Archive for category Animation

Learning Computer Animation Graphics

By Graham J Freer

There are now many things that could be done online, including finishing a college course and landing yourself a job. This is one of the best things that the internet has given mankind, and it has benefited millions of people over the world. There are now many college courses that could be finished entirely over the internet, and there are other tools to help those who would want a future in computer animation.

What are the benefits of taking up an online computer animation course as opposed to taking it up in a real school? Needless to say, the training for people who want to be graphic designers and animators is very expensive. It would take long hours at school and at home, and it would be a nice, welcome idea to have it your way as you study a difficult course. There are also tools that could help with computer animation graphics – 3D computer animation software programs are available for those who would want to train themselves. College courses online are easier, because traditional colleges would require that you prove yourself first before they take you in. While this may be a good thing for those who only want the best education, it would be hard for those who are only starting to know the basics of it.

If you want to start learning computer animation online, it would be best to check out tutorials for animation tools. There are also video instructions that could be used to make learning things easier. Many are the uses of 3D computer animation software – better websites and better income. The demand for graphic designers and animators gets higher every year, as there are more demands for more beautiful websites that could instantly capture the hearts of its visitors.

For those who are already knowledgeable on the field, putting up your own graphic animation studio would be a good step for promoting your own products. This would make people see just how professional your works are. It would also be an effective way of keeping all your works in one place where you could showcase your talent and make everybody see it. Being a graphic artist pays well, as not all people are given this talent. Enhancing your website would attract more visitors and therefore more income for you. You could work on many different themes and templates and you could work as a freelance graphic designer like most do.

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The Art of 3D Animation

By Justin L Sternad

The art of 3D animation is a relatively new art medium compared to other forms of animation. Art dates back to the age of the caveman and for as long as man has roamed the Earth, there has always been the artist and the critic. For me animation dates back to sometime in the 1980′s when I used to watch Saturday morning cartoons and make flip books. However, 3D animation is an art form associated more with the information age and the growth of computer technology. Advances in technology have created what is now far more advanced than Saturday morning cartoons.

3D animation art challenges the intellectual artist. The artist now must be creative in how he or she uses traditional methods in conjunction with newer technology. To study this art form, the student must develop an understanding of all the elements needed to produce a computer animation. The animator must be able to take a concept from its infancy through maturation with the end result being a finished production displayed to an audience.

The 3D animation art student should be able to conceptualize taking an inanimate object and bringing it to life through character modeling. Once the object has been created or chosen, the animator needs to create a sequence of detailed views of the model in sketches on storyboards. Software suites can play a major role in this process providing tools that can create bring clarity to the storyline while providing time saving guidance during the planning stages.

The technique used in acquiring old school 3D animation involves is the creation of a set designing, the character (sometimes made of clay or other inanimate objects), a camera, and audio equipment. With today’s newer technology, creation of art of 3D animation involves 3D modeling and character animation which can be done entirely on a computer. No filming is required as the character and each movement can be created with software.

3D animators need to understand that the art of 3D animation can be excessive for the viewer if the professional cannot define the viewer’s line of equilibrium. To clarify this, think back to the last time you were just the right distance from a chain link fence. Did the fence appear toward and away from you when you looked at it long enough. The same sensation can occur if the viewer’s senses are overwhelmed. When it comes to 3D animation less really is sometimes more. The art of 3D animation has the capability to simplify the most complex ideas that would require creative genius.

This insight is but a tip of the iceberg! I know, I have buried my face in many a book or computer screen. There are literally millions of publications about art and animation. Far more titles than can be listed here. Don’t consider it a daunting task that sucks the fun out of animation. Knowledge is power and to be successful in any endeavor, you must have some background information.

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3D Animation in Movies

By Jacquelene Krugel

The exciting initial beginning of 3-D animation in movies basically started with Tron in 1982 and in the same year, Star Trek II where 3-D animation was used in fractal landscapes. Pixar then introduced the first 100% 3-D animation when they released Adventures of Andre and Wally in 1984. The Dire Straits music video in 1985 was the first of its kind in full 3-D animation and two years later Tin Toy won an Oscar as the best animated short using realistic human form.

Several other 3-D animations was subsequently released over the next few years, introducing animated organic elements, convincing animated mouths with synchronised speech and naturally Jurassic Park in 1994 with its 3-D animated dinosaurs. The big hit however was Toy Story in 1995 and the 3-D industry was literally started with its release. Pixar, which released it, soon had competition from Pacific Data Images when they released Homer and subsequently their second film Antz made them Pixar’s greatest competitor.

Like in all industries everybody else wanted part of the 3-D animation action and from 2006, 13 other animations were released in the same year, all from different companies in the film industry. The first step was from Disney to buy out Pixar after the semi-failed 3-D Chicken Little from Disney made them realize that they indeed need Pixar for animation. Great techniques were incorporated by everybody, but some techniques failed miserably, resulting from extremely good animations to the extremely awful versions.

Pixar remains one of the leading 3-D animators in the movie industry and follow the guidelines in producing a new 3-D animation in such a way that it is reminiscent of sales pitches.

• Pixar employees will pitch their idea to the development team and they will try to see the possibilities in it and the believability of the idea.

• Writing of a Text Treatment which in reality is just a short document which summarizes the main idea presented, finding a balance between open possibilities and solid ideas to be filled in by storyboard artists.

• The storyboard artists each receive script pages and draw a hand-drawn comic book version of their interpretation of the movie.

• Voice pitching and reel making will start and is essential in validating the sequence of the pages of storytelling and actors will pitch various versions of voices and emotions to get the perfect pitch.

• The art department use their creativity to create inspirational art to illustrate the characters and their world. Impressionistic pastel illustrations are used in emphasizing light in scenes, the designing of sets, props and visual looks.

• Characters, props and sets are articulated and sculpted either by hand and scanned three-dimensionally or directly modelled into the computer in 3-D. Different “avars” are used by the animator to make characters move and one character can have more than a hundred avars in the face alone.

• Next the sets are built in 3-D to realize the vision for the environment in creating a believable world.

• The story is now translated into three-dimensional scenes and crew choreograph characters using a virtual camera in capturing emotions and story points of each scene.

• Finally the shot is animated neither by painting or drawing as it is traditionally done as the characters, layout, props, sound and dialog is already set up, Pixar animation software is now used to choreograph movements and facial expressions.

• Finally shading and lighting are added and data rendered, which can take up to ninety hours per frame and a little as six hours

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