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Doing something crazy


mouseman

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I decided to pony up and go to an animation seminar put on by Animation Mentor for November 3 + 4 in Vancouver, BC. The seminar cost is non-trivial. The airfare is high. And the hotel is non-trivial. But the deed is done, and my credit card is smoking in my wallet to the tune of probably CAD $1200 (well, hotel won't be charged until I check out).

 

I'll let you all know how it goes. Shawn Kelly (one of the Animation Mentor founders) is teaching. It will be neat to meet other attendees, and whatever staff Animation Mentor sends along.

 

The topics I am most interested in are:

  • Planning and Blocking a Shot
  • Dialogue & Lip Sync
  • Eyes & Blinks
  • Demo Reel Guidelines

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It looks to be an informative seminar.

 

A few recommendations that you already know but in the thick of things may forget to do:

- Take lots of notes (write down a few things that you think you will encounter and then later compare notes with what you experience)

- Talk to a lot of people (get their names and blogs/websites/affiliations)

 

And have fun! :)

 

A few years ago I went to a week long seminar by Don Bluth and airfare was a real killer.

I don't regret going but I sure do wish it had been cheaper to attend.

According to my wife we still haven't recovered financially. ;)

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Thanks, everyone. I'm sure a lot of these things depend on what you put into it. I'm expecting a lot of what I hear will already be familiar thanks to my experiences on the forum and in other places. But there are places I know I'm quite weak (esp. facial animation) that I hope will help. Plus who knows who I will meet.

 

A few recommendations that you already know but in the thick of things may forget to do:

- Take lots of notes (write down a few things that you think you will encounter and then later compare notes with what you experience)

- Talk to a lot of people (get their names and blogs/websites/affiliations)

 

Yes, and yes! I'm wondering if I should take a laptop, or do the old fashioned notes in a bound notebook.

 

A few years ago I went to a week long seminar by Don Bluth and airfare was a real killer.

I don't regret going but I sure do wish it had been cheaper to attend.

No one part of the trip is going to be really expensive, but all together it will be. Seminar $500. Airfare $440. Hotel $330 + taxes. Meals and transportation. Redoing the math, it looks more like $1350. I'm at a hotel that is supposed to be a 40 minute walk away from the Improv Centre. I plan on walking to and from the seminar, except perhaps for the after-seminar hang-out mixer thing on Saturday night where I might take a cab.

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Yes, and yes! I'm wondering if I should take a laptop, or do the old fashioned notes in a bound notebook.

 

Well, the rules of engagement say no recording... but pencil and paper are always in style.

I would guess that most people will have their laptops available but just won't have them on at the seminar.

 

I'm at a hotel that is supposed to be a 40 minute walk away from the Improv Centre.

 

See if they don't have a bus or shuttle. Unless you really like walking that much.

If it was me I'd get lost during the walk and miss most of the seminar... (I did something similar at SIGGRAPH and I showed up late to my demo. The Hash team forgave me though)

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That's disappointing. I hope they have a great reason.
Not that they were excited to share. The most likely reasons I could think of are:
  • Not enough registrations.
  • Scheduling conflict with either the presenter or the venue.

 

Why, when I was a boy we'd give the concert even if there was only one person in the audience and our director told us "if you don't make it to a concert you better have blood pouring out of every orifice of your body."

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