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Long time coming

Haven't been updating as regularly as I want to. Have been too busy with work and moving among other stuff. I've already had a few things crossed off the list of exciting things to do this year and expecting more in the next coming months but I've just had this amazing idea hit me yesterday.

All that I can reveal at the moment is that this website is going to be a Flash animation tutorials site. Hopefully with some of the ideas that we've come up with, we can elevate this project to a whole different level. I think we've got our work cut out for us. Tis going to be a long term project which involves something that is near and dear to us.

On Holiday

Hmmm..... I've been off work for a little over a week now and the workaholic in me is starting to feel REALLY bored. I really can't imagine not working. Perhaps it's time to really start building the Flash website that I so wanted to do so long ago.

Have started getting drunk again considering the last five days of the year incorporates Christmas, Birthday and New Year (All which I think are reasons to get drunk). Now that it's 2006, it's time to recuperate and wait until the last five days of this new year.

Have to wait till the offices open again as I have so many errands to run. Least it will keep me on my feet. I hate moving and that's exactly what I have to do. Here's a list of events that I'm excited over so far for the year 2006.

1. New house, new housemate.
2. Australian Formula 1 GP.
3. New 3D animation job due to start end of January.
4. Finishing up episode 5 of Dogstar.
5. New animated series at Mickey Duck / Viskatoons perhaps?
6. New 3D animated series job at Mornington Peninsular perhaps?
7. Australian Permanent Residency granted?
8. Going home to Malaysia to meet family and friends AND EAT GOOD, CHEAP FOOD!

I am thinking of applying for a 3D animation internship at Illoura if and when I get my permanent residency. Think that's the best way of actually breaking into the industry. Maybe I should do a short course in Maya. Don't think Lightwave is going to help me get into the very Maya driven industry. Damn. Should've learnt Maya to begin with. What the fuck was I thinking, investing so much time in Lightwave? Oh well, UNmarked was created in Lightwave and that has gotten me a few accolades so I can't complain much i guess... Internship or short course it is then.

I think that should keep me busy (and well fed) for the rest of the year. Then comes Christmas, Birthday and New Year celebrations again. More drunkedness.

A little bit of publicity

UNmarked has received a couple of awards at the 10th Malaysian Video Festival, namely:

SILVER for 'ASEAN Short Animated Film'

BRONZE for 'Short Animated Film: Open'

There's this big snapshot from UNmarked apparently on the newspapers but weirdly, there isn't any write-up about it....weird.

Read more about the MVA here. (The Star article)

Reflections

Was doing the usual commuting to work this morning and the train was delayed. So there I was, sittin at the platform (was actually pretty surprised that I could find a seat), 'hotel california' blasting away from my iPod (yes I am a fan of the Eagles) when I actually had the time to reflect upon what I've done in my life.

I remember when I was 15 when my dad bought me an original Jurassic Park VHS Tape. I was just awed by the fact that a team of people had recreated a part of history. NOT the fact that Dr. John Hammond re-created the dinosaurs by genetic engineering and all that bollocks but the animation team who managed to convince us that those creatures were actually alive and kicking right in front of us. THAT for me was one turning point. I didn't want to be an aeronautical engineer or any bollocks that my parents wanted me to be. I didn't want to be crunching numbers day in day out. My chance came when I went to the LimKokWing Institute of Technology roadshow (or so I thought). They had the image of the white house exploding (looks like something ripped out of Independance Day), repeatedly playing on one of the macs and I said....THAT's what i want to do. So I signed up for the course and went through the whole 3.5 years, got my degree in 'Electronic Design and Multimedia' and then tried to get a 'cool' job in Malaysia.

That was when I started thinking that I was duped. Don't get me wrong, I DID learn alot from my time at LICT and I have no regrets but I realised that all I learned didn't give me the knowledge of how to animate at all! So I ended up in advertising (due to the lack of spending money and pressure from my dad that i JUST HAD to get a job). Those 2 years spent in advertising were the most shit years of my life. I had a JOB. A working life which was allowing me to do stuff that I want to do (money wise) but I dreaded going to work. At the back of my mind, I wanted to make a film. I wanted to animate. But all I could do then was work on fuckin Photoshop and make fuckin images that my clients wanted. Not something that I liked. Don't get me wrong but i know that design takes alot of patience and all that but i just couldn't be fucked staring at static images anymore. I wanted to make something that spoke...that acted. Something that moved but not humdrum stuff like motion graphics.

That was when I found the Animation and Interactive Media school at RMIT. I liked their students work and I gave up my job to do the masters course. True, I had little money to do the stuff that I liked during the course but not that i cared. I had a whole friggin year to animate and to make a final film! And make a film I did. It sure beats sittin in my office in Malaysia knockin out fuckin psd and ai files. I spent a year watching, analyzing, learning why my characters didn't use to look convincing. I asked for feedback which I generously got in return from my lecturers. I was lovin it but in the back of my head, dreaded the day that the course would end and I had to go back to Malaysia. I didn't want to work in Malaysia.

Enter screen right, Peter Viska, head of Viskatoons Animation Studio. Peter attended the course's screening night and presented me with an award. An award because he honestly saw a glimmer of hope in me (hopefully) and part of the award was that I get to do a mentorship program at his company! But unfortunately, these opportunities in general are limited to permanent residents and citizens of Australia. So that was that. I was starting to feel more and more depressed. A couple o months later.... Peter called me up and told me that there was going to be a chance for me to work on something. Just come in with your showreel and resume etc. I already know your work but just come in anyway. (It was Kate Cawley, my lecturer who reminded Peter of my presence) And THAT was when i got started on my first animated series production. Mind you I was still in the middle of completing my exegesis for my Masters but I didn't care. Peter certainly didn't. He even helped with my Permanent Residency application!

6 months later, Faireez was completed and I must say it has been fully rewarding. Yeah, it's not a big arse payload compared to a doctor or an engineer. I'm now at my second animated series stint and I still DO enjoy my work. How many people can actually say it honestly and with a straight face...

"I LOVE MY JOB! VERY VERY FUCKIN MUCH!"

I make cartoons all day! I enjoy doing what I do...and little kids enjoy watching the fruits of my labour every saturday and sunday mornings! EXACTLY how I enjoyed watching cartoons every weekend and watched in awe at big lumbering prehistoric beasts walking beside human actors.

Then the train arrived....I can now continue my journey to work. I recapped my thoughts and smiled to myself. I've achieved one of my dreams. I can now hold my head up high and say "I'm and animator". Onward to bigger things... no different from dinosaurs.

Take AIM 2005

This post has been delayed due to the fact that I've been busy with work. Have been putting this off till I met Matt today who asked me why I had the BA Animation and Interactive Media post up but not the AIM one. Well, here goes.

First up, it was waaaay longer than when I went through it exactly a year ago. It felt very different being an alumni and watching it from a very different perspective. There is one stark difference between the class of 2005 and my year. This year's work comprised of more interactive works compared to ours. People in my year (apart from Lily) just didn't have the eye for interactive projects. I personally didn't have the interest in creating interactive projects (sorry Matt).

I also saw a vast difference in the preferred medium this year. There were more Flash animations for one. TWO 3D pieces...TWO! I'm glad I didn't have to argue with anyone during my year over the PCs in the studio. What caught my interest tho were the table top straight ahead animations. I for one have always been afraid of straight ahead animation. I've always needed the Ctrl-Z button for one. So I have deep respect for those who even dare to attempt straight ahead animation, but I don't think I will even try it in the near future. Maybe next time.

The films were definitely better in terms of animation compared to the BA course. I trust it was Kate and the rest of the gang in the staff room busy grilling the fine art of animation and story telling into the students' brains for the entire year. Not that it's a bad thing. I for one truly appreciated what the fine veterans at AIM has done for me. So kudos are in order for all of them.

And the films? I enjoyed most if not all of them. I will not go into the horrible nit picking as I have actually grown quite close to the people in AIM 2005. Lets just say that I understand what they had gone through this year and am glad that all of them made it through.

BA Animation & Interactive Media Screening

Just got home from watching a whole bunch of students' work. Students who just graduated from the Bachelor of Arts, Animation & Interactive Media Screening. I was pretty impressed with quite a few of the works but personally felt that alot of them were lacking the essence of animation or so to speak.

Quite a few of them were motion graphics oriented and they were pretty good. I did like a couple of hand drawn ones (albeit being largely rotoscoped). The 3D ones were rather disappointing, apart from one film called 'The Orb' which just focused on One character and this character was just a ball. Not much to see you say? Well....the animation and timing for that bouncing ball gave it a whole lot more character compared to the rest. Not to mention, it did win best 3D animation hands down.

That's that then... Just came from from the screening after a couple of beers and discussions with fellow animators regarding the films shown tonight... Just thought I'd put up my thoughts here koz this site needs more posts anyway...

Am personally looking forward to the AIM screening come Thursday. Basically koz AIM has gotten me where I am today and I feel very much attached to the place and the people there as I've learnt so much and gotten so far over the course of the last 2 years.