Wednesday, December 23, 2020

100 Frame Animation Contest (Fall 2020) - Submissions

Here are the submissions! The topics were either: "Pain" or "Awkward Moment". The winner will be announced in the upcoming week(s)

Monday, December 21, 2020

Over the Moon (Netflix) - Animation Analysis and Tips for Animators

Today's Animation Analysis takes a look at the Netflix movie "Over the Moon" by Glen Keane! I picked a few shots and scenes from the earlier part of the movie covering body mechanics, exercise inspirations, composition, stylization and much more!

Animation Workshop Feedback - Anonymous #2 (2020)

Need help with your animation? Sign up for my workshop! 

 

The Animation Minute (December 14th - December 20th, 2020)

The Animation Minute! Your weekly summary of all things animation! Covering December 14th - December 20th, 2020.

Thursday, December 17, 2020

The Undoing (HBO) - Acting Analysis and Tips for Animators

Today's Acting for Animators takes a look at the HBO show "The Undoing" and covers body language, attention and reaction, lip sync and much more!


Friday, December 11, 2020

100 Frame Animation Topic: Pain or Awkward Moment - Fall 2020 Contest

100 Frames. 1 Week. Prize: $100 or 3 Workshop critiques from me! AND $100 or 3 Critiques from Agora.Community Thanks to Agora for teaming up! 

 Again we have TWO topics you can choose from: PAIN or AWKWARD MOMENT! 

 Contest starts now, December 11th and ends December 18th (end of day San Francisco time). Email me your submissions (either added to the email or a link to a download option) to: 

 contest (at) spungella (dot) com 

 Make sure that you include your full name in the email. Any animation technique (3D, 2D, Stop-Motion, etc.), submit a 1080p resolution clip at 24fps (so we’re all on the same page about the 100 frame total), with or without sound/music, up to you. 

 Be respectful to others with the content of your animation.
 

"Canvas" by Frank E. Abney (Netflix) - Animation Recommendation

The beautiful and touching animated short "Canvas" by Frank Abney is now out on Netflix! Highly recommended! Congratulations Frank!! 

Friday, December 4, 2020

100 Frame Animation Contest Fall 2020 - Announcement

Here's the playlist with all the previous topics, animation submissions and winners and even older submissions here.

You have 1 week to animate 100 frames! The winner gets $100 or 3 workshop submissions! 

Contest starts December 11th and ends December 18th (end of day San Francisco time). 

Email me your submissions (either added to the email or a link to a download option) to: 

 contest (at) spungella (dot) com 

Make sure that you include your full name in the email. Any animation technique (3D, 2D, Stop-Motion, etc.), submit a 1080p resolution clip at 24fps (so we’re all on the same page about the 100 frame total), with or without sound/music, up to you. 

 Be respectful to others with the content of your animation. 

Thursday, December 3, 2020

Run. (Hulu) - Acting Analysis and Tips for Animators

Today's Acting for Animators takes a look at the Hulu movie "Run." and covers pantomime, thought process, prop usage, audience expectations, camera reveals and much more!


Thursday, November 26, 2020

The Curse of La Llorona - Acting Analysis and Tips for Animators

Today's Acting for Animators takes a look at the movie "The Curse of La Llorona" and focuses on one sequence to show how unlikely genres can still provide ideas for your cartoony shots!

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Amazon Echo Show 5 Battery Pack and Stand (by GGMM) - Review

Today's product review is a battery stand for the Amazon Echo Show 5 and my new favorite companion during my workouts!

The Haunting of Bly Manor (Netflix) - Acting Analysis and Tips for Animators

Today's Acting for Animators takes a look at the Netflix series "The Haunting of Bly Manor" and covers character focus, interaction, prop usage and much more!

Thursday, November 12, 2020

The Devil All The Time (Netflix) - Acting Analysis and Tips for Animators

Today's Acting for Animators takes a look at the Netflix movie "The Devil All The Time" and covers character gestures, pantomime, character staging, reactions and much more!

Friday, November 6, 2020

Animation Q&A - ANSWERS - part 5 (2020)

Let's start answering all those questions! This is part 5 of the Q&A covering a wide range of topics! Thanks for all the submitted questions!

Thursday, November 5, 2020

Ted Lasso - Acting Analysis and Tips for Animators

Today's Acting for Animators takes a look at the Apple+ series "Ted Lasso" and covers character pantomime, interaction, staging, reveals and so much more in this awesome show!

Monday, October 26, 2020

The Animation Minute (October 19th - October 25th, 2020)

The Animation Minute! Your weekly summary of all things animation! Covering October 19th - October 25th, 2020. 

Thursday, October 8, 2020

The Lodge - Acting Analysis and Tips for Animators

Today's Acting for Animators takes a look at the movie "The Lodge" and covers character interaction, character staging, revealing character through props and much more!

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Enola Holmes (Netflix) - Acting Analysis and Tips for Animators

Today's Acting for Animators takes a look at the Netflix movie "Enola Holmes" and covers character entrance, gestures, anticipation, subpose and much more!

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

The Making of Big Trouble in little China - Book Review

This video gives you a really cool look at the making-of of "Big Trouble in Little China" and if you're interested in the art-of, here's the link to the page through of that book: https://youtu.be/XQtKa9MG2KA

The Art of Big Trouble in Little China - Book Review

This video gives you a look inside the fantastic art of "Big Trouble in Little China", which is one of my favorite movies and if you're interested in the making of, here's the link to the page through of that book: https://youtu.be/0kDrQVYs5QA

Animation Workshop Feedback - Anastasiia Pavlovska #2 (2020)

Need help with your animation? Sign up for my workshop! 

 

Monday, September 21, 2020

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Mulan (Disney+) - Acting Analysis and Tips for Animators

Today's Acting for Animators takes a look at the Disney+ movie "Mulan" and covers secondary action for contrast, inner monologue, character interaction and much more!

Monday, September 14, 2020

Analyzing my own work on STAR WARS SQUADRONS (Analysis & Reaction)

And now for something else, I'm going over shots that I worked on! HA! Less animation-y but more of a look of what I did and what type of shots you get on a production like this, the work that goes into each shot, etc. I hope this is interesting and helpful!

Animation Workshop - Anonymous #1 (2020)

Need help with your animation? Sign up for my workshop! 

The Animation Minute (September 7th - September 13th, 2020)

The Animation Minute! Your weekly summary of all things animation! Covering September 7th - September 13th, 2020.

Friday, September 4, 2020

BORED with your animation? 6 Tips on how to stay MOTIVATED!

New semesters are starting, new animation scenes are being animated, people are full of excitement and then.... you get bored of your work. WHAT NOW? In this clip I cover tips on how to stay motivated and how to keep that animation fire going as you work through your animation from beginning to the end.

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Darkest Hour Acting Analysis and Tips for Animators

Today's Acting for Animators takes a look at the movie "Darkest Hour" and covers how to lead an audience, character driven gestures, sets for character ideas and much more!

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Inside the Art and Visual Effects) - Book Review

This clip shows you a page through of the book "Star Trek The Motion Picture - Inside the Art and Visual Effects" and as a Star Trek fan it's absolutely amazing. But there's a lot the book covers that would be of interest to anybody outside of Star Trek. Lots of information regarding concept work, set design, model work, etc.

Animation Workshop Feedback - Victor Perez #9 (2016)

Need help with your animation? Sign up for my workshop!


Wednesday, August 26, 2020

How To Think When You Draw (vol.3) - Book Review

Checking out the next volume of the "How to Think when you Draw" book series! It's not an animation book per se but still very useful in terms of reference, character & creature design, layout, composition and much more! Highly recommended for animators!

Friday, August 21, 2020

Take Notes! - Animation Workflow Tip

Don't fall into the trap of randomly fixing your animation. Take structured notes, prioritize, go down the list, move on, rinse and repeat. It's an animation workflow change that will save you a ton of time!

 

Thursday, August 20, 2020

Old Guard (Netflix) - Acting Analysis and Tips for Animators

This Acting Analysis and Tips for Animators takes a look at the movie "Old Guard" and covers thought process and reactions, character introductions through composition, lip sync modifications and more!

 

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Why I PREFER TABLETS over Mouse and Keyboard (Ergonomics Workflow)

Today's upload covers my reasons for using a pen/tablet workflow over a mouse/keyboard (... I still use a keyboard). Spoiler: ERGONOMICS! It's important to find a setup that allows for a repetitive work schedule without injuries. As an animator I have relied on a pen and tablet plus keyboard and marble mouse combination for years. Any 3D artist (and 2D artist for that matter as well) deals with repetitive tasks and the risk of injury is high because of it. 

Animation Workshop Jessica Castillo #4 (2020)

 

Friday, August 14, 2020

Planning and Reference for Animation - DON'T SKIP IT!

Using reference is NOT cheating! And filming reference should be part of your planning stage before you start animating any shot. Proper planning is winning half the battle!

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Greyhound - Acting Analysis for Animators

This Acting Analysis for Animators takes a look at the movie "Greyhound" and covers thought process and reactions, character traits through actions and environment influences on character posing and expressions!

Wacom One Tablet (bonus Intuos Pro) for Animation - Review

I'm a big fan of the Wacom One and have fully integrated it into my animation workflow and just daily usage overall! There will be multiple uploads and today's video covers unboxing, general overview and impressions:

Monday, August 10, 2020

The Box Assassin - Animation Analysis and Reaction

I'm taking a look at Jeremy Schaefer's fantastic film "The Box Assassin" and by taking a look I mean nerding out and admiring the stunning quality of it! 😁

The Animation Minute (August 3rd - August 9th, 2020)

The Animation Minute! Your weekly summary of all things animation!
Covering August 3rd - August 9th, 2020.


Monday, August 3, 2020

DUELISTS // Official Launch Cinematic Trailer - VALORANT - Animation Analysis and Reaction


Catching up with trailers! Today I'm taking a look at the animation in the "DUELISTS - VALORANT" cinematic launch trailer and it's absolutely fantastic work all around!

The Animation Minute (July 27th - August 2nd, 2020)

The Animation Minute! Your weekly summary of all things animation! Covering July 27th - August 2nd, 2020.

Saturday, July 25, 2020

How To GIVE FEEDBACK (Teacher Edition) - Pro Tip


Don't break artists down when you critique them. Encourage them! Inspire them! Help them break through problems! This Animation Pro Tip upload covers tips and suggestions regarding "How To Give Feedback".

Friday, July 17, 2020

How much EFFORT do you REALLY put into your animation?

"How much EFFORT do you REALLY put into your animation?" 

That's quite the question! But with everything, it all depends and many factors influence the answer to that question. It's still a good question to ask yourself and a motivator to push yourself every single time you animate!


Thursday, July 16, 2020

Bombshell - Acting Analysis for Animators


This Acting Analysis for Animators takes a look at the movie "Bombshell" and covers character introductions, interactions, thought process through props and more!

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

How To Think When You Draw (vol.2) - Review


Time for "How to Think when you Draw (vol.2)"! And again it covers a lot of interesting topics, ranging from character design, creatures, vehicles, to layout and composition and much more! Highly recommended for animators! 


Friday, July 10, 2020

How to Present Work and Receive Feedback - TIPS!

New semesters are soon upon us, so here are tips for when you present your work and receive feedback while being a student. Hope this is helpful!


Thursday, July 9, 2020

Just Mercy - Acting Analysis for Animators


This Acting Analysis for Animators takes a look at the movie "Just Mercy" and covers character reactions, interactions, posing and more!


Wednesday, July 8, 2020

How To Think When You Draw (vol.1) - Review


"How to Think when you Draw (vol.1)" covers a lot of interesting topics, ranging from character design, creatures, vehicles, to layout and composition and much more! 

 Check out their Twitter to stay up to date on their Kickstarters and their frequent tweets of tutorials: twitter.com/EtheringtonBros 

And here's the Etherington Brothers blog: http://theetheringtonbrothers.blogspot.com/


Thursday, July 2, 2020

Motherless Brooklyn - Acting Analysis for Animators

This Acting Analysis for Animators takes a look at "Motherless Brooklyn" and covers character introduction, character composition and staging and character specificity!


Amazon Echo Show 5 - Review


Today's review takes a look at my lockdown companion, Amazon's "Echo Show 5". I listen to a lot of movies while I work and with the bigger screen than the "Echo Spot" it's pretty handy video wise as well.


Saturday, June 27, 2020

Lenses - Cameras for Animation (part 1)

New series: Cameras for Animation! Tricky to master but vital for your growth as an animator and storyteller. This vast topic will be covered over multiple videos and part 1 focuses on LENSES.


Thursday, June 25, 2020

Da 5 Bloods - Acting Analysis for Animators


This Acting Analysis for Animators takes a look at Spike Lee's "Da 5 Bloods" and covers props driving poses, pantomime thought process, character staging and more! 

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Animation Workshop Kyle Disanjh #2 (2020)


Simplified Drawing for Planning Animation (by Wayne Gilbert) - Review


"Simplified Drawing for Planning Animation is packed with information about drawing the human form in a simplified way, for animators, illustrators, character designers and comic artists. It emphasizes simplified structure, balance and posing with sequential images." 

 I'm covering my old 1999 edition but the 4th edition "is an updated version with more character design information and animated examples from planning notes.", so make sure to check it out here.

Friday, June 19, 2020

The BIGGEST Posing Mistake Animators Do

Don't fall into the trap of just opening an animation rig and starting to animate with it. A rig pose is not a character pose. Think about the headspace, the emotional state, the situation, etc. that your character is in and work on that defining starting pose.

The Windshield Wiper - Trailer

NSFW

Thursday, June 18, 2020

The Great (season 1) - Acting Analysis for Animators


This Acting Analysis for Animators takes a look at Hulu's "The Great" and covers character quirks, reaction shots, shot composition and much more! And it's also a fantastic show you should watch!


Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Star Trek Deep Space 9 XL Edition (Eaglemoss Hero Collector) - Unboxing


Part of the "Things I Like" playlist, let's unbox and take a look at the Star Trek Deep Space 9 XL Edition (Eaglemoss Hero Collector), because why not?! I love Star Trek and this station design has always been fascinating to me. If you haven't watcched DS9 yet you should, one of the best Trek shows out there! 

 You can get it here at Eaglemoss: shop.eaglemoss.com


Friday, June 12, 2020

Kena: Bridge of Spirits Trailer - Animation Analysis (EmberLab)

Really cool looking trailer with beautiful cinematics and interesting gameplay. Great work by EmberLab!


Goodbye Volcano High - Reveal Trailer


Animation Progression - Blocking to Polish - "I'm Walking Here" (shot 1)

Here's a progression reel of the first shot of my "I'm Walking Here" clip. This is probably the only clip I fully animated straight ahead from start to finish, improvising each beat on the go.


Friday, May 29, 2020

How to make any animation rig CARTOONY!


Do you want to tackle a cartoony creature animation but can't find the right rig? With this simple modification you can turn any realistic looking rig into a cartoony rig!

Friday, May 22, 2020

Industry Advice for Graduating Animation Students - Pro Tips

It's a tough industry to break in and a tough industry to stay in. Be mindful of the pitfalls, especially when you transition from student to professional. This clip will hopefully include tips that will make navigating these waters easier.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

100 Frame Animation Topic: Quarantine or Unlucky - Spring 2020 Contest


Here we go! Two topics! You can choose either one of them! Deadline is next Thursday end of day! More info in the movie description!

Friday, May 1, 2020

Polish - Most Common Animation Mistakes (part 11)

Part 11 of the Most Common Animation Mistakes series takes a look at POLISH. The extra effort at the end of your animation work is crucial to making your work extra special! This clip is packed with examples!


Thursday, April 30, 2020

Person of Interest (s2) - Acting Analysis for Animators

This Acting Analysis for Animators takes a look at "Person of Interest" and this time it's more about creative usage of props. If you have a set and props, think about how you could combine multiple elements for an unexpected acting choice!

Friday, April 24, 2020

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Gotham (s4) - Acting Analysis for Animators

This Acting Analysis for Animators takes a look at "Gotham" and how you can anticipate a line of dialogue through your body and serves as a reminder that you emphasize, downplay, tweak, etc. the intent and intensity of your dialogue outside of the actual audio boundary.


The Firefly Grove


Friday, April 17, 2020

Offset - Most Common Animation Mistakes (part 9)

Part 9 of the Most Common Animation Mistakes series takes a look at OFFSET. In this clip I'm taking a look at how you should avoid moving your character as one unit, moving beyond pose to pose and adding asymmetry to your character.

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Succession (s1) - Acting Analysis for Animators - part 5

In part 5 of my Acting Analysis for Animators "Succession" series I take a look at how props help push emotions, character interaction, reaction shots and a monster dissection of an awesomely awkward sequence!

Friday, April 3, 2020

Balance - Most Common Animation Mistakes (part 8)

There are two specific mistakes students repeatedly make involving body mechanics and timing when it comes to imbalanced poses. How do you regain balance mechanics wise and timing wise? This clip will show you how.

REBOOTED | Short Film


Thursday, April 2, 2020

Friday, March 20, 2020

Connected Trailer (Sony Pictures Animation) - Animation Analysis

Sony is really pushing the style in their movies and it's just a delight to go through their animation and renders frame by frame. If you want to nerd out about "Connected", you've found the right clip.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Keyframe PRO (Animation Critique Player) - Review

If you're looking for a movie player that lets you step frame through your clips, scrubs audio and does frame by frame plus onion skinning annotation, then look no further, Keyframe Pro is my pick for all of that and more!

Screencast-O-Matic (Desktop Capture Tool) - Review

If you're looking for a versatile screen capture tool with annotation, editing, greenscreen and more even options, then look no further, Screencast-O-Matic is my pick and I've been using it for my animation critiques for years!

Friday, March 13, 2020

My Animation Workflow - Maya 2020 Default Setup - part 1

What's the first thing that I change when I open up a new Maya? In this new "Workflow" series I'm walking you through my Maya tweaks and how I set up my environment using the built-in Maya 2020 tools.

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Pixar's Soul Trailer - Animation Analysis

New trailer for Pixar's "Soul" is out so of course I have to nerd out with an animation analysis! Expect a lot of frame by framing and the usual shouting of "COME ON!" 😄 Beautiful mix of styles! Looking forward to this one!

Saturday, March 7, 2020

No Repetition - Most Common Animation Mistakes (part 7)

Part 7 of the Most Common Animation Mistakes series takes a look at Repetition in animation. Avoid repetition. And not just positionally, but also timing wise. Every move will take a different amount of time and end up in a different position which in turns makes your animation less perfect and more organic.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

The West Wing (s2) - Acting Analysis for Animators

This Acting Analysis for Animators clips takes a look at the show "The West Wing" and I cover how to expand the scope of your scene, how to lead with your character gestures, how to strengthen your emotions through props and more!

Animation Workshop Nicolas Suarez #2 (2020)


Thursday, February 27, 2020

Succession (s1) - Acting Analysis for Animators - part 4

In part 4 of my Acting Analysis for Animators "Succession" series I take a look at character staging and interaction, subposes, anticipation in lip sync and more!

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

LARQ (Self Cleaning Bottle) - Review

I always have a water bottle with me at work and at home and was intrigued by the self-cleaning aspect of the LARQ bottle. After testing it out for a while I've become a huge fan of it!