John Lasseter explains what students need to learn to get a job at Pixar

In this excellent video interview,  Disney Studio Supremo and Pixar founder John Lasseter talks about the importance of mastering the basics language of film, art and design. Here at Bucks we could not agree more. Our course covers all the areas that John talks about here, including drawing, design, the language of film, in short - the basics.

Technology is important but so are the traditional elements of art and design. Life drawing? Of course. basic design principles? Definitely. We want our students to have a well-rounded training so that they can flourish as digital artists with a solid grounding in all the elements of film-making.

---Alex

What Does a Great Portfolio Look Like? Sony Pictures Animation Explains....

What goes into a good portfolio? Like a great animation demo reel, an artist's portfolio is never done. It should contain only your very best work. Your best piece goes first, your second best goes last. Nowadays, a paper portfolio is pretty much a thing of the past - your work should be on your blog or website, and regularly updated. A permanent online showcase of your talent.

How Do Animators Plan a Shot?

Working with Maya: How to Begin? - The Curse of the Blank Screen

One of the hardest skills for an animator to learn is how to build and block an animated scene from scratch. After all, everyone animator starts their work with a blank piece of paper, or a blank computer screen. With animation, you get nothing for free. So how do you get from nothing, to something? Or, rather, how do you get from a blank screen to a piece of well-crafted beautiful animation that combines technical ability with story-telling, personality and craftsmanship? The secret is, it's all in the planning.

Clearing! It's still not too late to find a place at Bucks....

Exam results are now in and the process known as "clearing" has begun. Clearing is the great re-shuffle, when students who didn't necessarily get the results they anticipated start to scramble for a place at University.

According to Wikipedia:
"The Clearing process helps applicants without places to find institutions with courses that still have places available. However once UCAS's clearing operation is complete, institutions with available places do advertise publicly, and some students find places by direct application at that stage. "

The key point is, it isn't too late to find a place to study in September.

What is Previz and why should we teach it?

What is Previz? Wikipedia defines it thus:

"Previsualization (also known as pre-rendering, preview or wireframe windows) is a function to visualise complex scenes in a movie before filming. It is also a concept in still photography. Previsualization is applied to techniques such as storyboarding, either in the form of charcoal drawn sketches or in digital technology in the planning and conceptualization of movie scenery make up."

Careers Advice at Bucks - today!

Bucks New University is offering online Careers service today from 1pm to 4pm. Heather Boyd, Career Development Advisor, will be online to answer your questions. Heather's online session is aimed in particular for any students who have struggled to find work; and she will be offering advice on how to go about job searching, and how to promote yourself effectively to employers.