tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414433221787419272024-02-07T19:53:08.326-08:00Mark Thomas AnimationAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019214595443751101noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341443322178741927.post-8189129866321666632017-11-02T19:51:00.003-07:002017-11-02T19:54:56.583-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style= font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Animation Showreel of some of the work I did Animating Dogmeat for Fallout 4. I actually animated the whole character set as well as the molerat, yao guai, fog crawler, and radstag which I may do highlight videos of later, but for now this is some of my favorite work from that project.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6aykzg3eB4Y/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6aykzg3eB4Y?feature=player_embedded" width="480"></iframe></div><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019214595443751101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341443322178741927.post-30333714036983155372017-10-16T20:51:00.001-07:002017-10-16T20:51:58.355-07:00Fallout 4 Launch TrailerA career highlight for me was working on this trailer and animating Dogmeat for the intro and outro portions of it. I also animated Dogmeat in game as well.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XW7Of3g2JME/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XW7Of3g2JME?feature=player_embedded" width="480"></iframe></div><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019214595443751101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341443322178741927.post-76374059173610095502013-12-04T19:57:00.000-08:002013-12-04T19:57:28.283-08:00XCOM Reel<div class="description_wrapper">
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Here is a selection of work I did while working on XCOM: Enemy Unknown from 2011-2012. I got to spend a little time on each creature and it was a lot of fun working with the crew at Firaxis. </div>
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<span style="color: red;">**Content is from an M rated game, the first shot in particular is considered graphic**</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019214595443751101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341443322178741927.post-13904141211966004902013-02-06T10:20:00.000-08:002013-02-06T10:20:07.133-08:00Great ShortThis is a fantastic short that has been around for some time but is so fun to watch. It has great characters, great dialogue, lighting and composition are done incredibly well.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019214595443751101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341443322178741927.post-38959301505674817352013-01-19T07:52:00.000-08:002013-01-19T07:52:14.623-08:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvcVLD5x5qaHjSsxUEpgA6R3ew_ELVB9TBzQWdytbJe81YkKxExbCCjxqKqbtpA9yANhR8WlbKO-eotGVXffWQ0_lSZnfT-TODEJ_GyX0nXU1AuvmjNd4x9W58aMY8c-9hn1oVihocQc/s1600/XCOM+GameofYear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvcVLD5x5qaHjSsxUEpgA6R3ew_ELVB9TBzQWdytbJe81YkKxExbCCjxqKqbtpA9yANhR8WlbKO-eotGVXffWQ0_lSZnfT-TODEJ_GyX0nXU1AuvmjNd4x9W58aMY8c-9hn1oVihocQc/s640/XCOM+GameofYear.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
2012 was a heck of a year, I learned so much about animation and making games and incredibly glad that my first game has been so well received the guys at Firaxis deserve a ton of credit.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019214595443751101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341443322178741927.post-86152553522880332342013-01-11T06:47:00.001-08:002013-01-11T06:47:32.979-08:00DRAGONBORN!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeC54IQJV0D6Dz_lztf6Cil7CMst6gSizsd7YKa5mNoe_u6fAw23wzrd-urwVr1UKRwPrCOujuLg95Ekbwy9k_o8TcRicLchJBYiNqfmJfG0k8_8fWofRRiddipSuwyv3N-YtGjXECsk/s1600/RieklingboarComp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeC54IQJV0D6Dz_lztf6Cil7CMst6gSizsd7YKa5mNoe_u6fAw23wzrd-urwVr1UKRwPrCOujuLg95Ekbwy9k_o8TcRicLchJBYiNqfmJfG0k8_8fWofRRiddipSuwyv3N-YtGjXECsk/s640/RieklingboarComp.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mounted Riekling, Classic and Updated Creature I animated for Dragonborn.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The First piece of content I got to work on at Bethesda Games Studios was their latest DLC for Skyrim. This is a great addition to the game and I was thrown in with the task of having to rig, animate, set up the ragdoll, and implement my creature(pictured above) in game. It was a very steep learning curve but I learned a lot that will be very helpful in going forward with new characters and creatures. Check out the trailer below.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019214595443751101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341443322178741927.post-9638260948402958142013-01-11T06:27:00.000-08:002013-01-11T06:28:26.306-08:00New Studio!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_sqsobu-2v0stvhxTcGDnafy0gZKWVosLVVx24ZG1Zr1PSIdvrT7GSBsa1Zk_EQb_T4LXUhW8pRUQiCXC1sI3dL7GvfPg6pyU9hpG1KCQIY-zq2Vf116yhsqH_KrOYhmEuxGj5VccTs/s1600/Bethesda_Game_Studios1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_sqsobu-2v0stvhxTcGDnafy0gZKWVosLVVx24ZG1Zr1PSIdvrT7GSBsa1Zk_EQb_T4LXUhW8pRUQiCXC1sI3dL7GvfPg6pyU9hpG1KCQIY-zq2Vf116yhsqH_KrOYhmEuxGj5VccTs/s400/Bethesda_Game_Studios1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
In May 2012 I was lucky enough to snag a full time position at <a href="http://bgs.bethsoft.com/" target="_blank">Bethesda Games Studios.</a> This is a studio that I have been looking up to and applying to for the past three years! I get to work with some very creative and talented new people and can't wait to see what new things I will learn. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019214595443751101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341443322178741927.post-32962400941120299632013-01-11T06:19:00.000-08:002013-01-11T06:21:16.434-08:00XCOM: Enemy UnknownGot to work on <a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/full-episodes/pth9i9/gametrailers-game-of-the-year-awards-game-of-the-year" target="_blank">Game Of The Year</a> XCOM: Enemy Unknown for a little over a year at the very end of development. It was a great time to see everything starting to come together and I was able to animate some very fun shots for cinematics and in game content. Should have an XCOM reel up in the next couple months.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='520' height='466' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/YPvbF7bG7lk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019214595443751101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341443322178741927.post-39308925892588679252012-10-02T18:08:00.000-07:002012-10-02T18:08:22.910-07:00How do I learn to Animate?While critiquing a students work it gave me the idea to explore how I and others learn animation and what sort of information would I have liked during the early stages of trying to be an animator, <span lang="en-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I though of some general advice that
might help.</span></span></span><br />
<span lang="en-US"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0 0 0 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">1.<span> </span>The absolute best
way to learn animation right now is online, Whether it is from <a href="http://www.animationmentor.com/" target="_blank">Animation Mentor (</a>which is where Iwent),<a href="http://ianimate.net/" target="_blank"> Ianimate</a>(run by a lot of talented people at Dreamworks), or <a href="http://www.animschool.com/Default.aspx" target="_blank">AnimSchool</a>(Mostly
Blue
Sky dudes). The reason for this is that the animators you learn from
and get feedback from are the ones that are making the multi-million
dollar films that people are going to see, they are in touch with the
needs and wants of animation studios and know
what a person needs to succeed and can provide you with all that
information. They are well equipped as well, you won’t be rigging,
setting up lights, worrying about things that have nothing to do with
the specific craft of animation. The assignments are
structured so that you start off simple and nail down the principles of
animation(you better know those) and gradually it gets more difficult
as you learn. Not only are they a great place to learn but they are a
great place to network and meet other people
online that are doing the same thing as you. The online community is
great and is a very big reason for me getting opportunities at my last
two jobs. People search for potential employees through these places
and knowing someone who went to the same school
creates a common denominator, not to mention the reputations of these
schools for putting out fantastic animators is great and growing all the
time. Taking Animation Mentor was the single best investment to my
animation career.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0 0 0 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">2.<span> </span>Go
back to basics,
a ball bounce or a ball that has two legs and feet, animate a walk with
the character then try to do an animation that shows an emotion, if you
can pull it off with a torso and legs you are on your way.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0 0 0 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">3.<span> </span>Keep
It Simple,
you will hear this constantly, clarity in animation is key, keeping it
simple is there to avoid the, “now what’s he doing?” line which sucks to
hear. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0 0 0 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">4.<span> </span>Buy the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Animators-Survival-Expanded-Edition/dp/0571238343" target="_blank">animatorssurvival kit</a> book if you haven’t already, this
book is fantastic and breaks things down very well. He has a video
series based on the book which is filled with amazing information too,
but it’s expensive. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0 0 0 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">5.<span> </span>Always
Model,
Rig, Light, Render, Composite, and Animate your own work, WRONG! Again,
if your focus is animation, then animate, there are a lot of free
sources online for rigs and models for you to use, here is one that is
great, <a href="http://www.creativecrash.com/maya/downloads/character-rigs/c/" target="_blank">CreativeCrash</a>. Whatever software package you
use, they have a pretty good mix, simple models are better for
learning, less controls to get caught up with.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0 0 0 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">6.<span> </span>Start
creating
your online presence and always update your work. Luck is when
preparation meets opportunity, you never know when a potential employer
drops by your site or has an opening. The point is, be ready.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0 0 0 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">7.<span> </span>Use
live action
reference, video tape yourself doing the movement, whether it’s a walk,
run, sitting down, turning, whatever, use it as a template to study the
posing, weight, and nuances. The idea is not to just copy the reference
but to understand the movement of the character
so you can accurately interpret the movement. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0 0 0 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">8.<span> </span>Critiques
are
a huge part of what we do, so listen, learn, and don’t take it personal
if someone is hard on your work, we sometimes tend to be so attached to
what we are working on that someone putting it down feels like a direct
insult and it is easy to get defensive, a good
critique though can come from anywhere and anyone, you don’t have to be a
pro animator to notice when something isn’t right. I have shown my
work to my wife only to be pissed that she saw something that I missed.
After some pride swallowing I killed that
part of the animation and did it over so that is was much more clear.
Sometimes it takes deleting whole sections of your animation and doing
it again rather than try to force what you have in to place.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0 0 0 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">9.<span> </span>Animate, Animate,
Animate, always be animating and learning.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I Hope
this helps, and keep at it. There are
very few people that get to do what they want for a living and it’s
because it’s not easy, so they quit somewhere along the way. If you work
hard, listen, and always be learning along the way you can’t go wrong.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">-Mark</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019214595443751101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341443322178741927.post-34155327301498885882012-07-02T17:37:00.001-07:002012-07-02T17:37:52.885-07:00Fantastic Superman Fan Film. Love the style and especially the backgrounds, reminds me of the Batman Animated series from the 90's. Lots of character in the whole thing. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lSIlr2-mw-w" width="560"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019214595443751101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341443322178741927.post-33103093625839961472012-07-02T17:36:00.000-07:002012-07-02T17:36:02.790-07:00Last "Meet The" short from Valves Team Fortress 2, Awesome <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WUhOnX8qt3I" width="560"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019214595443751101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341443322178741927.post-69621586143130605922012-07-02T17:34:00.001-07:002012-07-02T17:34:19.901-07:00Great talk with Mark Andrews, Director of Brave, can't wait to see the movie. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SOwq4zLcH8Q" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019214595443751101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341443322178741927.post-86835171571577588142012-04-26T19:59:00.000-07:002012-04-26T19:59:18.835-07:00Success as an Animator<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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From <a href="http://www.animationtipsandtricks.com/2012/04/six-key-skills-to-succeed-as-animator.html" target="_blank">Animation Mentors Tips and Tricks</a> comes some very
insightful words from former Pixar animator and Co-Founder of Animation Mentor,
<a href="http://bobbyboom.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bobby Beck</a>.
He gives six short but powerful lessons on what it takes to succeed as an
animator. <br />
<br />
Only recently have I felt like I am succeeding, for the past four years I have
done freelance animation off and on working on some cool projects for Discovery
Health, Nasa, and PBS Kids Hooper Interstitials. These were all fantastic
I felt like I was finally going in a positive direction, but with freelance
your project only lasts for a short while and before you know it you are
looking for work again. If you can't find work in your chosen field then
that means you have to go elsewhere until you can. My resume might look
ridiculous if I put the none animation type jobs on there; 2 months at Dominos
Pizza as a driver, 3 months at Petco, another 3 months at Staples, a month and
a half at some art supplies store, 3 months canvassing people around every
Whole Foods and Trader Joes in LA County(sorry for being that guy but thanks for
the donations). Each gig lasted only 2 or 3 months because I would be
doing freelance in-between. The pattern went; start a job, get a
freelance gig, quit said job, end contract on freelance, try to find more
freelance and if that didn't work start a new job doing something to pay the
bills. I always put energy into whatever job I was doing I but never lost
sight of why I went to school and what my dreams were. I guess I can't
say I never lost sight because there were times when I thought it would be great
to take a soul sucking yet financially successful job and try to live a
comfortable life.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rQpvYNDH8rnpxipUsQF0b8zT9Z9nzOjDubTh3WV8rnvrq17PE-Pbl-99yxeNVYxEk9W6_KIdYM6Ehj13k58eh3F62SR3rpGGfNaLpDmP8M1LJfv8mMmAnPYxphn9KmepakKATUfsFBw/s1600/Freelance+Circle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rQpvYNDH8rnpxipUsQF0b8zT9Z9nzOjDubTh3WV8rnvrq17PE-Pbl-99yxeNVYxEk9W6_KIdYM6Ehj13k58eh3F62SR3rpGGfNaLpDmP8M1LJfv8mMmAnPYxphn9KmepakKATUfsFBw/s200/Freelance+Circle.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
I felt better when I landed a yearlong contract position with Firaxis
Games. This was my first time working on video games and was a dream
because i used to be the kid sitting around playing games going, "Man, it
would be so freakin cool to help make games for a living." And it
was and is way freakin cool. This was still a contract position and I
knew in one year I would be out on my butt again looking for more work and by
now the cycle was getting really old. I also had a new born girl grace
our lives with her presence and the idea of going back and working for $9.00 an
hour was/is terrifying.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtlV1hoIWDJPquEJYogeGA-D9BVuAeuHwZbKn5_gkOoHiEJPltxgZB53ezmrDe8yd484NcQsvJoVT199jclFR47whQlxYsAhQmuiXlOI7vfRcdWBSHe18cxsfCJZtkJYT0lVNFF50ueg/s1600/SAM_3754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtlV1hoIWDJPquEJYogeGA-D9BVuAeuHwZbKn5_gkOoHiEJPltxgZB53ezmrDe8yd484NcQsvJoVT199jclFR47whQlxYsAhQmuiXlOI7vfRcdWBSHe18cxsfCJZtkJYT0lVNFF50ueg/s320/SAM_3754.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She wants a pony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Also, when freelancing typically your most recent work is your best, BUT, it
is agonizingly normal for you to have to wait 3 months or up to a year or more to
be legally able to show anyone, including possible employers your latest
work. I would have a 3 month gig working 10 or more hours a day the whole
time and when my contract was over I now have to look for work again.
Well job hunting while doing a project that demands that much of your time and
energy is tough to say the least, but you also don't have any new work you can
show throughout that time, so you are now relying on old work that got you the
first job to hopefully get you a new one. Anyone that has ever looked for
a job also knows how long the process can take. <br />
<br />
Knowing this, I did what I could while working for a year at Firaxis to try
and be as impressive as I could at my job while developing new, personal
animations I could show to potential employers when the time came to start
looking for another job. I was also determined to not wait until my
contract was over to start the job hunt.<br />
<br />
As it turns out it did pay off and I am now hanging up my freelance shoes
and beginning a new part of my career as a Full Time Animator at Bethesda Games
Studios. This feels like success to me and the two biggest reasons why I was able to get here, <a href="http://www.animationtipsandtricks.com/2012/04/six-key-skills-to-succeed-as-animator.html" target="_blank">#2. Be Thirsty and #4 Never Give Up.</a> I
owe much of that to my wife who was there to push and inspire me when I felt
uninspired and lazy. Wherever you get that drive, whether it's internal
or external, hang on to it and keep pushing until you are were you want
to be. <br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019214595443751101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341443322178741927.post-54231429124480414072012-04-24T18:38:00.000-07:002012-04-26T20:05:09.987-07:00Animation Breakdown<br />
This shows the evolution of one of my shots from blocking to spline to final. The idea of the shot stayed very much the same though out the whole process but the animation definitely improved the whole way, largely due to the some great friends at Firaxis Games Studios giving me feedback. <br />
<br />
This is early blocking, just sort of getting the idea on paper and also getting used to this character and rig. Trying to find what poses work and what shapes you can create. The camera is just temporary but it actually didn't change too much since the angle seemed to work for me.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="331" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/40982932" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
After hitting the spline button things start to fall apart. I think I wanted to get to spline early just to try out a new workflow, it's a lot like trying to mold a wet piece of clay where you work on one part and the other side is sagging due to gravity so you have to continue to massage the whole thing until it comes together.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="331" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/40982934" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
After some revisions and feedback I have a more clear idea of where to go and an exciting finish so it doesn't just stop with his yelling petering out. I was actually trying to avoid putting in the extra time and effort of having him run off screen but the feedback and push I received really helped, thanks <a href="http://theartofjustinrailroads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Justin.</a><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="331" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/40982936" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
This was were I felt the shot really came together, I was hesitant about adding the jump at first because the idea came late in the process and it meant re working a lot of what was already there but again my man Justin was convincing in his critiques. I sometimes have a tendency to play it safe and it was just the thing to really push this. Add in some facial animation and the character really starts to come alive.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="331" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/40982937" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
Final Animation and Lighting: <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="366" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/40980626" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="651"></iframe><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019214595443751101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341443322178741927.post-15483211806821971052012-04-23T09:00:00.000-07:002012-04-24T17:35:01.453-07:00<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMjtTDdzl40AzgW3f0G85fZizykEXmpFafxiCscxCqvwWkeF0PjpoHKkpmwBsWbosxKoY-Df40GvA048VF-54-pe5GctnHEAUskvcbccJYOMmfHXfpWlARcjjqEZLBD5h8fljr8OfLTg/s1600/MarksChopShop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMjtTDdzl40AzgW3f0G85fZizykEXmpFafxiCscxCqvwWkeF0PjpoHKkpmwBsWbosxKoY-Df40GvA048VF-54-pe5GctnHEAUskvcbccJYOMmfHXfpWlARcjjqEZLBD5h8fljr8OfLTg/s400/MarksChopShop.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-size: large;">If Animators Worked Like Mechanics:</span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I don’t know about you but I hate
taking my car to the mechanic. It’s this feeling of being taken advantage
of due to my lack of knowledge of car repair and the cost that comes along with
it. There is a lot going on under the hood and in the dash and behind
your wheels and under the carriage. They could easily explain that to get this to
work, you gotta buy that,, and on top of that you’ll need this too. It
always feels like one thing after the another. Likewise, if I were to
explain animation to someone who was not versed in the lingo and the details of
what it takes to actually make an animation, then I would have the upper hand
when they walked into my shop/desk and asked for one. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I wonder, if this were the case with
animators, how would it go? Well every animation is different but they
all need to have the principles of animation to work, right? Nope! There
are lots of examples where professional animation is shown but there are a lack
of principles, potentially due to time, budget, or ‘style.’ Hanna Barbara’s style
of animation was derived from a lack of time and budget. but nevertheless was a
style of animation. So, the idea is to charge per animation principle. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I imagine it would go something like
this:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Looks like you’re missing some
S&S in that animation. I could get in there and clean it up but this
particular animation will need quite a bit to work correctly,” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Uh, okay.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“And for that to work properly, I am
going to need to fix your Timing and Spacing. You see, if I just threw in some
S&S without addressing the Timing and Spacing, there’s no guarantee it will
run right and you won’t (cant?)get a warranty on it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“How long will this take?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“That depends. I could go in there
Straight Ahead, but I won’t be able to give an accurate estimate. I could do
Pose to Pose. It’s more predictable but a lot of times it ends up looking too
pose-y and lacks a good Follow Through and Overlap, which is extra. The
best way to go, -- this might run you a little more, but it’s what I would
suggest- is doing a mix of Pose to Pose and Straight Ahead Animation. It comes
with the Follow Through and Overlap and will get the best end result.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“It doesn’t need to look that great.
It just needs to work.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Well you want strong Staging and I
would suggest adding Appeal to the animation for it to really work.
Appeal is a tough one and takes some time so your rate will go up, but if you
add the Arcs and Anticipation package, you could save %10 on Appeal.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“I’m afraid to ask, anything else?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“One thing that will really help
with your weight is Slow Ins and Slow Outs. You see all body parts use Slow In
and Out. This helps give the illusion of weight. If you don’t have it or if
it’s done incorrectly, it can lead to floaty animation and I would expect you
to be back here in another couple of weeks asking me to fix it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“I guess I need it then.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Good choice. Should be ready in the
next couple months. I’ll give you a call when it’s finished. Now do you
want this done in 2D or 3D”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“3D.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(CHA CHING!)</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019214595443751101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341443322178741927.post-68711557433762992802010-08-29T11:08:00.000-07:002012-04-23T08:37:02.064-07:00DEMO REELFirst Demo Reel of the year includes personal and professional work. I am currently working on XCOM: Enemy Unknown at Firaxis Games, and when the game is released will have lots more to share. I am also looking for a new animation job, my contract with Firaxis will be up soon and I need a great new place to join.<br />
<br />
For comments, questions, or to have me work on your next project, feel free to email me at, animatormark01@gmail.com. My resume can be found, <a href="http://db.tt/eriNBZvZ">Here </a> <br />
<br />
All animation created by me.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="366" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/35006846?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="651"></iframe><br />
<br />
Any and All comments are appreciated:<br />
Animatormark01@gmail.com<br />
<br />
-Animator MarkAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019214595443751101noreply@blogger.com0