Why am I still awake?
It's 4:30 in the morning. Why am I still awake? Oh yeah, it's because I'm working on a paper for my communications class. (It's due in a few hours.) It isn't a difficult paper, but I have trouble writing anything longer than 3/4 of a page because I believe in condensing information to a concise, readable format.
The Dragon Keeper, the pseudo-sequel to my favorite book series by my favorite author, has finally been released in the US! And there was much joy and happiness and frolicking through the bookstore with said book clutched tightly in my arms as I skipped towards the cash register, right?
Wrong.
Apparently my local bookstore doesn't believe in stocking newly released fiction. Unless it's Twilight, required for a class, or written by an alumni. Yeah, I hate you too, bookstore.
I know I can buy the book online, but I've had bad experiences with buying books online. They're often overpriced, and the "new" books have creases down the cover when they arrive. More importantly, I was hoping to get this book TODAY so I could read it over the weekend, before all of my classes start piling on the homework.
On a more serious note, I may have FINALLY decided what I want to do with my life, or at least my career.
I'm a computer engineering/fine arts major who realized, after two years of uni, that I don't enjoy programming very much. (Nor am I very good at it.) If I have to program for more than 4-5 hours per day, I start to become very irritated and unproductive.
"That's okay, I'll just become a character modeler." I took a 3D modeling class last year. The work itself wasn't bad, though it got a bit boring after a while. However, by the end of the semester, I was convinced that this job was not for me. My models were mediocre, my lighting and texturing skills were sub-par at best, and the class critiques gave me some serious self esteem issues. (And this is coming from someone who normally handles critiques well.) Did I mention that this class produced a terrifying piece of work? THE OTTER FROM HELL! For my final project, I attempted to create a realistic otter model complete with fur. It ended up looking like a deranged cross between a Beanie Baby, a rabid dog, and a middle-aged balding man. Want to know the really scary part? While I was at Sea World, I saw an otter plush that looked almost exactly like it.
"That's okay, I'll just become a character animator." Computer Animation was definitely the most fun I've had in college! Yes, I have no social life. It was a small class that most of my friends were also taking. It seemed more like a family gathering than a college course; the professor even reminded me of my uncle. I was loving the work, until I had the brilliant idea that I wanted to animate a cat standing up, walking, running, jumping, turning, and then freaking out when it almost gets hit by a car. You know, I really should listen to my professors when they say "that's going to be hard". Let's just say I never want to animate another walk cycle again. Ever.
I was at a loss on what to do until I attended a workshop a few weeks ago, led by one of the top special effects animators in the industry. I remember watching Disney movies as a kid, staring at the rain drops, waterfalls, smoke, and fire that looked surprisingly realistic for an animated movie, and wondering "How did they do that?" Well, now I FINALLY know how they did that. And not only is it relatively easy, but it's fun! We were each required to research and animate an effect--I chose lightning--during the 3 day workshop. While I was working on the animation, it didn't feel tedious like character animation. In fact, it seemed more like a hobby than a homework assignment. It's been so long since I've experienced that feeling at school. ;__;
Granted, that was all hand-drawn special effects animation. I'm taking a CG animation course this semester, where we will simulate fire, smoke, cloth, and a number of other things. I guess I'll see how that pans out before I make my final decision, but at the moment it appears I've found my desired career path. It's nice to finally find something I'm passionate about.
Wow, that rant was longer than I intended. (And now it's after 5 am.) To make up for it, here's a cool video about lightning. Okay, the audio is a bit bland, but the first 30 seconds are worth watching for the pretty images.
The Dragon Keeper, the pseudo-sequel to my favorite book series by my favorite author, has finally been released in the US! And there was much joy and happiness and frolicking through the bookstore with said book clutched tightly in my arms as I skipped towards the cash register, right?
Wrong.
Apparently my local bookstore doesn't believe in stocking newly released fiction. Unless it's Twilight, required for a class, or written by an alumni. Yeah, I hate you too, bookstore.
I know I can buy the book online, but I've had bad experiences with buying books online. They're often overpriced, and the "new" books have creases down the cover when they arrive. More importantly, I was hoping to get this book TODAY so I could read it over the weekend, before all of my classes start piling on the homework.
On a more serious note, I may have FINALLY decided what I want to do with my life, or at least my career.
I'm a computer engineering/fine arts major who realized, after two years of uni, that I don't enjoy programming very much. (Nor am I very good at it.) If I have to program for more than 4-5 hours per day, I start to become very irritated and unproductive.
"That's okay, I'll just become a character modeler." I took a 3D modeling class last year. The work itself wasn't bad, though it got a bit boring after a while. However, by the end of the semester, I was convinced that this job was not for me. My models were mediocre, my lighting and texturing skills were sub-par at best, and the class critiques gave me some serious self esteem issues. (And this is coming from someone who normally handles critiques well.) Did I mention that this class produced a terrifying piece of work? THE OTTER FROM HELL! For my final project, I attempted to create a realistic otter model complete with fur. It ended up looking like a deranged cross between a Beanie Baby, a rabid dog, and a middle-aged balding man. Want to know the really scary part? While I was at Sea World, I saw an otter plush that looked almost exactly like it.
"That's okay, I'll just become a character animator." Computer Animation was definitely the most fun I've had in college! Yes, I have no social life. It was a small class that most of my friends were also taking. It seemed more like a family gathering than a college course; the professor even reminded me of my uncle. I was loving the work, until I had the brilliant idea that I wanted to animate a cat standing up, walking, running, jumping, turning, and then freaking out when it almost gets hit by a car. You know, I really should listen to my professors when they say "that's going to be hard". Let's just say I never want to animate another walk cycle again. Ever.
I was at a loss on what to do until I attended a workshop a few weeks ago, led by one of the top special effects animators in the industry. I remember watching Disney movies as a kid, staring at the rain drops, waterfalls, smoke, and fire that looked surprisingly realistic for an animated movie, and wondering "How did they do that?" Well, now I FINALLY know how they did that. And not only is it relatively easy, but it's fun! We were each required to research and animate an effect--I chose lightning--during the 3 day workshop. While I was working on the animation, it didn't feel tedious like character animation. In fact, it seemed more like a hobby than a homework assignment. It's been so long since I've experienced that feeling at school. ;__;
Granted, that was all hand-drawn special effects animation. I'm taking a CG animation course this semester, where we will simulate fire, smoke, cloth, and a number of other things. I guess I'll see how that pans out before I make my final decision, but at the moment it appears I've found my desired career path. It's nice to finally find something I'm passionate about.
Wow, that rant was longer than I intended. (And now it's after 5 am.) To make up for it, here's a cool video about lightning. Okay, the audio is a bit bland, but the first 30 seconds are worth watching for the pretty images.