"Al Dente" Art Work

Just a few character sheets taken from the "Al Dente" web site, detailing the character development process. Gives a good idea of the level of preparation necessary to produce a believable character.

Chef

Sketches for the chef character, who threatens to devour the little girl. Attention here is to facial expresions the character is capable of. The animation doesn't have any dialogue so it is paramount that ample communication is achieved through aesthetics. From this sheet we get a relly good impression of wha the proposed character is all about - despite the drawing styles varying from sketch to sketch they all present the common denominator of a snooty (nose turned up, eyes closed)  sinister (pencil like tash, emphasis on teeth) character.





Girl

Same again but of the little girl character - eye's have more of a broad manga look about them - countenance gives good insight in what part in the animation she will play. There is a flashslide show on the site and can be accessed through this link. Theres also some colour pre vis work which indicates look feel and mood of the film. Would have been nice to have a bit more regarding the technical side of the film but hey ho!

Character Reference

Bed Bugs

Anmation Festivals

List of relevant Animation Festivals from around the world.

Wikipedia

First result on a Google search yeilded this Wikipedia page that has a list the who's who of animation festivals around the world and provides lnks to their respespective website as well asa Wiki page on each one. I will go through the list and narrow them down to the ones most relevant to my field of study. Nice to see Bradford Animation Festival in there.

11 Second Club

Monthly animation competition, where kindred spirits are tasked with applying an accompanying animation to a usually notorious film soundtrack. Would be a great exercise in testing out my rigs (the only real way to test them) and illuminate any potential flaws it may have. 11 seconds is a nice time scale to work from.

Animation Jobs

Showreels

List of impressive showreels I have come across, gives a good idea of the standards currently being set in the industry:


Character TD Reel 2010 from Chad Vernon on Vimeo.


Heavy use of C++ scripting to develop proprietory tools that aim to bolster performance and speed.  Lots of things to chew on and decipher.


Marek Schneider

Very accomplished showreel, not done in Maya - think it looks like Max?? (will look into it!) Begins with a lot of high end animation, then has a nice breakdown of the characters features. Loads of nice UI functions for controlling facial and deformation factors of the characters. Nice background music - Someone advised in the CG Society Forum to include some sort of voice over to explain some of the more technically intricate features, in case the interviewer isn't clued up on the rigging process.  Really like the functionality of the fish rigs. He's acquired a nice blend and control system between dynamics and FK/IK switch whilst making them simple and intuitive for the animator to use. Textbook!                                     

 Bernard Haux

Whole site devoted to Bernards Showreel. Here he provides a voice over highlighting the animation principles that have informed his decisions. This strikes me as comprehensive evidence this guy knows what he is talking about. Also shows a good range of understanding as he has an animating and TD showreel as well as a general section.

ShowReel Tips

Usefull Information regarding showreels and how to make them effective
                                                       Pixar

You can't argue with these lot, any advice they give I treat as gospel. Some useful guidelines on how to make the most out of you work and advice on things like music.  

                                                        CG Society

Usefull information regarding rigging showreels, also includes links pointing to other TD's rigging showreel's which I shall publish on a separate post. 

                                                       Rigging 101

This website has always been a handy resource and I'll certainly continue to use its forum for queries - really quick turnaroung time, people usually respond within the hour no matter the level of enquiry. This article features a few do's and dont's regarding the rigging showreel and how to approach putting it together.

Organisations/Funding

                                                       Indie Training Fund

Found this link on the skillset website, directed at providing freelancers with funding for relevant training courses. There is an office in London as well as Leeds, might be worth dropping them an email asking for advice regarding direction and a few useful contacts.


                                                       bmedi@

Useful networking organisation based in Bradford - they hold coffee events in different venues around West Yorkshire (Huddersfield, Shipley and Bradford) aimed to get people in the creative industry together. Coffee events are free and catered, membership is free for students and associated members, there is an annual fee for full membership but i'm not sure what the price is. On several occasions I have received cv's from prospectors so seems like a good way of getting your work/name out in the area.

Networking Opportunities

Animated Yorkshire
I attended their last meeting a couple of months ago (meetings are currently infrequent as the group is still in its infancy), and it proved to be a worthwhile networking opportunity which I will exploit in the future.

Among attendee's were some seasoned animators who had experience working for Cosgrove Hall, and Dreamworks, who were more than happy to have their ear chewed off for half an hour. There were also sound designers, people who represented government initiatives, entrepreneurs and those who just had an interest in Animation and liked to show and discuss it. There is the opportunity to bring and show your work off and gain valuable critique.

I will certainly be attending their next meeting and think the £25 anual fee is well worth the money.

Animators Database

Database of Animators, would be beneficial to be on it and to go through it. 







Screen Yorkshire

A wealth of useful information, too vital to ignore!







Just Add Water

Local Organisation aimed at narrowing the gap between student and professional. Similar to game republic, a good resource for finding out up to date information about the gaming industry.







The Drum

Creative/ Digital/Marketing Networking tool. Membership is free, similar to linkedIn, but focusses on the creative industry. Has News, Jobs, Events sections. Definitely worth checking on a regular basis.
CC Skills

Enkyad Heritage

I met these lads at Animated Yorkshire and the Exit session at LCAD. Ones an Archeologist, the other an illustrator and they are trying to get an interactive educational tool together, using 3d character animation to re-enact historical events. They need a character developer, rigger and animator to help them realise their project. I have offered my services, but would not be able to commit for a few weeks due to University commitments.






Susan Magazine

Design Network North

Game Republic

Created in conjunction with Screen Yorkshire and the Regions development agency. They provide the opportunity for students to upload showreels, acquire funding and obtain job information. A good tool to get in contact with gaming companies in the Yorkshire area. 





Innovation Centre
Came across this stand at the Exit Fare at LCAD. They provide office space, a telephone and broadband for a relatively cheap price. Pretty useful for startup businesses, but not for someone like me, however the lady did tell me there were a few 3d artists working freelance ther so might be worth contacting them for advice and information on the industry. 
Leeds Visual Arts

Northern Exposure