On one hand it feels like it’s been such a long time since I started AM and on the other hand it is truly flying by. More or less it must be the effect of the left and right side of my brain being stimulated simultaneously. So far this has been one of the most enjoyable experiences that I have had as far as learning is concerned. Albeit, it helps that I’m ecstatic about what I’m doing and AM seemingly works very hard to make it enjoyable as well as challenging at the same time.

Anyway before I go off on some type of joyous AM rant which is not hard to do. I just wanted to acknowledge that week 3 is officially in the books! Last week we were tasked with the assignment of animating a bouncing ball that emulated a basketball. I can honestly say with a positive smirk that I probably know more about a bouncing ball then I ever did before and there is still tons more to learn from it.

What was really interesting for me is that I’ve done bouncing balls in the past in animation. Although, in my earlier attempts I had never fully went in-depth as to why things were happening or what was really taking place. As long as something was moving I was happy and excited (reflecting and laughing now). Not to mention, this is really the first time that I’ve conciously acknowledged a few of the “principles of animation” as addressed in the manner of which it has been this past week. Don’t get me wrong, I had always been “aware” of the principles of animation but I never truly studied them the way I’m studying them now. Good stuff, it really is and I’m sure going forward it will show in my upcoming work.

After I receive my e-critique from my mentor this week and I get a chance to apply any revisions if necessary. I’ll go ahead and upload my assignment from last week. Also, I’ll upload my revised Stu pose based on the pose in my last post. The posing of Stu in itself is another topic all together and maybe I’ll revisit that down the road.

Proper staging and the how a characters silhouette reads is just one of the many things that are being ingrained into my mind. It is something when you step back and think about all of the things that animators “have to know” when working on a shot. And when you think you’ve written down the last thing on the list you hear “Oh and don’t forget these other ten things too! and…and…”. As far as I’m concerned, when you can actually call your self a professional animator that is really saying something.

As I prepare for this weeks assignment, my fascination with AM and my passion for animation continues to grow even stronger as the big picture slowly starts to unfold. My appreciation of animators past and present is something that will always be as my eyes are continuing to be finely tuned.

Check back later this week for some visual updates.