Computer Animation Arts

"What is UPA Style?" United Productions of America, better known as UPA, was an American animation studio active from the 1940s through the 1970s. UPA pioneered the technique of limited animation. Although this style of animation came to be widely used in the 1960s and 1970s as a cost-cutting measure, it was originally intended as a stylistic alternative to the growing trend (particularly at Disney) of recreating cinematic realism in animated films. The three films below by the Royal Ocean Film Society explores the world, the style, and rise and fall or UPA. Not to mention its lasting impact on animation and character design.

"Smell-O-Vision, and Other Glorious Gimmicks" by The Royal Ocean Film Society At its purest, the theatrical experience has always consisted of an individual sitting down in a dark theater watching a bright screen and nothing else, however for many years there have been those who've tried adding onto that experience in wild, obnoxious, or just plain goofy ways. Let's dive into the gloriously hammy world of film gimmicks.

Professor Simon Schama explores the life and work of the art world's most inspiring figures. Born in Naples, Bernini was an exceptional talent from an early age and went on to dominate the art world of 17th century Rome. His work epitomised the Baroque style and his sculpture, church interiors and exteriors and town planning could be seen everywhere. Simon Schama's power of art. Bernini Watch this if you have even a passing interest in sculpture, the animation and life that Bernini captures in his work is peerless, the passion and verve that he exhibits in his life is evident as he breathes life into marble. Let us know what you thought of his work in the comments below, does his work have any relevance to the world today or is it a product of an earlier time?

"The Wishgranter" by Kal Athannassov, John McDonald, & Echo Wu CGI 3D Animated Short Film The Wishgranter by Kal Athannassov, John McDonald, Echo Wu. Set in a world where wishes are granted by mythical beings that live under fountains, an apathetic wish granter is forced to go above ground to grant a wish of love.

"Star Wars - Episode IV Sound Design Explained by Ben Burtt" by In-depth Sound Design Legendary sound designer Ben Burtt (Lucasfilm, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and more) explains how he 'found' the iconic sounds for Star Wars from the world around him.

So, carrying on with the eStream goodness an excellent resource for budding creature designers is  Guillermo de  Toro's directorial masterpiece  Pan's Labyrinth  . Essentially an a dult fairytale, set in 1944 Spain, about an 11-year-old girl with a brutal stepfather who is drawn into a magical world of mythical beings. Pan's Labyrinth still stands up to scrutiny in a genre where the special effects can quickly date. How well do think Del Toro captured this "other" world of magic and paganism? What other themes is Del Toro exploring here?

"All 50+ Adobe Apps Explained in 10 Minutes" by Humtog "Adobe makes so many software that it can be quite overwhelming for even a professional to understand what each one is used for. Many people who are new to this have confusing questions regarding similar apps like "what is difference between after effects and premier pro" or "What is the difference between Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom and Bridge". So, I made this video to quickly give you an overview of all adobe products as I couldn’t find a similar guide anywhere else, not even in Adobe’s own website. I hope it helps anyone entering the creative fields to get a sense of different apps. - Humtog"

As some of you may be aware UCA has an E-Streaming service that stocks a wide range of material for your viewing pleasure, this is an audio visual equivalent of the e-books available via the library and is also accessible through the library portal. https://estream.ucreative.ac.uk/View.aspx?ID=2647~4t~UXIPjzBI&msauth=1 I would encourage you to watch Children of Men , directed by Alfonso Cuaron and starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine amongst others. Take aways from this film are the ruthless storytelling (I won't give away any spoilers), the cinematography and use of long takes and the way that our familiar world is distorted to create a dystopian near future. Post your thoughts about the film in the comments below, how relevant are the themes covered? Do you think the cinematography and art direction captures the feel of a dystopian Britain?

"A collection of funny (very) short films made by Birdbox Studios" "I'll Get the Ice Creams" "Duel" "Guard" "Chop Chop"

"Drawing Hands Detached from the Body" by Aaron Blaise Sometimes coming up with a clear character pose is difficult. Here is a trick to help you find your poses more quickly. Leave the arms off! Taken from his Youtube profile ( The Art of Aaron Blaise ) - "Aaron Blaise is an animation feature film director and wildlife artist. For 21 years Aaron worked with Disney helping to create some of the greatest animated films ever made. During that time he worked as an animator or supervising animator on "The Rescuers Down Under", "Beauty and the Beast", "Aladdin", "The Lion King", "Pocahontas", "Mulan" and more. In 2003 he was co-director of "Brother Bear" for which he earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. After "Brother Bear" he helped to develop several projects but ultimately left Disney to pursue an opportunity back home in Florida. Aaron recently served as 2D Anim...

"The Race to the Bottom: What's the Story Behind Bad CGI?" by Bessie Yuill. 2020 In the wake of a string of visual effects disasters, such as ‘Cats’, ‘The Call of the Wild’ and ‘Dolittle’, Bessie Yuill investigates the highly skilled, over-worked life of a VFX artist. - Some (very short) extracts are included below but I recommend you read the full article - link here. "Cats was one of the most talked-about disasters of 2019 – especially in terms of its visual effects. Tom Hooper’s movie musical was rushed into cinemas with dubiously attached tails, Judi Dench’s visible wedding ring, and unsettling “digital fur technology”. Critics across the globe rushed to point out the errors, which only made the film feel more like a bizarre collective hallucination." "As for what he ( Joe Pavlo, Chair of the Animation and VFX Union branch at BECTU) thinks is behind sloppy CGI and bad working conditions (see below), he says that visual effects are “kind of late ...

"Coin Operated" by Two Ghosts "Coin Operated" is an award-winning 5 minute animated short film that spans 70 years in the life of one naive explorer. This film was proudly made by independent artists.