Sophomore Year(Animation): Semester 1 Reflection

Semester 1 Reflection 

The Walk Cycle

When making the walk cycle, I learned how to  make a shadow by just using a shape layer and turning down the opacity and decreasing the hardness of the shape. Mr. Olson, my animation teacher, taught me how to make the shadow through one of his lessons.  This project also taught me how to use the text tool by just making a text layer. I learned how to use the text tool, when I was trying to get more familiar with using Adobe After Effects.  I learned how to use the key frames to make the person appear to be walking. The legs for the walk cycle went very well, however it was very time consuming making the the different key frames. I would have liked to have been able to make a different background.  I had ran out of time to spent a lot of time on the background, since I had spent to much time making my character in Adobe Photoshop. I have improved my time manage meant skills. I plaining to be an animator, so I can apply everything I have learned into any future projects.  Overall, my walk cycle was one of my favorite projects. 

The Story Animation

The story animation was my favorite 2D animation project, which is why I have chosen to talk about this Animation. When making this animation,  I learned how to incorporate all what I had learned from the multi plane animation, walk cycle, bouncing ball animation, and the worm animation (Blogs for each down below this blog). I was given three weeks to make this animation. Within thous three weeks, I learned how to manage my time by making what I needed to have done by the end of each week. I learned, from the final project last year in E9, that organization and time management is key to being finish on time with a good product. My greatest strength was getting the animation done on time and completed because of project management. However, I should have spent more time in Adobe Photoshop on the characters and background. I am going to use what I learned with this project and use it on any new projects I will have. If I became a professional animator, I will defenetly use what I have learned, like how to animate a multi plane. I would change the length of my story so that I could spent more time on the design of the characters in Adobe Photoshop. I loved this project so much and hopefully I will be able to do something like this again.  

The Polything

 Maya, is a new software I have just learned to use. Mr. Nuterville, the other animation teacher, taught the basics of Maya first before this 3d image. I was given a document with instructions on how to make the polishing. Within thous instructions I learned how to use the 3 key lighting elements.  A video over lighting also helped me with lighting the shape. I also learned how to use the difference tool to make the holes using multiple cylinders in a sphere.

This was a fun project to do and was my third project in Maya. It was easy for me to make and  color the polything and plane. I had trouble making the shadows using the direct lighting tool. I have learned more tools to use in Maya. I will apply what I have learned, about shadows and lighting, into future projects I will have in Maya. I wouldn't change anything because it turned out pretty great. I can not what to use the lighting tools more in the future.

The Castle

The Castle 3d image was made using Maya. I learned how to duplicate a shape. I also learned how to add colors and textures. This will help me   in the future when I will have larger more complex projects. The knowledge of adding of color and texture will also help me easily color objects faster. I learned to add color and texture from Mr. Nuterville. I picked this 3d image because this was the first project in Maya were I was able to make a 3D building. It was easy for me to make the castle. I struggled trying to find seamless textures. I have much to improve and learn because I have just learned how to use the basic tools in Maya. I am going to apply what I learned from this projects to future projects. I would have liked to have added more towers and a drawbridge to add more to the image to make it more interesting. I can't what till I can use Maya for more larger projects.