Quick look at my cat

Bonus I got into college:

Initiating the Hack

My cat is mean and hisses at me when I walk into my room but also he could be stressed about moving who knows. He's taken up the hobby of rat watching, and I'm glad they're in a location he 100% can't get to them at. They were here first they're currently superior its how the world works. Also he eats homework, like a fool.

Shhhhh

I'm not here.

Anyways who wants to see my son?

His name is Alexander-Rafiki and he's p r e t t y. 

Oh also I have daughters and their names are Audrey and Rizzo.

Class Evaluation

1. Why did you take this class?
I took this class because I wanted to know how animated movies came to be. I've always been curious and I wanted to see it in depth and also work with it a little on my own. I know I could have just used the power of good old Google to discover how animation works, but I wanted to learn it with my own grubby little paws. I understand with action more than I do words, and so taking a class all about my curiosity really....piqued my curiosity.

2. In general, what did you like most about this class?
In general, the thing I liked most about this class was learning all the new programs. I know Audacity can help me in the future in some way or another, as will Premiere or Photoshop. Learning Harmony will hopefully assist me if I ever find a free animating program I might want to use because I will have a basic understanding of one animating program. I also enjoyed learning Maya, even if it was rough because I was always wanting to know how 3D animation worked.

3. In general, what did you like least about this class?
In general, I least liked the 3D animation. It was cool to learn about and see what work was put into making an animation like it but I did not enjoy making my own animations through the medium. Rigs are very, very complicated and make me want to cry and the lighting is touchy. Plus it is hard to create workable backgrounds and bring new elements in or take old elements out.

4. What was your most favorite project and why?
Although I disliked 3D, my favorite project was the 3D Short. I liked it the most because I found a simple little rig that I fell in love with and then was able to create a story with. It was also the one where I experimented most with sound and music and modeling, and the one where I finally grasped key-frames semi-properly.

5. What was your least favorite project and why?
My least favorite project was the final project. I had issues coming up with a story that followed all the requirements, and even then didn't meet all of them. I also had spent a while out of Harmony so I forgot a lot and slowed down my progress on the project. The project also frustrated me in general because I had a vision for it that didn't play out properly, due to having to readjust and still not being able to meet time constraints.

6. Discuss the overall effectiveness of the instructor (for example: preparation, availability, interest, content knowledge, expectations, etc.).
I think Miss Licata was a very effective instructor. She taught me a lot of things I did not know and wanted to know. She was a good mix of strict yet funny and tolerated the days where I barely got work done because my focus was nonexistent. It was also nice to have an "art" teacher who didn't play favorites for once, she gave honest opinions and critiques that helped out my art. She expected us to take what we learned and turn it into something decent that followed criteria, but not something that met professional levels.

7. What are the most valuable things you learned in the class?
I learned a lot about time management. With deadlines for days, I had to work out a schedule that wouldn't result in anything being handed in late. I also learned how to stay focused on one goal for an extended period of time, which could benefit me in the future with journalism or theatre.

8. Do you feel that this class will help you achieve your future academic or career goals? How or why (or why not)?
I feel this class has helped me to build ethics that will help me achieve my future career goals. I have built a good time management mindset and a better focus in this class so I feel those will help me with my future deadlines and projects in whatever job I end up in.

9. How could this class be improved?
I feel like there could be more essays because there are so many weekends that take away blogs.

10. What would you tell incoming students to help them be more prepared for the class?
I would tell them to be organized and to have a good sense of time management or they will suffer.

11. Additional Comments:
Tim Burton is my dad.

Analysis and Reflection

        My idea was to have two inhuman people in a nondescript cave trying to figure out a weird floating gem. I mostly based my idea of the floating gem on the fact that I wanted to take the "wah-wah" sound we had made when we learned about sound recorders and audacity and incorporate it into the animation. I wanted the "space pirates" because I do not favor natural skin colors and they give me the opportunity to use oranges and pinks for skin and eyes. When they first touch the gem they turn into puppets, and this happens because I wanted something simple and funny. It was fun to be able to animate the puppet-esque mouths, and not have to worry about drawing legs for a while. I also wanted to do something that wasn't usual to my style. They shake it, and the female space pirate starts shrinking, and then the gem pops them back to normal. I made them throw it so that when it fell it had the unexpected fall of a feather and broke very easily upon hitting the ground. Then it was just coins and a portal with another gem formed, so that they could choose to repeat the cycle or not.
        One animation principle I used was appeal. There is appeal in the design of the gem and the way it floats and sounds. My characters have appeal in their designs as well. Carlisle has bright hair and pink skin and is tall with a dark suit but bright sash. Her eye-patch is eye catching, but so is her eye because they are both warm colors beside a cool colored hair. Bean is short and has a blindfold with glowy eyes and orange skin with dark pink hair. The appeal in the characters is also their slightly coordinated color pallets. They both have orange, pink, purple, and blue in different shades on their bodies.  There is anticipation in the animation as well. In the beginning when the gem is just floating, you anticipate something to happen, like a view change or a person to show up. The first explosion also makes anticipation grow because you don't know what the gem did after they poked it. Then when the gem breaks and it switches to a walk cycle you anticipate what the gem has turned into, since it was spewing smoke previously.
         There is staging in the simple three tone and a gradient background I used. It shows that they are in a dark place. The dark place being a cave because of the shapes and the things hanging from the ceiling. There is also exaggeration in the way the puppets talk. Instead of simple mouth movements, an entire half of their head comes off to speak. Carlisle shrinking can also be seen as exaggeration because it is something you wouldn't expect but also something really extreme to make a point.
        I think my puppet section went very well. I have gotten better at timing movement to sound since the beginning of this course and since they spoke by moving instead of lips I felt it was able to be seen fully. I also feel like I have better grasped key-framing. The gem was key-framed for almost the entire animation, and the shrinking Carlisle was also key-framed. I was not lost on how to do it and I kept a consistent speed with the movement for the most part during the animation. It is a huge improvement from my complete shunning of key-frames in the beginning of the course.
        I need to better improve on figuring out how to add more to an animation. I have suffered the issue twice now where I have played out my entire story and still not gotten to the least amount of time it could be. I know my grade suffers from it, but I don't know what I could do to fix this. I feel I need to flesh out my stories more, or add more movements, or something. There is just a quality that is missing from my animations that is taking away from giving them length. I also need to better improve on making movements look smooth. I don't really understand how people do the quick flashy frame thing, but I know my constant arm moving would look a lot better if I did that.
        This project taught me I need to leave more time to relearn things if I have not used a program for a while. I wanted to use camera work in this but I had gotten so used to Maya's camera that I could barely relearn Harmony's camera. I also learned that sometimes making things go your way just isn't going to happen and you're going to have to deal with it. I might revise the fact that my color layer decided to off-center itself a day before the project was due, but also it adds character. Overall, I think my strategy played out very well, I put most of my storyboard into action and that is what I wanted to do. I just wish my strategy had gotten me that last like 400 frames. I feel this project will leave a lasting impression on me. It has given me an overall feeling of accomplishment, but also some disappointment. I'm glad I finished on time and didn't give up hope, but I'm upset some things didn't turn out as envisioned and I'm mostly upset about my color layer because that is a huge mess-up. But I like my space pirates and I like my weird floating gem, and I like what this project has taught me.

References for Days

REFERENCE #1

The idea for the way the eyes are seen through the bandages on my one character was taken from the Demon Hunter class in World of Warcraft and how they are all blind but can still see in a way, and how their eyes glow through their eye coverings.

REFERENCE #2
Adding and Deleting Keyframes
It is kind of a silly reference to have. However, at one point I completely forgot how to work key-frames and this really helped me to remember. Which is good because I used them a fair amount.

REFERENCE #3

I have a puppet-esque scene in my animation. The puppet mouth movement was inspired by the way the South Park Canadians talk. It is amusing and kind of unexpected.

REFERENCE #4

I had a back view walk cycle. It does not look good at all, but I used these two things to try and help me out with making it. Back views are harder than you expect them to be.

REFERENCE #5

Admittedly, it is not the smartest choice on my part, but I really do not like Harmony's lip syncing function. So I rely on free handing it and the assistance of mouth charts. These two are the ones I used the most while lip syncing. They probably didn't make for smooth lip syncing, but I was trying to work with what made me comfortable.

REFERENCE #6

I have a kind of explosion in my animation and this video helped me to understand how to make it happen. I wanted the kind of fluffy explosion that this one is. It was very helpful for getting a basic grasp on explosions.

Be More Chill

        Me: Freaking out internally 24/7.
        This week I have learned that there is a huge chance I am not going to finish in time and I am panicking hardcore. I am trying my best to get this done but it is harder than I remember to focus on 2D. I just want to get it done and throw some music in and get the final blog post done but I am worry worry worry worry.
        Something I want to learn in the future is how to get sleep. Like a regular human. I want to lay down at a marked bedtime and then go to sleep at that time. I just want to feel like a well-rested human and not a zombie for once.
       Something that frustrated me this week was my lack of focus. Where did it go? Why did it leave? Will it come back? Please come back. I miss you. I need you. I like...really need you. I am not kidding you come back here right now.
       Something that made me happy this week was finding a new musical I enjoy. It is called Be More Chill and it has a lot of relatable songs. Like one about hiding in the bathroom at a party. Or one about having to put on pants. A good teenage musical.
       Did you know some animated movies could change based on what country they are in?

So you wanna work at Pixar?

        Pixar is one of the powerhouse animation companies of this world. So of course you've thought about working at it. Which is why there's an interview with animation mentor Nate Wall. What better way to learn what it is like to work at Pixar than from an employee himself?

        A typical day at Pixar starts with a coffee, a few chats before jumping into work, animation dailies, and then the rest of the day in an office drawing or animating or studying with the potential of another meeting happening at some other point. Wall explains to readers what dailies are. He says they may be the most amazing and valuable part of the job. They are the department's opportunity to meet with the director and show the work that has been done. They are a great way to start work. And while they are not unique to Pixar, the studio has truly forged them into something special. he says that it is a loud affair and that anyone in the room can give notes and speak up with ideas and opinions in service of the shot and the story. Of course, egos are left at the door and everyone is cooperative. The director has the final say, and he says that Pixar is lucky to have directors that engage with the dailies process so readily. To sum it up, he says, what defines a Pixar animation daily is humility. It is humbling to show your work to a room full of artists, and have them show theirs right back with the same humility. Humility is key, they all serve the story. He then explains that to serve the story means that he most powerful way every person can contribute is to make every decisions based around the central idea that they serve the story. Story doesn't make the animation, the animation follows and understands the story.

         Nate says that his favorite kind of shots are anything that takes something you've seen before and makes it new. It could squeeze some new meaning out of a moment, like when the character is profoundly sad but keeps a brave smile on the entire time. He wishes he could redo many of his scenes. It is frequent that he watches his finaled shots and wants them back. But also that is natural, as an artist is their own worst critic. The biggest challenge faced at Pixar is that feeling that there is never enough time. And personally for Wall it is balancing his time and effort with his emotions and sometimes anxiety. A job at Pixar is a Job, not a side passion project you can spend leisure years on.

         The interview with Nate Well ends with asking why he does what he does. He says it is because he loves the process. Working for just the final product can be daunting. But he loves the process, and wants to make something meaningful. Animation can be a tough business, but if you can get into the swing of it, I'm sure you can love it.

        This was a good article because it gave an inner perspective of working at Pixar. It was cool to read someone opinions of what he does day in and day out and how he feels about it.

        I want to hear other perspectives. Or just more. Like how he really fully breaks his days down or more about how meetings go. It would give a wider perspective.

sobbing

        How many points do we lose if we hand in an unfinished final project?
        This week I learned that I really like animating lip syncing like the Canadians from South Park. It is easier and now as mind draining as using actual lips. Why couldn't this be my entire animation?
       I don't have anything I want to learn in the future currently. Maybe how to convince my mom to get me a chameleon, but that doesn't aid my education.
        Something that frustrated me this week was starting to put words into my animation. I forgot how much I hated word scrubbing and listening to the same phrases over and over and over. I'm also frustrated because I'm not where I want to be, and there is so little time left for this animation. I'm going to cry.
        I saw Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. It was amazing and I loved it. It made me very happy, and you're a monster if Baby Groot doesn't make you happy. I can't wait until the next time we get to see the Guardians. I just love them so much.
      My link of interest this link was made by one of my best friends: enjOY IT!

PHYSICSS

        In order to succeed in animation, you have to have a grasp on physics. Without physics, animations can lose their appeal because they do not look realistic. No matter how cartoony, having a realistic air to your animation is important.
        In this article, Professor Alejandro Garcia talks about the principle of weight gain and loss. To us weight is a constant, you can gain or lose some but for the most part, you stay in one area of weight. But when something is moving, their effective weight is constantly changing. This most often happens when the something is moving upward and gaining speed, moving upward and losing speed, moving downward and gaining speed, or moving downward and losing speed. When you go upward and you are gaining or losing speed, you are also gaining or losing weight. But when you go downwards you lose when you gain and gain when you lose. Essentially you are working with gravity. If you go against it, like rising and gaining or falling and slowing, you are gaining weight. When you go with it, rising and losing or falling and speeding, you lose weight.
          All this weight this and that is important because as a character moves the weight variations create overlapping actions through hair, clothing, and flesh. Losing weight makes these things seem light while gaining weight pulls them down. Poorly animated characters can look floaty because of the lack of effective weight overlapping. The important thing to remember is that it is not just the direction of the motion but whether it is going with or agaisnt gravity. Weight is related to inertia, with a distinction in perspective. When the camera moves we see the overlapping action as drag and when the eye is following the movement we see it as a weight variation.
         Weight is a very important dynamic to animation. It gives realism to imaginary characters and lets the eye follow something and process it correctly. Without weight variation animations would be floaty and low quality and would not look real to us. It is the small things in physics that aid to the appeal of animation.


        This article was informative. I knew there were principles of animation but I was unaware there were principles of physics of animation. Knowing what I know now could help future walk cycles.
        I like when we learn about physics in animation. I plan to never take physics so this gives me a very basic understanding without all the complexity. What else can physics be applied to for animation?

Tired Tired Tired

        I'm so tired.
        This week I relearned the camera in Harmony. With just a view short sentences and a messed up keyframe sequence, I had it. And then I relearned how much I hate Harmony's camera. The only thing I miss about Maya is the camera. Maya's camera and I got a long way better than Harmony. Is there any way I can use a Maya camera in a 2D animation?
        There isn't much animation stuff left that I want to learn in the future. I do however want to learn how to get a four or five on an AP exam because I refuse to get another two. I think I have it in the back but also English is a tricky device to learn in an advanced setting.
        Just animating frustrated me this week. I know it is mostly my fault because I won't just get voice recording done so I can properly time things, but also I don't really want to voice record. But there is like a month left so I gotta get this done.
        Something that made me happy this week was the realization that there are only 101 days left before I see Hamilton. (By the time you read this 100...or 99....or 98....August ninth). I am so excited because I get to see a new city and also see the musical that has taken over my life.
        Normally I plan a link ahead but this time around I have not. I don't wanna give you anything animation related or an animation sooooo.....here's Drag Queens. (But also guys I think Jason animated this.)

Creature Animation Advice

         Most creatures in movies these days are animated. Like dinosaurs and gigantic apes. We don't just have them laying around domesticated and alive to use in movies. Monsters are also animated, as well as things like the Hulk or Groot and things with many arms. Creature animation is a big deal.

        Alvise Avati didn't start animating until he was 32. He had originally decided he wanted to work with computer graphics, and while some of it had animation it wasn't solely animation. He has animated scenes in movies such as King Kong and Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol No. 2, and focusses on creature animation mostly. If you watch his showreel you will see a ton of creature work, all ranging from different quality. You can watch his improvement just like that.

         He tells about how he got to where he was, and how he changed his mind a lot before settling on wanting to animate. One of the most challenging movies he has had to work on was Avatar. He had to animate a six-legged creature, which was difficult in itself seeing as any James Cameron movie is hard to work on. He learned that the big picture always comes first, that chunks of animation may be cut because they are details that are not necessary for the story. he also learned that research is important for any multi-legged creature. He went in to animate the thing with only a fraction of an idea of how it worked and wishes he had spent more time researching and understanding how it would move.

        Avati says that creature animation means a large variety of wide variety of animation techniques. There are many forms of creature animation, from photorealistic like in Life of Pi or giant alien monsters like in Pacific rim. No matter what there needs to be a grasp of body mechanics before animating whatever your creature is. There also needs to be little attentions to detail, special touches that really give it an oomph. But that only comes with time and experience, or else it would not be as special. He says that students must know body mechanics because it is the most important in creature animation. If they don't look almost 100 percent believable they will be distracting to the viewers. The shot you are making also has to look interesting, entertaining, and appealing. So spend a lot of time on body mechanics and performance.

        Creature animation is a difficult art, but grasping certain dynamic can really help you out. So get out there and get knowledge of body mechanics and appeal and make the best possible animation you can to stand out.

        I liked this article. It was interesting to see talk about just one certain field of 3D animation because I do not see that often. Avati gave some good advice that was short and sweet and easy to understand.

        I also really enjoyed his show reel. I have seen a lot of movies that he's had bits in and never realized. Especially Waterhorse. I know that Waterhorse doesn't have the most realistic animation, but it is cool to know about someone who did some of the animating for it. Creature animation seems like such an interesting art to pursue, even if it is difficult.

im free the evil is defeated

        I am so tired but I have eighty years of homework still. Why do teachers have to do this to us during musical weekend?
        This week I learned that I have forgotten all about Harmony. I also learned more than I wanted to know about Tim Burton. And the words "cat-themed gift shop" will forever make me cringe. I also learned that four shows in one weekend leaves no time for anything but maybe eating and sleeping and I am going to physically fight our director if he does it again next year. I have limits and they have all been reached.
        Something I want to learn in the future is how to do eight hours of homework in one hour because I just want to sleep. It is all I ask for. I also want to learn how to win at raffles because they are 100% rigged. And I need to relearn the art of cameras in Harmony because I am drawing blanks.
        Something that frustrated me this week was: the musical. We did great things but I do not think a majority of us were ready for it. I witnessed a cast member straight up leave just because she was not feeling well, even though there is always at least one person who is throwing up off stage at some point during the show. I am also just frustrated at my lack of sleep and my lack of time to do work. I thought there would be downtime during Saturday but it was basically just an eight-hour play because we had no breaks in between shows.
        I am happy I never have to touch that stupid pound of foam that is my role ever again. My knuckles are purple, my ankles are purple, and my body hurts. I was also gonna be happy to finally get some sleep but that does not appear to be happening tonight. Woe is me.
        I feel like I'm missing something. I probably am. But I have another like four things to write so I'm not even going to think about it. Here's something: I have watched it every time I was feeling upset this week.

Messages

        Everyone wants a movie to have a larger message to it. Not just "hey watch this movie its cool", there is always a bigger picture. Zootopia is just a feature film about a bunny cop and a con-artist fox. There is a lot of animal stereotypes used, but people also want to make the central message about prejudice. There are ways in which this could work, but also there are some flaws to that idea. Like how the dynamics of Zootopia and the real world are very very different.

         Zootopia is a movie centered around little bunny Judy Hopps. She faces a lot of struggle in her life for being a bunny with a desire to be a cop. But while she is a minority in her line of work, she is a majority of her place of inhabitance. With the concept of predator and prey, Zootopia is 90% prey. When predators are found to be savage, some simple miswording during a press conference instills fear in the majority. It may seem that Zootopia could be sending a message about prejudice and the likes, but also this movie has such a broad statement that it could mean anything. It is targeting young children mainly with a message of feeling left out, not with a goal to teach them about prejudice and police brutality like some want to argue.
        Zootopia's core metaphor is hard to make sense of. They want you to believe that predator and prey went from a relationship of predator eating prey to them coexisting happily in their world unless say a chemical imbalance happened. It is easy to see why prey could be scared of predator on some level. But applying this idea to our world makes little to no sense. Because then who would be considered the prey or the predator? Trying to mold the Zootopia message into one about the prejudice in our world is rather difficult because there just is not enough cause and correlation.
        But in there is a general message about prejudice in this story, just not one that can directly fit our society. Reading into the timing of the release of the movie could lead people to try and connect it to contemporary issues. It could be if you follow the heavy editing that happened before the release of the movie. And still, Zootopia's overall metaphor is open and elastic for anything you want to fit in it, instead of having just one solid meaning to it. Using animals for general metaphors has always been our thing, we understand them just enough to mold them to us then throw them into the world for a metaphor. Like Animal Farm and Babe, Zootopia follows a metaphor, but it is just a broad metaphor for one subject. It is not solidly about one single subject.
        Animals in movies always guide us to make some form of way too in depth metaphor that we did not think about before. In reality, however, these are often children's movies just trying to teach a small little lesson like "do not judge a book by its cover". We may see specific metaphors, but we are really just pulling our own legs.

       This article was interesting to read because it talked about something I have thought about Zootopia. A handful of people I know also believe Zootopia is about prejudice and police brutality and the whole works. It really is not, in my opinion.
        I see it for the broad metaphor of do not treat someone different because of who they are. Sure there is a lot of stereotyping and sensitive subjects in this movie. I do not see the way someone could pinpoint this all as just police brutality and prejudice however. I mean, they are just cartoon animals, what do you want out of them?

Anyone Can Be Anything

        1. Zootopia focuses on the goal of one bunny, Judy Hopps. Although she lives in a world where predators and prey live together in harmony there is still the issue of other's opinions. No one believes that a meek little bunny could be a cop, and yet she pursues the goal with a passion and even gains it. But even though she got what she wanted she still did not really get what she wanted, because the police chief did not want her on his force in the first place and so she faces the obstacle of opinion. The police force does not see her as a real cop by any means, and even her parents don't want her to go past anything more than being a meter maid. She still tries to be what she wants, even though she herself is plagued by her own opinions. Which leads her to meet Nick Wilde, who she only followed based on her ideas of sly and shifty foxes. She was wrong at first, but ultimately right. She almost gets fired after catching a criminal who merely stole "moldy onions", but makes a deal to try and find a missing otter named Emmit in a short time period in an attempt to keep her job. She then uses Nick to help her find the Emmit because her meek amount of evidence shows that one of the last places he was seen was buying a popsicle from Nick's shady business. He only helps her because he faces the obstacle of her outing his illegal activities, but that doesn't mean he makes it easy. They clash the entire time that they work together, using each other's dislike of them as advantages. Judy, for example, lures Nick over a fence by throwing the pen with the evidence of his tax evasion over a fence so that he'll go over it and she can have a reason to search for her evidence without a warrant. Nick brings her to the DMV to run plates, without telling her that the DMV is run by sloths and then stalling the sloths, therefore making Judy lose time. After discovering that Emmit went feral they go to find the driver who was there for the event, and then end up almost being attacked and Judy almost officially losing her job. Nick points out she still has time to the chief, and so her investigation can continue. He tells her about the time that he was basically hazed and they bond just that little bit. Then they discover Emmit and other missing mammals in a facility, and they are all feral. This turn of events gets the mayor arrested because people are not sure why the animals, all predators, are feral but they do know he is involved and one himself so they take the drastic measure. At a press conference, Judy says some things about predators that negatively affects her and Nick's friendship. In fact, the entire ordeal starts to negatively affect predators, and rallies against them pick up and they start to get fired when all anyone really wants in peace. Judy quits because she feels guilty and this is not what she wanted as a cop. Back home she encounters her old childhood bully and discovers he's changed and her opinions of foxes are kind of wrong, and she also discovers that the whole predator going feral issue could be because of someone using drugs to trigger the episodes. She hunts Nick down and apologizes and from there they work to find and bust the people behind what's happening, and they just happen to be the assistant mayor turned mayor, who was on an evil trip to put predators into bad light so that she could take over and show that the little guys really weren't all that little. Judy and Nick rekindle their friendship, Belwether gets arrested, and Nick becomes a cop. And then the chief treats both Judy and Nick as actual cops because Judy showed that it is not a matter of opinion but more a matter of letting someone show you what they can do.

        2. I believe the central message of this film is to not judge a book by its cover. Almost everyone, from her parents to the police chief, judged Judy for being a bunny. They thought she would amount to nothing and tried to persuade her away from her goal. She showed them though that even a bunny could be a successful cop and not just a carrot farmer or meter maid. But even though she constantly went through judgment for who she was, she also judged others. She immediately thought Nick was bad news just because he was a fox, and in the end, he really was not that bad of a guy. And no one expected Belwether to be the bad guy because she was just a little sheep and they figured someone like her couldn't do any harm. It does no one any good in this movie to judge, and then are many cause and effect moments due to judgment. So even though it is a cliche theme, don't judge a book by its cover. Or in this case, don't judge an animal by its species,

        3. The most important part about the environmental design is that it had a lot of variety. From farmland to the frozen tundra, there was a lot to look at. Though the movie was mainly focused in the city part of Zootopia, the many environments aided the plot. There was the rodent area of the city which Judy ran through on a police chase, which later saved her life because she had previously saved Mr. Big's daughter from the disaster of a giant doughnut. The tundra built some of the interaction between Nick and Judy, and also showed Judy some of Nick's devious ways in the beginning. The rainforest also added to the chase between Nick and Judy and the driver, because that environment provided many obstacles. It is well thought to have a shifting environment when following a plot like Zootopia's because there are many species and also many things going on. Where would we be without mob bodyguard polar bears or tiny rodent towns?

        4. The character design in Zootopia is very diverse. For one, no would consider a vole could be a mob boss. But Mr. Big was designed in such a way that you accept it. He has a grumpy face and big eyebrows, and the suit and stature that don't make you question his position. They really managed to capture the stereotype mob boss physique. With Nick, they made it obvious that he was a slacker with the way his posture was designed to be slouchy, and how he wore a Hawaiian button-up shirt with a tie and cargo pants. The embodiment of a lazy businessman. The way he always has some form of a smirk on his face really gives him the sly fox. All the characters in Zootopia are expressive, really. This isn't really a character but something I noticed about the police department itself. I know Judy was the first bunny, but I just feel other than her the department could strive to have some more character variety. They achieved that with Officer Clawhauser, in that he is a fat cop. But really a design flaw I see is how the entire force is big and buff or just a large stature. Wouldn't you want some small cops? Like when crime goes down in the rodent city is there a separate division for them or does it just happen because every Zootopia cop is way too big to try and do anything about it? It just appears that there is no room for small statured cops in the design of the police force.

        5. The story that Zootopia gives you is, in fact, unique, for an animated movie at least. Sure there is a handful of strong woman lead movies for the franchise, but also Zootopia gives us something else. There is crime and crime solving and a huge focus on cops and just a bigger feel for a diverse world. The dialogue keeps you focused because it flows easily and has interesting quips here and there. The story overall is a wonderful story. It has highs and lows and really resonates with people who deal with judgment or sticky situations or just a general need to achieve a goal. The story flows really well, and anyone can sit down and be able to follow it without getting confused. There is also a definite that it stays with you long after watching it. I have had many instances where I will be sitting, minding my own business, and suddenly think about something that happened in Zootopia. Like her depressing carrot for one.

        6. The actors chosen for this film were very well picked. For one, Shakira voicing Gazelle was one of the best choices ever. Not only did she get to sing for the movie, she also had a moving little speech about peace, which fits her. Idris Elba was a strong choice for Chief Bogo, as was Octavia Spencer for Mrs. Otterton. They both have voices that are strong in person and as animations. the voices for this film were all well-picked, they fit the character and also work with the emotion of each character perfectly. They also seem to fit the build for each animal. Except for Finnick, but Finnick's voice was purposely made deep for comedic effect.

        7. All of the stylistic aspects of the animation drew your eye in, from the colors to the way things were drawn. They were something different and pleasing. However, at points, it felt a little too bright lighting wise, like the Rainforest District. Sure it was night and there were street lamps but it just felt too bright to fit the mood that was currently happening, which the feral chase and the almost permanent firing. The motion was all smooth, though, even when in moving vehicles.

        8. In the beginning with Judy's little talent show, there is a huge moment for exaggeration. She is "attacked" by a predator and then dies, blood and all. There are a good five seconds of Judy just throwing red streamers into the air screaming blood, and then adding in the ketchup. It is awkward for the on-screen audience, but amusing for people viewing it. You know right away that that little bunny is going to have spunk. With the sloth DMVs, there is a lot of anticipation. You anxiously wait in your seat waiting to hear what they are going to say, seeing as everything is slow motion to the extreme. The anticipation also drives Judy crazy which makes it all that more amusing. At the end, when Nick goes "feral" there is a matter of timing. The two had to work together to make it believable that he had actually gone feral so that Belwether would react. If Judy hadn't played getting hurt right, or Nick hadn't reacted to the fake Nighthowler fast enough than the sheep would have caught onto their game and the story could have ended way differently.

        9. A really impressive action in the film is the secondary action. These are all animals, so there is ear movement and tail movement and all that jazz. It was cool to see the action on the tails, and also the follow through on bunny ears. The movement of the animals was also impressive, especially when you compare a fully functioning one to a feral one.

       10. Yes, this film deserved to win the Academy Award for best Animated Feature. Not only did it have a unique and unused story, it was beautifully put together. Every character has a personality. There are different uses of the animal kingdom, and they knew their stuff about the inner workings of animals. The movie also holds a huge personal message that can resonate with children and adults.

Brink O' Death

        I have had an on and off 103 fever all weekend. I hate immune systems. With how they think they are allowed to get sick and stuff.
        This week we learned about lip syncing for 3D. Will I use it? No. Was it interesting? Kind of. It seems more complicated, though, I'd rather just stick to being able to draw a mouth instead. I also learned that debates on a Friday are not a good thing. Chemistry is still terrible, stats is bearable, history is the worst because we have a student teacher.
        In the future, I want to learn how to actually enjoy being in a role you hate. Because I really hate my role in this year's musical and I am not having a good time. The more I hate it, the longer the production will be to be over, so if I can just pretend I like it I can get out faster. But I don't know how to like being a pound of foam, a plant, and a 30-yard piece of fabric. It is just so invigorating you know.
        Something that frustrated me this week was getting sick. I felt meh for the most part all week but also I rarely ever go to sleep when I mean to so I chalked it up to that. But Friday I felt worse, and I pushed through the day and took a nap and woke with a common cold from hell. I haven't had a fever break 100 in a while and do that alone was frustrating. I also wanted to do things this weekend and couldn't because my only pal was low-key death. I was and am still miserable. But just gotta...soldier through.
        I was happy on Wednesday when I went to the mall with my friend Jennie and finally got a caped Hogwarts house shirt. Which is a miracle, because Hufflepuff barely has merchandise. I also got the best stuffed animal in the world and he has really made this weekend better. I really love him a lot. Also sometimes Bronwyn sends me a meme, or I send her one and it always makes me happy. Yay for memes.
        This is a good video explaining depression. Sometimes I just feel like people might need to understand it better.

Don't hurt yourself for animation

        Being a human is remarkably hard. We have all these weird movements and bones and facial expressions. It makes it difficult to animate too, which is why having a reference point is good.
        These articles talk about how to make good reference videos because if you need a reference it needs to be good. It is probably preferred to use yourself but when the case comes up it is good to use friends too. If you are referencing movement to dialogue the first article tells you to know your audio so that you can get everything right and not focus on your words. You need to focus on the reference you are making and embody your character because you can look lost and confused in what you are using to make an animation. It is also good to just straight up speak instead of mouth your audio. You need to be able to see the right amount of emotion in order to animate it, so why hold it back by now speaking or yelling or whatever? If you are not able to yell, however, just talk in a high pitched voice. It gives you the same reaction you are looking for.
        It is good to keep the energy level up. Or down. It depends on what you need for your video reference. You don't want to under gesture for an energy filled scene, but you also don't want to over gesture for something that is subdued and solemn. Within all this energy upkeep it is good to know your physical limitations. Hurting yourself just to be able to get an animation down pat is not worth it and can affect your animation itself in the long run because, well, you are injured.
        To further the idea of physical limitations it is necessary to really know them. Get personal with them, understand them, and don't test them. If you don't do pirouettes and flips and this and that on a daily, it is not a good idea to suddenly believe you can do them just for a reference video. It is also good to take breaks, because even the most athletic people get extremely worn out after a while. So if you're running or spinning repeatedly to get a scene perfect, and you sit in front of your computer day in and day out, it is safe to say you can take a break sooner than an athlete. Also, do not push your body. Like stated, you need to know limits, so if your body is feeling drained or even slightly in pain its time to listen to it and stop. Go take a nap instead and come back to the reference later. If you know an athlete, get them to come help. They are more likely to be able to do the wicked stunt you are aiming for, and you are more likely to not hurt yourself. And finally, if you're injured, don't ignore it. Putting off doctor's visits always end in something worse, so just put off your animation instead and go get yourself better. You will be thankful later.
        Video references are very helpful, and knowing tips on how to create them is good for your future animations. Maybe you will use them, maybe you won't. But always remember to keep the right energy, speak with all your might, and know your limitations.


        These articles were interesting and helpful. I've thought about making my own video references but I've never really known how to be able to sell them for myself, because I felt I might look dumb. But maybe I can suck it up and just do it with this advice.
        However, I wish she had gone more in depth about how to piece them together. Watching hers showed that she used only herself for her references, and then just edited them together, but I have no idea how to do that, and probably won't. Some short and easy tips on how to piece your video together might be helpful.

Empty Hallways

        Empty hallways are sort of peaceful.
        This week we learned about dynamics. It was cool to get to know more about 3D animation, and I might use something we learned in my 3D short. I know for sure I'll be using the paint grass because grass is a big deal in my animation. We also learned about rigging, which is kind of easier than I expected but also hard. I also have no idea how a lamp is supposed to move as if it is alive.
        I am not sure what I'd like to learn in the future. Mostly I just want to know what our writing assignment is about. I would also like to learn how to effectively be part of a debate team because we are supposed to lead a debate in English but his instructions are vague and confusing.
         Something that frustrated me this week was working on our musical sign. The lettering for the title was sloppily done in the first place, and so I couldn't completely get the highlight and shadows to line up. Then while I was working my friends walked by and then proceeded to mess up the projector and then I had to spend an hour repositioning the words to the best of my ability. The sign is coming along nicely at least. I would hope so because I spent all of stage working on it.
      Something that made me happy is getting the confirmation that I get to spend the weekend with my friend at Fredonia. It will give me a chance to see her and also the chance to get a feel for dorm sleeping. I also got to hang out with my friend Jennie for a while, which is always nice.
        Here is a little video that might make you think about the issue with gender conformity: Baby X

Animation With Editors? Its More Likely Than You Think.

        When you watch an animated film you often never think about the work that goes into it. Or, if you do, you only think about the animator and no on else on the team. But animation has every job a live action film has, even down to requiring an editor.
        Editors come onto an animation team way earlier in the process than live action film editors. They could be brought on the team years in advance, so far in advance that not even the director has been chosen yet. It may seem strange to even edit an animated movie, but everything can be edited and an animation editor has the longest and most intensive job there is. Every movie starts and ends differently, like how The Black Cauldron had to be changed because of its dark tone even in a time where no one believed that animated films could not be edited.
        Ken Schrentzmann says that a way to look at it is with live action you shoot first and edit later, but with animation, you edit first and shoot later. Editors sometimes get to write part of the animation because they sit with the writer and director through the entire process. An editor is a key role in an animation, they are very involved in the movie. Screenplays are not just written and made into a movie, they are written and then built upwards from that. Ideas are then made into storyboards and the editor will sit and piece together all the storyboards into an animatic with the rough sounds and everything. If a scene doesn't fit well, it will then be remade. With each film having about 27 sequences there is a lot that can be done to fix it.
        An editor is the voice that pushes and guides an animation to the right place. Like with Fantastic Mr. Fox, the whole movie was rewritten and then every scene was rewritten approximately two times. No scene that made it to the movie was the same by the end. It gets rough when a scene gets locked and something needs to be changed like a shot or something or other. Animators know that they're going to be wrong and if they don't allow themselves to be wrong they'll only rely on things that they know will work. They don't plan to get everything right the first time, they plan to get a few things wrong and learn how to improve them.

        Animation is all about improvement and this video essay shows that. Even animated movies need to be edited, no matter how silly it seems. No one gets something perfect the first time, and you can see that in this.
        I wonder what is like to be brought on two years in advance and sit all the way through the process to the end. What is it like to dedicate your life to one movie for years? Or do animation editors work on multiple movies at one time? It seems unlikely, but so does dedicating all yourtime to one movie.

Yikes

        I am a tired human being.
        This week was really quiet for some reason. I learned that I can write a three-page research essay approximately twelve hours before it is due. I don't know if I really followed my thesis, but hey at least I handed in typed on paper. We also went over premiere, which is really good because I forgot how to use it and will need to use it very soon. I don't know what else I learned.
        Something I would like to learn in the future is how to get the motivation back for writing. I'm handing a lot of things in last minute because of the lack of wanting to write and I hope that I can find that want back. I also want to get betterish at 3D animation so my short looks good because I am worried about that.
        This is something that is stupid to be frustrated about but I'm gonna do it anyways. I am frustrated that I only got two honorable mentions in the Scholastic Art and Writings Awards this year. I mean it is great that I even got two awards, but honorable mentions are always kind of "wow you participated here's a ribbon" things to me. I have one more year to enter so maybe I'll get higher next year.
        And on that note: I have now officially entered and won awards for the SAAWAs for four years in a row. I continue to be the only student in Lockport to enter and win. It is a shock to me every time, but I hope I can go a fifth year in a year and let my legacy be half a decade of writing awards. Also, we got Sims 4: Vampires and it is the best thing ever and I love it a lot. Vampires make me super happy. If I'm sad just talk about them with me and everything will be better.
        This is my favorite cut rap and you should watch this animatic of it. I can almost rap it all the way now. (No you can not escape Hamilton if you know me).

Pro Tips For Making Believable Characters

        Animation is everywhere. In commercials and movies and on TV and in your dreams and just everywhere. Every animation needs believable characters, but how do you get there? Well, this week's article gives you fifteen ways to do just that. I'll go over a couple of them.
        One way is to study the psychology of human movement. If there's one thing your character needs, it is for sure a realistic movement. Or something that loosely follows the way a real something or other moves. Every movement has a purpose to it. My hands follow a set pattern when typing that would need to be closely watched for a while to understand it. If you want to truly mimic movement you have to understand the movement and intention. You have to follow the thought behind the movement, and follow it several times. It is good to film the particular movement you are looking for and watch it until you feel a little closer to it. Or look weird in public by performing the movement yourself to understand it, much like me.
       Guide with your eyes. Often times, a movement follows a sequence that starts with the eyes. The eyes move, followed by the head, the neck, the body, everything until the focus is finally set on what the eyes were leading it to. Eyes are the windows to our soul, and also the windows to our focus. They lead us where we want to go, and if you watch anyone you will notice how this movement happens. If you want something to be believable move the eyes first, let them be the guide of the animation, because that is exactly what they are.
        Gravity is important. Without gravity...well I don't know what would happen without gravity but it probably wouldn't be fun. But gravity is highly important when you are animation the real world. You have to have a grasp on it so that you know when something should be floating or dropping through the floor. For example, in walking everything is different. Depending on build and weight, the walk could be different. Thin and tall people could be more light on their feet while as someone who is built a little heavier would have a heavier footfall, with more waist dipping. It might seem dumb to other people to be reminded of gravity, but it is surprisingly easy to forget it and make something move unrealistically. Like with the practice of a bowling ball and balloon, that makes you take a minute to understand the weight and the effects of gravity when you normally don't. Gravity is highly important, don't forget about it.
        Anticipation, action, and reaction. The three main things to any sense of flow. Every movement can be broken into these three things. Like when a character leaps they bend their knees in anticipation. Their jump is action. And finally landing their jump is the reaction. Anything can follow the anticipation, action, and reaction rule. With typing the anticipation is finding the key to type, the action is actually pressing that key, and the reaction is the letter showing up wherever.  It is important to keep in mind that this kind of principle can be used for facial animation and movement and even bring aid to exaggeration.
        There is a lot you can do to improve your character animation. But nothing is going to change if you don't take given advice in mind, so always sit and think about what you were told. It can get you somewhere farther than where you currently are.

        This article is helpful for anyone who struggles to animate characters properly. It gives the tips and tricks that I often follow myself. And also says some other things I didn't think about.
        For one thing I didn't think to not animate every lettera character says, but now that I have read this article I realize that doing that was a little silly. Advice is always good to take, especially from people who know what they're doing.

Can a witch turn me into a worm? Worms don't have teeth.

        Dear neighborhood witch, legit just turn me into a worm. Remove all my life responsibilities.
        Isn't this technically like two weekly comments? Okay, so I don't remember anything school wise that I've learned recently. Except like, we had a lighting and composition lesson at some point...right? Also, I learned that I hate school and don't want to go anymore and wish I was an average student and not a pedestaled high honors kid because then maybe life would be easy and I wouldn't have to fight tooth and nail to make sure everything is at least a 90. Or that most grades are a 90 to cancel out my stupidity in Chemistry and keep me at at least a 93 overall average. (I failed that this quarter, my overall is somewhere at 91. My funeral will be soon). I learned that living without motivation is hell and I want motivation back. Please.
        Something I would like to learn in the future is how to be a better student. I already try my hardest but it gets me nowhere and I just want to be somewhere. I also maybe want to get a better grasp on 3D animation because I'm still lost and scared of failing the class competition. One last thing I want to learn in the future is the secret to passing chemistry. Again, please.
        My teeth are by default my frustration this week. They were the reason I missed two precious work days and I figure if I was a worm I wouldn't have these problems. But instead, they had to form cavities in unfillable places that finally became fillable and then conflicted with going to school. Then they had to go and get new wires and a power chain and rubber bands and I haven't been able to chew since Friday. Like seriously if I was a worm I wouldn't have these problems now, would I?
        Nothing made me happy this week. I am a motivationless, sad lump.
        Here's a fun article: 5 Reasons You Won't Be an Animator.

Story Lessons

        The art of storytelling is a topic that many research and many can not grasp. It is essential to any show or movie or book in order to build a world outside our world. Sure some stories tend to have a formula, like a lot of Disney movies, but sometimes they go outside the norm. The three discussed in this article show us lessons in storytelling that won't hurt any of us to know.
        Lesson one is about how research gives your setting authenticity. Wreck-It Ralph obviously had a lot of research put into it to fully encapsulate the feeling of a video game world. It has nods to other video games and such thought put into its unreal games that you can almost imagine them being real. The arcade resembles a real arcade, and the game lobby has graffiti that can match up to a real game's character and old trending graffiti as well. Big Hero 5 did much the same, as one would to mash two completely different places into one. San Fransokyo, as we know is a mash of San Fransisco and Tokyo, was a fictional city that took research and time to flawlessly make. American architecture has Japanese touches and things signature to Japan like sakura trees and lucky cats are put into the background with ease. Sure research is a pain, but without the foundation of your house would not stay standing.
        Lesson two is giving reasons for bad guys to be bad. No one wants a pointless villain without a rhyme or reason to their petty ways. Hans from Frozen is the example of a pointless and petty villain. He's kind of just there to make you go "wait what?" and cause some sort of big bad road block. He's just petty and lame. But in Wreck-It Ralph, King Candy has rhyme and reason, just wanting to reclaim his fame as a video game hero. It is hard to let go of the past and just accept that you are just a wash-up, and he shows that full force. Big Hero 6's villain is just a villain out of grief. While most people handle it well, he shows that there is always someone who is going to turn to vengeance as the answer, no matter who it is going to end up hurting. You might not really think it is the case, but villains need about the same amount of character development as heroes and protagonists.
       Lesson three is showing the world that not every love story is some mushy gushy happily ever after romance. There are at least four types of love, as named by C.S. Lewis: divine charity, affection, romantic love, and friendship. The three aforementioned movies have different loves. Wreck-It Ralph has friendship, Frozen has sibling, and Big Hero 6 is the title holder of both. While most Disney movies are all romantic, teeth-rotting fluff that follow the same story through different formulas, it is refreshing to see them do something different. Sure Wreck-It Ralph does contain a romance, it does not revolve around it. It focuses more on Ralph's unlikely friendships with Felix and Vanellope. Ignoring the fact that Anna is a gullible princess who wants to love the first prince to hit her up, and Elsa is already a bitter grandma who would rather be alone and away from people, Frozen has a strong sisterly love deeply embedded in its story. Big Hero 6 shows the love between brothers Hiro and Tadashi, and then the love of friendship following the death of Tadashi. The brotherly love stays throughout the story and is one of the sole reasons Hiro gains his friends. Had Tadashi not introduced them, Hiro would have stayed bitter and depressed. Hell, there's even the huge friendship connection that Hiro and Baymax share. Big Hero 6 is just seeping in love, but not romantic love. Sure romance is good, but seeing literally any other kind of love is a breath of fresh air.
        Lesson four, our final lesson in this journey, is that character's struggles are the true hearts of stories (plotlines are like....the lungs). The plot is normally the driver, yes, and nothing is wrong with it. Events aren't exactly as inspiring as the struggles our protags go through, though. Characters are more important than plot anyway and deserve a chance to drive more often. Wreck-It Ralph happens because Ralph doesn't want to be a villain anymore, and would rather pursue something else in life. Frozen is a roller coaster through Elsa and Anna's struggle to leave isolation and see where they belong in the world. Big Hero 6 follows the road of depression and grief. And each of them is special because they focus more on the character than they do the events. Sure events led each character to face their problems, but the characters solved their own problems. There was no reliance on the set up of scenes to help them out. Even villains are driving by in their own little struggle cars in these movies.
        Disney is not perfect, sure. But its filmmakers know some stuff about how to fabricate a good story. They've learned their lessons and built their foundations properly. Yes, there are the formulated princess movies that follow the same path one way or another. But then there are also gems like Wreck-It Ralph and Big Hero 6 that go down a different road on a search for their own storytelling game.

         This article taught me a lot about storytelling. Like how plot doesn't essentially matter, and how formulated villains do you good in the long run. It also made me think about Disney's standing in the world. They stand big and strong because of their cliched movies, but also because of movies that stand out like Lilo and Stitch and all the movies mentioned in this article. Storytelling is just really fascinating.
        I want to know if there are other lessons we can find, perhaps from other movie companies. Maybe if you watch enough you can figure out on your own. I'm also curious as to what other Disney movies break the Princess formula. I know Lilo and Stich right off the bat, but what else is there? I also appreciate all this company does for their movies. You can really see the effort they put in by just simply reading an article someone wrote about their movies.

Stormageddon the Squirrel

         I am exhausted beyond exhaust.
         So this week we learned a ton about 3D animation. We learned how to shape and mold shapes. How to even bring those shapes into existence in the program. We learned a little bit about rigs, thank you demon squirrel.We learned how to animate, and that Maya works completely on keyframing. Also, I learned I'm never going to look at a squirrel the same, I am so uncomfortable. Overall 3D is terrifying and I hope I'll get a semi-grasp on it. I learned Non-Stop from Hamilton has 1234 words. I learned this because instead of choosing normal data like a normal stats students, I asked myself "Hey how many words do 30 broadway musical hype songs have?"
        I want to further learn about 3D animation in the future. I want to understand how to operate a rig, and maybe more about video games. I also want to learn how to fix sleep because I am so so tired. I still have a need to bust out a ridiculously long essay, but no class is assigning anything that is built for me. They probably won't, but I just wanna learn something new.
        Something that frustrated me this week was learning Maya. It is all very new and strange to me. Also, I have lost my will to write, which is going to mess me up tomorrow when I don't turn in the three writing assignments English needs. I think I'm just too tired to function past the emotions known as frustration and internal screaming.
        I saw Moana this week. I loved it. It made me very happy. I also saw my best friend for the first time since she went to college, and I went on a mall date with friends. But also I'm not really happy this week, I'm kind of out of it.
        I cried for half of a movie this week. It was because of Lin-Manuel Miranda. This song happened about thirty minutes into the movie? I cried from Lin's voice onwards. (Also how do you animate water like that??) I got really emotional, ok?

Droid K2

        There is one reoccurring thing that tends to happen in Star Wars films. That thing happens to be droids. From the first movies to the most recent, there is always a robot or robots that can steal the stage. Those robots are C-3PO, R2D2, BB-8, and most recently on screens there is K-2SO. A sassy and charismatic droid. But how do you get a personality to show itself in a CGI creation? Well, this week's article tells us just how they added personality to K2.

        K-2SO being made who he is is something impressive. Alan Tudyk, the actor, was on set in a gray marker suit. Motion capture was also used, and the actual animation of the droids happened in CG through Industrial Light and Magic. The droid's inner essence was found by letting Tudyk experiment with a digital marionette of himself, the ILM's capture suit, and making the eyes pop. K2, unlike the very flappable C-3PO, is unflappable. He has sarcasm and wit, something not every Star Wars' bot has.

        Something uncommon in the Star Wars droids are facial features like eyebrows and mouths to give them expressions. They worked around with K2 until they could find something that gave him the expression aesthetic. They decided to work with the eyes to find an expressing robot. At first, they thought that giving him the ability to blink would be the key, but it wasn't so they took it a step back. Instead, they gave him the ability to rotate his eyes. They bounce around a little and have little thinking moments, much like humans. The eyes really boosted his personality.

        Another thing that upped his whole being as a droid was his voice. He's funny and has amazing timing. Tudyk being his actor gives him a lift as well, seeing as he's played robots in previous movies. Tudyk used special stilts to be the correct height for this droid and to give him that long-legged gait oompf. A motion capture suit took in all his actions to bring movement to this droid, and though the eyes were never tracked they were able to study and put them in later.

        Animating this droid had to have been a blast, he has a complex gait and calculated eye movements. Even without a widely varied face, he has a large personality and touch of humor reserved solely for Star Wars.

        This article was a cool read, I liked being able to follow their process for this character. Have CGI characters by actual actors is always cool, and it is really cool to get a grasp of how it happens. The whole process seems like a hassle though, and I don't think I would find interest in it.

        This article makes me wonder about other processes in the Star Wars universe. Like how they made BB-8 and R2D2, and Jabba. The fictional world they have is so extensive and filled with CGI, it must be out of this world to be anywhere in the process of bringing it to life.