Looking into Animation

Lately, I have been looking at the possibility of entering UCLA's Animation Program. I am not sure about the expensive tuition involved to enter, but I am excited at the opportunity to master the process, and see where it leads me as an artist.



Many friends have suggested that such an avenue would be way off the beaten path for me. Those who support my writing, say I need to continue to produce novels. Others who see me in the academic field or producing television vie in those avenues. I am not sure that any of these things are mutually exclusive though. I have always wanted to create a movie, and my fascination with animation, drawing, and music are all in unison with one another. Who knows? I could do any and all these things.



Recently, I sat with my friend, Darek, at a Starbucks in South Korea. He commented at how one's avenues become limited as time accrues. "The choices become more limited," he said. "In your 20's, it seems limitless. But, as you get older, that window closes in on you."



I wonder if that's true. It could be. I can understand if I had a wife and children how that would be a bit more difficult. At the same time, I doubt that I would ever be a traditional husband or father, or that I would enter into a relationship with someone who would want that type of life. Given these tendencies, and my own interest in following my interests and passions, I don't see an Animation program as being too far off the beaten path for me.



"You don't seem to be the type of person who would be interested in that type of detailed work," Yakity told me.

That is certainly true at times. I don't like to follow directions if I am building something. I like to just go and see where it takes me. Of course, I can be extremely detail-oriented if I am passionate about a project - especially if it involves a creative end-product. I love making things.

This doesn't mean I see myself working as a grunt animator in the future, but I could imagine building or designing a program, or even a virtual novel that could be traversed via the web. I don't know. The more I am involved with technology, the more I enjoy seeing if I can take a creative concept and present it within a digital format. Animation is a nice bridge between theses worlds, and as I dive a bit deeper in the coming weeks - I have some animation textbooks arriving in Korea - I will be able to let the world know the direction I am traveling.

Yes, that's right - a roller coaster.

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Has anyone ever heard of Animation Mentor?

"...The first school of its kind, Animation Mentor is a cross between YOUTUBE, FACEBOOK and ART SCHOOL, (think TOY STORY U). It uses real-time, interactive classes; streaming rich media; personal weekly, online critiques; social networking; Internet drawing tools; and more to teach animation to students living in 56 countries. All the instructors are working pros at Pixar, ILM, PDI/DreamWorks and other top studios..." (Jones, Angie, "Thinking Animation Blog")