The music video Will and I made for Miles Kurosky’s “Dog in a Burning Building” is in competition this fall at the Ottawa International Animation Festival!
Yes!
Animation
first layout
Here’s the first possible layout for my new film. I plan to use this blog as a production diary. It might be a little confusing at times, because I don’t know what this film is going to be about yet. I’ll be working on layouts for possible shots over the next few days as I try out some different moods.
Though I’m not sure of the plot, I have a few goals figured out:
First off, I’d like to have a few different characters. Though I’m happy with Moonraker, I don’t think I need another lone character wandering around a desolate planet. I’d like to have more opportunity for character interactions and acting.
Every year I try to make some sort of independent project, and I hope to have this film ready for the Ottawa deadline next June. When I start to loose steam, I can always look at the Hubley’s filmography for motivation!
I’d also like to use this as an excuse to learn a few new techniques. Maybe some Maya, maybe I’ll get to fiddle with that rotoscoping feature in iStopMotion. Maybe more puppets. Maybe I’ll be dressing up my cat or pixelating people in costumes. We’ll see.
The Scene Outside the Bytowne Theater
For the last several years, I’ve sent an email to all my students at the end of the Spring semester explaining the easiest and cheapest ways to attend the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF). Every year, I comb through the email, update the prices and urls, and send it out. I thought this year it would be worth sharing online.
Hi, everybody!
I want to encourage you all to skip my class on the week of October 14-18. You should all be in Canada that week. That is the week of North America’s biggest animation festival, the Ottawa International Animation Festival. It is a blast. You will meet hundreds of animators. You will see hundreds of cartoons. I can trace almost every job I’ve ever had to someone I’ve met at Ottawa, it’s a huge thing for animators.
There’s a redeye Greyhound bus that leaves Port Authority late on Tuesday night and will get you to Ottawa for the start of the Festival on Wednesday. The round trip ticket is around $86 if you get your tickets three weeks in advance. The bus will probably be filled with students from Pratt, SVA, NYU and Parsons all heading up for the festival. The student pass, which will get you into all the screenings, senimars, and parties, costs $170 Canadian bucks this year. I’m in the process of checking if Mercy will buy a bunch of passes. I’ll get back to you all ASAP on that. Depending on what sort of hostel or hotel you crash in, the whole trip is going to cost around 400 bucks or so. Less if Mercy buys tickets. I know it’s a big chunk of money, but think of it as an investment in your education. That would be a good way to explain it to your parents if you ask them to buy you a festival pass.
Student passes are $170 Canadian this year.
Bus tickets are running about $86 round trip if they’re bought in advance.
Hotel rooms are about $125 a night, so split four ways for the four nights each student would spend around $125.Total cost would be about 390 per student not counting food.
Here’s a whole bunch of information on Ottawa:
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*****IMPORTANT******
GET YOUR PASSPORT NOW! If you are at home, make sure you bring your passport back to school with you. I remember being able to get into Canada with a driver’s license. Those days are gone. You will need your passport. You’re going to be driving up to the border, late at night, with a carload of arty-looking kids. Bring your passports. Do not attempt to bring anything questionable over the border.
If, by some strange coincidence, you happen to see another carload of friends in line in front of you, do not start honking and waving. They will pull you aside and search both cars. They will search very slowly. It will take forever. Trust me.How to get there:
You can carpool with friends. The drive up to Ottawa is about seven and a half hours, according to Mapquest. If you go with four or five friends in a car, it’s the cheapest way to get there. Bring books on tape. If you have a car and empty seats, email me. I will try to organize a carpool.
You can also fly to Ottawa. Last I checked, www.orbitz.com says that tickets are about 316 bucks or so. That’s the expensive way.
You can also take the bus. This is what most students do. Greyhound takes 12 hours and costs $86 round trip, if you buy your tickets three weeks in advance. You must get them early to get cheap tickets! You can take a bus that leaves New York at 9pm and gets to Ottawa at 9am the next day. Bond with your animation pals. Spend the money you save on excellent bacon and those candies that are shaped like maple leaves.
Where to stay:
The center of the festival is at the National Arts Center, or NAC. It’s at 53 Elgin Street. Here is a map: http://tinyurl.com/dyf96 . Try to stay as close as possible to this place. All other events are located within walking distance to this.
Try to stay close to the center of town. The festival happens all over town, but usually within walking distance of the Lord Elgin Hotel at 100 Elgin Street, which is too expensive for you. Doesn’t matter, you can still appear fancy by arranging to meet business contacts in their lobby. Shhhhhhh!
You have two options without sleeping in your car. You can spend about 25 bucks a night and stay at a hostel. They’re very cheap but kind of noisy and not too much privacy. You can also spend 75-125 for a single and 100-175 for a double and split it with three or four people. I would recommend this. It will cost the same – and you get clean towels and little soaps!
Look on www.orbitz.com or www.hotels.com or something like that. You can search by proximity to the festival.I’d recommend the Days Inn Hotel on Rideau – It’s right next door to one of the main theaters of the festival. $101 bucks for a double room! ($116 Canadian Dollars.)
Here are two hostels:
This one is 25 Canadian bucks a night. five minute walk to the festival center.Another hostel. 36 Canadian bucks a night, located in an old jail. Very close to the festival. Many animation students will be there.
IMPORTANT! If four or five of you are splitting a single room, don’t all show up at the hotel desk at the same time! Not smart! They won’t give you the key! One of you should pick up the key, then the others can go up to the room later. I had some students do it the non-smart way last year and they found themselves scrambling for a hotel room at the last minute.
EMAIL ME if you have any questions.
-Fran
UPDATE: Jerrett Zaroski from the OIAF provided the following tip for cheap hotels:
Also, if you're not against editing blog posts and don't mind suggestions, you might want to include a direct link specifically to our Hotels page (http://www.animationfestival.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=131&Itemid=739&limit=1&limitstart=1), Not many people know this, but a lot of the hotels are a lot cheaper if guests mention that they're attending our Festival up front (some sort of "event discount").
40th Aniversary ASIFA Award, designed by Will Krause
Last night was the 40th Annual ASIFA-East Animation Festival. This is the biggest animation night of the year for the New York animation community, and I’m happy to say that I was called up to the podium a couple times.
Left to right: Fran Krause, Will Krause, Dave Levy
My Signal Film for Rooftop Films was awarded First Place in the category for “Sponsored Films Under Two Minutes.” Now, this was just barely eligible for the category, but it did have a small budget and I thought I’d give it a go. I’m glad I did!
Will and I also took home an “Excellence in Animation” award for the video we made for Miles Kurosky’s “Dog In A Burning Building.” Sorry folks, it’s still top secret as the album won’t be out til the fall! Do puppets count as animation? Unfortunately, the print that played last night was an earlier render, it didn’t have the final fifty-hour 2000-layer final shot with fog, and a few shots were flaky, but Will and I were probably the only ones who noticed.
As always, the food and drinks after the show were a total mob scene, as animators tried to make up for a year of antisocial tendencies while eating a sandwiches at the same time. It was great to see everyone at the show. I’ll be sure to have something for next year. Thanks, ASIFA!
I interview Will. Photo by Emmett Goodman.
Cartoon Brew
Amid Amidi over at Cartoon Brew just posted an interview with Will and me about Upstate Four and the trials of pitching to a network. Worth a read if you’re wondering what we’ve been up to.
I’ve been trying to figure out how to make a 3D fog effect in After Effects for a while. Here’s one way to do it. WARNING! It’s a bear. It will slow down your renders quite a bit, and it’s probably most useful as a “final pass” effect.
Right click to Download the After Effects CS3 example file here.
Here’s how it works:
There are 256 duplicate “Fog Layer” compositions each containing a semitransparent solid, spaced slightly apart from one another on the Z axis, like a stack of cards.
There is a “Fog Null” in the same position as the frontmost of the 256 compositions, with all 256 Fog Layer comps being parented to this null. That way, the scale on the Fog Null’s Z-axis can be used to control the depth of the fog. The Fog Null’s X and Y axis scale can be used to increase or decrease the size of the Fog Layers.
The Fog Null is parented to the camera, so that wherever the camera looks, the depth of the fog will be consistent from the location of the camera.
How to set it up:
I would recommend that you start your project with the example file, since it’s all set up. If you need to add the fog to your existing file, here’s how to do it:
Add the entire contents of the “Fog Comp” to your main comp. Copy the position, point of interest, and rotation keyframes from your current camera to the “Camera 1″ of the Fog Comp so that the two cameras share identical positions. You can then use the Fog Comp’s camera as your main camera, or you can parent the Fog Null to your camera and get rid of the camera from the Fog Comp.
If you don’t need 256 levels of variation in your fog, you can delete some of the Fog Layers. If you only need 16 layers of fog, delete layers 17-256. Deleting these layers will speed your rendering time greatly. I would strongly recommend this. 256 layers of detail in your fog is probably overkill for most purposes.
You will then need to set the depth of the fog. Go into the Fog Layer comp and increase the opacity of the solid inside to 100%. Next, temporarily hide all but the furthest Fog Layer.You can then adjust the scale on the Fog Null’s Z-axis to set the farthest point of your fog.
Next, make sure the Fog Layers are big enough to fill your image with fog. Use the X and Y scale on the Fog Null to make sure that the edges of the furthest Fog Layer won’t show up in your image.
You can then un-hide your other fog layers. Don’t forget to turn the opacity back down on the solid inside your Fog Layer comp, or all your Fog Layers will be opaque and you won’t be able to see a thing.
By going into the Fog Layer comp, you can increase or decrease the transparency of the solid it contains. This will alter the thickness of the fog. You can also adjust the color of the solid with Effect->Color Correction->Hue/Saturation to give the fog a color. You can also add any image or movie into this comp, and it will become the image used to create the fog.
Make a Z-depth channel of your 3D After Effects project
You can use this technique to make a Z-depth channel for your 3D layers.
First, make all your 3D layers white. Use Effect->Color Correction->Hue/Saturation and set the “Master Lightness” to “100″ for each layer.
Next, adjust the opacity of your fog so that the furthest point appears totally black. To do this, go into the Fog Layer comp, and use Effect->Color Correction->Hue/Saturation to make the solid black. Then carefully increase the opacity of the solid until the furthest point in your image is totally black.
You should now have a greyscale image representing the depth of your comp.
z-depth
Let me know how it goes!
I made this in order to help visualize the different frame durations for the frame rates that are commonly used when animating.
Each light blinks as if animated on a different frame rate. Therefore, the 24fps light is blinking twelve times a second. It has twelve “on” frames and twelve “off” frames every second. Each drawing anmated at that rate will be visible for the same ammount of time as a single blink of the light. The fps counter on the left shows the current playback rate. If it’s running around 30fps, it should be pretty accurate.
Last week I was biking around Crown Heights and saw a box of books on the side of the road. One turned out to be all about digital compositing, called “The Art and Science of Digital Compositing” by Ron Brinkman. It explains how digital compositing works from a technical viewpoint instead of an artistic standpoint and it’s been a really interesting read so far.
Here’s a quick description of how your computer combines a foreground and background image together. First off, you start with two images. A foreground image (in this case, a puppet) and a background image (in this case, the great pyramids).
puppet
pyramids
Images stored on a computer are broken up into three different images (called “channels”) that each represent a single color – usually red, green, and blue. This is often abbreviated as “RGB”.
Red, green and blue channels of the puppet image
Now, if you just plop the puppet image on top of the pyramid image, you’ll end up with a picture that only shows the puppet. Part of the puppet image needs to be transparent so the pyramids can show through. In order to do this, a matte channel needs to be created. A matte channel (sometimes called an alpha channel) is a greyscale image in which the opaque areas are shown as white and the transparent areas are shown as black. Matte images can be painted by hand or created inside the computer. In this case, the puppet was photographed against a red background so the background could easily be isolated and used to create a matte. As you can see in the color channel images above, the red background exists mainly on the red channel, while the puppet exists mainly on the blue and green channels.
puppet matte
The puppet image is now made up of four one-color channels of information; red color, green color, blue color, and a matte. Each pixel of each image ranges from dark to light. Usually these pixels are stored in the computer as a number ranging from 0-255, depending on the quality of the image. To simplify, some math is used to get the numbers to all range between 0-1. For instance, if the numbers start off ranging from 0-255, each pixel is multiplied by (1/255). Black pixels would end up 0, midtones would be .5, and so on.
Each pixel in the puppet’s color channels are then multiplied by it’s matte. In places where the matte is white, the image will be unchanged (original color x 1 = original color) while areas where the matte is black will make the puppet image black (original color x 0 = 0)
puppet
X
puppet matte
=
puppet multiplied by its matte
Next, the background needs to get a hole punched in it where we can put the puppet. The puppet’s matte is first inverted by a bit of math (1 – matte) so 0=1 and 1=0.
inverted mask
Then the background and inverted mask are combined in the same way the puppet was multiplied by its mask.
pyramids
X
inverted mask
=
pyramids multiplied by inverted puppet mask
Now we’re finally ready to put the puppet on the pyramid background. The numbers in the three color channels for the puppet are now added to the numbers in the color channels for the pyramid. Since the puppet ends up on the black area, puppet+0=puppet, and the puppet looks normal. Since the transparent area for the puppet is black, adding it to the background also has no effect.
puppet multiplied by its matte
+
pyramids multiplied by inverted puppet mask
=
puppet visits the pyramids!
There you have it. This is the process used to combine most foreground and background digital images, whether they be cars flying through explosions in Hollywood blockbusters or the arrow cursor on your desktop.
Market House, Rhode Island School of Design
Last wednesday I was out in Rhode Island to give a lecture at the Rhode Island School of Design. My alma mater. In the spring of 1999 I was on the 3rd floor of Market House about 20 hours a day painting cels for Mister Smile. I still have really fond memories of that place.
I was invited by Bryan Papciak to speak to the senior animation production class about working in the industry and pitching animated projects, and here’s my thoughts;
On Animation Production
The biggest difference between commercial animation and independent animation is that independent is more about the process, while commercial is about the result. The independent animator in me thinks Yuri Norstein is the best animator in the world, while the commercial animator in me is sickened by his 30-year production schedules. When Will and I made our first commercial film, Utica Cartoon, we had the bright idea to make it on hand-painted cels. We thought, rightly, that it was our last chance to make a cel film on 35mm. Aesthetically, we liked the feel of cels over Flash. We were thinking like independent animators. We could have made a better-looking film, without 15 re-shoots, if we had used Flash. If we had paid attention in production and compositing, our audience would not have known the difference. In the end, it was a decision that made the film more difficult to make without making it look better as a result. You were right, Mike Overbeck. You were right.
On Getting a Job and Working In The Industry
Make cartoons. Make a whole lot of cartoons. You might have to make them for free. This serves many purposes. It keeps your skills sharp while it teaches you new skills. It establishes your style. It feeds your reel. It gives you something to send to the festivals. It also makes you an Animator. Seriously, that’s all it takes. If you make animation, you are an animator. Of course, the standards are significantly higher to be a good animator, but in crappy economic times, a sense of purpose is important.
Don’t use the “hard sell.” Don’t be “in-your-face.” Don’t be in anyone’s face. Nobody likes that. If you’re speaking to someone who has the ability to hire you, and they know you’re freelancing or looking for work, and they’ve seen your work, and they’re not hiring you, it’s because they promised the job to someone else / don’t think you’re a good fit for the project / haven’t started hiring yet. If you ask for the job, you’re just putting them in an uncomfortable position. The best thing to do is give them your reel (see above!) and let them know you’re looking for new projects. Let them know you’d like to work with them in the future.
When looking for work, keep in mind that time passes at a different rate for you than it does for anyone with a job and a regular schedule. You might think it’s been six weeks since you sent a reel, but it’s really been six hours. Don’t call five times to see if they’ve had a chance to see your reel. Just make it the best reel you can, and put your phone number and email clearly on the DVD and case.
Make the kind of call they look forward to. No one likes getting a call or an email from someone who only has one thing to say: can I have a job? However, everybody likes watching cartoons. Instead of mass-emailing and cold-calling a bunch of studios, email a link to one of your new cartoons. Send a link you your blog.
Animation is, mostly, a friendly industry. Be nice. It would be hard to find a job even if you were the most talented jerk in the world. Showing your cartoons, writing your blogs, and going to animation events will allow you to meet and become friends with others in the industry.
Connections take a while to pay off. Some of the jobs I’ve found are because of nice folks I’ve met several years ago. In the meantime, make a cartoon or go to a festival, and bring your friends along.
When you find work, show up on time. Don’t show up an hour early and make the producer, who wasn’t expecting you for an hour, find something for you to do. Don’t show up ten minutes late and look like a slacker. Get there about five or ten minutes early.
Don’t use the internet for the first few weeks at a new job. Not at all. You will seem focused and super-productive compared to everyone who is stuck on Facebook.
When the director gives you notes or revisions on your work, whip out a notebook and write it all down. Directors love that. It gives you a checklist so you can be sure you’ve covered everything, and it also lets them know that you’re paying attention.
If you’re asked to change something, don’t take it personally. It’s your animation, but it’s not your project. That’s what your independent stuff is for.
If it’s all right with the producer and director, get a copy of the finished project to put on your reel. As an animator, you’ll want to save everything you do. Just make sure you ask permission and give credit where credit is due.
On Pitching Animated Projects.
Know the person who’s getting the pitch. Do some research on the network. Don’t pitch a fuzzy bunny show to Spike, unless the bunnies are exploding. Don’t make it sound like you’re pitching your idea to every network in the world in an attempt to make them jealous or make yourself seem worldly. Pitch them something that’s tailored to their needs.
Remember: You want to make a cartoon. They want to make money. I don’t mean to make it sound like a horrible, mercenary business, but the best cartoon in the world won’t get made if it’s not something people want to watch. Also, there is plenty of overlap. You want to make money. They want a cartoon in order to make money. Just keep this in mind as you get feedback. As an independent animator, you’re probably used to working very instinctually. When pitching, you need to think with someone else’s instincts. “What would a twelve-year-old boy think of this?”, you will find yourself asking.
Keep in mind that you are communicating something inside your head to a bunch of people who are not inside your head. You will need to communicate your ideas in clear, creative, interesting ways. You can’t just say, “It’ll be great – trust me.” This is particularly true if your idea is weird. Think about animating a short sample. Include lots of beautiful and interesting images. People will often misinterpret “Leave them wanting more” with “Don’t show them too much stuff.”
Work in a studio. A series is a huge undertaking, and having familiarity with the inner-workings of a production studio can help in your understanding and level of comfort in pitching a project. It will help you build the connections you need to be trusted with the responsibility.
You might need help. Maybe you need to work with a writer. Maybe a studio can back you up as a possible site of production. A series will often cost millions of dollars, and you need to demonstrate that you are ready for the task or that you have a team of people that can help put the show together.
Now I’m going to go work on a cartoon.
This thing is fun. It’s annoying that I can’t precisely control things, but I like being surprised by the accidents.