Calling All Animators - Blue GFX Expo is taking place in London on 19th November 2015.

Blue GFX Expo

Blue GFX Expo is taking place in London on 19th November 2015. Previous year's events have been superb - in attendance in 2013 were the founders of Blue Zoo, the UK's biggest TV animation company, the guys from Framestore who did the animation for the Skyfall title sequence, and representatives from Autodesk showing the latest simulation tools.

There are so many talks on cutting edge CG tools that can be hard to choose which ones to attend.  For all our students, this is a not-to-be-missed chance to catch up with the latest technology and meet in person the people who run the UK's top animation and visual effects houses.  And best of all, it's completely free.

Submit Your Feature Film Project to Cartoon Movie!

Cartoon Movie - pitch your project

The Deadline to submit a feature film project to Cartoon Movie is 25 November 2015. Do you have an idea for an animated feature film project you'd like to get off the ground?

If so, you should submit it to Cartoon Movie! If your film gets selected, you will be able to pitch it to almost 1,000 animation and industry professionals from forty countries. Present at Cartoon Movie are 200 buyers, including 120 distributors & sales agents.

But why should animation students want to pitch their feature film ideas? Well, why not? We think all our students should aim high - you might be the next Brad Bird or Jeffrey Katzenberg. You'll never find out if you don't try.

Sole Trader or Limited Company - Which is Best?

As a freelance animator, considering whether to set up a Limited Company or become a Sole Trader can be a tricky decision. There are many things to think about when identifying which route would be right for you.  So, what is the difference, and which route is best?

Sole Trading
Becoming a Sole Trader (self-employed) is the simplest way to run a small business, especially if you’re just starting out. Many contractors and freelancers - including animators - operate as Sole Traders at the beginning of their careers. As a Sole Trader you will be operating your business as a self-employed individual.

Richard Williams Premieres "Prologue" in Los Angeles

A still image from Prologue

Animation guru Richard Williams, who directed The Thief and the Cobbler, and was animation director on Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, has released a first look at his new six-minute animated short Prologue.  The short film was first screened at Annecy in June of this year, and will be playing soon in selected theatres in Los Angeles. Williams is the author of The Animator's Survival Kit, now the essential textbook for all aspiring animators, as useful for 3D artists as it is for 2D practitioners.

aTools, Free Utility Belt for Maya Animators.

aTools - "The ultimate free utility belt for Maya Animators"

aTools is a free download for Maya that describes itself as "The ultimate free utility belt for Maya animators." aTools was created by Portuguese animator Alan Camilo, and is extremely useful for all kinds of tasks in Maya.

It's free, makes your work flow faster, and very easy to install - just drag and drop it into your Maya viewport.

Still time to sign up for our September 7th Class!

There is still time to sign up for our new class beginning on Monday 7 September 2015. We believe that we provide the very best animation training that money can buy, for the lowest possible price.

Our students at Animation Apprentice are finding jobs with leading studios like Blue Zoo and Jellyfish Pictures, proving that our teaching methods work, and are helping our students to find paid work at a high level in our industry.  So what's keeping you? Sign up now to kick-start your animation career!

Queen's Counsel Cartoons Published in China!

Queen's Counsel Goes to China

Animation Apprentice founder Alex Williams also does a cartoon strip which runs weekly in The (London) Times. It's a satire on law and lawyers called Queen's Counsel, and you can see the cartoons here. Alex's latest book, The Queen's Counsel Lawyer's Omnibus, has been translated into Chinese (who knew there were fans of QC in china?) and is now the subject of a kickstarter campaign to raise enough Renminbi to secure Chinese publication. To join in the kickstarter campaign, follow this link.

Cartoon Saloon seeks "Key Posing Artist"

Cartoon Saloon

Cartoon Saloon in Kilkenny, Ireland, seeks a "Key Posing Artist" for their new feature film "Breadwinner".

According to the job description, "You’ll be responsible for finding storytelling poses from the board, improving upon them, putting them on model, and spelling out complex actions in a variety of ways for the next stage in the pipeline (animation) using existing character and prop model-sheets. We require artists with strong drawing skills to fulfill these roles."

So, what is this job exactly?

Book Recommendation - Animated Performance by Nancy Beiman

Animated Performance by Nancy Beiman is just published in its second edition. This is an excellent book from a master animator, one who now teaches at Sheridan College, often regarded as one of the top places in the world to study animation.

Nancy was a supervising animator at DreamWorks and she really knows her stuff. And, as a full-time professor, she knows how to communicate her knowledge.

Any serious animator should have this book on their shelf.

You can buy it here.

Radio 4 Series on the Business of Film

BBC Radio Four ran a recent series by Mark Kermode on the Business of Film, which you can still catch up with via podcast.

Specifically, how do films get developed, financed and then distributed? It's a handy and informative series which simplifies much of the apparent complexity of the film business. We recommend that any student who is interested in making their own independent animated film (why not? We should all aim high) listen carefully. And take notes!

Escape Studios Integrated BA/MA in Computer Animation Launches in September 2016

Escape Studios Integrated BA/MA in Computer Animation

Escape Studios are London's leading provider of short courses for the visual effects industry. They have an excellent track record in placing students in the growing animation and VFX industry in London and around the globe. Now, as a part of Pearson college, they are launching a new four-year BA/MA in computer animation in September 2016. I will be designing, running and teaching the course. I am very pleased to be going back to teach at Escape, where my animation students will benefit from the very deep understanding of visual effects work that Escape can provide.

Spiders! by Lee Caller

Here is a great piece of animation by one of our students, Lee Caller.  Lee did an excellent job of creating a looping spider walk cycle, and then added a performance to make it fun and interesting to watch. He has added some nice textures and lighting, and a sound track to make it spooky. Best of all, the shot tells a story, showing that Lee can make his work visually interesting, that he is not just a technician. This is just the kind of work we like to see on our students' demo reels - the kind of work which will help them find work in the fast-growing animation and visual effects industry.

Mac vs PC - Which is Best for Animation?

 

Anyone thinking of starting with us at Animation Apprentice is September might be asking themselves - What platform is best for animation in Maya - a PC or a Mac? The good news is - you can use either one.  The bad news (for Mac users anyway) is - the PC is probably better.

Escape Studios to Host Free VR Webinar on Wednesday 19 August at 6pm GMT

VR Webinar from Escape Studios

On Wednesday 19 August at 6pm Escape Studios are hosting a free webinar, inviting students to step inside the world of Virtual Reality.

The guys from Hamilton&Kidd will take you behind the scenes of their 1 million YouTube hits 360 film for Nissan, from concept, right through to delivery. To sign up (it's free), follow this link.

Shaun The Sheep At Large in Bristol

"Starstruck" by Richard Williams

Yesterday I went to visit Dad in Bristol.  Little did I know the city has an outbreak of decorated sheep - specifically Shaun The Sheep. Dad has an office at Aardman Animation, and he designed this one, which is currently on show at Bristol Parkway railway station. There are others scattered all over the city, and on 8 October they will be auctioned off to raise money for charity.

A few years ago I painted a giant egg in London for The Big Egg Hunt, a charity auction which raised money for various good causes. It was fun to do and involved using real stuff like actual paint and brushes. No computer trickery to fall back on.

---Alex

How to Create a Great Animation Reel - 12 Steps to Success

What goes into a great demo reel? Putting together a superb animation reel is the ultimate goal for all of our students here at Animation Apprentice. It is how our graduates like Marc Godfrey, Rory Marchant and Henry Fenwick found work in the industry.

At Animation Apprentice we spend a full month at the end of the course working on the students’ demo reels, because they are so important. We suggest that there are twelve rules for success.

Nitrogen Studios in Vancouver is Hiring Junior Animators

Nitrogen Studios in Vancouver is hiring Animators at all levels! It's always tough to get those entry level jobs, but a young studio crewing up for a new movie is a great place to get a head start in the business. Follow this link to see details of how and where to apply.

The project is Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's Animated Comedy 'Sausage Party'. Presumably this one is not for kids. To see the whole story, follow this link.

Bournemouth University Seeks "Demonstrator in Computer Animation"

Bournemouth University

Bournemouth University is looking for a "Demonstrator in Computer Animation". The National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA) is one of the leading university departments for computer animation in the UK. Among their alumni are the guys who founded Blue Zoo, where Animation Apprentice graduate Marc Godfrey is now working.  To find the jobs page at Bournemouth University, visit this page.

Cinematography with Ben Davis at BAFTA

One of the best things about BAFTA is its focus on regular lectures and seminars on filmmaking. 

A recent event at the Picture house Central on London’s Shaftesbury Avenue featured an interview with Cinematographer Ben Davis, whose screen credits include Kick-Ass, Before I Go to Sleep and Guardians of the Galaxy. But why should an animator need to know about cinematography? Because animators are film- makers, and anything that helps you to understand the art of visual story telling will make you better at your craft. And who better to learn from than one of the UK’s best cinematographers?

How To Get Ready For Our September Class!

What kind of preparation should students do before starting with us in our Autumn classroom at Animation Apprentice on September 7th?   We don't want to spoil your summer, but it's always good to get a little bit of a head start.

Below is a brief list of stuff to get you under way. It's not comprehensive, and you don't have to do all of it, but tick off a few of the things on this list and you will be a making a great start on your animation career.

Why Not Enter the August Eleven Second Club Competition?

What are you doing to polish your animation skills over the summer? Here at Animation Apprentice we encourage all our student animators to enter The 11 Second Club, a monthly character animation competition in which aspiring animators practice their skills and get their work noticed. Animators from all over the world participate, animating a character speaking a line of dialogue, which is provided every month by the club.