Update

It’s been an interesting month. After the last batch of animation tests I lost a lot of momentum. The timing was all wrong, I wanted to do things I didn’t know how to, and I was just a bit “over” the piece. To get past the block I started looking for something new to do, and thought the conversation at the start of “When the whistle blows” (see below - NSFW) would be a neat little back and forth.

I started to flesh out the scene on paper, getting it to a point that it seemed to work and then realised … I had no idea how to build a set or props. It relied on a table and booth, some glasses, cigarettes etc.

Around this time the new Windows 7 box came together, i7 920 (OC’d), 6GB RAM, low-end video card (it was cheap and more than enough for where I am at the moment). I started learning how to model.

The more I use Maya the deeper the hole becomes. DVD’s are a fantastic way to learn but I needed something with more feedback.

Qantm offer an online diploma of screen and media (animation), but they’re currently using Max and won’t transition to Maya until next year.

I enrolled in fxphd. Smartest move. Ever.

In addition to more Maya than I can shake something at, I’m also learning tracking and compositing. It’s like Nirvana but without all that pesky enlightenment stuff.

  

The i7 box is plenty fast, and while I dearly love my Mac the Windows 7 thing seems stable and straight forward.

Updates to follow.