Kate Vyvyan, a well-known animation writer and producer, chaired the meeting and kept the conversation flowing.

Also present were Adam, a doctor turned animator with some unusual ideas for a new animated TV series, and Geoff, a cartoonist with a dark sense of humour who was thinking of making his cartoons into a short film. Adam treated us to a special viewing of the opening credits for his show, and Geoff passed around sheets and sheets of Gary Larson-esque cartoons. Both were impressive.

I seized the moment and showed Kate, Adam and Geoff an idea that I had pitched for our Diploma of Animation final project, and received some excellent feedback, filling up a page with notes on how to increase the character’s appeal and audience engagement.

Kate also spoke at length about what was going on within the industry, events that she attended and would be attending (SPAA!), and we also had a look at this month’s topic, adapting children’s books for animated film and television.

As usual, many heads are better than one and I found the writer’s group meeting encouraging and invigorating. It looks like I have another event to mark permanently on the calendar!

When: Meetings are usually held on the second Tuesday of every month, but it is best to check with Kate beforehand. You can contact Kate through WAnimate’s Wiki page at http://wanimate.pbworks.com/Animation+Writers+Group.

If you receive an invitation to the next meeting, do RSVP as soon as possible to confirm your attendance.

Where: The Australian Writer’s Guild, 196 Oxford St, Leederville.

We were each assigned an organisation to research and then presented our findings to the class, explaining how this organisation would be useful to people working in animation.

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ORGANISATION: Digital Labourers Federation (DLF)

WHO ARE THEY: A social group for anyone working with or interested in digital art. The main method of communication is through a mailing list.

HOW TO JOIN: Membership is open to anyone involved in creating images made with computer technology. Many DLF members work in film and television.

Go to http://dlf.org.au and click “If you want to join then click here and fill out your registration form.” You will be taken to a registration page which asks for your full name, company, contact details, website and occupation.

After you submit this form and your registration has been approved, you will be sent three e-mails welcoming you to the different mailing lists: dlf-mailout, dlf-news and dlf-jobs.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU JOIN: You will receive lots and lots of e-mails and basically have a forum constantly running in your inbox.

WHO LOOKS AFTER THE DLF: Kit Devine (an animation lecturer and 3D animator) and Grant Fraser (a professional photographer) manage membership for the mailing list, moderate the list (this includes booting out any trouble-makers), and keep e-mail headers consistent.

Kit and Grant are also active participants in the DLF mailing list; they post information about jobs, highlight interesting articles or news items, or just add their knowledge to the pool when questions are asked.

As in any Internet forum, there are also regular posters who work in the industry and are always happy to dispense advice.

MAILING LIST CONTENT AND MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS:

• Content varies widely but ranges from people asking what everyone thought of Wolverine’s CG blades in the latest X-Men movie, to very specific discussions about how to get a certain texture in 3D Studio Max, product reviews, beginners asking for help, and advice regarding breaking into the industry.
• Kit and Grant also post information about jobs available locally, interstate and internationally, competitions, social events, new courses, and the latest animation news.
• A lot of people post links to their show reels and portfolios and ask other DLF members for constructive feedback, which usually given in large quantities and with excellent response time.

SOCIALISING THROUGH THE DLF:

• 26 May 2009 – Through the DLF mailing list, I found out about “Show Us Your Bits” (http://letsmakegames.org/2009/05/14/letsmakegamesorg-may-mixer-and-showcase/), a mixer night organised by “Let’s Make Games”, a support group for the Perth games industry. I met games development students and lecturers from Edith Cowan University, enjoyed the hospitality of the Brass Monkey,  and got to see Tim Beeson’s “Bacon Wings” game make a public debut.
• 28 May 2009 – Perth doesn’t have regular DLF meetings like the Eastern states, but cartoonist Mathew Hampton was enthusiastic enough to organise a Perth DLF drinks night at the 43 Below Bar. What a great night – Chris Toovey (an FTI alumnus) came, along with most of his co-workers from Last Pixel (http://lastpixel.com.au/). I had an entertaining and informative chat with them about how they entered the industry and what kind of work they were doing now. I also met Simon Boxer, who used to be a concept artist at Interzone and is now working freelance, and we had a very interesting discussion about the Perth games industry. It was a fantastic meeting of like-minded people who are all passionate about what they do, and I hope to be fortunate enough to work with them in the near future.

TIPS FOR GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THE DLF:

• Set up e-mail filters so that DLF messages are forwarded to a special folder where you can read them at your leisure. Within this folder, sort by subject so that you can read each thread in an uninterrupted manner.
• The sheer mass of mail you receive can become unwieldy very quickly, so archive and delete DLF mail ruthlessly, making sure you keep any gems that will be useful to you in the future.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions. DLF posters are supportive, kind, and generous in sharing their knowledge. Kit and Grant run a tight ship!
• Take advantage of networking opportunities!

CONCLUSION:

• I strongly advise all animators to join the DLF mailing list, by doing so you will really have a finger on the pulse of Australian animation. In addition, joining will give you access to the knowledge and support of hundreds of Australian animators of all levels.
• The DLF is an invaluable support group for early career film makers and animators.

I best remember Byrne as the frontman of Talking Heads, another band I listened to a lot at school (it wasn’t all Depeche Mode and sawing away at wrists, you know). He’s still around, making music, and that makes me very happy.

Byrne’s blog was such a pleasure to discover that I plan to bury myself in the archives soon (he’s been blogging since 2004!) and see what he’s been up to all these years.

He’s on tour with Brian Eno at the moment, so his blog is in travel journal mode and full of vivid photographs.

Check it out: http://journal.davidbyrne.com/

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” – Antoine de Saint Exupéry

This wonderful animated short by Louis Clichy, a Pixar animator and Gobelins graduate (the same school that produced Oktapodi) is pretty close to perfection.

You can view more of Clichy’s work at the Cube Creative Computer Company website.

Sources: embedded video from Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePMK3FeyYxI. I first read about this film at Drawn! The Illustration and Cartooning Blog, URL: http://drawn.ca/2009/05/08/a-quoi-ca-sert-l%e2%80%99amour/ (posted May 9th, 2009).

I mean, I love getting my DLF mail, because they do discuss a lot of cool things and I can pretend I’m really, really popular, but a lot of the subject matter goes over my head in these early days. Mental ray velocity passes? Yeah, I’ll just lean back with a faraway look in my eyes, stroke my imaginary goatee, and pretend I know what you’re talking about, dudes

This evening, stib from pureandapplied.com.au posted a link to a 2007 post by Keith Lango, an animator who also runs the Animation Personal Trainer program.

Keith has excellent advice for indie animators working on personal projects, especially people like me who are always trying to be faster! Stronger! Higher!

We can’t produce similar stuff to the big studios because we just don’t have the (wo)man days and resources to do so, but instead of being discouraged, we should use these limitations to open up new possibilities and spark creativity.

Read Keith’s pearls of wisdom here.

Sources: Blog post by Keith Lango, “The Fool’s Errand, Part 1″, URL: http://keithlango.blogspot.com/2007/07/fools-errand-part-1.html (posted July 14th, 2007). I first read about this on the Digital Labourers Federation mailing list, April 21st, 2009.

The 13-minute-long clip is hosted by Disney Animator Eric Goldberg, and shows storyboards from old and new Disney movies. Animation is the main focus, but it also includes information about storyboarding techniques used in live action movies.

And according to the writer of the post, storyboards are invaluable when planning children’s picture books too.

Winging it can be fun, but storyboards make everything better!

Watch it here.

Source: “Let’s Board It Up!” The Magic of the Storyboard at How To Be A Children’s Book Illustrator,  URL: http://howtobeachildrensbookillustrator.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/storyboard-video/ (posted April 21st, 2009).

The invited speakers were:

• Producer Susie Campbell, a formidable West Australian presence who has worked on numerous television programs and films, including the award-wininng Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello,
• Up-and-coming writer-director Karen Farmer, who also conceived the idea for the ambitious and gripping Caravan, a short science fiction film set in the desert,
• and Chris Toovey, an animator who is also an FTI alumnus. Chris was in the second group of students who completed the Diploma of Screen and Media – Animation at FTI. He now works at Last Pixel, a firm that specialises in 3D visualisation for a diverse range of industries, including architecture and mining.

Susie Campbell and Karen Farmer.

Ebbie Williams, our lovely and talented animation training facilitator, and next to her, the equally lovely and talented Chris Toovey.

The session was definitely an eye-opener, and we have Graeme Watson to thank for organising it and providing the necessary social lubricants civilised refreshments.

Notes and quotes are grouped below according to subject matter, rather than chronological order. I hope other early-career film makers will find them useful. I certainly did!

Major breaches of etiquette in film and animation?

According to Susie, this can include: mobile phones ringing on set (this will cost you a slab of beer, and since most crews prefer to drink James Boag, expect to pay to the tune of $50 to $60); no drugs; no stealing; safety regulations mean that closed-in shoes are essential. No one is allowed on set without closed shoes (sneakers, at a minimum), even the director and producer.

Being a distraction. Save your questions for after the action. “Don’t talk while on set. Wait till after the shoot, when people are eating and drinking.”

Chris: “Not washing your coffee cup.” (It is interesting that this was the first comment that sprang from Chris’s lips. I too, have trouble understanding how some grown men and women lose the ability to clean up after themselves when they find themselves outside their homes. Chris, if you’re interested, I’m thinking of taking out a patent on heat-seeking exploding coffee grounds that target non-washers.)

“Be able to take criticism, and take other people’s ideas seriously.”

Areas of conflict when working in a group?

Chris remarked that in their office/animation studio, lighting was often a source of conflict, as different animators had different ideas of what comprised an effective work environment. He added, “Be prepared to compromise for other people.”

Susie emphasised the fact that film and television sets are stressful environments, where everyone is conscious of how wasted time means wasted dollars. Big dollars.

Directors and producers are constantly communicating under “extreme pressure and tension.”

It is important to not be offended if someone speaks to you curtly (there should be no excuses for rude behaviour, though). “People have to make very quick decisions and give quick instructions. They sound like they’re shouting, but they’re not … people cry.”

But meekness won’t get you anywhere. “If someone barks at you, bark back!”

Finally, how to succeed in the industry and be asked back to work again and again?

Chris:

Play nice. “Be nice to people, because someone might ask someone else about you.”

Keep on top of news, trends, and events. “If you want to get in, you really have to keep your ear to the ground.”

Meticulous planning in pre-production. “You need a lot of prior planning, and good storyboards. You really have to be on your toes. Before you come in you have to know exactly what you’re going to be doing. And always have a backup plan.”

Be good at several things. “You definitely need to be multiskilled in Perth.”

Susie:

Network. “Go to events and meet people. Through ScreenWest, see what productions are funded and what productions are coming up.”

Know what you want. “Don’t just say, ‘I really want to work in anything.’ Say [for example], ‘I really want to work in Documentary and Camera.”’

“Be assertive!”

Be passionate, truthful, tenacious and prepared. “… personally, I respond to passion and sincerity. The fact that you will not go away. Passion and thinking ahead. Being useful. Just being there at the right time.”

“The film industry in general is not a place for the faint-hearted. If you haven’t got an enquiring and observant mind, then you shouldn’t be hanging around a film set.”

Gurney’s blog is an excellent repository of news and information for artists, and as you will see, his vivid and meticulous painting style has only gotten better with time.

I especially like this little tip he recently posted, about finding a drawing subject that will sit still long enough for you to get some detail in.

Source: “Watching Television” at Gurney Journey, URL: http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2009/04/watching-television.html (posted April 11th, 2009)

Waid posts regularly to Kung Fu Monkey, a blog about screenwriting, comic books, and any other geekery that the authors (and I) find amusing. His latest post on Kung Fu Monkey, “Waid Wednesdays #18: Don’t Waste My Time”, gives writers valuable advice on how to handle protagonist conflicts, and explains the difference between false suspense and genuine suspense.

Want to make your story stand out from the rest? Read Waid’s post here.

If you haven’t got time to read the whole post, here’s the bottom line:

Bottom line: don’t waste my time by asking questions with obvious answers or posing “suspenseful” choices with only one real option. That’s just marking time. People (and characters) (and situations) are only interesting when they surprise you.

Source: “Waid Wednesdays #18: Don’t Waste My Time” at the Kung Fu Monkey blog, URL: http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com/2009/04/waid-wednesdays-18-dont-waste-my-time.html (posted April 8th, 2009).

Superannuation. Copyright 2009 Evangeline Than.
(Be kind, I whipped this up quickly in the later part of the evening.)

I know that stimulus packages are all the rage now, but let’s not forget another way that we can get free money from the government.

It isn’t as sexy as getting cash to spend now, now, NOW (unless you think that securing your financial future is sexy, which I do), and gratification will be delayed, but with up to a 150% return on investment, it’s definitely one of the best deals I’ll be getting all year.

I’m talking about the Australian government’s super co-contribution initiative. It was introduced from the 1st of July, 2003, in order to help low and middle-income earners save for retirement.

Let’s face it, early career animators definitely fall into this group, and we need all the help we can get. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not spend my twilight years on a tiny pension eating dog food.

Basically, if you meet the eligibility requirements, and make a personal super contribution to a complying super fund or retirement savings account before the 30th of June, the government will match it with a co-contribution up to a certain limit. In the best case scenario, if you are eligible, and your total income falls under the lower income threshold, you could be entitled to the maximum co-contribution amount of $1,500.

Are you eligible? Find out by visiting the Australian Tax Office’s super co-contribution page.

And now a giant disclaimer will follow.

Disclaimer: Evangeline Than has made every effort to ensure the information in this web site is accurate, however its accuracy, reliability or completeness is not guaranteed. Opinions expressed in this web site may change without notice. Evangeline Than is under no obligation to notify you or publish any amendment if she becomes aware of a change to, or inaccuracy in, this web site or subsequently forms a different opinion. No part of this web site is to be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Evangeline Than, in preparing this web site, did not take into account the investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs of any investor. Before making an investment decision on the basis of this web site, an investor or prospective investor needs to consider, with or without the aid of a licensed securities adviser, whether the advice is appropriate in light of their particular investment needs, objectives and financial circumstances.