Human Ventures’ Post

Introducing Cartwheel! Our new text-to-animation tool. I've animated my whole career, but the tools have barely changed. When I ran my own studio nearly every inbound client request had a budget 1/10th of what their vision would actually cost. And 3D animation is hard. 3D character animation ESPECIALLY. So, we're building a simple browser based tool to make animating easier — by quickly generating animations. And, the best part is they're editable. The goal is to empower creative folks, from novices to full blown professional animators. Our system is still pretty early, but can generate lots of cool motions for you. Put them in your videos, games, movies, ads, VR apps — or, because it's so easy you can use them in your presentations, websites, or even chats. Export them to use in any 3D program, put the motion on to different characters, make videos, use them in tandem with other AI tools, or just play around. It's kind of like directing an actor. We're a team of animators and engineers from the creative industry. My co-founder Andrew Carr, myself, and the rest of our team have been working really hard on Cartwheel and we're excited to finally start talking about it! This project is a labor of love - we're excited to start rolling out out private beta and get your feedback. Much more to come soon — and sign up for the Beta! getcartwheel.com Cartwheel Shout outs! Mitchell Probst Buthaina M. Katie Lowen Heather Hartnett Joe Marchese Matthias Plappert Emiliano Gambaretto Laura Van Wettering Dan Levine Sandhya Venkatachalam Mariam Naficy Wesley Barrow Alexander L. Tyler Hogge Akshay Kothari Drew Houston Amjad Masad Kyle Parrish Devon Jarvis Nikolai Cornell Tristan Smith Lisa Jiang Champ Bennett Maya Spivak Nate Sanders Savannah Todd

101 DAYS OF ANIMATION: DAY 004 The Dance of Breath & Bagpipes Most animators treat breathing as an effect. It’s so much more. Breathing is life. Imagine you’re cast as the lead animator of a bagpipe that magically comes to life as a character. Let’s call her Maggie the Bagpipe. How would you approach the animation of Maggie? Aside from a thick Scottish accent, your focus would be on working out how the inflation and deflation of the bag is used to support her dialog, right? Before Maggie speaks, you would animate an inflation of the bag, and then, as she talks, the bag deflates as the air is spent. If you were a director and your lead animator on Maggie showed you animation where the bag never expanded or contracted, what would you think? You would do some soul-searching about whether you cast the right animator for the job. Humans, and humanoid characters, are essentially a bagpipe. We are a wind instrument. Our vocal cords are the reed and our lungs are the bags. Our wind bags are not as visible as the bags of a bagpipe because they live inside a ribcage, but they are there. Our chest expands and contracts as our lungs inflate and deflate. Sometimes it’s subtle, sometimes it’s pronounced. As animators, we tend to only think of breathing when it’s pronounced; when our characters are gasping for air. And then, it borders on cliche’. We all do it. I’m guilty as well. If you want to add some life and pizzazz to your animation, think about the lesser amounts of breathing. When a character does strenuous activity, we animate breathing. Dialog can be a strenuous activity. It requires breath. Dialog is a controlled exhale. The exhale requires an inhale. In casual dialog, we breathe through our nose and our mouth and it’s not very obvious. But with long lines and stronger dialog, our breathing is more obvious. Our mouth animation accommodates not only the exhale that forms words, but the inhale of air that prepares us for the next line. I’m not suggesting that all characters breathe and that all animated shows have a design where breathing would work well. But we should think about it beyond making phonemes of dialog. We are, after all, animating a bagpipe character. 101daysofanimation.com Sign up for the wait list and secure the prelaunch price.

THE ART AND IMPACT OF ANIMATION. Animation, a fusion of art and technology, has become an integral part of our daily lives, influencing various fields from entertainment to education. As a 3MTT participant with a focus on Animation, I have delved into the intricacies of this dynamic medium, discovering its potential to convey complex narratives and emotions. This article aims to explore the fundamental aspects of animation, its evolution, and its significant impact on contemporary media. THE EVOLUTION OF ANIMATION Animation's roots trace back to early 2D techniques, where artists painstakingly hand-drew each frame. This traditional animation laid the foundation for storytelling in motion. The advent of digital technology revolutionized the field, introducing computer-generated imagery (CGI) and enabling more efficient and intricate productions. The transition from 2D to 3D animation has broadened the creative horizons for animators. 3D animation has become the standard in major film productions and video games. KEY COMPONENTS OF ANIMATION 1. Storyboarding: The blueprint of any animation project, storyboarding involves creating a visual outline of the narrative. 2. Character Design: Characters are the heart of any animated story. Designing them involves considering their appearance, personality, and movement style. 3. Rigging and Modeling: In 3D animation, rigging is the process of creating a skeleton for the characters, allowing them to move. Modeling involves creating the character's physical form, which can range from simple shapes to detailed, lifelike figures. 4. Animation and Motion Graphics: This phase brings characters and environments to life. Animators work on keyframes and motion paths, ensuring smooth and natural movements. 5. Rendering and Compositing: Rendering is the process of generating the final image from the animation software, which involves computing light, color, and shading. THE IMPACT OF ANIMATION Animation transcends mere entertainment; it has a profound impact on various sectors. In education, animated videos simplify complex concepts, making learning more accessible and engaging. Moreover, animation plays a pivotal role in emerging technologies like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). THE FUTURE OF ANIMATION The future of animation is promising, with advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning set to revolutionize the field. AI-powered tools can automate repetitive tasks, allowing animators to focus more on creative aspects. CONCLUSION As a participant in the 3MTT Animation learning track, I am inspired by the endless possibilities that animation offers. It is a medium that blends art, technology, and storytelling. The skills and knowledge gained through this program have equipped me to contribute meaningfully to the world of animation, and I look forward to exploring the innovative ways this medium can shape our future. #my3mtt #3mttWeeklyReflection 3MTT Nigeria

Breakdown process of an animation video: Here’s an overview of each step in the animation process. 1. Animatic: The animatic is a preliminary version of the animation, composed of storyboard sketches timed to the soundtrack. It serves as a blueprint for the final animation. This stage helps visualize the sequence, timing, and overall flow of the animation before investing in detailed production. It allows for early feedback and adjustments. 2. Modeling: Modeling involves creating the 3D characters, objects, and environments that will be used in the animation. Artists use specialized software to sculpt these elements from scratch. This step lays the foundation for everything that will appear on screen, ensuring that all elements are designed with the necessary detail and proportion. 3. Rigging: Rigging is the process of creating the skeletons and joints that will move the 3D models. It involves setting up controls that animators will use to manipulate the models. Rigging makes it possible to animate the models by providing a framework for realistic movement and articulation, similar to a puppet with strings. 4. Animation: During the animation phase, animators bring the rigged models to life by creating movement. This involves keyframing, where key positions are set for models, and in-between, where the transitions are smoothed out. This step is where the characters and elements start to act and interact, following the script and storyboard to convey the intended story and emotions. 5. Lighting: Lighting in animation involves setting up virtual lights to create mood, highlight important aspects of the scene, and enhance the overall visual appeal. This step can mimic natural light, artificial light, or artistic effects. Proper lighting is crucial for creating a sense of depth, focus, and atmosphere. It helps in guiding the audience's attention and enhancing the storytelling. 6. Rendering: Rendering is the final step where the computer processes all the scene data, including models, textures, lighting, and animation, to produce the final output frames. This process can be very time-consuming and computationally intensive. Rendering produces the final high-quality images or frames that make up the animation. These frames are then compiled into a sequence to create the finished animated film or video.

101 Days of Animation - Day 3 Play to the Camera Seems obvious, doesn’t it? Especially for 2D animators, because you are the camera. 3D animators aren’t so lucky. In fact, 3D animators have to be very disciplined to pay attention to the render camera because they can create as many cameras as they like to animate their character. I’ve seen some 3D animators work blind to the render camera. 2D animators aren’t immune from not playing to camera. Knowing where the camera is and playing to the camera are two very different things. It may be easier for 2D animators to know where the camera is, but that doesn’t prevent them from not playing to camera. The first mark of playing to camera is having good silhouettes in your performance. Good silhouettes should be found in your keys and extremes. Good silhouettes should be carried throughout your performance. Without a good based of silhouettes in animation is like an actor who mumbles and clouds their dialog with um’s and uh's. The second mark of playing to camera is to show the important emotion on the face. Don’t go into near-profile or turn your character away from the camera unless it’s called for, or unless the strength of the emotion is best carried in the silhouette. I often give animators these kinds of retakes: “Please turn their face more to camera when they say the line...” “This line should not be delivered in profile. Turn them more toward camera so we can see the change of expression.” “You’re playing their reaction in that uncanny almost-profile space — it’s not profile, and it’s not 3/4. It’s not an appealing angle for the character and it hides the expression.” Sometimes I receive a response that’s something like, “I did that because in the action they have this business to do between pose A and pose B. It’s just more natural this way and I have to get them to make two steps on that turn.” No, no, no, no. Mechanics of stepping do not dictate performance. What would be “natural” is not our goal. Our goal is heightened performance, heightened action. Performance rules all. Physical mechanics or “naturalness” of action should never rob the performance or clarity of emotion. Think about it this way. The director put the camera in the best place to capture the strongest acting performance. That’s your stage. The four sides of the picture frame are your stage. Give us the best performance within that frame that you can. Think in terms of emotion, not mechanics. Always, always, play to the strength of the camera frame. 101daysofanimation.com Sign up for the waitlist at the prelaunch price of $27.

The world of animation is on the cusp of a revolution, thanks to the rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI). From automating repetitive tasks to enhancing the creative process, AI is transforming the way animations are created, produced, and consumed. In recent years, AI has been increasingly used in various aspects of animation, from pre-production to post-production. For instance, AI-powered tools can generate keyframes, allowing animators to focus on more creative aspects of the process. Similarly, AI can assist in cleaning up animations, removing errors and inconsistencies. The use of AI in animation is not limited to automating tasks. It is also being used to enhance the creative process. For example, AI can generate characters, environments, and props, giving animators a starting point for their work. AI can also assist in story development, suggesting plot twists and character arcs. The integration of AI in animation has also raised important questions about the role of human animators in the process. While AI can automate many tasks, it is unlikely to replace the creativity and nuance that human animators bring to a project. Many animators see AI as a tool that can augment their creativity, rather than replace it. By automating repetitive tasks, AI can free up animators to focus on the more creative and high-level aspects of the process. As AI continues to evolve and improve, we can expect to see even more innovative applications of the technology in animation. In the near future, we may see the development of real-time animation, allowing animators to create and edit animations in real-time. We may also see the emergence of AI-generated animation, where AI generates entire animations from start to finish without the need for human intervention. The future of animation in the age of AI is exciting and full of possibilities. While AI will undoubtedly change the way animation is created, it is unlikely to replace the creativity and nuance that human animators bring to the process. As the animation industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how AI is harnessed to enhance the creative process and bring new and innovative ideas to life.

Ever dreamed of creating your own animation? Before you jump in, storyboarding is your secret weapon! Our blog breaks down what it is, why it matters, and how to get started. Level up your animation skills today: https://bit.ly/3PlKm1r #storyboarding #storyboardartist #storytelling #storytellingmagic #animation #animationart #animationmagic #gameanimation #gaming #gamingindustry #gamingcommunity #gamedev #300Mind

AI can replace the animation studio:- The rise of AI in animation has sparked debate about its potential to replace traditional animation studios. While AI tools like Sora can generate impressive animations from text prompts, they currently lack the creativity, emotional depth, and storytelling capabilities intrinsic to human animators. AI excels in automating repetitive tasks, allowing animators to focus on creative aspects, but it cannot replicate the unique touch that human artists bring to their work. The future likely involves collaboration between AI and animators, enhancing productivity without fully replacing the artistry essential to animation[1][2][3][4][5]. Citations: [1] I don't think AI is going to replace Animators anytime soon. - Reddit https://lnkd.in/g9dDF5Bm [2] Will animators be replaced by AI? - Myth Studio https://lnkd.in/gQCKDVJJ [3] Will AI Replace Animators In Your Lifetime? https://lnkd.in/gR5Z5-9j [4] Will AI Replace 3D Animators? AI vs. 3D Animators - Prolific Studio https://lnkd.in/gKJhzBif [5] Will Sora Replace Animators? - Myth Studio https://lnkd.in/g_trhGmC Marvel Studios Marvel Entertainment

The Animation Process: 🎨🎥 From Pre-Production to Post-Production Animation, a captivating art form that brings life to inanimate objects and characters, involves a complex and meticulous process. This process can be broadly divided into three main stages: pre-production, production, and post-production. - Pre-Production: The Foundation of Animation Pre-production is the planning stage where the foundation for the animation project is laid. It involves several key steps: Concept Development: The initial idea for the animation project is developed, often involving brainstorming and storyboarding. Scriptwriting: A detailed script is written to outline the story, characters, and dialogue. Character Design: The visual appearance of the characters is designed, including their physical features, expressions, and personalities. Style and Aesthetic: The overall style and aesthetic of the animation, such as 2D, 3D, or stop-motion, is determined. Storyboard Creation: A series of drawings are created to visualize the sequence of events and camera angles in the animation. Voice Acting: The voices for the characters are recorded. Music and Sound Design: The music and sound effects that will accompany the animation are planned. - Production: Bringing the Animation to Life Production is the stage where the animation is actually created. It involves several key steps: Modeling: In 3D animation, the characters and objects are created as digital models. Rigging: The digital models are rigged with a skeleton to allow for movement and articulation. Animation: The animators bring the characters and objects to life by creating key poses and movements. Layout: The camera angles and composition of the scenes are determined. Backgrounds: The backgrounds for the animation are created. Rendering: The final images and frames of the animation are generated. - Post-Production: Polishing the Animation Post-production is the final stage where the animation is polished and prepared for release. It involves several key steps: Editing: The animation is edited to ensure a smooth flow and pacing. Visual Effects: Special effects and visual enhancements are added. Sound Mixing: The music, sound effects, and voice acting are mixed together to create the final audio track. Color Correction: The colors in the animation are adjusted to achieve the desired look. Compositing: The final images are combined with the backgrounds and visual effects to create the complete animation. The animation process is a collaborative effort that requires the expertise of many talented individuals, including artists, animators, writers, directors, producers, and technicians. Through careful planning, execution, and refinement, the magic of animation can be brought to life. #arti #artime #animation #animationhistory #cartoon #anime #animationstudio #animator #stopmotion #cgi #2danimation #3danimation

New Post: ToonSquid vs. FlipaClip: Which One Should You Use? - https://lnkd.in/g99EMz5X The increase in the capability of the Apple iPad and its library of apps led many artists to consider moving to the mobile device as their primary content creation tool. If you are an animator, FlipClip and ToonSquid are two apps that you might be considering as part of your animation workflow on iPad. In this post, we'll look at the differences between these programs to find the one that best suits your needs. In other words: ToonSquid vs. FlipaClip. Which one should you use? Contents: Use Cases ToonSquid ToonSquid has great tools for doing frame-by-frame animation, but it also has many more features that open up different methods of animation like symbol-based animation and basic character rigging. These features can be huge time savers if you’re looking to make more episodic content where you’ll be reusing characters and art assets frequently. FlipaClip FlipaClip is focused entirely on traditional hand-drawn animation. It’s suited best to artists who want the natural energy of their personal drawing style to come through in the finished animation. FlipaClip has fairly basic features and interfaces to get in the way of the drawing process. Learning Curve ToonSquid ToonSquid definitely has more of a learning curve than FlipaClip, and a more complex interface, because it has to accommodate many more options for how to animate. It’s more akin to a desktop application than an iPad app in how much functionality is presented at once.  ToonSquid isn’t hard to learn by any means, but you should familiarize yourself with the functionality that ToonSquid has to offer so you can know what is relevant to your animation processes and what you can hide or ignore. Once you know what ToonSquid is capable of, you’ll see that it’s actually designed in a very user-friendly way, there’s just a deeper well of features to dive into than in an app like FlipaClip. FlipaClip FlipaClip is incredibly simple to pick up and start using. Perhaps the easiest of any iPad animation app. The user experience of FlipaClip is designed around setting up your project with the frame rate you want, maybe adding a background, and then getting you into drawing as soon as possible.  You’ll likely find that everything works how you would intuitively expect. If you already know how to make a paper flip book, you could probably be animating with FlipaClip in a few minutes. Art Tools ToonSquid ToonSquid has a much bigger array of drawing and painting tools and a robust brush engine that allows you to customize and manage your different pencil, inking, painting, and texture brushes.  In addition to the bitmap drawing tools you expect, ToonSquid also has vector art tools, allowing you to create clean, polished, resolution-independent final artwork. FlipaClip FlipaClip has very basic art tools with limited