I've been gathering information from colleagues and co-workers on DemoReels. Since Pixar has been looking at more than 2,000 reels in the last few months, I've been compiling a list of what I feel can help people out when they decide to apply to studios. It's really difficult to stand out in such a large number of reels, so I did talk to a few very helpful people that helped me narrow specific issues they've been encountering when looking at large numbers of DVDs and portfolios. I hope it can be helpful.
I wanted to bring this Bug Bunny example, not just because it's one hell of a shortfilm and character I've learned so much over the years...but also to talk about the topic of quick animation, as it is something that I wanted to pass my thoughts on it following agreat post from Andrew on SplineDoctors where he talks about Presto's great execution in the shortfilm. Just very true stuff, and stuff to always be concious. If you haven't watch the short, go watch it right now on Itunes (Andrew passed the link on his site I believe), as Doug, Andrew and the animators, did a more than impressive work. The quality of the work was something else. Congratulations guys for a really unique and amazing short.
So starting out in CG the quick animation was a style of animation I very much was inspired on. You can see I really liked that style on my early work...and even some of my professional work. Not so much in the work I did for ILM, as that timing style didn´t really apply in a world where you are trying to match your CG animation to Live-Action background plates and actors. Anyways, I think the style of animation follows your personality somehow or parts of it. But in watching some old Daffy Duck stuff when learning animation, I kept going "that's gotta be fun to try". Since my 2D drawing skills sucked, I tried some of that stuff with a CG simple wooden manequin character I built back in 1997. Whatever I could try. For the most part, I really didn't know what I was doing. Much of that stuff needed a lot of work. No one taught me that style and I was taking blind steps constantly. I'd frame by frame the old VHS tapes, and then right onto the computer to try stuff out. But I was still having a great time trying stuff out.
However, this is something I wanted to bring up, as quick animation is something that should be done carefully, if done at all. I've learned over the years, that while it's easy to snap a character from pose to pose like I did for many years, what's really difficult is to pull it off succesfully. Take this example of a clip from Bugs Bunny in "Overtures to Disaster". In my opinion, the quickness of the animation is done really succesfully, and this shortfilm is one by far one of the most enterntaining 2D shorts I've watched:
This film is GREAT for me still today. From the choices, the ideas and the pace, it's a great short. It follows the music, but even without sound it has a great pace, and makes me more and more aware that keeping an audience's attention visually is crucial in making sure they are following your character around regardless of whether the animation is really quick (like in this clip) or the animation is really slow and subtle, through the timing, the choices or the staging. So I have found that when studying fast quick timing/animation over the years, several factors need to be taken into account, other than hitting poses with just a couple frames transitions in between. That will bore people to death...or they'll grow tired of it. Some important things to think about in my opinion are:
Texture and musicality in the timing:
What you want to look for are ways to break up those poses with the timing. Find a rhythm and a musicality when going from pose to pose. If you have 4 poses in general, don't have the exact timing when holding the poses and the transitions. That's repetitive, and never helps. You can have repetitive poses/timing if you are going somewhere with it, and it's part of a larger picture where the repetition is a means to an end. This is harder to explain, and won't get into it. But instead of having these 4 poses/transitions with the exact timing, break it up...and break it up so that it makes sense in your shot. Maybe the first two poses have quicker transitions because the character is nervous...and slower ones towards the end as he's starting to relax. Who knows. But what's important is to BREAK TIMING DOWN, and create a texture in it.
Overlapping action:
Maybe the character hits a pose within 4 frames. That's fast. However...maybe one arm settles 4 frames later. Maybe it is the head that settles later due to a point in your shot. Maybe instead the head arrives 4 frames before the body. Your choice. Play with things like that.
Staging:
Where we are looking at is always really important. Because it's quicker stuff, the audience will have to work a little harder in following the character and what he/she is doing. Sometimes you can have quick animation, but make sure the audience follows. There is no point in snapping a character to a point if the staging isn't clear or is done with a purpose.
Enterntaining:
Is the quickness of the animation making the shot enterntaining and pushing the character/story/gag forward? or are you just moving the character quickly for the hell of it? If it's the second one, it's not reason enough...and it'll show quickly you are moving the character quickly around the screen.
Choices/Ideas:
While difficult to explain, quick animation will give you a set of choices and ideas to play with. Some of my favourite Scrat stuff in IceAge, was because the choices/ideas in the shots were very well thought out...and suited the character. So while it was quick animation, the ideas made the character, personality work even more.
Slow IN and OUTS:
This is a big one. No matter whether your character transitions from one pose to the next in two frames (or even one frame), it will work if it's properly anticipated and/or properly settled into its next pose. Look at the Coyote films, where sometimes he'll anticipate so much and then literally dissapear in one frame. So pay attention to how animators anticipate and settle characters in your favourite films.
So don't have quick or slow animation in your characters if there is no purpose to it. People will be able to tell. And when you do, make sure you are not throwing your character from one part of the screen to another part in a couple of frames without making sure other things are working. I hope this helps.
By far one of the funnest weekends of my life. Wall-E amazing opening and reviews, AM 3rd annual really fun BBQ day/night in SF and European Finals in where Spain won today (OOOOOEEEEEEOEOEOEOEEEEEEEE!!!). 44 years since last time. Go Niño!!!! So yeah, one hell of a weekend. Such a great time.
Here below are some images of this weekend. Also included another Wall-E bumper I animated for the Soccer Cup a few months back. Thanks to everyone that made me have one amazing weekend and congrats again to everyone that worked so hard on Wall-E for this amazing opening weekend. Have a great week!
It finally opens today! It's so nice to finally have people see the hard work Pixar has put into this movie. I have co-workers that have worked on this film for years now. So it's nice to see such positive reactions (see Rotten Tomatoes website reviews). 98% percent as of today!! I've been smiling more and more at every review. A film to be very proud of.
Without spoiling the movie or giving away details about the film at all, I can tell you that there were several risks that were taken in this film by Pixar and by a movie in general. And they were risks that were pulled off very effectively in my opinion. You'll find at the very least, something unique and/or special about this film. I hope you enjoy it very much. I've had the poster in my apartment for many months and have been waiting for this date for people to see this film.
Congratulations to all my co-workers, animators, and everyone involved in this film. Go check it out!
Ok, this couldn't be more off topic, I know...but today ruled. Spain Team is on a roll. June 22nd has always been a problematic day for Spain in past games...but today that jinx has been broken. Iker kicked ass on the penalties. Anyways, stoked. Spain passed onto the next phase to play against Russia in Semi-Finals.
Wouter: how is your life as a professional animator? Are you able to have a life outside the studio? Do you feel the life washing out of you each year? Are the standards brutally high to maintain a balanced life? Is it more a dream of a nightmare?
I wanted to make sure I still follow up (and don't forget) with whichever questions you guys had. Sometimes it's a lot easier to answer to some of these to everyone on the blog, as this seems to be one of those questions many people have.
Wouter, my life as a professional animator has been exciting, difficult, inspiring, challenging, gratifying, special, rewarding...all together. It's been unique and special because of the people you meet and the movies you get to work on. That in itself, has no price. At the same time, because it's not always easy to stay creative constantly, you have to find ways to keep the momentum going. You get a shot every week, and with every shot, a lot of creative energy needs to be put in it. It's so truth the quote "You are as good as your last shot". It's not a job where you can relay in what you did 5-10 years ago. And to keep yourself motivated and excited year after year is not always easy.
In a place like Pixar, where people are really talented and passionate for this, you have to continue finding something exciting in every single shot you get...regardless of whether it's a great juicy shot or not. Sometimes you'll get great shots, and other times you may not. Sometimes a production needs certain shots to be done sooner than later...they may not be the most exciting shots, but the bottom of the line is, they need to get done and when you work in a team, you have to help your neighbour in whichever ways you can sometimes. There has been productions where I worked after hours (even if I was in a different film), just to help the remaining crew finish a film, as so did many other people. As years go by, it's difficult to continue doing this as it can be physically exhausting to be in front of the computer for that many hours especially for those who have families to get back to.
That said, I've been trying to balance what I do. Since it's my job, I've been paying more attention over the last few years at how I'm taking care of myself, physically and mentally. This I hope it doesn't sound too new age. But back 10 years ago, I was easily spending 15-18 hours a day on some projects. Barely getting any sleep...and going out with friends on the weekends. Pretty soon my body starting telling me that I had to chill the hell out and figure out a balance between work, personal life and health. I still struggle with that balance to tell you the truth.
Like you said, I had to find a life outside the studio. Otherwise, I would of burn out fast. I've seen it happen with other friends, and didn't want it to happen. For me doing things outside work kept bringing me back to work with energy and motivation to do things. This inspiration outside came in a variety of ways: Live-action, shorts/videos, photography, music, artwork, teaching. The AnimationMentor School I co-founded, was great for me, because I found myself going back to really figuring out what I was doing everyday in order to pass my findings to other people as clear as I could. Additionally, doing other projects and learning things outside animation but whithin the world of Filmmaking, has become an amazing hobby and personal self learning process that has helped my animation as well. So my life outside the studio these days, I keep myself busy learning things I always wanted to learn, but never had the chance/luck to learn. I never went to Film School...so when I started working at Pixar, I told myself I was going to study it on my own and learn what I could from different areas, projects, films, Directors, co-workers. I'm still there...and hope to be there for a long time. I love what we do. I try to pass on whatever I can, but I also try to keep myself learning. What I sure don't want to do is to be at a place where I'm done learning.
As for Pixar, it's not a brutal place. People there have a life, and they do maintain a balance. Are there standards? Of course there are. Are they high standards? Yes I think they are. And I'm glad that they are, because that shows in the work the animators put in these films. A shot will not go by if it's lacking. Too many people will catch it. As an animator/artist there I'm always challenged professionally and it's the best creative environment I've been lucky enough to be.
This is more on the Film process part of what we do. It's amazing how much each part of the process of making a film can make a difference. The post-production and color correction process of making a film is a huge one...and some films styles are created after the shooting is completed. A few I can think off the top of my head "Oh Brother", "Man on Fire", "Smokin' Aces" and "Pleasantville". Here I wanted to send a link as to how much of a difference this part of the process makes:
This bumper shot of Wall-E playing with a basketball was the very last thing I animated this year in the Wall-E production. They showed it at the beginning/end of the NBA finals as part of the Wall-E trailer:
Wall-E is definitely one of those characters I got attached very fast, and later on, you do wish you had more time to work on the movie as some productions do go by a lot quicker than others. The movie comes out on June 27th, so be sure to check it out. The crew did a fantastic job, and the animation of the characters all my co-workers did really is something else. Amazing knowing how limited the character in some cases (facial wise for example), how much life the animators gave this character.
