Where am I ?

Recently, I've been teaching High School students about traditional 2D animation. I've introduced them to something called a "Pencil", an input device which also has a built in delete button and they are using "Animation Bond" software to create motion on a series of animation paper. They also have been given a "Peg Bar", which is used with the animation paper, holding it altogether.

The first project was to create a "Bouncing Ball"; surly animation students will often roll their eyes loudly and yawn at this, but I think its the best way of showing how to make something move. As a magician, the number one rule to performing magic is to keep your audience's attention where you want it. An animator needs to direct his audience's eye where he wants it to go.

With a bouncing ball, you learn to see each frame as you follow the ball. Starting with a Path of Motion or Line of Action, a guide line that shows how the ball moves through the scene. By watching the ball animate, you can see if the ball is moving too fast or too slow. What the ball is made of shows in how much "Squash and Stretch" shows when the ball hits the ground and how it reacts to it. Does the ball react to gravity correctly? Ease Ins and Ease Outs, also known as Slow Ins and Outs, determine the ball's weigh as it goes into the arc, slowing down as it goes up and then speeds up as it returns to the ground.

Here is an excellent tutorial from Angry Animator which explains everything you will need to make your own animated bouncing ball. There is even a bit about how to flip your drawings as you are creating your animation. Check out this great site.



Now while this is going on, I have been working at a studio called Weareroyale since January. The studio has been doing all the on-air programming graphics for Disney Junior. I have been part of a small team of Maya animators to create short interstitials. I can't go into an details since I think I just spotted a black Mickey Mouse van down the street.

I read some blogs and its, " Tobor at Tobor Studio is awesome and I totally dig what be happening. You my doggs!" That's not me, I do want to thank everyone at Royale for making me feel welcomed and giving us great projects to work on. What started as an end date of March, happily was extended to July! Royale is a great studio with real creative folks that run the place and I have enjoyed every frame I have animated there. They also have allowed me to leave early on the days I had to teach without any problem. I look forward to work with Royale again.

I have been told that I cannot post any of my animation until after Feb or March of 2012, because it has to be shown on Disney Junior first. Wow, a whole year??! I could see the dangers of me popping my shots onto Youtube, but what happens if I put them on a DVD and sent it to Disney Features? Or with met someone at Pixar one on one , showing them my shots, but not giving anyone my DVD to keep. Would Disney lawyers begin suing other Disney Lawyers, creating a matter/anti-matter vortex based on Corporate Law, thus imploding really bigger laws like "The Laws of Gravity" or "The Laws of Physics"??? Mankind could end in the blink of an eye!

So, around the end of July, I will be looking for a new gig and I figure, the only way to show this new work would be in a face to face situation. No posting, no linking, no DVD sample reels, just good old American face to face salesmanship. So if you need any animation help, I'm available in August.

In the meantime, I have been working on "Hot Property" again and hoping to finish it soon.