Today the writer of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels, Bryan Lee O’Malley, posted this…

“The Scott Pilgrim movie was as pirated as Inception but Inception made a billion dollars and SP made negative dollars so idk what it means”

This is an issue I’ve thought a lot about recently, so I thought I’d post about it. I’ve never actively pirated a film, but I know tons of people who do and I’ve watched them plenty of times figuring what harm will it do. But truly and honestly pirating movies is the worst thing an aspiring animator or any person who wants to work in the film industry can do. Not only are we wrecking havoc on the economics of the entertainment industry, but we are literally eliminating the jobs we hope to have in the future. As such, I have committed to stop watching pirated films and put aside a specific amount of my income to go and see movies in the theaters when I can and rent or Redbox them when I can’t. It is so important to pay for the artistic talent and hours of work that dedicated artists put into these films. We, of all people, should be able to appreciate that.

I cannot even explain how sick I am of creating mediocre work. During the semester, time constraints forced me to work on something, get to a decent level of quality, and quit. But I never had the opportunity to put in enough work to be proud of the project. And now that I’m home, my mother is insisting that I do drawing for this person and that person, with very little time available, so today I did a horribly horrible marker drawing of Hello Kitty and a little girl’s name in shaky, uninventive script and it literally made me ill to look at it. 

I’ve decided that this summer, I am going to make incredible work. I am going to come up with ideas for projects that I am passionate about and really want to complete, and I’m going to put all of my effort into them. If I get tired of it, I’ll take a break, but I will not stop until I am proud of the work I do instead of embarrassed to share it with others.

#determined

I believe it’s very important for upcoming artists to know what’s going on in their industry {{and this belief has been corroborated by my professors and career advice books}}. In that spirit, here’s some simple steps I’ve taken to stay up to date with what’s going on the animation world…

Set Up Google Alerts

Google Alerts send you an email over a selected period of time [every day, every week, etc.] with all the most recent information gathered by Google based on a keyword. I’ve set up Google Alerts for general terms like “animation” as well as more specific things like “Pixar” and “Dreamworks”. These emails not only link me to great articles but also introduce me to new, interesting blogs and cool independent short films. You can set up your own Google Alerts here [no Google account required].

Subscribe to E-Newsletters 

E-Newsletters are another great way to get a convenient collection of specific information in one place. The thing I love about newsletters [and Google Alerts for that matter] is that they usually include little blurbs of articles on a variety of topics so you can choose which ones you actually want to read and skip those you dont. Here’s some of my fav [free!] newsletters at the moment…

• Animation Magazine Online-  Great information about the latest films, games, software, studios, and festivals.
• Animation World Network- Animation World Network is an awesome resource for animations and visual effects artists. Register for an account with their website and you’ll be given a choice of which of their targeted newsletters you’d like to read.
• Chris Oatley’s Illustration Newsletter- Chris Oatley offers great articles and tips and tricks of the trade for illustrators.
• Red Lemon Club Newsletter- This is a recent find and my newest love; fantastic advice for creative individuals of all kinds [especially freelancers] 

Check Out Other Artists!

One of the great things about the internet is that we have access to so many cool people and such awesome art. Not only is this endlessly entertaining, but also a great way to make new friends and even connect with potential colleagues. I utilize these social media sites to find new artists, browse through interesting art and videos, and communicate with other animators…

• tumblr [obviously]
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Vimeo
• Behance

Of course there are TONS of other great sites and things you can do to stay current with trends in the art and entertainment industry, but that’s just a few things I’ve done personally to better myself as an artist and a person! =D

I said I was gonna start posting again and then I didn’t. But really I am this time! I’ve decided that this will no longer be my main medium of displaying my portfolio, it will simply be a blog of my trials and tribulations. Tribulation- THE SPRING 2013 SEMESTER IS OVER. THANK THE GODS. And now I shall rise from its ashes even stronger and more fabulous.

I have not posted in 4 months. Let’s jump back on this bandwagon.

accidentartiz asked: Hey do you want to be an animator? I am striving towards the same goal. I am going go to CalArts. I haven't even applied haha, but I have been wanting to go ever since I was a lad. But yea where do you study? What are some of your favorite animated films???

Yes! As my blog says, I am an aspiring animator lol. I’m a junior at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. At first I was looking at private art colleges, but I really didn’t have the money and I’m not a fan of student debt, so I ended up going with a state college. But UCF has an awesome Character Animation program, and I just passed portfolio review and got accepted into the major, so I’ll be starting my actual animation classes next month, which is super exciting! ^.^ But I’m a big Pixar fan, so my favorite animated films are Finding Nemo, Wall-E, Ratatouille, Up, and Toy Story 3. 

@transitivepopcorn I completely agree. But all the stories depicted in that link already include that element. You can’t change THAT fact. But that’s one reason I love Brave so much, because Merida doesn’t want her future to hinge on a guy. Personally, I think my future DOES include that, but I definitely respect women who do it on their own.