Back into the Fire

The hardest thing about going back to school after Spring Break? Remembering how to stay up all night. Once I got back to school I was pulling an all nighter to get work done.

Thankfully I was able to get done the line work I needed.

Things have been going fine, I guess. I am still alive after all.

3D Modeling is going okay. We had our midterm pushed back so it is actually due on Monday. We have to create a city block. Originally I was going for a modern-day European, but decided to re-start and go for a more Medieval France/ Elizabethan Era. It’s coming on well.

In my Teaching class the week I had to teach everyone animation in 30 minutes. I went over the 12 principles then had them make flip books. It actually turned out well and some where really good. I also had a mid-term meeting with the teaching to discuss where I stand and that also went well. At the moment I have a B+/A- and am moving up.

Model Shop was strange in that most of the class didn’t show up till long ofter it started. 3 still where a no-show by the time we where dismissed and with only 9 people in the class it is very noticeable. I’ve also finally started coming up with a design for what I’m going to make in the class. Of course it isn’t something easy. Ideally the whole thing will be made, but if I just get the top part done it will be fine too.

Top view

Side view

Not much else is new in terms of classes. Just work, work, and more work. Soon we will be scheduling classes for the Fall, but they doing have all the classes listed yet so I’m not sure what I’m even interested in yet.

Other than that I am slowly starting to hear back from internships. I’ve got 1 “no” and 2 “we’re interested in talking”s. Still waiting to hear back from a ton more seeing as I applied to about 30, but it’s a start.

Much Needed R+R

This past was spring break….and I took the break part every seriously.

Once classes where done I was off to NJ without looking back. My sister and brother still had a few days left of their break so we got to hang out at the beach together for a bit before heading home to see my dad’s latest set for a local production of “Grease.” 

My siblings left soon after that and it was just me and my parents at home.

So what did I do?

Nothing.

I hadn’t brought my laptop, I only checked Facebook a few times, I ignored my email for the most part, and I didn’t do any school reading.

It was a complete detox.

Instead I cuddled our dogs, saw a movie with my bf, went for ice cream on opening day, walked the boardwalk, beat my dad at pinball, played pool, watched TV, and saw “Heathers” - a musical I’ve wanted to see for a while now.

Kramer loves to cuddle close

Ralston and Buffy like to play tag sometimes.

Misty mornings

So much better than the movie.

Unfortunately the break eventually had to end. 

Now I’m back at school and have a ton of work to get through - so much that only a few all-nighters will get it done. Still I wouldn’t do it any differently. Graduate school is draining in ways you can’t really explain so a few steps back every now and then is necessary.

Slowly Dying

So much for getting this up on time every week with the Animation blog….

Well, lets hop to it.

The past 2 weeks have in all honesty been a blur. I’ve been so focused on Seminar and Animation that I’ve stayed late without realizing it. Thankfully I am remembering to eat, though it is mostly bagels and sushi….

But really now.

So 3D modeling is still okay for now, but Kane is still Kane and that means nothing is as it seams. In the latest class he gave a lecture on Sublime and it lasted an hour. His voice is very monotone and after a while you can easily zone out. Thankfully it wasn’t too long. Of course he ended it saying, “No one should have to listen to me talk for an hour.” All I thought was ‘we listened to you talk 3 hours at a time last semester.’

One of the more resent assignments from the class
- model a figure and composite it.

Animation is going slowly. Everything is taking a bit longer than I planned so I’m easily getting annoyed. For anything more in-depth go look at that class-specific blog.

Teaching class is….alright. I am learning a bunch and ‘lectures’ are most of the time interactive demos which keeps it interesting. But here’s the thing. I said before that we have to write this research paper of observing two our the kids we teach…..thing was I’m not in the practical class. Finally though they found a solution: I would observe the ceramics class and do my paper on two of them. 

Sure, fine. Only now I have to be at the Saturday Art School same amount of time as them - basically taking another class bringing it up to 7 - yet don’t get credit or practical application.

Yippie.

Next, Model shop. Oh Model Shop.

I truly thought this was going to be a worth-while class yet all we are doing really is going over different materials and tools. We literally spent 3 hours talking about nuts and bolts one day! Most of the time I just keep thinking of all the work I would be doing instead of that class. Only good thing is that it’s half way over now so soon I get to leave.

Sotryboarding class is probably the easiest right now. Sure we had to do an action storyboard but then we got 2 weeks to make the animatic. 2. Whole. Weeks!

Part of the action boards where 2 people fight over the last piece.

The final class is Seminar with Kane. A quick over view is that things are moving, but slowly. I’m having a hard time visualizing and then illustrating the angles that I want so it is frustrating me and him. Not fun.

In other news Spring Break is next week and I plan on going home and de-stressing a bit before going back to the grind. But before that I have 2 classes to go to, new angles to come up with, character designs to finish, a paper to write, 2 faculty meetings to go over my thesis, and a one-on-one with a visiting artist - while still applying to more internships.

......Kill me now.