Frank Silas

Hey Zaryin, thanks for the kind words and suggestion. I've spent a little more time on the female making sure her surfaces are smooth. I need to give the brute a bit more attention. Thanks, Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

More progress. I'm working on completing the bodies and putting clothes on them. Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

Hi Dhar, thanks for checking them out. I had not modelled characters in a long while so I'd been hankering to create some brand new characters from scratch. They are going to be part of a scene that combines all the stuff I've learned about 3d in the last few years. Kind of like a personal technology demo. I'm almost done with the bodies so I'll be posting them shortly. Hey Robcat, no they will NOT have tiny bodies! LOL...thier bodies are reasonably proportioned. I've nearly gotten them done. I'll post them soon. Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

I don't think I've posted in the wip before! So here's my first time. Here are two models that I started building recently. I'll keep posting the progress here until they are done. Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

Thanks for the encouragement. It means a lot. It has had nearly a thousand viewers since it went up a earlier this week. I've also started posting links to the Animation Lessons I created for my apprentices there. Check it out if you have the time. Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

Hi guys, check out http://www.cgunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=96 CGUnderground has green-lit the short film that I am making using Animation Master. They are hosting a permanent forum for the short film. On top of that they will host a webpage for it and place two interviews on thier site about it. http://www.cgunderground.com/ There is a persistant link to the forum discusion about the making of the film on thier front page. This is the film that I am working on with apprentices David Higgins and Chris Wheeler whom I've been teaching to animate using Animation Master as a result of the Mentoring program that David Rogers launched here in the Hash Forums. So I'll be posting a lot of stuff there that you won't see anywhere else. For example we've started a production journal in that thread that shows the making of the movie from character design all they way through to animation lessons and rendering. Right now it's got the character design stuff up there. I'll be adding more stuff daily. I also have links there directly to the Hash Website and to AmXchange.com. ;-) Please drop by frequently and post your questions and comments. It's a big plug for Hash and it's really cool exposure for this short film in the making. Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

Very cool. Can you try lighting it with a skylight rig or with skycast? That type of lighting may really push the photographic qualities of the render. Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

You've capture the hair styles flawlessly! I've seen them in concert. They packed the stadium that was used for the Superbowl in San Diego. Best rock concert I've ever been to. Not sure I'm feeling the skin tones. Might want to try to get a little more detail into the faces as well. The texture maps don't look finished, however I recognized them immediately which is key. Great job! Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

Hopefully this is ok. If not then let me know and I will take it off the web...here goes.. Here is a before and after image of one still from the Far Star Teaser 2. This is the kind of look that can be achieved by doing some post effects work such as color correction, and other things. This is a quickie, but with a little time it could be done cleanly and you could even have that metal suit looking realistic (if that's what you want). Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

Get Your Toon Made in Klasky Csupo’s Cooltoons Lab November 10, 2004 Klasky Csupo Cooltoons Lab World Wide Web January 31, 2004 Deadline: November 30, 2004 Klasky Csupo is conducting its Cooltoons Lab, looking for scripts and/or storyboards with dialogue to animate a seven-minute pilot episode of an original show. Should your project be chosen, the studio will produce and record it. You will be credited as a creator, with the possibility of being engaged on a potential series based on the pilot. For more information, entry submission form and animation storyboard, visit www.cooltoons.com/lab. ...found this on AWN.com. Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

Hi Jack, from the top compositing program down it would be Shake, Combustion, Adobe After Affects, or Adobe Photoshop. If I have some time I can show you what one frame of that would look like after being 'sweetened' in 'post'. Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

It does have a very Space Oddessy 2001 feel to it. The majority of children's shows are character driven. Most of them are cartoons (2D). The ones that are 3D are cartoon stylized 3D. This definitely has the feel of a more serious body of work. It just needs some post effects work done for color correction and it would look even more polished, dramatically so (without doing any more 3D rendering). From what I've seen I'm intrigued. You guys have done a fabulous job! Are there any more character shots or character animation stuff that you can show? Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

Congratulations Zach! That's rockin'. Way to go! Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

That's looking Sweeeet Jack! Just watched your teaser trailor. With some minor composit rendering that metal could look real. That was very cool. I agree that you need to put it out there for others to see and where you can also get more feedback on it. Another thing you may want to consider is that right now you have one animation property. It's a good idea to have five or six small properties that could be turned into either episodes, minis, or a feature. So when you go into that pitch session if they are not warming up to one property you might have another property that fits what they are looking for. Also, your team could be doing television commericals and other advertising projects to bring in some cash. A specific Hash animation that turned into a viable television property was Petey and Jaydee from Momentum Animations. They make a great case study for doing it successfully. With the team you have you can definitely make it happen. Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

If you haven't found one already you should have Cartsen do your matte paintings. His style seems to be perfect for it! Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

Nice Flog, please keep me posted. I love the anime style. Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

You guys do GREAT work! You are a HUGE inspiration! Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

I'm on the bandwagon as for as the animation suggestions go. I really love the character design! That monkey is soo loveable! Splendid job with that! I have two little kids also. Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

Very clean model. Nice fake with the flat image of the bumps on the hump of the controller. The complex buttons are also very nicely modelled. Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

Eric, this is really cool for your first shot at it ever! Keep it comming. You've gotten further along than a lot of others have. I like the character and I think your timming is perfect. Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

The Master/ Apprentice relationship does not have to be one sided. And in a great relationship both the Master and the Apprentice learn quite a bit from eachother. If either wants to end the relationship for whatever reason/s then either should gracefully bow out. I'm a modeler, character setup guy, animator, writer, sound guy, voice actor, actor....ect. on my projects at home. I also have a full time job where I work more than 12 hours a day. I was working 7 days a week up until recently (for a year). That's how dedicated to learning from the professionals I work with. I have not finished college, but many of my colleagues have. I needed to prove myself. I actully started off in the test dept. Imagine how painful that was and I took a huge pay cut to work there. I managed to move up in a year, but it was really hard work. Now, that said I would love to help someone else work on or finish a project. Of course I'm going to insist that the quality is very high. Also, I have this short film that I would like to get finished myself. Maybe you've seen my site for it My Webpage The soundtrack is recorded, the characters are built and rigged, the script is ready, the animation has begun. What you'd get from me is all of my files working on this project and any assistance I can give you to help you be successful. A professional sound artist helped me with the soundtrack. So I guess I'm throwing my hat in the ring. I need 2 or 3 good animators. If you're interested please send me a link to a sample of your work animating a character. I will also be animating. Of course you will be in the credits with the title of Animator. This is a personal project that has professional standards. There is no monetary compensation. Your pay will be a finished short film to your credit. I would like to complete this project in 4 to 5 months or less. I have an 8 cpu renderfarm. Please contact me offline (frank_silas@netzero.net) Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

Sheeesh guys you're making me blush... I would be honored. I agree with Alonso though. There needs to be a clear understanding from both sides on what being a mentor and being an apprentice entails. I've enlisted the help of others in personal projects as well as in professional projects. Sometimes times it works out and sometimes it does not. It is clearly like any other human interaction in that respect. To a large degree this type of learning happens from time to time when you get involved in projects with other people online. I even had an intern once who was supposed to begin working for my company when I was independant. I actually had to fire him right before he started work. The reverse side of that token is that when I started a personal project to create my own video game a lot of great people got involved. In that case a competant programmer is a required member of the team and we kept losing ours to 'real jobs'. I think that many of the people involved with that project are now working in the industry. So, these things can truly benefit all involved even if the project never sees the light of day. People don't really like to talk about that, but some movies never get made in Hollywood and a lot of video games get started but never get published in the video game industry. That is just a fact of life. The key thing is to make sure it is a learning experience for you. If you can take what you've learned into your next project you greatly improve your chances of success and the chances for that project's success. Now I make video games for a living at Rockstar Games as a 3D Artist. Right now though at home I'm fighting to finish a short film that I can be proud of. I believe in mentorship. I get it everyday when I go to work from everyone I work with. We are all constantly mentoring eachother. Since we site side by side it is a hands on mentor/apprentice relationship. Working on projects with people online gets you closer to that type of learning. However it is long distance and you need to be very self disciplined. It does work for many people and it is going on all around this forum and others. If no one organizes something official, don't wait around...take the initiative and get involved in something yourself with people who's skills you admire. Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

This is a great idea. In skilled professions this is how you improve your skills and advance to better opportunities. It also helps you build professional relationships with others who are at the top of their craft. I'm interested. Who's in charge of organizing this effort? I can mentor and or be an apprentice. Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

Hi there, Frank Silas here. The AMLA is an open group where anyone and everyone is invited. We have not held a meeting in almost a year now. That is really my fault and I apologize to everyone for that. I've been working at Rockstar Games making video games and I have not been able to get away much. I need to find someone to help shoulder writting lectures and tutorials for the group as well as holding the meetings when I can not make it. Usually I bring my own computer to the meetings and that is what we use. Also, I'm looking into getting a projector so we can set up shop anywhere. So the lack of activity in AMLA is no one's fault but my own. I will be working with the other cofounders of the group to schedule our next meeting. This is no small task, and we have always done it free of charge as well as provided free food and drinks. For me it's over 100 miles from my house to the meeting locations in Los Angeles. For some of the AMLAers it is much further than that. So it's a logistical battle as well. We will meet again and it will be awesome as always. As far as taking advantage of Siggraph goes I'm sure those of us who can make will be there. We've never had an official pressence there. I had to apologize to Ken because I was not able to demo at the booth again this year. I don't know at this point if I will actually make it to Siggraph either. I work 12 hour days on the weekdays and 5 to 8 hour days on the weekends. I also recently had surgery. So life my dear friends takes precedence over much else these days. Being close to LA has it's advantages all year round. There are many events where you can meet and talk with some of the legends of Animation and Filmmaking. It's a busy city. Siggraph specifically is really good if you have a demo reel then you can go on career day and get interviews with all the major film effects studios from ILM, ESC, Dreamworks, and on to the Animation Houses such as Pixar and PDI, ect. Siggraph is designed with the animators and 3d artsists in mind. It is also a great place to catch up with industry friends, becuase it really is a small industry. So a lot of networking goes on there too. A lot of people just go for the free t-shirts and stuff, but many other have a plan when they go and often begin and or continue lucrative careers in the industry through the networking and job interviews that go on there. You also get to see some of the best short animations from all over the world as well as the technological advances that help drive the industry. So in a nutshell AMLA is alive and well, we just take looooooong breaks. We've been going on and off for nearly two years now. Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com

You guys at Soulcage really rock! I really appreciate your honesty and candor. As always your animation rocks!!! You are inspiring. Frank Silas http://www.franksilas.com