Grass in the Mother Fuckin Yard

[Brand X]

I posted up some renders of an animation a group of me and 10 other kids did during a 10 day class after the regular semester. Needless to say, the animation finally fucking finished rendering, and the audio finally got put it, which means it's finally done! (Mind you you'll notice a Snakes on a Plane theme, it ended up being a huge inside joke/motivator for our animation because of a wacky ass dream I had about a friend of mine killing some dude in a car crash and trying to revive him by using Snakes on a Plane). (also, this is the explicit version with an audio clip that wasn't supposed to be recorded, and was, so we naturally stuck it in).

Here's the final animation

[ChaoofNee]

Heh, nice animation on it. The lack of music made it somewhat creepy, though.
Also, it was lacking smashing sound effects when the grass had the kid by the ankle.
I like smashing sound effects.

[Drewbacca]

This is very good for only 10 days. I dislike the modeling of the environments and the main character but for the time you had to really get this out the door you did a good job. The effect with the shed moving dramatically further away was your most impressive shot.

[Brand X]

Thanks for the comments The animation itself wasn't very difficult, but like you mentioned Andrew, under the deadline of 10 days, was extremely difficult to do.

The environments and the character were unfortunately the quickest things done in the animation. Due to our preproduction being only 6 hours long, we really had limited time to nail down a concrete style for how we wanted everything to look. And granted we did all of the modeling in 12 hours, it didn't turn out nearly as bad as it could have.

We had animated texture maps almost set up for the burning of the grass, but by the time our deadline for starting final renders was up (actually a few hours past), the technical set up for it wasn't complete, so it didn't make it in. The test renders of it looked fantastic though, hopefully someone who didn't graduate will go in and render that scene (which would be the last scene).

I personally am not really a 3d animation guy, but I really loved working in a tight knit group under an extremely stressful sleepless deadline. There's something exhilerating about having huge technical problems with the animation an hour before the final renders need to be started at 6:30 in the morning having not slept in 4 days. In general though, 3d animation work is way too tedious for my tastes.

Ah yes, I forgot to mention, I modeled, textured, and animated (or lack there of) everything in the opening scene except for the cars and hydrant. Plus I animated the scene in the kitchen after she turns her head the first time, until her mom calls her name and the grass goes away.

Also, it was lacking smashing sound effects when the grass had the kid by the ankle.
I like smashing sound effects.

True, I actually had complained to the girl who put the final audio in a month ago that the thuding sound from her smacking the ground wasn't nearly loud and obnoxious enough, she didn't listen though.

[Drewbacca]

I loved animating. I love 2D animation and what little experience I've had 3D animation. The problem with me, personally, is that I get lazy and don't draw as readily as I probably should, and when I do draw it isn't things that I should be drawing in order to learn.

When I'm a bit older and have enough money to do so I'm planning on joining Sheridan College's animation program up here in Ontario. It's prestigous, with employers and recruiters scouring the campus for key talent here. The name of the campus is popular amongst Disney recruiters as well. The biggest thing you have to learn about animation is that you'll definitely, without question, have to put more of your personal time in to it then anything. The more you push yourself, the better it is.

Before I even think about going in to a program like this I'll be going in to an arts program for two semesters to really blossom what little skill I have and re-teach myself how to draw.

Anyway, good job for 10 days.

[Brand X]

I guess it's not that I don't like animating, because I really enjoyed doing my first animation (based on mouse trap the game), and I really enjoyed taking this class. It's more that i prefer to do other types of graphics work, and to really excel at 3d animation, like you said, you really need to put in the effort.

without question, have to put more of your personal time in to it then anything. The more you push yourself, the better it is.

You're 100% right. During those 10 days (really 12, since we used a weekend), we would work during our class time, 11am-5pm, then until about 8pm. Go get some dinner, then be back in studio from 10pm until 6 or 7am. And from what I hear from people with experience in the industry, during the month+ crunch time they have, their schedule is very similar.

Professional animators are fucking crazy.

[Drewbacca]

They're payed quite well from what I hear. Also you guys probably don't have any set workflow's established. I mean, in a company you'd have your modellers, texturers, riggers and animators to handle the technical points of animating. On top of that you'd have your directors, assistant directors, managers, lighters, matte painters, environment modellers, etc.

So while the schedule is pretty brutal it's not the slave drive that working for Electronic Arts is. I've done a lot of research in to the subject and the best thing to do on each front is to just be rich and own your own small studio .

[Shin Johnpv]

They're payed quite well from what I hear.

for the average 3d animator your wrong

there was a time when the job did pay quite well but those days are long gone

then again quite well really depends on where you live

[Drewbacca]

lol. As if you can be a 3D animator and not live in California (I guess Florida too with Disney going all 3D nuts lately). It's like being an oil driller and living in the north pole.

[Shin Johnpv]

lol. As if you can be a 3D animator and not live in California (I guess Florida too with Disney going all 3D nuts lately). It's like being an oil driller and living in the north pole.

actually you can, considering theres an assload of game studios in texas, and montreal, theres a bunch of animation studios in canada in montreal and torronto, theres an FUCKING SHIT load of production studios in NYC, just about everything now adays uses 3d in some way, theres also Blue Sky and Kleisure Walzack (spelling) in NY, theres game studios, and production houses all over the country, California just has a high concentration of them but theres Production houses everywhere