If you have been one of these people who has just had to sketch something every time the opportunity arises then there may be an opportunity for you in art. It may go beyond that point and you are fascinated in animation. Now it has gone even further where you just have to become a 3D animator. If this is the case or even just for interest sake then you should know some of the details about this intriguing subject.
Most often artists feel that getting into the world of 3D animation is not that much of a challenge. They are under the misconception that it is just a matter of learning how to use some great software and that is it. That could not be further from the truth.
To begin with, 3D animation is not just requiring someone to sit down and come up with some exciting characters and then that is the end of it. Often there is disappointment in store for the individual who seeks a career with this type of intention.
Most often "would be animators" end up in an entirely different segment of the 3D animation world. To have a better understanding it is wise to do some research on the industry and learn about how many different sectors there are to 3D animation. This way with this knowledge and knowing your skills, you may get an idea where you would end up if you pursue this adventure.
There are two primary applications in 3D animation, which are...
If you take a group of frames and change the objects in them through spacing or timing for example plus making the most of the changes to the key frames then you are in fact key framing. The oldest style of animation is key frame animation itself and the techniques have not changed much over the years.
The other downside to mocap is that the end-result is often far from perfect; mocap animation usually requires clean up from keyframe artists to make it look more realistic, especially if the character being animated does not have an anatomy or proportions similar to those of a human.
There is much a would be 3D animator must possess and learn through observation of any type of movement and understanding the principals of it. Continually be learning from history as well as present day. Start with the basics and master these. Next move onto more complex areas of the fundamentals of art to broaden your knowledge. These are a definite requirement for any animation including 3D.
By being constantly aware of the movements around you then you, begin to master how these movements take place and what it will require to get your character to move in the same fashion.
To learn 3D animation one must be patient, willing to be constantly learning and choose a good reputable school to learn the skill necessary for this industry. This way there will be no surprises when you enter into the industry, and without all of these attributes, you will certainly not go far in the industry even if you were to get in at an entry level.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
A Beginners Guide to Cartoon Animations and 3D Animations
Almost everyone enjoys cartoons of some type whether it is in the newspaper or on television. They are so popular that you will often see cartoon characters in a variety of advertisements. Saturday mornings used to be famous for cartoons. In today's age they have somewhat been replaced with video games, but then even those characters are animated. In addition, the majority of animated box office hits are now all in 3D animation.
You may be intrigued enough by animation that you want to know more about it. It has its complexities and it is by no means an easy job. To put it in easy terms, it is a group of drawings that an artist has designed and then they are put into frames, which are then imaged very quickly to denote movement. It should be remembered though that animation is not just restricted to cartoons.
There are many fazes to producing a great cartoon. First, the idea has to be borne. An artist or cartoonist is this case will dream up a character then draw it. Then it goes to the computer for animation. The animator will use various software to take the character through various stages, which will bring it to life, and then it must go through processes where it can be produced and put out to the viewer.
There is a certain amount of talent required for this job. There must be artistic talent where the artist as learned the fundamentals. Although the computer will do much of the work, the operator must tell it what to do, and then be able to judge whether the computer has done it right. In addition to this, the animator must have a good understanding of the various programs available and how they work.
Cartoons must have a purpose or a storyline. It is the interest in the storyline enhanced by the characters that make it successful. They must be fun and light hearted as this is what attracts people to them. It makes them laugh. Voiceovers in today's media are important. In the case of major productions well known actors and actresses will be retained to do them. It adds creditability to the story and depending on how famous they are often serves as an attraction.
Cartoon animation has predominantly been dome in 2D and 3D formats. 2D was the forerunner and with the introduction of computers, it was not long before it progressed into 3D. They both play a major role in the industry. 3D has not replaced 2D, but it has enhanced it. The computer can be used for both types of formats and there is software that allows the capabilities to do this. The software is only the tool that the animator works with, as we said earlier that there still has to be a well-trained user to execute it. The world of animation is no doubt going to progress and continually get better as computers and software continue to excel in their technology.
You may be intrigued enough by animation that you want to know more about it. It has its complexities and it is by no means an easy job. To put it in easy terms, it is a group of drawings that an artist has designed and then they are put into frames, which are then imaged very quickly to denote movement. It should be remembered though that animation is not just restricted to cartoons.
There are many fazes to producing a great cartoon. First, the idea has to be borne. An artist or cartoonist is this case will dream up a character then draw it. Then it goes to the computer for animation. The animator will use various software to take the character through various stages, which will bring it to life, and then it must go through processes where it can be produced and put out to the viewer.
There is a certain amount of talent required for this job. There must be artistic talent where the artist as learned the fundamentals. Although the computer will do much of the work, the operator must tell it what to do, and then be able to judge whether the computer has done it right. In addition to this, the animator must have a good understanding of the various programs available and how they work.
Cartoons must have a purpose or a storyline. It is the interest in the storyline enhanced by the characters that make it successful. They must be fun and light hearted as this is what attracts people to them. It makes them laugh. Voiceovers in today's media are important. In the case of major productions well known actors and actresses will be retained to do them. It adds creditability to the story and depending on how famous they are often serves as an attraction.
Cartoon animation has predominantly been dome in 2D and 3D formats. 2D was the forerunner and with the introduction of computers, it was not long before it progressed into 3D. They both play a major role in the industry. 3D has not replaced 2D, but it has enhanced it. The computer can be used for both types of formats and there is software that allows the capabilities to do this. The software is only the tool that the animator works with, as we said earlier that there still has to be a well-trained user to execute it. The world of animation is no doubt going to progress and continually get better as computers and software continue to excel in their technology.
3D Animation Industry - Discover the Latest Trends and Technology in the Animation Industry
Here is a term that has not been heard of too often, Phenadistoscope. If you are familiar with it then you might be giving away your age. Actually, this was the technique used to give the animation effects. It was a matter of simple drawings that were made to move simultaneously.
We do the same thing today but with much, more advanced methods. The general concept is still there it is the way that results are achieved that is so dramatically different. The techniques of phenadistoscope became extinct by the end of the 21st century when a more exciting and innovative way to get the job done surfaced. If you have not guessed what that is, then it is the computer. Naturally, these dynamic pieces of technology are just never ending in what they can do.
What happened now in the world of animation was that the drawings could be scanned into the computer or even better created on it. The computer has the capability of rapidly displaying all those images that depict movement at a very rapid rate. These are images created from models of 2D or 3D artwork. They are then put into a sequential order, which the computer takes and is able to create the illusion of movement.
The characters of animation today have taken on a dramatic look of realism thanks to the ability to view them from all angles.
The computer is successful at achieving these great results by being able to perform a variety of techniques.
It is capable of making a comic book or cartoon character look as if it were drawn by hand. This is done by a technique knows as cel-shading. To achieve the animation features of skin and facial expressions and cloth as well a technique called morph target animation is implemented. This means that the movements are stored as vertex positions. They in every major frame the vertex will move to a different position.
The works not done yet though. There is skeletal animation that has to be comprised meaning rigging, which is a vertebrate technique. It entails the designing of bone that comprise a portion of the character to allow for visual representation.
After the above has been carried out, a procedure had to be put in place to record the movement. Much like those in video games, called motion capture. Then another exciting aspect is known as crowd simulation. You know those pictures where you see multitudes of people; well this is the technique that is responsible for the realism of these shots.
Often people think of 3D animation as only relating to cartoons. They fail to realize that many other moving objects as seen on the computer for example are animation as well. Perhaps you have viewed the beating heart on a medical site, or seen a 3d plan on a decorating internet show. What you are seeing by way of the presentation is all due to the amazing capabilities of the 3D animation. Therefore, as you can see this technology goes far beyond the use of just entertainment. It has a place in many different industries.
We do the same thing today but with much, more advanced methods. The general concept is still there it is the way that results are achieved that is so dramatically different. The techniques of phenadistoscope became extinct by the end of the 21st century when a more exciting and innovative way to get the job done surfaced. If you have not guessed what that is, then it is the computer. Naturally, these dynamic pieces of technology are just never ending in what they can do.
What happened now in the world of animation was that the drawings could be scanned into the computer or even better created on it. The computer has the capability of rapidly displaying all those images that depict movement at a very rapid rate. These are images created from models of 2D or 3D artwork. They are then put into a sequential order, which the computer takes and is able to create the illusion of movement.
The characters of animation today have taken on a dramatic look of realism thanks to the ability to view them from all angles.
The computer is successful at achieving these great results by being able to perform a variety of techniques.
It is capable of making a comic book or cartoon character look as if it were drawn by hand. This is done by a technique knows as cel-shading. To achieve the animation features of skin and facial expressions and cloth as well a technique called morph target animation is implemented. This means that the movements are stored as vertex positions. They in every major frame the vertex will move to a different position.
The works not done yet though. There is skeletal animation that has to be comprised meaning rigging, which is a vertebrate technique. It entails the designing of bone that comprise a portion of the character to allow for visual representation.
After the above has been carried out, a procedure had to be put in place to record the movement. Much like those in video games, called motion capture. Then another exciting aspect is known as crowd simulation. You know those pictures where you see multitudes of people; well this is the technique that is responsible for the realism of these shots.
Often people think of 3D animation as only relating to cartoons. They fail to realize that many other moving objects as seen on the computer for example are animation as well. Perhaps you have viewed the beating heart on a medical site, or seen a 3d plan on a decorating internet show. What you are seeing by way of the presentation is all due to the amazing capabilities of the 3D animation. Therefore, as you can see this technology goes far beyond the use of just entertainment. It has a place in many different industries.
Animation Styles
If you are contemplating a career in animation then you have a few decisions to make. First, you need to determine if your interest lies in 2D, 3D or stop action. Then you will need to do some research and determine what are the skill requirements for these three distinct yet related entities. They all have one common denominator though and this they will all require you to have some basic artistic skills by way or drawing capabilities. In the case of 3D, it will be a necessity to have some talent in model building and sculpting.
It is most likely most of your knowledge will be in relation to 2D animation although something may have sparked your interest in 3D. The 2D is most common because it has been around the longest. It is the creator of the traditional animation found in the old time cartoons.
To begin with, if you have done any type of animation it has most likely been in the 2D format. The computer can still have its place in this dimension. In fact, many web pages are comprised of 2D design. Using your 2D skills and your computer, you can produce a frame-by-frame presentation of a scene or even a character. You need create the image manually for each individual frame. If it is a cartoon, you are interested in creating, draw the image first in pen. These images would finally have to go through a video or film process.
As a 2D animator, you have most likely become quite comfortable manually drawing your images. You can continue to do so and then once complete you can scan them into your computer with a scanner. If you are computer comfortable then you can create your images by using the various software packages that are available on the market. To become adept at the 2D processes you would do well to utilize both methods and become comfortable with them. You will then need to become familiar with Flash for example. This software will allow you to compose all of your images and animate them as you intend them to be. Once you have done this then they are in the proper format to be released on the internet.
If you feel that you would like to go further in your animation endeavors then you are ready to move onto 3D. This is computer animation. You will need to be quite adept with your computer skills to begin with. You will most certainly need your basic art skills and be able to apply the fundamentals that pertain to them.
In the case of 3D, you are going to have to create your character by using specifically designed software for this purpose. If you are self teaching yourself as a hobby then you may want to start with basic software. As you master it, move onto something more advanced. If you are studying to become a 3D professional then you will be introduced to software that your training program utilizes.
It is most likely most of your knowledge will be in relation to 2D animation although something may have sparked your interest in 3D. The 2D is most common because it has been around the longest. It is the creator of the traditional animation found in the old time cartoons.
To begin with, if you have done any type of animation it has most likely been in the 2D format. The computer can still have its place in this dimension. In fact, many web pages are comprised of 2D design. Using your 2D skills and your computer, you can produce a frame-by-frame presentation of a scene or even a character. You need create the image manually for each individual frame. If it is a cartoon, you are interested in creating, draw the image first in pen. These images would finally have to go through a video or film process.
As a 2D animator, you have most likely become quite comfortable manually drawing your images. You can continue to do so and then once complete you can scan them into your computer with a scanner. If you are computer comfortable then you can create your images by using the various software packages that are available on the market. To become adept at the 2D processes you would do well to utilize both methods and become comfortable with them. You will then need to become familiar with Flash for example. This software will allow you to compose all of your images and animate them as you intend them to be. Once you have done this then they are in the proper format to be released on the internet.
If you feel that you would like to go further in your animation endeavors then you are ready to move onto 3D. This is computer animation. You will need to be quite adept with your computer skills to begin with. You will most certainly need your basic art skills and be able to apply the fundamentals that pertain to them.
In the case of 3D, you are going to have to create your character by using specifically designed software for this purpose. If you are self teaching yourself as a hobby then you may want to start with basic software. As you master it, move onto something more advanced. If you are studying to become a 3D professional then you will be introduced to software that your training program utilizes.
What Are the Good Sites to Review Your Favorite Animmation
Nowadays it is possible to read anime news accessing vast number of sites on the internet. However you may find that most are not reliable, having links that are broken or you'll be required to lose a lot of time browsing for the content that interests you. The result may leave you disappointed, instead of satisfied for finding what you were looking for. Let us now examine the available options.
Don't think Google is the best. Perhaps this is the first thing coming to your mind when browsing the internet in search for an anime. You can get in trouble trying to discover animes and stated above is the reason for this. You may be left with nothing after the results of the search are viewed. The landing page of the result may give you everything but what you're searching for or the movie may be there, but the link to it is broken. Then what can be done about it? Fortunately one of the best choices is to bookmark sites of importance and stick to them.
Various anime sites are known to provide quality content and they have episodes organized with care and able to provide the visitor with content systemized in alphabetical order. The viewer is thus given an easier choice for finding content for the episodes of his interest. Disregard sites that have broken links to shows with bad quality.
Some sites have huge index. It provides you with a brief review for every video and has tracks that you'll be able to hear. Other sites are as good and present to you a great list of anime episodes, though you may happen to find broken links as the index is not perfectly organized.
Watching animes on the web is the best choice presently, though not everyone will share my view. Possible reasons may be that in the anime downloads:
Some of the more popular choices are:
Don't think Google is the best. Perhaps this is the first thing coming to your mind when browsing the internet in search for an anime. You can get in trouble trying to discover animes and stated above is the reason for this. You may be left with nothing after the results of the search are viewed. The landing page of the result may give you everything but what you're searching for or the movie may be there, but the link to it is broken. Then what can be done about it? Fortunately one of the best choices is to bookmark sites of importance and stick to them.
Various anime sites are known to provide quality content and they have episodes organized with care and able to provide the visitor with content systemized in alphabetical order. The viewer is thus given an easier choice for finding content for the episodes of his interest. Disregard sites that have broken links to shows with bad quality.
Some sites have huge index. It provides you with a brief review for every video and has tracks that you'll be able to hear. Other sites are as good and present to you a great list of anime episodes, though you may happen to find broken links as the index is not perfectly organized.
Watching animes on the web is the best choice presently, though not everyone will share my view. Possible reasons may be that in the anime downloads:
- The quality of the video and audio material is somewhat better and it is possible to watch the movie in your favorite player.
- The downloads are commonly from one source so discrepancies in translation do not often occur.
- The new episode can be obtained in an easier way.
- You may be a collector of anime movies and like to show them to your friends on DVD's.
Some of the more popular choices are:
- Anime subs is one of the biggest anime sites having huge index. It provides you with a brief review for every video and has tracks that you'll be able to hear.
- AnimePile is just as good and presenting to you a great list of anime episodes, though you may happen to find broken links as the index is not perfectly organized. The site however has many links to a single episode so you're sure to find at least one that works.
The History and Evolution of Claymation
With so many innovative forms of animation and computer technology being used to create films, adverts and TV shows, some might think that "old favourites" - such as claymation - are a thing of the past. But in reality, some of the more traditional forms of animation are making a comeback - and they're doing so in all realms of media. This type of animation happens to be one of the most prominent traditional techniques making a comeback, and can be seen in everything from films, television shows and educational content, to marketing material for companies the world over.
But what is the history behind claymation, and how has it evolved over the years? It actually dates back to 1897, and started with a messy material called plasticine. However, it wasn't until the 1950s that this form of animation was prominently used in adverts and children's shows. A man named Art Clokey started producing such advertising films during this time, and then went on to produce the famous Gumby and Pokey television show - which, for many, was the defining introduction of claymation into households. The series ran from 1956 to 1963, making a comeback in the 1980s. Another famous duo consists of Wallace and Gromit. The characters were created in 1989 by Nick Park for the Wallace and Gromit animated series, and Park went on to produce a number of other films starring the two loveable characters.
However, even with the rapid development of this type of animation, the process required a lot of work and time. While conventional commercials are shot on 35 mm film at 25 frames-per-second, claymation production requires stop-action photography, and shoots up to 30 individual frames for each second of film. The models in each and every frame have to be hand-sculpted by the animator, with the artist slightly changing expressions and movements - including forms of the characters' mouths, eye movements, eyebrow raises, glances, shrugs, and of course, bodily movements - before scenes are shot by the camera. The process then slowly repeats itself one frame at a time. The result is an amazing and convincing portrayal of movement in the clay characters.
Claymation is now a popular form of animation, used not only for entertainment purposes but as an advertising and informational tool. Many companies, for example, have adopted characters of this type too - such as Wallace and Gromit - as mascots of sorts, to either represent a product or service, or to help relay more information to customers.
Such characters are often used in TV commercials, company literature and online media, helping assign a story or a theme to companies and products - a move that can make products, services, and companies as a whole more memorable to clients, as well as enable clients to make associations between characters and company offerings.
Finally, many customers find it easier and more entertaining to follow information relayed by claymation characters, thus making it a valuable marketing, advertising, and informational tool.
But what is the history behind claymation, and how has it evolved over the years? It actually dates back to 1897, and started with a messy material called plasticine. However, it wasn't until the 1950s that this form of animation was prominently used in adverts and children's shows. A man named Art Clokey started producing such advertising films during this time, and then went on to produce the famous Gumby and Pokey television show - which, for many, was the defining introduction of claymation into households. The series ran from 1956 to 1963, making a comeback in the 1980s. Another famous duo consists of Wallace and Gromit. The characters were created in 1989 by Nick Park for the Wallace and Gromit animated series, and Park went on to produce a number of other films starring the two loveable characters.
However, even with the rapid development of this type of animation, the process required a lot of work and time. While conventional commercials are shot on 35 mm film at 25 frames-per-second, claymation production requires stop-action photography, and shoots up to 30 individual frames for each second of film. The models in each and every frame have to be hand-sculpted by the animator, with the artist slightly changing expressions and movements - including forms of the characters' mouths, eye movements, eyebrow raises, glances, shrugs, and of course, bodily movements - before scenes are shot by the camera. The process then slowly repeats itself one frame at a time. The result is an amazing and convincing portrayal of movement in the clay characters.
Claymation is now a popular form of animation, used not only for entertainment purposes but as an advertising and informational tool. Many companies, for example, have adopted characters of this type too - such as Wallace and Gromit - as mascots of sorts, to either represent a product or service, or to help relay more information to customers.
Such characters are often used in TV commercials, company literature and online media, helping assign a story or a theme to companies and products - a move that can make products, services, and companies as a whole more memorable to clients, as well as enable clients to make associations between characters and company offerings.
Finally, many customers find it easier and more entertaining to follow information relayed by claymation characters, thus making it a valuable marketing, advertising, and informational tool.
Hard to Find Animation
I find a good number of anime and manga shows every week. It is pretty much what I do in my spare time. From sci-fi to romance to drama, I am a dedicated anime buff. I mentioned already that I like animes and manga of all types. Bleach, Please Teacher, Aquarion, Blue Gender, and Slayers are among my many favorites. Most have exceptional story lines or a few laughs. A good majority rock.
However, first to get to this desired point, I had alot of trial and error. Mostly, it was because I was lazy and only looking on YouTube.com. So I wound up running out of selection. Same thing with every .com, .net, and .org I came across. in other words the well ran to dry.
Next I found dubhappy.com. This was a web site that had a time limit. I did not like the sight except for it was sortive a good site to find series that I did not know the name of. I used this information to aquire the chance to watch videos on other sites. This got old for me then, too.
Last I went to downloads sites. These sights seemed to pay-off. My well was full again. there's always something to watch when I just want relaxing time to my self. I download, most of the time 2 animes a week. A little corny, but like I said, I'm an anime buff. If you need anymore info on this subject checkout my blog. It is more clear about how I achieved this goal.
However, first to get to this desired point, I had alot of trial and error. Mostly, it was because I was lazy and only looking on YouTube.com. So I wound up running out of selection. Same thing with every .com, .net, and .org I came across. in other words the well ran to dry.
Next I found dubhappy.com. This was a web site that had a time limit. I did not like the sight except for it was sortive a good site to find series that I did not know the name of. I used this information to aquire the chance to watch videos on other sites. This got old for me then, too.
Last I went to downloads sites. These sights seemed to pay-off. My well was full again. there's always something to watch when I just want relaxing time to my self. I download, most of the time 2 animes a week. A little corny, but like I said, I'm an anime buff. If you need anymore info on this subject checkout my blog. It is more clear about how I achieved this goal.
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