The Caveman stop-motion test

I have been finding teaching myself stop-motion to be one of the more difficult tasks, as well as making time outside of a job and regular life to animate. More on this soon, (I hope!!) but for now, this is my first bit of character animation with plasticine.
The timing leaves much to be desired, I think I find shooting straight ahead to be substantially trickier than digitally manipulating keys.
However, I haven't tried all the recommended techniques yet...

Regular Posts!

I've been shown the wisdom of the web and have decided to commit to a regular blog, something that will  entertain and inform, and provide a dependable platform for my animation journey. Along the way I will comment on my fave blogs and animators, and examine and review animations and books on animation.
And finally, I hope to regularly post my own work - snippets, sneak-peaks, previews and tests.

Coming soon, a review of "Cracking Animation", 3rd Edition, by Aardman Founders Peter Lord and Brian Sibley.

Stop Mo foray....

My first commercial animation.

Jar Pixie - Final project submission - Mission being the operative word!

Team building and new work

Ejected from school into the work-force, trying to find a way through to employment.

Currently I am volunteering on the short film "Minor Head Injury" for Adam Harvey and Evangeline Than. That is a cool experience. My role is stand-in 1st Assistant Director. This I see as mainly being a team building exercise. I will need skilled, reliable people to create my own projects. Film is a related field to my past (theatre and circus) but this is the first work I have actually done in it. I enjoy it.

My first paid animation work has come through - a corporate client. The first draft was accepted and enjoyed. So I can start to build my Flash portfolio now. This is also a team-building exercise in a different sense. I am not working with these people - more I am a sub-contractor who fulfils a task offsite. I need to satisfy the clients (3 of them - my agency, their client and the client's client - ha). By doing this, I line myself up for further work.

And suprise suprise, teaching work seems to be paying the bills - websites, animation and circus teaching are going great guns. I hope that they will keep me afloat long enough to establish a foot hold in creative work as well.

Wish me luck!! (even as I make it :)

Networking.

I am now a Wanimate committee member. Wanimate is the peak body representing animators in WA. Part of my plan to be an EMPLOYED animator is to network as much as possible, and see what opportunities it presents. Part of Wanimate's emphasis is examining the employment options for animators, and working to further them. Here is their website: http://wanimate.org.au

Already as a committee member I have been exposed to opportunities that I would not have seen otherwise. Additionally, being in a position to talk to people I respect in the Perth Ani Industry is great. It is very educational for one, and inspiring for another. Educational because greater experience is filtering down to me and I can see wisdom is certain actions (like not being a sole-trader to cover myself legally), and inspiring because these people have years of experience behind them and are still working in the industry (and I keep getting asked about my short film project - so I'd better do some more work on it!).

All in all I am happy with the move. The next week will be very busy. I am getting 1st and 2nd Assistant Director experience with a short film being created by people I met through the animation department at FTI. I have a my first animation job to work on, and the FTI final project to complete. I have potentially 32 hours or more of available time to do these last 2 projects, SO it is "heads down, bums up". (thumbs! I mean thumbs).

Animation work in Perth?

And now the real test begins. The course has completed but for one final project. And now, will the industry bear us? Can a diploma grad make a go of it in Perth?

On the basis of my student work as well as my previous work in web and visual arts I got my first job today! I feel lucky to be working on a portfolio, and a bit daunted to be in the corporate world already. I found the job online googling animation jobs in Perth. It is Flash based, and was advertised on several popular employment sites. Essentially I am working for a temping agency that fill jobs for corporate bodies in and around the CBD. Which is good because they get the work, then call me, which I like.

I am yet to complete the job, or get anymore work! But importantly, I feel, my foot is in the door. Stay tuned for more on animation, soon.

My 3D assignment submission - The Caveman's Dream

Caveman wire frame.

 I'll render the video off soon

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