Popa wrote: ↑Sun Feb 04, 2024 8:52 am
You fooled me, I thought this was bitmap. I'm only working with bitmap as I'm a complete newbie when it comes to animation. I will educate myself on vector later down the line.
So from what I understand you mesh warped your 3/4 and side view into that rotation? I believe we can also warp bitmap...? I tried it but its very hard...
Moho didn't have Mesh Warp layers back then, so this was point animation inside a Smart Bone Action and regular bones deformation. Doing this without custom mesh warp layers was not difficult for this rig, but it depends on the character design. That said, when working strictly with bitmap art, the Mesh Warp layers we have nowadays in Moho is the way to go.
Also, the sliding texture trick I described earlier is possible using only bitmap art. To do this, use the character's body parts as masks. Moho allows you to use vectors or bitmaps as masks. You can even combine the two into a single mask. While you can't use the Image Texture effect with a bitmap mask, you can import the texture directly into a layer and mask that. Tip: Enable Ignore Layer Selector for the bitmap texture...the sliding should only be controlled by the Smart Bone, and this can make it easier to select and animate the other layers.
Just to confirm, I can draw the side and 3/4 view from scratch on new layers (bitmap) and make a rotational dial...?
If you plan to 'hard switch' to different view drawings, I suggest using a Switch Layer. This can be controlled using a Smart Bone Action so you can animate the 'turn' by controlling the sequence of the drawings. You can make this transition look smoother by creating 'smear frames'...in Moho, this can be easily accomplished using the Magnet tool. (BTW, I recommend A. Evseeva's Multilayer Magnet tool. To me, this tool is a Moho essential!) When working 'hard switch' drawings, you might want to control the eyes using remote bones using constraints. This setup avoids the 'jumping' that can occur with the bones when you switch views.
Netflix is a huge company. I assume you recieved a flat out pay out, but did you try and get a percentage of that product? And how did they react to it?
This is actualy the reason why I dont inspire to work for a studio... I dont like the flat out pay out. I'm more of a storyteller than animator. I want to create a studio myself. Currently I dont have the budget to hire animators but this will change in the future. Can you tell me, on a scale to 10 how happy are you with your salary over the years as animator?
At present, I'm an employee of Dreamworks Animation, so I'm paid a weekly salary and an annual bonus by the studio. But I've also worked as a freelancer at other studios. In freelance situations, I'm typically hired as a contractor for my time and expertise, and I reserve the right to use my creations for personal promotion (i.e., demo reels.) Occasionally, I can negotiate additional rights, which depend on the project, the client, and how I feel about my contribution to the production.
This is just my personal opinion, but there's a lot to be said for working at a studio. I've worked at Dreamworks Animation for nine years and at Rhythm & Hues for twelve, and when I was just starting as a professional animator back in the late 90's, I accepted a staff position at a smaller b-movie studio where I gained a broad range of production experience (design, storyboarding, editorial, VFX, animation, practical effects, and even acting!) To me, working at the smaller movie studio was like going to film school AND getting paid for it. Later on, this experience opened doors for me to the bigger studios. I continued developing my skills at the bigger studios and got paid much better for my work. Plus, I got to help shape major productions that were enjoyed by people all over the world.
The downside to working at a large studio is that I've had very little time for personal projects. Creating my own productions has always been my goal, and it's something I think about every day. Eventually, I'll be off on my own and ready for it, thanks to the training and experience I got from working at these studios. Many artists and animators out there succeed in pursuing their own productions, and I hope to be one of them someday.
I'm not saying my path is the best; my journey has been long and somewhat unplanned. But I also stay prepared for opportunities that come my way, which means constantly learning new techniques and producing work no matter the situation. There have also been mistakes and failures along the way, and I always try to learn from them. I'd be lying if I said my career path was without difficulty, but it's also been a lot of fun.
Finally, making good friends and reliable contacts along that way plays a big part in succeeding.
I hope this post provides some helpful insight. Best of luck with your career and projects!