Wednesday October 13th 2010

[OwenWelsh]

We are starting this thread early to give members a chance to upload any video or images they want critiqued in October 6th seminar. The best format for video clips is .MOV files (MPEG-4 Quicktime videos).
Throughout the week, Dave will try to incorporate as many images and video clips as possible into the live seminar.

The deadline for clips and images to be critiqued in the live seminar is Tuesday October 12th, 2010 @ 5:00 PM sharp AZ time.

Thanks


Here is the New Link to watch the live Seminar.
http://donbluthanimation.com/_Don_Bluth_Animation_live_seminar.html
You must be logged into your Don's Club account to see the stream.

Please post ALL questions in this thread.

[OwenWelsh]

Hi Don,

I finally got around to shooting my masterclass animation with the pan move. A big thanks goes out to Dave for sending me the BG. Please let me know your thoughts on the animation and the camera move.

http://www.donbluthanimation.com/videos.php?showvideo=516

[OwenWelsh]

Hi Don,

I recently did a color test for my character Gombo. I was wondering if you could comment on the animation for his march on 12s specifically on any areas I could improve. I was trying to go for a concerned look on his face. What do you think about the overlapping action? I can't decide if its working or not. I will later put the animation on 1s.

http://www.donbluthanimation.com/videos.php?showvideo=524

I did notice something interesting when I colored him. It was painfully apparent how inconsistent some of my volumes and and line directions are. I think that actually going through the color process was helpful to be more mindful of these things.

Here's the profile for Gombo:
Gombo, curious about the world leaves his home to discover life outside his cave. After getting hit on the head he develops amnesia and is nursed back to health by a beautiful flower. He falls in love with the flower but without arms he cannot express his affection. The flower recognizes his infatuation and promises to give him arms in exchange to leading her back to his home.

[arif]

Hello Sir...

is it possible that a director is directing an animation film who has no animation background and dont know the process how all the things happen.....or is it really necessary that a director of an animation film must have the animation background?

Regards,
Arif

[arif]

Some new drawings........

http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/ppp.jpg
http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/newraza.jpg
http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/newmouse.jpg
http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/Untitled-2-3.jpg

[arif]

some quick sketches........

http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/potrait.jpg
http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/potrait1.jpg
http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/dreamrup-1.jpg
http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/veil-1.jpg

[andrew sharp]

Hello Don and Dave, Your Master class looks like a lot of fun.
Are you offering courses during the winter months? It already snowed up here last month I would probably melt down there in the summer time.
I did a pencil test copy of John Lounsberry's Lady and the Tramp
http://www.penciltestdepot.com/search/label/John%20Lounsbery
It has all the timming on the side and all the keys are circled
John Lounsberry's test goes from rough to coloured animation.
I was wondering if I am going about this in the right way and if you had any pointers for studying animation?
1) copy key drawings
2) draw inbetweens with big shapes then refine follow achs
3) draw breakdowns
4) secondary action
There were times when I felt overwhelemed and often wondered why he put his arm here and not there but watching the animation play made a lot of sense I didnt really understand the movement at the time i was drawing it but it is amazing to watch his rough tests. Am I going about this in the wrong way for study because i feel im missxing a crucial step?
Here is my test hope it loads.(my attempted copy)
http://www.donbluthanimation.com/videos.php?showvideo=526
or if that doesnt load here is another one
http://www.donbluthanimation.com/videos.php?showvideo=525
This is a retro space girl drawing I'm working on I was wondering if you had any sugestions for my aliens to make them pop because they look kinda generic?Thankyou Don and Dave
http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc396/andrew_sharp1/classicspacegirl.jpg

[zanekohler]

Hi Don/ Dave,
When animating on 4's what do you do if a key frame pose does not land on one of the every 4th sequential frames?

[zanekohler]

Hello,
Would it be possible to see some examples of how you would draw a character for a pose test? I am wondering how much or little detail we should focus on while still in the pose test phase?

[OwenWelsh]

This last summer I procured and animation table that used to belong to Fox Animation Studios. I assume you are familiar with these desks:

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p143/robertow/myanimationtable.jpg

Here's a close up of the desk top bottom wooden ledge. I was wondering if you could tell me why there is a hole cut out through it? Was this to accommodate long paper so it could slide down the front of the desk? I was just curious what it was used for in animation production. I wanted to set pencils and paper on the ledge but with the long thin cut out they fall straight through.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p143/robertow/animationledge.jpg

[Sung1]

Hi Don and Dave,

I tried to look at some reference, but the girl still looks stiff. Please go to the board on this one and help me put life in the animation.http://donbluthanimation.com/videos.php?showvideo=530

[NateHorsfall]

Something I've been thinking about lately is how much revision and reworking CG animation has throughout a project, versus 2d.
2d obviously takes much longer and even a timing revision is much more serious than in 3d, so my question to you is: in your experience, how much reworking and throwing away of drawings does it tend to take, for a great performance? I know Of course more junior animators will be redoing their shots more, and masters would be doing so much less, but how much rework is generally acceptable?

On the same topic: You mentioned before that Anastasia was done with almost all inexperienced animators, how much rework did you have to deal with then?

Also, even pretending the animation is absolutely perfect, often times other ideas will crop up when working on a scene. In CG, many times I'll be working on a move and then get a new idea on how it could go instead, run it by the director, everyone agrees it will improve things so we go with that. This has always defined the artistic process for me. No matter how much planning you do, you'll always be inspired by other things and get new ideas AS you work. So how much have you seen this happen in the world of 2d?

On the same topic: You mentioned before that Anastasia was done with almost all inexperienced animators, how much rework did you have to deal with then?

[Solium]

Hi Don, Just a couple of questions for today.

(1) I noticed in Secret Of NIMH and An American Tail what appears to be some "in jokes". In NIMH there is a bottle outside of Mr. Ages Lair that reads "Finn's Dyes" In American Tail I believe there is another bottle that reads "Dorse Hair Restorer" Are these little in jokes referring to Dorse lanpher and Will Finn?

(2) What is your philosophy regarding effects animation? There seems to be layers of effects in NIMH. Some are obviously eye candy while others seem more subliminal. I think the combination of the two is what brings NIMH's environment to life.

(3) Do you think todays animation is missing out on some old school techniques? Again going back to NIMH, one of its most effective scenes was the DNA sequence. Where you appear to pan in on static painted backgrounds and fade out to the next. I thought the effect brought another texture to the film, and it wouldn't have been as effective if you fully animated DNA molecules in that sequence.

[DaveLav]

Hi Don!

A quick sketch

[Johnny]

Hi Don
In your book "The Art of Storyboard" you say on paper – "I prefer to storyboard on 8 1/2 X 11 inch typing or copier paper".
Question: How do you store the drawings so that they don't smear the pencil lines?

[AJartist]

Last week, you mentioned that the first thing MIlt Kahl did was outline the silhouette before he even started drawing. However, did he draw his "line of action" afterwards? In school we are taught that the line of action is the first thing you think about, but seance Milt was a pro, did he think about that later on in the drawing?

[AJartist]

When I study from anatomy books I feel bogged down by all the ligaments and names of the muscels. What I preffer to do is just feel my way around figure: however, is it irresponsible to not take the time to draw each and every ligament and memorize the names of bones??

[samuelvictorjones]

I recently got the Princess Edition of Anastasia with a very many extra features, including a wonderful documentary & commentary from yourself & Gary. Firstly I'd like to say I love the movie! I found it interesting that in both features you mentioned enjoying making the film in Cinemascope format. However you often talk in the seminars & workshops about doing things with academy formatting, but planning for a 1:85 cut-off. Of course, cinemascope is even wider than this. I'm interested as to when you would recommend this very wide format, & if you'd also recommend using the cut-off method & draw & animate off-screen, or if when in cinemascope you use that format exclusively?

I mainly ask because I often artificially crop films I make to cinemascope as it makes cheaper films look higher budget, as the majority of high budget Hollywood action films seem to be made in this format. Are the majority of new animated features also using this format, or do they stick to the less wide 1:85 ratio?

[Richard Willimot]

Hello Don and Dave, what would be the average size of a scene a junior animator might be assigned? What was the longest scene you ever animated?

[Richard Willimot]

Don is there a way we should chart overshoots?

[samuelvictorjones]

Of course because of the workshop, I've been thinking about dialogue in animation, first animating the accents of body and head, then the expressions, then finally the mouth movements. I saw an interesting talk with Richard Williams on the subject relating a story that Milt Kahl once told him that Jim Henson did a better job of believable lip sync with a simple open & shut mouth muppet like Kermit than most Disney animators were doing with all the extra nuances & accuracy allowed to them. He felt this was because Jim understood progressing the dialogue. Is this something you've experienced and can you perhaps give a couple of examples of this movement in dialogue so I can digest it further?

In the same talk Mr. Williams talks about a period in time where he felt that he was the only Disney animator who was reverential in learning the techniques and lessons of the old masters at Disney, and felt that newer animators at Disney were trying to re-invent the wheel. He then breifly corrected himself & said "well, but I never met Don Bluth!". Although it was a throwaway comment I felt that it was said in respect and implied that he felt that you were also very respectful of the older methods and artists and the lessons to be learned from them. This made me wonder if you were aware of Mr Williams' work or had shared friends in the industry? I admit don't know too much about Mr. Williams other than Roger Rabbit & Cobbler & the Thief, but listening to him talk he seems to have employed or been employed by most people from the animation industry at some point, and he implied that you have similar ideals in at least this one important area.