Finished putting the animation together. Now Rendering. This blog will be massively updated with new things very soon. :)

Figured it out; I tracked 15 scenes in about four or five hours. 15 more to go then I'll put it together in After Effects, add the background then figure out how to do credits.

Working on tracking my 2d animation frames. Apparently I can do it in Photoshop and have the file sizes be smaller than if I did it in After Effects. I need some demonstration on how it works though. It seems when I look up tutorials online I never can put in the correct key words. Anyway, I need to present the 13th of August so I need to get this done PRONTO!!!!!!!!!!!! Sometimes I feel like...................

Here's a screen shot from my project, Meet Max, in Final Production...yay After Effects :) Stay tuned! All scenes in place and timed to music. Just a little more tweaking and we're in business. :)

Work lately on short film (Meet Max)

June 11 - So far, Scenes 1-7 setup roughly. Polishing happening on tracking, timing, etc later on in animation pipeline.

*Scene 06 needs Girl #1 standing in it and is incomplete. She is on the right.

Scene 7 timed well, could be pushed further for even better effect.

June 15 - Scenes 1-9 set up roughly, halfway done setting up scenes.

Still FRANTICALLY searching for information that will ring those bells in my head on tracking and compositing (I'm not sure if that is the correct term, but what I mean is having 2 characters in one scene playing simultaneously - having both characters show up in the same scene, and how to set the "layers" up in the timeline, if that makes any sense whatsoever.) Anyway, here's a picture of me working on it!

Done with coloring......and flattening the files....now onto final timing...I keep realizing again and again how emotional all this is for me. Here's a secret...when I hooked my colored frames up with After Effects I started tearing up! Every step I take with this I realize how attached I am to the project...I wonder if this happens to many animators. I am currently using After Effects CS6 for my 2d animation and although I still have my notes from AE class, it's been about six to eight months since I've used CS4 AE, and when I try to time out some 2d animation frames, the RAM preview plays back too slow, almost like 1 frame per second, which makes me think I need more frames, and I know that's not right; but I remember going to Composition Settings and trying different frame rates, but it doesn't seem to help, the frames aren't playing back fast enough. I went to the library at my college to see if I could check out the book but I can't and I can't buy it (can't afford it right now). This makes things difficult. I can however copy notes out of it while in the library and look up tutorials online. My google searches are coming up vague; Are there specific keywords that might ring the bell? I am not having any trouble setting up the nested comp/scenes, just the playback timing. I have many solutions to try out. I'll use photoshop sequences along with single frames.

And now for something completely different

ode to my friends

Caffiene, Richard Williams, Adobe CS4, and Pandora radio, you are my only friends...I couldn't do this without you.

Had to save this:

"Without a reasonable confidence in your own powers, you cannot be successful or happy.”

I'll have to remember that...like, tattoo it on my forehead.

Meet Max

Wow

Boy do I have animation on the brain like never ever before. All I can think about is arcs, tracebacks, acting, tracking, etc....etc....The only break I get from obsessing is sleep. This isn't a negative thing necessarily!

PS 07/31/11

Splitting of pages done as well. :)

Break downs

Breakdowns done on time, Sunday the 31st of July, 2011.

:)

Current state of mind - Pleased.
Current Task(s): Breakdowns finished.

On The Horizon: Splitting pages, putting files into AE to organize.

What is working: The process. Also time-pinching, keeping my hands loose when drawing and only filling in the necessary information for this point in time.

What isn't working: Not much at this point. Things are good.

Additional Thoughts: I guess I beat down the "get thee to work" demon, again. :)
For the Portfolio part of it, I gathered all my drawings and studies with pencil for the flat book.

*GIANT GRIN*

Selling this thing.

I am seriously thinking hard about presenting to the panel at times, and I figure it has to be about as good as this...



Yeah, I have to SELL this thing!!! :)

So the carpal tunnel set in last week, but I was really relieved about it, because that's when I know I am doing my job....:)

More later!

walking at a slug's pace

ten drawings...two strides is where I'm at...

http://www.ehow.com/video_2373728_breakdown-animation-walk-cycle.html

I squeezed out a few more during then and now which is 1:46 am.

I also contacted an old animation friend for some perspective because...

I am officially freaking out.

night time work

I'm dedicating my night to getting some work done whatever it is. Goal #1....add coffee, animate ten minutes, see what happens...

I know this is how many great animators of the past have done. Just do it...wherever and whenever possible. I have made my situation portable, I have a great bag to fit all of my tools perfectly into, and I have been making sure to back up files once or three times....

Ok...I need to figure out like 9 drawins tonight at least to get over the 17 mark so we have something more to work with. I will upate this later........

It is now 11:05 pm

Indie Journal

Current state of mind - After excusing some work-disorienting business from my workin day, I'm alright.

Current Task(s): Current version of Flipbook pencil test.

On The Horizon: Version 6 and 7 with more breakdowns.

What is working: THE PROCESS.

What isn't working: having a little too much fun. When I get in there in the actual "cartooning" animation process I become goofy and start singing show tunes and thinking of funny stuff, it's almost like getting together with friends and posing the statement that "it would be sooo funny if..." But I'm not a a restaurant with my friends, I'm in the animation room, at the school, and I think Gary can hear me showtuning back here. Sorry, Gary!

Additional Thoughts: I guess I beat down the "get thee to work" demon.

For fun: I tried to post Michigan J. Frog on here but it didn't work. :(

The Michigan J Frog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRnX4quv5W4&feature=related

Indie Journal

http://www.angryanimator.com/word/tutorials/


Angry Animator....wow, I love it just for it's name. It's kind of like "Angry Norwegian" sardines designed by Matt Groening.


The page has a word about/from Preston Blair. It says every animation student should have a copy of the book "How to Animate" by Preston Blair.

I wish I could just upload this stuff into my memory at night when I sleep, but unfortunately life isn't that easy and no one's going to feel sorry fer ya. They just going to keep happily cartooning and laughing and writing jokes. :)


Off to the 24/7 lab with myself...

Internal conflict of a dork

Indie journal
Independent journal

Current state of mind - Medicated for your protection. (that was a joke.)

Current Task(s): Extreme poses, testing.

On The Horizon: Breakdowns, testing.

What is working: THE PROCESS.

What isn't working: Being lazier than I would like to be!!!!

Additional Thoughts: When I am in lazy mode, I'm useless to the world...I can't be that way, and it's usually a side effect of my medications (change them with doc?). Coffee usually does the trick but the problem can get bad. That's when I don't think and just do and it isn't so bad.

Just thinking about being in the office and having this happen, coffee...is usually provided, lol I know it sound stupid but it actually works for me...Scandinavians run on the stuff right? Haha...

Well, anyhow, there is no beating myself up allowed, but there's no excuses for not doing work. Even if it is at 1:04 am you have to do it. AT least one page if you can, then maybe you can get into the groove and do it!

More later. I will tell you if I was conquered or if I won.