ACNZ group project "STARFISH" - Term 4 week eight Part 1 of 1

FINAL WEEK. The film was rendered out over the weekend. We compiled the film in after effects and found the timing was working. We were feeling confident.

We spent all of Monday making sure all the renders had all the assets. We only had to re-render one small scene not effecting the production flow at all.

I went to my friend who is a sound engineer later that night to write the score. We completed it by midnight on Monday night. To have it ready for Tuesday deadline.

I am very happy and pleased with the final submission. We also put a "making of" so we could see all our hardwork and illustrate the work that was involved for our short film.

This has been a wild ride for our small group of people applying our animation skills. Some for only the 3rd - 4th time. So they have all been a pleasure to work with. all have taken my critiques and done a better job.

Please take the time to enjoy our short film. It is for everyone to enjoy, of all ages.

Enjoy.

Leon

Mr Leon Taylor Facebook "LIKE" competition - WINNER.

Mr Leon Taylor Facebook "LIKE" competition - WINNER.

Amanda was the actual winner of my first ever Facebook comp. I wanted to reach 250 likes! I got there in record time. I am very humbled by this experience so far and only received very positive feedback. I am now over 300!

About the creation process.

Where I started? finding out what Shaneel likes. He likes metal, loves his family and is an all around hard working dude. So I wanted the perfect pose. Yes it is a neutral pose but it is still important. This is the process side by side my rough line work / construction then a cleaned up with version to be scanned in to Photoshop.

The happiness from people seeing themselves as a cartoon character is exciting and fun. I wish I had more time to do this for all my friends. But am super tied down to some commitments (all drawing based). CAN NOT WAIT TO SHARE all of the current work I am doing.

With the final version I put one of Slayers most popular albums as the background. Just because I can.

Me and Maya, my new best friend. A visual diary.

I have started the year learning MAYA autodesk. Its been a steep learning curve to get used to navigating around the programme and apply those 2D skills. I always knew it would take me a few months to get my head around it. Extremely glad I am learning it in an institute,  I learn well in a team environment and speaking things out loud.

This is a visual diary to record my own progress, that's what I love about blogging the most. Looking back through the pages of work you have created. This is not a show reel of my best work. This is my learning process.

Neon gross-ness I can not stop looking at.

I grew up in the 1980s. Every year of it. One thing I remember the most is collecting cards. I collected TMNT live action and animated, Dick Tracey, Goonies, WWF and my favourite Garbage pail kids.

There was always something so appealing about these cards. They were also the only ones that came is a smaller pack.

This drawing I like to think has those "cool!" Closely followed by a " gross!" Feelings

I have made them with different palates to go for a feel. When I did a vote on instagram and facebook this is the order of which people voted as their favourite.

Twelve horns - Four seasons - One Moon

This started as a vision of explaining seasons through out the year and years lived. I was originally going to make it one character holding a large falcon.But once I had started to research my animal anatomy, then attempted to draw what I had planned. But, it didn't work out. I was clouded, with a stronger vision of what I wanted from the drawing. The current drawing, It didn't explain how I feel towards these seasons. Nor did it explain the organic feel I was going for.

I'm gonna need a bigger bit of paper.

Four Seasons : This is to illustrate the times of year. Living on this amazing earth we all experience winter at other times of year. So I did not want to bunch them in to months that not everyone can relate too.


12 horns : The 12 horns you might think stand for the number of months. In a way it does. But It stems back to the quality of life I feel we get from these times of year. In summer times, we have more daylight to achieve our goals and with the sun can have extra energy.


One moon: We live with one moon. This fascinates me. It is all apart of this world we live in. The planet still spins regardless of how we react to it.


Explanations of the piece of art.


FARM GOAT / SUMMER: Farm goats are sturdy animals and relentless with the job. The goat has four horns to illustrate quality of life and amount of life enjoyed.



WOLF / AUTUMN: The wolf is a ravenous animal. I used it to illustrate how we gather supplies for the winter looking for what's best in the coming months.



BEAR / WINTER: The bear in a caring yet protective animal. We sometimes lock down over winter, we don't spend as much time with people as we would like. But spending time with those closest to you can really make you feel great as you look forward to spring



MOUNTAIN GOAT / SPRING: The mountain goat has a balance we can all admire. No fear of the steepness and I feel the illustrate how hard work over the colder months pays off. The goat also has four horns to illustrate quality of life and amount of life enjoyed. But is in a different shape to show how life can be a little tough too.



I was very pleased with the end result.

I hope you enjoy.

mrleontaylor

The BIG EARS Basketball team

I am in my first year of CGI animation after 3 years of studying and applying traditional animation. So character designs I have done before and am still learning a lot about it. Forever learning and up skilling. All the character designs I had done before were only used in 2D/traditional/toon boom animation.

Most of the same things apply in CGI animation. Over the years I have read a lot about CGI and even seen others learn it. I have even watched videos regarding MAYA. It didnt make to much sense, but somehow knew it would make sense eventually.

Then suddenly it's all making a lot more sense. Every day. Starting to get really excited about it too. I understand there are many hurdles. But having idea how long the race is, is helping get clarity.

Chalk drawing Eden Park centenary 1913-2013

Eden Park had contacted my school ACNZ (animation college NZ) to do a chalk drawing celebrating 100 years of sport family and fun. I was asked if I wanted to take responsibility for the day to design, direct a mural. I was happy to take on the challenge. Even if I was new to the medium I knew I could apply my skills I have learnt and applied over the last 3 years learning traditional animation. Only on a large scale.

Enjoy.

mrleontaylor

H(oney) - Division

Like many people. They know Winnie the Pooh he is an iconic character. When I was growing up. He wasn't everywhere you looked in the 0-3 year old market. He was someone you could relate to, just a hardworking bear trying to make his little community all get along. Even if the neighbourhood was angry, Pooh's positive vibes would make people think twice about how they are looking at things. It was a musty book, well worn and enjoyed long before I was even born. That makes it pretty awesome to me.

Here is my take on Winnie the Pooh.

H(oney) - Division . 100 acre wood.

This is just a quick photo and a WIP. I will scan and update in the coming weeks.

mrleontaylor

DEMO REEL 2012 - Mr Leon Taylor

Toada Lee Baus - Mr Excitement.

Introducing Toada Lee Baus.

His entire life he has always wanted to be an Internet meme. He was even named by his father Whoda Baus to be so. He got a lot of hassles growing up because kids are mean. He doubted his father. He was embarrassed by it but loved his Dad. His girlfriend Itoada Lee Can has always supported him and believes he can still achieve his life long goal. Can you help him?

 

Character concept - Dr Varulv Hund

I love animals a lot.
I am also enjoy thrillers and horror films.
I do find it really hard to watch animals been mistreated. I had always want to see these owners that mistreat there pets to suffer and tortured the same. Its only horrible if its human. When in reality I think a lot of  its all the same pain. Do you think a young elephant feels no pain watching there mother be murdered? That's watching your mum die. Many humans believe they have no "feelings"  like this or sad, fearful, happy, joyful, scared or even a thought process outside there natural instinct. I know these seem like hard truths. But its only a small snip of reality that write and much of it is at our door steps. Even across the world. Bears are chained and made to dance, Dogs are bred to fight each other, cockfights happen with razor blades. This actually happens, is happening.

 I came up with this concept loosely based on a werewolf like dog that avengers the deaths of murdered and tortured pets. He skins and wears the flesh of the tortures. Some will be caged faceless and naked with many more and tortured forever. Others will have a chance. But scarred forever they will be. This is all work in progress (WIP) but the idea is very straight forward.

Its the time period I am thinking of most at the moment and where and when most interests me.

Logline : "They think I am dangerous.. I know I am." - Dr Varulv Hund

Animation School Year 3 term 0ne - WIP (work in progress)

I am currently at freelance animation school in Auckland New Zealand studying traditional animation in my 3rd year. In other words I am making my show reel. That's the goal. :).

After two years of learning the principles of animation like timing, squash, stretch, balance, line of action. You hold that Richard Williams tight because as you train it only makes more sense. Trust me. It's worth the time to know what and how he does animation. I am also lucky that my school is totally focused on the traditional aspects of what makes animation work and believable even if it is in 3D. I also have awesome tutors with very special qualities and have always given great feedback from my first day.

Even though it is traditional animation it is very digital these days. Using photoshop for concepts and toon boom harmony for animation. The only thing is. ......... I have only used photoshop for 5 months and toon boom harmony for 4 days. This is going to be fun. The best thing is. I learn. With passion want and desire to deliver professional work no matter how long I may have been using it. I am shooting for the 3 pointer. Sometimes the whole in one.


Here is some of my work and design for the project I am working on. We are called THE RUST BUBBLE. Myself, Ally, Luke and Gary. 4 people wanting to make the best they can. If not better. Ally did the original of this. I have modified it to have a more north by north west feel to it. Also are some of the character designs and how the are coming along. We are currently learning toon boom and designing and rigging our characters. This is a work in progress so there will most likely be changes. The story stays the same. Its how we tell it and the people that tell it that may change. I will up date how our progress is. The entire story I will not tell you at this stage. Enjoy.