MavCore 3D Animation Magazine

Changing global distribution

ANIMATION FOR ALL AGES Breaking social stereotypes

AXIS ANIMATION The network of an animation leader

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contents October - December 2016

Cover Art Model by: Atelier Sommerland Background Art by: Cla78 stock.adobe.com

Cover Stories 28 | Animation for All Ages

Just for kids? Breaking the stereotypes of animation in our culture.

40 | Distribution

Akyumen - Changing the distribution world through disruptive technologies for the independent film.

22 | Axis Animation

A leader in the animation industry explains their group network and how they work together to create some of the best animation on the market.

14 Training 14 | Animation Mentor

The original online animation school taught by professional animators.

Learn to animate from home with quality mentors.

16 | Workflow

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VFX Animation Workflow for a Live Action Movie. A workflow tutorial from Animation Mentor.

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Offbeat 54 | Machinima

A different type of animation that breaks from the traditional mainstream mold.

40 Showcase 10 | Independent Showcase

54

Independent artists are a major focus for MC3D. We show you 3D modelers who offer objects and models for your 3D animation projects.

58 | Voice Acting

Voice over actors and competition.

Real world tips on making it in the voice industry.

60 | Pitching Animation

From Theory Studios - How do I pitch my cartoon series with no connections?

Victoria Frolova Tomasz Rozkosz Kristijan Ilic Muammer Aker Drecci Gislaadt Alexander Nahorny

48 | Writer’s Tip Jar

Laurie Notch, a 30+ year veteran writer, offers scriptwriting tips for the aspiring content creator. Every quality production starts with the script.

34 | Living 3D

Sander Osephius (2nd World) tells his personal story of how he went from a regular job to working fulltime doing what he loves - creating detailed 3D sets and objects. http://mc3dmag.com

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Write for us!

Every publication needs content. If you are a: • • • • •

Software company Animator 3D modeler/set creator Screenwriter Or just someone who likes talking animation

Email articles@mavcoremedia.com

A sci-fi novel Humanity: Reunion “Captain Neil Treml fights to keep what’s left of his battered ship and inexperienced crew.

Hunted by genetically enhanced soldiers he never knew existed, he finds an unlikely ally in a people he both hates and fears, but ultimately comes to respect. Worn by a near lifetime of war, Treml faces his most difficult challenge.

He must survive an unwinnable war and save what’s left of his crew.”

Find it at: Digital - Amazon.com Softcover - TheBookPatch.com

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Yaryhee - stock.adobe.com

showcase

Indepndent 3D Creators

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Creating our worlds

Every great 3D project needs great 3D models and props to work with. Here we showcase a handful of 3D artists from around the world who offer quality products, such as: • Vehicles • Urban scenes • Everyday props • Backdrops • Buildings • Effects And more...

These are independent artists, some of whom make their living off their craft. Connect with them for your 3D needs. http://mc3dmag.com

Victoria Frolova Operates her own 3D design business, Creative Idea Studio, out of Ukraine.

For high quality 3D vehicles:

http://facebook.com/3dmodelcar

Tomasz Rozkosz Over three thousand products.

Hundreds of vehicles, including vehicles and ships from popular sci-fi films.

For high quality 3D vehicles: http://cgstud.io/user/squir

Kristijan Ilic Offers detailed city models, including both urban and rural areas.

For high quality 3D cities:

http://cgstud.io/user/kasiopy

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Muammer Aker Doing television scenery for over 25 years design and implementation.

For high quality 3D sets: http://akerdesign.com

Drecci Gislaadt From Villefranche de Rouergue, creating whole scenes and PNG cut-outs for backgrounds and stocks.

For high quality 3D sets:

http://gislaadt.deviantart.com/

Alexander Nahorny Creates vehicles, buildings, historic weaponry, and household items.

For high quality 3D sets:

http://turbosquid.com/Search/Artists/naporniy

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Animation Mentor

training

Learn from the pros

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By Rachel Ito Art Director / Marketing Director It started with a small idea in 2001. Students who were learning animation from traditional art schools were not prepared to be working on 3D animated films. So three animators from Pixar Animation Studios and Industrial Light & Magic sought to change that.

Founded in 2005 by Bobby Beck, Shawn Kelly, and Carlos Baena, Animation Mentor became the first online animation school by uniting students directly with industry professionals from studios such as Pixar, ILM, and DreamWorks.

This unique, one-on-one access to professional animators emphasized the art behind the animation. Students learned modern animation techniques with an emphasis on mastering the http://mc3dmag.com

foundational principles of animation all while exploring the art of creative storytelling.

11 years later and still going strong Animation Mentor currently has over 70 professional animators from over 35 studios teaching animation to students from 105 different countries. A third of the animation crews in the past 10 blockbuster animated films have been Animation Mentor graduates, mentors, and former students.

What started as a small idea has now fulfilled over 3,000 animators’ dreams.

Animation Mentor is a global, online school that trains students from all walks of life. There are a number of courses and workshops to expand your knowledge and skills, from creature and character animation, storyboarding, game animation, Maya workshops, cartoon animation, and more.

Character Animation Image by Ye Yuan from China

Here are some works from students:

Character Animation

Image by Erin Natal from New York

Creature Animation

Image by Yamil Bermudez from Florida

Character Animation

Image by Andre Lacroix from Quebec, He now works at Blue Sky Studios

Character Animation

Image by Daniel Rodriguez from California http://mc3dmag.com

There are also some fantastic learning resources on their site, such as the blog entry included on the following pages.

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VFX Animation Workflow for a Live Action Movie By: Brian Mendenhall

Animation Mentor blog post from Februrary, 2016. Visit http://animationmentor.com for their newest updates and tutorials.

Long-time Tippett Studio animator and mentor, Brian Mendenhall, shares his tips on how you can avoid the hang-ups associated with your animation workflows. Although there’s not one workflow that works for everyone, Brian shows us that the key is to find a workflow that works best for you and to always be mindful of improving that process. Read, experiment, and go animate!

- The Animation Mentor Crew *** To me one of the most important qualities to have when animating for a live-action movie is flexibility. It is important to understand that changes will be coming and to embrace it as part of your workflow rather than fight against it. One of the reasons for this is that visual effects studios are often tasked with creatively resolving issues with a sequence. I don’t want to say the visual effects sequence are not as thoroughly planned out as animated sequences, but many factors (shooting schedules, weather conditions, etc.) can change the final product from the original concept. And once the footage is shot, it is very rare that it will be reshot. When you get the footage (plates) from the production company, and after you add the characters to the scene, it is essentially the first time anyone has really seen the shot. And then, new ideas are born… With that in 16 | MC3D | October - December 2016

mind, here is a basic workflow for animation in a live action movie.

A nice breakdown video of the wolves in Twilight: Breaking Dawn 1. Kickoff In a kickoff meeting you will be assigned a shot and given all the information that is in the studio.

Sometimes there isn’t much of it, but I always try to pry a little and get as much info as possible.

Particularly, make sure you know what the entire sequence is about. What shot leads into and out of your shot. Who is animating those shots and how does this sequence fall within the movie.

Read the script – If there are “unknowns” about the shot, recognize them as unknowns, so you know specifically what is expected and what is up to you to resolve: what needs to happen even if it is “impossible” and where is the creative wiggle room. Like I said earlier, the animator will be called on to resolve issues with a shot, so it is important to know what exactly the shot NEEDS to be. And even though it might seem obvious, I always try to ask about the very broad purpose of the shot.

Through many layers of communication (and the lack of instant director access) sometimes the big points get lost. So try to ask things like: Is that action supposed to be funny? Scary? Mysterious?

Does this shot relate to this previous shot as a callback perhaps? What is the audience suppose to feel? If this is not obvious it is good to open a brief dialog about it. That being said, know when it is time to shut up and let your mouse do the talking.

Don’t pester your supervisors with every question you have. It is a creative role and you should be able to make some good decisions on your own.

An example of a VFX Breakdown shot in the film Mirror, Mirror 2. Assemble!

A visual effects shot consists of a background plate, a matchmove camera, a matchmove set, and any matchmove stand-ins. The matchmove department will use the footage shot, and other information taken on set to create a virtual camera that follows the motion of the real camera.

They will also generate a set of geometry that represents the real world set for your character to perform in.

Any actors or moving objects that your character interacts with, will also be matched by that department and are referred to as stand-ins, http://mc3dmag.com

typically. Make sure you have assembled all the latest pieces before you start animating. It’s also likely they will give you a temp matchmove to start with, so be prepared to update the assets as needed. Then, bring in your rig or rigs. I think every studio uses some form of referencing to allow easy rig updates. Be sure you understand and are comfortable with the concept of referencing rigs.

It is vital to keep things up to date.

A great video with Brian Mendenhall and Jim Brown on animation workflow tips 3. Blocking Check your schedule to see how long you are allowed for blocking, or for the shot on the whole, and use that to plan your attack. Raise a red flag if your schedule seems unattainable from the get go.

Start blocking – In visual effects, a huge challenge is making sure the action fits with what was shot. The plates are not going to change, your character needs to fit like it was there the whole time. This leads to many creative solutions that were not initially considered. For example: having a character slip or become distracted to slow them down if the camera is too slow or cover a huge distance or reach an object in a way that was not planned. So it’s good to do a VERY rough placement or “post-vis” pass to reveal any of these issues before you even shoot reference or think about performance.

I have a theory that any shot can be blocked in a day. There are exceptions, but from cinematic perspective, there are only so many things an audience can notice and only so many things a shot can say before it is naturally time for a shot to cut. This does not apply to Peter Jackson, obviously, but it’s usually true. With that in mind, there is a natural hierarchy of priorities for any shot.

What is the audience going to be looking at?

What character or part of a character is key? What needs to read? If you focus on these primarily, you can get something roughed in before the end of the day. This is fun time. I always assume that anything you try in the first day is worthwhile. Be risky. Make the shot your own. But after that first day, and after you receive direct feedback, you need to alter what you’ve got to address the notes.

Hopefully they love it. If not, you cannot continue to try and sell an idea that was not loved.

Not all studios deliver blocking to the director, but it’s used for approval by your peers and http://mc3dmag.com

supervisors. Keep things very clean. Only put in as much information as necessary to get approval, which will allow you to make changes quickly. Our studio requires linear keys in blocking (as it will otherwise look odd against a moving BG plate) but some studios do not.

Everyday at our studio has the leads gather to look at last night’s dailies in “leads cut-ins”.

They agree on notes which are recorded by a coordinator. Then the entire animation team assembles for “cut-ins” where we watch the dailies in the sequence together and discuss the notes.

Then everyone returns to their desks to work.

Around 3 we have “rounds” where the leads walk around the department to check on progress and give more notes (theses are not officially recorded).

This is not as mandatory if you have nothing to show. About a half hour before quitting time, you make a daily to be viewed first thing next morning.

You are expected to make a daily everyday. It’s right there in the title. Then you go home and do it all again the next day.

4. Deliver to the Production Company Eventually what you have is delivered to the client. There may be a day or two gap between delivering a shot and getting notes back. You will usually have more than one shot to work on to fill gaps between deliveries. I appreciate this, as sometimes it is nice to get away from a troubling shot for a while. I always have a new perspective when I get back to it.

The supervisors will Skype or call with the director to discuss the shots. A production person will type the important notes for record keeping.

You will most likely get your notes as text. Your supervisor will walk you through the notes and help answer any questions. Do not try to interpret the notes differently from what you supervisor says. It is their job to distill the notes into a strategy.

It is already a long chain of ambiguity, and if you reinterpret the notes it only adds another link to that chain. Again, at this stage I always try to ask and understand the “intent” of the note as much as the specifics. Especially if the specifics don’t seem to make sense…

5. Change it all!

Yes, here we go changing the whole shot. Try hard to not get hurt or upset by large changes. I have found time and time again that with proper perspective and time, the director’s reaction to the shot is correct. He is looking at the movie through October - December 2016 | MC3D | 17

a different lens and has a certain expectation for the shot other than that cool thing you thought would look good on your reel. The important thing is to not fight it and try to really embrace the note. Find a way to make that look as cool as possible. It’s easy to get stuck in your own little world, but fighting for your own note usually ends in trouble. This is just the nature of a disconnected production crew.

Since you expect changes, I suggest always setting up your scene to allow it. Find a way to create constraints that are easily swappable,in case you need to change props, sets, or even rigs. Use animation layers to add high frequency noise and offsets, if it helps keep your graph editor clean and manageable. Set your scene up in a way that axis make sense and are beneficial. Starting a scene with the Y slightly off up, or the X and Z pointing in random ways, will cost you time with every single change. The initial set up is always worth it.

Get used to constraining and baking animation locators to alleviate these issues when they appear, rather than struggling with it for the life of the shot.

6. Progress At Tippett, after blocking we go to a pass called “Temp” which is essentially animating the shot just short of secondary bits and bobs, and interactions.

Once you are confident with your blocking, the next step is to simply animate as much and as fast as you can until it is due to deliver again. There is no reason to hold back other than your time constraints. Continue to get feedback a couple times a day internally to make sure things are getting better. Always hit director and supervisor notes first so you know how they will affect the rest of your actions. Always hit director notes hard, so anyone can see the change. If something is not working, delete it and try again. Just make sure nothing in your shot is “broken” when it is time to deliver again. Always know your delivery schedule.

This is the time to start seeing your shot lit and textured, to get a better idea of how it will look finaled. Things can change dramatically with lighting, so hopefully at this point the lighting crew is starting to take your shot and at least run test lighting. Find those dailies. Know your lighter.

Even if it is not part of your normal routine, you should find those dailies. Make sure your work is still reading how you want it when it’s lit. You’d be surprised what a different motion blur calculation can do. Check how contact shadows and 18 | MC3D | October - December 2016

intersections are looking. If something seems way off, you may need to check with the matchmover to get a tighter match. You may need to talk to lighting and comp to find out how certain problems will be resolved. Be vocal with your supervisor during rounds about these issues.

7. Finish Now it is mandatory that you are checking lighting dailies. Your animation is not final until it is final under lights. Time to do a sweep and check every foot, hand and prop contact. Scrutinize every frame for issues. Be on the lookout for gimbal flips especially. Don’t let someone else catch your mistakes. From Temp anim to Final the to-do list becomes very technical. Hit any new director notes and then work to clean every little thing up. This pass should only be a sweetening pass, and as such, you should be able to tackle most of it with a straight-ahead approach.

The biggest issue is remembering all the little things. My strategy is to look at the latest lit render and make a huge list of every little thing I want to fix. After I have my list I put a number next to each note as a priority and order that I will address them (a 1-3 system is fine). I then put an estimated time to hit each note and then add up the total time. You’ll be surprised how fast it adds up! Then I know about how long it will take and what will most likely fall off the list. Reprioritize if necessary.

Then, I put on the old headphones and grind away.

This pass can be very meditative and fun with the right mindset. For most shots the final anim pass take 1 – 2 days. One day to hit any final notes, and a full day of just polish. That’s how you get that photo-real look.

Check out the latest render again when it comes out, and discuss with your lead if there is anything left to do or time left to do it. Our deliverables need to be approved for Final Animation, then Final Comp, and finally, full-res FINAL. It’s good to track the shot all the way to the end of it’s production life and don’t consider it done until it’s final final.

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Things your doctor should never say in the operating room!

1. I don’t know, what does the manual say?

2. I dropped my contact, can you see it?

3. I can’t believe I can get away with this!

4. Where’s my watch?

5. Don’t worry, I saw this in a movie once!

6. Has that been unplugged this whole time?

7. Oops! That could be permanent.

8. Man! That’s the second piece of gum I lost in there!

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Industry Leaders In 3D Animation

Who is Axis?

Axis is a leader in CGI animation for a variety of gaming, film and television based projects. The company is based in the United Kingdom, with a global clientele and boasts one of the largest CGI production staffs in the UK. The studios: Animation is not a genre but one of the most influential forms of media today. The medium is not just being used for traditional cartoons aimed at children or the gaming sector, but it’s increasingly being used to achieve special effects and CG in film, television and more.

The Axis group is made up of three collaborating studios with distinct goals, strategies and talent bases, with studios in Glasgow, London and Bristol. The largest, Axis, based in Glasgow, creates the highest level 3D, photo and hyper-real CG animation and CG content http://mc3dmag.com

Partner studio axisVFX delivers cutting edge visual effects for broadcast television, independent feature film and commercials. axisVFX goal is to provide greater flexibility, accessibility and creative control to filmmakers of all persuasions.

To de-mystifying the VFX process for producers and directors, creating visual effects that support the story, whilst adding drama and scale to productions.

All studios work closely with clients on a project creating bespoke content. Across all studios we have an incredible team of creative and production staff who are multi-talented, crafting an incredible range of styles of animation and types of story.

Developing projects: Each project differs in the level of creative input we are involved in; we try to combine strong high level ideas with the highest production values.

Our directors write some fantastic scripts and we always try and get the audiences engaged through emotion, whether that is tugging at their heart strings through work like the Dead Island trailer or sending their pulses racing with something like the Halo 5 Opening Cinematic. for video games, entertainment and commercials.

As ever, we tell stories in style.

Sister studio Flaunt expresses our softer side, working on long and short form projects with an emphasis on characters, narrative and humour.

Flaunt recently announced the creation of its long format division, which will specialise in the production of animated television series, TV specials and feature films.

Flaunt, has already secured three new productions in this new area, the first of which “Welcome to Monster High”, for Mattel’s Playground Productions, had its theatrical release in cinemas across the world recently.

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When working with VFX, axisVFX like to be involved as early as possible in a project, as this always benefits the client. Engaging in preproduction and working together with the other departments helps pre-empt any issues and helps smooth out shooting.

When supervising on-set we are there to ensure that the visual effects elements are shot as best as they can be under production pressures.

In post, everything comes to life, whether its creating seamless composition for Doctor who or integrating CGI-live action, we are still in constant contact with the Director to stay true to their October - December 2016 | MC3D | 23

vision.

The latest expansion has seen Axis is partnering with major industry players to create the highest quality, immersive media for dark rides, interactive simulators, large format 3D, dome projection and VR opportunities.

We have experience working with a number of in-game engines, including UnReal and other proprietary client engines. The company has been preparing to create the best CG/animation sequences for the upcoming explosion in VR/AR content.

The animation industry is growing and are teams are expanding and growing alongside it.

Some of the Axis Group’s recent projects include the Cannes Lions award winning trailer for Dead Island, the episodic series Halo 4: Spartan Ops, the Royal Television Society nominated visual effects for the BBC’s Doctor Who, the visual effects for feature film Shaun the Sheep the Movie, design for Amazon Studios’ Lost In Oz, animation for Mattel’s Playground Productions’ Monster High, the trailer for Activision’s blockbuster video game Destiny. www.axisanimation.com www.axis-vfx.com www.flauntproductions.com

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Eyematrix - stock.adobe.com

Animation for All Ages

just for kids?

Breaking the stereotypes

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I came across an article a while back discussing one of the 3D animated films made in recent years. It was a production made for an adult audience, complete with soldiers, spaceship battles, aliens, and of course, explosions. In my opinion the production was fairly done and deserved some props for the attempt. Unfortunately, not everyone felt this way.

In the article discussions, talk of the quality and storyline were the big issue, which is expected with any film, but one comment stood out. The comment slammed the film for being animated.

The commenter, almost angrily, threw up a small rant on animation being for kids. He ended his rant (by the way, he watched the whole animated film for some reason) insisting that he’s a grown up and wants “real movies,” whatever that means. Of course such a rant drew out others who felt the same way.

Well, it made me chuckle just a little. I have friends who feel similar to this ranter. They will watch 3D animated movies only when children are around, although secretly enjoying them. I’m not fooled by their “acts” of intolerance. The humorous part is they also happen to be the same people who get excited about watching movies like Jurassic Park and the recent slew of superhero movies, which in great part are animated. Yes, I find it funny and I laugh at their expense.

Now, in all fairness to the ranter and my friends, we are talking about 100% animated productions, not just some animation within a http://mc3dmag.com

live-action movie. I know, but it still strikes me as humorous.

So, where does this idea come from, that animation is only for kids?

I’m sure the decades of Disney movies had something to do with it, along with television shows, including the early Felix the Cat, Betty Boop, and the poplar Tom and Jerry. Eventually, the television air waves were filled with animated shows that ultimately became the Saturday morning cartoon lineup, all geared to children of different ages. When 3D came along, it started falling in the same wheel groves. After all, that’s where the money is.

So, what is the answer to the above question?

My personal answer is not politically correct and will likely offend a number of people who don’t like certain terminology. But it’s actually quite simple.

The answer is decades of programming. No, I’m not referring to television programming, I’m talking about us. We tend to see animation as a kid’s medium, because that is what’s “normal” to us.

Animation as an art: The truth is; animation is an art, just like any other. Historically, art is a form of telling a story, or even documenting events and cultures. We have a vast knowledge of ancient societies through the art they left behind, including paintings, carvings, stonework, sculptures, and even large building structures. It’s all art that tells their story and it’s a very important piece to any society.

Animation is no different. It’s simply taking art and giving it motion to tell a story. To claim that animation is only for children isn’t far from saying art itself is only for children, which would have been a big shock to Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo, I’m sure.

The earliest of modern animation, such as with Fantasmagorie and Gertie the Dinosaur, were not child centered. These were artists who were attempting to bring art into the modern age of film. The first animation that appeared on living room television sets were simple drawings that told a story. Although only a couple minutes long, these attempts broke new ground and opened a whole industry that we can enjoy today.

Just as a painter paints a rock in an elaborate landscape, so does the 3D artist. It’s just done with a computer instead of a paintbrush. The 3D artist constructs and builds the landscape with the same attention and skill as any artist. And http://mc3dmag.com

yes, it does take the same skill and artistic eye to produce something realistic and inspiring. The major difference is that the 3D landscape can now be placed into video productions, games, presentations, or anything else where the objects can interact, in much the same way as actors can interact with a stone sculpture on the set of a movie.

We should be mindful of the artistic value in animation. Whether it’s 2D or 3D, the process of turning a piece of art into a moving story takes an artistic skill set many others don’t have. Keep in mind, I’m not lowering other art forms, not by any means, but I’m lifting up the animation artist, taking him or her out of the category of “just for kids.”

Breaking the stereotype: Although many can see the value and artistic talents of modern animators, the problem of stereotype still remains. It’s difficult to break such a stereotype when the majority of the industry caters to a younger age group. Money does play a huge part in that leaning. Children’s cartoons are great marketing tools to get parents to buy, not only the DVD’s and streaming media, but other merchandising items, such as toys and clothing depicting the cartoon characters. It’s a money scheme, plain and simple.

Money simply isn’t in adult oriented film (there are a few niche exceptions), which means very few producers and studios will take them on. Take a well written drama for instance. You can create this whole movie, very realistically I might add, through the 3D animation process, but it likely won’t make much money, even with well-known actors. Why? That’s because it’s animation. Take the same drama scrip, produce it in live-action using a well-known A-list actor, and you have a healthy audience. This creates a big hurtle, especially for the independent animator who simply wants to produce good stories using 3D animation.

When we sit back and look at current film, it’s amazing the amount of animation that we actually watch. The trend of action films that the general public flocks around creates these “out-of-thisworld” action sequences using animation. Even drama series use it more than the average person realizes. With a low budget, it isn’t difficult to put up a green screen, and using some 3D modeling, make it look like the actors are on a long city street. Most of the time the audience doesn’t even October - December 2016 | MC3D | 29

notice, believing the scene was filmed outside on a street, not on an internal movie set.

Animation has become a hug part of our entertainment lives, but the stereotype still lingers, making it difficult for many to sit down to an animated film without the excuse of watching it with the kids. It might not be a conscious way of thinking, but in many ways animation is seen as its own genre. It’s lumped is as part of the lineup of action, drama, comedy, science fiction, animation... you see? Animation is, more times than not, seen as a children’s genre. Even though people generally “know” animation isn’t really a genre, we tend to treat it as such.

The strength of animation: Even if we are to accept animation as an equally viable media form (which I do), the common thinking around animation still plagues our decision making. We start questioning: “Why spend my time to see animation, when I can watch live-action?” Well, generally we don’t have to do one or the other, unless a movie is made in both forms. Honestly, this irritates me. If you have a completed, well done movie in one form, why do the same stinking thing in another?

Yes, I understand about reaching a different demographic, it’s just a major pet-peeve of mine.

It’s okay, I might actually get over it…someday.

Animation story telling has many strong points, particularly for the independent or low budget productions. It allows a story to be told in whatever world a script writer wants to create.

The only limitation is the talent of the animators.

You can also do things you have no chance of pulling off in live-action. Just look at some of the classic cartoons. I mean, where else can you strap a coyote to a rocket, launch him at massive speed through several mountains, burned and flattened like a pancake, then be healthy enough to do something stupid again minutes later? Nowhere, that’s where!

The possibilities become nearly limitless.

Worlds can be created that would normally require huge budgets to produce in live-action, but can be done at a fraction of the cost through animation. A good animator with a good story, along with some talent and resources, can produce a nice piece of work. Perhaps it might be lacking some bells and whistles that big budgets can offer, but still a quality work that can attract an audience.

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Hindering animation: There are certain factors, however, that aid in keeping animation stereotypes alive and shadowing over the independent 3D world.

Over the past couple decades we have seen great advancements in technologies, both hardware and software, that have allowed individuals to make their own animation, even full length features, from their home computers.

Overall, this is a huge step in the animation industry, giving animated story telling new direction, not controlled solely by the big studios.

Just like any artistic branch, there comes a not-so-light side of the industry. With these advancements, almost anyone has the ability to produce their own ideas.

WARNING: What I’m about to say is highly unpopular, completely un-pc, and can be taken as downright offensive by some. The fact is, many people want to produce, but lack the patience, creating a problem as unqualified animators label themselves as professional.

There, I said it!

What does this have to do with stereotypes?

The animated industry, for the most part, has been dominated by the large studios, the same ones making the money through children’s animated programming. In order to break the “animation for kids” mindset, we really need more professional independent productions made for adult audiences.

Fortunately, with modern media, it’s becoming easier to determine ones abilities through online resources, but this can take a certain amount of due diligence. There are articles and other instructional material to help an independent content creator find a professional (in their price range) who can get the job done.

Looking at the positives: Through the talk of stereotypes and struggles, we sometimes frustrated animators miss that there are some good things happening for the animation industry.

First, with the qualified professionals using the internet to teach and encourage, information and training is becoming easier and easier to find.

Having an abundance of learning material is a major step forward in bringing skilled animators, modelers, and writers to the independent industry.

Even animation software companies are http://mc3dmag.com

now putting out quality tutorial videos to help new animators use their product. Now, I know it’s because they want to prevent people from jumping over to the other guys, I get that, but a little healthy competition benefits us all. Not to mention the important part, which is most of these tutorials put out by the product companies are FREE. Score for the little guy!

Yes, there are some bad “instructional” videos out there, so this takes some due diligence to find good material, but it’s there for those who want to put in the effort. This is the main reason I mention this above when talking about new animators. We have very little excuse not to learn the tools we use.

Second, with the popularity of animation heavy movies, such as the Jurassic Parks, the flurry of comic book movies, and traditional live-action series making sequels in animation, it’s changing the mindset of society in general. The current trend, although irritating to watch the bandwagon jumpers, is actually helping in the long run.

Matter-of-fact, with more people getting into film over all, many of them are almost forced to at least dabble in animation just to keep up with the current cinematic trends. This helps make animation stronger in the independent markets and brings more talent and even adult acceptance (to a degree) to animation. This has been an ongoing trend, particularly over the past decade or so.

The overall acceptance process takes time. In the beginning, society brushed off film itself as a passing fad. Even the automobile was thought to be a short lived hobby of a select few. Over time things change. The social “norms” and biases of today are tomorrow’s history lessons.

People will eventually come around. Will nonkid animation ever be accepted on the same level?

It won’t be because of the mainstream studios.

As I said, the money is in children’s animation.

Although sci-fi and comedy seem to be breaking through a little bit, doing a drama for example (movie or series) is still something hard to deliver to a general audience on any large scale.

Personally, I think it might be the independent industry that will have a huge part in making such an overall acceptance Happen.

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The Animation Life Doing what you love.

When it comes to quality animation, it isn’t just the story, or the animation itself that makes a scene pop. Quality models, sets, props, etc., are just as important to creating a life-like scene, one that takes the audience away from their everyday lives and engulfs them into the action and story.

Some animators create their own models and props, but others rely on the skills and talents of those who dedicate their time to that one element in the 3D world...creating 3D objects that look great!

These are the artists that work hard at helping an image, a game, or a cinematic project look and feel it’s best.

Article submitted by Sander Osephius. http://mc3dmag.com

complex. One year and a lot of modeling later, I felt the quality of my models had come to a point where I could sell them. This was when I started selling on Renderosity as vendor 2nd World.

My first models aren’t available any more but they looked quite nice if I may say so myself.

The beginning: Five years ago when I still had my job as a salesman, I decided to reduce my working hours and took an extra day off for 3D modeling. This was a good choice. No...the best choice I’ve made in years!!

http:// customzed-graphics.nl The artist: My name is Sander Osephius. I’m 39 years old and in the Netherlands. I’m a 3D modeler and Vendor at www.Renderosity.com. This is my story about how this happened.

About 6 years ago I learned about Poser and played around with a trial of a very old Poser version. I loved it from the first moment, but I thought the amount of models included was a little limited.

I bought models and I started to build some simple ones of my own for my scenes, such as a wall or a table. This was so addicting that it didn’t take long before the models became more http://mc3dmag.com

The conditions at my job became worse, strict and stressful, and came tumbling down three years ago when 250 people, including me, lost their job due to a company reorganization.

It’s very sad for all the colleagues that lost their job, but for me it couldn’t have come at a better time to start out on my own.

My earnings are enough to pay the bills. I think it helped that I didn’t have the urge to become rich. For me, the most important thing is that I finally have the job I really like, which is being creative and building the things I like. I get to play.

3D modeling: Personally, I think 3D modeling is awesome!

The whole process from start to finish is great and I learn and improve with every project.

A new project begins with a simple drawing, inspired by some images/blueprints from the internet, or photos I’ve made. But before I start to create, I try to imagine the end result. This should give me enough inspiration to start.

After that I use 3D studio Max for modeling, Photoshop for the textures, ending with Smith Micro’s Poser for the rest. I always use Poser’s October - December 2016 | MC3D | 35

standard FireFly render-engine for my images.

To me, the realism of a model is in the small details. This has a limit of course. I can’t give an airplane all the nuts and bolts the real version has, but I can give it working doors, landing gear, elevators, ailerons, flaps, rudder, airbrakes and other details that bring it to life.

Even after all of that, the quality of a rendered project doesn’t depend solely on the quality if the model. The lighting used and the composition in the scene are just as important.

What I mean with lighting is actually the shadows. Just as with live photography, the shadows give depth and dynamics to a scene and will need a lot of attention.

The composition of the scene is another important aspect. There are whole books and studies that are written about it and it’s more than just one’s personal taste.

I start with a lot of research when it comes to the technical stuff, which is something I love. The parts just have to make sense.

But at the end, the textures are just as important as the overall construction. Sometimes this takes a lot of tweaking, rendering, tweaking and rendering, and so on. I’m quite a perfectionist in the things I do and go on until I’m completely happy with the result.

I think everyone has heard of the “rule of thirds” somewhere, well it’s just a basic guideline but a very important one to get familiar with.

And last but not least: be critical about your own work, this will help you improve and learn with every project.

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Write for us!

Every publication needs content. If you are a: • • • • •

Software company Animator 3D modeler/set creator Screenwriter Or just someone who likes talking animation

Email articles@mavcoremedia.com

A sci-fi novel Humanity: Reunion “Captain Neil Treml fights to keep what’s left of his battered ship and inexperienced crew.

Hunted by genetically enhanced soldiers he never knew existed, he finds an unlikely ally in a people he both hates and fears, but ultimately comes to respect. Worn by a near lifetime of war, Treml faces his most difficult challenge.

He must survive an unwinnable war and save what’s left of his crew.”

Find it at: Digital - Amazon.com Softcover - TheBookPatch.com http://mc3dmag.com

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Distribution for the independent artist

Independent film productions of all type, live-action or animation, all suffer from the same end problem: Distribution.

Although film making can be a stressful and arduous task, this one little problem is the one that keeps many filmmakers up at night. No matter how long you have worked, or how good your product might be, getting it to the public is a trick all its own. Making a living off the craft you love and work so hard to master is mute if you can’t get it to the masses.

Traditionally, a film maker would seek out film festivals, or find an agent to approach studios and networks on behalf of the filmmaker. Although this is still a viable option in our modern era, this is normally a long process with no guarantees. With the new era of distribution through online streaming, many have turned to large streaming sites, or even settled for self-hosting their productions. As an independent artist, you may find your work getting shuffled to http://mc3dmag.com

started out creating an award winning product, moving to then establish a global film distribution network that breaks previous distribution models.

Mr. Owen is a successful entrepreneur, creator and visionary with experience in building innovative companies delivering disruptive technology to the consumer market. One of his key attributes is his the ability to identify and deliver technology initiatives that is the answer to consumer angst and demand. It was his development which provided proprietary content architecture to the McDonald’s Corporation which spun off to create Redbox.

His experience has provided many a company with strategies linked with cost effective pricing in software development, design, and staffing selections for the entertainment, healthcare and education markets.

While talking with Owen and scouring through articles written about their products, it became clear the tech company, which started simply to create innovated communications technologies, has made it a mission to answer a flawed media system.

the bottom of the deck.

Marketing quickly becomes a problem for the indie film and it doesn’t help that most filmmakers aren’t really efficient at marketing, or have large marketing budgets to hire PR/advertising agencies. This leaves many filmmakers to find a host and hope for the best.

Unfortunately, with the online streaming market getting somewhat over saturated with numerous self-hosting sites, along with the major players like Netflix and Hulu, the “if you build it, they will come” mindset likely won’t work. For the indie artist, something needs to change.

Answering a flawed system: In my search for distribution answers, I came across Terry Owen, Terry Owen, Co-founder of AkyumenTV, the global entertainment distribution network for Akyumen Technologies., out of Mountain View, California, a Tech company that http://mc3dmag.com

“We believe the industry is ‘broken’ when it comes to a variety of business practices: • Binding versus non-binding distribution.

• Localization distribution (foreign & domestic) when the same distribution company is making all the money.

• The Lack of “new & fresh” ideas, films and features - nothing new seems to be coming out in film or TV. We believe that we can change the industry from the bottom up, empowering independent filmmaker the opportunity, through our nonbinding global distribution, to make revenue for their work which will empower them to negotiate within the film and tv industry for better terms regarding their work. I mean it is a globally connected world which should enable industries to break down revenue generated barriers around the world and allow for global distributed content.”

What this means for the independent film producer is expected to be game-changing, especially considering Akyumen’s focus on indie film. Although major filmmakers, such as Disney, Warner Brothers, etc., will have their place in the network, Owen believes it is the indie community that will ultimately change the status quo of the October - December 2016 | MC3D | 41

film industry.

“You see, innovation in the industry has disappeared - they are putting out super hero movies over and over and network shows that all have the same concept and different characters. The innovation is in the INDIE filmmakers.”

Owen states that he believes their network model will empower filmmakers and content creators to force a shift in the industry, where there is greater portion of revenue and creative control of global distribution agreements for the indie filmmaker. This is in direct opposition to the current model, which is restrictive and segmented, controlled by the major entities that reap the overwhelming majority profits.

Our current system makes it increasingly difficult for the small producer to distribute and earn a living off his or her hard work. Even if an indie film gets distribution through major subscription sites, they get shoved down quickly, getting overshadowed by the large studios.

These distribution sites that have become so popular, particularly over the past decade, are inherently flawed. Consumers are inundated with streaming options on different platforms. This may seem like a good thing on the surface to have the many options, but in order to watch our favorite shows, often from different networks, we find ourselves forced to dish out multiple subscriptions to the various platforms.

From the Akyumen material: • The global OTT market is fragmented with far to many international and domestic vendors; There are over 100 OTT video services available in the U.S. market as of March 2016.

• Subscriber “churn” due OTT fragmentation is increasing yearly due to high fees and lack of content with cancellations happening after watching specific content on a service and a lack of options and variety.

As consumers are forced to pick and choose which subscriptions they want to pay with their limited funds, the content battle ultimately reaps negative results for the consumer when prices continue to rise. The platforms begin to hit walls concerning quality content as major studios seek to get a piece of a pie that gradually gets smaller 42 | MC3D | October - December 2016

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and smaller.

This is where Akyumen steps in.

The product:

screen, or individuals viewing content on their own small devices, this innovative product line allows the user to project media on a large screen area anywhere at any time, right from the device.

In order to understand the innovative network, we need to first understand the foundational products that anchor the network, the two being intimately connected through the Akyumen app on each device, a global content aggregator.

Akyumen is stepping up to address some major problems that exist in the current mobile distribution and entertainment model.

•

•

Mobile devices currently do not give consumers the same level of theatrical detail as TV, which hinders the mobile viewing experience, which the filmmakers intended for viewers.

Social interaction in current mobile offering paradigm is nonexistent.

Current mobile consumer experience.

Do you have a smart TV? The app can stream right there if you prefer. It’s all about options and personalization to enhance viewer experience.

The devices themselves are powerhouses in their own right. For example, the Hawk Dimension, which is a 5.5 inch projector smart phone, has a 10 core processor and 8gigs of RAM. This is better than most computers I’ve own. In other words, this isn’t just another smart phone. Invented

by Chairman and CEO Aasim Saied, his vision with the technology is enabling the “Akyumen Entertainment” concept to become a reality and set their tech apart from other mobile devices.

Akyumen understands that in order to break significant ground, they must bring something to the distribution table that has the ability to change the industry in a positive way.

These powerful devices are already being sold in select parts of the world and will be in the US for online purchases in November of 2016, appearing in retail stores by mid January, 2017.

The scope:

THE BIGGER PICTURE According to their online mission “Akyumen’s mission is to converge multiple technologies into one game changing devices to make the people’s lives easier at home, at work, at schools and when they travel.”

Akyumen’s core lineup is aimed at the film fan.

Instead of struggling to view media on a small http://mc3dmag.com

Before we can understand how Akyumen can help the indie filmmaker, we should understand the scope of AkyumenTV as it pertains to the consumer end of the network, since that’s where the majority of one’s audience would be.

With mobile devices already being sold, there are approximately 35,000 titles and growing in the AkyumenTV network, they are aiming for strong numbers over the next two years.

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According to Owen, they are looking at a projected 1.4 billion (yes, that was billion with a B) Akyumen mobile devices to be sold on the global consumer market by the end of 2018, with around 45% of those global device owners subscribed to the AkyumenTV global Internet network.

Even if one were to have a highly pessimistic outlook, just reaching half that number would still result in a massive potential audience for hosted media, all within a very short time.

What’s even more fascinating is Akyumen’s growth potential, not just with their tech, but by tapping into existing markets to ultimately strengthen audience numbers. Through the app, which will also be in Google and Apple stores, a consumer will have the ability to subscribe to major content providers such as Fox, CBS, and a host of others, for a very substantial discount,.

What does that mean? Simply, for the price of one subscription to one of these channels, an Akyumen app subscriber can have multiple subscriptions, including their streaming content, in one place.

As subscriptions rise on sites like Netflix and Hulu, making it difficult for the average person to afford the financial burden to watch their favorite shows, more and more consumers will move to the Akyumen app to get much of the same content for a fraction of the cost.

The independent filmmaker that partners with Akyumen will benefit greatly with a greater audience base to tap into.

More and more, filmmakers are looking to keep creative control and still reach as large of an audience as possible. AkyumenTV offers nonbinding agreements and sets no limitations on where an artist can host work outside of the AkyumenTV network.

Even with a secure agreement that protects the content creator, a very important piece of any distribution is visibility. The audience numbers are irrelevant if the little guy is shuffled aside.

Another outstanding piece to the puzzle is the AkyumenTV and KF Media Group strategic partnership. The newly formed media group is solely focused on bringing the independents to AkyumenTV. KF Media Group is primarily for the independent filmmaker, as is Akyumen, which means an indie film won’t be pushed down to make way for a larger name or studio. KF Media Group’s CEO, Deb Chandler evaluated the entertainment industry as a whole and decided to form an alliance with Akyumen, because they are focused on offering equal footing for anyone, big or small, who partners with AkyumenTV.

AkyumenTV for the indie filmmaker: When it comes to the small, independent productions, a creator wants to find the best distribution route possible, as well as (ideally) make some money to pay the bills. The indie filmmaker, without the legal minions of the Hollywood machine, also needs to feel secure about where their film goes without being taken advantage of.

Owen had something to say about how the industry treats the little guys.

“I would say the HUGE money is still in the hands of the large distribution houses and networks. I mean.. they can buy your work on the cheap and you end up paying agents, lawyers, etc., while you sign away creative control and watch them monetize it 500% over what they paid.”

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Considering Owen has stated more than once that he believes true innovation is in the independent sector, it’s more likely that the independent filmmaker will get the preferential treatment.

This attention to visibility allows the revenue sharing program, which Akyumen regulates through their proprietary software, to get more in the pockets of the filmmaker.

“We plan to do this by rev share content distribution agreements which will pay or filmmakers money for content consumed as well as money for “participation” of their assets on our network, meaning the more assets on the http://mc3dmag.com

network, to more participation money the filmmaker receives.�

Conclusion: As the film and distribution industries shift and churn, the players who benefit from the status quo will continue to feel the pressure, ultimately putting the pain of that pressure onto the consumer.

This, in turn, makes it increasingly difficult for any production, particularly small ones, to get the audience they need to succeed.

The general mindset is to follow the status quo guideline, a set of rules not made for the independent, but for the machine. This creates frustration and, at times, surrender for the small content creators. This, in turn, hinders the potential of new creative material entering the market.

As current platforms break down, something else will rise to take the vacancies. Akyumen is positioning themselves to do just that, to move into the cracks and break the mold.

Content creators, contact Akyumen: info@Akyumen.com http://akyumen.com

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margin settings. Script-writing software takes care of this for you.

Laurie Notch ia published author of nonfiction, fiction, and cyber novels. She has been the Managing Editor for IdeaGems Magazine and Tough Lit Magazine since 2008 and Adventures for the Average Woman Magazine since 2005. Laurie has taught at Tufts University and is currently teaching at Southern Maine Community College and Merrymeeting Adult Education where she conducts screenwriting and fiction writing workshops. She works as a script doctor for Girl on the Go Productions, LLC in Las Vegas, Nevada and a commercial writer for Real Media Solutions, LLC and is the Chief Creative Officer for Zogby Entertainment in Portland, Maine.

Laurie has written and produced two television pilots: Strange Attractors and Ghost Quest (2008) for which she got spotlighted by MovieMaker Magazine and the Lewiston Sun Journal. She worked on the feature film 40 West, starring Wayne Newton (2010). Her screenplay Two Hits was recently produced by Savage Light Studios in New Orleans, Louisiana for the web-series Project Z. Screenwriter’s Tip Jar

•

Good story works for anything. Look at today’s commercials. They have characters with storylines and don’t necessarily talk product. What makes for great story? Welldeveloped character, plot reversals (twists), and RISK, RISK, RISK! Without conflict, threat, or danger, the story falls flat. Even the pig in the GEICO ads finds himself in situations that he has to get out of.

•

Characters must be multi-layered, not onedimensional. Heroes should have their inner-demons and villains their angelic side.

The story is their quest whose challenges bring about revelation and growth. Think of some of the most remarkable characters in books and films. What makes them stand out? Study these personages and emulate what makes them tick. Give them particular traits and quirks, striking names, and a catch phrase or too. Think of Ash (Bruce Campbell) in the Evil Dead series and his line, “Groovy.”

•

Great dialogue should be dynamic and engaging all the while sounding natural, not forced — even for an infomercial! The best way to write dialog? LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN to how people speak. Try to capture dialect but don’t sound cliché. Again, think of characters that speak to you and analyze the speech patterns that the writers (and actors) have produced.

•

Setting of course is crucial to establishing story. With machinima, the virtual world is your inter-galactic, cross-dimensional, no holds barred space and time continuum oyster. Scenes must be written and described with every shift… even if it’s from the corridor to the bathroom. This is a scene change. In screenplay format, scenes are described via the slugline beginning with INT. for “interior” and EXT. for “exterior,” then a brief line to show location followed

by DAY or NIGHT. Keeping scenes to a minimum makes for easier script writing and a more budget-conscious production.

•

Ultimately, show it. Don’t tell it. ACTION,

Screenwriting is not just about feature films. Scripts are needed for everything from commercials to infomercials to training videos to short films to documentaries to machinima productions. But before you go there, you need to know screenwriting basics: •

Learn proper screenplay format that is standard for each particular industry (i.e., movies, television, documentaries, etc.) and to help with this, use the free software at CELTX.COM, which automatically formats according to spec. All scripts are formatted using Courier 11 font and with specified

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ACTION, ACTION is the name of the screenwriting game.

Never write “Bob thought he might enter the house.” Keep it active voice and in the PRESENT TENSE. “Bob enters the house.” How a character is feeling can be stated but keep this to a minimum. Actors want as much room to interpret a role as possible.

Below is a sample from my screenplay Two Hits produced by Savage Light Studio:

INT. INSIDE A CAR - NIGHT Through the windshield, the headlights are seen lighting up a gravel road.

A sign appears and passes on the passenger side as the car slowly drives by with GRAVEL CRUNCHING beneath the tire. The sign shows the silhouette of a zombie inside a red circle with a red line through it. The sign reads: THIS IS A DESIGNATED Z-FREE ZONE. NO INFECTEDS. NO ROAMING UNDEAD. EXT. GRAVEL ROAD IN REMOTE WOODED AREA - NIGHT A string of parked cars and pickup trucks line the edge of a gravel road marked ROUTE 35. The headlights of the approaching car illuminate the area and reveal a faded, rusty sign full of bullet holes with the words: RESTRICTED AREA. NO TRESPASSING. DANGER! ELECTRIFIED FENCE! LETHAL SHOCK IMMINENT! A picture of a skull and crossbones with a bolt of electricity running through it is in the background.

GRAVEL CRUNCHES and BRAKES SQUEAK as the car pulls up behind one of the parked cars in front of the sign. The headlights shut off and the car doors open.

Two young men, JAKE and ALLEN (in their 20s), step out of the car and close the car doors. A HIGH-PITCHED BLEEP sounds and the HEADLIGHTS FLASH as Allen clicks the automatic lock remote to his car.

JAKE You sure this is the place?

ALLEN Dude, look at all the cars parked out here in the middle of nowhere. Yeah, this is the place.

Jake looks up at the sign.

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JAKE Dude, you think that sign is for true?

ALLEN That sign is a dead relic, man... from way before Z Day. I think this was a containment area for the infected. But Lizard says it’s a total ghost town now.

It’s cool.

Pay attention to how significant imagery, sounds, colors, etc. are in ALL CAPS. The same goes for characters’ names when they are first introduced in the action lines and on every character line. Keep script pages to production limits: • • • • • •

1 to 5 pages for commercials and web-omercials 10 to 45 pages for short films 11 pages for fifteen-minute teleplays or webisodes 22 pages for half-hour teleplays or webisodes 44 pages for hour-long teleplays or webisodes 90 -120 pages for feature films

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Too long or too short will get your script rejected. Of course, with the Internet and depending on venue, scripts and productions could almost be infinite. Still, file size is an issue.

Too big and you’ll wait an eternity to upload it.

Once you get down the basics, now it’s time to try and land the gig. Some sources for strutting your screenwriting stuff include TONGAL.COM, where you compete for prize-winning commercial concepts. The International Screenwriting Association (http://networkisa.org/) has a “gigs” page where screenwriting jobs of all sorts are listed.

There are many opportunities out there for writers.

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offbeat

A different kind of animation

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This is going to seem like an odd topic, one that many won’t even understand. When we talk about animation, we also need to understand that animation comes in many forms, such as 2D cartoon, 3D effects, stop animation, animated corporate presentations, or even something called machinima.

What was that last one, you ask? Great question!

Generally, machinima is creating animated film using a game environment, console or online games, and 3D virtual environments.

These tools allow a person to film animation in real-time. Normally, these are hobbyists since most games don’t allow commercial use without special permissions, such as in the animated show Red vs Blue, which uses the Halo game engine. The word machinima is the squashing of the words machine and cinema, which makes machinima.

Okay, I know there may be many of you shaking your heads http://mc3dmag.com

wondering why I’m talking about this, but stay with me. When I first started to get into animation back in 2010, I dabbled in machinima using the virtual world Second Life. They allow commercial use, which is one of the main reasons for using the game. Well, I didn’t produce any real marketable material, but I did learn a lot.

When I did my very first production, I was using old, poor equipment that had difficulty capturing and rendering the animation. Talk about a stinking fiasco! I’m pretty sure my forehead print is still on that table.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t smart enough to give up. So, I struggled through the agonizing process, pulling out hair (which could be literal, it’s a little fuzzy), and having to axe a lot of scenes because I didn’t have the tools to do it. You know, like the fight scenes and stuff blowing up…the fun stuff. http://mc3dmag.com

But I got through it.

There are certain limitations to this form of animation, I can’t argue that point. The art certainly has some maturing to do and many times it isn’t taken seriously. So, why would someone choose to use such a method in an attempt to create film?

Well, there could be dozens of reasons why someone would pick machinima, but one of the main reasons is that people like to create stories from their favorite game or 3D environment. These are usually hobbyists that want to make something mostly for themselves.

Think about it, if someone spends hours a day playing 3D games anyway, why wouldn’t they choose that engine to create their own stories?

It’s like anything, really. If you have a passion for something, then why not use that passion in other areas of life? It’s why people decide to make a living out of their hobbies, such as crafts, painting, sports, etc.

Outside of a personal attachment to a particular game, one of the primary reasons for creating animation through machinima is the low cost to produce. If someone already has the games, or they use some form of virtual world (normally free), all they need is a method of capturing the images.

For instance, Second Life is free and there is a host of free content, including animations, poses, and even the avatars themselves. Much of the paid content is very low cost as well. So, if you have permissions to film in an area created by someone else, or have your own dedicated space (referred to as land), all you need is screen capture software, which also can be free.

No, the quality isn’t going to be nearly as good as a Maya, DAZ, iClone, Blender, type production, at least not at this time. However, for those who don’t have the money, it’s a fun option to play with and even get some practice. This brings me to my next point.

It’s a cheap and fast way to practice camera work and capturing footage. Yes, machinima is a good training tool. Because it’s cheap with a small learning curve, this can act as a fast solution to hone certain skills, such as framing, scanning, angles, etc. Many of these virtual worlds have real world physics when it comes to lighting as well.

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own animations at the time, I would use other animations that had nothing to do with the scene, but angled the camera so it looked like the avatar was acting according to the storyline. I cheated…I admit.

Because of the limitations in this medium, an aspiring story teller can learn a lot about being creative and working “around” limitations, not letting limitations bind the process. This is a good lesson to learn for later in all aspects of film.

Lastly, it’s a different, interesting form of film making. Some people just like different, plain and simple. I enjoy finding new ways to do things, breaking the mold so to speak.

So, if you’re just hearing about this whole machinima thing and wondering why someone would “waste” their time on such an odd venture, hopefully this will help. Machinima, like any other film style, is a form of storytelling. And although it’s not fully understood by many, it’s very rewarding to the creator to see their story come to life.

Isn’t that the point anyway?

Blending Industry I don’t think it’s the process of making machinima that’s stumping intelligent people, but the lack of understanding of where machinima stands in regard to other methods of film making.

Most everyone has come to understand live-action film making to an extent, some more than others.

It has become a part of our main stream culture and influences us day to day without question.

Machinima is not an everywhere, day to day, general entertainment piece of our culture.

Matter-of-fact, I can’t think of a culture that has made machinima a regular addition. That’s sad news for those hoping to rival the “Big Dogs” with their game console.

So, when people hear of it and become curious to know more, their perception of the art is influenced by what they see in usually a short period of time after an internet search. Someone from the outside will often see amateur game enthusiasts making low end videos and not much more. To the casual onlookers, if they take it seriously at all, they see it as a bunch of hobbyists at best.

As long as machinima is seen as a separate industry, not only from film, but from any influence outside of the machinima arena, then the art will always be limited. Unfortunately, most people, even those who use this form, treat it as something 56 | MC3D | October - December 2016

separate, something that isn’t quite film but has film-like qualities. This immediately puts it at lower level than other animation methods.

There may be a host of opportunities missed under this viewpoint. Machinima is film making, it’s as simple as that. It may not use traditional animation tools, but it is storytelling in a visual form, it just uses a different method of capturing the action. Okay, it may not be as smooth and sparkly as a production made with traditional software, but as machinima tools improve, so will the production values.

Before machinima can really move up in general image, an attitude shift needs to take place across the industry. Making this change can open doors to more opportunities and resources, both financial and otherwise, that only a few machinima artists can enjoy today.

There have, however, been spurts of forward movement over the years. Large studios, such as Warner Brothers with their Terminator game, have jumped in to test the waters. Even well-known celebrities, such as Claudia Black from Farscape, have lent their voices to machinima productions.

So, there is a certain degree of potential in the medium if we choose to tap into it.

There is no reason that machinima and the general animation industry can’t blend together, at least to a certain degree. This means using many of the same resources, talents, tools, and marketing to achieve the end goal, which is a great animated product that tells a story. This is achieved through a professional approach with each project, from pre to post production, but this can only be achieved if the art isn’t treated as a separate animal, never allowed to interact with others.

That’s something new to think about.

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voice acting

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Voice Acting Industry competition

Voice Over Actors and Competition

by Sam Parker

If there is one thing common in any other job and in any other industry – it would be competition. It is no different in the voiceover industry. In fact, competition has gotten stiffer than it was before where there were unspoken rules that everyone followed like – casting directors not hiring a voice talent if not represented by an agent.

Nowadays, a voice talent can opt where or not to use an agent but they can basically market themselves and represent themselves.

Back then, casting directors and advertising agencies really are on the lookout for talent and take care to ensure they are hiring one. These days, any person who can talk can get hired for a voice over job. Back then, voice actors are paid well and everyone followed a standard http://mc3dmag.com

rate, these days, the pricing for voice talent work completed can go as low as $11. If you don’t believe it, go to eBay. But that is the thing – it’s those that makes competition stiffer for voice over jobs. Now they won’t go away just because you think you are a voice over professional and you should get the job.

As far as competition goes, DON’T COMPLAIN – get better.

Get better with demos (and attitude)..

Demo voice over read scriptVoice actors know this – as an experienced and professional voice actor – you already have an edge amongst others vying for voice over jobs. Complacency is the only thing that could possibly bring you down here but it will be your own doing. Picture this – startup voice over actor gets his demo done with care – clear, excellent sound quality, well modulated voice, passionate delivery. Experienced voice actor thinks he’s experienced enough and does his demo just like that.

Get better with deadlines.

For somebody experienced and knowledgeable – getting done before the deadline should not be an issue. It might be for those who think highly of themselves but really, with competition abound, a voice actor can easily be replaced. That’s a fact. Casting directors and advertising agencies love dealing with voice over talents who are aware there are deadlines to be met, other than the quality. To them, time is money, it should be for you, too. If not your money, theirs.

Get better in communicating.

You communication with your agent, with the voice over website you have a membership with, most of all – your microphone voice over conference communication with your clients. They are paying for your service. If there is something you are not clear about – polite, objective and detailed is a good approach.

You find something unreasonable in your client’s expectations of your deliver – polite, objective and resolution oriented is a good approach. Believe it or not, there are some voice talents who choose to simply not respond to the audition call or to the job after a client has booked them. They didn’t like something the client said.

You are viewed as a professional voice over talent, act like one.

Conclusion: The list is not exhaustive, it is not rocket science either. Perhaps you are not being booked for jobs, becoming upset over it is energy wasted. Evaluate yourself, how fast are you in submitting your audition reels, was the sound quality excellent?

Have you considered auditioning for the lesser known brands versus the bigger and more popular ones where there are sure to be hundreds of audition reel submissions? How badly do you want to succeed as a voice actor?

Say hello to competition and gear up to becoming better!

Article offered by The Voice Realm, http//thevoicerealm.com Content Producers: The Voice Realm offers the ability to get FREE AUDITIONS & instant access to professional voice over talent at affordable rates.

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Pitching Animation With no connections

How Do I Pitch My Cartoon Series With No Connections?

Written by David Andrade

The other day I got an email asking me about pitching an animated cartoon. The independent animator had no connections, no idea how production worked, but had a nice sense of comedic timing and was ambitious. They had a one sheet and an animatic ready to go. He’s already 80% there I thought. I replied: The folks you’re looking for are pitched to every day. I’ve heard numbers upwards to 1,500 times a month! Everyone from their hairdresser, to their mom is sending them ideas. It is a buyer’s market for them and talent they are looking for exceedingly rare to find. With the internet, they’re even less inclined to take a chance on someone banking on an “idea” and rather see someone actually create something (Annoying Orange was a good example).

These people are called Development Executives. They’re easy to find, even relatively easy to get a hold of. That magic moment when you pitch to them is not the end of the process however, but rather the beginning; everything lead up to that is just a warm up!

These people can be found at conferences like Kidscreen Summit or Animation World Summit.

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The short answer is: you go to where the folks are listening and prepare for a long journey.

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Befriend them, gather your materials, earn some recommendations from peers, and ultimately just straight out ask when a good time to meet is.

They know what’s up, you want to pitch to them.

At this point the response can dovetail in many ways. Maybe they just want you to send them a one sheet, maybe they’ll ask you to speak to one of their junior execs, maybe they’re just not interested that day. Whatever happens, be ready and continue the conversation.

For our live action script writing friends they know all to well the perils of this development process. You are constantly sending out your life’s work to production companies via agents or lawyers, only to have them wind up on the desk of some assistant who has the power to make or break you career. Be friendly and do good work.

Maybe you’re more prepared and at the conference with the head of Amazon right in front of you. What do you do? Well hopefully way before then you have setup a time to meet with the exec. Hopefully by then you have a one sheet, a pitch bible, maybe even a short pilot. Heck maybe the pilot will get picked up by an agent just by showing it around!

Maybe you need a bit more hand holding because all of this pressure is too much to read about. In that case, read this book by Rita Street, its gold.

Maybe you just want to be an artist and don’t want to get into this whole pitch swing, networking thing. That’s understandable, and there’s even possibilities for you! Our friends at Frederator are always on the look out for pitches to develop, as does Nickelodeon with their yearly Shorts program.

What I’m trying to say with all of this is...

At the end of the day, there’s no real one way in, there’s just lots of little ways that take time to nurture and develop.

I can’t answer the question of needing an agent or lawyer, just as much as I can’t tell you if a north side or south side attack of an mountain climb is better or worst. We each have our own ways. What I can do though is illuminate our journey a little bit.

Ray & Clovis is four years old Consider Ray & Clovis, which for four years ago was pitched to us by Evan Detwiler. He was a young animator, a fresh grad from Animation http://mc3dmag.com

Mentor, and was excited. He had some great ideas and we laughed a ton. Our collective at the time took it on, subsequently turning us into a studio, and we began producing the first pilot. The pilot was pitched around both online and at Kidscreen.

The feedback was harsh but we took it on the chin and kept at it. That process led to releasing Ray & Clovis as an animated YouTube series.

For the record, YouTube doesn’t make you money. We’ve actually lost quite a bit financially on Ray & Clovis in terms of our time spent and our resources used. Rendering alone costs $6-900 every month between electricity and amortized assets (a cost we eat as a part of business).

Yet we kept at it. The team of storytellers were all volunteers and believed in the project.

Eventually, after four years of developing, producing, and releasing, Ray & Clovis began to open doors. We made some friends with two popular visual effects companies that brought us in work. A commercials director contacted us for work, a small business needed some ad design, and before you knew it, we were making just a bit of money to pay a few folks every month. It’s not enough to write home about, but it is starting to turn the page for us.

Your dreams will be crushed Whenever I write these blog posts, I try to make them as dire as possible just to keep your eyes open. In this case: unless you have a lot of money, the rights to your creation will not be yours.

I think this line kills a lot of people. This day and age means television revenue is shrinking, and yes SVOD and AVOD is growing steadily but isn’t a gold rush like cable was in the 80s and 90s. As revenues shrink for creative content (using watchcartoonsonline.com means the creators and producers receive no compensation!) Development Execs have to find clever animation that not only is entertaining but also sells merchandise. Your show, if picked up, will most likely have all rights acquired or optioned to guarantee this. It’s simply too risky to not do so. Let’s face it too, how many of us actually watch cartoons on television? Or buy iTunes subscriptions every month? Netflix kind of counts, but often their pay out rates are too low to justify going to Netflix first (unless you are commissioned).

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and produce a season or two of your show. Haim Saban (Power Rangers) teamed up with a young French animator to make ZagToons and their show, Miraculous Lady Bug & Cat Noir. The show was fully funded, produced by a cooperative of companies and sold to networks globally. Plus they even have toys!

Even then, the show could be cancelled, so you look for ways to mitigate that by growing the brand on as many platforms as possible. Which brings us to apps and mobile. Talking Tom is the best example of an app that grew into a web series, and later repackaged and sold to television broadcasters globally.

Well this is all depressing To give you some perspective, a recent call I had with a major independent animation studio straight out told me they pitch 100+ shows a year.

Ten become pilots. One every couple of years goes the distance into a series. This shit’s hard ;) That’s why even though you may have a pitch in hand ready to go, that is really just the first step in a great journey that leaves even the most hardened veterans exhausted. If you’re inclined to go on it, I recommend Reading Kidscreen’s Pitch Guide on folks to contact. I also recommend Stephanie Palmer if you’ve never pitched anything before.

You only lose if you stop All things are possible. You can make a show that will blow us all away and just upload it to YouTube. You could also meet the right person and go the distance on something longer format.

Or you could go nowhere and give up, but you wouldn’t know how successful you could be if you did! So keep going, be awesome and don’t give up.

All this being said, if you, dear reader, find yourself reading this and you do want to go the distance, consider signing up for our free production toolkit. It’s a simple web app to track production tasks, video chat, and critique work.

We use it on Ray & Clovis and all of our client work.

You’ll get a space to begin your work, and who knows, maybe we can help you become the next Adventure Time. Good luck!

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