Maya Taster Day at Bucks

Free Maya Training at Bucks

Hi Everyone!  I'm Dave and I may have met some of you at your interviews here at Bucks.  We are always excited to see what you've been up to on your courses and in your own time.  We've seen some great work!  What we have noticed is that many of those at interview don't have 3D experience.  One of the great things about our new course is the hands on nature of the projects. We'll be doing a lot of 3D work - animating, modelling, texturing, lighting, dynamics - the list goes on!

Alex and I were talking after an interview and we thought what a great idea it would be, if you could come in to Bucks and try a couple of lessons in Maya and see how you get on.  With that in mind, we are setting up a day next month when you can come in and try Maya and see how you like it.  You can experience the software, see how we teach, and see what you think of our facilities.  Interviews can be stressful times and you must feel you are under the spotlight.  Well we're turning the tables!

You can sit back and watch us at work, talk to other applicants, ask questions informally and hopefully have an enjoyable day here!

Let us know what you think! Are any of you interested?

Dave

Below is a screen shot of Maya - the dominant 3D software in the UK film industry..

What Do Animators Need to Get a Job?

In 2011 I was teaching an animation class at Escape Studios in London, and we managed to get Aardman Animation in Bristol to agree to help keep an eye on us, and make sure we were delivered top-level work. They even sent one of their best animators, the very talented Matthew Rees, to come up to London and check out our students' tests.


Of course, all the students asked the same question - what sort of reel do you need to get into Aardman Animation? My answer was - a very, very good one. There is nothing more important to a working animator than his or her demo reel. It is your calling card, your talent showcase, your passport to employment.

My own rule is simple. Whatever goes on your reel - it must be completely free of mistakes. This is an absolute rule. If you submit to a studio a demo reel that has any mistakes in it, the studio will assume one of two things:

1. You saw the mistake, but couldn't fix it, or
2. You didn't see the mistake.

Either way, the studio is by now moving on to the next candidate. After all, they have a pile of demo reels to get through, they are usually spoiled for choice.

So, what was Matt's answer to the students' question? He didn't quite put it the same way I did, but he made pretty much the same point (and in fewer words) when he said "you are only as good as the worst thing on your reel".

---Alex

God of War:The Manticore Takes Flight-Concept to Final

A great look into a piece of Sony's God of War. The video takes you through the process of concept of one of their bosses, all the way up to Design. A great snippet into the many facets of game development.

Enjoy!
JP

found via animationaac.blogspot

What Do Modellers Need To Get a Job?

At the end of last year I met with Royston Wilcox, who heads up the modelling department at Cinesite in Soho, one of London's leading VFX houses. We worked together on many projects at Cinesite, including Underdog, Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Marmaduke, and between us we helped set up a super-efficient pipeline for realistic animal lipsync.


We are delighted that Royston has agreed to be one of our external reviewers, making sure our course at Bucks is fit for purpose and gives students the skills they need to find work in the industry. It is through developing and deepening our contacts with industry that we intend to make our course one of the best in the country.

And getting those jobs is more competitive than ever. Cost pressures on VFX work is driving modelling work out to China, farming it out to super-cheap studios who can do it for less. This places pressure on entry-level positions in London, making the job market even more competitive.

The good news from Cinesite is that they do offer entry-level jobs, and also internships. This takes the form of a competition - the submissions get judged and the best work gets an internship at Cinesite.

What does Royston look for in a modeller? - ideally someone who has worked on a film, understands the process. This kind of real-world experience is vital, because it lets an employer know that the candidate understands how the process works.

What about Runners? Does Cinesite hire them? Absolutely. Prospective runners get interviewed by HR and they spend up to a year working as runners, doing a fair bit of drudge work but at the same time learning the business and getting to know the company. This can be a great opportunity to start a career.

What should a good modelling reel demonstrate? Here is Royston's checklist of what he looks for in a prospective modeller:

1. Good surface topology, properly displayed. A good reel should show the topology of the mesh.
2. Show the reference used to build it. Does the model match the reference? Is the model accurate? This is super-important, as most studio jobs involve matching reference exactly.
3. A good working knowledge of Maya. Maya is now the dominant software in the industry in Soho - 3DS Max is less in demand, at least in London.
4. Watch out for objects built with ZBrush and Mudbox. These tools are very good for creating sculptures but the mesh ends up very heavy. They are not necessarily suitable for production.

ROLLIN' SAFARI

ROLLIN' SAFARI - 'Sleeping Beauty' - Official Trailer ITFS 2013 from ROLLIN' WILD on Vimeo.

ROLLIN' SAFARI - 'The Waterhole' - Official Trailer FMX 2013 from ROLLIN' WILD on Vimeo.

ROLLIN' SAFARI - 'The Chase' - Official Trailer ITFS 2013 from ROLLIN' WILD on Vimeo.

ROLLIN' SAFARI - 'Flamingos' - Official Trailer FMX 2013 from ROLLIN' WILD on Vimeo.

Attention Animators! Designer Ryan Todd Comes to Bucks - Monday 4th February

Graphic Design by Ryan Todd

Designer, Animator and Bucks graduate Ryan Todd is coming to Bucks to do a lecture and workshop on Monday 4th February, with Mark Hudson's Graphic Design students.  Kickoff is at 10am in studio T0.05.


Ryan will be talking about his career since leaving Bucks. Have a look at http://christmasgifs.org/ to see Ryan’s recent collaborative animation project.

Any animators who wd like to go - let me know by email, as Mark will need some idea of numbers.

As ever, we are privileged to have such talented artists coming to talk about their careers and work. Highly recommended!

---Alex

Calling All Animators! Bucks Sound Designers Want to Help You With Your Films!

Sound Design Studio

One of the best things about Bucks is how many departments we have specialising in different aspects of Film and TV production. One of the most interesting departments is sound design, where we have talented students working with state-of-the-art facilities to do excellent work.

Sound designers...waiting for animated films...

Best of all from an animators' point of view, they are delighted at the prospect of helping out with sound design on our animated films. Animated film projects tend to be short, so this kind of collaboration works very well from a sound designers' point of view.

And sound design is not the only department which animators can collaborate with. Here's a link to the super-useful Bucks Media Collaborations page on Facebook where you can find all kinds of resources for collaborating on film projects.

Sound Recording Equipment....animators wanted

And the equipment at Bucks is some of the best in the country. The Gateway building cost £60m, is virtually brand-new, and hosts all sorts of film-making resources - Green Screen, Sound Design, Sound Recording Studios, Actor, Dancers. They are all there, waiting for your films.

---Alex

(Editor's note: For more on the Bucks Media Collaborations Page, see this article. To find out more about how to work successfully on group projects, check out this piece. )