Hello.
Well, we are back from Paris and our trip was amazing. Of course Paris is ALWAYS amazing- the sites, the galleries, the culture and the food (Sorry, Americans never forget their stomaches!).
Just a recap, I am teaching in Lacoste, France at SCAD's campus for this Fall term. I am truly blessed with seven of the most dedicated animation students on earth. They have kept their focus on their work and their classes. These students are possessed (in a good way) about animation and drawing and about ...life in general.
They only have to take two classes - and all seven students show up for all three classes I teach. The classes are Layout and Character Design, Animated Expeditons (on location concept drawing and research for films), and Drawing in Motion (my version of the Action Analysis class Ward Kimball taught me at Art Center).
While in Paris we visitd the school at Goeblins (which just happened to be highlighted by a recent AWN article). Eric Riewer, the school's head, was gracious enough to speak to us for three hours and show us some student work and give us a tour of the school.
The work the students at Goeblins are producing is some of the best of any school I have seen...there is none better. The key to their success - drawing! They require a better artist going in and then spend the time developing them as artists and animators and then layer the 3D packages over top...
Their work- 2D and 3D is amazing! The price for all three years combined is the same as the price of three classes at one of the "better" schools.
Check out "le building" in google and you will see what I mean!!
Thanks.
Larry
web site
http://tooninst[URL=http://tooninstitute.awn.com]itute.awn.com
[/URL]blog:
[U]http://www.awm.com/blogs/always-animated
[/U] email:
larry.lauria@gmail.com
Welcome back!
Here you go....Le Building and the Goeblin's site...
I am not indorsing their program- just sharing their work....
http://www.abdel-inn.com/histoire.php?id=1163
http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_350.html
Believe it or not the pizza guy is CG!!!!
Thanks.
Larry
web site
http://tooninst[URL=http://tooninstitute.awn.com]itute.awn.com
[/URL]blog:
[U]http://www.awm.com/blogs/always-animated
[/U] email:
larry.lauria@gmail.com
whoa.... *drools*. I'm not really sure but is the animation were fully 2d? Because on some scenes the pictures suddenly have another dimension to it. Is it just me or do you guys feel it too? Or maybe it's some really complex lighting technique which create such impression..
this a one man work or was it a group project (can't read french so can't really understand the credit, if there is any)?
"If life deals you a bad hand... cheat."
The shortfilm is BRILLIANT! It has Triplets of Belville written all over it! I love it , I absolutely love it!
I want it on DVD. seriously.
I'm pretty sure it was a group project. And I know for sure that the portion of the film with the guy riding the bike is done in 3d, with a toon shader it seems.... You can watch a making-of clip here: http://www.staphylas.com/lebuilding/movie/making_of_Le%20Building_PAL_web.mov It's really interesting.... WONDERFUL rigs..... so stretchy and squashy!
I'm so jealous that your students got to visit that studio, larry!!! in fact, i'm jealous of your students for the entire quarter. haha.
Hello.
I have to say- I am the one who is totally grateful for these students. They have been engaged and directed (mostly self-directed).
We go on sketching trips thru the hillside villages of Provence and when we arrive somewhere - they scatter all over the town. We have been to Menerabes, Lourmarin, Goult, Gordes, Rousillon. Isle Sur la Sorgue, Fountaine de Vaucluse, Apt, Saigon, Cavaillon, Boneaux (where Russel Crowe is shooting a movie directed by Ridley Scott) and so on. They don't goof off and they are all business. I would love to bottle them for EVERY term.
They really amaze me!
I bring my sketchbook and my pens and we just have a ball together!
And...we haven't had any problems from the animation kids- they work on their stuff all hours of the day and night...
The other day, they stripped their beds and went into the vineyards to take toga pictures- they're hilarious!!!
In Paris, we went to the Louvre, the Rodin Museum, the Musee de Army, Goeblins and the Hotel Des Invalides...Our goals was to take in just enough to sample the art, the culture and the lifestyle.
Four weeks to go...plenty fo adventures ahead....
Thanks.
Larry
web site
http://tooninst[URL=http://tooninstitute.awn.com]itute.awn.com
[/URL]blog:
[U]http://www.awm.com/blogs/always-animated
[/U] email:
larry.lauria@gmail.com
I am sure that drawing is the key to success in this matter. I also love to draw. I am always interested in reading your news. Increasingly, we are asked to write essays, and I am very upset that we have little practice.