Inspiration for the Gallery Site

I had just put my head to my pillow last night, when inspiration struck. It was already late. Almost 1 AM. But it was so strong I had to get back out of bed, throw on a robe, and design this idiotic button I'd seen in my head.

But an hour and change later, I think it was worth it. A little more work, and my new site will be nicely underway. The initial design is the biggest hurdle, because I can't just buckle down and work-horse it through. I have to keep trying things that I know I'll hate, because if you don't, your creative juices get all backed up.

That's me: creativity plumber and midnight designer.

What odd titles would you give yourself?

my best friend: Chat 1

me: I have presents for you.

my best friend: hahahahaha
I hope you don't feel obligated

me: I always collect presents for you
I look, and I say, Jen needs that.
and the next thing I know
I'm handing over my credit card
and walking out the store with a round oven mitt
or a yellow rubber ball
or a freaking candy dispenser.

my best friend: you found a round oven mitt?!

me: NO IT WAS JUST AN EXAMPLE

my best friend: I got all excited :D
cuz I wanted one XD

Demo Reel - Character Animation

I just wanted to post my demo reel here. I was surprised at how many people who have gone to my website haven't watched the demo reel. Obviously, it's hiding amidst the rest of my character animation gallery. This is one of my major goals of the 2008 site redesign.

I welcome any and all comments. Actually, I'm eager to hear them!

ARGH DEATH

Forget character animation for this post. Ever get a song stuck in your head that you just simply hate?

I hereby infect you all: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4A50EHwCjY

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Stay tuned for a new Gallery website in 2008

So it's that time again. Yes, every year or two, I grow dissatisfied with my character animation website and have to initiate a COMPLETE OVERHAUL. I don't know why, but I have so much fun creating a new look, and then it just fades away.

I guess that's a lot like when I do my character animation. I received an email recently asking about one of my characters, Nikki. Apparently, the idea behind this 3D character made such an impression on this person that, after a year of being ignored by me, she was still missed.

It's always the same. I'll create a character, and have big plans for them. I'll make a few quick animations with them, and then I'll notice one little flaw. And then I'll concentrate on that flaw for weeks. And then I'll notice other ones. But by now I have different projects to concentrate on, and I won't get back to the original character.

Same thing with the website. You'd think I'd learn though... I'm usually very happy with what I've made, when I learn to go back and finally fix the damn thing once and for all. I have no problem doing it for someone else.

I'm just not a self-flagellating slave-driver.

Damn it.

A Wompa Christmas - Character Animation

For those of you who don't want to go through the rigmarole of visiting the website, here's the movie that made my mother cry.

Please refer to this post to see what the heck I'm rambling about.

Effective Marketing

I showed my website to my mother last night, let her watch "A Wompa Christmas" in the gallery.

I found out later that she'd cried.

Was my animation really that evocative? Was it just that horrible? No. In typical mothering fashion, she somehow inflated the episode in my life to ridiculous proportions.

For those of you who haven't seen it, my animation is based on a time when I, through the sheer idiocy that is my life, locked myself out of my apartment on an early December day. I still had access to the cellar, where it was warm next to the furnace. It wasn't ACTUALLY snowing. It was daytime.

In Mom's more dramatic version, the door SLAMMED SHUT from gale-force winds which were blowing frozen hail into my eyes. Oh, and I wasn't wearing shoes. And I was shirtless and shivering. And crying, only my tears were frozen to my face.

Obviously this image was powerful for my mother, who blamed herself for NOT MOVING TO BOSTON TO LIVE WITH ME.

While I appreciate the motherly love (I really do), I had a hard time convincing her that my animation was not a cry to her for help. I just thought it was cute. Needless to say, I'll be more careful about what I show her from now on.