I have spring fever. I’ve been working in the garden and am also planning to just wander around Toronto with my sketch book. I’ve been doing some thinking about creativity, play, and the necessity of taking the time to explore and enjoy yourself. It all feeds creativity. Now that the academic year is over for most of you, think about taking the time to do the things you don’t have the time for when school is in full swing. Take long walks, look at things carefully (the personality and attitude of dogs in the park, kids in the playground). Read some good books. See friends. If you’re athletic, swing a bat, play some tennis, take a swim. Sit outside under the stars. Look for things that energize you and make you feel good about being alive and on this planet.

I may not write every week, because, like you, I need a complete change and a rest to re-energize myself, and I plan to get back to painting.

My best to all of you for a happy, productive spring and summer.

PS If you’re in Toronto, do visit our graduate show which opens to the public May 30th.

The following column from Animation Magazine talks about a viewing of “Dumbo” and the inspirational role that “Dumbo” played in John Lasseter’s development. Lasseter makes some good points about storytelling and creating films that engage an audience. He also stresses using technology wisely. I hope you enjoy the article, and hope you’ll leave comments!

Respect for the past, and an interest and knowledge of classic film is an important part of your development as animation film students.

I have infinite respect for animation and animators because, as a painter, my concerns are so much more limited!

Animators have to be actors, storytellers, sensitive to nuance and masters of movement. That’s a tall order. My thanks to all of you who really care about animation as a form of delight and entertainment and are working to carry on this great art form.

Lasseter Shines at UCLA’s Dumbo Screening

CG animation pioneer and Oscar-winning director John Lasseter proved to be a huge hit at UCLA Film & TV Archive’s “The Movie That Inspired Me” event Monday night at the Billy Wilder Theater in Westwood, Calif. The Chief Creative Officer of Disney Animation and Pixar was interviewed by the Archive’s Honorary Chairman and series curator Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential) after a screening of a pristine copy of Disney’s 1941 classic Dumbo, Tex Avery’s 1949 short Bad Luck Blackie and Chuck Jones’ 1952 Bugs, Daffy and Elmer Fudd outing Rabbit Seasoning.

Lasseter, the beloved director of Toy Story I and II, Bug’s Life and Cars, talked about how Ben Sharpteen’s Dumbo remains one of his favorite movies of all time because it’s funny, emotional and the most cartoony of Disney’s animated features. “It’s the only Disney movie that the lead character doesn’t talk, but it’s also one of the most poignant.” When asked about his favorite moments in the film, he praised the roustabout scene for its design qualities and the “Baby Mine” mother-and-son sequence for its emotional power. “It’s an amazing scene especially once you’ve had a child, yourself.” He also talked about the film’s final flight climax. “That scene gets you every time. It’s a great lesson on how to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Everything is done so exquisitely on this film. Ken O’Conner’s layouts are so sophisticated.”

Hanson, in turn, pointed out the parallel between Lasseter’s career and how Dumbo managed to prove triumphant over his antagonists at the end of the movie. “You worked for Disney, then you were fired by Disney and now you run Disney Animation.”

When asked about how he picks his subjects, Lasseter pointed out that often he begins with a concept, knowing in advance what computers can and can’t do. “I have always chosen the subject for the medium.” For example, the plastic toys for Toy Story seemed like a perfect fit for the early days of CG animation. “Walt always tried to bring dimensionality to his animation—and he would have loved what technology has been able to do for that aspect of animation. Steve Jobs once said that at Apple, we create great technological tools, but they become obsolete after five years. However, these CG animated films last forever if we craft them right.”

As he has stressed many times in the past, Lasseter championed the art of storytelling and the importance of staying focused on your dreams, even when the worse happens. When asked about the trend in using movie stars to do the voices in animated features, he pointed out that they always try to find actors that can take the characters and make it their own. He reminded the audience that when Pixar first tapped Tom Hanks to do Cowboy Woody’s voice in Toy Story, he was a great character actor, not a two-time Academy Award-winning superstar. He also said that Hanks told him that he believes he will mostly likely live on as Woody long after his other live-action roles are forgotten.

Lasseter also told the audience that his take on animation owes a lot to his brother who used to design and make costumes. “He said that you can combine classic patterns with wild fabrics or vice versa, and you can create something that everyone can relate to.” Inspired by his theory, Lasseter has always tried to combine classic film grammar with cutting-edge technology to make his successful movies.

“The foundation of your movies is emotion and heart, and we want to thank you for that,” concluded Hanson. As he told the L.A. Times last week, “We are in the golden age of animation because you have these great creative talents at Pixar who are taking advantage of all the technical advances, but at the same time, they relentlessly pursue classic movie storytelling—meaning well-thought-out entertaining stories, great characters, heart and a lot of emotion. It’s ironic that these are the very virtues so often missing from live-action

It’s a very unique experience being part of Max the Mutt. We are really very connected to each other, all of us, faculty, students and support staff. It seems to be getting better and better as the personality and nature of the school have become clearer, and the students who are coming to Max the Mutt are more fully embracing total immersion into the arts they are studying.We know the third year animation students as individuals, and they know us. The mutual respect this year has made it a joy, and the hard work on everyone’s part has resulted in some outstanding work. I feel confident that everyone will graduate.Third year animation students still have a month to go.Portfolio Development is a course you have to pass to graduate. Each student submits a portfolio, throw away portfolio, and a demo real. In addition, students will be working on their films, which are done in ToonBoom Animation Pro. They need a minimum of a pass in that course as well. They have class every day for four weeks. With completion of the final film, the demo reel can be completed. This is followed by a final interview with two industry professionals. Each student shows both portfolios and the demo reel.We then hold our industry evening. All the animation companies are invited to see graduate work and films. Its a gala evening.Are we tired? You bet we are! But we are also feeling proud and excited.Ten third year students are applying for year four (which I’ve written about on this blog) and are applying for internships for the summer, and five others will be looking for employment.I’ll let you all know the outcomes. Films and art work will be on the gallery page by early June.Its been - and continues to be - a very exciting year. I hope that all of you who live close enough will visit us in June when the graduate work (as well as year 2 work) is on display. The first year show is also definitely worth seeing. The learning curve in first year is mind boggling!By the way, next year (2009) will be the first time we’ll have people graduating from both year 3 and year 4 animation programs, and Illustration for Sequential Arts. It will be another year after that when the first Concept Art students graduate.The goal is to keep each diploma program small enough so that we keep the unique nature of the school.We look forward to your visits to Max the Mutt.

The following article was first posted by Jason Manley (conceptart.org) in response to an ad for an opening at Rockstar. He entered it again today in response to a thread on one of the forums on his company’s excellent website, which you all should visit, www.conceptart.org.I think the information is very valuable and have decided to reprint it here, in the hopes that I’ll be helping more people get a chance to read it!”THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT DOING LEVEL CONCEPTS OFTEN ENTAILI think..that there is tremendous talent on the art forums. I also think that sometimes if the talent knows exactly what the position is that they will have a better idea what to show to nail the position…and perhaps even gauge if the position is right for them.many companies use level designers as game play thinkers…not necessarily visual conceptual scenery guys.often times the level designer will come up with the general flow of the level and the kinds of events that happen on a sort of overview map and ROUGH block in of the area. Now, Rockstar may vary on this pipeline a bit, but all teams need someone who can make the general mundane reality of things look visually appealing and appropriate to their game. A great team will need a conceptual artist to add a creative and beautiful twist…add mood..add feel…and delineate specifics so they can be quickly built by the 3d team.the question is…can you take a blocky rough sketch filled with notes and turn it into a more realized image that has all the necessary gameplay elements, story elements and also LOOKS FRIGGEN FANTASTIC? could a 3d modeller build in wireframe (exactly) from the sketch you provide? Does this sketch have all the necessary elements? It better…the producers and leads will probably have to sign off on it.can you do this during a meeting with teammates? …like a football coach might scrawl out a play on the dirt?I did not hear of any game play conceptualization in their post…just the ability to set up scenes and environments and at the same time give them that nasty gritty underworld feeling that rockstar is moving toward.It sounds like they are pushing it to whole new plateau…most companies will not devote an entire position to the said job. In my experience I feel that that job is a necessity to creating a great project. The fact that this position is available on this project says a lot.in order to get a game with environments that are not just that same old dark street with bland buildings and boarded up windows, someone needs to figure out what goes in these sets. This person needs to show how the environments can be set up so they feel natural and appropriate. Games are moving past that basic mundane empty hallway thing that most 3d games are so good at…levels now need to be filled with a multitude of props and sets just like a movie would.The technology is finally supporting this visual venture. Because of this, coming up with layouts of given sets (within the gameplay that the designers have laid out) has become a full time position with any team that is trying to do things right.Sometimes there is room to throw in some gameplay ideas…often times gameplay will restrict how the environment can be set up. (things to jump on or over…areas to battle etc…) The key in a position like this is to take the basics of what the writers and gameplay designers need and bring it to a whole new visual realm…while keeping all the requirements they need.sometimes what a level concept guy has to do is whatever the designer tells them…but nearly always the job is also to take an alley they need and make it work visually…and make not just another alley with a dumpster and a friggen barrel of fire…but to set up an interesting scene using the props that are available in their library and to come up with new props at the same time. these usually need to be quick to build and will need to add to the feel of the world. craetivity here is a must.now that the technology and engines allows for character and setting specific props, a lot more can be done with the scenes. PC’s and Consoles can handle higher poly counts and thus the environments can be filled with cool stuff.Once the story and necessary gameplay elements are outlined in a given level it then needs to go on to someone who can stage character specific environmental ideas with sketches…to populate it with story appropriate architecture for the given scene and prop ideas…if time allows this can also include texture and lighting suggestions within the concept.Since they are wanting these quick I would assume that they are wanting linear environment drawings…not fully rendered scenes that take days to paint. Most games need mood illustrations to set lighting feel and texture feel…but for the most part a pleothera of quick concept sketches need to be cranked out so that the people building the levels have resource to work from. often, one or two mood images will do..but then the builders will want to know the details. “what is this place?…what is this world?…what does the outcropping look like?…what does the statue look like?” the builders dont have a lot of time to figure this out…since you can draw faster than they can model it is easier for you to do it and for them to work from it.if a team has a guy who is doing this job then it is easy for the producers to sign off on the images and then pass them off to the level builders/texturers/lighters for construction. this position keeps the levels unified and also makes sure someone is taking the time to set things up as best they can within the given schedule.its just too hard nowadays to think up what you are going to build…to texture it…to light it…and to have gameplay in it..and HAVE IT LOOK RIGHT….so these positions are broken up into chunks and different people attack the area that they are best at. if all the ingredients go in right then you have a successful stew. a successful stew feeds the masses…and on to the next project you go.I hope this helps…rockstars pipeline may vary but this will explain a bit of what concept artist does on a game pipeline….it is deeper than above though…often times other kinds of illustration needs to be done. (such as character art, ads, posters and other cool stuff)….regardless…THIS IS A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU PEEPS….get some level art together and send it off.if it was me…Id spend the next five days doing nothing but watching warriors over and over again while i paint city scapes..alleyways…streets….interiors…pawnsho ps…you name it…urban madness…grit…dark…and Id be sure it had a creative twist too just to entertain myself…after all..any artist at a game company can imagine an alley in a game like that. (dark..fires…garbage blowing in the street…wind…buzzing streetlights…old architecture mixed with new advertising…graphiti…) …a concept artist specializes in making that boring mundane alley that anyone can picture into something that is exciting and fresh to view. how you set that up so that it is interesting and creative is up to you.good luck all.jason manleyPS…this is only one aspect of what a concept artist does over the life of a project. If the project is already rolling then the characters are probably done…and if it is not, then someone else already has them scheduled.environments are a blast…a challenge…and intense…mmmmm…. “Jason is speaking here to those who are ready to enter the job market. However what he says helps to underline the skills students need to acquire if they really want to do this kind of work. It all begins in year one, with art and design, perspective training, learning all the content of Principles of Drawing. If you can’t think in terms of planar structure , if you can’t model so that a carver could work from your drawing , you won’t be able to produce what you’ll need to produce as a concept artist.We have worked very hard to structure our Diploma Program In Concept Art for Animation & Video Games so that graduates will have the skill base they’ll need to get into concept art in both industries.The way to get there is to start! Draw, draw, draw - but think about what you are drawing, and how you are drawing it. Do some studies of simple objects. You can start with basic geometric forms, then graduate to simple organic forms like apples (Cezanne used them for study and made great art with them!). Walk before you run.

Although the Advanced Diploma Program in 3D Computer Animation and Production teaches and uses Maya, the goals are to educate students so that they will be easily adaptable to proprietary 3D software, gain as much experience as possible animating, and take part in a simulated production experience.We recently held a meeting for all the faculty who will be part of the ‘08-’09 academic year. I emerged from this meeting with an energy charge of genuine excitement.We now expect ten of the sixteen 2008 graduates of our 3-year Diploma Program in Classical and Computer Animation Basics to return for year 4. They will be taught, and will work alongside, industry professionals whose areas of expertise complement and reinforce each other. I was impressed by their respect for each other, and their lack of ego. We are amazingly lucky to have these people as part of the Max the Mutt community.STEPHEN BARNES was a character animator on Pixar’s “Toy Story 2,” “A Bug’s Life,” and “Monsters Inc.” He was lead animator on Disney’s “The Wild.” He is currently working on an independent animated film. He will teach animation, supervise pre-production, and direct the group film. Stephen is articulate, highly skilled and cares deeply about the art and quality of animation.BRENT GEORGE has background in both classical and computer animation (including Maya, 3D Studio Max, and Houdini) and most recently was Animation Director for Pseudo Interactive in Toronto where he developed the character-based animation pipeline and supervised all work related to character animation. He was the supervising lead animator for “Sitting Ducks” and was lead animator for the digitally animated feature film “Axis.” He specializes in rigging and animation. In addition to working on the group film, Brent will mentor students on their independent 3D projects.STEPHEN SAYER holds a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degree, as well as a diploma in Classical Animation. His combined scientific and animation background has resulted in a deep understanding of 3D Computer Animation. He has his own business specializing in computer animation, traditional and digital artwork, storyboarding and digital photo-editing.BEVERLY MAGUIRE is an experienced editor in a wide range of popular media. She is also a knowledgeable IT person , and will offer technical support. She has also worked as a production manager for animation, and will be the production manager for the group film.TINA SEEMANN, Director of Animation, is a cartoonist and character designer whose work has appeared on TV Ontario’s, “Polka Dot Door,” “Book Mice” and “Today’s Special” to name a few. Tina will assist Stephen Barnes in the film’s direction. She is the character designer for the production, and will also teach Drawing For Animation.SARAH JOY BENNETT is an experienced actress with extensive training in classical theatre, including Shakespearean drama and training in Commedia del Arte in Italy and France. She will teach advanced improv, helping students to find the body language of the characters they will animate.We look forward to an outstanding ‘08-’09 fourth year for animation students!For those of you who aren’t already familiar with this program, students are taught the Maya program as an intensive, and then work on a group project with their instructors. They also each work on a short independent project.The main emphasis of our fourth year is animation and a simulated production experience. Although students are taught the entire program, they are presented with modeled and rigged characters, just as they would be if they were working in the industry. Some of them will work on preproduction: storyboards, animatic (all done with ToonBoom Storyboard Pro), background and prop design.They work alongside and under the direction of industry professionals. This is the third year we are offering this program. We had a one year hiatus this academic year and took advantage of the time to refine and develop the program. the excitement is palpable.This is, as far as I know, a unique approach to educating 3D animators. I’m interested in your response to what we are doing! Please leave your comments.

 I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Max the Mutt graduate Winrik Haentjens, now employed at Imax. After graduation from our fourth-year Advanced Diploma Program in 3D Computer Animation & Production, we recommended him to Bullseye Productions in Toronto. Winrik accepted an internship at Bullseye, and his work and attitude resulted in a job offer.MS: What’s the best thing about having attended Max the Mutt?WH: One of the best things about Max the Mutt is they keep letting former students know of new jobs. Coming to Max the Mutt, the most valuable experiences were life drawing, still life, learning to draw in 3D space, and the fourth-year 3D program. The teachers are industry professionals, so they’re up-to-date on industry happenings. Plus, the tuition was affordable compared to other colleges, especially considering that Max the Mutt is a private school with such small classes.MS: In what specific ways did the Max the Mutt curriculum help you?WH: In Life Drawing, you get the impulse of the figure. Seeing things in 3D space helps you to develop your visual comprehension and apply it to your drawings and 3D work. The painting courses helped me with texturing. The 2D animation training taught me the fundamentals of animation and how to apply it to 3D. I don’t think I could have gotten where I am today without the education and training I received from Max the Mutt.MS: What happened after you graduated?WH: Employment. I started freelance work right after graduating. First I had an internship at Bullseye Productions and ended up getting hired. They put me on multiple projects and I got experience in everything from modelling to animating. Then I got a job storyboarding for Left of Centre, and recently I started a job at IMAX. I’m happy that I have the skills to get work in different areas.

More than one student has approached me about the choice between going after a diploma ( or degree) in Animation ( character animation), Illustration for Comic Books and Graphic Novels, or Concept Art (video game art and design, animation art and design).The students’ main concern seems to be about future employment. My advice is to build a strong skill base. This will leave you flexible and able to adjust to the potential changes that lie ahead. If you have a love of painting and drawing and solid traditional fine art skills, including composition and design, and color theory, and also have computer skills, you are well positioned to be adaptable.Animators are hired by video game companies as well as animation companies. The same is true for concept artists. Graphic novels are proliferating , and so is the need for interesting novels and people who can draw them. So follow your heart!

There seems to be a mistaken idea that jobs in concept art are not available. I just read this on line:

Game Developer Census details nearly 600 companies in North America

by Scott Jon Siegel Jun 29th 2007 1:15PMFiled under: Business

The CMP Media Group has an exhaustive list of every significant game publisher and developer in North America. The publication details approximately 510 companies in the United States, and an additional 80 in Canada….In addition to the comprehensive directory, the census also reveals that over 39,700 individuals are currently employed by the games industry in the United States, and around 8,100 in Canada. Of those employees in the United States, over 46% are working in California, with Washington state a far second at 11%, and Texas third with 7.37%.

In a time when traditional fine art skills are in short supply, this would indicate that people with these skills are, and will be, in demand. Max the Mutt has been visited by both EA and UbiSoft, and we’ve had graduates hired straight out of school even before we offered an in depth concept art course of study! If we didn’t feel that this course of study would lead to employment, we wouldn’t offer it.

However, working at anything that doesn’t really interest you can be misery. We can’t be motivated by fear. Ask yourself what you really love. When you have a passion to learn something, doing the work - the work you want to do - is not a burden. Start by following your heart. Then add as many related skills as you can, and you’ll have lots of job possibilities.

At Max the Mutt, now’s the time when students and faculty are beginning to feel the pressure. Why is it that time always seems to pass more quickly second semester than first semester?  Deadlines are closing in!For all of you reading this who are in school, just a few reminders:Breathe deeply. Keep your perspective. Hang on to your sense of humor. Watch out for group dynamics that go awry. Be positive!  Try to get as much pleasure from your work as possible.When you’re doing your work: your mind should be on the process, not the product. If the process is good, the work will follow. Don’t forget to pat yourselves on the back for everything you’ve achieved before looking at the things you need to improve. But be honest with yourselves and take responsibility. This summer you may want to set up a schedule for yourselves to deal with subject matter you “passed” but didn’t really grasp fully enough.In schools with difficult programs, this is the time of year when due dates may be pressing. They are at Max the Mutt!If you’re having problems with a course, and haven’t done so already,  see someone for advice and help!Be sure you’re taking direction well and doing your part.Accept the fact that most of us aren’t great at everything, and some of us have to work extra-hard to get certain skills that come more easily to others.Many successful people have had to redo courses or course work. If you have the passion, most of you will be able to overcome technical difficulties with time and practice.More tips:  eat well, exercise (walk to school if that’s all you have time for),  do deep breathing if you are tensing up, and try to keep your perspective. Be sure to take some timeouts. Work hard when you are working, play well when you are playing.Accept the fact that there are many frustrations in becoming an artist. There are good days and bad days. Not everything we do lives up to our expectations. We are all human, after all. And please don’t forget how lucky we are to have the opportunity to work at the things we love.At Max the Mutt - and this seems to happen every year -  when the student work goes up for year-end shows and student films are running in the theater, we’re all surprised by just how good the work is and how much everyone learned!