While I was researching for my presentation I stumbled upon an animation studio I wasn't aware of. It's Ilion Animation Studios [1], who created Planet 51. I was surprised something good could come from Europe. The animation is of the same quality as Pixar's and DreamWorks' films.
This made me reconsider going to Spain, not just head straight to USA (if I would be so lucky to get a job there sometime in my life).
References:
Friday, 25 December 2009
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
Presentation!
Finally! The presentations are over. I spent caffeinated days working on it to get it finished in time. I did a lot of research that I don't know how to put here (some of it IS here somewhere in my blog), and had a sleepless night before presenting (turning up late and all).
Nervousness is not my friend. I was skipping pieces of information because I was too afraid to speak. Not a good idea, when this was in fact a presentation. I loosened up after a while, but I guess there was a lot of mumbling.
I got some nice feedback though. The teachers commented that I looked relaxed, but really, I was dead tired and nervous, struggling to find the right words to use at the right moments (english is not my native tongue).
Anyway, it could have been a lot worse. Couldn't it? [1]
Nervousness is not my friend. I was skipping pieces of information because I was too afraid to speak. Not a good idea, when this was in fact a presentation. I loosened up after a while, but I guess there was a lot of mumbling.
I got some nice feedback though. The teachers commented that I looked relaxed, but really, I was dead tired and nervous, struggling to find the right words to use at the right moments (english is not my native tongue).
Anyway, it could have been a lot worse. Couldn't it? [1]
Sunday, 20 December 2009
DreamWorks Animation Overview (copied & pasted)
This is shamelessly copied and pasted because I felt there was a need for a description for what DreamWorks is all about, since this is the company I'm researching. So here it is:
"DreamWorks Animation SKG is devoted to producing high-quality family entertainment through the use of computer-generated (CG) animation. With world-class creative talent and technological capabilities, our goal is to release two CG animated feature films a year that deliver great stories, breathtaking visual imagery and a sensibility that appeals to both children and adults.
In 2004, DreamWorks Animation SKG became the first animation company to produce and distribute two CG animated features in a single year, including Shrek 2 , the third highest-grossing movie of all time.
With each film, we strive to tell great stories that are fun and comedic, told with a level of sophistication and irreverence that appeals to the broadest audience possible and captures the imaginations of all people regardless of age.
Our management is one of the most experienced and dynamic teams in the entertainment industry, overseeing a stellar collection of artistic and technical leaders from a wide range of backgrounds in film and animation production, computer graphics and information technology. Many of them have been with the company since its inception." [1]
References:
[1] DreamWorks Animation - Company Overview (flash site: click company - company overview)
"DreamWorks Animation SKG is devoted to producing high-quality family entertainment through the use of computer-generated (CG) animation. With world-class creative talent and technological capabilities, our goal is to release two CG animated feature films a year that deliver great stories, breathtaking visual imagery and a sensibility that appeals to both children and adults.
In 2004, DreamWorks Animation SKG became the first animation company to produce and distribute two CG animated features in a single year, including Shrek 2 , the third highest-grossing movie of all time.
With each film, we strive to tell great stories that are fun and comedic, told with a level of sophistication and irreverence that appeals to the broadest audience possible and captures the imaginations of all people regardless of age.
Our management is one of the most experienced and dynamic teams in the entertainment industry, overseeing a stellar collection of artistic and technical leaders from a wide range of backgrounds in film and animation production, computer graphics and information technology. Many of them have been with the company since its inception." [1]
References:
[1] DreamWorks Animation - Company Overview (flash site: click company - company overview)
Monday, 7 December 2009
Interviews with animators from DreamWorks
I did some googling on Dreamworks Animation("my company") animator interviews.
One of them (Ethan Hurd) mentioned that animators at DreamWorks animates all the characters in a shot, not just one, which is new information to me.[1] I always imagined there were character supervisors, with their own team of animators, dedicated to a specific character.
In another interview with a DreamWorks animator [2], Simon Otto says "Fancy equipment and a great campus doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a successful career", which is very true and could be a valuable tip for any animator. Also he says: "All the top 2D animators at DreamWorks are still some of the best animators at the studio.". I don't know why this is the case. It could be more experience, or that mastering drawing means you have an eye for weight and posture.
Ron Williams, animator on Kung Fu Panda, confirms this theory in an interview: "Draw a lot, every chance you get. Keep pursuing art in general. Even if you want to just do animation, I would still study a broad range of art. Don't get too specific right away".
References:
One of them (Ethan Hurd) mentioned that animators at DreamWorks animates all the characters in a shot, not just one, which is new information to me.[1] I always imagined there were character supervisors, with their own team of animators, dedicated to a specific character.
In another interview with a DreamWorks animator [2], Simon Otto says "Fancy equipment and a great campus doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a successful career", which is very true and could be a valuable tip for any animator. Also he says: "All the top 2D animators at DreamWorks are still some of the best animators at the studio.". I don't know why this is the case. It could be more experience, or that mastering drawing means you have an eye for weight and posture.
Ron Williams, animator on Kung Fu Panda, confirms this theory in an interview: "Draw a lot, every chance you get. Keep pursuing art in general. Even if you want to just do animation, I would still study a broad range of art. Don't get too specific right away".
References:
Monday, 16 November 2009
Feature Film Animation
I'll be looking into some of the major producers of feature film animation.
Pixar are actually not requiring you to have worked in the industry for a while. What they require is basically a good reel, a degree within something relevant for animation and an art background [1].
This gives me faith and hope that it's actually possible to get employed as an animator by Pixar.
They do offer internships, international students included, which can be another way to get on the inside the company [2]
Sony Pictures Imageworks requires that you have min. 2-5+ years production or feature film experince, to work as an animator there. And of course background or experience in fine art [3].
Framestore in London are looking for animators for their VFX section, but they also require you to have some experience in the industry. They require that you are at home with the Maya package as well [4].
I tried to find information about what DreamWorks look for in an animator, but since they don't have anything about it in their job listings, I couldn't find anything to write about it. They do offer internships however [5].
References:
Pixar are actually not requiring you to have worked in the industry for a while. What they require is basically a good reel, a degree within something relevant for animation and an art background [1].
This gives me faith and hope that it's actually possible to get employed as an animator by Pixar.
They do offer internships, international students included, which can be another way to get on the inside the company [2]
Sony Pictures Imageworks requires that you have min. 2-5+ years production or feature film experince, to work as an animator there. And of course background or experience in fine art [3].
Framestore in London are looking for animators for their VFX section, but they also require you to have some experience in the industry. They require that you are at home with the Maya package as well [4].
I tried to find information about what DreamWorks look for in an animator, but since they don't have anything about it in their job listings, I couldn't find anything to write about it. They do offer internships however [5].
References:
Sunday, 15 November 2009
The Animation Industry as a whole
Doing some more research I stumbled upon a market analysis [1], which unfortunately cost $5000 to download, but gave some information about animation in Europe.
It seems like countries like France and Spain are offering tax breaks for animation. However they put their money into animation for television, as this is less risky and expensive than taking on a feature film production.
A report from Screen Digest [2] places Canada as the leader in producing animation for television, with 382 hours, over the US(330 hours) and France(259 hours). The US leads the pack in profit, with 256 million Euros, while Canada brought 181 million Euros.
References:
It seems like countries like France and Spain are offering tax breaks for animation. However they put their money into animation for television, as this is less risky and expensive than taking on a feature film production.
A report from Screen Digest [2] places Canada as the leader in producing animation for television, with 382 hours, over the US(330 hours) and France(259 hours). The US leads the pack in profit, with 256 million Euros, while Canada brought 181 million Euros.
References:
Monday, 2 November 2009
Research: Double Fine
Trying to go through the companies that I'd love to work for, I followed up the Funcom research by looking into Double Fine.
About Double Fine (excerpt):
Double Fine Productions is an award-winning, independent game development studio founded in 2000 by games industry veteran Tim Schafer. Located in San Francisco’s South of Market district, Double Fine is committed to making high-quality games with an emphasis on originality, story, characters, and fun. ... [1]
I've been interested in working there since before they became famous with Brütal Legend.
The atmosphere seems very laidback and creative, as can be witnessed throughout their webpage. As for getting a job as an animator over there, they don't have any job listings at the moment, but there is hope:
Even if we don't have any current openings that are right for you right now, if you are interested in working at Double Fine, send in your stuff anyway! We are always interested in making contact with talented and experienced programmers, artists, animators, designers, and production people. Even if you're not looking for work right now, it's good to stay in touch because YOU NEVER KNOW. [2]
So, as soon as I'm getting more confident with my animated work, I will send the my showreel and CV.
As for living expenses in San Francisco, it seems a bit expensive living in the city, with the lowest prices ranging from 1000 to 2000 dollars[3]
References:
I'll have to research the costs of living in California later when I look at more companies in the area
About Double Fine (excerpt):
Double Fine Productions is an award-winning, independent game development studio founded in 2000 by games industry veteran Tim Schafer. Located in San Francisco’s South of Market district, Double Fine is committed to making high-quality games with an emphasis on originality, story, characters, and fun. ... [1]
I've been interested in working there since before they became famous with Brütal Legend.
The atmosphere seems very laidback and creative, as can be witnessed throughout their webpage. As for getting a job as an animator over there, they don't have any job listings at the moment, but there is hope:
Even if we don't have any current openings that are right for you right now, if you are interested in working at Double Fine, send in your stuff anyway! We are always interested in making contact with talented and experienced programmers, artists, animators, designers, and production people. Even if you're not looking for work right now, it's good to stay in touch because YOU NEVER KNOW. [2]
So, as soon as I'm getting more confident with my animated work, I will send the my showreel and CV.
As for living expenses in San Francisco, it seems a bit expensive living in the city, with the lowest prices ranging from 1000 to 2000 dollars[3]
References:
- [1] Double Fine - What is Double Fine?
- [2] Double Fine - Action Jobs
- [3] Appartments for Rent in Marin County
I'll have to research the costs of living in California later when I look at more companies in the area
Research: Funcom
The first studio I looked into was Funcom, where I've wanted to work until I did this research.
About the company(excerpt):
Funcom is a world leading independent developer and publisher of MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) games.
Apparently the working conditions are not too good [2], and according to E24.no [3] they've just reduced their staff by 20%, the studio in Norway being most affected.
However... I asked a person who used to work there and he didn't notice anything of the aforementioned issues, because they didn't focus on the animation department that much.
The reason for why I wanted to work here was because they're the developers of The Longest Journey series and seemed like an awesome company. Another factor was that their offices are in Oslo, not far from where I used to live.
References:
I am still open to the idea of working there if they start hiring again and the working conditions get any better.
About the company(excerpt):
Funcom is a world leading independent developer and publisher of MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) games.
Funcom was founded in 1993 and has since then developed and published over 25 game titles across several gaming platforms. Most notable of these are the MMOs 'Age of Conan' and 'Anarchy Online', as well as the adventure game 'The Longest Journey'... [1]
Apparently the working conditions are not too good [2], and according to E24.no [3] they've just reduced their staff by 20%, the studio in Norway being most affected.
However... I asked a person who used to work there and he didn't notice anything of the aforementioned issues, because they didn't focus on the animation department that much.
The reason for why I wanted to work here was because they're the developers of The Longest Journey series and seemed like an awesome company. Another factor was that their offices are in Oslo, not far from where I used to live.
References:
- [1] Funcom - Company Info
- [2] Dagbladet.no - Selskapet bryter jo norsk lov så det fyker etter (in norwegian)
- [3] E24.no - Voldsomme kutt i Funcom (in norwegian)
I am still open to the idea of working there if they start hiring again and the working conditions get any better.
Monday, 26 October 2009
Research: Norwegian companies
Here's some of the companies that I might be interested in researching further:
http://www.stormstudios.no/
http://www.funcom.com
http://www.qvisten.no/
http://www.gimpville.no/
http://www.stormstudios.no/
http://www.funcom.com
http://www.qvisten.no/
http://www.gimpville.no/
SWOT: Ablilities (aptitudes)
Strengths:
- Creative. I love to draw and I used to have a wild imagination, which is slowly returning.
- Very excited when discussing film ideas and when I get to contribute with something
- Empathic
- Patient
- Shy. I'm neither a leader type or an outgoing person, and tend to get overrun in creative discussions
- Too diplomatic
- To get more confident in my own abilities by breaking out of my shell
SWOT: Skills
Strengths:
- Animation
- Modeling
- Cinematography
- Editing
- Digital drawing/painting
- Rigging
- Texturing
- Rendering
- Lighting
- Compositing
- Limited to 3D Studio Max and Photoshop at the moment
- While studying here at Teesside University I was able to join fxphd.com, in order to learn Maya(for animation) and Nuke(for compositing). Also planning to learn anatomy for art
- I'll be able to work on my weaknesses in rendering, lighting, texturing and compositing in the VFE and CCA projects
- I might not be able to learn compositing in time for the VFE project
- Anyone thinking about placing me in a rendering farm
SWOT: Interests
Strengths:
- I'm a film nerd and love to watch film, which I've learned a lot from. This also fuels my passion for animation and filmmaking
- Love reading tutorials and books on how to actually make things I'm interested in doing
- Meeting animators and concept artists and learn from them
- I am not too excited about the technical side of things, like long mathematic formulas and such
- To meet with people, who know the craft I wish to pursue, at Teesside University and Animex
- To get a job where I work on something that I'm actually interested in and passionate about
- Not being able to get work within animation, live-action or film industry for some reason
SWOT: Values
Strengths (what motivates me):
- Seeing a new (and well made) animated film makes me want to start animating right away!
- Knowing that "normal" people like me can get work within the industry by working hard enough
- Metal and rock music is motivating and make me work harder
- Other people who are excited about an idea
- People with experience giving me constructive citicism
- I get demotivated when working with indifferent and/or lazy people
- When tired I don't produce too much
- To be able to meet people from the industry at Animex
- Working in a group and exchanging ideas in CCA
- Working with people just focusing on money instead of the employees or the quality of the project (I'm looking at you Activision)
SWOT: Personal Qualities
Strengths:
- Hard-working
- Work well within a group of people
- I'm usually nice too people...
- Able to adapt to work with people very different than myself
- ...But can be too nice, which some people exploit
- I don't like lazy people. If they don't care about working then they shouldn't be on the project in the first place
- Easily stressed
- To be able to focus on school without having to work part-time is going to take away some of the stress.
- Working with lazy people or people just in it for the money
SWOT: Prefered lifestyle (career aspirations)
Strengths:
Opportunities:
Threats:
- To work in a company as an animator and/or concept artist for film, tv-series or games
- Work my way up to the point where I can contribute with ideas
- Be around people with a lot of people with common interests
- Work my way into a high-profile studio (Pixar, DreamWorks, Double Fine etc.)
- I don't want to work with anything related to customer service ever again
Opportunities:
- Working with what I consider a dream job
Threats:
- Not getting work related to what I'm studying right now
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Creating a blog for SPB
I've just created this blog to document my research for the Studio Practice and Business module at Teesside University 09/10.
First thing I have to do is to complete my SWOT-analysis, which I find very difficult to do.
First thing I have to do is to complete my SWOT-analysis, which I find very difficult to do.
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