General

@Tainysi: It's very true, I've told Wintermelon before, but around 15 years ago a commercial would take 3 weeks to complete with a team of 8, nowadays the demand is to have the entire commercial done in a week with two people. Many clients take animation as something for granted because "the computer does all the work doesn't it" and it's hard to explain to people that animation takes time and effort to make it good.

The industry these days do a lot of shortcuts to fulfill these demands, but still there's a lot of tight deadlines and animators unfortunately don't get to sleep a lot.

I'd go on about how the industry is getting globalized because of outsourcing but haha, that's another story.

@Wintermelon: I had a few books but they didn't really help... I'm mostly focused on Maplemations for the time being, but thanks again for the reference.

[quote=CrystalHaven]@Wintermelon: haha awesome! I guess I can start by giving you book suggestions like Figure Drawing: Design and Invention, but you'll probably do a lot better doing things hands on and getting feed back right there. That being said, if you have any pieces that you can show me, that would be fantastic ^_^

The animation industry is pretty broad, it doesn't just stop at video games or movies/TV, there's web interactions and advertising as well. I think the current trend is things are slowly moving online, I could be wrong though. Speaking of which, have you seen Paperman?

(P.S if you want to step up a gear and animate special effects, you should check out [url=http://www.amazon.com/Elemental-Magic-Special-Effects-Animation/dp/0240811631/]Elemental Magic[/url])[/quote]

The hardest part about the animation industry is the time. Animation is very time consuming. Due to this and strict companies, I've read an article called "Animating Widows", where the husband or spouse is so busy with work (animation) that they have no time for the family. I fear this extremely to high extents. Especially movies/gaming companies, they have to meet a deadline and they call it Crunch Hours. It seems to stressful.

[quote=Wintermelon]@Kazno It is OVEREXAGGERATED though, and I would understand why people don't like that. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6TRlFYo0hE]A good example of exaggeration was used in this fight, which is probably one of my favorite fights of the series (but then again I don't really watch Naruto and haven't since 7th grade?) [/url]It really shows the inconsistency of Studio Pierrot's production though. Compare this fight to the animation of Naruto and Sasuke fighting on the rooftop of the hospital and you'll know what I mean

@PashySpirit Oh, it's very exciting to meet another person interested in animation! What made you choose animation, and do you have any advice for a high school student going into animation as a career?[/quote]

Ahh, I knew I wanted to help bring characters and stories to life, so I worked towards that goal. As for advice, I see that you have already gotten started on learning the basic principles of animation- very good. I highly suggest that you study from real life, but also practice gesture drawing (I recommend you take a look at Glenn Vilppu's works) so that you can tell a story with movement and poses themselves. What I see beginners do a lot is drawing stiff, lifeless figures- even if they are accurate to real life, they're boring to look at. Also, observe your surroudnings A LOT. Secretly record or take pictures of people for reference. References are artists' friends.

@Wintermelon: haha awesome! I guess I can start by giving you book suggestions like Figure Drawing: Design and Invention, but you'll probably do a lot better doing things hands on and getting feed back right there. That being said, if you have any pieces that you can show me, that would be fantastic ^_^

The animation industry is pretty broad, it doesn't just stop at video games or movies/TV, there's web interactions and advertising as well. I think the current trend is things are slowly moving online, I could be wrong though. Speaking of which, have you seen Paperman?

(P.S if you want to step up a gear and animate special effects, you should check out [url=http://www.amazon.com/Elemental-Magic-Special-Effects-Animation/dp/0240811631/]Elemental Magic[/url])

@CrystalHaven I would appreciate your help/suggestions very much!

It seems like there are quite a few people that want to animate for video games (@Tainysi @miyuki3371), and that strikes me as interesting since I haven't given it much thought.. I've always wanted to work in the film industry. @miyuki3371 it's a shame that you missed out on the opportunity because of that! The program seems very beneficial to me, since I feel like I'm late to the party in terms of practice/experience.

To @Deathnile and @Evilcookie33 who seem to be entirely (like myself) or mostly self-taught, you should check out [url=http://www.amazon.com/The-Animators-Survival-Richard-Williams/dp/0571202284]this book[/url]. It's pretty amazing o.o

Haha excellent! I'm not sure if that applies to the summer program, but I'm pretty sure for their "standard" program you need to have a solid portfolio or something. Probably life drawing, still life/environments, and personal works if I'm not mistaken. (I'd be more than happy to help you with suggestions if that's the case )

@CrystalHaven I'm very happy to see all these people as well! I don't really have the time to personally respond to all of you, even though I would like to...

[quote=CrystalHaven]For anyone wanting to study animation in California, I suggest Calarts.[/quote]
However, to respond to your suggestion here, I actually plan on going to CalArts to study animation! I applied to their [url=http://csssa.org/index.php/admissions/animation/]summer program[/url] as well.

Wow, it's really nice seeing all these people who are interested in animation (or are already studying animation).

I'm in my 4th year of my bachelor (mainly 2D) animation program. Currently, I don't mind doing anything as long as I can get a job (as long as it's not clean up... oh gawd clean up). To be honest, I'm very nervous at getting a job in the industry... But in the long run I hope I can be running/working in an independent studio with a few other close people or working on independent projects... but that's one gigantic dream.

If you are pursuing a career in animation, I'm suggesting you to develop a strong portfolio/demo reel and get some connections going. For anyone wanting to study animation in California, I suggest Calarts.

I put my piles of text here. I think I started to write an essay just because of this thread. o.o
Don't need to read it if you don't have time.
v [quote=Evilcookie33](Ah god, I feel like a newbie waltzing into here with a full page of biography..)
I actually wanna start animating too, it seems fun! Though I particularly don't have much experience with animating digitally, I know to work 3D models thanks to some high school lessons so far. I absolutely LOVED drawing ever since day one when I got anything I can scribble with.
[Incoming bit of life story coming through]
When I was in elementary, I was enrolled along with my older sister to a weekly Saturday drawing lesson which lasted the longest 2 hours of my life. When the hill started to actually focus on things like faces and hands, I dropped out since I got pissed every time the lesson intercepted with the new Pokemon and Ben10 episodes and that I actually wanted to do cartooning rather than 'real life trash'. Oh, I was such a brat by then, and I think I still am today.. (2008-2010)

So I have experience with drawing animals and some piles of still life on different angles. I'm still self teaching myself some tutorials so far and studying anatomy due to me ditching lessons by now.
----
So back in our time today, I guess I didn't really evolve overtime with my works. I supposed I can draw the things I want more quicker and really simple enough so people can see what the thing is about it. Most people that see my work always sees as my works as 'cute' and never creepy. Hell, I can show them creepy if I want, but they always say it isn't scary or creepy at all.. I think I ditched that checkpoint somewhere during 5th grade when I was engrossed with drawing only left side shots busts of serpent dragons. Ending elementary school; I started to draw Pokemon since it was my childhood. Lots of classmates got caught their attention to me and requested some things to see what it'll look like so I started to draw Pokemon per request and color them so I can cut them out and give it to them. They said they loved it and they'd keep it in their room.
Then afgasjgsfd- End. Too much here already. MOVING ON. [/quote]

HS Freshman here, so I feel like a kid just interrupting you guys..
I was always interested in animating ever since I was a little tater watching TV back to when I was 1-2 years old, Looney tunes on cable channel 32.
I was I guess formally trained and then self taught. Ex. I started to lean on cartoons as my backup and then used scribbles on notebooks to turn to full fledged margin art.
I plan on getting a major in art actually and I'd want to be a freelance artist.
Actually a year ago, I knew people drew frames by hand for animations, but I never really took it as a fact because of the smooth animations with no mistakes were being rolled out on TV shows. Researching around a lot, I finally believed it with amazement. I'd really like to be an animator, I even got some weeded out ideas in a notebook somewhere as a to do list to make in the future.. Kinda feel embarrassed but the brainstormed things still strikes me with lots of things I'd wanna do there in order to make it happen.

Currently just a tutorial junkie though. Hoarding up lots of useful things I would clearly use, so I can use it once I start. Trying to be a digital artist which would then evolve to gifs, movs, mp4s, and other things. Not much goes along as planned if you don't have the right equipment to start off digital.

Currently going to an Art and Design college in California. I'm not much of an animator, but I have tried their animation classes and it's a very time consuming focus.

@QuackOutLoud: If you dislike modelling the characters in 3d, I bet there are plenty of already rigged models out there that are ready for animation.

Hey hey!
I'm in 4th Semester Illustration right now and when I finish my Associates, I'm going to do Computer Animation for Bachelors.
My only experience in animation comes from some pre-req courses for my Computer animation degree in Flash, After Effects, (and Flipnote Hatena; a traditional animation app on my DSi that lets you animate frame by frame by drawing in it) and I've worked with 3DS Max but never animated in it. I like working 2D more than 3D because its so far away from drawing, it isn't really enjoyable and its a damn pain making models; about my future I have no idea where I'm going to work, but I hope to get in a company position so at least I'll have a stable job.

[quote=EonAngel]I just started my animation degree recently - 1st year. Though, I haven't really decided on a career path in terms of what I want to get out of the course/what I want to specialize in. Apparently you can illustrate children's books with an animation degree. However, I'm enthusiastic about practicing life drawing and learning the curves/angles of the body. I'm also quite fascinated in movement and elegance & how limbs bend and their angle according to the pose. So maybe character animation? At first I was just thinking of working for a company but freelance does sound interesting with the renowned animators I'm being informed about.

Just throwing something onto the table: watch The Cat Came Back (1988) and Yuri Norstein's animations. I was shown the first mentioned but still need to get around to watching Norstein's. I don't know many others because I don't have access to youtube and will need to rely on other means. However, that's just if you want to find out about some animators early on. Doing your own research will also be beneficial and will expose you to what work others have done. Then there are various art movements for inspiration... I also suggest drawing; a lot. Unfortunately, high school ate away at my life and I didn't really get to practice as much as I wanted to. [/quote]

I...I can't draw for my life OTL......

I haven't really been doing any animations other than Maplemations. I started making comics from Banned Story until last year I think was when I started seeing people animating Maple sprites. I decided to give it a try and it turned out really fun! I've been currently taking some animation class tutorials from a computer institute and so far I'm learning more about the different types of animating, but I mostly had to teach myself.

I just started my animation degree recently - 1st year. Though, I haven't really decided on a career path in terms of what I want to get out of the course/what I want to specialize in. Apparently you can illustrate children's books with an animation degree. However, I'm enthusiastic about practicing life drawing and learning the curves/angles of the body. I'm also quite fascinated in movement and elegance & how limbs bend and their angle according to the pose. So maybe character animation? At first I was just thinking of working for a company but freelance does sound interesting with the renowned animators I'm being informed about.

Just throwing something onto the table: watch The Cat Came Back (1988) and Yuri Norstein's animations. I was shown the first mentioned but still need to get around to watching Norstein's. I don't know many others because I don't have access to youtube and will need to rely on other means. However, that's just if you want to find out about some animators early on. Doing your own research will also be beneficial and will expose you to what work others have done. Then there are various art movements for inspiration... I also suggest drawing; a lot. Unfortunately, high school ate away at my life and I didn't really get to practice as much as I wanted to.

Not really going for an animator in particular, but trying to get into the gaming industry for graphic/animation/illustration(currently in college)

I've been drawing since i was a kid, but I never took any animation class in particular; kinda learned through watching random tv programs highlighting the process. I had a video but I derped and it's currently not on YouTube. I might add it later if I gather the motivation and time.

I almost went to CSSSA but unfortunately I had a med condition and couldn't go during high school, but I do know a couple people who have gone through the program a couple years ago.

[quote=LostMyJob]@tainysi calling calling 123[/quote]

Tainysi reporting in.
I do want to become an animator for video games, that would be nice. I'd love to take up 3D animating , but every college around me has no animating classes and I don't know what to do |:
I think my 2D animation skills are quite advanced, I however, could expand by learning after effects
I think I can sprite decently for models like Maplestory. Bigger ones like street fighter...I don't think so

@Kazno It is OVEREXAGGERATED though, and I would understand why people don't like that. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6TRlFYo0hE]A good example of exaggeration was used in this fight, which is probably one of my favorite fights of the series (but then again I don't really watch Naruto and haven't since 7th grade?) [/url]It really shows the inconsistency of Studio Pierrot's production though. Compare this fight to the animation of Naruto and Sasuke fighting on the rooftop of the hospital and you'll know what I mean

@PashySpirit Oh, it's very exciting to meet another person interested in animation! What made you choose animation, and do you have any advice for a high school student going into animation as a career?

Meee! I'm a 3rd year animation/illustration student. I plan on hopping into a company if possible (if not, I will freelance for a while until I can get myself into either a film or game company) while focusing on 3d animation. I know how to animate 2d and I can make 3d models and animate them (in Maya at least). I don't know how to rig yet though. If I don't end up animating, I hope to do storyboarding or perhaps work in doing visual development.

Also @ that clip.... Exaggeration is only good when done properly, which in this case I would say it's not.

[quote=Wintermelon]I love that style of extreme overexaggeration though, it really adds character to the animation.

My favorite Japanese director Masaaki Yuasa tends to do that in his works, and it plays out very well[/quote]

What the hell, no way >_>
Pain is my favourite character/s and they absolutely ruined him in those scenes, it looked SO bad, worst animation.

[quote=darkchaso69]I used to animate for naruto shippuden, but then they fired me because i couldnt keep Pain's model in line.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pQrBd0G6wg[/quote]

I love that style of extreme overexaggeration though, it really adds character to the animation.

My favorite Japanese director Masaaki Yuasa tends to do that in his works, and it plays out very well

I used to animate for naruto shippuden, but then they fired me because i couldnt keep Pain's model in line.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pQrBd0G6wg

@tainysi calling calling 123