Well production is on its way!!! We are in the mist of creating a title sequence for the studio using the Muk-Muk character. We roughed out 1 of 5 clips that will be in the opening shot.
Check out our Facebook page and follow along as we produce this really awesome project. There is nothing more inspiring then seeing your creations come alive!

-MUK-MUK clip 1 of 5-
Don't forget to follow us on our website for more updates at 2D Magic.

This is it! New Project for P2Studios!

It is a series called: Muk-Muk of the Divine Forrest. Still playing with the title.
It is going to be one of the most fascinating, heartwarming, gut wrenching, harrowing series I have seen yet, and I have seen many in my life. I want a quality story, animation, art form that will inspire generations to come.  We will be formulating a kick-starter campaign to organize more talented animators to work along side of us to bring this series to life. So stay tuned!!

22 Rules of Story telling from Pixar!

I could not have put it better! Kudos to Former Pixar story artist Emma Coats

Just a heads up

Hello to those who reads my blog. First of all, I write this blog for you and others in the pursuit of 2D animation. In that spirit I have started a website to showcase everything 2D. Please feel free to stop in and watch some featured videos, and those who also are just starting out that I want to showcase. If you have a short or a clip of your work and would love to gain some exposure, please feel free to contact me and I will be glad to review it and post it to my site as long as it is artistically appropriate. Your video will also appear on our YouTube video channel and possibly win an award for your work. we will be holding monthly challenges and award prizes!! So enter as many times as you like to increase your chances at some great swag!

Here is our website address : 2D Magic
Here is our YouTube Channel : 2D Magic Awards YouTube Channel

Feel free to comment or submit your work today!!!!

Another fine example of 2D Animation

What better way to gain insight into 2D animation then to watch a master explain how he does it!
Glen Keane discusses his process on the work he did in the Disney Aladdin Film.
Watch and be amazed....

Even this is a short insight into the process, a picture is worth a thousand words.
As he flips through the drawings that took him a while to accomplish, you will see how expressive his drawings are along with the action lines and interaction with other characters. His lines are so fluid and move with purpose and commitment through his art work. Something we can aspire to be like.

Any thoughts or comments are welcome, let us know what your process is!

Learning from the Masters Series -102

Learning from the Masters Series - 102

Weight - Mass & Destiny
      Mass of a character or their density affects every action that takes place within the shot. There are environmental elements that also play upon the characters mass and density.
The first element is gravity, gravity affects all objects differently due to mass (displacement) or shape.
    A good example of this is how characters walk. Characters come in all different sizes, shapes and demeanor. What ever action that a character takes they will be affected by these elements. Imagine a character walking down the street. An average person or "Basic character" would have a normal gate and their arms would swing back and forth in rhythm the stride.

As you can see in the image above that there is many ways that the characters body moves due to the effects of gravity and density. Because of this, characters will behave differently and move differently then the "basic walk" that is taught to all animators. The original nine use to have drawing sessions where they would challenge each other to draw as many different walks they could. Some where casual and close to basic, but some where drawn so exaggerated you would think their legs would snap from so much twisting. Pushing the boundaries on how the body moves without breaking the laws of physics is a fascinating exercise to say the least.
      The mood or disposition of the character also affects the way the move and interact with the object in their surroundings. If someone is happy they have more energy in their step, when they are sad they have the tendency to drag their feet, slouch and mope slowly. There are hundreds, even thousands of different ways yo can draw your characters walk, it is all dependent on all these internal and external elements that play upon your character. The way to navigate and understand the purpose for your character is to give them a goal or direction to navigate. Once they have this purpose and direction you can then figure out the path that they need to follow. Don't always stick to the norm when animating your characters or stories, find how you can stretch the boundaries of both the story and your characters.

Flash, Toonboom Animate, Digicel, Flipbook? Which do you use to bring life to your creations?

Here is an off topic today, but one that helps us reflect on the tools that we use as amateur or professional animator. I have tried almost every type of software out there looking for the easiest and fastest workflow that would produce my shorts. In all my research I have found that one, there is no shortcuts to great animation. It is usually the most slowest and traditional methods that produce the best results. Two, you are only as good as your knowledge of the tools you use. The software that you use may be simple to use like Flipbook, but does this serve your needs, or are you just trying to make simple less complex animations. Or if you want to go to semi-pro level and use Flash Pro to create your stories, the program is more complex, but offers more flexibility with plug-in's and back end coding. If you are ready for the big leagues you might try Toonboom Animate Pro. This program allows the greatest freedom of creativity in all dimensions (4 of them, x,y,z and time), but the learning curve is a bit extreme. Some Flash users will find the transition to be easier, but still difficult in learning how the animation process actually works through the software. It all comes down to passion, how far and how much are you dedicated to your craft? Are you willing to put in the time, money and effort it takes to make a finished polished product that can win awards? Or is this just a hobby you do in your spare time. Whatever your purpose is, remember that there is no shortcut. I have struggled with this for a long time, but now I still put in a lot of time learning the software so that it can reflect my imagination and my passion. Out of all the software that I have tried along the way, I have to say that both Flash Pro and Animate Pro 2 from ToonBoom are the best that offers the most potential for my needs. I also use Photoshop Cs 5.5 to create assets and import them into into my animation software. Learning these programs on the other hand has been a challenge. But like I have mentioned before, if you are very serious and passionate about it, you will put in the time, money and effort to make it a part of your life.I have found online tutorials and places like Digital Tutors to be extremely helpful and full of resources. If you have a favorite software or "tool" that helps you express your imagination, please comment below and share with us why and how it helps you. Maybe we will find a new "tool" that will take us in the direction we are searching for.