That's fun! I think if I do what I love, and I organically come about things, it goes better. If I want to write less, then I'll have more to write about next time I *want* to write! Supporting and growing my love for things... this feels much like ending a book on a really good part so I can be excited about it the next day. Not burning out, but rather looking forward!
My thoughts on 3d animation (and pixar) is that a programmer-mathematician-artist is the most beastly unit of employee in that field, and that we don't see that as much nowadays. In the movie Interstellar, they wrote an actual black-hole raytracer for CGI that took into account red/blue-shifting!
I thought that in 2d animation there's less "build-tools-from-scratch" going on as there is in 3d animation regarding physics simulation and animation tools and the fact we've barely broken the surface of what's possible, but the more I think about it, the more I realize hand-drawn animation is much the same, only less obvious. Just imagine writing pixel-shaders for your drawings and painting normal maps to make them lit dynamically; that's just one very small thing out of the vast pool of possibility. Nothing prevents us from fundamentally re-thinking our tooling and making tools to fit the project!
That’s a great reminder to pace myself, variation is natural. Thanks for that!
In Pixar movies nowadays there are so many different roles though, in the early days it might have been true that a programmer-mathematician-artist was the ultimate employee. But now I think that would just be a technical artist? I’m guessing everyone else are probably specialized too and equally important. They would probably be stuck with only the tools they already have if it wasn’t for those beasts though…
You can do so much in 2D animation purely through observation and practice. You could animate a black hole by stylizing it the right way or figuring out how to break it up into layers. Whilst in 3D everything is more of a unique technical problem.
> I’m guessing everyone else are probably specialized too and equally important
But I do wonder how it may be different if all of them were beasts... I believe the possibilties would be much much higher, but those kinds of beasts usually require a hefty salary and are hard to find.
> You can do so much in 2D animation purely through observation and practice
Very true, and I think that's exactly why I got into 2d animation and love it so much. "If I want a vase there, all I have to do is draw it!" It's so exciting!!
But perhaps we could make more things into technical problems and make cool unique solutions? -like the skill ceiling and potential can be as high as we like.
Thanks for bringing up the counterpoints of specialization and 2d/3d differences, it keeps my thoughts more grounded. Have a nice day!
One summer I was staying in a hotel room in China. The TV channels were all Chinese but there was a selection of movies available to watch, one of which was a documentary called "The Pixar Story" from 2007. I watched that thing a handful of times, I feel.
It goes into a lot of what you mention with that book and I really recommend it. It really is a very exciting and inspiring story.
I don't remember much of Toy Story 2. I could probably rewatch a bunch of them.
I think my personal favorite is Wall-e. I care so much about Wall-e when I watch that movie. Now that I think of it he's probably a big inspiration for Space Deer as well. Genius movie.
I've seen Zootopia! To me it was entertaining, I can see why so many people love it. Not quuite my taste, which is fine. You might like it more than me.
I've never seen Bugs Life, I mean to but I never get around to it, ahah
Wall-e is probably a masterpiece. When it came out, I feel like the notion that these kinds of movies could and perhaps should be taken seriously by adults really started to develop.
I saw Bugs Life as a kid and had a regular fun time watching it. I have a feeling though that it’s one of their less popular movies.
I relate a lot to your struggle of “productivity” vs. “creativity.”
I think proper creation requires many failed attempts, and this is just part of the process. Think about the writer who throws away draft after draft, crumpling up the paper and throwing it in the trash bin. I think we have to do that, but it feels like we didn’t “get anything done.”
But also creation requires a lot of down time, recharging our batteries, experiencing the world and being inspired by other things and people. That doesn’t feel productive either, but it’s so necessary.
I think you newsletter is a great opportunity for you to just share what’s going on in your creative space, which believe it or not, inspires other people to create. So there’s that hidden value.
And finally, productivity is not that important anyways, though we like to think so. At the end of the day, we have to live. Living is the only reason we want to be productive in the first place! But sometimes we miss it.
Here’s one of my favorite quotes from Walden:
“I have spent many an hour, when I was younger, floating over its surface [the pond] as the zephyr willed, having paddled my boat to the middle, and lying on my back across the seats, in a summer forenoon, dreaming awake, until I was aroused by the boat touching the sand, and I arose to see what shore my fates had impelled me to; days when idleness was the most attractive and productive industry. Many a forenoon have I stolen away, preferring to spend thus the most valued part of the day; for I was rich, if not in money, in sunny hours and summer days, and spent them lavishly; nor do I regret that I did not waste more of them in the workshop or the teacher's desk.”
Thanks Grant, it felt nice to read this! I tried to form some thoughts of my own based on what you said but I think you just nailed it. I just need the reminder. I really appreciate it.
Speaking of, I just had an idea which will let me go easy on the newsletter this week.
That's fun! I think if I do what I love, and I organically come about things, it goes better. If I want to write less, then I'll have more to write about next time I *want* to write! Supporting and growing my love for things... this feels much like ending a book on a really good part so I can be excited about it the next day. Not burning out, but rather looking forward!
My thoughts on 3d animation (and pixar) is that a programmer-mathematician-artist is the most beastly unit of employee in that field, and that we don't see that as much nowadays. In the movie Interstellar, they wrote an actual black-hole raytracer for CGI that took into account red/blue-shifting!
I thought that in 2d animation there's less "build-tools-from-scratch" going on as there is in 3d animation regarding physics simulation and animation tools and the fact we've barely broken the surface of what's possible, but the more I think about it, the more I realize hand-drawn animation is much the same, only less obvious. Just imagine writing pixel-shaders for your drawings and painting normal maps to make them lit dynamically; that's just one very small thing out of the vast pool of possibility. Nothing prevents us from fundamentally re-thinking our tooling and making tools to fit the project!
Except... time, budgets, and energy ;)
That’s a great reminder to pace myself, variation is natural. Thanks for that!
In Pixar movies nowadays there are so many different roles though, in the early days it might have been true that a programmer-mathematician-artist was the ultimate employee. But now I think that would just be a technical artist? I’m guessing everyone else are probably specialized too and equally important. They would probably be stuck with only the tools they already have if it wasn’t for those beasts though…
You can do so much in 2D animation purely through observation and practice. You could animate a black hole by stylizing it the right way or figuring out how to break it up into layers. Whilst in 3D everything is more of a unique technical problem.
> I’m guessing everyone else are probably specialized too and equally important
But I do wonder how it may be different if all of them were beasts... I believe the possibilties would be much much higher, but those kinds of beasts usually require a hefty salary and are hard to find.
> You can do so much in 2D animation purely through observation and practice
Very true, and I think that's exactly why I got into 2d animation and love it so much. "If I want a vase there, all I have to do is draw it!" It's so exciting!!
But perhaps we could make more things into technical problems and make cool unique solutions? -like the skill ceiling and potential can be as high as we like.
Thanks for bringing up the counterpoints of specialization and 2d/3d differences, it keeps my thoughts more grounded. Have a nice day!
One summer I was staying in a hotel room in China. The TV channels were all Chinese but there was a selection of movies available to watch, one of which was a documentary called "The Pixar Story" from 2007. I watched that thing a handful of times, I feel.
It goes into a lot of what you mention with that book and I really recommend it. It really is a very exciting and inspiring story.
Ahaha, you must have found quite some comfort in that movie, being in such a different place.
I will for sure watch it someday, I think it’s on Disney+!
Do you have a favorite Pixar movie?
It was definitely comforting - and beyond that, the interplay between art and technology was just deliciously interesting to me :)
I haven't watched Toy Story 2 in a long time but it does hold a special place in my heart.
Can you recommend any? I know it's not Pixar, but one I've heard good things of but never watched is Zootopia.
I don't remember much of Toy Story 2. I could probably rewatch a bunch of them.
I think my personal favorite is Wall-e. I care so much about Wall-e when I watch that movie. Now that I think of it he's probably a big inspiration for Space Deer as well. Genius movie.
I've seen Zootopia! To me it was entertaining, I can see why so many people love it. Not quuite my taste, which is fine. You might like it more than me.
I've never seen Bugs Life, I mean to but I never get around to it, ahah
Wall-e is probably a masterpiece. When it came out, I feel like the notion that these kinds of movies could and perhaps should be taken seriously by adults really started to develop.
I saw Bugs Life as a kid and had a regular fun time watching it. I have a feeling though that it’s one of their less popular movies.
I think you’re right on that about Wall-e.
I suspect you’re right about Bugs Life as well, I never hear anyone talk about that one. It’s maybe a prototype of a Pixar movie hehe
I relate a lot to your struggle of “productivity” vs. “creativity.”
I think proper creation requires many failed attempts, and this is just part of the process. Think about the writer who throws away draft after draft, crumpling up the paper and throwing it in the trash bin. I think we have to do that, but it feels like we didn’t “get anything done.”
But also creation requires a lot of down time, recharging our batteries, experiencing the world and being inspired by other things and people. That doesn’t feel productive either, but it’s so necessary.
I think you newsletter is a great opportunity for you to just share what’s going on in your creative space, which believe it or not, inspires other people to create. So there’s that hidden value.
And finally, productivity is not that important anyways, though we like to think so. At the end of the day, we have to live. Living is the only reason we want to be productive in the first place! But sometimes we miss it.
Here’s one of my favorite quotes from Walden:
“I have spent many an hour, when I was younger, floating over its surface [the pond] as the zephyr willed, having paddled my boat to the middle, and lying on my back across the seats, in a summer forenoon, dreaming awake, until I was aroused by the boat touching the sand, and I arose to see what shore my fates had impelled me to; days when idleness was the most attractive and productive industry. Many a forenoon have I stolen away, preferring to spend thus the most valued part of the day; for I was rich, if not in money, in sunny hours and summer days, and spent them lavishly; nor do I regret that I did not waste more of them in the workshop or the teacher's desk.”
Thanks Grant, it felt nice to read this! I tried to form some thoughts of my own based on what you said but I think you just nailed it. I just need the reminder. I really appreciate it.
Speaking of, I just had an idea which will let me go easy on the newsletter this week.