Hi people. It's been a while since I last posted on this board and that's mainly because I've been busy with work as well as an animation gig I landed recently. About 2-months ago I was introduced to a naija music producer/record label owner based here in the US [Baltimore, Maryland] who wanted to make an animated music video to promote one of the up-and-coming acts on his label [a naija-based artist that goes by the name 'Toxic-man'], and propositioned me to make the video, in full-animation. Up to that point, I'd never done anything major, aside from my usual experimental pencil-tests that littered youtube and my laptop hard-drive, but I was willing to accept the challenge head-on and accepted the job -- considering, also, that I'd resolved to delve into animation full-time. So I figured why not do this to atleast get some experience under my belt and put all the knowledge I've acquired to practical use.

However, as I was to find out shortly afterward, I grossly underestimated the amount of work and effort such a task demanded, moreso for one single individual to take-on. As a [self-taught] 2D-animator of the traditional/classical genre of the medium, this meant that I had to draw almost every single frame of footage [at the rate of 20 frames-per-second] of the 4mins and 20second-length song (translating altogether to about 5,000frames/drawings], clean-up the drawing afterwards, digitize each of the drawings by scanning 'em into the computer, draw the backgrounds and repeat the same process, composite the foreground drawings onto the backgrounds, digitally color each drawing/frame one by one, synchronize the audio and the animation, compile and export the individual scenes into a video editor to piece 'em all together, and finally transfer/export the video onto mini-DV and vcd/dvd. Rest assured that I got paid for all that work, though I did give the man a discount sha, as na my first professional job be this and also because im give me the artistic freedom to do my thing. I had a deadline of two-months, max, to deliver the job, and boy did those two months breeze by so fast! Really, it was a lot work, a lot of serious hard-work, considering also that I did it all by myself and was simultaneously working my regular [full-time] 10hrs a day/5-days a week job! Sha, it was a very very enligthening experience for me, because I learned so much along the way, and will only get better.

So, here's the link to the youtube version of the hot and banging track from Toxic-Man featuring [another star-in-the-making] 'Bayo, produced by PinDown Records, animated entirely by yours truly, enjoy!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni_2pwrygws

That was a good vid.

very cool!

Urs Truly

nice and great try, but i think we can do better than that, ANIMATORS must know that 2D Animation is no moi moi (no joke), you have to draw every view, pose, animation, movement, smile, characterization on every frame for how long your movie will be and nigeria animator aint got time for detailing,

but great try, next time ensure the following

detailing
story board for story line animation
perpective animation helps in the simulation, try using (toom boom) its help in 3D orientation X, Y, Z view.
background detailing
character sychronization to music or movie story.

but hey buddie, you tried.

Wow, that was harsh!

I don't think Lafem thought it was a joke, If you read his post you can see that this is his first major project, he was under a big time constraint, and he did this to gain experience. After all that, he decided to help out other nairalanders by posting the lessons he learned. Why do you feel the need to knock someone's work? Your suggestions would have been helpful on their own without having to put down someone else's work.

I liked what he did, as did another poster,

Keep it up Lafem.
I feel You on the Time and Human Resourses constraint

@ jamari
why dont u let Lafem declare for himself if he feels slighted by Tunslikes comments.
to the best of my understanding, i dont think Tunslike dissed/knocked his work. he iterated what it takes to create an animation. the graphics forum isnt about pampering ones ego- this is where professionals tell it like it is. we have to draw the line between ass kissing, constructive, and destructive criticism- besides everything said is the posters opinion and not necessarily truth.
Critics, both fair and unfair are what drive the industry to excel.

@ Lafem
good try. great that u acknowledge u can only get better from here.

Hey guys

please note that i didn't have any bad/cristism/discrimination/condemn/ intention here, i greatly appreciated what Urs Truly did, his effort and hardwork, i have always shy away from 2D animation esp when it involves characterization cuss i know how complex and tedious it is, so he did great well believe me,

Jamari
chill a little! i aint condemning or rather making a harsh comment, if any professional understand my comment they are somethin to watch out next time, please be carefull the impression you make.

Urs Truely (Lafem)
great bro! i assumed we are all pros trying to get more skills, keep up the great work, 2D animation is no easy task. i mean, you had your own simulation and i love the path where the guys are driving beside each other, you created a depth there.

keep it up

ok, sry, pt taken

I would also like to congratulate Lafem on his effort. I've been there before and it is tough but you learn a lot through the process. When Lafem gets a bigger (proper) budget and a decent delivery schedule, the product will be a lot more polished. You only have to dig into the history of both 2D and 3D strands of animation to see where they started from. So well done for the effort.

From a critical standpoint I second what Tunslike and OKX have already said. While applauding effort we also have to judge critically because 95% of those who consume films/entertainment don't really care about the technical/human effort that goes into it. To pay their hard earned cash, they want to see a product that has been executed properly on all levels that touches them emotionally.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate graphikdon on his effort as well called business and pleasure. http://www.mayhemproductions.org/Business_And_Pleasure/Episode_1.html

@all: Thank you very much for your commendations and critiques. Truth is, I'm my own biggest critique, and I agree wholeheartedly with the criticisms herein. Matter of fact, I asked the client to allow me the opportunity to redo most of the animation and the difference is clear [like 7up]. I'll put up the edited version on youtube as soon as possible for your appraisal. Once again, thanks everyone. We live to learn.