PreRoll Animation

I've created a little PreRoll animation which plays after the cartoon has loaded.
http://www.fastswf.com/bCnC7P0
It's a simple piece, but it tells you who I am and gives you the link to my website. It's nothing crazy, just straight to the point, which is important, because if you have a long advert for your site, people wont really want to watch much more. So a quick splash card and onto the movie is a plus!

I'll look at putting some sound into it later, as it's quite plain right now

Hunting High and Low

HUNTING HIGH AND LOW - the new short from Chris McEwan Animation. The alternate ending to the 1985 smash hit by a-ha.

I used this as a bit of an experimental project. The way I have highlighted the characters, the way I made the backgrounds, all different to how I used to do them, and I quite like the effect on the highlights. The backgrounds need work, yeah, but I'm not exactly a wizard with Photoshop.

Graduating Uni, Bojack Horseman, a-ha... The life I lead!

Alright! So I've finally finished Uni and got all of my results. My last two projects (Advanced Anim and the Masterpiece) didn't give me grades I was jumping for joy with, but the final results for my three years at Uni gave me a 2:1 which I am so damn proud with! Yeah, obviously, I'd have loved to get a First Class Honours, but I knew I wouldn't have got that. I always said a 2:1 is the minimum I want to get, as if you don't have that, places wont even entertain you, so getting a 2:1 has really given me that huge push I was needing after the slump I hit this year. So a huge thank you to anyone who helped with feedback on my work, anyone who helped with my dissertation and anyone who just put up with me talking about nothing but bloody Uni work! It's been a stressful 3 years, full of ups and downs (And Inbetweens - get it? Animation? Inbetweens? Ahh, forget it...) it's not something I'm going to miss, if I'm honest with you, but I did love it. I'm just looking forward to getting some money, now!

After my final hand in, I went back to my hometown of Alnwick for a week to see family. I also got into watching Bojack Horseman, I only found out yesterday that it is actually made in Flash! And there I was, thinking it was Toon Boom! So take that, anyone who says 2D is dead and Flash is useless. One of the funniest shows at the moment is made in Flash.

Finally, a-ha!
Finding out that I did well at Uni has really given me a push to do some Flash. So today, instead of ironing a shirt ready for tonight, I'm remaking a small project I made a very long time ago. So let me take you back... Probably about 2005 (10 years ago, Christ!) I was twisting a-ha videos and songs to make them very strange and dark, as you do for your favourite band! I turned my hand to a small section of the video for Hunting High And Low. Today, I begin remaking that. Hopefully better.
I'm going to try something different on Flash here. I've picked up so many tips and tricks since the old Alnwick North days and I'm continuing to learn things with Flash to this day. Using a tip for highlighting and shading (plus a little bit of my own thought process) I've created a really nice effect which gives a sort of 3D feel. It's a way I've never done before and it needs a little work, still, but it's looking nice, if I do say so myself. It's also got me thinking about how to do the backgrounds. I'm luck for this piece that the backgrounds aren't massively detailed, really. It's a good chance to try a different style, which will need me to use Photoshop, too

DVD Cover

Using a DVD template, I created this layout. It features my Logo prominently on the front with what I do, 2D/CG character animation, plus my contact details. On the rear, it reiterates my contact details, plus what programs I can use to a good standard. Decorating the design are screen shots of work that is featured in my showreel. I chose the most eye catching screens which I have revieved most praise for from all that is featured in the showreel.
I had to be aware of bleed areas and fold areas which can distort the images. These are especially on the spine.

Advanced Animation and VFX Week 14-2

I'm preparing for my hand in tomorrow, so I will review my Animation piece with what feedback I gathered online. Also, I will showcase my Showreel.

DIRECT LINK: https://youtu.be/K29MWHOIn9w

My showreel features music from Norwegian band Flare, a band I became friends with a couple years ago. I'm actually featured in their second album under the Thanks section! They're a band I got to know while working as a volunteer on my hometown's radio station, where I was a regular broadcaster which featured bands from across the world who weren't household names and who I had become friends with through Myspace (yes, it was that long ago)

I am friends with the band members on Facebook, where I messaged the band's singer, who wrote the song. Truls Marius Dale (Tiam Dee).
When I had asked one of my lecturers how I could show I had got permission to use a track from a band, he had told me so long as it was in writing, it was fine! Flare are an excellent group of musicians from Bergen, Norway. Thanks to Truls Marius Dale, I was able to have an upbeat, happy rock/pop track to my animation. I was able to have some of the animation hit beats well which really emphasises the animation, I feel, as do those who have seen my reel. Former animation student Alex Wright was not only impressed with how the music complimented my animation style, but also the quality of the animation shown and the range of skills I have shown.

DIRECT LINK: https://youtu.be/q3D9_aRvZ2Y

Reviews of the Wrestling piece were very positive! I mainly got feedback from the website Newgrounds.

Newgrounds gives a visual rating on the page out of 5 stars. The piece has been up since Monday 18th May and has scored 3.68/5

Animator Rob Yulfo (Freelance animator who has been featured on Comedy Central's Trip Tank) said of the piece that it reminds him of Rockem Sockem Robots, which is something I've heard a couple times since selecting those models. Of the animation, he told me that it is of very good quality. As someone who has worked with Maya in the past, he knows how tempting it is to have the camera floating through the scene, which is something I actively set out to avoid since the beginning. My choices of camera angles played the piece well, showing the Face Character being on the back foot until he manages to reverse the Curb Stomp, where the camera is a low angle for the Heel character, emphasising the danger for him.

Simon Jobson, who has experience with animation for web design, commented on the fluidity of the secondary movement and the emphasis before moves are performed. He also followed up with a quote of South Park, "That's not real Wrastling!"

Newgrounds user Mighty Dein complimented the careful attention to the poses within the piece which created an excellent animation for character interaction.

Another user Maddude13pt2 wished I had actually made a full 3 minute short of the fight, suggesting that in the future, maybe think of doing a collaboration with other animators to lighten the load of animating it all.

The reviews were ranged between 3-5 stars, with the overall rating being based off of the views where the users rated (not reviewed).

Branding Myself Online

So as to have brand awareness, it's important to keep to a tight image style.
I have three variations of my logo which all have the same key elements, which gives me the advantage of always being able to show my brand in any situation, from thumbnails to banner images.

My Website has been optimised for Mobile Phone, Computer and Television, thanks to Dreamweaver. The style is unchanging, black background, neon logo, black and white everything else, with off white text. Where possible, I want to keep the minimalist look to my pages. This makes the focal points, like the logo and showreel the focus of the viewer.

 Carrying on the theme, my blog has the same theme, same profile image and logo at the top of the page.

 An animation hosting website which I have been a member of for a long time, where you can gain reviews and in some cases, professional work or collaborations to gain exposure. Newgrounds has been essential for my gaining feedback from both animators and casual viewers over the years.
My logo is the CMA thumbnail variant, as there is no banner on the Newgrounds profiles. On my profile, I link to my website and Youtube. Every upload will have the CMA logo beside them, under Author.

 The splash card before my animations always have the same set up. Top left is the logo, under that what the piece is, under that, information.

Youtube, as seen by a returning subscriber or new visitor. 

CMANIM Merchandise designs.

Merchandising designs for freebies

 As I was happy with VistaPrint's business cards, I went back to see what other products they offered. They can print off Flyers which you can customise. I used this to create, what I believe to be a very nice flyer which plugs my work nicely. Advertising myself as a Freelancer with only a couple jobs behind me, I have to really sell myself. I've used 2D software for over 12 years, CG for 3, and the 2D software was completely self taught. Flyers are a great way to have your name out there and work along side business cards nicely.

I designed these keyrings and a bottle opener using my own keys as a base. The CMA is a simple keyring. The original was a Flamingo Land Keyring with a photo of me, my brother and my nephews. I like the keyring, it's a good size and grabs attention. I added a plastic cover effect using Photoshop to make it blend better. The CMANIM keyring is a rubber keyring, so it's not as prominent in the pocket, but with the light blue, it's eye catching. It uses Red, Blue, Black and White, which are part of my colour scheme for the website and main logo.

 VistaPrint can make magnets for you, so I took advantage of this. A simple design, just my logo and what I do. If you put this on your fridge and you had an idea for an ecard and went to get a pint of milk for your tea and saw that staring at you, my name would be right there.

8GB Memory Stick featuring the CMANIM variant of my logo, since the area of the stick requires a smaller logo. Everybody needs a memory stick! Even if you use a cloud service, multiple copies are good. I even use my memory sticks for digital copies of films, music or even my animations so I can see how they look on the TV, as most TVs have USB ports.

Wanting to write down some ideas for an animated short or a banner design for your website, but not sure how you'll make it? Why not do it with my branded pen? Who could make it, though? Well, the pen has the answer! 

The same design as what was used on the magnet, but this time a Mouse pad. 

Animation is a stressful process sometimes. Just look at the problems I had in my Production Project. I regularly make use of a stress ball that I have, though now it's discoloured from a lot of use and full of bite and claw marks from my cat who finds it to be a fantastic chew toy. So it's dual use, I guess!

I  added "Let's Beat That Stress!" to the image just to put the point across that by using CMANIM the stress levels can be reduced! Mainly because it'll be me dealing with it all! 

If computer games and films have taught me anything, it's that a lighter is a very handy item to have at all times. Even if you aren't a smoker, you never know when you will need to light a fire in a fireplace to reveal a crystal for a puzzle, to discover the fifth element, light a candle or start the oven because the clicker is broken. Also, I just like the look of Zippo style flip lighters. 

As a lover of tea, I often sit at my computer drinking the stuff and would really love a cup with my own logo on it. Although they aren't particularly imaginative, they are items used on a daily basis and have an actual purpose for more than just advertising. Plus, I think it looks pretty good!

The balloons I did a bit of a joke because of the scene in Ghostbusters 2 with the Hot Beverage Thermal Mug and Free Balloons for the kids. I want to add some fun into my advertising because animation should be fun and I really enjoy making comedy pieces. Animation should have elements that can't be done in real life. That's what sets it apart from film! Limbs "breaking" when walking (like Milt Kahl's walk cycles) add a lot of humour into characters, which is something I strive to emulate.

 The Beanie requires CMANIM rather than the full logo because the blue A in animation does not show. This must just be a stitching issue on VistaPrint's end. The CMANIM shows fine, however.

A basic design for a basic item. VistaPrint give a couple different options for colouring this type of shirt, but Blue and Black isn't an option, so I went with Red and Black, as this is still part of the colour scheme of the website.