Demo Reel Research

This is one of my favorite demo reels. It features a lot of character animation and the mastery in portraying thoughts and emotions. This animator's real demonstrates her ability to know her characters from the inside-out and her firm understanding and use of the basic principles of animation. This is also a rather long demo reel, but it never gets old or boring to me. The music works great with the reel as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlXGzUouqjE
I would like my reel to show skills in that area among other things.
This real has a variety of animation types.
That one also seems to be a bit long. I think 2 minutes is the best amount of time for a reel.

This reel also has a lot of traditional animation showing the portrayal of emotions, but much shorter. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a2-o3w6Jqs&feature=related

The transitions from rough animation to clean colored animation are nice.

I'm not crazy about the opening text. That text is cheesy and so it hurts the presentation as it makes it look less professional. A more low key text would work better. The music also seems to take away from the reel.

This reel has a nice variation of 2D animation.

It has strong work, interesting characters, and the editing works nicely. The music fits with the reel's content and does not distract from the animation. There is also a nice variety of aesthetics and styles. I don't think the space men fit in too well into the reel because the other clips of animation look like stronger work.

Unpacking Jobs

Well the first job I looked at among my classmates' blogs and found interesting was 2D ANIMATOR: KABAM STUDIOS that Mike posted. I found this studio appealing to me because it mainly focuses on traditional 2D animation and are searching for people who know how to traditionally animate and traditional 2D animation is without a doubt my favorite type of animation and I love doing it. I like the fact that the company mentions that someone who'd work with them would ought to know who Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, or Richard Williams are. Those are some of my favorite animators and I am a big fan of the pioneers of animations.
I'm not sure if I'd fit into "gaming" animation though. I've never been a big video game player like most of my animation friends so I suppose gaming animation is something I should read into to get a better understanding. I don't know flash, but the studio is looking for the willingness to learn, and character design skills and some 3D animation experience is a plus. I don't have 4+ years of traditional animation experience at a gaming company either. I'm not too hot on the idea of moving to another state. I want to be able to start a career at home if anyway possible. The film industry is bombing in LA because of the taxes are low. Not only are films being shot is LA, post production studios are being permanently established which will create more jobs in the area and maybe attract other types of studios. Here is a link to an articlr about another company planting a studio in New Orleans very similar to the studio that just opened near my house in Covington. http://www.wwl.com/pages/9072219.php
I think it is a good idea to look at studios outside of my home state so I can get a better idea of what kind of job is best for me.
Okay, so I had to look at Pixar. Who wouldn't? One thing that Pixar expects of a demo reel is that it demonstrates application of the principles of animation to tell a story with meaning through movement. And again, my knowledge and experience with using traditional animation would help me out if I were to apply for this job. I'm surprised that computer animation experience is not even required even though it is preferred. So if I were to apply, my 2D animation will be my strong point since I have not much experience with 3D rigging. I definitely need more experience in 3D animation though. I'm all about emotions and expressions in my drawings and animation. I should make sure I include animation in my reel that demonstrates my skills in expressing thought and emotion through my characters.
Of course a job at Disney would be a dream for me and for most animators. I couldn't begin to count how many times people have told me that I should work for Disney. The Talent Development Artist Program seems to be freaking awesome and something to consider because it is only 3-6 months and I'd get paid to learn!! A firm understanding of animation principles is expected, which is something I love to study and strive to accomplish in my animation. Practice, practice, and practice is what I need indeed. I want to have quantity and quality work to put onto demo reels so that I can demonstrate my knoweledge and use of these principles.
All this research is getting me excited about making my demo reel!!! I think I have some nice pieces of animation to put into it.
The research I've done has also given me a good idea of what should go on my reel. I should make an outline of what I think my demo reel should consist of and how much of what I put in it.

Goals for Tuesday

By Tuesday I plan to finish my revisions for "Undressed." If I execute all of the revisions and editing needed, I will be a week ahead of my schedule! I will also do research on short animations to get an idea what kind of sounds I need for the piece. I honestly feel that I'm on point, but there is absolutely no time to spare, so I cannot slack off in any way. It just takes good time management to be able to work on my BFA project, my homework, and BFA work.

Meeting with Gadsby

My meeting with Gadsby went great. We talked about my internship and freelance experiences I had last summer and we talked about the networking that I have been building. Gadsby thinks that my networking skills come to me very naturally as I have made I lot of connections through my internship, my freelance experience, and my willingness to meet potential employers. So, I'm on the right start and Gadsby gave me some helpful information about job searching, which I am reading at the moment. I also need to complete a resume to send to Gadsby. I'm going to complete more than one template and the information she gave me sure helps getting it done. Since I've had much experience in the professional world this past summer, I'll have plenty to add to my resume and portfolio.
I think this meeting with Gadsby is just the extra boost I need to get a kick-ass resume and portfolio together and to broaden my network.

Friday

Today is a new day. A fresh start and the weather is nice. I may just eat lunch outside while I break from my work. I'm going see Gadsby at 11 and then handle a few other things at the business office and then I'll go to Burkes to get some of my Gothic Literature books.
I'll probably will eat after that and then get started on Senior Studio homework and then work on my BFA project. I think if I can get in enough work done this weekend, I can get a week ahead of schedule!!
I'm also ready to work on my Artist Statement, since I wrote my proposal last night. I need to see Meredith during her office hours so I can get it approved.
I have also scheduled out and marked down all of my BFA deadlines and meetings.

Other Things

I need to research what makes a good demo reel, what skills and programs are being asked for, and how I can attain these programs, learn them, and broaden my skills. I failed to do the amount of research needed so I need to do a better job by researching the the things I need to know. I need to look deeper into what is generally expected of a professional in these different careers. I gotta get my shit together. I'm learning from my mistake and I'm going to improve.

possible jobs

1. Freelance for David Cardwell Productions, Robert Berning Productions, So It Goes Productions
2. Digital FX- visual effects animation, assistant, internship
3. Bayou FX- digital animation, assistant, internship

I need a terrific demo reel and resume.

Progress

Progress is going well. I am finishing a lot of revised animation. I really want this two pieces to stand out and not be a drag. I one technical problem. My toonboom quicktimes are being cut off by the size of the screen. I've adjusted sizes in TB and the export settings. I'm not sure what to do. I need to figure it out so I can start putting these revisions into my project.

Detailed Schedule and Plans for the Week and Semester

I have written a list of all the revisions and editing I want to complete. I have already started working on those revisions starting with ones for "Undressed." The past weekend was an experimental weekend to see how long it takes to accomplish these goals.

This week, I plan on re-ording the first few shots in "Undressed" so that it the communication of the two main characters make sense. I want to add a shot to the piece, that can be executed fairly easily and quickly.

I will then Story board those shots in order before the weekend so I can finish the revisions and edit those shots together over the weekend.

In addition to what I want to complete this week, I will write a list of the sound effects that I need for each piece and how I will acquire them. I will also search ideas for music/background sound and start planning when I will work on sound.

I will move on to planning editing and revisions for the next scene or collection of shots the following week and then execute those goals during the weekend. The visual refinement of the first animation should only take two weeks.

I plan to follow this pattern of work for my second animation "The Egret" as well.

An average of 4 editing and revisions are completed each week, meaning that I will be finished revising by March 10 at the latest. That gives me 3 weeks to tie up any loose ends before March 31. I have already listed what is to be done each week. I'm giving myself the benefit of the doubt, because I may be more productive than I predict to be. When I animate, I just can't stop, but I have to take into account other things I may have to handle during the school year. If necessary, I will move my editing and revisions finishing date up a week, so I can have more time refining sound or other revisions. I'm still working on how I am going to work in time for sound development, but at least I am starting to plan out what I need and that's a big step. I should have a better idea of when and how to acquire my sound by next week. Each week I will improve and push myself to work harder than the last.

After March, I can more so focus on demo reels, DVD's, and whatever else I need completed by the end of the school year.

Gadsby

I'm meeting with Gadsby at 11 on Friday.

Job Research

So I did a few hours of research and found way more companies and studios than I did in previous job research.
Some of the larger film/video-related production companies in my area include, Robert Berning Productions (where I interned this past summer), Digital FX, Inc., local news stations, Incendii LLC, Red Pictures, Ghost Rider Pictures, Essential Images, Casanova Productions, Draw Pictures, LLC, Rum Productions, Scaffidi and Chetta Entertainment, Jeti Films, Morrison Productions, OZ- The Production Company, Fosterfilm, Inc., Endymion Digital Filmworks, Solomon Street Films, Louisiana Media Productions, Lucid SFX Development, Nims Center Studios, Digimation, and O6ee. These companies are in the New Orleans, Baton Rouge, or MS Gulf Coast areas.

Here are links to some of these studios:

www.berning.com

www.digitalfx.tv

www.bayoufx.com

www.redpictures.org

www.incendii.com

www.lucidsfx.com

www.digitalcinemastudio.com

www.digimation.com

These companies range in production from film, video, TV, music, sound, photography, visual effects, 3D modeling, editing, web-design, animation, graphics, and motion graphics, but I keep in mind that opportunity can lie anywhere.

There are a few freelance people in the field that I know and/or spoken to in the area as well, including the company for whom I did freelance over the summer.
I have a meeting with the Creative Director, CEO of "Bayou FX," which is a visual effects studio located in my hometown. I am meeting with him the next time I am home or over spring break.
I have also spoken with other freelance artists in the area, who most are willing to meet up with me and chat.

I'm pretty pleased with the amount research I've found.
I also am making sure I keep in contact with the people I've worked with and other contacts that I have that can lead to a possible job.
I think that the next time I research, I'll research careers rather than jobs.

Pitch for "The Egret"

Log Line: An egret ignores his responsibilities to gather food for himself and falls into self-destruction by becoming dependent on the human hand for food.

Synopsis: A baby egret who lives in a city canal ignores his mother's fishing lessons as he is more interested with the free food being given by humans to other animals up on the neutral ground. The egret leaves his family and feeds upon what is freely given by the human hand and grows dependent. By the time the egret is grown, the feeding of canal animals is forbidden and his food flow ceases. The egret goes to several different sources for food including a man eating french fries in his car, stealing from other egrets, and trying to eat the vegetarian food of a nutria, but all of his attempts to get food from another fail to suffice his hunger. The egret's last resort is to try to fish for food himself, but he has no skills in fishing. During his attempts to fish for food, the egret becomes food himself.

Tone and Execution: My approach to this project was to create a story to be executed in the style of a fable. In order to do establish that tone, I incorporated a lesson to be learned and many non-human characters.

Objective: My objective for this project is to execute how the sin of sloth can be self-destructive to one's life conveyed through a personified animal character.

Target Audience: The message delivered in this animation is targeted towards young adults and older, but the characters, places, and terms used in the piece should be more familiar to the people in my audience who share the culture portrayed.

Positioning: I plan to reach my audience with a comical story, a friendly aesthetic, interesting characters, a valuable lesson, and references to a certain culture.

Mandatories: What was needed to make this project happen is

• good story/concept
• interesting characters
• software
• music and sound

Inventory: Animation is completed with the exception of a few revisions needed. Sound and music is still needed.

Time line: A list of revisions has been made for the animation. Those revisions will go into affect right away. The next step is to acquire sound-effects and find or produce music. The weekends plus my Fridays off from school will be greatly utilized for the post-production of this piece. Any sculptural projects in relation to this piece will be created in my Sculpture 3 class, which I have every Wednesday.

Pitch for "Undressed"

Log Line: Lustful feelings lead to self-destruction when a hot sausage patty and a loaf of french bread suggestively flirt and are united only to be eaten.

Synopsis: The story takes place primarily in the kitchen of a po'boy restaurant. As the hot sausage patty is being cooked on the grill, he sees the loaf of french bread being dressed on the counter top beside him. The two food items suggestively flirt back and forth which each other. With all of his fixation on the seductive loaf, the hot sausage patty fails to notice the hot sausage link flirting to the french bread as he stands on the grill right behind him. The grill cook's spatula comes down to the grill and scoops up the hot sausage link to be put onto the french bread. The hot sausage patty is distraught at the sight and throws a piece of meat from the grill at the link to knock him off of the spatula. The patty is then scooped up by the spatula and put on the french bread instead. The loaf and the patty bask in the moment of their unity as they are in the hands of a customer destined to meet their doom.

Tone and Execution: My approach to this project is to create a piece that appears to be safe in content but in actuality contains quite suggestive material.

Objective: The objective of this project is to convey how lustful thoughts and actions can lead to self-destruction in a comical light and through unusual characters. I believe that animation is the best way to tell my story and to make my characters believable and brought to life.

Target Audience: The message delivered in this animation can be understood by young adults and older, but the characters, places, and terms used in the piece should be more familiar to the people in my audience who share the culture portrayed.

Positioning: I plan to reach my audience with a comical story, a friendly aesthetic, interesting characters, and references to a certain culture.

Mandatories: What was needed to make this project happen is

• good story/concept
• interesting characters
• software
• music and sound

Inventory:

Animation is completed with the exception of a few revisions needed.

Time line: A list of revisions has been made for the animation. Those revisions will go into affect right away. The next step is to acquire sound-effects and find or produce music. The weekends plus my Fridays off from school will be greatly utilized for the post-production of this piece. Any sculptural projects in relation to this piece will be created in my Sculpture 3 class, which I have every Wednesday.

Due by Tuesday

Over this weekend, I will make pitches for both of my animations and post those to the blog. Secondly, I will make of list of revisions I want to make for those animations. I am also going to reschedule when I need to record/attain sounds and music. I will rethink the installation idea or just go ahead and make marquettes of my characters as a separate project. I'll sketch out some ideas. Along with those things to do, I gotta do the assigned homework.

BFA Pitch

Well, I just organized my pitch. I feel that my concept is thoroughly thought out and that I have some interesting and unique ideas. I started writing for my pitch on Tuesday on paper. This morning in sculpture class, I talked about my BFA project with Tom Lee and showed him my ideas and Tom gave me some great things to think about. He recommended that I look up an artist named Bill Viola to see examples of how things are projected. The reason why I talked to Tom is because I want to make an installation. I believe that a project on a screen in a big white room is bland and uninteresting no matter what is on that screen. At least I'll be able to present my animations in The Show Up and Show out where it is appropriate, but the rest of the time, I want an environment more involved with my animation. So I've came up with some ideas and I've included them in my pitch. Whether or not my pitch and ideas go well, I am content knowing that I put a lot of thought and effort into this idea.

First Day

I love the first day of classes. I feel excited and focused and motivated. I'm going to strive to stay that way all through the semester because this is the end. This is it! If I have a good, organized, and focused start, that might just be the boost I need to keep on trucking and to make lots of progress. I've never told a teacher besides one at MCA that I have ADD and that it creates a struggle for me to stay organized and focused on the right thing. I don't use my disability as an excuse. I see my attention disorder as a trait that requires me to put in extra effort just to get something done. It calls for extra self-disipline and I bring that to the table. So just like in my old cross-country days, I'm going to build endurance and perseverance, and I'm going to stay on track and finish strong. So here's the end of my senior year!