Animation

I started working with my father’s computer at least four years back. I was always interested in animated games like any other kid. Seeing that I was occupying most of the time my father’s machine, he decided to get one separately for me. The prime purpose was to get me off his neck! But then, that also started off a great interest in me. I started liking the games that were on the computer; not just to play them but also to make them. I started researching the tools that are used to make these animated games and movies.
One of the major inspirations came from an interview that I saw on the internet. It was the animation artist, Mike Kane. He was talking about his experiences when he created the Avatar: Origins. He was an inspiration because he started small and was developing himself out of a hobby. He was making an impact out of it even though he was winning his daily bread elsewhere. This was part-time work for him. He made it sound as though it is pretty easy to do. I have also seen some of the works by professional animators and I found them very impressive. The games that they have created or the movies that have been made are all made to be impressive. They are not only artistic but also bring an educative twist to the tale. For young children, it is inspiring and guiding.

I have always enjoyed Disney’s Pixar productions like any other youngster. I have loved the way the work has been done by them. This love for the product made me study what is required to become an animator. An animator, I found, should have a flair for art and drawing. I have done a number of paintings during my school. I have also won accolades for these paintings that I did in different media, like water and oil. I have also done work on computer-based artworks. These have attracted the attention of my teachers and my school students; so much so that some of these have been put up on an exhibition recently organized in my school.

My interest in art and painting has also cultivated a spirit of creativity. In addition, it also made me admire art in various forms. This could be a painting, a cartoon or a story, or a poem. I have read that an understanding of the underlying story and a keen interest in storytelling is essential to build a good animation. My keen interest in stories and the storytelling methods adopted by a number of storytellers would help me understand the nuances involved.

I have always had a flair to learn a software package fast. I, of course, know how to work on most of the Microsoft Software. I have also worked on a number of graphic tools. Though of course, my intention is to learn more about the huge range of software tools available for animation. It is important if I want to master animation that I work towards mastering the tools as well as the methodologies to create an animated movie. This I have found that a number of institutes in the country offer.

Sheridan College is one of the best offering animator programs. Since I would like to be the best of the professionals doing animation, I would also like to study at one of the best colleges. From my survey of the institutes and my discussion with the students from various colleges, I found that Sheridan offers one of the best programs on multi-media and animation. The course content is elaborate, very practical, and at the same time, motivates the student to try on his own. Some of the students from Sheridan had their works on the internet. It is nice to see the students exhibit their animated products. This was also one of the reasons why I wanted to study at Sheridan where the students get to do lots of practical work. I am willing to put in the hard work that goes into learning any skill.

I think that the use of 3D animation films has grown tremendously over the last few years. The first 3D animated series began with ‘VeggieTales’. It was created in 1993 and basically set the stage for other 3D animated films to come after. The first totally animated movie was ‘Toy Story’. Other films before it had used 3D animation to make bits and pieces but this was the first film that used it entirely. Another thing that made 3D animation so popular was the creation of Tim Burton’s films. I do expect this trend will continue. People are always asking for more of this style in sequels to the already well-known movies. It has also been noticed that many 3D animated films become huge box office hits.

When you film a regular movie with actors, the quality of the film mostly depends on the capabilities of the chosen actors. 3D animation does not have this problem because they animate exactly what the actors are supposed to do. This leaves no room for acting mistakes or slip-ups that we notice in many movies. I think one of the biggest forces driving this trend is Tim Burton’s movies as well as Pixar. It is very easy to tell that ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ and ‘Frankenweenie’ are stop-motion films. All movies by Tim Burton have a very distinct style that is very recognizable. Pixar, on the other hand, has created some of their best-selling movies, such as ‘The Incredibles’, by using 3D animation to create their films.

Another reason 3D animation films are so popular is because they are so realistic. Many people, including myself, enjoy watching films that they can relate to. When a film looks more realistic more people will enjoy watching it.

A common misconception about 3D animation films is that they are cheaper. In many cases a 3D animation film is much more expensive than a regular film with live actors. When you take into consideration the cost of the technology, they have to use to create realistic animations as well as the professionals that they have to pay to create all the parts of the animations, the films typically have a very large price tag. The most expensive animated film was ‘Tangled’. This movie had a budget of $260 million and most other animated films are not far behind. The upside of these large numbers is that the movies typically pull way more than the budget. These types of films are always a lot of money and contain even more hard work than dollars, but in the end, they pay off.

I would expect 3D animated films to take over all types of filming before I would expect them to lose popularity. This type of animation is a very fast-growing industry and creates jobs for all types of people. The type of films that are produced by using 3D animation is one of the most popular types of film that the industry has ever seen. I have never enjoyed watching a certain type of film as much as I enjoy 3D animated films.