Arcs and Paths of Action in Animation

Path of Action

Animators always need to keep an eye on the Path of Action in their animation. Paths of Animation, also known as Arcs, are one of the original 12 Principles of Animation identified by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnstone in their classic work "The Illusion of Life".

A moving object should follow a smooth flowing arc, with no sudden abrupt changes of direction.

How We Tackle External Projects at BNU

At BNU we often get asked if our animation students can take on external projects. Our students are very busy with their own work, but on occasion we can tackle "live briefs" for outside clients.

There are however a few things we need in advance, most important of which is a brief (ideally a single page PDF), explaining what the client wants and expects.  Below is a list of things for clients to think about to make sure that the project is a success. 

Journey of Life Wins Best 1st Time Director

Journey of Life Wins Best 1st Time Director at Vesuvius

Congratulations to BNU student Robin Herrman whose short film "Journey of Life" has won an award for "Best First Time Director" at the Vesuvius Film Festival.  

"Journey of Life" was written, produced and directed by Robin, currently studying for his MA in 3D Animation at Bucks.   "Journey of Life"  was completed during the course of Robin's studies at BNU, and is currently being entered into film festivals. 

Artifact Wins Best No Budget Film at DSFF

Artifact wins Best No Budget Film at DSFF

Congratulations to BNU animation student Kristis Bandzevicius whose animated short "Artifact" has won "Best No Budget Film" at the Dreamer's Film Festival. 

"Artifact" is a short film created by BNU animation student Kristis Bandzevicius.   "Artifact" was written, produced and directed by Kristis, currently studying for his MA in 3D Animation at Bucks.   This is the film's fourth festival award. 

Anton Alfimenko Nominated for BAA Award

Anton Nominated for "Best Animation in a Commercial"

Many congratulations to BNU Animation Graduate Anton Alfimenko who has been nominated for "Best Animation in a Commercial" at the biennial British Animation Awards ("BAAs") in London. 

The BAAs, which were held last night at the BFA South Bank, celebrate the very best of British Animation. 

Nine Ways to Create a Great Pose

How do you create a great pose in animation? Creating great poses is a necessary skill for all animators to learn. In the video above, I suggest nine ways that an animator can create a great pose - the key starting point for a great acting scene. 

Apply Now For Our Online MA in 3D Animation

Gorilla by Michael Davies

We are now taking applications for our online MA in Animation - recruiting for September 2022.

Our online MA in animation was launched in 2015 and was the very first of its kind - the first online MA in animation which could be undertaken by students anywhere in the world.

Why Using Live Action Reference Can Lead to Floaty Animation - And How to Fix It

Leopard Animation by Daniel Amor

The use of live action reference to create great animation is one of the key techniques that students learn at BNU. But one of the dangers of using live action is that, if you follow it too closely, the animation can seem floaty and weightless.

Live action reference helps animators to create believable, realistic animation. Once you have done that, push it further. Go beyond the live action, push the poses, make the transitions snappier. Give the audience a reason to watch your work - give a performance. 

Artifact Wins Special Mention at One Reeler Fest

Artifact wins Special Mention at One Reeler Fest

Congratulations to BNU animation student Kristis Bandzevicius whose animated short "Artifact" has won a "Special Mention" at the One Reeler Film Festival. 

"Artifact" is a short film created by BNU animation student Kristis Bandzevicius.   "Artifact" was written, produced and directed by Kristis, currently studying for his MA in 3D Animation at Bucks.   This is the film's third festival award. 

Meet "Journey of Life" by Robin Herrman

 

Meet "Journey of Life", a new short film created by BNU animation student Robin Herrman.  "Journey of Life" was written, produced and directed by Robin, currently studying for his MA in 3D Animation at Bucks.   "Journey of Life"  was completed during the course of Robin's studies at BNU, and is currently being entered into film festivals. 

BNU Short "Best No Budget" at Dreamer's Fest

"What is Wrong...?" Wins Best No Budget at Dreamer's Fest

Congratulations to the makers of the short film "What is Wrong With The Global Development Organisation?" which has won "Best No Budget" film at the Dreamer's Film Festival.

Directed by BNU animation graduate Monika Dzikowicz and animated by BNU graduates, the two minute micro-documentary tells the story of an aid organisation which has lost sight of its founding principles.  

Paul Amiras Head of Layout at Framestore

Paul Amiras

Many congratulations to Bucks animation graduate Paul Amiras on his new position as Head of Layout & Tracking at London VFX Powerhouse Framestore. 

3D Layout is one of the first interesting and challenging parts of the production process, working closely with the director to establish the cinematic look and feel of the project.

Framestore is a global VFX success story, responsible for multiple blockbuster films and series.   

VFX Festival in London 9-10 March 2022

VFX Festival 2022

Escape Studios' VFX Festival is back in March 2022, this year taking place as a hybrid event, both online and also in person.

Escape Studios will host the event at their midTown Campus at 190 High Holborn, also streaming the events for a live online audience.

To book your tickets, follow this link to thevfxfestival.com.

"Artifact" Wins Best Sci-Fi at Art Film Awards

"Artifact" wins Best Sci-Fi

Congratulations to BNU animation student Kristis Bandzevicius whose animated short "Artifact" has won Best Sci-Fi film at the Art Film Awards.

"Artifact" is a new short film created by BNU animation student Kristis Bandzevicius.  

"Artifact" was written, produced and directed by Kristis, currently studying for his MA in 3D Animation at Bucks.  

2022 BNU Animation Demo Reel

Above is our latest edit of the best work done by animation students at Buckinghamshire New University, specifically those enrolled in our MA in 3D Animation, delivered in partnership with the online school Animation Apprentice. Many thanks to Robin Herrmann, Kristis Bandzevicius, Alex Southcombe, Brandon Barwise, Michael Davies, Liam Devinney, Carla Narvaez, and Michael Acosta on their excellent work.

How to Simulate Weight in Animation

Weight lift from the Animator's Survival Kit

One of the hardest things to achieve in 3D animation is the creation a sense of weight. Weight is hard to simulate because our characters are just pixels - they have no intrinsic weight, so we have to create it from nothing. 

One of the more tricky exercises our students at BNU have to tackle is to animate a character lifting a heavy object, such as a box. The box is just a bunch of pixels - it has no weight. So the challenge is to make it appear heavy.

To get started, take a look at the thumbnail sketches on the left, taken from the book we recommend all our students buy - The Animator's Survival Kit. 

The thumbnails show how important it is for the character to get their feet right underneath the object they are going to lift. That way, the weight of the object falls directly over the character's heels - and the object feels heavy. 

How to Finance an Animated Film or TV Series

How to find finance?

Our animation students at BNU aren't just technicians, they are creative artists developing their own ideas. Many will be pitching original content for games, films and TV series.  

Of course, the business of content creation involves finance, and one of the most common questions we get asked at BNU is how to secure project finance for an animated film or TV series. 

Film finance is never easy, but it can be done, if you follow the right steps. 

"Artifact" Wins Best Micro Short at Vesuvius Fest

Congratulations to BNU animation student Kristis Bandzevicius whose animated short "Artifact" has won Best Micro Short at the Vesuvius Film Festival.

"Artifact" is a new short film created by BNU animation student Kristis Bandzevicius. "Artifact" was written, produced and directed by Kristis, currently studying for his MA in 3D Animation at Bucks.  

Why Animators Need Good Titles

artofthetitle.com

Part of making any short film is thinking about titles, and typography.  A good title sets the tone and style for the forthcoming film.

For all our students working on titles and title sequences for their short films, we recommend visiting theartofthetitle.com, a website dedicated entirely to the art and craft of movie titles.

Why Animators Should Record Audio First

Voice actors come first - then animation

One of the rules of animation film-making is that the audio comes first, plus sound effects (and music) - then you do the animation. 

The voice recording for the actors is done first, cut into the edit, and then the animators create their performance to match the dialogue.

Sometimes film-makers will try doing it the other way around, animating the characters first and then adding the voice-over, but this is almost always a mistake. The reason for this is that it is very hard to post-sync the dialogue.

The rule of animation film-making is always this: record your dialogue first, then do the animation.

2022 New Year's Resolutions for Animators

Happy New Year to all our Students!

Happy New Year to all our students at BNU, past present and future. What should an animator's new year's resolutions be for 2022?

The animation industry is growing fast, despite the pandemic, and despite Brexit.  There are plenty of jobs out there for those with the right skills.

But the world of animation and visual effects is a competitive one, and animators need to be well-trained - and smart - to stay on top of their game.  

So, what are some simple ways to maintain your edge in 2022?