Technique or art?

[Don Bluth]

For years I labored under the misconception that all I had to do was learn animation principals and rules and automatically I would be an animator. Experience has taught me differently. Certainly, techniques are important and nobody is exempt from learning them. But more importantly is the feelings you have for entertaining your audience. Art is the sharing of an individuals feelings with his/her audience; technique is only a tool to get you there.
Having said that, I also know that show business is highly political and you have to play the game to stay in the game. If your contribution as an animator/artist are to be significant to us who sit in the dark theater watching it, you must bear your soul not your technique. You can love your employer anyway!

[Draconis]

The wonderful thing about the internet is that it's opened up an incredible avenue of distribution that no longer involves politics in order for your vision to be seen. If you haven't used flash as a tool for your animation, I certainly hope you try it to create some new cartoons, Don! I think you could revolutionize flash once again! Take a look at what Adam Phillips of BiteysCastle.Com has done!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9QHEbU0cWY

[Don Bluth]

My experience with flash animation is limited, however, what Adam Phillips has accomplished is very impressive. I got a little lost with the storyline, but the colors and the music held my attention. In the "shorts" genre, it's easy to hold the audiences attention for a few minutes. I think Adam's piece could have been much improved if I understood the danger his character was in. Otherwise, my hat is off to him...

[N8Dogg5k]

I will say that I agree with you on the matter Mr. Bluth.

Bitey form Brackenwood is also a very fine example of the potential that the internet can allow with animators who just want to get out there and entertain unopposed by companies telling them "what they should be doing" with their visions.

[johncbeggs]

That was a very well done animation and that music was entertaining too!!
I liked this alot the jumping was great and kept you interested also.

Im not really a big fan of flash animation , now that Im getting the hang of traditional animation I am getting a better understanding of what animation really is.

[OwenWelsh]

Very cool animation but I too was lost in the chase. Story is a hard thing to nail in a short film but I think the vision of momentum and speed were executed flawlessly!

Thanks for sharing this.

[Hana]

I think part of the issue with not understanding what was happening in that short is because it's actually part 2 of the sequence however I'm not sure how much clearer it really makes it.

I do agree with the fact that techniques and art. You can know all the techniques and short cuts in the world but if you haven't the ideas and experience.

[WillW]

His latest one "waterlollies" was much better in my opinion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCxPEB-uu20&feature=related

[BrioCyrain]

Flash can accomplish many things if you use it correctly.

In my opinion just like using a pencil flash is merely "A Tool" and I hope Mr. Bluth agrees that Art could be a lot of things, Animation, Drawings, Illustrations, Comic Books, Acting, Voice Acting, Theatre. Now my opinion ALL OF THOSE THINGS encompass art, but each of them is a TECHNIQUE in which to REPRESENT art. Animation, no matter it being hand-drawn, vector, models and textures, or simply web graphics are all techniques that can be use to make animation. Our opinion is what sets aside these different forms of animation since each "version" of animation obviously shows a different form or "feeling" of characters, backgrounds, and animation in general.

I don't think any of them are LESS animation, but hand-drawn for me and I am sure everyone here including don bluth THE most inspiring, vibrant, and fluid form of animation. Also with good voice actors the characters are just as real as anybody in real life in my opinion. I have to give a hand shake to the Asians such as the Japanese, even though they use a lot of CG techniques to color and "enhance" their animation, they still persevere to make 70-90 percent of their animation hand-drawn.

I have yet to see a fully Flash or Fully 3D Japanese cartoon that was actually marketed as much as their hand-drawn cartoons (which if you ever search Japanese Animation schools you'll find yourself in piles and piles of 10s or 100s of Animation schools scattered throughout Japan and in Japan's central cities).

Enough talk, but I think people would at least somewhat agree with my perspective.

[Rodney]

I really enjoyed 'waterlollies'. Very entertaining.
I wasn't expecting that at all.

It should be noted of the creator (Adam Phillips) that he is:
Animator by profession with 16 years in the industry, 12 of those with Disney:

He's not just some regular Joe that bought Flash and thought he'd give it a go. ;)

From Don's first post in this topic:
techniques are important and nobody is exempt from learning them. But more importantly is the feelings you have for entertaining your audience. Art is the sharing of an individuals feelings with his/her audience; technique is only a tool to get you there.

Judging by what I just saw with such a wide array of emotions,feelings and sensations combining music with art to tell an entertaining story I have a sneaky suspicion Adam Phillips may also know this.

[annelp18]

i too also got lost in animating my own character when i was in animation class. because when i was doing flash animation, i was really got lost.:(:confused:

[Diego]

i think this short is very amazing, but like don says the story really hard to undertsand, but the music got the atention and well.
its funny when i saw , the music got me to see what happening with main character and the rare Darkcloud.

[Seth]

It's very interesting how much my thinking has changed since I've been on Don's Forum. I too thought animation and drawing in general were about principals and rules. But hearing Don talk about what the character is feeling, what kind of message are you getting across to the viewer has changed my thinking considerably. I know see, that even though those principals and rules have their place, they should not be the focus of animation.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that instead of just trying to draw a picture that looks good, I am now trying to draw pictures that have feeling in them too. And that's brought more joy to my artwork than ever before.
Thanks Don! :)

[arif]

It's very interesting how much my thinking has changed since I've been on Don's Forum. I too thought animation and drawing in general were about principals and rules. But hearing Don talk about what the character is feeling, what kind of message are you getting across to the viewer has changed my thinking considerably. I know see, that even though those principals and rules have their place, they should not be the focus of animation.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that instead of just trying to draw a picture that looks good, I am now trying to draw pictures that have feeling in them too. And that's brought more joy to my artwork than ever before.
Thanks Don! :)

Excellent Seth!!.....you are on right track that you are thinking about felling.....i complete agree with your speech..and seems like you have written my speech,,,,hahhahaaahhah..i was exactly same position when i joined here......Then. Don opened my eyes..pointed out what is missing in my drawings...honestly, i was so sad at that time...but...i found that he is absolutely right...from that time...i follow exactly what he said.....see things in the projector in your head then draw..and represent your drawing with feelings......i am trying also......
(but, dont forget to learn construction also..as it gives your drawings solid look)

Regards,
Arif