Final Project Posting

Anime is a term used commonly to refer to animations from Japan. Anime began at the start of the 20th century, when Japanese filmmakers experimented with the animation techniques that were being explored in the West. Japan is considered, at least here in the US, the center of the anime world. In Japan, anime is a very popular form of entertainment.

Anime is different from other animations because of the characteristic look of anime. The big hair and eyes are not the only thing, Anime finds ways to make everything look fresh and new. Anime also tells stories. It is sequential and you watch as a story and the characters develop from one episode to the next. Anime is also different in that there are many different genres and are directed at different age groups. Anime is not only for kids, there are many different categories of anime.

Anime is also special because it often has historical or cultural references tied in. Most anime have symbolism that refers to the Japanese lifestyle or culture. I think this makes Anime very special because in american animations you don't often see kids doing their homework, or a mother actually parenting. Anime also handles things like death in a different way than the U.S. does. Even cartoons for children have an interesting plot line, unlike cartoons in the U.S. where the episode changes plot from episode to episode and the cartoons are about things that are not so serious. The characters are also dynamic like real people are, and even the villains of the story are portrayed as real people who can change or who became that way for a big reason. Anime also handles things like homosexuality differently. Many anime have a person that is homosexual and it is treated as an everyday thing and not made into a big deal, unlike in the US.

The social impact of anime is that it influences people. When "Astro Boy" was released in Japan, the Atomic bombing had taken place only a few years before. "Astro Boy" made a huge impact on society by providing a show that everyone could watch and see how the world turned from hating "Astro Boy" to caring about him. Anime also influences people because of how different and eccentric it is. Anime conventions have people "cosplay" or dress up as different characters in a series.

Anime is viewed by the rest of the world in many different ways. In Spain and France, anime is growing and the people are even producing their own anime. China and many Asian countries are also full of Anime, so it is no longer just Japanese, but from Asia in general. In the U.S. Anime is seen as a cartoon and something just for kids. Fans of Anime know this is wrong, because there are many anime directed specifically at adults. Some people in the U.S. have misconceptions about anime, that it is only about violence or sex, or that it is a cartoon for kids because that is how it is marketed here. Anime fans in the U.S. are growing and Anime is becoming something mainstream.

Animation 2010-2011

this is what i did this year

5 Paragraphs

Anime is a term used commonly to refer to animations from Japan. Anime began at the start of the 20th century, when Japanese filmmakers experimented with the animation techniques that were being explored in the West. Japan is considered, at least here in the US, the center of the anime world. In Japan, anime is a very popular form of entertainment.

Anime is different from other animations because of the characteristic look of anime. The big hair and eyes are not the only thing, Anime finds ways to make everything look fresh and new. Anime also tells stories. It is sequential and you watch as a story and the characters develop from one episode to the next. Anime is also different in that there are many different genres and are directed at different age groups. Anime is not only for kids. Anime is also special because it often has historical or cultural references tied in.

Anime is for everyone. Anime is for everybody! Anime comes in many genres for all age groups - manga for businessmen, women, boys, girls, romance, fashion, adult titles, sports and more. Anime is good for everyone, and the plot lines are more complex, which might be why adults can be interested in it. Anime handles things like death in a different way than the U.S. does. Even cartoons for children have an interesting plot line, unlike cartoons in the U.S. where the episode changes plot from episode to episode and the cartoons are about things that are not so serious.

The social impact of anime is that it influences people. When "Astro Boy" was released in Japan, the Atomic bombing had taken place only a few years before. "Astro Boy" made a huge impact on society by providing a show that everyone could watch and see how the world turned from hating "Astro Boy" to caring about him.

Anime is viewed by the rest of the world in many different ways. In Spain and France, anime is growing and the people are even producing their own anime. China and many Asian countries are also full of Anime, so it is no longer just Japanese, but from Asia in general. In the U.S. Anime is seen as a cartoon and something just for kids. Fans of Anime know this is wrong, because there are many anime directed specifically at adults. Some people in the U.S. have misconceptions about anime, that it is only about violence or sex, or that it is a cartoon for kids because that is how it is marketed here. Anime fans in the U.S. are growing and Anime is becoming something mainstream.

Animation Research Project thing

1. What are the origins of Anime and what is Anime?
2. What makes Anime different from other Animations?
3. Who is Anime for?
4. What is the social impact of Anime?
5. How is Anime viewed by the rest of the world?

 Web Sites

1.  http://www.thekeep.org/~kunoichi/kunoichi/themestream/anime.html
2. http://anime.about.com/od/animeprimer/a/What-Is-Anime.htm
3. http://www.mit.edu/~rei/Expl.html
4. http://anime.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=anime&cdn=entertainment&tm=657&f=00&su=p504.1.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_anime
5. http://anime.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=anime&cdn=entertainment&tm=659&f=00&su=p504.1.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.awn.com/mag/issue1.5/articles/patten1.5.html
6. http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/evans/his135/Events/Anime62/Anime62.html
7. http://www.rightstuf.com/rssite/main/animeResources/globalHistory/part1/
8. http://www.corneredangel.com/amwess/papers/history.html
9. http://www.isugoi.com/the-history-of-anime-1963/
10. http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/culture/anime_history.html
11. http://www.theotaku.com/fanwords/view/11158/the_history_of_anime%3A_how_much_do_you_think_you_know%3F/

Website #1
#3. Unlike in the west, anime has a huge variety of genres - it is not only for children. Nor, on the other hand, is it just sex and violence for adults! Anime is for everybody! Anime comes in many genres for all age groups - manga for businessmen, women, boys, girls, romance, fashion, adult titles, sports and more.

#5. An unfortunate part of the western mindset is that animation is for children. Parents will sometimes go to a video shop, and pick up mature material because it's animated. They don't look at the rating, nor read the back cover. And so there are some groups of people totally against anime for this reason because they believe that is what all anime is. Certain companies put out anime that is only violence and sex related, Manga Video, unfortunately, projects the image that all anime is sex and guns, and that is how they market the anime to the population.

Website #2
#1. In Japan, the word's used to refer to all animation. Outside of Japan, it's become the catch-all term for animation from Japan
#2. Artwork. Anime art styles range from the flamboyant and outlandish (Samurai Champloo, FLCL) to the simple and direct (Azumanga Daioh!). That said, even shows with more "basic" artwork can still be visually striking; anime finds ways to make everything look fresh and new. 
Storytelling. Anime doesn't shy away from epic storylines, which can run for dozens (sometimes hundreds) of episodes. The best anime, though, no matter what their length, all demand great emotional involvement from the viewer. 
Breadth of material. The sheer range of anime shows out there means a viewer of most any other kind of TV or movies can find an anime series that reflects her interests: hard SF (Planetes), romantic comedy (Fruits Basket), CSI-style crimefighting (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), female empowerment (Nana), even adaptations of classic literature (Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo). 
Cultural nuances. Japan's history, language and worldview are woven into a great deal of anime on many levels. Some shows are takeoffs on Japanese history (Sengoku Basara) or raid Japanese mythology for story ideas (Hakkenden, Hell Girl). Even shows that are outwardly non-Japanese in their presentation (Claymore, Monster) have tinges of a Japanese sensibility to them.
What's most striking is how anime's impact is coming full circle. Some recent American cartoon productions, like Avatar: The Last Airbender, are openly inspired by anime itself, and live-action English-language versions of anime titles are starting to come into production.

Website #3
#1. there are many fine works of manga and anime being produced in many places around the world. However, as far as I understand, the roots are in Japan, and Japan is still considered, at least here in the US, the center of the anime world. This may well change in the future.
#2. there is less emphasis on the "superhero" world of the U.S.. In most manga, the men and women aren't necessarily exaggerated extremes of their gender stereotypes, and they wear things other than skin-tight costumes. In fact, manga and anime characters tend to have unique and aesthetic tastes in fashion. manga are usually the vision of a single writer (though editors have a large say, and sometimes direct the story). Unlike the general superhero type, where many writers tend to do different plots and stories, manga are more like novels, complete and detailed worlds that are the vision of a single author. The characters remain consistent, and they are allowed to grow and develop.

Website #4
#1.The history of anime began at the start of the 20th century, when Japanese filmmakers experimented with the animation techniques that were being explored in the West
#2. 

Careers in Animation

• artist
• Shading Lighting
• Layout department
• Authors
• Computer Animator
• Voice Actor
• Script Writer
• Audio Tech

My skills can be used in the field of animation by:

• Author
• Computer animator
• a layout person
• Script writer

Animation Tutorial

What prevented me from finishing is just how time consuming the project is. To position all the verteces so that they will work when you extrude them and to get them so that when you are finished and animate the face it moves naturally is really hard. I haven't even gotten to the part where you get to learn new things.

Tutorial Stuff

The tutorial is not very detailed as in step by step instructions. I found good reference images and I found some other tutorials that guide me throught most of the initial process which is what I need since the other tutorial helps with the detailing and the finishing process.
It is actually very basic as it is similar to the process with which we made our helmet but the tough part is getting it to mimic a human face and the other hard part is using something called UV mapping to get textures and such.
The many different little components you have to make are also hard to do because its so much detail especially the eyes nose and mouth. Eyes have to look real, nose has to look symetrical and not too big or small, and the mouth has to have really good geometry for you to be able to animate it which i want to try but dont think I will be able to do.

New Project with Tutorial

For this project I want to create a face. I also think I can do the hair maybe. I picked this because I want to do something different that looks cool and because I think I will learn how to use many different techniques and tools. I will make a girl face and hopefully I finish and hopefully it comes out looking good!

here is the link-
http://www.phungdinhdung.com/Studies_paper/Realistic_face_modeling.shtm

Insert Edge Loop Tool

Multiple edge loops allows you to make more than one edge loop at once. The number of edge loops says how many divisions or new edges will be made at once. Auto complete means you just click on an edge and it completes the edge loop all the way from one border edge to another, with it turned off, you just click on one edge and click on the edge you want it to stop at.

tools we used today

Append to polygon tool
today we used this tool to create a face that connected two pieces we already had. We created the shield part of the helmet. It is under the edit mesh menu and after we clicked it, we clicked the edges and made a face with a lot of sides.

Split Polygon tool
today we used this tool to split the face we created so that we could shape it better. It is also found on the edit mesh menu. We clicked on two points and it made a line to connect them. the vertical lines were to make the face made up of faces with 4 sides and the horizontal line was used to make a vertex we could move to give the helmet depth.

Plan of Action

The plan right now is to draw out the images myself because then I can make it be proportional and maybe make the pose easier to recreate. I think this will give me an advantage because I can see what the process is to draw it and maybe get a feel for what I should create first. After that Im going to put the images in maya and start using the primitives to create it. I will probably do spheres for the belly and the head and joints like knees and elbows. Im winging the rest as i go!

Animation Image Reference Objective

I want to create a pokemon called mew. This pokemon is challenging because there are not a lot of images that show him in a profile view. The pose he has in most pictures is also going to be dificult to create as well as the details in the head. The tail is going to be hard as well because it will be hard to make it look right.

Blogger!! Not again!!

3 things I learned were how to make the object look the way you want it to through extruding, or moving the vertexes. I also learned that you have to keep saving things periodically just in case something happens.

The 2 challenges I faced were staying on task and understanding when to save and when to save as.

A resolution is to come after school when there is less distractions and to read the instructions more carefully to better understand things.

What I accomplished

I helped Freddy with his helmet. I showed him how to extrude the edges to make a border for the edge. Some of the border edges had overlaped with helmet edges so I had to use the move tool to fix it. Freddy also made the chin piece for the helmet and nago showed him how to make the nose piece that sticks out.

3D animation copy

Here is what I got when I tried to make Abraham's object he designed. He didn't have instructions so I did it all on my own. This was hard because you had to make it look like something else while improvising the instructions.

What I want to do someday...

Someday I want to research DNA and find cures to terminal diseases like cancer. I also want to travel and see lots of different cultures and places. I want to taste traditional foods from countries like France, Italy, Japan, and Russia. I also want to see what they do for fun, their cultural traditions, and what holidays they celebrate and how.

Compare and Contrast 3 Projects

The three projects were similar because we used Maya to create all of them. They all had a level of dificulty because the first project we made together we were all learning how to use Maya for the first time. We had instructions though, so it was still a bit easy. The second project was hard because we had to use shapes to create what was in our heads and we couldn't just draw out what we were thinking of. The second project was really frustrating to me because it was basically trial and error until you found something that worked. For the third project I had no instructions to go off of and it was the same as the second project, except I had no idea what it was supposed to be so that made it a bit more dificult. Every project seems to be getting harder but I think once we learn a little more, we can make the shapes behave the way we want them to and it will get easier.

Instructions

Step #7

Step #9

1. Go to the Front view panel.
2. Create a new nurbTorus and make sure the interactive creation is turned off.
3. When the options box pops out, change the Surface Degree from Cubic to Linear then click Create.
4. Now you have to create the handle. To do that, create a Polygon primitive cylinder.
5. The radius should be .4 and the height should be around 5 or 5.5. Subdivisions Axis: 20. Subdivisions Height:8 Subdivisions Caps:1
6. Rotate the Cylinder 90 degrees on the Z-axis.
7. Use the Move tool to move the cylinder towards the Torus and make it fit into the torus so it is centered. You can use the top view to make sure the figures are centered. You can also change the setting so you can see the shading by clicking the solid blue cube and the wire frame cube.
8.  To create the knife edge you will have to create a pyramid. To do that turn on interactive creation and make a pyramid with a square base that is about as tall as the cylinder.
9. Use the scale tool to squash the base of the pyramid to make it look more like a knife blade.
10. Rotate the pyramid 90 degrees along the Z axis then use the Move Tool to slide it into place.
11. You can add shading effects to change the color of the objects or leave it as is.

My Experience

I liked this project because it let us do whatever we wanted instead of having to be told what to do every step of the way. I didn't like this project because I couldn't make what I originaly wanted to because it is very hard to draw things on Maya. I don't like that you have to use the shapes and you can't manipulate them easily, like you can't curve the sides of the rectangle or change the thickness to go from thick on one side to thin on the other side. I really want to do this again at the end of the semester when we can all use Maya better so I can see what I can make then.

This is what I finished with. It was easier because the geometric shapes were easier to create and piece together.

3-D animation Objective

For my 3-d Maya animation I want to make a ninja star.