The Business of Animation

This week we have our very own James Caswell, who will offer us the fruit of his years of experience in the animation business.

Jim covers much of the groundwork for setting up and running a viable small business in the animation industry including: the pros and cons freelancing; what to look for in a contract; and dealing with your taxes. Not to be missed.

As usual the lecture is at 11 AM in S235; the workshop is in A151 at 2 pm.

Fibonacci Zoetrope Sculpture

Watch this beautiful animated sculpture, fractal designed and 3D printed, by artist/inventor John Edmark of Stanford University.  The artist uses the sequence of Fibonacci numbers (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, etc) to create spatial patterns that seem to swirl endlessly when spun under a strobe light.

from the Vimeo page:

"These 3-D printed sculptures, called aniforms, are designed to animate when spun under a strobe light. The placement of the appendages is determined by the same method nature uses in pinecones and sunflowers. The rotation speed is synchronized to the strobe so that one flash occurs every time the sculpture turns 137.5º—the golden angle. If you count the number of spirals on any of these sculptures you will find that they are always Fibonacci numbers.
For this video, rather than using a strobe, the camera was set to a very short shutter speed (1/4000 sec) in order to freeze the spinning sculpture.
John Edmark is an inventor/designer/artist. He teaches design at Stanford University."

https://vimeo.com/116582567

Last Year's Industry Day Commercial -- Milestone #2

Here's last year's Industry Day Commercial.  It really shows off the range and artistry of our program. It was compiled from the workflow test shots done for Milestone #2.

https://vimeo.com/89344536

WINTER 2015 - MENTOR DROP IN HOURS

Here are the public Mentor Dropin Hours for all the 4th Year mentors this semester.  Feel free to drop in on any mentor if you have questions about their area of specialty, be it Maya, music or whatever. Or if you just want a general discussion of the state of your project.

This page will be updated regularly. 

Stephen Barnes   - Thursdays 10-11; Thursdays 12-2

Nancy Beiman    - Mondays 9-10:30; Wednesdays 1-2:30

Trevor Davies     - Thursdays 4-7

Bruno Degazio    - Mondays 2-4 Thursdays 12-1

Blair Kitchen       - Mondays, 9-12; 4-6

Tim McCormack - Thursdays 10-11, 12-2

Kaj Pindal             - Mondays, 1-3

Mark Palowich     - Wednesdays 11-12 Thursdays 12-2

Chris Walsh          - Mondays 12-3 Thursdays 10-11

Maury Whyte       - Mondays, 1-2,  Wednesdays 12-1, Fridays 2 -3 pm

Invitation to influence the future of the Bachelor Of Animation program - Tuesday, January 27th, 5 pm

Coming up soon is a special opportunity for 4th Year BAA students  to voice their view of coming changes to the Bachelor of Animation program, from the vantage point of nearly completing it.

The opportunity takes the form of a student focus group meeting on Tuesday, January 27th (5 pm - 7 pm) in the President’s Boardroom (2nd floor, B Wing).  You don't need to prepare anything, just bring your memories and experience as a student. In the words of our Associate Dean Angela Stukator, " We need to get a sense ... of what’s working, what’s not, and how the new (program) map might address learning gaps in the program."

A free dinner will be served.

Attendance is by invitation, and there's room for only 5 students from 4th Year, so email me right away if you are available on that day and are interested in discussing the program.

-------------------------- 

Bruno Degazio, 

Professor, Academic Advisor

Faculty of Animation, Arts and Design,
Sheridan College, Oakville, ON

degazio@sheridancollege.ca

website: http://www-acad.sheridanc.on.ca/~degazio 

The Art of the Music Spotting Session

The Art of the Music Spotting Session

In two weeks the U of T musicians will be visiting us, with their purpose in mind being specifically to work out the details of the musical score for your film. This important meeting between film-maker  and composer is traditionally known as the the "Music Spotting Session."

To help you prepare for this meeting, Wednesday's Lecture and Workshop are both oriented to an explanation of the Music Spotting Session.

(You might want to also read this recent blog posting  by Mark Kennedy, Disney's Head of Story.  He talks about the importance of spotting temp music while working on the Leica reel, links to some interesting examples of the use of musical score. Thanks to ames Caswell for pointing out this blog to me.)


LECTURE
A while ago I wrote the music for Chris Walsh's stop-motion film,  True Family Story.  We recognized our collaboration as a "teachable moment", so I saved the files I created as the score developed. These files now make a very  effective demonstration of the collaborative process between a film-maker and a composer.

This year I'm supplementing the talk with examples from a more recent project, Save Our Bees, a Public Service Announcement animation, with music in the style of the Warner Bros classics.

During the lecture (11 am, S235) I'll walk you through the three stages of the Music Spotting process as it took place in recent work, and play for you some famous and not-so-famous historical examples of "Temp Music" and musical scores.


WORKSHOP 
The 2 pm workshop (A151) gives you a chance to "spot" your own film with me and the other students. Consider it practice for the real spotting session with the U of T musicians when they visit on February 4.

This is also an opportunity to bring & discuss any demo music that you might have already received from your composer or other musician working on your film.  Copyright issues relating to the use of pre-recorded music will also be discussed. 

Advanced Colour Design For 4th Year Films

Advanced Colour Design For 4th Year Films - Michael Hitchcox

Please forward your background paintings to Michael so he can illustrate his lecture with examples from your work.  

Please send your files to mhitchcox@cogeco.ca before Tuesday January 13. 

Happy New Year, 2015

Greetings and best wishes for the New Year!

There's a lot coming in the next few weeks. You can take a look at the outline for the semester here (pdf): It lays out the production and post-production timeline for the coming semester.  Especially important is the Scene Workflow test, which is due in Week 2. I'll explain this one in our first lecture on Wednesday January 14.)

You can also take a look at the Lecture and Workshop schedule here. Please note that many of the bookings are still tentative and subject to change.

================================

For now, please take a look at this list from Joshua Dennenberg at U of T.  It lays out the partnerships between Sheridan animators and U of T composers, as understood from their end. (Note that the list is not entirely complete because two students did not respond to Joshua's inquiry.) If your name is missing or in the wrong place please let me know ASAP so I can try to clear things up with Joshua.

COMPOSERS	ANIMATORS->
Alex Chang	Valerie Ng
Adrian Ling	Terra Zhang
Alex Lambermont	Yolanda Liu	Raymond LaFebvre	Ken House
Babak Taghinia	Huifang	Mara Soriano
Cara Tors	Alex Biasutti	Chelsea Tierney	Richard Kosner
Dinuk Wijeratne	Jane Li
Eleanor Hart	Kelsey Ryan
Fintan Quinn
Joshua Denenberg	Daniel Fountain	Nicole Turner
Kirk Russell	Mara Soriano	Dan Fountain	Yanjun
Kenzie Yango	Andrew Bromfield	Ann WG	Steph Garth	Maria Nguyen	Victoria E -	Koko	Maria Nguye	Ben Szabo	Nathan Alcee
Kristina Orel
Liam Gallagher	Jordan Ruttle	Claudia Tanjung	Cody Forkes
Liam West	Anna hau yin Chan	Ashley Adams	Kaitlin Sutherland	Peter Holland
Michael le Ruggiero	Margaret Perrie	Jonathan Chan
Mouna Benhadjtahar	Darik Smith	Kaitlin Sutherland
Ross Au	Khoebe Mangsaysay	Yanju Liu	Xiying Zhai
Sarah Basciano	Kat Purificato	Didi Wang
Sae Lon Lee	Alison Chan	Helen Bohee Seong
Xintong Wang	Melody Wang	Sam Lloyd

WEEK 14 - ANIMATIC SCREENING WILL BEGIN AT 10 AM WEDNESDAY IN S235

Mario has now had a chance to total the running time of the animatic screening submissions, so we will begin our screening at 10 am on Wednesday morning, in SCAET 235.

Note that the presentation order is randomized and will be different from the order of the Leica Reel screening in October.

Due to the length of the screening there will be no workshop this Wednesday. Workshops will resume next semester on Wednesday, January 14 with "Advanced Colour Design" by Mike Hitchcox.

-------------------------------------------------Bruno Degazio, 

Professor, Academic Advisor

Faculty of Animation, Arts and Design,
Sheridan College, Oakville, ON

degazio@sheridancollege.ca

website: http://www-acad.sheridanc.on.ca/~degazio 

ANIMATIC SCREENING FOLDER NOW AVAILABLE

Just got this in from Mario Positano. The HANDIN folder for next week's Animatic Screening is now available on  the HANDIN server.

The folder is entitled: LeicaReel_DueDecember8_8am

Don't be confused by the phrase "Leica Reel" in the name; it's the correct folder for the Animatic Screening (note the deadline date embedded in the folder name.)

It's located in G drive, 4thYear_SCREENING folder.


- Bruno

INDUSTRY DAY PRIMER and TWO EVENTS TO FOCUS ON YOUR SOUNDTRACK

1. Industry Day Primer - Tony Tarantini
Tony Tarintini will first give us an overview of the preparations for Industry Day 2015, including times and places, what to expect and how to prepare for it. There'll be some important news regarding the scheduling, so be sure to there.

Many of you know Tony Tosti from the 3rd Year Sound Design course. Tony is with us this week to help you with two aspects of the sound design for your film. 

2. Collaborating with Your Composer - Tony Tosti

The first is the Wednesday Lecture, at the usual time, 11 am. Tony Tosti will give a talk entitled "Collaborating with Your Composer." He'll attempt to walk with you through the process of effectively communicating your musical intentions for your film to your composer, avoiding the common pitfalls and misunderstandings.

3. Adobe Audition Refresher and Soundtrack Discussion - Tony Tosti

At 2 pm, we have our workshop in A150. Tony Tosti is again on hand to give you a refresher course on the how to use Adobe Audition, and how to mix for effective presentation in the SCAET Theatre. Bring your work-in-progress soundtracks (in Premiere, Audition, or already mixed in a Quicktime file) for specific advice from Tony.

Here’s how the Internet helps artists make a living...

An interesting short article by science fiction author Cory Doctorow explaining the many alternative ways that artists today can use the internet to make a living from their art.

The creative class is not screwed:  Here’s how the Internet helps artists make a living - Salon.com

Two events focusing on Acting & Performance in animation

To assist you with the coming Action Analysis and Performance Milestone, this week we have two events focusing on Acting & Performance in animation.  

Wednesday 11 am S235 - Stephen Barnes, Inspired Acting: A Study of Great Moments From Great Actors

First up is the Wednesday lecture, where Sheridan's Stephen Barnes will offer his insights into acting as applied to animation. Stephen does this in a way that might be new to you - carefully studying the subtle cues used by actors in live-action film and television. Steve's talk is essential viewing. It's also very entertaining, as Steve peppers the talk with many fascinating and unusual film clips.

Wednesday 2 pm, A361 (4th Year Studio, Video Area) - Using Video Reference for Animation

This is followed at 2 pm by an introduction to the Video Reference system that we have set up in the 4th Year studio. Stephen Barnes is again in charge, showing us the basic usage of video reference for animation. It would be great to have someone perform a character action scene from their film for the purpose of demonstration. Any volunteers?

Future Crisis: A Brief History of Graphics

Here's a very good short documentary about the evolution of computer graphics as used in video games, from Pac Man to Crysis and beyond. The sections on sprites and polygons (80s and 90s style graphics) discusses the role of traditional artists and animators. 

In five sections: 

Pixel Pioneers: A Brief History of Graphics, Part One

Sprite Supreme: A Brief History of Graphics, Part Two

Polygon Realm: A Brief History of Graphics, Part Three

Voodoo Bloom: A Brief History of Graphics, Part Four

Future Crisis: A Brief History of Graphics, Part Five

Interstellar and the continuing influence of Kubrick's "2001"

If you're interested in the evolution of the science fiction film genre here's a very interesting article on the inescapable influence on Christopher Nolan's Interstellar of Kubrick's 1968 classic,  2001, A Space Odyssey. 

Kubrick’s indestructible influence: “Interstellar” joins the long tradition of borrowing from “2001″ - Salon.com

Voice-over Actor & Singer available

I just received this email from a young lady named Michele Kaye who is interested in gaining some experience doing animation voice work. She is also a singer. You can reach her at: 

michelemkaye@gmail.com

"My name is Michele, I am a vocalist and actor and I am interested in getting into animation voice-over... I am new to voice-over and so am looking for experience, not pay.

I've done some animation voice-over workshops, and have a small amount of experience doing commercial voice-over. I am a professional vocalist with 10 years of experience, and an professional actor with about 5 years experience. I do not have a demo yet."

Latest news about Guru Animation Studio - Netflix orders a "Justin Time" spinoff series.

Some great news for our friends at Guru - Netflix has ordered 13 more 1/2 hours episodes of Justin Time, Guru's popular pre-school series, for worldwide distribution.  Netflix already streams the first two seasons of Justin Time.

All the more reason to be at tomorrow's Guru event at 5:30 pm in J102.

For more information:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/netflix-orders-justin-time-spinoff-747776

Next Week's Trip to University of Toronto Faculty of Music

Here are the directions and other instructions relating to next week's trip to the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, Film Composition Class. Please read carefully  the directions and instructions relating to Stage 1.

Note that there will be no lecture or workshop on Wednesday because of this trip.

DATE: Wednesday, November 12m, 11 am - 3 pm

PLACE:  Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park Crescent  (behind the Royal Ontario Museum)

The easiest way to get there is by TTC. Take the University subway line to the MUSEUM Subway stop. The Faculty of Music is behind (i.e. southwest of) the Museum.  
Don't confuse the Faculty of Music with the Royal Conservatory of Music! (The Royal Conservatory is on Bloor St., while the Faculty of Music is on Queen's Park.)  

There is a Go Train from Oakville to Union Station every 1/2 hr between appr. 8 am and 10:26 AM. The 9:56 am or earlier train will get you there with enough time to find your destination. 

DIRECTIONS 

BY PUBLIC TRANSIT- take Go Train from Oakville station to Union Station- take University Subway line north to Museum Station ( 5 stops)- exit from station to west side of University Ave (Queen’s Park Crescent).- the EJB will be straight ahead, adjacent to the R.O.M. and behind the formerPlanetarium building.- once inside the main lobby of the EJB, take the elevator or stairs to Walter Hall in the lower basement level.

BY CAR- QEW to Gardiner Expressway- Gardiner Expressway to Spadina exit- Spadina Ave. north to Harbord St.- turn right (east) on Harbord St.- paid street parking is available on Devonshire Place and in paid lots in the vicinity.

SHERIDAN / UT MUSIC COLLABORATION

2014-15  IMPORTANT DATES:

STAGE 1) Composer Demos and Meet & Greet - November 12, 11-3 pm 
University of Toronto, Faculty of Music (Edward Johnson Building), Walter Hall

This is the opportunity for Sheridan student animators to meet with the UT student composers. Each UT composer will present an example of their recent music that gives a sense of musical style. Sheridan animators will then have a chance to meet them individually and present their project in the form of their Leica Reel. Sheridan students, please bring the following to this session: • pen & notepad (for noting names and contact info) • your Leica reel on memory stick, tablet, etc. • your laptop if you prefer • headphonesNote that you must commit to a working partnership within one week! You will stay in contact with each other via email.

STAGE 2) Music Spotting Session - January 2015 (precise date & time TBA) Sheridan College, 4th Year Studio

This is the time for Sheridan animators to sit down with their UT composer and carefully discuss all the musical requirements for the film. Sheridan students, bring your updated Leica reel with temp music carefully laid in. Be prepared to discuss the following:• where in the project  music is required• general mood and expression• special sync points that the music should 'hit'• character driven musical themes if appropriate• extra music for titles and/or end credits• desired musical style• desired instrumentation• possible changes to length/timing of your project

STAGE 3) Demo track delivery deadline (via internet) - week 7,  2015

UT composers will deliver a demo recording of the musical score to their Sheridan animator by this date.
An ftp site is available to facilitate exchanging large files. Speak to Technologist Mario Positano - Mario Positano <mario.positano@sheridanc.on.ca> - about how to access the ftp site. Commercial/free services like DropBox.com also work well.

STAGE 4) Track Delivery Deadline (via internet) - week 13, 2015

UT composers will deliver finished music recordings by this date.

Week 9 - Layout Artist Terry Lenko

This week's lecture and workshop are both provided by renowned layout artist Terry Lenko.

Terry's work includes the layout for TV series and theatrical films such as Sidekick (2010-11), Curious George (2006), and Ann of Green Gables (2000). He has also been a production designer for  Backyardigans (2006) and worked for studios such as Nelvana and Yowsa.

Terry has taken some time away form his busy schedule at Nelvana to talk to us about the topic of Professional Design for Layout (Wednesday, 11 am, S235). He'll also be on hand to assist you with your own layout design in the workshop (A150 at 2 pm.) The layout lecture and workshop are very timely because of the upcoming Animatic deadline (Milestone 6, Week 10) which is mainly about layouts and character poses (for 2D projects.)

Note that I will also be giving some important information about next week's trip to the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, so be sure to arrive on time!

The Music of "How to Train Your Dragon 2"

Here's a good honest interview with John Powell, composer of How to Train Your Dragon and How to Train Your Dragon 2. 

He makes several points that should be of interest to you in working with a composer, especially the importance of establishing a musical theme for each character. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YkLOxMilnA

(thanks to James Caswell for providing this link)