What Do You Want To Know?

[Ward Jenkins]

Obviously, there are a good mix of people here from the animation industry, both young and old(er), newbie to seasoned. For those who are dying to know anything and everything about working in animation, ask away on this thread. Myself (11 years experience), along with many others in the industry will try to take a crack at your answers.

For the record, I work in the commercial/broadcast side of the biz. Others have worked on TV shows and internet. Do we have any feature peeps? If not, let's try and get 'em here.

Ask away.....(or not)...

[Chris B]

Great thread! Thanks!

I have a question.

I'm a newbie animator, working on my own project--an 11 minute "pilot" for the web. I want the final output to be quicktime.
I'm planning on working between Flash and AE--currently using cs3, plan to upgrade to cs4 when it comes out. I've created all my artwork and dialogue already and plan on animating and lip-syncing everything in flash. Doing most of the camera moves in Flash and using After Effects for Special Effects and to composite everything (the background images were done in Photoshop, so I figured I'd line everything up in Flash, animate/lip-sych there, but do the actual compositing in AE.) BTW, I've set up my 11 minute pilot into about 60 separate "scenes", depending on camera perspectives and dialogue, so each file is small. I thought I'd string everything together in AE. (final output will be 3 quicktime files.)

Question: what's the best way of importing files into AE so the audio and graphics synch up with the best possible quality? Should I use a PNG sequence or swf ? (I was planning on exporting the audio tracks as mov files as I don't think swf imported into AE can play audio...)
Thanks
Chris

[Crowned One From The Sea]

what is animating like on a day-to-day basis in your industry

[Floyd Bishop]

My day job is an animator at a company that makes video games. My day to day work is as follows:

- Get in around 9:15AM
- Grab a cup of coffee and chat with co workers.
- Check emails and get latest build of any files I may need that day
- Meetings at 10 AM - 11 AM
- Check in with anyone I may need to work closely with on my animation (for example, FX team, rigging team, character team, etc)
- Animate until lunch

Break for lunch at 12

- Get back around 1 PM
- Check emails
- Keep working on animation
- Break for coffee or hot chocolate around 3 or 4 (depends upon how much I ate for lunch)
- Maybe have a meeting in the afternoon (usually an hour or so)
- Leave for home at 6PM

Occasionally I'll work late, and eat dinner at the studio.

[Colter Avara]

I have to admit, I'm lost when it comes to the industry. I am currently doing work for JohnK on "The George Liquor Show", and I have another paying freelance job that I am doing animation/illustration for, but these are all jobs I sort of fell into. I really don't know where to begin to proactively apply for studios, I have a web-based portfolio, I have a resume.

I am friends with Chris Georgenes who put me in contact with someone high on the Cartoon Network ladder, but I've received no response from him though his secretary did call me to make sure she got my name right a week ago. I feel like I'm badgering studios when I send them my info.

I live in Central PA, obviously not the greatest place in the world for graphic design, illustration and surely not great for cartoon work so my only hope is to obtain work via the internet.

Should I just hang it up and venture back into the corporate workforce that I had already been working in for 6 years (doing things that have nothing to do with creativity or art), I'm married, my wife really doesn't want to uproot unless there is a solid job for me lined up. So I can't move to LA, or some other big city and try to make myself known that way.

I need the willing guidance of a veteran, because I'm feeling the burn and negativity is creeping its way into my brain!

[Floyd Bishop]

I'm from PA as well (as are many animators, for some reason). You're currently working, so you're ahead of many people already.

Keep working on as much as you can, and make a great reel and portfolio for the web. The work has a way of finding you.

[Patrick Mallek]

It's a brave new world indeed, but one that tilts the advantage towards you. The main distribution points are still the same (LA, SF, NY, ATL etc.) but the work is being done by virtual teams comprised of artists from all over the world. I've been running a studio from Boulder CO for 10 years. Not exactly Hollywood. I started off with local gigs and exposure, but now most of my clients are on the coasts. I work with many contract artists, animators, writers and audiophiles all over the country. Get you portfolio kicking ass and get it out there. You're off to a good start; I recently hired a talented young artist whose work I saw on Frederator RAW!

Hang it up?!? Nooooo! Once you leave the Cubicle Kingdom, you may NOT return under any circumstances! You're working for JohnK for godsakes! I wouldn't be in this business if not for his "dog and cat" show some 20 years ago. Just be patient, work hard and "don't stop believing."

(I threw in the Journey reference as proof of my age, experience and general lack of good taste ;-)

[Patrick Mallek]

(turns to bartender)
I'll have what stefani is having.

[Ian Ellis]

I have written a pilot for an animated show (The Lame Club). How do I submit it to the right people? Do I need to find an agent?

I also have a collection of comics I would like to make into a daily calender, but I want the art to be redone before I send it out to more companies. Where should I look for artist?

Thanks
-EanFace

[Ian Ellis]

Where should I post my art on the web to get noticed by the right people? That is if I would like to have my comics made into a cartoon.
-EanFace

[Chris Battle]

DeviantArt, Blogger, and Flickr all offer great free image-hosting, and are often frequented by pros. The key is to be an active part of the site's community-- post often and be social.

[Moronica]

Hi,

Hello,

I'm an entertainer, composer and animator from San Francisco and the creator of a hard rock super hero property called Moronica!

A cross between Spinal Tap, Batman, Wayne's World and Beevis and Butthead, Moronica is an outrageous rock star who battles his enemies (jocks, groupies, suits, nerds, surfer dudes, mean old ladies) with his mic, his music and his explosive musical weapons.

I have created the cartoon pitch bible with an award winning writing team, Richard Lasser and Dennis Edwards (Space Jam, Osmosis Jones) and artist Andres Alvarez (Disney, Fox).

Now that the bible is done I'm not sure what to do next - get an agent? find a producer? I've tried contacting some studios and some agencies but no luck...

any advice, referrals or info would be most appreciated

Here are some links:

http://myspace.com/moronicametal
http://moronica.animationblogspot.com/

Thank you.

Mark O'Hara
650-454-9417

[art dodger]

I'd like to know how to get an animation manager or agent God knows I have tryed but nothing as of yet

any help would be nice

Toxicink