Another Animation Test, Another Leap...

Here is another short animation test I've done.
It's still in rough blocking sinch I didn't mean to animate anything tonight, but it looked such a nice rig, I had to try something.
Sure, it ain't perfect... but still ;)

A Short Animation Test

It's been far too long since I've animated anything!
I've found a free Flour Sack rig, which looked nice to play with (If you like, you can download it here).
This is what I came up with...trying to make a quick animation test...

I'm finally taking my first step in the animation industry!

This is the biggest and most important post I have ever posted - The beginning of my professional way, as I'm taking my first steps in the animation industry.
I'm delighted to announce that on this september, I'm beginning to work as an animator, at an amazing place!
I've been lucky enough to be accepted to work at an exclusive animation studio called Crew972 which is run by Alex Orrelle, a former animator at Pixar.
For me it's a dream come true, and a great start as well!

This blog was made to share the journey of becoming a student at animation mentor, and eventually after graduating, getting a job as a character animator (don't worry, this isn't the end of my blog and I intend to keep posting and updating).

Wish me luck!

Two challenges!

Animation Lab is a an animation studio located in Jerusalem, here in Israel.
They are working on a feature film and are about to recruit artists in different fields such as characters modelers, storyboard artists, animator and more.
They are doing this challenge in order to pick the people they see fit to invite and learn the way they work as a big animation studio (and maybe even invite us to work once the course will be over).
Since my life's dream is to work as an animator on a feature film, I thought it would be a mistake for me not to try and take this opportunity.
I've decided to participate in two challenges, both in fields of my personal interests: Story-boarding, and of-course, animation.


Storyboard:
We had to take a specific israeli song by Danny Sanderson and create a story board to its lyrics.
Here is the Storyboard:



and here's a clip I did with the same drawings:

Shir Roim from Ziv Ariely on Vimeo.


Animation:
We needed to download a character which was made specifically for this animation challange - the 3D boy (made by the talented Rafi benaharon), and to animate it to the monologue they gave (the 3D boy is a super-animation-geek, so it was a lot of fun for me to animate).

Here is the animation test I've done:

Animation Lab Challenge - Animation Test from Ziv Ariely on Vimeo.

Now You Listen To Me... (Rough Blocking)

Here are the first phase of blocking I've finally had time to start working on.
I took the advice of Jeremy and Doron's and tried to give him less poses and keeping him more self contained (since he is very angry but he tries to keep himself as calm as he can, while trying not to show how mad he really is).

I don't really know what I feel about this blocking, but I think it does look better than the animatic I've made with the thumbnails earlier which had much more poses in it.

The 11 Second Club - March - Thumbnails

Here are the poses I've decided to make as my main keys for this month's animation challenge at the 11SC.

Can't wait to sit down and start animate!

Now you listen to me!

I've decided to participate in This month's competition in the 11 Second Club.
I thought it could be pretty funny if the menacing man will threaten non other than his dog (to be revealed at the long shot in the end).

I've sketched out some really rough thumbnails to start exploring the sequence, then take out some poses, put back in and shift their possitions.
For now I've only made it mostly golden poses and less inbetweens.

Quick Lip Syncing

Since I need to go for the weekend, and won't have a lot of time, I tried to work as fast as I could on the lip syncing (which as always, never perfect... I know)
Anyway, Next I'm about to go back and try to change the final version of the animation when the girl says: "Jilting me" as Jeremy had suggested.

First Phase Of Polish

I didn't have a lot of time to work on my animation, and if that isn't enough, I've decided to change about a third of my animation (after receiving a few great suggestions).

I just finished working on the first phase of my animation. I didn't even get to work on the lip sync yet, and if I'll have enough time (hopefully) I'll have time to work on the little over laps on the fingers, etc.

Are You Jilting Me?

As I've said in my earlier post, I have decided to participate in the January competition at the 11 Second Club.
I've began to work on my first phase of blocking (aka Rough Blocking).
Pay no attention to the fact that the girl is on Linear mode while the guy is on Stepped mode (and there for looks like a cut animation).
I'll try and work harder on it during this weekend!

A Short Test I've done in 2D

I never really took the chance of trying to make a 2D animation, until this week.
Here's a little animation (very basic - took me about 5 minutes to do) of a bouncing ball I've done, just for the fun of it.

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A Short Animation Test - The Begger

Well, it isn't really a test. I've just wanted to go back to a less complicated rig and show some emotions, so I've decided to try and have a short animation test, showing a contrast in the emotions of the character (like we did in class 3).
I know I could of done it better, but I've decided to finish it quickly...

My Student Reel

Last night I finished editing my updated student reel. All of my animation exercises I've done during my studies at Animation Mentor are here (well, actually only those I thought were the most succesfull of them all).

I really hope you'll like it! and if you have any comments, plase feel free tole me know what you think of it - good or bad ;)

Stay Cool!

Finally! I've finished to render and edit it all. My short, the final project I've been working on during classes 5+6 in Animation Mentor is finally done!
I think it came out all right.
I would like to especially thank for the amazing help my class 5 mentor gave me - Elliot M. Bour (yes, he is "Dr." E. M. Bour ;)
He's not only a great mentor, but also multi-talented and a super positive guy, and an amazing person to speak with (and he also has a terrific sense of humor).
Thanks Elliot, I couldn not have done that with out you!

Stay Cool - A Short Film from Ziv Ariely on Vimeo.

My AM reel and also, starting to explore my short...

I can't believe how fun it is, to finally start working on my short.
I've decided to sit and start sketching and doodling, no a reel story board, but something to explore my mind and checking what camera angles could be interesting, what could work and what wouldn't work.
For now, my mentor (Elliot Bour) and I are feeling strongly that the story about Bishop and the soda machine could really work nicely, so I'm all pumped up and super excited to start working on it.

I've also took this week to render my assignment since class 2 and up until the end of class 4, and finally composing them together in a short reel with music and a wider format.

Hope you'll enjoy it :)