THE 'PENCILS TO PIXELS' LECTURE SERIES:
Introducing the class to my papers on 'generic walks'.
I recently started what is to be my "Pencils to Pixels Lecture Series" at the DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, WA. This is a 'continuing education' series of lectures devised for professional animators, currently working in the industry, who want to take their animation to the next level. Essentially reviewing techniques indicated in my own books but also covering in greater detail the material presented in Richard Williams' "The Animator's Survival Kit", this course is a unique yet valuable series I believe. As I was a young and green animator at the Richard Williams Studio in London during the 1970's... when the incredible Art Babbitt (late Disney master animator) and Ken Harris (late Warner Brothers master animator) lectures shaped the destiny of our lives in London at the time and subsequently provided the core foundation material for our books... it seemed a wonderful privilege for me to share with the young professional animators of today the deeper insights that these wonderful and unique experiences provided me.
Discussing the differences between walks and runs.
I consider "The Animator's Survival Kit" to be THE 'BIBLE' for all advanced animators who want to acquire a maximum mastery of their profession. Whereas I have always considered the material in my own books the perfect primer for young, ambitious 'degree-level' students of animation, I believe the Richard Williams' book to be the ultimate 'MA-level' course that can transform a solid professional animator into a master character animator! I therefore wanted to share a little of this outstanding mastery with the animators in the Redmond area who sought to unravel the mysteries it all contains. DigiPen were generous enough to sponsor the series as part of their 'Advanced Certificate' program they are offering outside of their amazing BFA program in Animation Production. For the record, I am currently preparing for 'class 04' of this 10-part series... and am enjoying it enormously!
Discussing movement on arcs.
The exciting thing for me however is the fact that the entire series is being filmed as it unfolds and will ultimately be released on DVD in my new book, "How To Be An Animator ~ and make Animated Films". This will be my third (and yes, my last!) 'instructional' book on animation... effectively providing a complete degree-level course on animation in a book, initially teaching readers to be competent animators and then instructing them how to become animated filmmakers too. The first part of the book will be structured as an assignment-by-assignment series of BA-style lecture papers that are devised to take students to a professional-level degree of competence with their animation. The second part will teach on a stage-by-stage, MA-style basis the process of making professional-looking films from skills learned earlier. Textbooks for the course-in-a-book will include my "The Animator's Workbook" and "Animation from Pencils to Pixels ~ Classical Techniques for Digital Animators" publicatons... with more than a little encouragement for students to dive into "The Animator's Survival Kit" too! The DVD will cover all the material presented in the "Pencils to Pixels Lecture Series"... and more!
The book and accompanying DVD will be on sale in early 2009.
Tony. :^{)}=-
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