character animation reel

[Maplewood54]

Johnathan,

Hey man, thanks for contacting me. Great start. Some thoughts:

- Good broad movements. They aren't confined to a little box but are full grown. Definately clarity in terms of the mood you are going for and the characters attitude.
- The devil piece has good character interaction. He's up and in his face. Sweet.

- You seem to have focused on making shots look good according to camera angle, but there seems to be a lack in the foundations of animation. I mean that in the nicest of ways man. This is a good start, but there are some noticable weaknesses in the movement. I know that SCAD tells you that a solid short film will get you a job. It may get you noticed, but when you send out to a studio, they really want to see guys that KNOW animation from top to bottom. That all comes back to principles. The 12 I'm referring to are:

1) Squash and Stretch
2) Anticipation
3) Staging
4) Proper animation technique
5) Overlapping action
6) Slow ins and slow outs
7) Arcs
8) Secondary Actions
9) Timing
10) Exaggeration
11) Solid poses
12) Appeal

Your reel seems to lack some application of these. That's ok though. Most student work generally lacks most of these things. But now that you are where you are, you can get to the heart of the matter. Know this, your demo reel really only needs to be a little over 40 seconds long, because that's probably all they are going to look at anyways. Therefore, don't worry about getting a fancy looking render and a cool story, just get the foundational work down. Example: all these people went to work in the industry, pretty much straight out of college.

Robin Luera (http://www.melvinandi.com/)
Simon Christensen (http://simonchristen.com/)
Mark C. Harris (http://markcharris.com/)
Noah Boardner (http://www.noahbordner.com/)
Paul Downs (http://www.paul-downs.com/)
Leonid Larionov (http://www.leo3d.com/) - the Butterfly animation is just excellent

They all did it using strong foundations in animation, and then once those were nailed to the floor, they went in for humor and all other kinds of funny stuff. But these guys don't really think about weight anymore. They don't have to frustrate themselves with stuff looking floaty because the foundations are so strong that their main focus is not doing cliche performances, which is without question where you want to get.

Understand that first and foremost, if you really want to be an animator, then become a freakin awesome ninja animator. Certainly direction and the like are all going to become tools of the trade, but for now, focus on nothing but the animation of a scene. The devil is a good start but it might be a bit big (having just spent 24 grueling weeks in the basics, and having just come off of a degree in Animation where I really studied the movements of great animation, I'm only just now feeling completly ready to tackle a dialogue piece). Really just begin to study the depths of animation, starting with a bouncing ball. By the way, if you go to Disney that's the first thing they will have you do anyway. Once you get that nailed down, go to a guy who jumps up and down. I can't stress how essential the foundations are.

I really don't want to discourage you here man. I think you're off to a good start, but instead of doing dialogue clips with just an aim of "funny" or entertaining, really go after a grasp of the essentials. I'll leave it at this... this is the demo reel of a current animator at Blue Sky. He got in off of this demo reel. There isn't one short film, but he has a great understanding, firstly, of principles. Then, after getting that down, he added some dialogue pieces, and a few walk cycles, and then an animation showing he could do weight. Voila! The studio now thinks they can trust him to get better and better because he isn't fumbling around in the dark on any of the principles, and he is constantly improving his eye on what is and is not solid performance. They saw on his reel the choices he made in determining what was entertaining. They really want to see how your brain thinks, along with solid animation. Also, his reel doesn't have any music (something to consider) and it doesn't have any montages. It's just his complete animations strung together.

http://christianreese.com/movies/JWilson_animations.mov

Really man, I wouldn't say all this if I didn't think you had any talent. It now comes down to how far you want to take your knowledge of the craft. Let me know how things go and hopefully I'll see you soon. Take care.

+ Christian Reese

[Joscoon]

Hey Christian,
I really appreciate your honesty. Especially as it's so hard to be honest, especially with oneself ;), about the quality of work. If I were to be honest with myself there's about fifty percent of stuff on this reel that I wish I could yank in place of better work....
Now I know you gave me a good long rundown on what it takes to make a good reel... thanks!.. But as far as saying my animations lack some application of the principles of animation I wish you could have been a little more specific... In all honesty I think my timing is good... however i do admit that i lack some squash and stretch... which is kinda hard to do if your rig doesn't accomodate that... but I'm not making excuses!!
I honestly spent a lot of time finessing overlaps and slow ins and outs for the devil animation..... and i think they read pretty well. Now you said it's a good start... but what do you think it needs to improve on?
I was also pretty proud of the runcycle too... plus I thought i got the ease ins and outs and overlaps pretty well on this too... what would you suggest to improve this one?.
Thirdly, and this is the only other sequence of the reel I shall stand behind, is the backflip on the diving board shot. Now this was one shot that I spent countless hours on...and still perhaps the best thing I think I've ever animated. Did you think this one needed improvement too?...
Anyways, I'm not trying to prove you wrong... just looking for a more in depth critique. But yeh, the rest of the stuff is more half-assish... and I've come a long way since then.
I also wanted to ask you about your experience with Animation Mentor. Firstly, you said you spent 24 gruelling weeks in the basics... was that all animation mentor? Secondly, were you doing animation mentor full time? or part time while working?... lastly, do you think you would have improved as much just animating on your own, without animation mentor?
Well, don't mean to pester you or anything, just critique me at your liesure. And continue doing good animation! Looking forward to more updates...

[Capel]

Joscoon: Hey man. No offense to Christian, but i have to disagree with almost everything he said about your reel. I think that you could easily find work with this reel. have you sent it out yet? i mean, there's an animator at my work whose work isn't nearly as good as yours. You've got nice overlapping action, non linear spacing, decent timing. the only thing i'd suggest is getting a few more dialogue pieces on there.

here's the thing, it's not all that difficult to learn the principles of animation. Anyone can go out and buy the animators survival kit and study it religiously and get all those principles under their belts. I think that the big studios, like Blue Sky, Pixar, etc. are looking for animators that are also actors. sure you're character is moving "correctly", all the principles are there, but how is he/she emoting? do your poses read funny when they need to, serious when they need to, etc. seriously, there are some animators that should win oscars for their performances, and that's what you should be shooting for at this point. You've GOT the priciples down, it's obvious. Now just get two more strong dialogue pieces on there, focusing on your ACTING. the "taxes" piece is fine. it reads well enough to get the idea across. not everyone needs to spend "24 grueling weeks in the basics" in order to be ready to tackle a dialogue piece. Again, no offense Christian. my point is, Joscoon, that you're ready to start looking for work while also adding to your reel.

but before you mail it out i'd definately get rid of one of your name slates. having two in a row is gonna' annoy most employers. remember, these guys have been looking at reels all day. get to the point quickly. also, i'd get rid of that stop motion piece. right now it just seems like filler. other than that i'd say you're good to go, man.

[Maplewood54]

Johnathan,

I'm afraid my gaping hole of a mouth has skewed my thoughts once again. My intentions in the first post were out of complete sincerity, and they came off like I think you should have taken up dancing. So, please allow me to try once again, with the same sincerity in mind.

If the devil piece is your newest, then I will comment on it alone as I think it speaks to your current ability the truest. The basic aspects are working. The anticipation is nice as is the dynamic movement. The timing is coming along but could use a bit more enouragment in the speed area.

I suppose my biggest concern about the piece is that when I turn the audio off, it gets a bit confusing. I'm unsure what is supposed to be the detailed mood, and looking at the facial expressions they appear to be a somewhat hazy as well. If anything, it's a bit careful. It could be pushed just a hair further in some of the extreme arm movements.

And that brings around the thought of the poses. In terms of silhouette, the hands get a little lost at times, especially in the instance near the end where it is extended in front of his body. The double arm pumps in the beginning seem a bit unnecessary. The poses, especially by using this audio, need to have very clear phrasing, such that by freezing any major pose in the piece you would know what the character is feeling and what he is saying at the time, and I'm just not getting that vibe. It really could be much more effective if the intensity was kicked up in a few areas where the inflections allow such grace; really slamming emotion into his face and his body and giving his words concrete-ness with the figure that is saying them.

Really Johnathan, my words were never meant to bring you down, and I feel I was completely big-headed to try and propogate some "profound wisdom" on you. I sincerely apologize for that. You are on your way and when a studio or company places value in your art I know you will be given an even greater opportunity to develop your work. My best to you.

+ Christian Reese

[Joscoon]

Hey guys,
I really appreciate all of your comments. Christian, you've not got me down... you've motivated me to get better!... And Capel, you have given me the courage to start getting my reel out there! (It's about goshdarn time!!)... I will be certain to let you know how things go, and I'll continue to post as I churn out new work. All the best to both of you.

Johnathan.

[bawhabmw]

John,

How's it goin man? Not sure if you remember me, but long time since those SCAD days. Hope all is well.

I figured I would add my comment about not only your work but also about what I think Christian was trying to get at.

First, about Christian's post. I don't believe in anyway he meant to discourage you. Although some things said might be a tad hard, I understand what he was trying to get at. So many times, especially coming from similar SCAD backgrounds, we have been told that our animation is "pretty good." When in reality, we need to be given a serious critique. I believe Christian's intent was ONLY to help you become a better animator.

I understand, just as any animator out there, that this stuff takes a lot of time and energy. But understand that sometimes you may spend tons and tons of time on something and it still might not turn out just right. I still look at some old animations that I spent countless hours on, and it's still not quite right.

About your reel:

I don't think you need 2 titles for your reel. I say use the animated one with your logo.

I would say that you should cut out stuff that isn't your complete best. I think your weekest shots are the walk out onto the diving board, your claymation stuff and the part where the guy is underwater. Some parts of the reel, including that mouse guy, you should think about going back and maybe work on some details like the fingers. Sometimes they seem a bit stiff.

Devil clip: Definitely your best piece. A few things about it that came up... the shot composition and your acting choices. Play around with rotating the camera a bit to make a better shot composition. right now things don't read well and you're not completely sure of what's going on right off the bat. Some of your acting choices could be a bit stronger and maybe a bit more natural. also watch some of your arcs, namely your hips. and, like christian mentioned I believe, work on your silhouettes a bit to make your poses read better.

Run onto the board: pretty good. just bring a little more life to his face, it doesn't really seem to do anything except stare. also put a little more work in the fingers. they are pretty evenly spaced and straight.

Run Cycle: pretty good as well. there are just some pops here and there in the shoulders and make sure you smooth out some of those keys. I noticed the feet had some strange keys in the back position. Also, adding more foot flop and/or extention when it comes off the ground would give a bit more of a feeling of pushing off of the ground.

mouse look up: maybe add a bit more attention to the face. Feels kinda flat to me.

mouse jump: again work on some of those fingers. it's all about the details.

close up of the guys face: his facial movements seem kinda linear and all timed together.

All in all man I think you definitely have talent. Do I think you can get a job with this reel? I don't know. there are things on there that any animation supervisor would see right away were quite right. Anything Christian was picking up on was that there needed to be a little more work done cleaning up. It's all in the details. Facial espressions, finger posing, all very important in showing that you care about your work. Believe me, you want this stuff to show just how good you are. I think, especially from your run cycle and your devil clip, that you are better than what this reel shows. You are only as good as your worst piece on there.

Also, if you want me to comment on the pieces I thought should be taken off I can too.

Good Luck man!
|Benno

[Joscoon]

Hey Ben,
I feel privelaged to have one of the best animators to ever pass through SCAD comment on my work. Of course I remember you. Quark kicked butt!! Good to hear you got a job too, congrats!
All those things you mentioned were insecurities in my animations that were lurking in my subconscious but I was perhaps too lazy to admit. Fingers, fingers, fingers... perhaps that's the test of a true animator... And, yeh... oddly I never viewed it from the perspective of the employer... Like, this guy animated that devil pretty well, but what's to say he won't falter like he did in that other shot? hmm... Indeed, I need to spread myself more thickly.
Ok then, I know what I need to do now... just gotta do it. Thank you all, again. Look forward to seeing more updates on your site too, Ben. Peace,

Johnathan.

[bawhabmw]

Hey John,

Wow that is quite a compliment. Maybe a little over the top but I'll take it! ha ha.

Sometimes we just need someone to confirm what we already knew was a problem in our own work. Sometimes I eventually convince myself that everything is fine, when I know it has timing issues. That's why I think crits are so important, not only to show us what we didn't see but to confirm what we did.

I know you are gonna do the work and it's gonna kick butt man. Keep us posted John and I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

|Benno

P.S. The site will be updated really soon. I redesigned it and now I just have to code it.

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