Rodney

Dale, I'm not sure how I managed to miss your post! That is awesome! Funny Funny Funny too! Great use of music and repeating words too. How long until you say the sequel will be released? Rodney

Is it too early to upgrade my subscription?

Very very nice! I love the design of the characters and the simplicity of the expressions. I know it wasn't so simple to get it animated! Really looking forward to seeing more of these two and their adventures. Interesting storyline you've got there as well. You are quite adept at linking your story elements with the elements of the character animation and designs. For example, the explanation for Misty's outfit. Nice touches throughout your description and animation. Rodney

Have you tested how weather maps look on your models. I think even if you decide to add other means to add texturing weathering will help. Weathering Effect (Online Tech Ref Info) Good Luck! Rodney

John! That is the scariest thing I've seen since.... well.... Its scary!

Nice one Doug! I think it most fitting also that the image displayed when I went into AnimWatch was of Delgo (The Movie). Brian Prince of Animation:Master fame is working on that one unless I'm mistaken!

Good transition Steve! Two links this time.... The primary one of interest: Modeling Sheets - Searching for them... Posting them, etc This link is from another forum I just decided to join as I need to get back into drawing (2D-wise) to see some possiblity of improvement in my 3D efforts. We'll see how much time I have to devote there! Probably not much. There are definitely a few people that might make the transition to A:M some day hanging out at: The Drawing Board

The only words I can think of are "Crazy Nice!" whatever that means. I think it means "too cool"! I wanna buy the model kit and glue it together!

Will, You are just tempting us now! Nice to see him moving... flames and all. Very nice. But in the words of your fans.... "More! More! More!"

Justin, Thanks for letting us know about Keith's updates... I especially like the one on arcs... I definitely learned more about how to think in arcs... something I thought I knew a lot about! Thanks again... Like you said though.... your suggestions should keep Parlo busy for awhile. I fear for his sanity if he keeps tweaking....

In the words of Emilio (MoscaFilms) you can adjust the magnitude on that area and it will create a nice bevel effect. You might try a setting of 160 or more and see what it looks like. Nice trooper! *Edited 8 to 160 as I was going the wrong direction! Sorry.

Here you'll find a link to a 'free' but unfinished book on animation. The story behind why it's 'free' is for others to look into... but explains why the book won't be published and the online version is missing most of the graphics intended for publication. Compiled by Steve Ressel who worked on "Invader Zim". The behind the scenes story of why the book is unfinished serves as a cautionary tale to those that want to go pro in the animation industry. Personally, I think animation hasn't seen the last of Mr. Ressel. Animation from Beginning to End - by Steve Ressel

Drawing is a fundamental of 3D animation. Learn the art of drawing and you've made yourself a better animator. As such, a must stop on the tour must be a study of Frank Frazetta's work. Frazetta Anatomy Lessons And of course the site itself: www.frankfrazetta.com (Thanks to Matt for the link)

Wouldn't it be great if you knew what mistakes in animation to avoid before you were about to make them? Well... apparently you can. Read these Pitfalls to avoid in Animation (Thanks to Darklimit for this link)

For those contemplating the creation of realistic humans, Gray's Anatomy is a good reference. Technical in nature, it may go a bit deeper than many people need but it really is an excellent resource. I often have a strange urge to buy more copies each time I see a copy on the cheap in a bookstore. You can usually find one for around $5.99. I have a copy in printed format but you'll be glad to know it is available online! Gray's Anatomy - Illustrations and Text

Joseph, Looks like he'll be fun to animate. I bet you learned a lot in the process of setting up your own rig, even if it was Jeff Lew inspired. Looking forward to the animation. Rodney

Oh Good Grief! How am I supposed to keep from animating then!!! Ugggghhhh. I'm running out of excuses. Seriously though, I'm very impressed with your skills and generosity. Rodney

Robert hit on an interesting thing there... The walk away at the end did leave me wanting more as I said before. Perhaps since she is already toon she could enter the drawing (from the left if you don't want to do a shot of her 'dropping' into the paper. The guy helps her onto the horse and they ride of together... I'm thinking mainly in terms of changing the scene without changing the timing that is in place already. At the same time the horse begins to come alive she could walk (or run) in from the left. It might not even be necessary to have the horse walk off but you'd lose a bit of the 'fantasy transforms to reality' part. That would definitely result in a more satisfying ending than the horse and hero riding off into the sunset without the girl. Good eye Robert!

Please tell us more about your project. (I'm forgetful. If you've told us I need reminding) Are you doing this as a solo project or collaborating with others? Nice Dwarf Spider thus far by the way!

Very Nice. It's amazing what basic shapes moved around into the right positions can create! Now you've got me hooked. Post more please!

Graham, Looks good to me. I'm glad you didn't give up easily too. You've added a lot of elements and transitions that aren't exactly easy to do! Without giving too much away to anyone that wants to view I'd say the drawing part and transition is rather inspired... and I found I wanted see a little bit more. When my girls get home from shopping I'll have to have them check it out. I have a feeling they'll love it! Now I'll been looking for your future projects. Best, Rodney *Kids back and the verdict is in... thumbs up! The review: "Her is good at drawing", "Can I see that again" (Jessica and Julia Baker) Kids know good when they see it!

Some folks become afraid at the mere mention of the word 'copyright'. It's always a good idea to know something about the subject. Brad Templeton has some copyright information on his site. Look there for Information on copyright and more. For anyone that doesn't know... Brad Templeton exists at the nexus of a variety of disciplines and interests. Beyond Brad's connection to the DOT COM phenomenon, the Electronic Freedom Foundation, Burning Man, and more... His family is a source of interesting study as well. His mother was an actress. His father 'almost' out Billy Graham'd Billy Graham. One brother is a tax lawyer and yet another brother (Ty Templeton) is a 'famous' comic book artist! Wow. It's easy to lose a few hours on this site. Beware! Set you watch for five minutes and plan to get back to work. Just look at the copyright stuff and get out okay?

For a nice break from the technicalities of animating a good maxim arises... "When in doubt, read." There is an enormous amount of reading resources both classical and contemporary on the net. But for a short break... it may be best not to read 'War and Peace' in one sitting! Much more appropriate to read a few of Aesop's Fables, or one or two of... The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen

To start out I want to point you to a site that shows a little of what goes into the preproduction of an animated series. Klasky Csupo Animation Lessons Some things to look for include: - How do basic shapes aid in the effectiveness of character animation? - What considerations are there for creating a character in correct porportion? - What is a turnaround? - What techniques can assist with the flow in a characters movement? - What 2D On Model/Off Model pitfalls are present in 3D animation? - What considerations must be taken for Storyboarding? For Lipsync? - How can backgrounds be used to best effect? - How do coloring and props fit into your plan? Finally, How can you apply what you've learned to your effort in Animation:Master?

This discussion is designed to serve two purposes. First, to highlight some excellent resources, and second to point everyone to related 'breathing spaces'. Breathing Space is the term I use for when you have been working at a project for a long time without taking a good break. Ideally, that breathing space should be as far as possible from the task that you are trying to take a break away from. However, it isn't so far away that you stop working on the project. If you wander too far away... that's a vacation! For more than a few people that means the end of the show. Move just far enough away to get a refreshed perspective on the task at hand. Take a breather... then head on back to work. Note: This discussion is designed to add to New Users storehouse of knowledge and prepare them for success. Additions to this discussion should have at least some connection to the subject of animation however far that connection might be. When posting, if the connection doesn't seem obvious please state how it applies. Thanks! http://www.sambuntrock.com/guy_like_me7_web.mov