I am an animation enthusiast helping young adults interested in animation learn about the animation industry through film reviews, local happenings, tips and tricks, and animation tutorials so that they can join the animation community and create their own animations.
Author: ananimationblogforclass
Interview with Planet Dolan Artist and Animator!
This week, we had the chance to talk to Tyler (a.k.a. ng_tyler) from Planet Dolan! Planet Dolan is an animated YouTube series that has 5.6 million subscribers! We chatted with Tyler and got to see how he was able to get a career as an artist, animator, and game developer.
Name: Tyler (advised not to use full name)
Job: Artist for Planet Dolan
Location: Pennsylvania
Is there anything you do outside of doing art for Planet Dolan?
The Dolan thing is very recent. I’ve been making games since 2010. It started out as a hobby and then it became a job a few years after. It was a hobby, I got a job and then after my hobby made more money than my job, I quit. It’s an on and off profession. It is not very stable. Working with Dolan is me looking for something more stable.
So since your hobby became your profession, is there something you did before making games?
I was a graphic designer for a year. I worked for this stock firm and it was very boring and it was very, like, soul crushing design, layout things, ugh. Occasionally there were some fun projects, but for the most part it was boring logo stuff.
Did you know you always wanted to be an artist or were you inspired by something to start making art?
As long as I can remember (art) was always something that I was doing, but I never took it beyond a hobby, really, I just did it for fun. It’s funny, I grew up in a small town and I was always scared to share my drawings or to take it more seriously than it was. “Laughs” I was always getting made fun of for drawing because it was weird for where I grew up. I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. I always wanted to draw heroes and make little stories. Art was a weird thing because everyone was into drawing the same things. Like, everyone was into drawing deer. Since everyone was a hunter, everyone was into drawing deer. I was just considered weird because I drew these outside things and had a different taste. Honestly, it made me stop drawing for a while.
So you went from drawing to not drawing to picking it up again. Have you noticed any change in your creativity or how did you choose to do what you do now?
I like working with people, honestly. At this point, everything that I do is collaborative. For Dolan, everything is their characters and I help bring it to life. For my own work, for my own games it’s always someone else that I’m working with so it is always passing back and forth ideas. Everything now has a purpose, as opposed to before everything I did was just selfish fun. Most people that I know are pretty collaborative too. It’s rare you’ll find someone who has all of the skills to do everything by themselves. You have to have so many skills to do this on your own. You need to be an artist, a designer, a sound designer, editor.
Who are some of the people who give you inspiration and why?
Tom Fulp. He made New Grounds and Castle Crashers. He’s just a really great person, very driven and very kind. He made a website to and New Grounds has inspired so many people. You wouldn’t have game grumps without it, you wouldn’t have Cuphead. There’s so many things that came from it. He made a game studio with it. He’s one person, a moral person like you and me and inspires so many artists to learn and grow. He is just so admirable.
How did you figure out that you wanted to get into video games?
You know, I always really liked them. When I was younger I would always make mock-ups, screenshots and walk-throughs and it was just fun. I never knew that anything was going to happen. I just liked to pretend that it was going to happen. The first game that I made was only because someone asked me to make it. I never showed any artist and art and was like “let’s work together.” I truly thought that it would be garbage and no one would play it. I made the game and things were pretty quiet for like a month and then the guy comes back to me and he has a check for me. I mean, I was just doing it for fun! It was really cool, I was very surprised. So then I began to think that I would do more with it and I kind of just rolled with it.
Since you started doing this, has there ever been a time where you doubted it because you started to feel like it was more like work than fun?
The uncertainty never goes away. When you’re doing this by yourself or with a small team, there is always a sense of uncertainty when you are in charge of something. You never know, you just do the best you can. Maybe it will work out, you never know if it will. There is no guarantee. I really like it and I don’t regret what I have done.
It’s work and fun. It’s fun coming up with the idea, expanding on the idea and it’s fun when it’s done, but that is a very short part. The rest of it is just a lot of work.
How long does it take you to complete a project?
I can’t think of an exact number. My last project took a little over a year. This project is going to be 2 years.
How do you organize yourself with such a long timeline?
It’s a mix of chaos. I have a routine. Every morning I will exercise first thing and then I will end the day by playing video games or reading before sleep. In between that is work time. That is the chaotic part. Work time changes every week. When I find myself procrastinating, I will just sit down and write about why I am procrastinating or why I am wasting my time.
How does your family deal with you trying to make a living as an artist?
Oh, they don’t understand it, but that’s okay. I remember the first time I started doing it and then I moved to Philadelphia. They were like “what the **** are you doing? This game stuff is just a stupid hobby.” So they didn’t get it, they didn’t understand. I made more money than any other job I ever had. They are fine with it now, they get it now since I proved it to them. I don’t blame them. They don’t really understand the internet. They can’t imagine it as a path, so to them it is the unknown. The unknown is scary and you want to protect your kids, so I get it. It was pretty much all disapproval for a long time. Everyone disapproved including my parents, teachers, guidance counselors, like everyone though it was a bad move. I just didn’t care what anyone else thought.
Is there any piece of advice that you live by?
“I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” by Ernest Hemingway. Pretty much, just take responsibility.
Were you inspired by Tyler’s story? Find out here how you can get started as an animator or check any of the links below.
The Top 5 Reasons to Learn Animation
Beginning Animation: The Process
How to Download Autodesk Maya for Free (Students)!
Autodesk Maya is one of the most well-known professional 3D softwares. Every major company who does 3D animation uses Autodesk Maya. The software may not look familiar in each company because every company manipulates the interface to be more user-friendly. However, if you want to take 3D animation seriously, downloading Maya is a great decision! Downloading Autodesk Maya can be VERY expensive (around $1000 a year or $190 monthly). Luckily for students, you can download Autodesk Maya free for four years! Follow this step-by-step guide so you can easily download the software onto your computer
*Disclosure: make sure that your computer has the right requirements to fully enjoy the software.
- Go to the website. https://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/maya to start your software download.
- Create an Account. Assuming you are new to Autodesk, you will need to make an account. I know, this can be very annoying, but this is the only time you will ever need to do this! Keep in mind that have to use your student email. If you do not have a student email, you will not be able to download this free software. If you are not a student, but would still like to try the free trial click here.
- Choose your system. Now that you have your account, you want to choose which version of Maya that you want. I HIGHLY recommend getting last year’s version, no matter what year it is now. If it is 2018, get 2017. If it is 2025, get the 2024 version of Maya. Since this is a free version, Autodesk likes to use the latest software as a way to work out the bugs. As tempting as it may be to get the latest version, most likely the software will have a lot of problems, such as unexpected crashes and other problems. There is not much difference between this year’s version of Maya and last years so I would recommend just getting last years. You won’t be missing out on much.
- Install. Press the “Install Now” button at the bottom of the screen.
5. Accept the Terms. A screen will pop up asking you to accept the terms. Since you can’t use the software without hitting I agree, I would just select the option.
6. Select the Maya Download. After you hit agree, you should see the software at the bottom of the page for you to open.
7. Restart your Computer. Make sure that you do not have any unsaved work on your computer and press “yes.” Your computer will not restart
8. Setup Initialization. After your computer restarts, there should be a “Setup Initialization” box automatically show up on your screen.
9. Install. Press the “Install” Button.
10. Select Location. Double-check to make sure the download is going to the right spot and that you have both “Autodesk Maya” and “Arnold for Maya” checked as well. You can now press the “Install” button.
11. Finish. The program will take about an hour to download, depending on your computer, so feel free to take a small break and wait patiently while your program loads. Once the software has finished installing, select the “finish” button.
12. Update. After you finish, there will be an icon at the bottom of your screen. Open that up and you will be prompted, again, to agree to the terms of condition. Before you open up Maya, you will want to update the software by selecting the “Update” button.
13. Restart your Computer. Once again, you will have to restart your computer. Make sure you don’t have any unsaved work and press “restart.” The updates shouldn’t take as long as the installation.
14. Launch Autodesk Maya. When your computer has finished restarting, you want to open Autodesk Maya, agree to the terms and there you go! You are not free to use Autodesk Maya and create some really awesome animations!
Autodesk Maya can be a complicated tool to use, but once you have an understanding of how Autodesk Maya works, you will be able to use any other 3D animation software with ease. Check the links below for some beginner tutorials. Have fun!
Get started with Autodesk Maya:
World of Level Design provides a great resource for those starting out with Maya. Videos are broken down into around 10-minute segments.
Online Media Tutor helps you learn Autodesk Maya with a project from start to finish.
The Animator’s Survival Kit should be in every animator’s toolkit! This book is the bible of animation and shows you the principles of animation.
If you have any other suggestions for learning 3D animation, comment below!
Is Traditional Animation Dead?
The animation industry has changed. There is so much more animated content being made in the past couple of years than before! This means that the demand for jobs in the animation industry is booming! As a huge fan of animation, I am thrilled that this medium is being exposed to all areas of entertainment! I get a little more happy every time I see an animated tutorial on YouTube. We have talked before on this blog about how new tools are being developed to make animation easier to create. Although I am thrilled that the animation industry is thriving, there is a big conversation that needs to be talked about: The death of traditional animation.
Traditional animation is a style that everyone thinks about when they think of Disney classics, old Looney Tunes episodes and basically any 90s kids favorite animated show. Traditional animation refers to the old method of drawing every frame on paper, inking the drawings, putting them in cells and boom! An animation is made. However, with the invention of new programs, such as Toon Boom Harmony and Adobe Animate CC, 2D animation has made it possible for animators to produce work faster than traditional methods. Instead of having to draw every single frame on a piece of paper, animators can sketch on paper and then outline the drawings using computer software. Depending on the program that animators use, they may have the ability to move body parts of characters using “key frames” which lets the computer move a part of the body from point A to B. This makes the process a lot faster and doesn’t utilize as many resources as traditional animation. Studios do not have to buy tons of fancy drawing paper or drawing tools. Since this method is a lot more resourceful, many studios including Disney, Cartoon Network, and many more have switched over to 2D animation.
Now, as someone who does animation, I really appreciate this new method of animation. However, I don’t like the fact that every major studio has gone and basically replaced 95% of their shows with 2D animation. I remember watching Nickelodeon in the early 2000s and getting excited every time an artist showed how to draw one of your favorite characters. The feeling I had watching animators showing their artistic ability, spending thousands of hours creating drawings that probably wouldn’t even make it on screen and then seeing the final product on screen, was magic for me. Traditional animation is a very special way of creating art. Unfortunately, I feel that it will soon be an ancient art method if more studios continue abandoning traditional animation altogether.
What do you think of this new style of animation? Do you miss traditional methods or are you more excited about the fact that 2D animation is making it easier for places to produce more animation than ever before? Let me know in the comments section below!
Isle of Dogs Movie Review
Isle of Dogs is Wes Anderson’s second attempt at a stop-motion film. For fans of Wes Anderson’s classics, the film does not disappoint. This fantasy film takes place in future-Japan. After a dog virus spreads in Japan, all dogs are banned onto the remote, Trash Island. Heartbroken that his dog, Spot, was removed from the Island, 12-year-old Atari Kobayashi steals a plane and travels to Trash Island to find his dog. The director did a wonderful job letting the characters drive the story. For those not familiar with Anderson’s film style, they will experience many still camera shots and fast-paced comedy. The still shots allow the viewer to really see the characters and their reactions. Since the film takes place in Japan, most of the humans in the film speak Japanese. However, the dogs speak English. Subtitles are provided in a few of the human dialogues, but not all of them. If you are someone who gets easily annoyed with subtitles, I strongly urge you to give this film a chance.
Now for the animation! The animation in this film is spectacular! The director was able to create this huge, fantasy world using purely stop-motion animation. There have been many notable stop-motion films in the past, such as Coraline and Boxtrolls. Be that as it may, the films still added in lots of computer animation and visual effects. Isle of Dogs triumphs in using mostly stop-motion to create this film. Even when Atari’s plane lands on the Island, animators use a cotton-like material to replicate the illusion of smoke coming from the plane. Not many stop-motion films put the effort to do that. In some scenes, the use of traditional animation is used, but blends in nicely within the film. The traditional animation also helps distinguish a scenario from the rest, such as a flashback. There is hardly a moment in the film that breaks the illusion of a stop-motion film.
I recommend to anyone that wants to watch a film anytime soon, to go out and watch this film! You will fall in love with the characters and really get a chance to embrace the artwork. Every puppet and prop was carefully crafted for your entertainment. This is not another modern-day film. You will not be blown away by computer-generated visuals or an overused plotline. Isle of Dogs is a unique film that offers fresh characters with a unique storyline. You won’t see another film like this (unless you see another Wes Anderson film)!
Isle of Dogs is only in select theaters! Check here to find the nearest movie theater near you!
5 Animation Events You Don’t Want to Miss!
Chicago may not be home to Hollywood, but it sure does have a lot to offer to animation fans! Below is a list of events for fans of any kind of animation! Let us know which events you’re excited about.
1. Chicago Cosplay Costume Night
Date: March 15, 8PM – 10PM
Location: 1120 W. Fullerton Ave
Price: FREE
Phone Number: 1(773) 282-1264
Website: https://www.chicagocostume.com
Want to have the full Cosplay experience? Chicago Costume, a fully-dedicated costume store, will have its very first Cosplay night! Come and see their hundreds of costumes and accessories to help you make sure your costume stands out! Show off your costume and share your love for them by being dressed up and all decked out.
For those of you who can’t make it to this event, Chicago Cosplay is still Chicago’s number one costume shop. Be sure to check out this store for your next costume party!
2. Isle of Dogs
Date: March 23, 2018
Website: https://www.fandango.com
This stop-motion film by Wes Anderson will be out very soon! Isle of Dogs is a story about a young boy who tries to rescue his dog after all dogs have been estranged to an island due to the canine flu. This Japanese-inspired film has been in production for years and is ready to make its debut next week! Voice actors for the film include Scarlett Johansson, Yoko Ono, and Courtney B. Vance, just to name a few. Don’t miss this awe-stricken, fun-loving film about man’s best friend. The film takes place in Japan and was inspired by the works of Akira Kurosawa.
3. C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo)
Date: April 6-8, 10AM- 5PM
Location: 2301 South Lakeshore Drive, Chicago IL 60616
Price: April 6: $30.75, April 7: $40.75, April 8: $35.75
Phone Number: (800) 354-4003
Website: http://www.c2e2.com
Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo is Chicago’s biggest Cosplay convention of the year! This Cosplay Convention is dedicated to all of you who want to geek out to all-things comic and pop culture-related! Comics, tv shows, films, video games, board games and basically anything pop-culture that you are a fan of will be represented at this convention! Get autographs, photo ops, exclusive merchandise and more at C2E2, the ultimate Chicago convention! Meet thousands of other geeks from around the world in one location!
4. Anime Midwest
Date: July 6-7, 10am to 4am; July 8, 10am – 7pm
Location: Stephens Convention Center
Price:
- January 20 – March 30, 2018 : $50.00
- March 30 – May 20, 2018 : $55.00
- May 20 – Jun 20, 2018 : $60.00
- Starts Jun. 20, 2018 : $70.00, Platinum Registration: $130
Phone Number: N/A
Website: https://animemidwest.com
This is the ultimate Chicago Anime convention! Every year, Anime Midwest hosts a series of events dedicated to anime. Cosplays, arcade games, dances, concerts, panels and so much more is offered during this weekend! The convention offers a great experience at a very low price ($55 as of now)! Included in your admission is unlimited free ramen and soda. Enjoy over 100 panels, workshops, and events at this annual event! Anime Midwest is the best option for fans of anime! The sooner you buy, the cheaper the price!
5. 35th Chicago Annual Children’s International Film Festival
Date: November 1 – 9 2018
Location: TBD
Price: TBD
Phone Number: (773) 281-9075
Website: https://festival.facets.org
Although dubbed a “Children’s” film festival, this festival offers hundreds of short films for anyone to enjoy. With over 100 films, there is something for everyone to watch! Children from all around the world submit their films to this Chicago film festival. Films range from stop-motion animation to full-blown visual effects live-action films. This event is hosted by Facets, a non-profit organization that dedicates their time to teaching young filmmakers the art of film. Check back to see a full schedule for the festival!
Beginning Animation: The Process
The animation process can seem very daunting to many. Most think that they need industry-standard animation software to do any kind of animation. In this section, you will be able to see how animation can be done by using the tools that you already have!
All photos were taken by me.
Getting Started With Animation: The Best Animation Software
Perhaps the question that most people want to know when they want to get started with animation is “what software do I use?” The video above, explains various software that can be used to create the animation style of your choice. There are different areas of animation, so knowing which one is appropriate for the type of projects you want to create is essential to your workflow.
The beginning of the video mentions the best software for 3D animation. He mentions Autodesk Maya, Softimage, and 3ds Max. I agree that Autodesk Maya is the standard for 3D work, but there is a huge learning curve. There are so many tools in the software that it can get very overwhelming. If you want a slightly smaller learning curve, you should try 3ds Max. One thing that the video failed to mention, is that any Autodesk software is free with a student email. All you have to do is create an account and you will have access to lots of free software for up to four years! If you do not have a school email or feel too intimidated using industry standard software, then I would highly recommend Blender. Blender is the most commonly known, free 3D software. This means that there are lots of tutorials online, making it ideal for anyone who wants to learn 3d modeling, animation or visual effects. As for Softimage, there are hardly any film or television companies that use it so I would not recommend getting started with that one.
The video does not really mention specific software for visual effects, but if you wanted to create motion graphics, I would also recommend Cinema4D and After Effects. Both of these softwares go hand-in-hand to create stunning work. If you wanted to focus on visual effects software, I would recommend any previous 3D software mentioned and Houdini. Apart from Autodesk Maya, Houdini is the next best software that companies use. Both offer a pretty steep learning curve, but if you are willing to put in the time to learn, you will be amazed at the stunning work you will be able to accomplish!
I will say that Flash is one of the most commonly known animation software for 2D animation. If you want to start creating digital 2D art, then there are not many choices out there. However, if you have a student account, you can get a free license to Toon Boom Harmony with a student email. Either of these will work great for what you want to need.
With so much software out there, it can be overwhelming to choose which one you get started with. Once you know what type of project you want to complete, choosing a software becomes so much easier! Remember that no matter what kind of software you end up choosing, no tool can replace talent. Making sure that you understand what you are doing and how to do it, is the most important thing!
The Top 5 Reasons to Learn Animation
Usually, when people think of animation, they think of children’s films and television shows. Although animation has a big reputation in the entertainment industry, you do not have to be an animator or filmmaker to benefit from using animation. In this list, you will see the five major reasons to start using animation, no matter what field you are in.
- Animation can serve many of your needs. Animation is more than just moving puppets or characters around. Motion graphics, visual effects, stop-motion, 3-D, 2-D and traditional animation are all areas that you can learn from. Learning motion graphics is a great way to go if you are looking to add some cool graphics to videos or marketing materials. If you want to add stunning effects to your videos that wow your audience, then visual effects is the way to go! Perhaps you do not want to take a long time to learn something, but you would still like to use animation in your everyday life. If that is the case, then I would highly recommend stop-motion animation! All you need to do to create awesome stop-motion videos is a camera and a something to move. Seriously, you would be amazed what kinds of creations you can make just by throwing random stuff together! It does not matter if you are tech-savvy or not, anyone can learn animation and you can easily start creating animations with the tools you already have! If you decide to get into more 3-D work, there are many programs online that help people create stunning animations! Try and research how you can use animation in your field to your advantage!
- Grabs an Audience’s Attention. As most people know, movement is one of the best ways to catch people’s attention. So what better way, than to use animation! Animation is one of the easiest ways for people to get their messages across to others. Why? Since it can take hours to create a simple animation, you have to make sure that the message you are sending across to your audience is simple and easy to understand. This makes it a great tool to use for people of all ages!
- Expands Your Creativity. Creating animation is a fun and creative way to create content, but throwing something random together will not be enough. As the creator, you have to think of making something that relates to the message that you want to communicate to your audience. Animation is a long process, so you will have to plan out your ideas as much as you can, so that you can minimize any unnecessary time. The more you practice creating new, effective ideas in a short time frame, the better your creative process will be! Practicing the art of animation will help you think outside the box and fuel your creative juices!
- Enhances Your Technological Skills. So, we mentioned before that you do not have to be tech-savvy to do animation and that is somewhat true. Depending on the type of animation that you do, it will have an effect on the amount of software you will have to learn. Don’t worry, though! If you are just starting out in animation, there is free software available to help you get started. With that said, no matter what kind of animation that you do, you will be learning new software and skills that will help you in your career.
- Animation Adds a Skill to Your Resume. Animation is a growing field and there are plenty areas in animation to get into. Think of the people in your field who currently use animation. Usually, when people are in one industry, it is not likely that they will branch out to other areas. Animation has the benefit of being able to benefit you in whichever line of work you are in. Learning animation requires lots of patience and time. Being able to present work of animation, alone, shows commitment. If you are willing to put in the time and effort to create animations, you are showing others that you care a lot and are willing to put in the work to get things done. Use animation to your advantage and start animating today!
Each area of animation offers many benefits. Whether you own a business or are creating an effective PowerPoint presentation, animations will greatly enhance your work in whichever area you are in! To check out some awesome resources to learn animation, check out the links below.
Animation Resources
Bloop Animation – A great resource for those curious about the journey of creating animations!
The Animation Anomaly – A great resource for learning animation news.
Disney Pixar’s The Incredibles 2: Sneak Peek Review
This Valentine’s Day, Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios gave us all a real teaser by releasing a sneak peek at their new film coming later this year, The Incredibles 2.
For months, Pixar had been teasing fans on social media. The initial teaser for The Incredibles 2 came out on November 18, 2017. The teaser centered around the youngest of The Incredibles, Jack-Jack, and his newfound powers. At the end of the trailer, Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) seemed ecstatic over his youngest’s newfound powers. We know from the first Incredible’s film that being a superhero is very important to Mr. Incredible, so seeing a proud father and his son had us all very excited and heartfelt.
It seems like Pixar is going to be switching gender roles that were seen in the first Incredibles film. This time, Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) gets to have her spotlight as a superhero. Bob Odenkirk (Winston Deavor) recruits Elastigirl to help him on a superhero mission, however, much like the first film, one parent has to stay behind and take care of the kids. This leaves Mr. Incredible at home, taking over Elastigirl’s role in the previous film as the family’s caregiver. In the teaser, Mr Incredible can be seen struggling with everyday parent duties, such as helping Dash with homework and staying awake trying to read a bedtime story to Jack-Jack. By the end of the trailer, the viewer can clearly see that raising three superhero children is something Mr. Incredible will struggle with throughout the film.
Perhaps the most memorable quote in the trailer is when Mr. Incredible tells his best friend, Frozone, “I have to succeed, so she can succeed, so we can succeed!” Mr. Incredible’s exasperation to keep his family running well can clearly be seen in the trailer.
Other characters featured in the trailer included Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Huckleberry Milner), Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) and Edna Mode (Brad Bird).
The sneak peek of The Incredibles 2 definitely showed a lot more of the story and provided us with a better understanding of which direction the film would be taking. By making Elastigirl the hero of the film, Disney Pixar Animation Studios seems like it will be shining a light on feminism. I like that the roles of Elastigirl and Mr. Incredible were reversed. Being able to see how Elastigirl handles saving the world will give fans a chance to see her powers like never before!
The most interesting part about the film is that Pixar has decided to, again, strip Mr. Incredible away from the ability to be able to use his powers, as a superhero. This seems a little too much deja vu. In the first Incredibles film, Bob spent about a third of the movie sulking about his normal life. So why did Pixar decide to go in this direction again? Quite frankly, I don’t really understand why Pixar has decided to do this. The first Incredibles film was a great film that stripped heros away from its powers and by the end of the film, was able to give heros back their power and prove that the world needed heros. Although Pixar has decided to change two of the main character’s roles in the sequel, The Incredibles 2 seems like a copy of the same plot as the original film. Hopefully in the full trailer, we will be able to see how Pixar will make this sequel stand out from the original.
The Incredibles 2 film comes out on June 15, 2018.
For more information on the Incredibles 2 film visit Disney’s webpage.
An Animation Blog 