Sunday, July 25, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Week 8 Progress
This week I flipped my slate page, gathered all my images to get them print ready, created a rough demo reel and also created a rough presentation that I would like all the critique I can get on.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Watercolors
I also was trying to create a wallpaper as my slate page and this is what I came up with, let me know what you think. I included the before and after.
I ended up having to animate shot per shot with my reel or my iPhone would fly all over the place and deform, so it took a bit more time but I think it is working much better! Now what I want to do is do a voice like in the commercials, but I would say things like "this is my iPhone. . . I use it for everything, but mainly for showing my designs. . ." then go into each piece saying it is a composition, special effects, etc. I think I defiantly need that to tie it all together.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Week6 Portfolio Progress
After watching all those professional Demo reels this week I knew that I had to work harder to create some impressive work, so this week I set off to create more skill showing pieces. Below are a few I worked on this week and are works in progress.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Week 5 Demo Reel
Here is a new idea for my reel. This is what I have so far for my new idea, but I already see problems, the images are too hard to see and there are a few images that go outside the iPhone, so I plan on starting off on the shot it is now and then go in for a close up to the iPhone, close enough that the images are the size of the screen this way it will eliminate some of the awkward finger movement and you will be able to see the images better, then I will zoom out at the end for a full shot. Also the music I included is the music in the iPhone commercials! I really like the music: )
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Here are a few of my 3D animations I plan on working on through out this course. My teddy bear was during a character and rigging class I was in and I completed my animation, but I just didn’t “tweak” him to move properly. I would like to fix his walk cycle so that he moves naturally and is a class A piece. I would also like to make my initial teddy bear sketch single lined and more portfolio presentable.
My butterfly animation turned out simple. This is how I intended and liked it to be however when I render him it is slow and there are several glitches including a point where my butterfly freezes. I am hoping to be able to work through those glitches that I just did not have time for in my previous class.
My last 3D animation is of a bee flying through the air. It is a bit comical, but the preliminary sketches were pretty much thrown out the window because of the number of problems I was having with my animation, so I couldn’t do initially what I intended to do so I improvised. So I would like to fix my sketch to match my animation, so that I may present it from my initial sketch to my finished animation.
I also have some other piece I plan on using in my demo reel; however they are not the main focus.
Industry Analysis
Industry Analysis, Written Portfolio Plan and Reflection Statement
By Crystal Cibrian
Instructed by James Chandler of Westwood College
Animation Portfolio Review-GD495
June 4, 2010
Industry Analysis
Looking for a job in today’s job market is no easy task, so it is very important to fully understand what you and the employer are looking for so you may be organized, prepared and find a quality position. When looking for a new career it is very important to know where you stand in your values, skills, temperament, interests and career choice. I know that I require more in a position than the average job. I have transferable skills for any position that will work in my favor. Most importantly I know more about what defines my career goals and I am studying to be in the perfect career that fits a few of the choices below.
Animation Artist
Salary Range $45,000 - $62,000
An Animation Artist is an entry level position and can range from company to company on the type of genre they work in from film, television, video games and the internet. They usually work in teams and each artist applies their artistic style for the visual appeal of the animation as a whole. An Animator can work in software to create layers in different positions to give the illusion of a character moving. More traditionally an animator can creates traditional animation where the animator draws several hundred sheets of a character moving, using pencil and paper. A Lead Animator with more experience ranges from $65,000 to $80,000 and takes the animation in their preferred direction. Also an animator turned producer starts off close to $130,000 a year.
Production Artist
Salary Range $49,000 - $79,000
A Production Artist is a technical position, usually entry level and was originated by advertising agencies. Production artists work closely with the designer and art director. They also have several job descriptions ranging from web page content, printing media, creating CD ROMs and multimedia content. They are also referred to as Multimedia Designers. Their demand is growing and starting rate for their skills can be as much as $79,000 in New York City, NY.
Motion Graphics Designer
Salary Range $46,000 - $70,000
Motion Graphic Artists create the motion in multimedia art. The intros to football games, basketball games and many television shows are created by Motion Graphic Artists. They create animated texts and their movements; they create the light that fly’s around in the sprint commercials and the movement in other commercials where we follow an object with our eyes through space, the jungle or any city. They create the illusion of movement in art. This is not an entry level position, but equivalent to a lead animator.
Some of the main priorities I have chosen for my career go hand in hand with the above positions. I value exposure to new skills, personal growth and fulfillment in my job position. These creative careers are always changing with the times and upgrades of software which make these jobs perfect as my career goal. I also love production work in the film industry and hope to become an animator turn producer. Some other positions in this industry can be a Crowd Artist, 2D After Effects Illustrator, Audio Mixer, Maya Character Animator and Creative Director. I have also concluded that animation art skills are higher paid on both coasts by at least 20% for most positions; however I will start closer to home. And in order to achieve a salary I need to begin increasing my portfolio now perhaps by volunteer work or perhaps get employed at one of the business’s below.
Companies Closer to Home
Garmin –Creates Communication Technology
Olathe, KS
(913) 397-8200
Jobs- Associate Interactive and Animation Designer, Software User Interface Designer, Interactive and Animation designer.
Portfolio Requirements: Resume and Reel
Trinity Animation-Production
Lee Summit, MO
(800) 548-1578
Jobs- Technical and Demonstrative Animator, Architectural Animator, Medical Animator and Photorealistic Artist. This is a small company ran by about 9 people and each person has their specialty and created title.
Portfolio Requirements: Resume and Reel
Bazillion Pictures-Animation Studio and Visual Effects
Kansas City, MO
(816) 474-7427
Jobs- Animator, Visual Effects designer.
Portfolio Requirements: Resume and Electronic Reel (a website with your reel on it)
CVP Productions-Animation, Web Content Studio and Post-Production
Lenexa, KS
(913) 888-2383
Jobs- Animator, Visual Effects designer, Web Content Developer, Motion Graphic Artist and Video Producer. This is a small company ran by less than 15 people, each person has their own specialty and created title.
Portfolio Requirements: Resume, Cover Letter and Reel
Hallmark- World Leading Card Company
Kansas City, MO
(816) 274-5672
Jobs- Animator, Art Specialist, Lead Artist, Art Director, Sketch Artist, Storyboard Artist, Color Artist, Web Content Developer.
Portfolio Requirements: Resume and Reel
Kansas City is one of the leading cities in animation. Unlike many people I live in a city that has several companies that specialize in my education. I can get my foot in the door of several companies that can help build my career. One of my best choices may be Hallmark. It is the world leader in greeting cards, gift wrapping and other expression products such as Crayola, Day Spring Christian Cards, Sunrise greeting, blessing unlimited and William Aurthor Fine Stationary. They have several creative departments and are outside the box of other creative companies. When I say this it is because they have one of the largest creative teams in their industry. They have conceptual artists to Motion Graphic Designers all who work in teams. They also have brainstorming meetings that put all their writers, animators or e-card team in a room to brainstorm, whether it is for a new slogan for Easter or a new theme for Valentine’s Day. It is really encouraging and allows for innovative ideas. Hallmark is not only the company to help you connect, but their employees are personally passionate about caring, creativity, quality and innovation, values that are at my core. However, of the above companies I believe Hallmark would be my biggest resource because it is so widely known and can increase my networking contacts.
Written Portfolio Plan
Not only is it important to know companies and positions that may be building blocks for your career, but it is just as important to build a portfolio that can show those companies what you would like to do with your career. Since the beginning of school I knew the work I was going to do in school was going to be assignment based and accomplished to the liking of each instructor because of the importance of getting good grades and a high GPA. However knowing this I also knew the work completed was not going to be the actual work shown to possible employers. They were stepping stones to my professional portfolio. Knowing this I also knew how I was going to build my portfolio with real life experiences. I plan on volunteering at animal shelters and many non-for profit organizations needing graphic artists, illustrators and editors in order to get some client work experience. Once I feel I have a “thicker” portfolio I am going to introduce it to several companies around the Kansas City area in the form of a reel to be seen.
However I do feel like I have a few pieces that can be implemented into my portfolio, however they need a little “polishing”. These will be the pieces I will be using for this class portfolio project. The critical assignments I will be including will be many 3D animations, such as my character creation and rig, my two Maya animations and some other 3D assignments. I would also like to include the progression of one of my animations; this would include preliminary sketches and a storyboard. I also feel like I could incorporate my print, web and possibly my special effects work.
Once I establish the exact pieces I am going to include I must improve them. For example some of my preliminary sketches may need to be refined to make them look less “sketchy”. My After effect videos may need some easy ease added to the keys in the time line for a smoother transition from key to key. So once I gather all my assets and have them side by side I will be able to better establish what I need to do in order to unify them within a demo reel. Once this has been decided I will be able to move forward smoothly.
Written Reflection Statement
It is also very important to customize your portfolio and resume to each position or company you are applying for. Knowing an industry and what a company does is important yes, but by customizing your portfolio and resume to their company shows them that you are not wasting their time and you mean business. It also shows them exactly what they want to see. If they ask for a resume and demo reel create a specific resume including some of their “qualifications” without lying of course and a demo reel specific to the job title, if this requires researching a job title it will be well worth it. The extra effort in creating job specific resumes may land you the position. Also customizing your resume and portfolio per each job title or company helps to ensure that your resume and reel stay up to date.
So in the end the harder you work for a position the more chances are you will get your foot into the door. Knowing the industry and specific company will help but giving the company what they want is exactly what they look for from the beginning.
Resources
Prospects, The UK’s official graduate careers website
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/animator_job_description.jsp
Salary.com
http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layouthtmls/swzl_compresult_national_IT10000111.html
Indeed Job Search
http://www.indeed.com/q-Graphics-Designer-Production-Artist-jobs.html
By Crystal Cibrian
Instructed by James Chandler of Westwood College
Animation Portfolio Review-GD495
June 4, 2010
Industry Analysis
Looking for a job in today’s job market is no easy task, so it is very important to fully understand what you and the employer are looking for so you may be organized, prepared and find a quality position. When looking for a new career it is very important to know where you stand in your values, skills, temperament, interests and career choice. I know that I require more in a position than the average job. I have transferable skills for any position that will work in my favor. Most importantly I know more about what defines my career goals and I am studying to be in the perfect career that fits a few of the choices below.
Animation Artist
Salary Range $45,000 - $62,000
An Animation Artist is an entry level position and can range from company to company on the type of genre they work in from film, television, video games and the internet. They usually work in teams and each artist applies their artistic style for the visual appeal of the animation as a whole. An Animator can work in software to create layers in different positions to give the illusion of a character moving. More traditionally an animator can creates traditional animation where the animator draws several hundred sheets of a character moving, using pencil and paper. A Lead Animator with more experience ranges from $65,000 to $80,000 and takes the animation in their preferred direction. Also an animator turned producer starts off close to $130,000 a year.
Production Artist
Salary Range $49,000 - $79,000
A Production Artist is a technical position, usually entry level and was originated by advertising agencies. Production artists work closely with the designer and art director. They also have several job descriptions ranging from web page content, printing media, creating CD ROMs and multimedia content. They are also referred to as Multimedia Designers. Their demand is growing and starting rate for their skills can be as much as $79,000 in New York City, NY.
Motion Graphics Designer
Salary Range $46,000 - $70,000
Motion Graphic Artists create the motion in multimedia art. The intros to football games, basketball games and many television shows are created by Motion Graphic Artists. They create animated texts and their movements; they create the light that fly’s around in the sprint commercials and the movement in other commercials where we follow an object with our eyes through space, the jungle or any city. They create the illusion of movement in art. This is not an entry level position, but equivalent to a lead animator.
Some of the main priorities I have chosen for my career go hand in hand with the above positions. I value exposure to new skills, personal growth and fulfillment in my job position. These creative careers are always changing with the times and upgrades of software which make these jobs perfect as my career goal. I also love production work in the film industry and hope to become an animator turn producer. Some other positions in this industry can be a Crowd Artist, 2D After Effects Illustrator, Audio Mixer, Maya Character Animator and Creative Director. I have also concluded that animation art skills are higher paid on both coasts by at least 20% for most positions; however I will start closer to home. And in order to achieve a salary I need to begin increasing my portfolio now perhaps by volunteer work or perhaps get employed at one of the business’s below.
Companies Closer to Home
Garmin –Creates Communication Technology
Olathe, KS
(913) 397-8200
Jobs- Associate Interactive and Animation Designer, Software User Interface Designer, Interactive and Animation designer.
Portfolio Requirements: Resume and Reel
Trinity Animation-Production
Lee Summit, MO
(800) 548-1578
Jobs- Technical and Demonstrative Animator, Architectural Animator, Medical Animator and Photorealistic Artist. This is a small company ran by about 9 people and each person has their specialty and created title.
Portfolio Requirements: Resume and Reel
Bazillion Pictures-Animation Studio and Visual Effects
Kansas City, MO
(816) 474-7427
Jobs- Animator, Visual Effects designer.
Portfolio Requirements: Resume and Electronic Reel (a website with your reel on it)
CVP Productions-Animation, Web Content Studio and Post-Production
Lenexa, KS
(913) 888-2383
Jobs- Animator, Visual Effects designer, Web Content Developer, Motion Graphic Artist and Video Producer. This is a small company ran by less than 15 people, each person has their own specialty and created title.
Portfolio Requirements: Resume, Cover Letter and Reel
Hallmark- World Leading Card Company
Kansas City, MO
(816) 274-5672
Jobs- Animator, Art Specialist, Lead Artist, Art Director, Sketch Artist, Storyboard Artist, Color Artist, Web Content Developer.
Portfolio Requirements: Resume and Reel
Kansas City is one of the leading cities in animation. Unlike many people I live in a city that has several companies that specialize in my education. I can get my foot in the door of several companies that can help build my career. One of my best choices may be Hallmark. It is the world leader in greeting cards, gift wrapping and other expression products such as Crayola, Day Spring Christian Cards, Sunrise greeting, blessing unlimited and William Aurthor Fine Stationary. They have several creative departments and are outside the box of other creative companies. When I say this it is because they have one of the largest creative teams in their industry. They have conceptual artists to Motion Graphic Designers all who work in teams. They also have brainstorming meetings that put all their writers, animators or e-card team in a room to brainstorm, whether it is for a new slogan for Easter or a new theme for Valentine’s Day. It is really encouraging and allows for innovative ideas. Hallmark is not only the company to help you connect, but their employees are personally passionate about caring, creativity, quality and innovation, values that are at my core. However, of the above companies I believe Hallmark would be my biggest resource because it is so widely known and can increase my networking contacts.
Written Portfolio Plan
Not only is it important to know companies and positions that may be building blocks for your career, but it is just as important to build a portfolio that can show those companies what you would like to do with your career. Since the beginning of school I knew the work I was going to do in school was going to be assignment based and accomplished to the liking of each instructor because of the importance of getting good grades and a high GPA. However knowing this I also knew the work completed was not going to be the actual work shown to possible employers. They were stepping stones to my professional portfolio. Knowing this I also knew how I was going to build my portfolio with real life experiences. I plan on volunteering at animal shelters and many non-for profit organizations needing graphic artists, illustrators and editors in order to get some client work experience. Once I feel I have a “thicker” portfolio I am going to introduce it to several companies around the Kansas City area in the form of a reel to be seen.
However I do feel like I have a few pieces that can be implemented into my portfolio, however they need a little “polishing”. These will be the pieces I will be using for this class portfolio project. The critical assignments I will be including will be many 3D animations, such as my character creation and rig, my two Maya animations and some other 3D assignments. I would also like to include the progression of one of my animations; this would include preliminary sketches and a storyboard. I also feel like I could incorporate my print, web and possibly my special effects work.
Once I establish the exact pieces I am going to include I must improve them. For example some of my preliminary sketches may need to be refined to make them look less “sketchy”. My After effect videos may need some easy ease added to the keys in the time line for a smoother transition from key to key. So once I gather all my assets and have them side by side I will be able to better establish what I need to do in order to unify them within a demo reel. Once this has been decided I will be able to move forward smoothly.
Written Reflection Statement
It is also very important to customize your portfolio and resume to each position or company you are applying for. Knowing an industry and what a company does is important yes, but by customizing your portfolio and resume to their company shows them that you are not wasting their time and you mean business. It also shows them exactly what they want to see. If they ask for a resume and demo reel create a specific resume including some of their “qualifications” without lying of course and a demo reel specific to the job title, if this requires researching a job title it will be well worth it. The extra effort in creating job specific resumes may land you the position. Also customizing your resume and portfolio per each job title or company helps to ensure that your resume and reel stay up to date.
So in the end the harder you work for a position the more chances are you will get your foot into the door. Knowing the industry and specific company will help but giving the company what they want is exactly what they look for from the beginning.
Resources
Prospects, The UK’s official graduate careers website
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/animator_job_description.jsp
Salary.com
http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layouthtmls/swzl_compresult_national_IT10000111.html
Indeed Job Search
http://www.indeed.com/q-Graphics-Designer-Production-Artist-jobs.html
Friday, May 28, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
First Time Blog User
Wow! So this is a blog. . . . . Well this is the first itme I have ever used a blog before, but it seems much like Facebook, Twitter and places like that, but just so you know I dont even have an account with any of those.
Why? you ask well I just really do not have time. I am a single mommy of three beautiful kids and between work, my school, my kids school, ballet, football and other extra ciricular activities I am running all over the place all of the time: )
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