CutePixel

by Kelly Richardson
Animation School Review Columnist

Animation Theater and Electronic Theater presentations. A prestigious forum for computer graphics research. Panels of industry experts discussing a wide variety of topics in animation and visual arts. This is your career launch pad.

Welcome, animation students, to SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group for Computer Graphics), the annual ‘must-attend’ event celebrating the best in visual arts advancements. A large exhibition floor and elaborate booths entice visitors to absorb the latest technologies in engineering, computer graphics, motion pictures, media interactivity, and video gaming. And you might even see a celeb or two as you wander from display to display.

SIGGRAPH Up Close

Here’s what you can expect should you make the trek:

• Full Menu. SIGGRAPH offers attendees the Computer Animation Festival, Emerging Technologies, Sketches, Access Grids, and Web Programs.
• Submission Ops. Learn from dynamic project submissions that cover topics from physics simulation to advanced picture and video animation processing.
• The Classics. Preview Robert Zemeckis’ upcoming performance-capture feature Beowulf as part of SIGGRAPH 2007’s Electronic Theater.

Animation Career Building

It’s quite easy to become caught up in the animation splendors of SIGGRAPH and forget that this is the perfect atmosphere for career development. Those who want to make an impact in the visual arts field will find support and direction with every exhibition.

Some of the more unique aspects of SIGGRAPH are the full-and half-day courses in state-of-the-art computer graphics topics. Learn from established animation and visual arts professionals as they discuss software, equipment, and techniques in a continuing education format.

No matter how you slice it, the SIGGRAPH symposium offers the best in the visual arts and animation industries—especially for newbies in the field.

About the Author

Kelly Richardson covers the local education and technology scenes in major cities across the country. His articles appear in educational journals, periodicals, and e-zines.

Source(s)

ACMSIGGRAPH
Animation Magazine

by Kelly Richardson
Animation School Review Columnist

Nothing brings more life and character to a great animation feature than a celebrity voiceover. Animation voiceovers not only entertain audiences, but also sell products and services. Here’s the scoop on celebrity voice actors in the studio.

The influence a voice has over the message is absolutely immeasurable—not just on the animation front, but in advertising as well. Commercial and animated voiceovers differ in some important ways, however. UW News reports that in advertisements, unfamiliar voices are much more effective than those recognized. In animation, by contrast, familiar voices matched with computer-generated faces are all the rage.

Voiceovers in Animation

A recent Animation World Magazine report took up the issue of celebrity voice actors in the animation studio. Here’s what it found.

• Competition. The trend of casting well-known actors in newly released animations is reducing demand for career voiceover actors.
• Qualifications? Career voice actors maintain that their specific training in mike techniques and vocal acting make them more qualified than their immensely famous counterparts.
• Commitment. Many animation fans criticize big name actors for not putting the same effort into their performance as they would in a ‘real life’ movie.

Blockbuster in Point

The Transformers movie release has animation fans holding their breath for the insane action sequences and celebrity voice actors. Pop culture news network EMI reports that Peter Cullen, Hugo Weaving, and Mark Ryan are just some of the acclaimed actors adding their voice talents to the jaw-dropping animation sequences.

No matter how good the animation is, voice actors play a critical role. The quality of the voiceover is as critical to the final product as storyboarding and image effects.

About the Author

Kelly Richardson covers the local education and technology scenes in major cities across the country. His articles appear in educational journals, periodicals, and e-zines.

Source(s)

Animation World Magazine
ENI

by Kelly Richardson
Animation School Review Columnist

The Microsoft PowerPoint application has become the standard for public speaking and education. Here’s a style guide for using the animation tools included in the program without turning off your audience.

PowerPointAnimation Guide

For the better part of seventeen years, the PowerPoint display program has been included in the Microsoft Office Suite. Despite an inauspicious beginning, PowerPoint has fast become an industry standard. PowerPoint offers a wide variety of animations to help add pizzazz and focus to your presentation.

These guidelines will help you to make the most judicious use of PowerPoint animation tools:

• Less is More. Always be sparing with your inclusion of animation. A well placed image here or there will provide a rich visual for your audience.
• Stay Static. Try to avoid moving animations. Stick to static images, including photos, charts, graphs, and other imagery that distills information.
• Pertinence. If you must entertain, you should also enlighten. Make sure each PowerPoint animation has a reason for being included in your slides.

PowerPointAnimation Resources

If your PowerPoint abilities aren’t as sharp as you’d like, a wealth of training resources are available to help you meet your particular learning needs.

• Online Class. Online Microsoft certification classes meet complex scheduling needs.
• Classroom Training. If you prefer the human touch of an actual professor, there are a variety of in-class training options.

Selective use of PowerPoint animations will accomplish two crucial goals. First, it can help keep you audience engaged, and second, it can convey your thoughts clearly and succinctly.

About the Author

Kelly Richardson covers the local education and technology scenes in major cities across the country. His articles appear in educational journals, periodicals, and e-zines.

by Kelly Richardson
Animation School Review Columnist

GIF, or graphics interchange format, offers a palette of up to 256 distinct colors from the 24-bit RGB color space. Its convenient portability and support capabilities make it the ‘go-to’ animation process for World Wide Web builders.

Created by CompuServe in 1987, GIF animation has become an industry standard for those animators looking to produce sharp-edged line art. This animation process supports a ‘frames’ approach to design, making it ideal for sequences light on image detail.

GIFAnimation Usage

While it has its limitations, GIF animation is still one of the preferred formats for web pages and streaming media.

• Best Applications. GIF animation is perfect for small animations, low resolution clips, and limited color designs such as business logos.
• Downloading. Because the compressed GIF file requires a lengthier download time, uncompressed bitmap images are frequently used instead.
• Digital Photos. JPEG images are used over GIF files for digital photography, due to the limitations of color distinction with GIF animation.

Benefits of GIF

There are two major reasons why GIF animations are still a favorite of web design professionals for certain projects.

• Repeating. GIFs are repeatable and reusable. They download only once and can be placed in multiple locations on your page.
• Available. Anyone can create GIF files and put them on a web page, as all Windows operating systems support this function.

Try your hand at GIF animation today. You’ll be surprised at how fast you can pick it up, as well as the functionality of this web design standard.

About the Author

Kelly Richardson covers the local education and technology scenes in major cities across the country. His articles appear in educational journals, periodicals, and e-zines.

by Kelly Richardson
Animation School Review Columnist

Anyone who has followed the video gaming industry over the past twenty or thirty years has witnessed an incredible transformation. What was once a single blip and sliding bar is now a canvas of complex figures and complex story lines.

When most people think cartoon animation, the first thing that comes to mind is video games. As games went from the arcade to the living room, cartoon animation professionals competed to create the latest and greatest in moveable graphics and explosive sound.

Cartoon Animation Grows Up

You can follow the development of cartoon animation in the video gaming industry by tracing the path of the industry itself. The top consoles of the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s reveal the advancements of cartoon animation technologies.

• First Generation. Atari and Activision introduced the world to gaming through basic eight and sixteen-bit cartoon animation applications.
• Second Generation. Nintendo burst onto the scene with fresh new titles and handheld computer gaming systems.
• Third Generation. Sony made big waves with its Playstation series, featuring unique computer animation Modchips that extended the capacities of the console.

The Future of Cartoon Animation

So just what does the future hold for cartoon animation in the video gaming industry? This nine billion dollar a year business shows no signs of slowing. So you can bet that expectations will reach an all-time high. The new generation of animation will feature:

• Versatility. Graphics must be formatted to fit a variety of display mediums.
• Portability. Handheld gaming will increase the demand for higher animation resolution.

If the past is any indication, the next thirty years of cartoon animation improvements will open up new frontiers in gaming.

About the author

Kelly Richardson covers the local education and technology scenes in major cities across the country. His articles appear in educational journals, periodicals, and e-zines.

By Joe Cooper
Animation School Review Columnist

Animation is a large industry with impressive growth potential. Computer animation alone is projected to exceed $32 billion in two years. To take full advantage of the career opportunities, start planning during animation school. Explore this global industry and available jobs before you graduate, and you’ll hit the ground running.

A career in animation is not limited to any one medium or location. Animation is now a global industry with strong players across many continents. Going to animation school will help you learn as much as you can about the industry before you enter it, improving your chances for a great career in animation.

Animation School Tips

Here are some tips for getting the most out of animation school:

• Learn as much as you can about the industry before you graduate. Animation school offers a rare opportunity to ask industry questions and receive tailored information.
• Understand the international playing field of animation. The U.S. and Canada are the leading players, developing characters and deciding the course of many animated productions. But the production itself involves several other major players, including India at the top of the list. India’s $9 billion animation industry is expanding rapidly, and new education programs are popping up there to support the high demand for U.S. animation outsourcing. China, Korea, and Japan also play an important role in animation.
• Keep in mind that there are many jobs in animation. As you gain experience in the industry, you will learn that there are many positions available aside from animating. Project managers, storyboard managers, production managers, communications directors, international liaisons, media liaisons, and more help animation studios run. You may decide you’d like to move into one of these roles after you gain some animation experience.

Before you enter the job market, take advantage of your animation school resources to learn more about the industry. The focus will help you develop a game plan for career success.

Source(s):

Filmmaker South Africa

About the Author

Joe Cooper is a freelance education and technology writer and edits medical literature. He holds a bachelor’s in American Literature from UCLA.