Webinar Series 5

Webinar Series 5: Shots for Reels

Hi everyone, sorry for the long absence, I have been busy animating on Walt Disney Studios latest movie "Big Hero 6", working on Demo / Lectures for my iAnimate students and also working on music for a live action movie that will be coming out in August called "37".

I'm so excited about this latest webinar series 5 "Shots 4 Reels". All the webinars and tutorials have been leading up to this one series. The number one question from animators both professional and students: "what are studios looking for in a reel?" The answer isn't as simple as doing good animation anymore, they want to see great animation throughout your entire reel.

But there are hidden factors that are also just as important, they want to see different styles of animation, your sense of entertainment, attention to detail, sophistication of movement, appeal and polish. These days to break into the industry the level of work has to be at a feature level...period. Actually, it has to be better than most shots you see in features because in movies the average individual shot is quite short in length and doesn't have a beginning, middle and end.

In this 10 week series, we will be designing Shots 4 Reels. Let me explain a little further, I have been animating on features now for almost 22 years and some features may not give me a showreel type shot...what?. This is still the most fun job in the world, but at this stage in my life, I need to be fulfilled creatively so I really enjoy designing and animating my own shots in my spare time. I get jazzed and excited about creating and tackling shots that I haven't done yet. This satisfies my seemingly never ending thirst for creativity. I love to create shots that both challenge me and force me out of my comfort zone. When I'm animating my own work, I don't want to compromise quality because of deadlines and quotas and neither should you. Speed, deadlines and quotas will all come later, in our showreels we want quality over quantity every time....no one will care how long it took you to do an awesome shot. The number one concern is that you can bring your overall level up to a feature standard.

In this newest series, we will be designing and animating four completely different shots for our showreels. The webinar series will be recorded and streamed using Zoom. This new Zoom system has infinitely better streaming and crystal clear audio and the dowload will be available later that day. You can watch, listen and ask as many questions as you want while we work through the shots. The individual shots will be 10 seconds or more each and will in compass everything we want to see in a showreel type shot. I will also be giving you examples of shots to choose from if you want to follow along. I'm really excited about this series in particular because it will help demystify the process for everyone and put you on the right track for creating your reel.

When I think of body mechanic showreel shots, I see them almost as dance routines like that of a gymnast, dancer or ice skater. They need to get their routines perfect, but they must contain certain qualities to get the highest score by a panel of judges. If your current showreel shots are lacking in certain body mechanic qualities or doesn't really show off your talents as an animator...take it off your reel. These lack luster shots will only hurt your overall chances of getting hired. The same quality points goes for professional animators like myself too. The required quality of animation is growing so much that we also need to purge our earlier work and update our reels to help us improve. Recruiters always look for the weaknesses in your work and if there are holes in your mechanics or acting, they will find it. But I always say, as a student or professional, your options for designing awesome showreel shots are limitless. The thought of creating new original pieces really gets me excited. Throughout this series, I will walk you through every part of my process that I use when deciding on acting, action, gestures, texture and rhythm and of-course believability all while trying to avoid the ever expanding number of cliché bag of tricks.

This particular webinar series will begin on Saturday August 9th and will continue for 10 weeks, we will get together live from 8am to 10am - California time. The price of entry is is just $59.99 - that's only $6 per 2 hour class. I'm making the price super affordable because I want to reach as many animators as possible to help steer you in the right direction. And if that's not enough to get you excited, you will also get my full package of Tutorials ($100 value) for free. iAnimate students get the recordings and Tutorials for free with your September enrollment so no need to purchase.

These are available for download now through the store by adding 'Webinar Series 5' to the cart.

How much does it cost and what do we get with the Series 5?

The price will be $59.99 for the full 10 part series. All the Quicktimes will be available for download the day after each class. So even if you miss the live sessions, you will be able to see the entire class recording. Along with the JRA series 5, you also get the full JRA Tutorial package.

Okay, I'm in....how do I sign up?

Just add 'Webinar Series 5' to your cart in the Store and proceed with the check out.