Today I wasn’t able to make it into class, however still got caught up with everything mentioned by watching the Blackboard recording made by one of our tutors, Alec. This lesson was mostly an introduction to the handbook and marking scheme of this module, which gave me a brief idea of what I need to work on and think about for the upcoming semester in order to get a decent grade. Below is a screengrab that I took of the marking scheme itself:
For this module itself, my aim is to get an overall grade of Satisfactory → Good/Very Good. Of course, this would mean that I will be expected to be more in-depth with my studies, being extensive with my research, analysis and thought processes- which I am more than prepared for. In summary, I am really looking forward to seeing where my studies take me, and how they inspire my career in the animation industry.
Researching into the Animation pipeline- Production/Post-production roles & transmissions
Within the animation industry itself, there are a lot of important steps and processes that require the attention of many different artists and professions. The process itself is split up into three sections- Pre-production, Production and Post-production. This is normally done in the order shown, and is commonly referred to as the Pipeline. Moreover, this is something that I have been researching into a lot lately as it is necessary for me to be aware of and also will give me a wider range of careers to think about and ultimately choose from. Below, I have taken the three categories and labelled what they are and some careers that they involve.
Pre-Production
Definition– The planning process. It includes the concept of the plot, characters, their designs and world-building.
Jobs & Careers
– Story-board Artist
– Concept Artist
– Character Designer
– Producer
Production
Definition– The moment the ideas and concepts get put into action to produce the backbones of the film itself
Jobs & Careers
– Animator
– Model/rig artist
– Crowd artist
– Character FX artist
Post-production
Definition– This includes the process of the final touches towards the film including image finalising and sound and music additions.
Jobs & Careers
– Video Editor
– Special effects
– Sound designer/editor
– Music Composer
And the list goes on…
Further research- CGI Dreamworks Animation Studio Pipeline | CGMeetup
Whilst doing my research on the process and inner workings of the animation pipeline, I decided that looking into a studio would benefit my understanding of how an industry-standard pipeline works. For this example, I looked into Dreamworks, a company responsible for making a lot of well-renowned titles such as Kung Fu Panda, How to train your dragon and Shrek. Fortunately, they made this research really easy on my behalf by uploading a video of these processes and the many departments they use to complete the production of their films. Below, I have taken a bunch of notes and important information that was presented throughout this video. A lot of this gathered information is about the departments within the production and what they contribute to the project.
There are many steps in making animation and sometimes these will not always be consistent. However, it starts with planning and ends with the final production. To get to the end product, the film will have to undergo many changes and have many additions through different departments with different sets of skills to achieve this goal- this is the process of a pipeline.
The steps of the pipeline
1. The Story → Ideas/scripts/storyboarding/visualization of the script in 2D artwork. Is referred as the blueprint of the production.
2. Editorial → Puts the pieces of the 2D concepts together-builds a sequence from the storyboards to get a rough idea of the animation. Usually helps out through the production and is quite important to the project itself as they create a solid foundation for the animation to develop further.
3. Art → Visual development artists, will create what the film looks like- characters, props, environment, and then it gets sent to the director for approval.
3. Modelling → Building characters, props, environment further. They bring in the 2D concepts from the Art department to create them in the third-dimension. Moreover, they sculpt the characters following the 2D references made for them.
4. Rigging → The puppet maker of the project. They design how the character moves, placing joints, muscle and fat under the skin of the model.
5. Surfacing department → Determine the surface quality of the objects and their textures, colour and their interactions in the scene. Metals, woods, plastics – these all are given extra details in this process (for example, dirt, scratches, rust).
6. Rough Layout → Cinematography and blocking of the environment. This process is the gateway for the final production.
7. Final Layout → Determines the layout for the final animation. They arrange the positions and scenes in order for the animators to get a head start and to focus solely on the animation itself.
8. Animation → Bring the characters to life through puppet manipulation using controls provided by previous departments. Furthermore, they are almost like actors in the way they have to figure out the way characters will walk, talk and interact whilst keeping it true to the character’s nature and maintaining this consistency. A lot of the time, this part of the animation involves first-hand references such as videos or images to help with the movements and expressions.
9. Crowds → Takes charge of the extras in the film, essentially the background characters. Includes a lot of duplicating and copying/pasting animation cycles (dependent on the numbers).
10. Character FX → Responsible for everything that moves on a character (excluding the body animation). This includes the movement of clothing, hair, fur, props and other interactions not covered by the animation department.
11. FX → Extra detailing and effects such as footprints, moving leaves/foliage, fire and other aesthetics that range on the scene.
12. Matte Painting → Skies, clouds, cityscapes and other background art. This enhances the overall dimension of the environment and therefore, makes it appear more believable and immersive.
13. Lighting → Takes the cameras, models, animation and surfacing and therefore uses computer-animated lights and compositing software to make it look finalised. This helps with the story-telling.
14. Image finalising → The process of cleaning up and fixing the errors/undesirable effects from the rendering images (e.g. colour correction issues, blurs, etc.)
15. Sound design → Sound and music which is used to enhance the story. During this process, a composer will write and sort out an orchestra. The audio is then further mixed and organised to match with the animation. This is a very important step as it further makes the film immersive, emotional and makes the story-telling more effective. Not only that, but the sound itself is necessary to allow the viewer to read a scene, for example, sound can be added to convey danger or safety- this makes it easier to keep track of major plots in the story.
In conclusion, learning about the steps in which a huge studio takes in order to produce films has been really interesting. No doubt, it seems like a lot of work and passing files back and forth but this is ultimately a part of the process and industry itself. One thing I really like about the flow of the pipeline is how every profession within the development is split into different departments that work together as a team- this splits the workload and definitely makes it easier for everyone involved. Doing so, also means that you probably will be assigned to do a specific task, meaning you can focus on that area of the project. Regardless, it seems like it would be a great learning curve.
Career Search in the Animation Industry
Our homework for next week was to research jobs relevant to our practical studies. I thought about it for a while and realised that I am more interested in the Pre-production process of making a project, and thus decided to look into this more. This isn’t the only process that I looked into, as I wanted to give other careers of the industry a chance to pique my interest and one way that I did this was using the website screenskills.com which offers insight into a number of different careers in relevant industries. Moreover, I have chosen a handful of intriguing jobs listed below:
Originally, I had the idea of focusing solely on Pre-production as a career path, however, I have since expanded my interests between these three departments. Ones that particularly stand out to me include Concept Artist, Storyboard Artist, Character Designer, Modeller/Model Maker and Animator. These all share similarities in their practice, and I feel that I definitely have the determination, skills and confidence to get the requirements needed.
That said, I have narrowed these choices down to three categories for the meantime and below is a rundown of the descriptions, requirements and experience needed to qualify…
Concept Artist
Profile
The job of a concept artist is to sketch out the initial plans of an idea- hence the name. In these stages, the artwork solely isn’t perfected and is created for the purpose of being quick and produced loosely in time for short deadlines. As quoted on Screenskill, ‘Concept artists are usually freelancers. They produce artwork to a brief from an animation studio and work with them to find a visual style that works’. This means that skilled concept artists have to be prepared to adapt and be flexible both with style and their time.
Skills/Qualities:
– Creativity
– flexible
– Focused
– Passionate
– Can work under pressure
– Experienced in various mediums to fit various clients
Educational requirements: ‘A foundation degree or HND in an artistic subject may suffice, if it gives you the core skills required by an employer.’- Prospects.ac.uk
Character Designer
Profile
As said on Screenskill.com, ‘Character designers visualise and create the look of individual characters. They work from descriptions given to them by the director.’. This means the job of a character designer relies solely on imagination and creativity as a fundamental source of inspiration. A character designer has to consider the personality and appearance of a character to make up what their purpose and role is in a story. This is a very important job to have as a single character can make or break the plot.
Skills/Qualities:
– Raw skill and flexibility in mediums whether it be traditional or digital
– Ability to co-operate and understand the needs of the client
– Being able to keep creativity fuelled between different projects
– Keeping close contact with collaboratives, being able to provide constant updates
– Passion, and lots of it
Educational requirements: A degree or HND in relevant subjects can qualify for the job.
Animator
Profile
Being an animator includes the job of bringing an image, model or drawing to life through motion. It involves a motion to create a scene, story or to convey character and personality. This can be integrated into many sectors in the film and TV industries, not even including animations in video games. Many don’t realise, but animators shape our childhoods, our daily life and can enhance the way we look at things- For example, a lot of advertisements use animations to entice their viewers, to draw in a specific target audience and it works! Presentation is very important with today’s media and usage of electronics, meaning the need for animators is very important.
Skills/Qualities:
– Able to work well with deadlines
– Organised
– Flexible with style
– Can draw loosely and can also create perfected animations
– Knowledgeable and taught in principles of animation
– Passionate
– Innovative
– Handles stress healthily
Educational requirements: According to Prospects.ac.uk, you can qualify to be an animator if you have a degree/foundation degree in a relevant subject, however ‘a relevant postgraduate qualification in animation may enhance your employability’.
Job Searching on Indeed
Below I have conducted some brief research into searching current jobs relevant to what I have previously studied above. I was mainly looking for internships/Junior roles on Indeed as this would probably most be ideal for me as a University student and would aid me in getting necessary experience that would be essential for future job opportunities.
This was the first job opportunity that I found on indeed. Although I am not at the stage of applying for full-time jobs in relevance to my studies, it is really useful to get an idea of what employers look for. As it states in the listing, the role seems to lean towards people who are already trained in the area of 2D and 3D animation. Most job roles that I could find were the same, some even asking for a certain period of work experience and skills that I have not yet gained or perfected. This is definitely something that I plan on working on in order to broaden my career prospects as someone who wishes to work in the animation industry. It would allow me to have more choices and flexibility on what I would like to work as, as well as open the possibility of being able to work closer to home.
Above is a current studio that is looking for concept artists. This studio in particular seems to rely solely on skill, communication and passion as a strong determiner with their hiring process. Although the experience will probably be ideal ultimately, it shows that if you have the skill and a strong portfolio it definitely heightens the chance of qualifying for the job. Another thing that this listing has made me realise is that I need to update my portfolio as this is something that has been outdated for a while-this has given me the motivation to build upon this during the upcoming semester. Overall, seeing this is really inspiring and although some employers might be laxer with experience, this is something I will aim to gain regardless as it will not only help me to improve, but it will show that I am a passionate individual who is determined to learn and grow in my profession. I really like the idea of working in the area of concept art as I feel that my skills are most strong whenever I work loose. I also have experience in fine art in the past, which ultimately shows that I have been flexible with styles throughout my career.
This listing is looking for character artists and specifically wants employees who have in-depth knowledge about the genre that the project is geared towards. This is something that I haven’t even considered, is that some companies will require specific intellect about the topic they may be studying upon. It makes more sense now that I am aware that this could be a potential requirement for me in the future, and when the time comes, I will ensure to do as much research into job listings as much as possible to be suited for the role I am applying for. Ultimately this would make my chances higher and also show that I am passionate about my position- as well as giving me the opportunity to learn things I might not know about!
Artist research
Although I am swaying more towards animation as a career, I still really like the idea of concept art. This is something that would be a back-up option if my goals to get a job in animation were to fail. Below, I have studied the work of Chris Sanders and have researched into his past.
Examples of some of Chris’ older concept artwork
Chris Sanders and his career background
According to his blog, Chris has always been interested in being an artist, being initially introduced and influenced by his family who was also in similar professions during his childhood. Due to this early inspiration, Sanders began making short comics and stories and this was only the beginning. After high school, he applied to the CalArts Animation program in which he was given opportunities to work with Marvel, slowly integrating into the industry of Disney, and later on joining the filing sector at DreamWorks. He even has had the experience of directing and having the main lead with many classic films such as Mulan and Lilo and Stitch, and later being assigned to directing How to Train Your Dragon- which was an absolute hit at the time!
It is clear that his childhood and his family was a huge inspiration to the start of his career, however despite this, it obviously has taken Chris years of experience and hard work to get where he has gotten today. His portfolio now is so broad and various in a style which is ideal in the animation industry regardless of the department. Learning about his story and seeing his work has given me a better idea of what I should aim for in the next few years to come. Not just that, but his art style itself is really inspiring and I especially love how much character and personality he suggests through the facial expressions and body language of his characters-this brings his work to life, giving the viewer an idea of the role and importance of the character. I definitely aim to work more on body language and even character interaction in general after looking at Sanders’ work, and from now onwards want to try and have a mixture of loose and perfected studies in my body of work.
References:
What can I do with an animation degree? | Prospects.ac.uk
CGI Dreamworks Animation Studio Pipeline | CGMeetup – YouTube
What is the Animation Pipeline? | 3D Character Production, Pre & Post (idtech.com)
Find a job in VFX, Post Production, Film & TV Studios, SFX, or Animation | UK Screen Alliance