"Is it about YOU or the work?"

While I was kinda browsing around I chanced to hit up this article , I thought it might be interesting to read 


What makes a good animator? Is it getting great poses? Understanding timing? Paying attention to arcs? How about being a good actor? Actually, it's all of this and more. But one of the key ingredients not discussed often enough is having a positive attitude and being able to work with others.

Studio Etiquette: Keep your Ego in check 

By: Jamy Wheless, Mentor, AnimationMentor.com 

I've worked with very talented animators whose egos have hurt their careers. The mindset of, "I deserve this or that" or "I don't need to work with a team - I can do it on my own" will eventually lead to no job. Lou Holtz once said, "All life is -- whether it's in a job or a home or on a football team -- is getting other people what they need." Plain and simple.

The Director needs an Animation Supervisor to listen and get him what he wants in a shot. The Animation Supervisor needs the animator to deliver a great performance that helps tell the story. The animator needs to collaborate with other animators and be open to suggestions to do his best work. The animator needs to be able to take constructive criticism from others. The animator needs technical support to help him animate faster and get the job done on time.

It takes a team of people to get each other what they need.

In order to improve and become a better animator one needs to set the ego aside and be open to learning something new every day. My friend and I have a saying at work, "Is it about you or is it about the work?" In other words, are you giving your all for a bigger cause or are you more concerned about yourself and what you get out of it.

So how do we keep our egos in check and become better animators each day? It all begins with the right attitude. My own work began to improve when I made a decision years ago to have a positive attitude regardless of the circumstances. I made a conscious decision to keep a positive attitude and to influence others every day. Over time, my work habits improved and I looked forward to going to work and serving others. It takes a daily commitment to keep my attitude right through the course of a week. When my attitude turns negative, which can easily happen, I have to check myself and ask the question, "Is it about YOU or the work?" Usually when this happens, it's more about my ego and what I want rather than what the team needs.

Another rule to live by is to treat others the way you want to be treated. Living by this rule helps me focus in on each person and then as I imagine if I were them I ask myself, "What can I do that would help them get what they need to be successful?" Since animation is a team effort, by applying this rule to your daily routine you not only inspire others but you'll find yourself more inspired as you do your work. It becomes contagious and before long everyone's work has improved.

In summary, I've realized that the right attitude is more important than all the talent in the world. My personal belief is 20% talent and 80% attitude will take you far in life. You have a choice everyday regarding your attitude and how you conduct yourself. Believe you can improve yourself and become that person you desire to be. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Change your mindset and have the right attitude and great things will come.


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This article was brought to you by AnimationMentor.com, The Online Animation School^TM .

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Ukiyo-e

Ukiyo-e (浮世絵 literally "pictures of the floating world") (Japanese pronunciation: [ukijo.e] or [ukijoꜜe]) is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints (orwoodcuts) and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre, and pleasure quarters. It is the main artistic genre of woodblock printing in Japan.

Usually the word ukiyo is literally translated as "floating world" in English, referring to a conception of an evanescent world, impermanent, fleeting beauty and a realm of entertainments (kabuki, courtesans, geisha) divorced from the responsibilities of the mundane, everyday world; "pictures of the floating world", i.e. ukiyo-e, are considered a genre unto themselves.

Ukiyo-e prints were made using the following procedure:

• The artist produced a master drawing in ink
• An assistant, called a hikkō, would then create a tracing (hanshita) of the master
• Craftsmen glued the hanshita face-down to a block of wood and cut away the areas where the paper was white. This left the drawing, in reverse, as a relief print on the block, but destroyed the hanshita.
• This block was inked and printed, making near-exact copies of the original drawing.
• A first test copy, called a kyōgo-zuri, would be given to the artist for a final check.
• The prints were in turn glued, face-down, to blocks and those areas of the design which were to be printed in a particular color were left in relief. Each of these blocks printed at least one color in the final design.
• The resulting set of woodblocks were inked in different colors and sequentially impressed onto paper. The final print bore the impressions of each of the blocks, some printed more than once to obtain just the right depth of color.

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Manga / Anime

Anime (アニメ) [ THAT IS  SO COOL THE WAY  THEY WRITE THAT IN JAPANESES ] refers to the animation style originated in Japan. It is characterized by distinctive characters and backgrounds (hand-drawn or computer-generated) that visually and thematically set it apart from other forms of animation. Storyline may include a variety of fictional or historical characters, events, and settings. Anime is aimed at a broad range of audiences and consequently, a given series may have aspects of a range of genres. Anime is most frequently broadcast on television or sold on DVDs either after their broadcast run or directly as original video animation (OVA). Console and computer games sometimes also feature segments or scenes that can be considered anime.

Manga (漫画) is Japanese for "comics" or "whimsical images ". Manga developed from a mixture of ukiyo-e and Western styles of drawing, and took its current form shortly after World War II. Manga, apart from covers, is usually published in black and white but it is common to find introductions to chapters to be in color and is read from right to left. Financially, manga represented in 2005 a market of ¥24 billion in Japan and one of $180 million in the United States.Manga was the fastest growing segment of books in the United States in 2005.

Anime and Manga share many characteristics, including: "exaggerated physical features such as large eyes, big hair and elongated limbs... and dramatically shaped speech bubbles, speed lines and onomatopoeic, exclamatory typography." Some Manga, a small amount of the total output, is adapted into anime, often with the collaboration of the original author. Computer games can also give rise to anime. In such cases, the stories are often compressed and modified to fit the format and appeal to a wider market. Popular anime franchises sometimes include full-length feature films, and some have been adapted into live-action films and television programs

extracted from  wiki pedia  

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