Here's the really rough blocking for my newest assignment (Hey, remember this little guy?)

HALLELUJAH, LAWD, I GOT ANOTHER B+!

My mentor gave me a tiny critique and told me I've come really, really far as an animator in just one assignment, and he hopes I realize that.

To give you an idea...this was my very first go:


And this is as it is now, in stepped mode (that means jerky, without inbetween animation), fully lipsynched and just about ready to get smoothed out:

This is a tiny snippet from the assignment that is consuming my every waking minute and eating my soul. Aaaaaaaarrrrggghhhh.



Looks better than the last one, though, don't it?

There is nothing in the world like waking up, starting the podcast reviews for the day, and getting to review one all about the Traveling Wilburys.

Here's the whole scene lipsynched!


Oh. Oh, that's too cute. Apparently George Harrison got down on one knee and asked Roy Orbison to be in a band with him.

I just started blocking this out and got so excited with the first second or two that I had to take a break and show you. There's no tongue movement yet, but look at the little guy annunciate!

Here's Mr. Ball in living color!

This is an uncolored, unshaded, unrendered start of the animation I'm working on. This little jello ball is going to sing and bounce around in the very near future. AND he is going to have a cute lil' face. He's in a talent show!

And this is not a set that was given to me by my school or anything--I made the ball, I made the curtains, I made the stage door that bursts open...I made it all!



And now, I'm going to drink some pumpkin beer in celebration. Oh, do I love pumpkin beer.

Soooo, I have been running into big problems when I try and upload this newest animation to youtube or photobucket (something goes weird in the conversion to flv, maybe? It always cuts the ending off)

So, I'm putting it up on yousendit. He's still really choppy, but I'm taking him out of blocking phase next week. And I promise his mouth will move soon!

http://download.yousendit.com/6FD96C4046CC049D

I have been eating, breathing, sleeping, and drunkenly vomitting this guy. RAAAAGH. I've got one more week on him, and I had better get a halfway decent grade at the end...

Okay...everything's a little fast, because blocking mode does that, but here's my first assignment for class 3 so far! Now, he's supposed to be reading a book when he gets his coffee. He puts it down as he picks the cup up, but making a book prop that folds closed is a bitch, and I'll do that later. Also...pretend that the empty space he pulls out of his mouth is a big black hair (again, hair's a bitch, too).

I went completely nuts today and blew up my assignment. Then, I re-blocked it. THEN, I re-smoothed it. It's my final assignment, so I should probably look like I know what I'm doing for once, eh?

SO...

LAST week's assignment:


THIS week's (unfinished, but looks millions of times better):


I'm probably going to see this big-headed little freak in my dreams tonight.

I'm afraid to try a long post, as it might get eaten...after a weekend of not really being able to post/comment (unless I just made a sentence), livejournal sent me the "your paid account is expiring in 11 days!" email. Oh, oh fuck all y'all! I'm spending my $25 on better things...like my old favorite beer shampoo. http://usa.lush.com/cgi-bin/lushdb/802?expand=Haircare

Well, if the servers can handle it (I bet they can't), here's phase two of sticky door guy.

This is the Sticky Door Guy. I have been told it "builds up to the punchline really well". I have been getting As right and left for the last few assignments...and that may well be why I'm drunk right now. CELEBRATION! I need more beer. And Oingo Boingo.

And he's out of blocking mode!



I have one more week to make this little dude perfect. But no more work tonight, because there is a kickass Corner Laughers show in my near future.

The little jumping dude!

It's choppy because I just blocked him (he's in a mode in Maya where the computer doesn't fill in any inbetween action other than the poses I set), and he's rough draft...but the boy can jump!



Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a crazy psycho dog to walk.

So...how hard is it to animate some guy stumbling? Well...let's just say this is my fiftieth try, and he STILL looks like he's not really stumbling at the end.



Let's hope I'm better at this by class 6. *kills self*