First Modelling Steps

Here are some of the snapshots of my character model I've been working on. I realize that the floating hand is probably a bit creepy, but hey, you've got to start somewhere. It's not much, but these snap shots show the beginning stages of the modeling process.

The hand was more difficult to create than you'd think, and verytime consuming. Basically, I started with

a 3d dimensional cube using the program called Maya. I extruded one finger from the block, modeled and shaped it, and

then duplicated it to create four fingers. Finally, I created the thumb and slowly worked it into the rest of the hand.

The New Look

As you can see, my blog has undergone a much needed makeover. It now has a new title and banner along with a few other changes. Personally, I think it looks much better! Thanks to Komet Tails Designs for the awesome banner!

Sidenote: I was planning to post some character sketches but unfortunately I lost my sketchbook! (for those of you in my class, let me know if you see a yellow sketchbook laying around on campus somewhere). Despite the setback, I will publish some new updates on my character soon.

Strong Females Leads in Miyazaki's Anime

My last post was about the lack of leading female characters in Pixar films, but I'd like to point out that there actually are quite a few strong female leads in the animated world. Looking at studio Gibli in Japan, many all of the films created by Hayao Miyazaki feature strong women as the leads.

One of my favorite Miyazaki characters is Sophie from Howl's Moving castle. She perseveres, despite having a spell cast on her that turns her into an old woman, and fearlessly sets out into the unkown to confront the Wicked Witch of the Waste. The girl from Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind is another good example. At the end of the film she saves the world not through fighting but compassion, showing that strength in character can be shown without even picking up a sword.

When will Pixar focus on the girls?

I recently came across a letter online titled "Dear Pixar, From All The Girls With Band-Aids On Their Knees" that inspired me to write today's blog post. You can read the full letter here.
The author writes that although there have been several strong female characters depicted in Pixar films lately, we still have yet to see a film that revolves around a female as the main character. In particular, she says that we have enough princesses already and we need more tough girls who aren't afraid to scrape their knees and perform "Death Defying Stunts."

Of course, it's important to recognize that Pixar has been doing its job as far as creating awesome female characters who play vital roles. As the author mentions, the adventurous Ellie from UP is an exceptionally brave and lovable character who provides the driving force for the story. Also, the The Incredibles wouldn't be the same without the spunky Elastigirl/Mrs. Parr who keeps the family superhero team in harmony (while fighting the bad guys, of course) and her daughter Violet who is able to overcome her lack of confidence in order to come to her family's aid. In Wall-e, the female robot named Eve plays a role almost as big Walle-'s. She helps him save the day and their romance adds to the film’s charm. I've got to agree with the author though - we've seen that Pixar can create interesting female characters and I'd like to see one cast into the leading role.

Fortunately, we don't have to wait too long because Pixar is coming out with a new film in 2011 titled the Bear and the Bow that will feature their first ever female lead, a princess named Miranda. Although I'm not opposed to the main character being a princess, I understand the author's complaints. There is already a plethora of Disney princess movies, including their newest film, the Princess and the Frog. Pixar is known for creating unique characters and it's almost dissapointing to hear that they've chosen the well used role for their first leading lady. The film's synopsis does, however, describe Miranda as a royal who would rather practice archery than do her royal duties, she might turn out to be a unique character after all and be precisely the "tough girl" the author is looking for.

In need of inspiration

For my 3d modeling class, I need to come up with a character to model. I haven't made too much progress yet but I've been looking at various video game characters, like this fighter girl from Fire Emblem, for inspiration. I've been thinking of doing something piratey...we'll see.

Computer Animation

I have been learning the art of modeling in my computer animation class. We are using Maya and it is a difficult program to get used to. After much stress, I have completed the first couple of assignments, a watch and a glass. For anyone else having trouble with the program, these are my words of advice: take it slow and don't rush yourself. In fact, take time to go through the tutorials under the Maya help menu. It's amazing how much they help.

Animation Books

For those of you who are interested in traditional animation, I've does some research to find good books about animation technique. These three are often recommended as must haves on Amazon.com :

• Cartoon Animation
• the Animator's Survival Kit
• the Illusion of Life

The first book on my list, Cartoon Animation, was especially recommended for beginners so I've decided to pick that one up first. After I've finished reading it, I'll post my review on here.