News: Eight Creativity Lessons From a Pixar Animator

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Lifehacker has a great story about a tour of Pixar studios from Bernhard Haux where he gives some pretty valuable lessons about reaching your goals. From the site:

Bernhard Haux is a “character technical director,” which in his case means he models characters and works on their internal motions (I think—I didn’t fully grasp the lingo). It means he is just a small piece in the larger Pixar machine, but a piece that’s aware of what everyone else is doing too. He’s worked on major movies such as Up, Brave, Monsters U, and others in the last six years. Bernhard was gracious enough to show us around the Pixar campus, and while we couldn’t really dig into their super-secret process, we did get a few glimpses of the magic.P

And as a result of these small glimpses, I learned some surprising things. I’d like to share them here, in hopes that they’ll inspire others as they inspired me.

You can read the entire story here.

Toonboom announces an Service Pack v1 for Storyboard Pro 4

 

servicepackToonboom has just announced that a new Service Pack is available for Storyboard Pro. If you have Storyboard Pro 4, this service pack is a free download, BUT requires a new license.

Here are the steps to access the new version:

  1. Sign on to your Toon Boom user account.
  2. Go to Registered Products.You will see an Upgrade Code (UPG) and a download link.
  3. Download the new software. It is not necessary to uninstall the previous version first.
  4. Install the new software.
  5. Run the License Wizard.
    Windows: Start > Programs > Toon Boom Animation > Toon Boom >
    License Tools > LicenseWizard
    Mac: /Applications/Toon Boom /Tools/LicenseWizard

    • Click on Activate License
    • Click on Internet Activation
    • Click on Upgrade License
    • Enter the UPG code from your user account online and click Activate.

After upgrading your license, you will have a permanent license code in your user account if you need to deactivate and reactivate the license.

If you have any questions, contact support@toonboom.com.

What’s New?

Animatic Editing

  • Setting the panel’s in or out to the current frame
  • Locking the scene duration
  • Selecting panels and sound clips forward
  • Recording guide tracks directly in Storyboard Pro
  • Marking sound clips with colour

3D Workflow

  • Replacing a 3D model in the Library
  • Aligning the Camera view with the Stage view
  • Moving, rotating, and scaling objects in discrete numbers using
    the Coordinate toolbar
  • Exporting sequences to FBX with multiple cameras

Here’s some more info on the upgrade.

You can read more about the power of Storyboard Pro v4 here.

Kaukab Basheer

What is your name and your current occupation?
KAUKAB BASHEER,Freelance artist: Character Designer, Character Layout Artist and Traditional Animator.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Selling door-to-door magazines, distributing fliers, and labor work in garment construction factories.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
“Tom & Jerry” shows for Warner Bros Animation in the US. And “Chhota Bheem” and four-part movie series “Krishna” for Green Gold Animation (GGA) back in India.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I’m originally from the city of Hyderabad in India. I grew up in Dubai (UAE) and went to high school in Canada. I got in to animation at the age of 22, without a college degree of any kind (some ten years ago), after randomly Continue reading