Literal (Need to know)
I did not leave the studio with any
specific questions, but rather found many of my questions answered.
i.e.
How are you able you draw a character in several different poses
with the same proportions every time?
How are you able you draw a character in several different poses
with the same proportions every time without a model sheet of the character?
How do 3D glasses work?
What are in-betweens?
What kind of skills would you need to
become a successful animator?
Interpretive
I learned just how complex animation
really is. 2D animation is almost
like an assembly line: one sketches the characters, one draws the background,
one tests the rough animation sequence, one cleans up the lines, one scans the
now clean art into the computer, one tests the animation again, one colors it,
and finally it is finished. Another form of animation, known as CG, is
apparently a little easier to create. You basically start with a simple shape
and add features to it. All coloring and texturing can be done right on the
computer, although it can be a little more difficult, as you have to understand
all the program controls!
Applied
I had already planned on
doing my topic on digital media from the beginning; specifically, I am most
interested in animation. I have
this dream of creating my very own cartoon series.
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Location
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Contact Info
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Date
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Hours
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What I did
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Total Hours
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Duncan Studios, Pasadena
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Delia Fance (626)578-1587
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8/27/2012
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2 hours
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Met with Ken
Duncan, Delia Fance, and several other staff members. Learned they do both CG
and 2D animation but they seem to primarily do the traditional animation;
they sketch a drawing and scan it into the computer. Learned about
storyboarding, rough animation, clean up artists, and special effects
animation. Shown an animation sequence so I could witness how each step
looked. I learned they worked on scenes from animated features such as Nine and Despicable Me
and shorts from How to Train Your Dragon and Kung Fu Panda.
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2 hours
|
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Graphic Details, Chino
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Michael M. Barbin (909)465-9978
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8/28/2012
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1 hour
30 minutes
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Met with
Michael Barbin. Had me sit with
one of his lead designers. Learned they use different colors,
text fonts, imagery, and creativity to design logos, banners, brochures, and
signs for local businesses. All
their work was done on a computer using a program called Adobe
Illustrator. They showed me some
of their current projects.
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3 hours
30 minutes
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Duncan Studios, Pasadena
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Delia Fance (626)578-1587
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8/29/2012
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2 hours
15 minutes
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Met with Delia. Witnessed and learned how 3D effects and
glasses operate in a film. Was led to scanning room and allowed to scan in
some drawings for a short, old animation project. Was led to animators and shown how CG animation is done on
a program called Maya. Shown how lighting and texture was done on the program.
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5 hours
45 minutes
|
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Graphic Details, Chino
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Michael M. Barbin (909)465-9978
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8/30/2012
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2 hours
30 minutes
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Met with designers Josh and Spencer. Learned that they must constantly
email their clients in order to send proofs of their works in progress. They stated that they may end up
spending more time emailing than designing. Learned it could take anywhere
from a few hours to days to finish one project, depending on the difficulty.
At times they may change a detail or two (i.e. font size or theme) even if it
differs from the client’s original concept, if it makes the finished product
look more appealing.
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8 hours
15 minutes
|
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Duncan Studios, Pasadena
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Delia Fance (626)578-1587
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8/31/2012
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2 hours
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Met with Chris
Suave, the head 2D animator of Duncan Studio. Learned how they use model
sheets to help draw the characters and keep their proportions the same.
Learned how certain expressions help with the character’s personality. Shown a piece of paper with a large box
in the middle called a “field guide” and was told how it works like the
screen of a camera and that the drawings must fit into the box. In the end,
Duncan Studios gave me the opportunity to sit and observe every production
artist in their company.
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10 hours
15 minutes
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