A good friend of mine from Down Under, who is looking for his next animation conquest, recently asked me about what to focus on in his demo reel and résumé to maximize his chances of getting his next Big Gig. In particular, he wanted to know if he should focus only on his animation, or show some of his other skills, as well (such as modelling, rigging, look dev, etc.). His concern is that perhaps by not showing more of the things he can do, he might be limiting his chances of getting a job. Despite the fact that my friend is already far beyond a junior level character animator, his concern is shared by a surprising number of more senior animators, as well. Now, because of the ever-changing nature of the animation biz, there really isn't ONE simple answer to this question. However, there are solid answers when you divide the animation industry into its various niches. In this post, we'll glance at the nature of two of these niches: the Big Studios; and the boutique studios. Then we'll talk about what they want to see – and don't want to see - on your reel. Hopefully, by the end of this post, you'll have the answers you need to take the next step in your career with a more targeted approach.

BOUTIQUE CHIC

If you're a nube in the biz, chances are the boutique studio setting is where you'll find yourself first. Every major - and not-so-major - city has them; they're popping up all over the place, but very few of them last much longer than a year. Since the mid '90's, many groups of amateur animator friends with big dreams of fat wallets have gotten together thinking that they could take the piece of the pie that's rightfully theirs. And with that attitude, many of them fell apart, as did their friendships. A lot of these places brought on people with greater talent and skill sets than the owners/partners and proceeded to abuse their talent pool, covering their asses with promises of 'points' on profits, profit-sharing, etc., with their employees, which never materialize, for some strange reason (carrot & stick ring any bells?). Too many boutique studios in the day, and even now, underpaid their hired help to maximized the fat in their wallets. Bluntly put, I know, but true. It's therefore recommended that you do your research first, find out who's who in your town, or the town of interest, and apply to those places that actually have a good reputation within the industry, both from their employees and their clients. Once you've established that, you're ready to make your move. But first, a word on boutique studio operations.

The boutique studios that have lasted for many years have done so because they've learned the secret to longevity: find your niche and build your foundations on that. The ability to adapt to changes within the industry is also a key factor. These changes can be brought on by the rising and falling currency of the particular country, union politics, tax credits, thus attracting, or repelling outside filmmakers. Any of these factors can also mean either expanding into, or moving the operation to a different locale. The point is that the ability to adapt to the industry, while maintaining your niche, is a big factor in the success of a boutique studio. Much of the adaptation takes place within the studio, itself. Bringing on new blood and replacing certain creative people as they move on in their careers is a constant reality for such studios. Also, the nature of the gigs that boutique studios receive expand and sometimes (but not often) contract almost on a daily basis and always just when you thought things were in the can and out the door. That's because these studios find themselves doing FX and animation for commercials and TV shows, which are getting more and more ambitious with every episode on shows such as Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, and Stargate SG-1. And although there's more money in the pool, the boutique studios don't make much more because so much money has to go into expanding technology, resources, and general operations. Sorry to disapoint you, but getting rich quick is out of the question for an animator in this setting.

What the animator gets out of the deal (if she survives it, that is) is the ability to also adapt and work lightning fast, while maintaining quality, thus endearing herself to her employers and making it easier to get a letter of recommendation, and even getting back into the studio at a later date on a different project. Boutique studios tend to stick with animators and artists they trust and are proven in their setting. Also, sometimes TV producers and FX directors sometimes find themselves working directly with the animator to complete a particular shot. Again, this is largely due to the increasingly fast-paced nature of the TV FX industry, as shows go in the can the day of airing!!! With such a pace, playing broken telephone is not an option. If the animator passed these tests, producers and directors will know her and ask for her by name. This gives the animator more longevity within that company and can also possibly some day lead to her opening up her own boutique studio (although not very likely, so don't get your hopes up and start having delusions of grandeur).

Given the frenetic pace of the boutique studio setting, the thing they look for most are people who specialize in one area more heavily, but are generalists in as many other areas as possible. During crunch time, there's no such thing as departments in boutique studios. Everyone is expected to do more than one task in varying areas as needed and do so without much fuss. Of course, it's not possible to show high proficiency in ALL areas, but that's what a TEAM is for, and remember: you're only part of a team even in this setting. Rolling eyes and painful sighs are taken to new heights in a boutique studio; such reactions aren't usually held against you, but your ability to get back into performance form thereafter is what's judged... hopefully. Some boutique studio environments are like being in a latino soap opera, which can be expected, especially in prolonged high stress situations, where all sorts of dramas occur.

Taking all these facts into account, what boutique studios want are real team players who can perform as many tasks as possible in a production environment, while maintaining an area of expertise (which they can print on your business card, if they think they'll even keep you on long enough to warrant one). If your area of expertise lies in character animation, then put your very best animation at the beginning of your reel and keep it short and explosive. From there, you can get more and more general, but again, put only the very best examples of your work in any given area, while making your area of expertise the main focus. If you have any, it's a particularly good idea to put material that you've done several tasks, or everything on, where you can really show off you ability to bring it all together. No bombastic music - unless it's a music video - and only simple title slates should separate your pieces from each other. Total demo reel run time should be no more than 3 MINUTES!!! Don't overstay your welcome, dammit! The best reels keep them wanting more (I like 1:30 minute reels that are edited masterfully) - websites are a great place for supplemental material. As always, an accurate and concise credit list is expected. Order of contribution counts for a lot in a credit list, so don't be random at how you list your contributions on a particular piece. Your résumé should also include a work history that lists not only what you did, but also what major new skills you learned while on that job. Showing that you can learn new things easily as they become necessary is a big deal for boutique studios.

THE BIG KAHUNAS

And now for what you've been waiting for... the BIG STUDIOS!!! For so many animators, it seems like the ultimate in one's career to get into one of these mondo studios. If that's what you think, then great – whatever gets you off, man – but don't think that it's that hard to get into; you just need to understand a few things first.

One of the most important things to realize in a large studio setting is that the individual doesn't matter – don't go believing all the extras on those Big Studio Production DVDs, where they glorify a chosen few. That's all an illusion. If you want to work in a large studio for the glory, you might want to rethink everything after reading this post. Large studios are defined as such by the size of the projects and the number of employees assigned to said projects. These numbers usually total more than three hundred, not including the many other that aren't credited in an animated feature (the reasons for which we won't discuss in this post, but trust me, this is common practice). Big studios are really a huge animated movie making machine, where everyone performs a particular function from the start of a production phase, to the end. And then you can expect to be laid off unless they can find a place for your particular skills on another project that's already in the works – this is not so common anymore. No one is immune to this reality. I know a very senior artist who's worked on many of the top grossing action/adventure films, as well as animated film for ALL the big companies of the last quarter century, and he STILL can't find job security in the traditional sense. If you can mentally prepare yourself for this harsh reality, then I recommend you read further. If not, go to Disney.com and find some fluff that'll candy-coat your brain to make you happy again.

Let's talk about applying for an animation job at a big studio. You put animation on your reel and that's specific enough, right? WRONG!!! Big studio jobs are specific on a more GRANULAR LEVEL. What kind of animation are you most interested in doing for two to three years at the big studio you're applying at? Is it bipedal character animation, or quadruped creatures that tickle your fancy? Is it cartoon characters, or digital doubles? Robots and mechanicals, or dynamics and simulations? You need to be specific, but you can still show that you have an aptitude in other areas of animation in your résumé and on your website. Your demo reel, however, needs to be as specific as possible. As always, your reel should never go over three minutes. If you have the right stuff, you can wow 'em in about a minute and a half with plain white on black slates to separate your pieces and they'll love you even more for it. Putting together a great demo reel that's extremely specific is by far the most difficult task in this process because often times although you may have a lot of material to draw from, they're not specific enough and usually therefore not of the quality in that specific area the big studios are looking for. A lot of animators and artists get frustrated with this because it makes one feel inadequate and begs the question, 'what the hell have I been doing with my life all this time?' Fear not because again, you're in good company. Like anything worthwhile, you have to work at it. If it's your first big studio that you're trying to get into, it probably means that you're going to have to spend a lot of your extra time doing ten to thirty second animation projects that are extremely targeted.

Given that you now have to give so much more of yourself, you don't want to fly blind – in other words, you'd like to know first what the big studios want to see and work at giving them exactly that. Here are a few steps you can take to get the answers you seek:

1. Research the big studio in question - Go online to the company's official website. Read up on what they've done, what they're doing, and what they've got in the works. If it's a novel that their next project is based on, read that novel and try to do something inspired by it. In rare cases, they'll have a company demo reel (this is something the boutique studios will have most often) - download it to your hard drive, if possible, and examine it closely for content and quality. In most cases, however, you'll need to go to your local video store and rent some of the movies they've done and examine their work frame by frame if you have to. Just don't badger anyone while doing this research!


2. Find people who either work, or have worked there - You can go online for this once again. You can go to such sites as AWN, which have a repository of forums and other resources where you can make first contact with other animators in the biz. Always go for an email address, or website. DON'T STALK, OR BADGER ANYONE!!! Google animators that you find in a credit list and see if they have a blog, or a website. See what they're about. Many of these cats have online demo reels, or other sample clips that you can view for fact-finding. If they want to be contacted, they'll have contact information on their website, or they'll have a public response button set up on their blogs.


3. Call the studio - Almost all big studios have their contact information on their websites where you'll find phone numbers for various public departments, email addresses, and fax numbers. Always go through the front door number, usually labelled 'General Inquiries', but before you do, know how you're going to introduce yourself and what you're going to ask. Write it down and rehearse it. Remember that you're calling a big business and they're - well - BUSY, so keep it short and to the point. Don't directly ask to speak to someone in HR before the receptionist can offer to direct you to the right place - that's too pushy and unprofessional. If they do patch you through to someone else in either HR, or elsewhere, don't be pushy and don't ask for samples to be sent to you of past employee reels that were successful; chances are they'll hang up on you right there, as they should because agreeing to your request means breaking laws. If you conduct yourself with utmost professionalism, you'll get some very useful information by calling. Other times, the receptionist will redirect you to the careers section of their website, which means that they were instructed to do so by policy - no point in digging further under that tree. In that case, be nice, thank the person, and examine the website one more time. DON'T BADGER ANYBODY!!!

And remember: DON'T BADGER ANYBODY!!!

The application process at a big studio is just as mechanical as its production department – it has to be because of the many thousands of applications from around the world that they receive and process on a monthly basis. There are levels of screening processes at any given HR department in a big studio. Nowadays, the application process starts on the studio website with an online form to get your basic information down – no need for a demo reel yet. They just want to see you coming and be able to categorize you even before they receive your reel, is all. Modern big studio HR departments run almost as an exact science, but there's always room for improvement so that nobody is overlooked by accident. Although the system is a machine, it is made up of humans that actually do care about processing the applicants fairly because they know that putting together a strong production-worthy team starts with HR and is therefore a huge responsibility. That's is why in this biz there aren't that many career HR people, and the few that have been in around for over a decade are indeed sought after by big studios around the world. Big studio HR departments can be considered very much like the casting director of a live action film (yes, it's that important, especially in the animation department because they are the actors). Bringing the wrong people into the mix can easily push production over budget and can sometimes cause major disruptions in production. In short, the HR department has to know their shit for the sake of the entire production. You would be ill-advised to treat these people as just an obstacle to get past in order to get your reel to the Big Kahunas of the studio... HR IS the Big Kahuna. You can help yourself by helping them do their job with ease. This also means CLEARLY LABELLING EVERYTHING you send with your name, address, phone number(s), and email address. Your demo reel should start and end with a contact slate even if you've got your contact info on three sides of the physical demo reel.

A couple of times a month, sometimes more, a panel of studio supervisors from the appropriate department will review those reels that have been processed by HR. They will ultimately decide the fate of your application. This is where things get fuzzy because there are so many subjective factors that you have absolutely no control over, but it's good to be aware that they're there and that your work will be subjected to one, or all of them at any given time. Factors such as: the mood of the individuals on the panel; indigestion; sexual frustration; in-fighting; and a plethora of anything else you can imagine. If you're a moody artist, chances are these guys are even moodier, so factor that into the equation.

The only other advice I can give is to keep trying. In this business, you need to first believe in yourself and understand that the review process is very impersonal, so don't take it personally. You just need to keep going and keep on applying even though you receive rejection letter after rejection letter. Don't keep sending the same thing, mind you - that's just stupid! Rather, keep improving yourself, remove what didn't work, do as many redos as necessary, and sent it in again. Believe me, they do look at these and they most certainly keep track if they're doing their jobs right! Sometimes, if they feel like it, they might even start sending you actual critiques of your work to see how you rise to the challenge. Any contact with the company is good contact if you've conducted yourself professionally. You WILL get into a company if you just keep trying to give them what they want! Getting in this way also gives them a sense that they know you, your work ethic, and how well you can take criticism. This is a process that you have to go through and when you come out the other end, you'll be so much stronger for it, trust me!

THE EXCITING LIFE OF A NOMAD

Whether you end up - or 'decide' to end up - in either the big studio system, or the boutique system, be prepared to not gather too much moss. No matter how indispensable you may have been for however many consecutive projects, sooner or later (but figure sooner), you're going to be laid off. Don't fool yourself into thinking, 'maybe... I might be kept on because I'm special.' Nah-ah - if you think that, you're definitely that different sort of 'special'. The career animator will find herself traveling from company to company, city to city, country to country, and sometimes from one exotic place to another, (if you consider suburban Dublin, or Shibuya, Tokyo exotic). The advantage to this is obvious: you get to sample different cultures up close and come to the inevitable conclusion that all humans come from the same puddle of primordial mud. The disadvantage is that it makes for a family-unfriendly lifestyle. Even if you end up never marrying and knocking someone up, or getting knocked up, you're going to eventually get tired of the jet-set life and after a while seeing the same people over and over again. So comes that moment in every career animator's life when she asks herself, 'WHERE the HELL am I going?!!?' At this point, you've got only two viable choices: option A) give up meat and become a Yoga instructor; or option B) take charge of your life and take your career to the next level... BECOME A FULL-FLEDGED FILMMAKER!!!

This is where I stop talking because I'm currently in the middle of exercizing option B. But, that story is still being written. Stay tuned!



ELISHAAA!!!


--H

Since this forum can never really replace a full-on school experience, I have to mention any supplemental material as a prerequisite for certain tutorials and lessons that I may give. Since lately we've been talking about creating a story worthy of animation, I wanted to mention three books that I feel are essential in understanding the finer points in making a finished animation script (or any other style of script, for that matter). For example, I'm going to use terms like 'beats', 'pacing', 'premise', 'outline', etc.; and we're also going to talk about camera instructions, as well as other technical terms. I can only offer a brief description of each term and their uses on LJ, so if you want the whole shebang, I suggest reading the following material. Owning these books is a very good idea, but any well-stocked library should carry these titles. I should mention also that this is only a short-list of what I consider essential reading for any animator and that there are many more interesting and useful books on the market, as well as in your local library that are worth perusing. However, the following titles made it to my short-list because I feel that if you had to only read three books on the subject of screenwriting, these are it.

No other book on scriptwriting deserves to be first on anybody's list more than J. Michael Straczynski's The Complete Book of Scriptwriting. This Hollywood screenwriters' standard survival guide since 1981 is currently in its second edition. I had read almost all the 'standards' on the subject (including books by Fields, Froug, McKee, and others), but never really got a chance to pick up Straczynski's book until a jog over to the local library recently. Now I understand why his book is considered by many to be the Bible of the Screenwriting Biz. Everything he has to say, not only about screenwriting, but also the down-right screwiness of the business, about which he gives the reader a wealth of anecdotes on, rings true to my ears based on what I've experienced for myself. 'If only I had read this earlier in my career,' I moaned, 'I could've avoided so many pitfalls!' Straczynski also hones in closely on each of the major script formats and, with a loving respect for each, explains all you need to know.

The book starts off with the intricacies of teleplays, then goes on to talk about screenplays for motion pictures, animation, radio, and stage. Within each form, Straczynski talks about the history, the benefits and drawbacks, the art and craft (the two are NOT the same, as he points out so succinctly, yet eloquently in the book), marketing, and extremely well-informed speculations on where it's all going to go for that particular format, not to mention most importantly, the future of the scriptwriter herself. Within each chapter, he reinforces his arguments with solid facts and a plethora of personal experiences. You really get the sense of what the Writers Guild of America (West) is all about from a seasoned insider's perspective. Straczynski also offers the viewpoint of the studios, as well, through historical surveys. After exhausting you with the details and veritable minefields of getting your script even through the door, Straczynski impresses upon you the importance - in most cases - of having an agent and being part of the WGAw. With all the real-life drama and behind-the-scenes silliness of the business, the book is really great reading (at times, I laughed out loud), not to mention superlatively informative.

Which brings me to my next point: this book is a downer more than fifty percent of the time. Straczynski, the creator of Babylon 5 and writer/producer of Murder, She Wrote, doesn't mince words when talking about the many (and I do mean MANY) pitfalls of the biz. He does this in part because, as he states several times throughout the book, he wants to separate the posers from the dyed-in-the-wool scriptwriters. 'Dilettantes, curiosity seekers and literary sightseers are encouraged to apply elsewhere. I am of the personal belief that there is something unique about writers that prepares them from birth and propels them throughout their lives towards this most remarkable of professions. Most of these writers are unstoppable.' Perhaps, it's Straczynski's stance, above all else, that impresses me about this book because I feel exactly the same way about animators!

Read this book, but consider yourself warned: The Complete Book of Scriptwriting will BUST any illusions you have about your chances in the industry.

If Straczynski's book is about The Industry & Your Career [HA!] In It, then The Perfect Screenplay: Writing It and Selling It, by Katherine Atwell Herbert, is simply about the screenplay itself. Specifically - and this is what makes this book different from most others I've seen to date - how a Hollywood Script Analyst would like to see your screenplay put together. Coming from such a deep and colourful animation background, I can't tell you how useful it is to know WHAT the people who are going to be judging you want to see and HOW they want to see it. This book does that for screenwriting and it does it CLEARLY!

Although the chapter headings are somewhat stylized, they are nonetheless fairly easy to look up for quick reference to what you want to know (the index is virtually flawless in that regard). Though not anywhere nearly as anecdotal as Straczynski's book, The Perfect Screenplay is also extremely informative on style, form, and visual appeal of the physical script. It's also only 217 pages (trade paperback edition) from beginning to index and can be read from cover to cover, or picked up for reference on any particular question - I mean, it's very clearly laid out, which many of us can appreciate. Herbert introduces us very quickly and effectively to the most common aspects of screenwriting theory: from Aristotle to character arcs to elements of screenplay style... and she does this all in very brief, bright, and easily digestible bits. Also, instead of offering page formatting (page borders and the like) with loose tolerances in picas, Herbert clarifies all such measurements in exact inches and points. I know that to a seasoned screenwriter it doesn't mean much, but to most neophytes, it's comforting to have straight-up answers to questions on formatting - and not all of us can afford screenwriting software, like Final Draft, where it does all the formatting for you (although Celtx is a free and viable alternative).

If you're looking for an exhaustive encyclopaedia on screenwriting, this isn't it. It is, however, undoubtedly a great intro to the Hollywood Screenplay Format as well as a concise reference book, I find. There's also something very comforting about having a book about the CRAFT of screenwriting that ISN'T pretentious. The Perfect Screenplay came out in 2005 and I'd already recommend it as a must-have to any library on the subject of screenwriting. However, it shouldn't stand alone and is therefore the perfect companion book to a more heady book on the subject, particularly to The Complete Book of Scriptwriting.

The last book on the list for today, and certainly not the least noteworthy, is a much more topical book by award-winning animation writer, Jeffrey Scott (who is a nephew of 'Moe' from The Three Stooges, appropriately enough), called How To Write For Animation. Scott, writer of such hits as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Muppet Babies, has been around since the seventies and has survived the turbulent years of television animation. The merits of picking the brains of such a survivor can't be overstated, that's why when this book first came out, I jumped all over it!

Scott not only volunteers great personal anecdotes from an insider's POV throughout the ages, but he also provides solid, proven, no-nonsense methods, as well as EXERCISES - that's right: you're back in school with this book, son! Perhaps, this is because Scott has had to navigate the turbulent waters of the Saturday morning cartoon era with a stern, get-the-job-done-and-get-out kind of mentality, while still [trying to] keeping it fun... often times, it's work ethic that makes a great show more than anything else, and this is what he seems to want to impress upon the reader. I have to admire that. I also greatly admire the fact that Scott talks in great detail about brainstorming, developing beats, etc., and reinforces all his talk with examples and exercises. The exercizes may turn some people off to this book early on because it takes actual work to get through the book, but believe me, nothing can drive a point home like applying lessons right after you've read them. You have to DO in order to really learn this stuff, and it's for that reason that when you've finished reading this book, it would be more accurate to say that you've completed it.

The only weakness that I can find in Scott's book is that it may be off-putting to those who have illusions that the artist/auteur matters more than the industry. Indeed, when I read this book for the first time, I felt like I was being lured into accepting the machinations of the industry, with the Soviet anthem playing in the background. The harsh reality is - and Straczynski seconds this in his book - that no matter how hard you try, the industry will only change at its own pace and that we're all just cogs in the Great Big Machine; this business isn't for the faint of heart. However, that's not to say that Scott's theories and methods can't be applied to indy productions. In fact, I find it harder to produce indy as opposed to commercial material because indy animations require far more work ethic than the comfort of the machinations of the commercial animation industry. Having said that, How To Write For Animation is an irreplaceable book to help any screenwriter accomplish the goal of having a great, solid story no matter how you're producing the animation.

To date, this book is the only all-in-one volume on ALL the aspects of creating, pitching, and selling a solid animation script. I especially enjoyed the creative exercises it offered, which produced results every time. With practice, these concepts will become a vital part of your creative toolbox of storytelling and screenwriting.

These three books together form a good, solid technical base for screenwriting in the English language, as well as surviving the choppy waters of the business. Again, these books are only my suggestions if you had to own only three books on screenwriting; they're not the Gospel truth, but a solid start at getting to the truth of the matter. Only by doing do we actually learn anything, so keep practicing and you'll get somewhere. Case in point, Tolkien wrote The Lord of The Rings as an academic historian would and not as a trained novelist and look at where it got him! Often times, he'd write himself into a corner and have no choice but to go back and rewrite everything in order to make the corrections. Imagine what else he might have accomplished if he'd used any of the techniques available in his time. True, that his naivity at the typewriter may have directly contributed to the flavour of his work, but Tolkien is Tolkien and most of us aren't anywhere near his level, anyway. Let's not use that as an excuse to not learn these basic concepts that these authors make available to us. 'Knowledge is power.' Now, take some Gravol and ease that sheet, matie!



Curious George was raped by the Man with the Yellow Hat...


--H

Yes, folks, I'm at that point: it's the last bit of production on The Boy & The Tree. After a year of production, it all comes down to the last couple of months of polish. There's a matter of music and sound mixing, as well as a whole whack of colour grading and other chores, but they're fun to do and I want to give them each their due love and respect. Besides, it's the most fun one can have, putting the final touches on a film, and it's why I saved it all for last. I want to enjoy this - just savour it.

Consequently, I'm going to hold off on any major online 'to-dos' and just concentrate on the task at hand. I don't want to stop this wave I seem to have caught under me. I've got to ride it to the end.



Surf's Up, Dudes!


--H

While Azad's at SDCC enjoying the good life and 'the fine art of putting a brown dick in your mouth,' as he put it (you have to read his posts to understand), I've discovered today that microwaved bacon tastes like a wet bulldog's asshole. Although I can't make the claim to have actually tasted a wet bulldog's asshole, I DO have the fertile imagination of a seasoned animator and I stand by that simile. In short, I strongly recommend against microwaving bacon no matter how closely you intend to follow the instructions on the packaging of said bacon.


--H

I can't tell you how long I've been looking for an open source app that does what Quark does. That search has ended with Scribus! The thing is, I'm kicking myself for not having found it sooner because it's already at a mature version 1.3.3.2. How could I have missed it for this long?

Scribus needs both Ghost Script and Little CMS installed on the system to get all cylinders firing, so check them out, too.

I haven't done thorough tests on it, yet, but I intend to when I put together a little something related to The Boy & The Tree. However, I did go over their online introductory tutorial and was quite impressed with what it can supposedly do. Those of you who want to give it a try and tell me about it in the mean time, please, do so!



Left behind from SDCC '06 -


--H

Up until now, you were supposed to have brainstormed and edited by going all over the place on a page. This is for you and no one else, so MESSY IS GOOD!!! It doesn't matter if no one else can read your spasmatic etchings on a page (or off the page, as the case may be) - as long as you can, that's good enough. Just go, go, go until you've fleshed out the whole story idea. When I said that there's supposed to be no form to the process, I meant even how you write things down.

Just thought I'd mention this before people started to go too far in the wrong direction.



Brought to you by the letter -


--H

No one can tell me that there isn't a serious decline in love for good literature lately. I know I'm not the only one who's noticed this. It's definitely part of the MTV/video game generation syndrome, but it's now getting ridiculous. I had an individual ask me recently about why all this writing matters if you're an animator, 'I mean, who cares?' he asked. 'Who's going to read when they can look at drawings? And I already draw so well and people, you know, GET IT, already.'

I did what any lit-lover would do in that situation: I shook my head and said, 'I'll write about it,' and threw back the rest of my beer. So here I am, writing about it first thing in the morning, feeling a bit groggy, and rather crusty, so I'm not going to mince words...

Most animators today can't tell a story to save their lives because they don't know anything about good literature, which means they don't know how to communicate a story properly. When I think of the smartest people I've ever known in my life, they've all been readers of a wide variety of subjects, authors, and genres, even the ones you might not have thought could even read, or would ever read outside their area of interest. Bruce Lee, the Nine Old Men (yes, even Milt), Hayao Miyazaki, and even George Stoumboulopoulis, to name only a few, were and are avid readers of EVERYTHING! Chuck Jones, one of the greatest visual storytellers of our time, was a HUGE bookworm, as was his whole family - I mean, this guy read every word ever feaking written in at least the English language! You wouldn't expect that these people would necessarily read such a wide assortment of material, but they have and it shows. Brilliance comes from mental nourishment and that's what reading a wide variety of stuff does: it nourishes and challenges the mind. It's like eating a well-balanced meal, as opposed to the same meal-replacement bar over and over. Or it's like eating French food, which has on average sixteen varieties of food stuffs per meal, as opposed to eating McDonald's, which has only two: fat and plastic. So, it's not just the fact that you're reading, but the variety that also matters.

Although learning languages is very good for mind and body (it's been known to strengthen the brain against many kinds of brain dysfunctions), you don't need to learn a new language to read books from foreign countries. For example, you'd find yourself becoming a more well-rounded human being if you read the English translations of Junichiro Tanizaki's works, as well as Beowulf, both of which have more than one translation out there. Understanding foreign perspectives, as opposed to local authors' perspectives on foreignness will enrich your understanding of humanity in the wider world. This is also great for animators because it adds a much broader range of archetypes, allegories, and symbols to one's visual vocabulary.

The thing that really gets my goat is that most new 'auteurs' write their treatments and screenplays like a junior highschool student. There's no substance, no respect for words, and no love for literature in any of it. It's as if screenwriters today are writing because they still HAVE to and not because they WANT to - they just want to get it out of the way. More effort goes into thinking up descriptions of visual and sound effects in scripts today, as opposed to the action and dialogue (which are the meat and bones of any screenplay). This is a major reason why most movies today suck ass. There's no love because there's no respect because there's no education because there's no will. Let's face it, folks: most people in the art world today are lazy.

The solution is simple and requires no long-winded explanation, or diatribe of any sort: just get off your ass and read! After you've read and thought about what you've read for a little while, APPLY IT TO YOUR WORK IN ANY WAY IT MANIFESTS ITSELF!!! Love for anything worthwhile is learned over time. So, you must learn to develop the love for literature and you have to see a script for what it is... LITERATURE! People forget that Shakespeare's plays are scripts, yet they stand on their own as literature. That's what a script should be! You should be able to read a script, or treatment and really feel inspired and pumped. It can vary in style as much as a novel, or poetry can, as long as all stylistic decisions are driven by communicating the story. A screenplay is just another form of writing, but it's words on a page, nonetheless, and should be given the same love as MFK Fisher, Chuck Palahniuk, and Iain M. Banks would give their novels, essays, and articles.

I already explained in the brainstorming posts why words are important, so I'm not going to repeat it. Just use your brain to make the connections yourself.



Read and learn, BEE-ATCH!


--H

I spent part of this weekend with Azad talking shop, among other less savoury things. Indeed, there's a lot going on at G-C.com for both comics and animation.

Azad's going to San Diego this Wednesday to join his fellow flyers from the Flight 3 anthology. I'll be staying behind to tend to The Boy & The Tree, as well as daily updates on SD Comic Con by Azad. I'm also finalizing the edit for the first 3D animation downloadable video tutorial. More on all that later.



Ike Turner rules!


--H

It's possible to perform both brainstorming 101 and 102 in the same session, switching from one to the other when need be. I caution you on jumping into this too quickly, as it may stunt your development in brainstorming. I recommend that you keep the left and right brain activities separate until they can learn to pass the work back and forth in full cooperation. It should never feel forced. Again, there's no hard, set rule... you'll know when it's the right time to do it because it'll happen naturally.



Got 11 points on the word 'Quagmire'!


--H

You've brainstormed a lot since we last met, I see. Now, we get to editing the thing down. This is where the left part of the brain comes back to the fore, but keeps the right brain around to ask it some questions – but, just the facts, please. The idea is to go back over all your spewage to try and find some related cohesive moments. It could be single words, or phrases. Your job is now like a crime scene investigator's: you're looking for clues and making connections with solid evidence – not of a murder, but of a story. With each clue you get, you ask yourself a few questions in order to see whether or not it's relevant, and then you move on to the next one and the next one. Then, with all the pieces laid out in front of you, you start making more connections and culling further. New theories come up based on a hunch, instinct, or direction that a certain piece of evidence takes you in that you wouldn't have otherwise considered before. The right brain is occasionally called back in for questioning for its street knowledge.

Allusions aside, there is a method to all of this, which is suited for the left side of the brain. You know that rush of satisfaction you get when you solve a particularly difficult problem? That's the reward the left side gives you, making it just as fun as using the right side, but on a different level.



ROUND TWO:

1. Narrow things down by going back to all the pages of initial brainstorming you did and circle those words and phrases that hit you the right way – let your instincts guide you.


2. Working in either that margins of the paper, or a blank sheet, start making connections between those words and phrases you circled. Find groupings that go together. Sometimes there'll be an item that fits into more than one group – that's fine, include those words into those groups, but differentiate them with a mark (an asterisk, question mark, index number, it's up to you). Standalone pieces of a story will start to emerge.


3. Number the groups as you complete them. Chronology doesn't matter, yet.


4. Start looking for connections between the groupings and make a list of number groupings that go together. Again, there may be a group that works in more than one list, so treat them the same way as above.


5. At this time, new possibilities may be itching to get out. Do another mini-session of brainstorming within, or beside the groups/numbered lists as they come to you.

Things will start to congeal as if on their own. You'll reach a point where you won't be able to keep up with the storm, but you have to try. Stay focused and the story will emerge with all the necessary connections. The idea is to keep brainstorming and editing the way we have been until the idea becomes story. Structuring the story will come later (something we'll go over in another post). Right now, we want to answer all the questions about the basic story.

A back-and-forth, Q&A will start to take place in your brain. The left brain will ask the questions, and the right brain will answer creatively. For example, let's say we have a story nugget (later to be called a 'beat') that involves a Buddhist monk who starts to rock out in the middle of Times Square, we've only established a very basic image. There are still many questions such as:

What instrument is the monk playing?

What time of year is it?

What leads up to the monk rocking out?

Is the monk short and fat, or tall and thin?

How do the people around him react?

Does the monk sing in English and if so, is it all phonetically wrong because he doesn't know how to speak English?

Is it an Elvis song? Which one?

Is the monk female?

To answer these questions, you may have to brainstorm the possibilities. The questions get more and more specific as this process goes on until you've mastered the story. Just remember that you're looking for basic answers to basic story questions. You don't want to stylistically verbalize the whole film, or graphic novel in final format yet, but you should be able to tell it to a pub full of like-minded, sufficiently drunk people without having to wonder what happens next.

One thing I've noticed is that if you've ever led an old-fashioned RPG (like D&D) without a game book as your guide, this process of making connections to a bigger emerging picture is much easier. Being under pressure to come up with reasonable answers and interesting pacing makes you a better story craftsman. Just look at 1001 Arabian Nights - talk about being under pressure! (If you don't know what I'm talking about, read up on the legend of how the stories came to being).

Next time, we'll go over the basics of form and structure.



STROM-DOMBADIL, TOM-BOMBADIL!


--H

I was asked recently as to what the hell I meant in the headline, 'Celtx - Pass the Screech!' If you've read anything about Celtx and its origins, then you already know. If not, here's the answer: SCREECH!



Nuff said.


--H

You may remember in a previous post of mine that I mentioned wanting to entirely redesign this blog. Well, turns out that unless I pay a monthly fee, I can't make the sorts of broad changes I want. My solution? I'M PROGRAMMING MY OWN BLOG FOR G-C.COM, BABY!!!

The idea for the blog was really a natural addition to g-c.com because of the already grand changes that were in the works for the site, anyway. Since there's going to be lots of tutorials (the contents of which are growing daily), production news & stills, and many other features, a more modular approach was necessary and the new infrastructure is quite conducive to the addition of a blog, as well. Once active, you will no doubt be reading Azad's blog and my blog directly in g-c.com!



Brought to you by the letter -


--H

A couple of posts back, I introduced you to some of the materials I most often use when coming up with a story. Though you probably expected to have me immediately toss you into the exciting world of CGI, I instead tossed some paper and some pencils your way. Well, sorry, but that's how it all starts. You don't need to touch a computer until you've pounded out a few preliminaries first. In this installment, I'm going to talk to you about brainstorming.

Brainstorming is the process by which you clear all your inhibitions and writing down everything that comes to your mind without editing yourself by consciousness, or analytical thought. This can be compared to scribbling or doodling while your mind is occupied with something else, thus leaving your hand more open to subconscious motivation. Chronology, logic, and reason have no place here. You're spewing words out and that's all. Brainstorming can be initiated by nothing in particular, or it can be led by a loose idea, or words (like, 'action,' or 'Gay Japanese Pirates,' or whatever the theme may be). Brainstorming might start out all over the place, but over its course naturally moves towards a theme, or idea, anyway.

Although people claim that brainstorming can be done in a group, let me assure you that it seldom ever does (I'd be tempted to use the word 'NEVER,' but I'm sure then I'll be made aware of some indigenous tribe somewhere in deep dark wherever that can do exactly that). Brainstorming is best initiated alone, both physically and mentally. After this process, a group of people who have all brainstormed on their own can be brought together to then edit, merge, and congeal their ideas. However, that's not what we're doing today. Today, you're doing this all on your own!

Why brainstorm with words and not drawings? The answer to this is simple: while music is inherently abstract and images are inherently specific, words are at once abstract and specific! Words invite far more visual possibilities, while still holding together the infrastructure of the story to all its readers - each reader may see and hear the story differently in their minds, but they each experience the same story. For the writer, the fact that you can go back on brainstormed words and then superimpose more details and imagery over what's there makes working with words far more efficient and leaves far more room for creative interpretation without creating more work. In short, words get the creative juices flowing a lot better than images.


GETTING STARTED:

1. Grab a notepad, sketchbook, or any portable paper writing block you feel comfortable with (I prefer unruled paper, myself, as it clears the mind to look at it).


2. Grab either a pencil (mechanical pencils, or lead holders work best as they don't need sharpening), or black pen.


3. Go someplace where you feel relaxed and un-distracted (this could be a library, or it could be a café on a bustling street corner. Depends on you - there is no wrong place).


4. Having a drink handy like coffee, or a power smoothie is fine, but avoid eating during this process. Eating takes you out of brainstorming mode and slows you down during digestion (if you've ever tried doing real work after a big lunch, you know what I'm talking about).


5. Start writing everything that comes to mind, not caring about placement on the page, or any logic, or even the idea you might have come up with that you're now brainstorming about. This is exercise. Once you get going, you can then start getting into the idea you're doing this for.


6. Don't limit yourself to single words, or complex phrases.


7. If it seems too silly to write down, that's a sure sign you should write it down - anything goes!!!


8. Be shameless! Morality and civility have no practical purpose here, either, so get it all out of your system without shame.


9. Don't time yourself. On a role? THEN KEEP GOING!!! Don't stop until the flow is completely stopped. You'll know when it's stopped not when you're in a lull, but when you've hit the brick wall of exhaustion. If you're really on a role, it'll feel more like physical exhaustion, but your mind might still want to go, but can't because of your body.


10. A lull is most often a sign of your left-brain trying to take over and exhausting your right-brain. Work through it and you'll eventually be able to turn off the left-brain at will.


11. Time for nourishment! At this point, you're done brainstorming. You can pick it up again only after you've eaten, rested, and feel up to it again the same day, or not. There's always tomorrow.


12. DON'T EDIT YOURSELF UNTIL ALL THE BRAINSTORMING IS COMPLETE!!! (That's next lesson).

You may find this process frustrating at first, but if you persist, I promise you that you'll consider it one of the most - if not THE MOST powerful tool in your storytelling arsenal. The frustrations come from dependencies on technology, formulas, and other 'comfort tools'. We can always blame the system when something goes wrong. Whereas brainstorming is all you from the get-go. There's nothing to hide behind. It takes practice, believe me.

Next time, we'll talk about how to edit your spewage.



B'leeg abour!!!


--H

PS: I feel extremely fortunate to have had early exposure to this process by my great highschool art teacher and accomplished painter, John Doyle. He had all of us doing brainstorms for all our art projects and because of that I mastered it early on and got to apply it as soon as I started working as a full-time animator. Thanks, Mr. Doyle!

I recently discovered a free pre-production app called Celtx and got all excited to try it out. It's available for all platforms, including Linux, but I chose the XP install since I usually test out new software on XP most of the time. The version of the software is at 0.9.7.1, so it's pretty robust in terms of features and I was indeed quite impressed with all the really useful tools and intuitive work-flow that was programmed into it. It's also a really light app, so it doesn't sit heavily on system resources in any detrimental way.

Some of the features I liked, at a glance, were: the auto formatting features in script writing mode; the ability to embed rich media into various aspects; the industry standard forms for locations, actors, character, wardrobe, etc.; and the report generator's really cool.

Okay, so here's what I didn't like: if you want to collaborate with others, which is what the software is really good for, you have to sign on to Celtx's server with a user profile. This means that if you want to generate PDFs, collaborate with your off-site crew, and do anything outside of what the app allows, you have to go through their server and can't set it up to point to your own. The auto upload and download features are in sync with the Celtx servers and that's all. This is a bit of an issue for me. It would've been nicer if they'd opened up the DB system using a highly editable and exposed XML scheme, but that's just me. Though I like the fact that you can export the script as either a plain .txt file, or as HTML, I didn't like that graphics & rich media aren't included in the HTML file - that would've been awesome to have. Perhaps, if enough people make such a request for the next version, we can get these features.

Having said all that, if granular control over templates doesn't matter that much to you, and you feel comfortable placing a good deal of control in the hands of an unknown server, then this is the pre-production tool for you! For me, studying such an app is an opportunity to gather information and educate myself. Remember that software doesn't get developed in a vacuum - it needs feedback from the people and industry that are going to be using it. Celtx is no exception and in fact they claim to be in constant contact with the creative people in the film, television, theatre, and animation industries in order to better provide improved workflow and commonality. Still don't understand why you should study this program? I'll spell it out: you can indirectly learn how pre-production is done in a wide number of formats just by learning the software. Back to school, children! Also, if you choose to colaborate online with other subscribers of Celtx, you can accelerate your education with a huge talent pool behind you. Check it out.



SAAAARRRRRSGAAARRRRRD!


--H

You're going to run into a lot of well-wishers and nay-sayers while you're on your way to making any film no matter how successful, or unsuccessful you've been thus far. You're also going to run into a lot of people who think they know THE recipe for a successful film and how to avoid making a flop. I say BEWARE!

'Nobody knows anything,' is a quote by legendary screenwriter, William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Princess Bride), which I was reminded of recently in a nice little doc called, BOFFO! The film features many of today's top Hollywood people pondering upon the futility of trying to understand what makes a blockbuster and a flop (it's in honour of Variety's big 100 year anniversary). Anyway, I won't repeat what the film says so eloquently, so go rent it. I will say that because of this truism, consider yourself on equal ground with everyone else making movies. I caution you on pushing aside constructive criticism - and you'll know when they're constructive because they'll hit on something that deep down you knew was there. Nobody knows anything about what makes a successful film, but some people do know their craft and their art and they should be heard. It's all that other stuff - dreams of glory and nightmares of defeat - that need to be done away with.

Any gaps in knowledge, both technical and artistic, can be filled by experience and an openness to learning on the job. Talent is mostly learned. However, don't expect to go to school and receive some magical injection of knowledge that'll lead to your success. School provides a bubble in time and space and a certain amount of resources to allow you to learn some things and develop the all-important work ethic. You want to learn something? Take charge of yourself and do the asking, investigating, experimenting, failing, and succeeding on your own. There is no magic injection.

Don't compare yourself to others. There are enough people out there that'll pay you that 'service' - for free! Be yourself, have fun, and above all: stay healthy!

Now that our heads are in the right place, we'll be moving on to the next lesson in story, so stay tuned.



Get down, make love!


--H

Hey Gang (that means you, Rick)!!!

I've been getting a few queries lately about my production set-up on Linux for the upcoming 'Stan & Fred' animation. I thought I'd take the time to show you what most of the software I'll be using looks like in the FC 5 environment. They may be open source and free, but that doesn't mean they don't look lean and mean! Without any further ado, here are the motley cast of characters:

*Note: you can click on the images to get a larger view.






It's worth mentioning that all of my document and presentation creation needs are being taken care of using OpenOffice software package. I didn't do a screen cap of any of those programs because it's not directly related to the animation, but does play a great role behind the scenes.

Well, I'm off for the weekend. I'll be back on Monday (hopefully, with a bunch of stories and photos). For those of you who are Canadian, or wish you were...

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!

--H

Hey all!

I was telling my wife and fellow artist recently what my intentions are with this blog and she directed me to a truly great blog that inspired me tremendously. It's called See Eunny Knit and it's about Eunny Jang's passion, which is all things knitting. She's got a very user friendly design with tutorials, patterns you pay for, free patterns - you name it.

After seeing that, I was inspired to really think about design and delivery of content, since what Eunny's doing and what I'm trying to do are not dissimilar. I did go blog hunting to find more of these well-thought-out designs and found a few already in relatively unrelated areas of interest. I'm not done making my Top 10 Blog List, yet, but I will soon and I'll post them here for all to see.

So, I'm designing a whole new look and feel to the Animation Bin as we speak.


Santé!


--H

Ah, summer! The weather is hotter. The smog is thicker. The girls wear less clothing. The bums smell just a little muskier... this is the best season by far!

I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time walking around town - perhaps, once in a while, spend the entire day - taking pictures of people for, um... reference... yeah! That's what it's for: reference!

This is definitely a summer of animation for me. There's definitely no shortage of things to do in that department. Of course, there's also this journal and my pages on g-c.com to keep me busy. I know my friends are reading this, but I'd also like to make sure other artists come visit me, as well, so spread the word!


Skol!


--H