Update on what I've been doing!

So it's been a while since I've posted on here... Reason being that I've been working overtime, and I've been animating in one of the iAnimate workshops! I decided to try it out after seeing their student showcase, and the great rigs they have there. It's been really fun, and I've learned some useful things there. I have about 2 weeks left, but you can see what I've done so far in my Workshop 4 progress reel.


Frank Abney WS4 Progress Reel from Frank Abney on Vimeo.

Another Short Film Update...

So, I've been hard at work trying to get stuff done on the short film. I'm really glad that I chose a simple story with only 1 character, lol! I think there are about 32 or so shots, including things that are as short as 30 frames (which could change, if things are needed, or if things need to be removed).

I'm currently on the 4th shot of the film. I've been animating sequentially. I don't have a technical reason for that, other than, those environments were ready to go already.. Back in school I organized all of my shots, all of the render layers etc, and it's really helping out on this one. I started everything off organized, so things don't get messy and confusing when it's time to put everything together. I am bouncing around a bit on content creation. I'll animate a few days, then I'll spend a few days just modeling and rigging assets, or working on the environments. A lot of back and forth! These aren't full days by the way.

Due to my work schedule, and choosing not to work at home when I get off from my job, I found that waking up around 4:30-5am is the best time for me to put in time on personal stuff. I only have a few hours before I have to get ready for work, and the personal work takes longer to get done, but it's a good balance for me. My girlfriend's asleep, I work better in the morning anyways, and I can officially wind down from the day when I get off of work in the evening...

As I started animating on this thing, and began looking at the shots over and over, the doubt fairy has started to rear it's ugly head. I think as animators and artists we are going to constantly go through this. You look at the work over and over to make it better, THEN... Start questioning yourself!

Is that acting choice unique enough?
Could I have thought of a better idea for the story?
Does that look right?
There's a lot of work that needs to be done. Should I invest my time to finish this thing?

So, I'm fighting with those thoughts as I spend days on this thing. But it really is a fun thing!. If you're going to make a short film, or take on any kind of long term project, really love what you're planning to do, and believe in it. See the finished product in your mind! Because there will be times where you just want to be done with it!

On another note, I've picked a still from one of the shots, and I'll be making a promo poster out of it. I'm working on other shots outside of the short, as well as cleaning stuff up on my reel. So, I'll post it as soon as I can. There's still some texturing and lighting that needs to be done for it as well.

Until next time...

AnimSchool has released the Maya version of its Malcolm rig!!

It's really cool that they decided to release their rig for free! I understand why a school would want to keep it exclusive to their students also though... There aren't many Feature quality rigs out there, that are free. We need to be able to show our range, and show that we can handle a certain level of work! Besides, some of us aren't as technically inclined to rig stuff ourselves.

I've played with this rig for a few minutes at work, just to see the controls etc. Its really nice!! If you go to AM, as I did, you could easily use this guy with the AM rigs. They look like they belong in the same world. Of course you may have to do some scaling, so their sizes match up... I've spent most of my time playing with Malcolm's face. I thin it has some really nice control and flexibility, for cartoony animation. There are some things I like better in the Bishop rig though... Both are really nice rigs and have their own strengths and weaknesses though.

Enjoy! I can't wait to start animating with this guy!

Inspiration

I recently received a few questions asking me about where I get my inspiration when it comes to animation. So I thought I'd share my thoughts on here...

I get inspired by just about everything around me, and every experience CAN be a source of inspiration, honestly. In a typical day I can see many things that will inspire an idea. That's why it's always good to be "present" in your life- there are so many things we can miss! But, to get more specific: I'm inspired by seeing really good acting, a great film, short films, a good music video, appealing character designs, watching people interact, watching animals, the list goes on...

As Animators and Filmmakers we draw from our experiences, to create things that are Honest and sincere.

I want to hear your thoughts! What inspires you, when it comes to animation, or whatever your field is?

Short Film Update...

I've finally finished my Animatic (at least until I get feedback on it). If the changes are minor, I may not revise the animatic. I'll probably just make the changes once I get into animation... I'm really excited though! I may have mentioned before, but my main character is modeled, textured, and rigged already. It was modeled by my friend, and past co-worker Vaughn Smith. I textured him in Bodypaint 3d, then rigged him using the Anzovin rigging tools, The Setup Machine, and The Face Machine.

I plan to do a promotional poster for the short, once I figure some things out (while doing some render tests of the model, I've come across some weird things happening). In the mean time I'll spend some time doing animation tests, to make sure the rig is in good shape. I'll probably do a walk cycle, run cycle, pantomime test, and a dialogue test. I'll post them as I complete them!

Adios!

House from "UP" now for sale in Utah

I posted a video on this house the first time I saw it and it wasn't done yet, but now it is and is on the market!

Real Life "UP" house!

This is pretty crazy. I'd love to see how the inside looks when it's finished!