The Crippling Self-Doubt of an Artist...and Overcoming it

It can be hard, finding your way as an artist. One door closes, and you wait for the other to open. Whilst you wait, you're in that strange void-like, uncomfortable space. It's up to you to maintain your talent and artistic spirit by creating more work, and keeping yourself sharp for your next job.

Whilst putting together final plans for my wedding (8 weeks...stop-bloody-counting-the-weeks), I'm taking a breath to reflect on the work I've done so far in my animation career, and look to the advice from my teachers, seniors and peers.

My first animation tutor, Alex Williams, always said to us that we need to have skin like a rhino. Being an animator, is like being an actor. You'll get rejection, for many different reasons, but the most important thing is that you pick yourself up and keep going. You need thick skin.

Just to remind myself, here are some lovely blog posts, he has written about me:

The Animation Student Who Created His Own Job in The Theatre

Marc Godfrey Animator at Blue Zoo

Marc Godfrey Takes the Magic of Disney Animation Tour at Disney World

I must be making an impact with Alex, has he has asked me to help him with support for the new students at Animation Apprentice, with feedback to help improve their shots... Marc Godfrey Joins Animation Apprentice! (All that aside, it's nice isn't it, to reflect on successes... Y'know, instead of listening to that voice in your head, trying to convince you, you suck!)

Alex also wrote this about me, on a different blog. It's funny to scroll to the bottom, and to read, and take in my own advice... Escapee Success Stories - Blue Zoo Animator Marc Godfrey

I've also looked at a couple of Recommendations I've received on Linkedin, from some past Directors. Ahhh.

So, whilst I feel renewed, confident and ready to approach all challenges coming my way, I'm going to get on with a freelance logo design project (which I've nearly finished, I'll write a blog about it soon). As well as designing more stationary and order of service handouts for our big day.  

Remember - be a rhino!

Love Marc x

3 Recommended Books for Animators (...not including the Animator's Survival Kit)

Anyone who has trained to become an animator, will have encountered Richard Williams go-to book, the Animators Survival Kit. It's excellent, and often revered as a bible for any self respecting animator. I like it, it's a very useful book, but there are other books too, just as worthy of high acclaim.

There are three in particular, that I've found just as invaluable. Funnily enough though, not so much for when I was doing homework assignments/training... these are the books I have on hand at work, in the studio. They are my go to books if I need to remind myself of certain techniques and they all help me to become a more accomplished animator.

1) Character Animation Crash Course by Eric Goldberg

I came across the first book, Character Animation Crash Course, whilst I was a student, but it really came into its own when I was at work, trying to create strong cartoony animations. Eric Goldberg is the genius behind bringing visual life to the Genie in Aladdin, and also features as an animator in Disney's Moana. When I was working on Tree Fu Tom, we introduced a new character, Muru, who was very zippy in motion. NOt that I ever had any shots with him, but this book really helped break down for me the best way to make a convincing smear and jump across the screen. I mean, you couldn't be in better hands than with a Disney legend like Goldberg. Highly recommended.

2) How to Cheat in Maya (various editions)

The second book is How to Cheat in Maya (using the right edition for whichever Maya version you are using). Firstly, this title is really misleading, it isn't about cheating at all. The title gives a stupid suggestion that you'll find out how to take a short cut in animation technique to make substandard work or something, but it's not. It's more like an easy to read, "help" window in Maya. It explains how to use elements and tools that you might be unfamiliar with. For instance, one of the most simplest things I found out was the "select by type" feature within the Graph Editor. For instance, when I'm using a rig but only intersected in Y translates, I can easily see every one of the selected joints, neatly arranged together in one easy display. Admittedly I don't use it a lot, but it has certainly saved me time by quickly working out why I might have a glitch in some of my curves. This book sits on my desk at work, and will probably stay very close by me whenever I animate! It looks like there's a 2017 version available here too.

3) Cartoon Character Animation with Maya by Keith Osborn

Lastly, Cartoon Character Animation with Maya: Mastering the Art of Exaggerated Animation. Similar to the first book, this book is great if you're looking to improve your character animations, adding a polished cartoony feel. Full of examples (and links to get a pretty sweet rig) it shows you ways to push your poses and how to stretch your work (literally and figuratively) to achieve the desired cartoony feel. Easy to read and follow, very recommended again.

I'm sure everybody has their own go-to books, to keep on hand and refer to, but this little selection would certainly help start a decent library of animation guidance and tips, that would help you with your characters. Do you know better and more useful books too? Drop me a tweet (@animatormarc) to tell me, or leave a comment...let's share the knowledge!

Thanks
Marc :)

Follow Your Path

My friend posted something on Facebook which not only made my little animation heart smile, but also made me reflect a bit. It's about following your own path. This is the post, by artist Lily Williams

There is Only One You. Follow Your Path.

I think it speaks to everyone, on some level, but it definitely speaks to me as artist working in a CG environment. I feel that we're constantly being barraged with success stories from our peers of their new independent short film, indie games and all sorts of other creative work. Whilst this is a lovely thing, and gives you a feeling and sense of inspiration and brings you a little extra creative spark... sometimes, it also leaves me with a feeling of inadequacy and mental turmoil of "why aren't I spending every spare second I have making more animations or creating my own artwork".

And the truth is, after a long day in the studio, sometimes the last thing I want to do is stare at another screen doing more animation. And that's ok. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. That's ok.

I like the mantra "comparison is the thief of all joy", and in these sort of scenarios, it's true. Just because someone else is churning out brilliant work, like a machine, doesn't mean that you're going to be judged any less for not doing the same.

Enjoy the work others create, celebrate it, share it...but don't feel ashamed or guilty for being far from the finish-line (or start, for that matter) of your own personal project. Take your time. Enjoy your life. Follow your path in the speed and effort that's right for you. It's your journey, do it however you see fit.

For more of Lily William's brilliant art, check out Lily's website, or her Facebook page.

Cheers
Marc x

21 Tips for a Magical Disney World Holiday

This post has been a long time coming. The force of Disney has me hook, line and sinker. It's been almost a year since my partner and I made a our epic holiday to Disney World in Orlando. We spent just over 2 weeks, spending our time across 8 parks - 6 at Disney and 2 at Universal. Whilst I was there, I started to think of all the things I would advise someone to do, if they were to make the same trip. 

Sooooo, here's my list...hope some of it is useful to someone...

Choosing your accommodation. Resort or Private:
1) There are a couple of ways to do accommodation at Disney World. You can either get a private villa or hotel, or stay in one of Disney's many resorts. We stayed in the Art of Animation resort (obvs), and would 100% recommend to stay in one of their resorts. Not only is the service industry in America waaaay better than here in the UK, but the quality of Disney resorts and hotels are excellent. But, moreover, one of the biggest benefits of staying with Disney is their transportation! Outside every resort hotel, are buses that run every 10 minutes that take you to whichever part you need to go to. Super easy, right? An alternative for transport at non-Disney resort hotels would be hire cars, taxis or other random bus services...go with a Disney resort...every time!

Nom noms. Better ways to eat at the Disney parks:
2) The Disney parks host many, many amazing restaurants...from fine dining and gorgeous themed restaurants, to quick fast food. However, you should know that if you want a reservation at one of the top themed restaurants, they can fill up super quick, so you should book your table as soon as you have booked your holiday. The restaurants that we loved the best were:

The Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre

Be Our Guest - the dining room at the Beast's palace. We couldn't get a dinner reservation, only lunch. Personally, I'd go for an evening reservation, where you have proper table service. At lunchtime, it's more of a canteen set up - still beautiful, although perhaps slightly less magical.
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre - super cute themed restaurant, where you eat in the back of a car and watch a movie.
Boma, Flavours of Africa - African themed (at the beautiful Disney lodge, its worth going and visiting the hotel anyway) all you can eat buffet.

3) Buy an all you can drink cup. If I remember rightly, these cost about $20, but you can get unlimited fountain and hot drinks from the hotels. You can save a lot this way.

4) Take water bottles with you into the park. Florida can get super hot, but there are water fountains everywhere in the park. So instead of buying loads of drinks on site, just fill up your water bottle every time you pass a water fountain.

5) Try to go in October/November for the Epcot food festival. When we went we caught the tail end of the food festival at Epcot, and I wish we could have spent longer there. There were even more countries represented with their national dishes, and all sorts of beers and wines available to sample. A really fun addition to the Disney experience - and lots of super cute souvenirs to collect too.

6) Take Berocca. Disney isn't really the place for optimal health. There's a lot of fast food and treats that you should indulge in, but with all the walking you'll do, you'll probably get tired out at some point during your holiday. Take some berocca with you in your luggage, and take them every day, to help boost your immune system a bit.

7) Make sure you get some dollar bills to leave for tips, whenever it's appropriate. The tipping culture is completely different in the States, than over here, and tipping is expected - usually around the 20% mark - we always found it handy to keep some dollar bills spare, so we'd always have cash left over to tip with.

Coping with the weather at Disney:
8) Get a poncho. The weather in Disney can be interchangable. But generally, you want to travel light and not take an umbrella around with you. If it starts to rain, you can buy a poncho from many outlets within the park, but they are pretty pricey - just take your own from home...why pay through the nose, when you pick one up really cheaply next time you're at a big supermarket?

9) Take sunscreen. Again, you can buy this at Disney, but just take your own, it's cheaper and means you don't need to bother hunting some down when you get there.

More tips for when you're in a Disney Park:
10) Take flipflops for the water rides. Although the weather is pretty great in Orlando, there's nothing worse than getting soaked on a water ride, and not being able to dry off properly. Even more so, if you've got soggy socks and shoes. More water rides ask you to leave shoes on, but I noticed lots of people getting on in flipflops - which I thought was genius. Stow your shoes and socks away in a plastic bag somewhere, and pop on the flipflops, then when you come off the ride completely drenched, it doesn't matter...as you're perfectly dry shoes and socks are ready to put back on.

11) Fast Passes. It can be tricky getting your fast passes planned properly - there might not being any left for the rides you want. It's always a good idea to check the online Disney Experience (which you should have access to, along with your booking) and see which rides are the most popular, and choose those ones first. Then you can top up the rest of your Fast Pass spaces with whatever you fancy.

12) Take comfy shoes. You will do a lot of walking, so make sure you have shoes that are kind to your feet, and that you can do a lot of walking in! 

13) Hire a patio. If you go to one of the Water Parks (Blizzard Beach, or Typhoon Lagoon), and you're in a group (or can afford it otherwise) consider hiring a "patio". They work out about $240 for the day, and can hold about 10 people. It's just a really cool way to make sure you have a base for the day - you don't need to worry about finding a free lounger, they're all there for you, and you only. The hire also includes a waiter, so you can really chill out whilst someone fetches you whatever refreshment you want. Fab, right?

Shopping at Disney World:
14) Get a hire car. Undoubtably, you'll want to buy loads of souvenirs, gifts and everything Disney. I wanted to buy everything in the parks! But I was in for a pleasant surprise when we got a hire car and went out to the local mall...there was a Disney outlet shop! Disney + Outlet = Bargains! They were selling things that you could get from the park at less than half the price. If you're looking for souvenirs, then I recommend, 100% having a look at what you can get there, before you start paying through the nose at the parks. 

Getting around Orlando whilst you're at Disney:
15) Again, get a hire car! Not only are they super useful to get you to a Disney Outlet, but you'll probably want some down time, away from the parks...and especially all the kids. Some evenings, we drove outside of resort to a regular restaurant, and it really hits you how few kids there are "in the outside world" and it's bliss!

16) In your hire car, hit the "regular" shops too. The funny thing about the surrounding areas of the Disney resorts, is there are a lot of the big shops at the mall, that also sell Disney souvenirs too. Get along a Target Superstore and enjoy the cheaper sweets, treats and Disney merch!

17) Universal! Consider getting tickets to the Universal theme park. For me, the ticket price was worth it alone for getting to go to Harry Potter world. Although, I enjoy the Disney parks more, Universal has some excellent rides. Disney seems friendlier all round, both the staff and the park visitors, but it's still worth checking out!

Fun things to consider before you leave the UK:
18) Group t-shirts! On my trips to Disney, I noticed a lot of groups wearing personalised t-shirts. Not only is it a really cute way to celebrate your big holiday and create lovely memories - but it can be much easier to spot each other, if you get separated.

19) Buy and take a Hidden Mickeys book. I'm a bit obsessed with the Hidden Mickey's in Disney movies (check out Clauhauser's right cheek). You can buy books that give you clues where ot find the Hidden Mickeys throughout the parks, as well as how many they are on each ride, or area. A lot of fun, especially as a way to keep younger ones engaged and not bored in queues!

 20) The Sorceror's Challenge! A bit like Hidden Mickeys, in the Magic Kingdom, you can embark on a quest called the Sorceror's Challenge. We didn't get round to doing it, but I wish we did. You have to find clues around the park, to help you on a mission to help Mickey. It's bit like a cross between Pokemon Go and Mystery challenge. A lot of fun, and adds a really cool new dimension to being in the park.

...And Lastly, Go and Spoil Yourself!!
21) Go to the Disney Spa, Senses. It's located at the Grand Floridian hotel, in beautiful surroundings. After all the walking, fun and adventure seeking, you are going to want to unwind. Find a little bit of tranquility and ultimate indulgence, and book yourself in for a massage treatment. There are no kids, no loud noises...just peace and quiet, whilst you get pampered. You can thank me later. Oh, and by the way, treat yourself to a Champagne Afternoon Tea at the Grand Floridian once you're done! Ultimate bliss! Mmm!



Soooo, that's it. Hope some of these have come in handy when planning your epic trip to Disney World. Please share this page with any of your friends who might be planning their adventure too!

Cheers
Marc x

P.S. If you're an Animation enthusiast, go and check out the artwork on display at the Art of Animation resort...some really awesome pieces there...especially the Animator's Chandelier ;)

How to Survive Annecy Animation Festival

A few weeks back, I made my way to my first experience of the Annecy Animation festival, in a beautiful town in the south of France, called, funnily enough, Annecy.

Anyone who works in animation, will know about the festival. Everyone talks about it at some point in their career, and often with high reverence.

I've wanted to go for years, but the opportunity never came up, but this year, I was pretty chuffed to be invited along by the first training school that gave me a taste of the CG world, Escape Studios. They're in the process of launching a new animation course, and as their head of animation is Alex (my first animation tutor, from Animation Apprentice), it was the perfect way to experience the festival.

For most of the time, I was based at MIFA, which is like the business division of the festival. It's here that schools, colleges, technology and industry meet and present their projects and attract attention. There are hardly any screenings here, as they all take place in the main festival area about 10 minutes away...but I got a bit giggly when noticing that Disney were very close by, doing mini screenings about past and future productions. Strangely, they weren't that busy either, which seemed really odd to me, but as MIFA costs a lot more to get into than the "regular" festival, it would explain why traffic wasn't high.

One of the things that really hit me about being at Annecy, was the atmosphere. You keep bumping into so many people you know! It was a joy going out for a meal with colleagues, then heading to the pub and being able to chat to industry folk. It felt like networking on a super high level.

Believe it or not, I didn't get to any screenings. I tried queuing for stand-by tickets to Secret Life of Pets, but as the staff at Annecy are truly hopeless at any sort of queue management, many people were pushing in front of those who had waited a long while already, so the opportunity passed me by (...why hasn't Annecy perfected an organised way for "first come" to really mean, "first served"?). It was fun though trying to get into that particular screening, as french animation students staged a protest. To be honest, I didn't really understand it, something about their entry level job titles changing, bringing with that a lower starting pay rate. They were wearing plenty of orange, and chanting all sorts of frenchiness. Moreover, the one thing I loved about it, was although it was noisy, it was very peaceful.

I'm looking forward to going back another year. Annecy is a truly beautiful town with its vast, crystal clear lake. It's a truly wonderful holiday destination, with or without animation. When I go again, there are a few things I would do differently, so this is what I would recommend for next time:

1) Take an umbrella. 
It bucketed down with rain when I was there, so was very happy to have my trusty brolly with me. Don't be fooled into the thinking the weather will be perfect all the time! If you don't want an umbrella take a poncho!

2) Take something warm to wear. 
In the evenings, it can get chilly, but also if there's as much rain as there was at Annecy2016, it will be cold. Be prepared for crazy weather, even though typically the june weather is excellent.

3) Check the offical Annecy website for screening tickets
...sounds obvious, but going to the standby queues are unpredictable and might not necessarily be fruitful! In fact, they're pretty poor.

4) Snacks
Either take some sort of snack with you (energy bars, that sort of thing), or pick some up from the Monoprix supermarket shop in Annecy, and keep them on you. I found myself running around quite a bit, and inevitably kept missing lunch... or when I tried to buy lunch, I couldn't find anything I wanted. A little snack bar can keep you going until dinner, where you can enjoy some beautiful french yumminess.

5) Good shoes
You'll do lots of walking, so look after your feet.

and lastly...
 

6) Paper Airplanes!
Take paper for paper airplanes...no idea why this is a tradition...it just is. Or just get one of these awesome paper airplane sheet book things...and show everyone how it's really done!

Were you there this year? What would be your Annecy survival tips be?

Cheers
Marc x