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Be Your Own Animator

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Be Your Own Animator

I was talking to a veteran animator and teacher not long ago and he said that he tells his students that they days of graduating and walking into a solid job at a large studio are long over. He said artists today should prepare to "create their own work." Being an independent animator for 50, or so, years, I think he knows a lot about this subject.

Technology changes everything. It's not just the latest greatest hardware we have today, like the Wacom Cintiq, tablet PC or super fast computers, it is also the software. It's not about choosing a particular software either. That really depends on what you want to create, but there is most definitely something out there that will let you create, and probably let you create the way you want to as well.

I never met an artist who got into this business thinking, "I want to be an in between artist." or "I want to be an inker." Everyone I have spoken to, both students and those working, have their own ideas, and their own stories they hope to see come to life one day. The large studio, though, is like a machine, a well oiled machine that is likely perfect for what they do, but a machine none the less. The chances of that in between artist writing and directing their own projects are slim to none.

As I said before, though, technology changes everything. The tools exist today, right now, for an artist to simply start their project, start telling their story, and why wait? The experience gained alone would be more than worth the effort, and you will only get better, learn more and more and hone your craft with each effort. Today, you can have an idea and see something come to life right before our eyes, without waiting for long processes and different departments of a studio workflow. You can begin to bring your ideas to life right now. Why not try?

It took me a long time to understand the concept of making your own work. I was one of those guys that came fresh out of art school thinking I was just going to walk into an animation studio and have a career.

Now, I'm really into Ralph Bakshi's idea of creating your own work with the tools you have available to you instead of dedicating 20 years to a studio just to be given a chance to have a chance to maybe work on your own idea.

http://ben-reynolds.com
Animation and Design

It took me a long time to understand the concept of making your own work. I was one of those guys that came fresh out of art school thinking I was just going to walk into an animation studio and have a career.

Now, I'm really into Ralph Bakshi's idea of creating your own work with the tools you have available to you instead of dedicating 20 years to a studio just to be given a chance to have a chance to maybe work on your own idea.

acetate assassin creating your own work is a very great idea i know first one will face many problems but remember that a self made man is always confidence and can create wonders work hard and create your work . one day you will succeed

Good post Terence,

I think you are right, there is some great technology and software that is readily accessible now but I think there is a downside to it. It takes away the hunger and desire to make stuff because you feel that you can do it any time. Also there is so much variety of software that you get ambitious with plans that you'll never see through. Some of the best work in the past is made with constraints on equipment and ideas. I'm probably just talking about myself here but I thought I'd join in with the conversation.

Cheers,
Claire.

Visit my website:

Claire O'Brien.com

The most essential constraint is time, I've found. I look at my student film now and think "Wow, how did I ever do all that work?" :D It's amazing how much you can achieve with a teacher/producer/whip-cracker breathing down your neck....and how much time you can spend perfecting that one....last....line.... (that zips by in 1/12th of a second if you work on twos) if you don't have a deadline to meet.

I'm sure all animators have ideas for their own films, whether just a squiggle in a sketchbook or a whole stack of concept paintings. I don't think technology is so much of an issue anymore, but money usually is. Not the cost of making the film itself, but the funds required to keep said animator/director fed, clothed and sheltered while making the film. Government funding is nice if you can get it, but by the time you've paid your producer, composer, sound guys, and assistant animators, you're in the red. I don't have any answers for this one yet.... either we have day jobs in animation, or outside of animation. [or are independently, filthily rich]

Good post Terence,

I think you are right, there is some great technology and software that is readily accessible now but I think there is a downside to it. It takes away the hunger and desire to make stuff because you feel that you can do it any time. Also there is so much variety of software that you get ambitious with plans that you'll never see through. Some of the best work in the past is made with constraints on equipment and ideas. I'm probably just talking about myself here but I thought I'd join in with the conversation.

Cheers,
Claire.

Far from talking to yourself, there is something to be said about having that drive. Usually the hunger and desire to make something manifests itself as a drive that makes it so that you can't stop yourself from working on your dream project. The whole feeling that "you can do it anytime" can be reserved for going to work out at the gym.

excellence threads

doing 10yrs of work, some called "dream job" does't feed my hunger on create my own animation.. i've been living off the grid, planing out spend 2 yrs of my time to create my own animation feature film. dream big or go home :D

doing 10yrs of work, some called "dream job" does't feed my hunger on create my own animation.. i've been living off the grid, planing out spend 2 yrs of my time to create my own animation feature film. dream big or go home :D

I really like your thinking! I am hoping to spend even three years on my next major animation project. I have been traveling around quite a bit, and found there are places in the world where you can live well for next to nothing money wise. If you got a dream, and really want to do it, the ways to do so will find you!

I think it's a no brainer that there are tremendous opportunities for individual creators to make their own movies now. The nagging question to me is how the heck do you monetize the fruits of your labors? Animation is very time-consuming, and it's difficult to find the time to create anything worthwhile without an adequate flow of the green stuff...which seems in increasingly short supply from an audience that expects to be entertained for free.

I've had modest success peddling DVD's of my work, but it hardly justified the time spent, and the day of the disk seems to be waning fast. Apps on a smart phone are an underwhelming and overcomplicated venue, and Youtube seems to reward people hitting themselves in the crotch more than it does truly original efforts at making art.

So where do we go?

I think it's a no brainer that there are tremendous opportunities for individual creators to make their own movies now. The nagging question to me is how the heck do you monetize the fruits of your labors? Animation is very time-consuming, and it's difficult to find the time to create anything worthwhile without an adequate flow of the green stuff...which seems in increasingly short supply from an audience that expects to be entertained for free.

I've had modest success peddling DVD's of my work, but it hardly justified the time spent, and the day of the disk seems to be waning fast. Apps on a smart phone are an underwhelming and overcomplicated venue, and Youtube seems to reward people hitting themselves in the crotch more than it does truly original efforts at making art.

So where do we go?

My opinion is to do 1 minute shorts, capitalizing on economy in animation, but richness in ideas or comedy. Do a series of those, and see if they bank money--if they do run them while making something longer, to build up the audience and anticipation. Its psychology and numbers--get people keen to see your stuff, build up the numbers of people eager to see your stuff and then you become a commodity worth investing in. Stretch out the feed a bit to get new shorts to them while you work on longer, more elaborate ideas, until a point of critical mass hits. Someone getting a certain level of exposure will attract investors or sponsors, and even if there's not a pay-to-view scheme going on, the sponsors can often be willing to pay up just to get their name attached to something that works. Gain 20 ad sponsors paying $5000 a year each and you have yourself $100K just on sponsorships alone. Add in a small amount of ancillary marketing, like T-shirts or mugs and you can stream in another $25K.
True, I'm pulling numbers out of my ass, that may or may not have any basis in reality, but the principle can be expected to be sound.
If you can reach that point, if investors come along, you get a small crew to do what you were doing--while you control the ideas, and have then keep producing the spots. Then you go to work expanding what you have to a series, or a feature, depending on how you want to roll. It builds from there on.

The direction one takes is entirely up to them......one person's vibe might be through audacity, another's might be through something gentle, lyrical, but done in a what that few have seen before.

The obvious key to all this is exposure.......the work one does ain't going to work for you unless you get it out for people to see. Making it good enough in the time you have is usually enough to get people to wait for what you produce--but the more you put into it, the more likely you are to hook people. It can literally be the crude expression of throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks.

One just has to try.

"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)

The Stringini Bros brand of cartoons

Been an animator for a couple decades now and I am starting a Youtube channel for my funny cartoons. I plan on making funny Music video animations and funny cartoon Episodes with a level of quality that will please.

Please check it out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QD6V9ZEo8o

If you like it, please sub. I am trying to launch independantly so I can stop doing Disney, Nick, and Mtv stuff

Thanks,
Frank Stringini