Status update.

{ March 3, 2008 @ 7:29 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Well, I’m back in class and today we’re continuing to work on our resumes. So far, I’m finding that the new age way to write a resume is definitely different than the alternative way I’m used to. I mean writing a resume is no hard feat by any manner in comparison to the other work we are currently doing, but just getting used to new methods just takes some time, as well as being able to know what employers want to see.
Tomorrow we have a storyboard due as part of our next compositing assignment. Our next project in that class, is to create a CG spaceship and place it into a section of film in an attempt to make it look as realistic as possible. It kind of sounds like fun. If one of us can fake a spaceship landing, why can’t anyone else out there make fake footage? It’s going to be a really fun project.In our 3D Production 2 class, we have our hand assignment due (Wednesday), next class. Again, it’s also a really neat project, and hopefully I can manage to make more progress on it today.The class that I think will end up being the most challenge for me, is Project Portfolio for Animation 2. I was never a master at hand drawing, but at the same time, I can see progress in my work, which makes me feel like it’s worth the while and effort. In that class we are now working with a section of script that we are going to Design, Storyboard and Previs. I’m sure that the skills learned in that class will be useful when the time comes to write storyboards or design a scene.In our 3D Animation 2 class, we are currently working with locators and using them to link objects to models, in order to simulate a character lifting an object. This class is one of my favorite classes, it’s always fun and interactive. When faced with a dilemma, the best solution is usually to act it out and use yourself as a reference. When we need to make a character dance we dance, when we need a character to run .. we run. It’s great! It really gives you a good sense of what is right and what’s wrong with your animation. Even though sometimes the pre rigged models that we use, don’t always agree with the action, it still really brightens up the day.

The weekend is working for me.

{ March 3, 2008 @ 10:43 am } · { Uncategorized }
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An intriguing title isn’t it? Well, the weekend is working for me, not in a sense of my weekend was entirely comprised of homework but in a sense of things are working out well for me lately. I love my position in my career life, my family life and my social life. Things are going well overall.

In school, we are working on several projects that we have much time to complete, so that cuts me some slack because my progress is ahead on one or two of the projects and I’m “up to par” on the others. We are working on modeling a realistic hand in one of our classes, and it seems to be going well. I have the hand blocked in and as it progresses the realism comes out and shows through more and more. It’s a really interesting project. To be able to create something that looks real, and has a completely methodological algorithm to formulate it’s creation is great. I mean if you have a pattern that you can repeat, it makes completing such a project easier in the future and even the practice itself just helps. Our other projects aren’t coming along quite as quickly as our hand project is for me, but at least I’m not just spinning my wheels and not moving. The progress is slow on the other projects, but it’s still evident.

I’ve had a really good weekend when it comes to other aspects of my life aside from just the work. It was fun and just helped to release the tension and stress of my life overall. Now that I’ve had such a great weekend, (which kind of almost acted as a form of catharsis) my work will just flow a lot quicker and smoother overall. I’ve used my time wisely and I’m pretty proud of that. Even though I didn’t get the maximal amount of work done that I possibly could. I figure that, I will get the same amount of work done, if not more, in the next few days rather than just burning myself out and being unhappy while working.

Even though this blog entry which was one of our assignments was done late at night the day before class, it has nothing to do with procrastination at all. It’s more of a personal preference, in a sense of “how can you tell the story if you don’t know the ending?”. I like to write this blog at the absolute last second, purely because then I can get everything that happened since my last entry included. It just seems like the most logical increment of time to me is all. Well to whoever is reading my thoughts right now, I bid you adue.

My first blog!

{ February 25, 2008 @ 10:10 am } · { Uncategorized }
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This is my first blog entry and I have never done this before so here goes nothing. Most people use blogs as an online journal which I don’t believe is that good of an idea. To let anyone out there see your true feelings about things seems like just exposing yourself to everyone. I mean, who knows who is going to be reading this?

This was the first week of our second semester of Digital Animation, and so far it is going very well. I am truly loving this program and what it’s all about. The people are great people with excellent senses of humor. I don’t think that there has been another class or program that I have been involved with that I feel quite so comfortable in or so, “at home” in. In our most recent classes we’re learning how to model a character, texture a scene, animate dynamics, of course write a blog, and so much more. There is so much to learn about everything that many of the students are finding it difficult to keep their personal lives going, and one thing that I know is true, is that without a consistent social life to take your mind off of work, productivity and motivation deteriorate. I have always managed to keep some personal time to reflect on my day or just plain forget about everything. Like they say, “A happy worker is a good worker”. As much as I love to animate I also like and need to have fun in other ways.

Many people see this program as incredibly demanding because it requires a lot of work, but it’s only demanding when working at tasks you may not find interesting. If you have passion for your work or the current task than the job turns into play, and play is the basic underlay of human desire and happiness. You can see the glass as half empty or half full, but if you can make the other half full, than why can’t you have a full glass? Just a completely abstract and metaphorical concept, for someone out there to dwell on.

All and all it’s a very fine balance to keep an individual happy and working efficiently. I mean, people aren’t machines. Social interaction is a necessity, but to what extent? Many people, in our fast paced society, deny that it’s even required because they want to exclude it in order to increase the amount of work accomplished per day or annum or in whatever time frame, but do people have to be mindless work machines to work well? I think that the contrary is true.

Well this concludes my first blog. I hope it was as good for you as it was for me. Tune in next time for the ranting and raving of me .. Robert Christie.

Hello world!

{ February 18, 2008 @ 6:15 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!