Start Your Engines!

Ahhhh, the summer was so nice, relaxing, travelling, having fun with family and loved ones.. Well now its time to get back to work! Pixar just finished its internship with 12 animation interns who did an amazing job. So much was learned, not only by the interns but by fellow animators. Its always inspiring to see what new interns can do and how they come up with good ideas. As I prepare to go back to school and teach again, what I am most interested in doing is trying to not only teach the core principles, but also prepare the students for more complex assignments. Acting, pantomime, thought process and so forth. In talking to one of the interns that came from California College of Art, I asked him what were some of the things that prepared him for the internship. He thought that knowing the principles of animation backwards and forwards is key. Also having a basic understanding of how spline editors work and the whole process of 3d animation as opposed to 2d was important. Things like layering and polish.  All in all, it was the students ideas and acting abilities that ultimately got them into the internship, of which most received a job from this experience. In looking to this semester, I think its important to develop those principle muscles, but always be thinking about the core ideas. What will be entertaining to watch? What type of characters will be fun to animate? What can the new blood bring to this medium? I wish everyone an exciting new year of learning!

-Andrew