Computer Animation? What Animation?

[titaniumdave]

What are you trying to say? Theres a lack of computer animators or theres a lack of motion in computer animation?

[osmosis]

There are plenty of computer animators. I just don't see very much animation coming out of them.

[titaniumdave]

I guess you're probably talking about shorts, then I'd have to agree thats theres not tons of them. But you have to consider the amount of work that it takes to create those and for the most part they're made by only small groups or even one person alone. If you just want to see people posting practice animations (walks, runs, dialog) then just look through here. But heres a link to a site that has a few shorts that you can check out.

http://atomfilms.shockwave.com/af/animation/

[DaddyMack]

Hi osmosis, animation just adds a completely different timeframe to working in cg. All aspects of creating a good image take time, and then rigging, weighting, planning, blocking, refining, etc etc etc Many people just don't make time for it. I agree that this is probably the result of it still being a fairly new medium. But if you don't like the lack of it, why not fill the void with your own toils man.

Me personally I'm bitten, I...must...animate...I've turned to other media a few times in the last 6 years but I always return to it. I think that there are a great many folk out there who are hooked as well, it's just a bit challenging to put in the kind of hours it requires, and have a life...

[osmosis]

Hi sumdumguy, I am also smitten by animation. I have been working in feature animation for a decade and I have also completed a short film that is currently on the festival circuit. I in fact left my job at Pixar to create my own brand of animation.

I am fully aware of the time and effort required to create CG animation but I would make the same comparisons with my friends who work in live action. When they buy a camera and some lights they don't just shoot some random images that they think look cool. They make a movie. They take the effort to learn how to compose a shot, light a scene, work with actors and edit the footage. I just think that in general CG artist are selling themselves short by limiting there expertise to modelling, texturing and lighting. :hmm:

[DaddyMack]

Hi again osmosis, kudos for the move into doing your own thing. What's the touring short called?

I think the main obstacle for people getting into animation at the moment is rigging. It's like we really enjoy modelling because it gives instant feedback, we can see the progress. Most people who have modelled and rendered stuff would have set a keyframe or two on something sometime but when it comes to rigging...days, even weeks can go by before you have something that seems worthy of justifying the time that goes in. I think this turns many a great mind away.

Also I reckon the paths for modelling and rendering are way more well trodden, information and directions abound...whereas for animation, finding your way can require a bit more intuition and foresight. It's more rewarding I think, to breathe life to one's creations but it's definitely not for everyone...

Good luck with your own endeavours

[Blip]

If I were to compare CG to the evolution of art, I believe that we are just before the renaisance.
...
I have also completed a short film that is currently on the festival circuit. I in fact left my job at Pixar to create my own brand of animation.
In comparing computer animation to film as you did, there are people whose job it is to light, to create sets, to design costumes, to work the camera. Not everyone wants to take on the task of being a one-man studio. I feel it's the same in CG. Some people are just drawn to different aspects of 3D production, and I sure am glad for it. I love to animate, and I don't mind modelling and rigging, but I'd much rather work in a creative team environment where everyone can give input on all aspects of the production, but you don't necessarily have to be a jack of all trades.

I have given some thought to where we are at historically in terms of CG animation as well. I really think we are entering the Renaissance right now! Look at all these forums swelling with information being shared across the world. Everyone is learning from everyone else, CG knowledge and progress keep spreading faster. And as a result, everyone seems to be developing at a pretty rapid pace. We don't sit at the movies and go 'how did they do that?' for very long, the people who designed whatever wow'd us are basically freely giving away tutorials on how it was done. The tips, tricks, gimmicks, trade secrets, are all coming out in the open. Anyway... everyone's gonna be a CG expert pretty soon, it's getting harder and harder to stay in in front of the pack, or even keep up with it.

I would love to know which short film is yours. And I'm also really interested in hearing about your own brand of animation. Is it something you can discuss?

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