Wednesday November 17th 2010

[Dave]

We are starting this thread early to give members a chance to upload any video or images they want critiqued on November 17th seminar. The best format for video clips is .MOV files.
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 November 16th, 2010 @ 5:00 PM sharp AZ time.

Thanks

Please keep your questions concise so we have time to answer everyone. Only questions pertaining to animation technique will be addressed.


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

[arif]

Hello Sir..

after watching your `Banjo the woodpile cat`.....i found that there are more similarities between banjo and `Fieval` from `an American tail....both are so curious about the out side world...both went out and lost and then got the family again......when you made `an American tail`....did `Banjo ` was in your mind?

Regards,
Arif

[arif]

Hello Sir..

in the credit line...we see that you were 3 animators for `Banjo the woodpile cat`...you, Gary Goldman and john pomeroy.....which character you have animated ?....i have seen lots of animation film but never found any cutest characters like `banjo` or fieval`....how did you create such a nice cute characters and made them so believable?

Regards,
Arif.

[arif]

some drawings..



http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/orphan1.jpg
http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/newddddd.jpg
http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/darwan.jpg
http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/hands.jpg

[arif]

http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/hero.jpg
http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/pppqq-1.jpg
http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/rupppp.jpg

[arif]

http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/strange.jpg
http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/craeture.jpg
http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/ram.jpg

[Richard Willimot]

Hello Don and Dave, I'm still working on my scene from the acting workshop trying to improve it. Don suggested making stronger poses for the beats and I hope I've succeeded http://www.donbluthanimation.com/videos.php?showvideo=606 One question/problem I'm having is with the timing. there is such a wide distance in time between the beats I find it hard to time.

[andrew sharp]

Hello Don and Dave hope you are both doing well.
this is the little animation of my daughters couch surf
I put in more inbetweens at the top position of the face plant and this seemed to help alot most of this scene is shot on 1's except the face plant is on 2's
http://www.donbluthanimation.com/videos.php?showvideo=607
QUESTION
I've heard it said that on subtle and close inbetweens you can shoot on 3's I was wondering what you thoughts on this . And the kind of spacing between drawings that would alow for 3's


Ive been working with Nick,Dano and Ben Sword on the challenge Nick proposed of one drawing a day, Its fun and I think we are doing a good job of motivating each other these are some of my sketches any advice would be great.

With this drawing it was a pen sketch and toned in the computer A drawing that hopefully tells the story of a retired school teacher a tourist who is mauled by werewolves

<a href="http://s1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc396/andrew_sharp1/?action=view&current=aroooo.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc396/andrew_sharp1/aroooo.jpg" border="0" alt="werewolves"></a>

Something for scale
<a href="http://s1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc396/andrew_sharp1/?action=view&current=spaceflight.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc396/andrew_sharp1/spaceflight.jpg" border="0" alt="spaceflight"></a>

a drawing with character interaction
<a href="http://s1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc396/andrew_sharp1/?action=view&current=pigsinspace.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc396/andrew_sharp1/pigsinspace.jpg" border="0" alt="pigs in space"></a>
Thankyou Don and Dave

[DaveLav]

Hello Don and Dave,

Don, In the past many Animators such as Walt Disney, Milt Kahl, etc have voiced some of the characters in their fims. Have you, youself ever lent your voice to any of your movies?

[arif]

Hello Sir,

what is the meaning of `staging`?

Regards,
Arif

[andrew sharp]

Hello Don and Dave here is a little short I made a couple of years ago any advice on story telling and what would have made this stronger would be appreciated. I put it on youtube because it didn't want to download to the site

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fQhgdbQuptI?hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fQhgdbQuptI?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Q: Just curious about the workshop the dates and the type of time commitment involved is it possible to work a full time job while doing this course?

[Dave]

Hello Don and Dave here is a little short I made a couple of years ago any advice on story telling and what would have made this stronger would be appreciated. I put it on youtube because it didn't want to download to the site

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fQhgdbQuptI?hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fQhgdbQuptI?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Q: Just curious about the workshop the dates and the type of time commitment involved is it possible to work a full time job while doing this course?


Andrew, we cannot utilize this video in the seminar. If you read the very first post, it indicates that we need to have the video file in .mov format otherwise we cannot transfer it into the webcast software. Is it possible you can re-post this video in .mov format so we can show in next week's seminar?
Thanks
Dave

[lavallelee]

Hey Don,

When creating a animated short or animated movie how do you know when to do each camera cut. Is there a limit in seconds you should not go over in each scene?

Example:
Close up on Mrs. Brisby for (30 seconds), then cut to her kids misbehaving for (40 seconds), then wide shot of Mrs. Brisby and her kids (1minute), etc.

How do you determin how long each scene/cut is. Do you just go off the script and use the metronome? Is there a secret in making good scenes with good timing?

[andrew sharp]

Opps ok Dave I'll try and upload the movie again next week.
Questions:
I have a couple of questions about pitching stories and at what sort of stage is it a good idea to pitch something.
I saw your interview with Raul Aquire Jr. on his show Man Vs Art I enjoyed your interview. His latest pod cast is about pitching. He used a lot of examples on what to do and what not to do. He even used the starwars series as an example of what works and what falls short, I was just wondering if you could give some examples of what you think makes a good pitch and what is the eqivilent of nails on a chalk board?

[madanimator]

Hi Don,
When you start to create a character, what questions do you ask yourself about who this character is? Could you give me some pointers on what to think about when creating a character?

[AJartist]

I know that when marc davis came home from work, he used to check the tv guide for ballerina and nature shows to study the anotomy and movements. I also know that he used to paint one tree a year.... and i learned from you that Milt kahl studied picasso...do you remember of any other regular habits that the old men did on a regular basis to further enhance their skills?

[madanimator]

When you have a short film where is no cut at all, how do you devide it then into sequences and scenes?

[SpiralEFX]

Hey Don, Today's Gary Goldman's birthday... Can you tell us about how you first met him? ...did you train him at Disney or was he assign to you as an assistant? What do you think was the thing that made you & him form a strong working relationship?

[SpiralEFX]

Hey don did you see the new trailer for the new Winnie the pooh movie? i think they captured the look from those early ones you & the nine old men worked on...What do you think of this as Disney next 2d film? They kept it a lower budget film, do you think it be more successful than Princess & the frog?


here's trailer if u havent seen it...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbFz--GCkOM

[Richard Willimot]

Don,in the upcoming character design workshop are you going to touch at all on how to create stronger poses with our characters?

[AJartist]

Recently you were talking about a project in which you were only to animate 12 frames per scene..........were you speaking of your days of working at filmation...or is this the current video game project your working on???

2nd part of the question....Is that the usual approach to television, video games and anime??

[lavallelee]

Is there any chance for a Storyboard Dvd vol 2?

I know alot of us make short animations and stories and could benifit from Vol 2.

I know you guys are focusing on Workshops, but it has been some times since a new dvd release. :D

[OwenWelsh]

Hi Don,

I'd like to ask a few question about run cycles.

1. If you are animating a run on 6s do you animate straight ahead or do you do animate pose to pose. I find that because the action needs to be on 1s and because the action is so fast, its seems easier to animate straight ahead.

2. If you are animating on 6s its probably best to give the head a more legato action and give the body a more staccato action right? In your book "The Art of Animation Drawing" you mention this, but it was for the white rabbit's run on 3s.

3. For the head action do you prefer having the head animate in circular arcs or do you prefer that the head action go straight up and down for an action this fast?

[Sung1]

Don, can you talk about the process of making a film? What are some of the pitfalls in trying to make a film? what should we watch out for?
Also can you give us some tips on how to make a fight sequence? I read you storyboard book.

Thank you.

Sung

[madanimator]

How do you continue an action of a character, if there is a cut between it and the character is in a different angle on the screen then?