My Animation Adventure.

My name is Ryan, and in 29 days i start the next chapter in my Animation Adventure. I've wanted to be an animator since i could pick up a pencil (though I've certainly detoured a few times.) I went to Art School determined to come out an animator, only to find the education lacking. I went on to explore other artistic endeavors. But it's always come back to this. No matter what i was working on i seemed to touch on or integrate some form of animation. Bottom line? I want to animate. I heard about a school called Animation Mentor a couple years back that was turning out excellent student work. The student reels were both inspiring and a constant reminder of how much i had to learn.

In 29 days, I start Class 1 at Animation Mentor and I'm beyond stoked. Actually, it's kind of a mixture of nervous and excitement. I'm 30 years old, I have a wife, and a full time job in the film industry making music videos and commercials and such. I don't expect this to be easy. But nothing worth anything is easy. I don't really know what to expect... Luckily, I'm not going in totally blind. I have some animation experience. I've read all the required books, the tips and tricks eBooks and blogs, used MAYA, even participated in the 11 Second Club. I've only been playing with 3D animation for a year now, much of which was spent learning my way around MAYA, but I've done some 2D and Stop Motion, and can at least grasp if not fully achieve the 12 basic principles of animation... so at least there's that huh?

I thought it'd be a good idea to start a blog documenting my Animation Adventure from the (new) beginning. I hope to post my progress, ideas, inspiration, how I'm doing balancing work, school and life, etc. If anything i think it'll serve me in seeing my own progress, and hopefully it'll inspire some other eager soul to go for it too.

rock.