Company/Role Research
My preferred role.
I aspire to work as a shot animator in the TV and advertising industry. I believe the rapid turnaround times and diverse range of projects will provide an environment where I can enhance and refine my skills at a faster pace compared to longer-term projects.
Having attended many industry events and spoken to animators, I've learned that, on average, in feature film stop-motion, an animator will produce between 1-3 seconds of animation a week, while in stop-motion TV/advertising, it ranges between 5-10 seconds a week.
For feature films, a 3D animator will typically produce 3-5 seconds of animation a week, whereas in TV and advertising, the range is 8-15 seconds a week.
These numbers vary depending on the project's quality, budget, and timeframe.
By the time I will graduate I aim to get close to those numbers and be able to produce a decent level quality animation in a week.
A + C Studios
A + C Studios: is a Stop-Motion animation studio based in London.
Renowned for their creativity and craftsmanship, they specialize in producing captivating stop-motion animations primarily for commercial projects. Their commitment to storytelling through the magic of stop-motion has earned them a great reputation in the industry.
Expanding Horizons in Early 2023
In early 2023, A + C Studios embarked on a journey of expansion. They announced the addition of a new dedicated animation space, enhancing their capabilities. This expansion not only allows them to take on more ambitious projects but also creates numerous opportunities for junior roles within their talented team.
Their Craftsmanship
At A + C Studios, they take pride in their craftsmanship and the tools that enable them to bring imagination to life. They rely on industry-standard software to create stunning stop-motion animations:
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Dragonframe: The heartbeat of their animation process, Dragonframe is their go-to software for precision control over every frame and nonetheless the use of motion-controlled cameras.
They are using wire armatures for their puppets as they are much cheaper and easier to make than a ball and socket custom armature, also because they are working for commercials they don't need too much durability for their puppets as the time on the set of each puppet is much shorter than in a feature film or even a short film.
Ritzy Animation
Ritzy Animation is a London-based boutique animation studio specializing in both 3D and 2D animation, as well as motion graphics. Their portfolio encompasses a diverse range of projects, spanning from children's TV series to short films, game trailers, and explainer videos. In their 3D animation work, Ritzy Animation relies on Autodesk Maya as their primary software tool.
Ritzy Animation seeks junior animators who possess a strong grasp of fundamental animation principles, such as weight and timing. Given their small studio setting, they value candidates who exhibit versatility. Beyond animation, they appreciate individuals who can multitask and contribute to various aspects of the creative process, which may encompass skills such as storyboarding, rigging, modelling, and even other creative activities like clay modelling or sculpting.
Their animation style is mainly cartoony but they are working on a wide variety of projects that may include realistic or stylised animation styles.
Framestore
Framestore is one of the leading visual effects and animation companies, offering services to the film and television industry. Their expertise spans visual effects (VFX) and animation, covering a broad spectrum of projects, from major blockbuster films to television series.
Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, Framestore has a global presence with offices and studios in North America, India, Canada, and other locations.
Framestore caters primarily to major film studios, production companies, and television networks, collaborating with directors, producers, and creative teams to bring visual effects and animation to life in diverse film and TV productions.
Utilizing sophisticated pipelines and industry-standard software tools, such as Autodesk Maya, Houdini, Nuke, and others, Framestore ensures the highest quality in its 3D animation and compositing work. Their pipeline is tailored to meet the complex demands of their projects.
Framestore follows a comprehensive workflow that includes pre-production planning, asset creation, animation, rendering, and post-production. Throughout this process, they maintain close collaboration with clients and creative teams to ensure the final product aligns with the desired vision.
For those interested in joining Framestore as a Junior Animator or through internships, the company typically looks for individuals with a strong foundation in animation principles and proficiency in relevant software, especially Maya.
Candidates with a degree or diploma in animation or a related field are often preferred. Framestore values an understanding of creature animation, considering it a significant aspect of their work. Junior animators at Framestore can anticipate engaging in a comprehensive workflow and benefit from hands-on experience, making internships valuable entry points into the industry.
Research
As part of my stop motion tests I wanted to try and add camera movement to my animations, found this video which shows how to set up Dragonframe for manual camera movement and the different ways this can be achieved.
From this tutorial, I learned how to make a making-off capture of the animation process as that is the standard in stop-motion production although here they were using two separate cameras I managed to do that using a single camera.
I was studying the book Stop Motion by Susannah Shaw, from here I learned new techniques of puppet making.