characters scale and what limitations they have within camera. For instance, you may find a tree is in the way, or that you only have enough room to move their head around. Whatever you find will help in planning your shot.

• Listen to audio. Listen over and over again. Try to listen for just the lyrical rhythm, then try to listen to the words and the accents, and what importance those accents have over those words.

• Draw from personal experience. Nothing paints a more vivid picture than picturing your own personal experiences. So if you’ve gone through a similar moment, draw from that.

• Thumbnails. Do lots of thumbnails. A lot of people tend to do only one thumbnail per beat in the shot. NEVER settle for your first thumbnail, no matter how in love you are with it. Explore several different variations of one pose. Its not just the pose you are looking for but what the pose looks and feels like amongst the other poses.
o After Milt Kahl would thumbnail out the full character, sometimes he would go in and do thumbnails of individual parts like hands and legs, trying to see if within those he can find a pose that gives the feeling he’s going for.

• Acting it out before a camera is really good too. It may help you see the performance a little clearer. For me, I use reference to see little happenings that I may not have thought of.

• Using movies as reference. If you can remember a scene in a movie that you thought captured the moment you are going for, study it. Find why it was successful.

• The 12 principles of animation laid out by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnson.

• Some additional principles learned along the way:
- Pantomime: How would you get the point across if no dialogue available
- Texture to timing
- Rhythm of the dialogue: Use the rhythm to see how you lyrically move the character around.
- Show characters thought process
- Visualize patterns of movement within the 2D frame
- Reversals: Getting reverse curves in the body.
- Shot context: Achieving the purpose of the shot. Don’t overdo it!
- Contrast
- What is motivating the movement
- Silhouette and shapes in front of shapes. Think about color and patterns as well.
- Avoid tangents
- Develop a method of approaching your shot. How are you going to tackle the problem?
- Know what you want the audience to see and what not to see
- Direct viewers eye
- Control the head and eyes. The viewer focuses mainly on the eyes, catches the rest of the performance in their peripheral.
- Choreograph between characters
- Avoid twinning
- Don’t let the action overpower important dialogue.

• After my first pass of blocking I always analyze it using all of the principles.

Then you’re done! It’s just that easy! Hehehe.


Here is a link to his blog and the original article.

http://nickytwoshots.blogspot.kr/2009/02/how-i-approach-my-shot.html

 

An Interview with: Delacave Animation Supervisor - Fabrice Delapierre & Delacave Lead Animator - Bart Boirot

Podcast Part 1



Podcast Part 2

Just a quick FYI, about this interview, I tried using a podcast. The interview posted before(with Cinepix Animation Director - InHo Son), was written in an article format and that was great. But, I am still experimenting with different formats to convey interviews with and for this one I chose an audio format base. For the next interview I would like to try a video format and depending on which suits best, I might stick with it.

Alright! So this interview was actually taken a long(!) time ago. It was back in 2011 when I was in Paris finishing up at my school, Gobelins l'ecole de l'image. For the last 3~4 months, I had an internship at a studio called Delacave and this interview was taken right after we had finished making the movie "Cendrillon au far west". The interviewees are two of the most awesome and humble supervisors I have ever worked with and I will let the podcast speak for itself.

The podcast(interview) was pretty lengthy, so I divided it up into two segments(35~40 minutes each). I had contemplated whether to edit the piece in order to make it shorter and more to the point, but it seemed like I was losing a lot of the great details that were being said by my interviewees and it had become more like a bullet-point presentation, so I decided to upload the whole interview instead. But, I don't want you to feel like you're lost, aimlessly hearing the whole interview till you find something you like so here is a simple breakdown of how the interview went down.

Enjoy~

An interview AVEC: Delacave Animation Supervisor - Fabrice Delapierre & Delacave Lead Animator - Bart Boirot (By David Jang)

I would first like to personally thank Bart and Fabrice for doing this interview with me. We had just finished a feature film together so needless to say we were all very tired, but they were nice enough to take time out of their lives to sit down with me and have a genuine conversation for almost three hours.

PART 1

After a brief introduction, these questions were answered by Fabrice & Bart.  

1. Can you give us a brief introduction of yourself about how you came into the animation industry?

- Both Bart and Fabrice explained their journey from how they got interested in animation to how they came to be where they are now as supervisors along with a bit of animation history explained first-hand by people that were a part of it in France. They expressed the struggles they had to go through as 1st generation CG animators and what they felt then and now about this industry. We also talked about the nature of this profession and what it's about in our opinion to be animator and to work in CG.

2. Both of you have experience working abroad in many different countries and studios. Can you give us your insight about how to go about trying to "make it" out there as an animtor?

- Explanations and discussions about working in different countries and how it helps to accept change as it comes along. Also, how important motives are when it comes to working abroad.

PART 2

Continuation of question 2

- They talked in depth about moving abroad with your family. Why you should move, why you shouldn't move. Etc. Etc.

3. What is the role difference between an animator and an animation supervisor?

- Fabrice explained how it's like the difference between a orchestra conductor and a musician. Bart compared it as the difference between a sports coach and the sports players. We also talked about having mutiple supervisors and how it could help more than having just one supervisor. In depth conversations about the importance of team play and how it's all connected.

4. What do you look for in demo reels as a supervising animator? Which demo reels stand out?

- Sensibility VS Perfect Technic and how it's a very subjective process. The evolution of demo reels and the difference between studio wants and needs. The difficulties of breaking into the industry.

5. Any last words for your fellow animators in France?

(This interview took place Sep 2011)

If you want to find more interviews, there is a category on the bottom that's called "An Interview with:" and you will find all the interviews gathered there.

The Three Most Important Things to remember as an animator, by Animation Mentor

The same thing the nine old men taught to their trainees, the same thing those trainees grew up and taught their trainees. And now, generations later, those trainees have become mentors at Animation Mentor and are passing down this wisdom to us. We are but Dwarfs standing on the shoulders of Giants. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the craft of animation. One & all!

Alt Animation Podcast: Episode 8 - Ed Hooks

http://altanimation.podomatic.com/entry/2011-09-19T10_01_56-07_00

This was by far one of the most important things I learned about the animation industry. If you are serious about being an animator or working in the animation industry, I would highly recommend this podcast for hearing. It's an eye-opener. 

I will outline a couple of the hot topics(in my opinion) discussed in this podcast, since it is a lengthy piece(1 hour and 46 minutes, but well worth it) for those of you who want to know what it's about before diving into it. Keep in mind these are questions addressed to Ed Hooks, the author and arguably "the" father of acting for animators.

1. Are animators the same as actors?

- Here Ed explains why he doesn't think animators are the same as actors and goes into detail about the differences and how he thinks the academy should categories animators(or rather animation characters) in terms of awards and acknowledgements.


2. How do you feel about outsourcing animation and the future of animation as an industry?

- Ed Hooks shares his experience working and teaching in China and India and how what he saw there shocked him. He also dives into detail on his views about the future generation of animators and what they stand to achieve and the obstacles they have to overcome as the industry changes for better or worse. 



I would also like to give props to Alt Animation for bringing this wonderful and informative podcast to light. You can listen to their other podcasts at http://altanimation.podomatic.com/

 

An Interview with: Cinepix Animation Director - InHo Son

During my time working at Cinepix Studios(Seoul, South Korea) on the TV series of Kungfu Panda:Legends of Awesomeness, I got to work with animation director InHo Son and on my last day he agreed to an interview and we talked about many things like his path down this road and what he views is the most important aspect of animation and occupational injuries, etc. This is the transcript or rather a written version to the best of my memory and some notes that I took during the interview. I would first like to take the time to personally thank InHo for agreeing to this interview and answering in such a genuinely honest manner. Enjoy~

An interview with: Cinepix Animation Director - InHo Son (@ Cinepix Studios)

1. Can you give us an introduction of yourself and how you came to where you are right now as animation director?

- I majored in mechanical design. I was interested in drawing, but I thought I lacked talent. The reason I majored in that was because I was attracted by the design drawings. The lines and how they drag out the lines for measurements. Those shapes really appealed to me. I wanted to be someone that did that kinda work, so that’s why I went into mechanical design. I went to school and first you start by drawing everything in pencils and I took a class called “CAD”, which was a software you used to draw out the designs and I had never known about this world of computers before, so in a way that was the beginning of my path down this road. And my friend, after showing me CAD introduced me to another 2D program called Dr. Hollow. You could use colors and replicate simple shapes, but the colors were very basic. Like blue, red, white. It was more primitive than your free paint program on Windows. And I looked at this and thought, “Wow, this is new.” But then now long after he showed me another software and it was 3D Studio.

- Max?

- No, before that. My friend studied this by himself and made logo animations on his own. But, back in those days even rendering a hundred frames would take a whole night. Even longer if it had heavy textures on them. So, I thought my friend was really good. At academic festivals, people would come over and get his contact info so I thought highly of him. Then I was called into the army. I went around the same time my friend went. We were discharged around the same time. And, my friend had set his mind on doing CG. I was still a bit unsure, because I was also interested in interior design at the time.

- Because you came out of a mechanical design background.

- Right, so my friend said he was going to goto an institute where they teach professionally. So I followed him to a CG institute located in Gangnam, cause he was my friend. The institutes had nice interiors, new computers and monitors. And with moving wireframes on the monitors that were divided into four seperate views. The software they were using at the time was called Explore. And it was the origin software of Maya, they called it Alias Explore back then. I looked at it and I thought it was super cool! 

- LOL~

- It was during that time I was at the institute that I saw Luxo Jr., Red's Dream and Knick Knack and it inspired me a lot and I wanted to make something like that. So, I worked hard and our group made a short film at the end of the term about two basketball hoops coming to life at night and playing basketball amongst themselves and it won first place at the institutes yearly competition and I was pretty happy about our small, but meaningful achievement. After we graduated, me and couple of our classmates opened our own studio in a small office space in a crumbling building somewhere and we tried to get some projects going. At first, all that came in were jobs for making perspective conceptual renders for architectural buildings printed out into 2D photos and I was a bit flustered by it, but then we got an advertisement gig for a network hub device with camera movements and logo designs as well, so I worked on the storyboards and found I was more interested in this line(story-based) of work. We worked without compensation for about a year and after that paid gigs started to come in. But, by then we started to have some conflicts occur within the studio and some of us, including myself, left to set up another studio. And we got to work on some commercials like Cheetos and Kellogg and we worked day and night during that period, but some complications arose and we had to close down the studio and I fell into a bit of a slump. I was burned out and contemplating whether or not I should keep doing animation, when a friend of mine called me and asked what I was up to. I told him what was going on and he told me to come join him on an animation film project called Elysium, so after being convinced to come on over and being referred to the project manager, I was immediately brought on board to work on the promo video for this feature film. It was here that I actually got my first real taste of character animation with characters and story. After working there for about two years, I briefly moved to another studio called Zero One Pictures before settling into Cinepix Studios and I have been there ever since. 

- And you were appointed animation supervisor right away?

 - Yes, what was going on was they were animating a tv series called Cubix at the time and they placed me as supervising animator for one of the supporting characters. And as time went by I moved up to supervising animator for the main character and then animation director when we started a new tv series called Aqua Kids(2004). 

2. Is there an animation film that you like in particular? Something perhaps that left a big impression on you? And, if so can you elaborate on that? You mentioned earlier that you first saw Luxo Jr. and was very inspired....

- Yes, Luxo Jr. and other Pixar shorts, especially Knick Knack. But, you can say that there are two types of inspiring animations for me. The ones that I just mentioned would be inspiring animations for someone who didn't really know much about animation and then there are animations that you admire from the perspective of someone that has learned and worked in the same field for some time. And that one would be Finding Nemo and more recently Tangled.  

- Could you elaborate more on why you find Finding Nemo and Tangled as well-made animations?

- Well, I am not an expert on story, but I find the story of Finding Nemo to be very good. Coincidentally, Finding Nemo came out right around the time I became a father and thinking about it as a parent I really empathized with the story. Also, I was amazed by how well they could express human-like features through fish characters. Even in terms of innovation, I think they did a great job with slowly inputting human characters to their films along with ocean scenery, textures and colors. Didn't they do well in box offices as well?

- Yes, I read they were number one and still to this day hold the number two title for animation films if I'm not mistaken.

- For Tangled, this could be an excuse, but there was a period when after having observed all the different animations from all the different studios and CG was no longer something scarce and new, it might have also been that I was losing interest in it as well, but there was a period when I stopped watching animation. Even Pixar films, I remember I used to watch the same films in the theaters in awe two or three times by sneaking back in after all the other people left. But, after working as a supervisor for some time, it started to become comparative to projects I was working on and it made me feel inferior and along with other thoughts and concerns I started to stray away from watching feature films. 

- So this had nothing to do with the films themselves, but it was more about what was going on with you internally?

- Yes, I also saw Shrek, but not Shrek 2. There was a period in my life like that. And not too long ago, I started watching feature animations again. Even the old ones, I started watching them all over again and then I came across Tangled with the vibrant colors and long hair animated and all. I watched this while we were making KungFu Panda and naturally I compared it with what we were doing and observed all the aspects of it in detail and.....above all, I thought the animation was done well.

3. What do you think is the most important aspect in an animation shot as an animator? It could be one of the twelve principles in animation or anything else you might think.

- I think that's a hard question and I don't necessarily think there is one particular best aspect in animation. Just like a car, all the parts in the car matter in order for it to run properly, so too does all the aspects in animation. But, if there is one thing that I feel is important in becoming a great animator, it's sensibility.

- Sensibility?

-Yes, there are some people that can memorize an action or movement just by seeing it once in there life. And when they animate something they remember back and bring out the feel of the action or movement better than others. That sense is very important in becoming a great animator in my opinion.

- That's very interesting. I never thought of it like that. But, for example someone like me would probably watch videos again and again frame by frame to understand and learn timing and feel for weight, etc. I guess I'm not that talented. lol~

-Well, yes that is another way of acquiring that skill set. And you don't have to remember exactly how something moves. I guess it's more intuitive than anything.

4. What are your thoughts on occupational safety and health, since animators are prone to many injuries such as back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, reduction of eyesight, etc, etc due to long-term intensive working hours in front of the desk or computer?

- Yes, because our job requires us to sit in front of a computer when you look at it in long term, there are many risks. I think the most important way to avoid that is self-management. I believe in working hard when you work and resting hard when you rest. That's why I don't advocate working late to anyone or coming out on weekends to work as well.

- Well, I think that's easier said than done. From personal experience working here and looking around I think many people would like to get off work on time, but just can't.

- Well you can look at it as a battle between your ideals and reality. I also believe that you need to be in an alert mindset while you're working. I think it's important to prevent yourself from working late as time goes by.

5. And finally, any word of advice you can give to anyone that’s looking to work in animation or is going through a slump period in their careers?

- ......................

   
- or would you not recommend people to work in this industry?

- No, it's nothing like that. I was just thinking. I enjoy working with people that have a positive mindset and I think that's one of the hardest things to keep after you've been working for a long period of time. But for people that are trying to get into this industry I would suggest you try and nurture a positive attitude that lasts. That's my advice.

- Well, that's all we have. Thank you very much for your time!

- Thank you~

(This interview took place Nov 6th 2012)

Eric Goldberg's wisdom of the day

I recently had the pleasure and privilege of meeting Eric Goldberg in Seoul, South Korea (of all places. LOL~). And we had a nice talk, came back home and found this on youtube. So, I thought I would share it with you guys. For me personally, as an animator that's been working in the field for some years now, I understand what he's saying. And, I try to improve myself in this area as well. You can never under-value a good pose.

Disney animator Joe Bowers goes over his shots from "Tangled" & "Bolt"

JoeBowers Interview from Frame By Frame on Vimeo.

I gotta say this some top-notch animation right here! I'm sure Glen Keane had alot of input with this, as Joe mentions in this video, but wow(!) this is good. Take a look. And if you want to see some more of Joe's earlier works before he worked at Disney check out his Vimeo page @ https://vimeo.com/joebowers

An extraordinary body of work by Jennifer Hager

An extraordinary body of work by Cal Arts Graduate Jennifer Hager in 2007. To be honest, this is the first time I saw a demo reel this long........ and not be bored by it. The reason, in my opinion, is because the body of work is in one word, genuine. If you want to be an animator or are studying to become an animator this is an awesome demo reel to use for inspiration and reference. I highly recommend it. ^^

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: Voice Actors, Making of & Deleted Scenes in Storyboards

The thing I like most about Dreamworks Studios is their versatility. Every film they make, when you see them separately, seems as if they were made from completely different studios. For example, Shrek is totally different from Kungfu Panda and Kungfu Panda is completely different from How to Train Your Dragon and so on and so forth. And I know it's easy to stick to what works and is comfortable, especially when you are a public company/studio, so I have respect for what they do. So here are some AWESOME VIDEOS I found for inspirational purposes just like the Tangled post before. Check it out~!

As always Voice Actors give you soooooo much inspiration as an animator, because they are the heart and soul behind the characters and they give you soooo much with their gestures and poses and subtle, unique habits.

This is the Making of Video I found, this is actually the second half of the video. You can find the first half of it on youtube, but I thought this was the more interesting part and better quality. Enjoy!

Here is a deleted scene from the movie. It is an animatic version and I was very interested in seeing how they made their storyboards. I was a bit surprised, because there weren't many expression changes drawn into the storyboards as the characters were talking, which made me think maybe they made this before the voice actors recorded or maybe it was because they wanted the animators to be creative on their own.

Tangled: Voice Actors and Hair Trouble and Extended Animation Bits

I love Disney voice actors, ever since Ariel in The Little Mermaid, because when they sing it sounds like you when you're singing by yourself in the shower or in your room. They have a sense of vulnerability that is genuine and in many ways imperfect which makes it sound more real. The actors here show the same kind of Disney magic just with their voices and it is simply amazing! Puffy cheeks, lip movement and shapes, hand gestures, head tilts, eyes bulging in and out emphasizing specific words, there are so much juicy bits and pieces for animators to use in this clip in terms of acting choices. Great reference!



I think this is why Tangled was such a success. Genuine workmanship and dedication to getting it right.





I put these two videos up because I like to see un-rendered versions of the animation. I think you learn more from watching these. Enjoy!

My 2011 Character Animation Demo Reel

If it's not working click here. http://www.vimeo.com/21692550

www.youngsoojang.com  (You can find much more of my works here)

Link to Resume

Responsible for all animation, lighting, compositing.

Rigs courtesy of GOBELINS l'école de l'image, Animation Mentor, Peter Starostin (Max) and Chad Vernon (Nico). Additional props from Turbo Squid.

Software used : Autodesk Maya, Adobe After Effects

Thanks to SupaFred, Mathilde Le Moal, Bart Boirot, Odile Perrin, Michel Raimbault, Cristele Jolens, Eric Riewer and last but not least Animation Mentor.

My first little short film

I am very happy to say that my first little short film from Gobelins will be finished and uploaded on my website(youngsoojang.com) soon. Right now, the music is being composed and baked as we speak. It's a simple story with two character balls entitled "C'est la vie" and the story is that the road to the top is hard and not everyone who you think might get there get there at the end. Sometimes, the person you least expect, make it to the top.

http://youngsoojang.com/Short_Film_01_Cest_la_Vie.html

A revised version of my lipysnc

I got some great critiques from FMX, so I thought I would put them to good use and start re-polishing my demo reel. My "Cut your Throat" lip-sync was first on the list. Gotta love the villains/people with complicated childhoods. Here are the corrections made.

1. Improving the subtleties of matching up the lips more with the voice 
    and working on facial muscles to move with the lips

2. Enhancing hand poses.
3. Working on more natural body movement 

4. Delivery of the timing on the fist at the end
    (Also added movement on the phone reacting to the slamming of the fist)

From Annecy France to Stuttgart Germany. I went to FMX 2011, the 16th Conference on Animation, Effects, Games and Interactive Media with my classmates from Gobelins l'école de l'image and it was like a breath of fresh air from working all hunched up in front of my desk all the time working on the same animation for weeks on end. I was especially inspired by presentations from Clay Kaytis (Supervising Animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios) about how they made Tangled and it was just amazing watching rough test shots of Rapunzel getting into character and jaw dropping to see Glen Keane critiquing their work in dallies. I was sooooooo jealous. lol. And they also showed lots and lots of rough sketches of Glen Keane's Rapunzel and it was like a visual oasis. Just drawing after drawing, pure ecstasy. They also showed a very rough animation of Maximus the lead horse in the movie and it was the funniest thing that I had seen a horse do. I was very thankful to Clay for sharing all these goodies with the public. It was very inspiring to say the least.

I also very much enjoyed the making of presentation of Pierre Coffin(Director) for Despicable Me. He showed us the original character designs of Gru and it was interesting to see the evolution of Gru and why he changed the way he did. Of course when Pierre showed rough playblasts of Gru's test animation I was gawking at the simplicity of the awesome poses that the animator had chosen to do the various acting test shots. It really made me re-think about the essence of acting in animation.

Bobby Beck did a supreme job with his presentation for Animation Mentor. He went over film scenes from Midnight Cowboy, Lemony Snicket and Forest Gump and just really did a fine job of explaining great acting references for animators and stuff you can use to make your performance that much more authentic just by using strong poses and eye movement. To try and think outside the box and be original in terms of acting choices. It was also interesting to note that he was not happy with the style that Animation Mentor Demoreels seem to be cornering themselves into and he strongly suggested for all AM students to rise above and challenge each other to be different.

Those were just a few of the things that I had experienced while at FMX, there were many other things I learned, mainly about how hard it is to make it into this industry especially if your a character animator, but it definitely helped me get some tips and tricks to make the bumpy road a bit smoother. I would advise everyone who wants to get into this industry to participate in conferences like this in the near future such as Annecy Film Festival and Siggraph 2011 which will be held in Vancouver this year if you can.

"Tipsy" - Sonoma International Film Festival 2011

Meet Tipsy, a puppeteered wine bottle character enhanced with photo real animation that sings about the film festival in Sonoma. He loves film. He loves good food. And he loves to drink – a little too much.
  
Agency: ICA
Production Company: Psyop
Music Company: Changeling Music
Composer: Jamie Saxe
Lyrics by Jennie Chamberlain & Gabriel Lichstein
Sound Mix Company: Lime Studios