No limit to how much you can push your Animation

I have started realizing one thing after doing a bit of hard work since the previous week. It is that there is no limit on how much you can make your animation better. After working for hours together on you animation, suddenly it looks like we are at a dead end, we don't know how much more to add and what to add. After looking at the same thing for a long time, it all looks fine. Till yesterday, I was quite satisfied with the Weight Lift Assignment I am working on. I got some good comments from Dhanu and also from Animation Monsters buddies. But when I opened the file today morning, it was looking crap. I can see more mistakes, not mistakes literally, but many small things that went unnoticed after working long on it. I took a break for sometime after yesterdays class. And the break worked, now I know many things which I have to work on and rectify.

There is no such limit to how much you can push your Animation. I heard my senior, Vinay saying that "Animators never complete their work, they only surrender." So, even I have been thinking for a while that animation can be atmost made presentable. It is amazing to see the animations created by professionals like Pixar, DreamWorks, Blue Sky and more, there is so much detail to it. At a student level, I don't stand anywhere to comment on their work. All I can do is to appreciate it and keep mum. Words fall short, my brain space feels so little when I sit down to admire the work and imagine how on the earth they do it. At the end of the day, it is all the learning process. I think, an artist never works in his lifetime, he only learns, learns and learns. I too hope to learn throughout my life and never there be a blockage in the flow of my creativity and imagination.

So, at last I would like to say that keep working, and when you keep coming back again and again, you will find newer ways to improve your shot. Also I must keep one thing in mind, that is to be quick, as once I get hired somewhere, I will also have to meet deadlines. So thinking from both sides will save the day. The term for such a thing can be called "Quick Quality". What say?

Less Talk and More Work!

Had a small break again! Will have one more break next week, a little longer. Christmas vacations are starting on Friday, 21st December, 2007. Continuing with my Weight Lift assignment. Blocking is still underway. All this while there has been a lot of talk and less work. But now its time I start working harder as the semester will end on 31st Jan, 2008. Still have a sports assignment to do. So, have to finish all other assignments by this month end to spare time for the sports assignment which is also our final assignment for this semester.

So, a lot more to learn and enjoy! Hope all goes well!

A Good Animation = A Good Meal!

A good animation is like a good meal. Manu was talking about 'good animation' in our class while in AA101. He is a great teacher and speaks beautifully. There are various ingredients and food items that make a good meal. Similarly, the elements like strong poses, overlaps, good acting make the animation good and appealing. They draw the viewers attention like the aroma of food draws people towards itself. There is so much effort that goes into making the animation believable.

Just like the cook or chef toils and spends good amount of time in preparing a good meal, taking care of every aspect of it, right from collecting and arranging the ingredients required, the amount of heat it needs to boil, fry or cook, to the right quantity of salt that is needed to add to the taste. So too the Animator has to plan the shot very well to make it clear in his mind as to what he has to animate or what he wants to show and convey through the shot. The ingredients in animation like small antics, overlaps, subtle animation is what makes it believable and lifelike.

Last but not the least, presentation is very important to finish it properly. If you prepare a good meal and don't serve it in a proper manner, the charm of the food is lost. This applies to animation also. And like a dessert at the end of the meal, adding small details is what makes the animation complete. Though animation is never completed but only abandoned, it can still be made presentable.

ANIMATORS NEVER FINISH THEIR WORK, THEY ONLY SURRENDER! (in a good sense).