SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group on GRAPHics and Interactive Techniques), for those who aren’t in the loop, is an annual conference and exhibition for all things creative. Basically, it’s where everyone in the industry goes to show what software and hardware they’ve been working on, talk about how they created certain effects and animation, and, of course, network.

Here’s a look at what to expect at this years SIGGRAPH:

Technical Papers

There are a ton of advancements and improvements in the software field that will be on display at SIGGRAPH. There’s something for everyone here whether your interest is in fluids, cloth animation, modeling, mesh, photography, editing and more. They have created a nice video preview of some of these on their YouTube page.

Of course, these are only a few of the amazing things that can be expected. For a full list check out the Technical Papers section of the SIGGRPAPH website.

There’s a big announcement coming from The Pixel Farm centering around a new form of tracking software they have developed. Straight from a recently released press release, it will be based on a new node-based flowgraph architecture and an industry-first in camera tracking and match moving software.

The tracking market is long overdue for an overhaul, and this is a game-changing advance from The Pixel Farm. I think they’ve just re-invented 3D tracking,” said Victor Wolansky, VFX Artist, E3post, and 3D Tracking Professor at fxphd. “New products emanating from these developments will be a ‘must-have’ for anyone involved in the visual effects business.

Parametric Reshaping of the Human Body in Images

There’s also an interesting piece of software from a group of individuals that promises to make reshaping the human body in photos as easy as adjusting their height, weight and girth. I’m sure there will be a few minute adjustments that will need to be made afterward (much like the Adobe CS5 Roto Brush), but it’s a huge leap forward, none-the-less.

Emerging Technologies

SIGGRAPH isn’t all about the software. There are many new hardware advancements that will be on display for everyone to try and/or see from 3d multitouch and other touch displays to advanced smart lasers. Check out the preview video on the YouTube and view the complete listing here.

Computer Animation, Talks and So Much More

There is so much more to see and do at SIGGRAPH, you really need to be there in order to take it all in. Even then, you won’t be able to see it all, but the experience alone would be a great thing to behold. Everything from seeing the latest animation techniques and hearing the artists who created them discus the process behind their films to the newest designs and experiences being used in video games. Check out the SIGGRAPH website for full listings of what they have in store for you.

iPhone App

This conference is huge and finding your way around is a difficult task, but if you have an iPhone, you can download the new SIGGRAPH 2010 iPhone app that gives you the listings of all the events happening day-by-day, create your own schedule, get maps of the convention center, exhibition area and L.A. (for parties and hotels), and more. This is a must have download for anyone going to SIGGRAPH, and it’s FREE! Oh, and don’t worry about losing reception and not being able to access parts of the app; it’s all stored locally on your phone. Worry free.

If you haven’t been to SIGGRAPH yet, there’s still time to attend this years event. This late in the game the prices will be higher, but even a day pass would be worth it to see what is displayed and to network with some of the greatest minds in the field. Conferences like this are the perfect place to stay ahead of the industry, meet like-minded individuals and have a great time.

SIGGRAPH 2010 is being held in the Los Angeles Convention Center. Conference times are July 25-29; Exhibition times are July 27-29. Click here for a full schedule (or download the iPhone app). Visit Siggraph.org/s2010/ for more info.

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Kook Ewo has worked on the title sequences for Splice, Silent Hill and Fracture, among many others.

We are trying something new here at FYM! Google Moderator allows anyone with a Google account to log in, post questions and vote up or down other questions if you like or dislike them. This allows you, the reader, to finally be in control!

We have an upcoming interview with Title Sequence Designer and Director, Kook Ewo (Splice, Silent Hill, Fracture), and we need your help! If you’re not familiar with his work, go check it out (http://thefrenchtitle.com) then come back here and post some questions and vote up or down other questions you like or dislike. Now is the time to finally ask a professional in the biz what you’ve always wanted to know! I’ll send him the top ten highest rated questions submitted (along with our usual questions) so start posting and voting now!

The deadline for posting and voting on questions is one week so get them in before July 9th! You will need a Google account in order to access the site. If you do not have one (and don’t want to create one) you can Direct Message me on Twitter (@fuelyourmotion) or email me the question at john@fuelyourmotionogrpahy.com and I’ll post the question on the board. Only serious submissions will be accepted.

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The brain child of Nick Campbell (GreyScaleGorilla.com, CreamyOrange.com, MakeCoolShit.com) and Trevor Turk (TrevorTurk.com, AlmostEffortless.com) and coded by Joshua Schaible (JoshuaSchaible.com), Reel Roulette follows the idea of Chat Roulette and even some earlier websites such as Hot or Not with simplicity and ease of use. What it has over those other sites is beautiful design and, moreover, great content for the motion graphics designer and an easy way for them to promote themselves and their work.

The idea behind Reel Roulette is a simple one because it was designed with simplicity in mind. In fact, this idea of simplicity was what pushed the entire design of the site from the beginning. Trevor Turk writes on his blog about the design process, “After pondering this over a couple of beers at the Ginger Man and spending some time on Chat Roulette looking for Piano Improve Guy, we decided that we should put something together. Something small. Something quick.” Thirty-two hours later, the three entrepreneurs were looking at Reel Roulette, the culmination of all their hard work which started with a simple idea on the plane ride to SXSW.

Welcome to Reel Roulette

If simplicity is what they went for, simplicity is what they came up with in the end. Right when you enter Reel Roulette you are greeted by a simple welcome page and given two options: upload your own reel and show off your work or spin the reel wheel to discover new great talent. You choose what to do and you are off on your journey of motion graphics discovery.

Spin the Wheel

When you choose to spin the wheel you are shown a random reel, a short creator bio with website and the options to vote for the reel or move on to the next one. No more wondering how to rate it on a five star scale or leaving a detailed comment on what to improve for next time–leave that for the other websites. Here, it’s just love it or leave it. It can’t get any more simple than that.

Simple Sign Up

When you choose to sign up you simply fill out a short form including your name, website and short description; add your Vimeo reel and you are done. Again, it’s as easy as that.

It’s a great, simple and fun idea that allows motion graphics designers another way to get their reel out there and allows them a way to easily see what others in the industry are up to.

All of it, of course, is for free so you don’t have a reason to at least check out ReelRoulette.net if you are a motion graphics designer, want to see some great MoGraph reels or some clean and simple web design.

Update!

Just yesterday (April, 14th), Nick Campbell and the Reel Roulette crew released an update for the website that allows a search of all the reels by location, software or specialty which is a great feature to narrow down what you are looking for; and they also added a top 20 allowing you to see the highest rated videos at that time! You can hear more about it on Nick Campbell’s blog, GreyScaleGorilla.com, or just visit the site and play around with it. These are two more great features adding to an already great website.

The Top 20 Reels

The Simple Search Window

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Curated Motion Graphics Work

Starting off, I tried to consolidate a list of innovative & inspiring motion graphics work. It definitely wasn’t an easy task to try and pick any one piece over another, especially since everyone has a different opinion over what they would consider to be amazing. With that in mind, I’ve tried to balance my selection objectively, based on progression, forward thinking, originality, and execution. I hope you enjoy my selection, and continue to support Fuel Your Motionography well into the new year. Enjoy!

Prologue – OFFF 2009 Main Titles

OFFF 2009 Main Titles from Prologue! from OFFF on Vimeo.

Wow – Infinity

Infinity by: Wow from Colorcubic on Vimeo.

Esteban Diácono – Let Yourself Feel

let yourself feel. from Esteban Diácono on Vimeo.

Christopher Hewitt – Contraction

Contraction from Christopher Hewitt on Vimeo.

Sooz / Kultnation – All That Is Solid Melts Into The Air

All that is solid melts into the air. from Sooz on Vimeo.

Onesize – OFFF 2009 Sponsor Titles

OFFF 2009 Sponsor Titles from OFFF on Vimeo.

Rob Chiu – Else Mobile

Else Mobile (The Time Has Come) from Rob Chiu on Vimeo.

Alex Roman – T & S Teaser 2

T&S Teaser2 from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

BranitVFX – World Builder

World Builder from BranitVFX on Vimeo.

Tilt Shift Effect

If I had to say any certain technique had a major impact on the motion graphics industry this year, I would have to go with the tilt shift effect. The tilt shift effect is what ultimately gives real life footage, or more specifically, stop motion footage the illusion of smallness, or small windup toys. And what better way to convey this effect then through one of the industry’s pioneers of this technique, Mr. Keith Loutit [see below].

Keith Loutit – Bathtub IV

Bathtub IV from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

Digital SLRs with HD Video

Ringing in at number three on my list of best contributions to the motion graphics industry in 2009 is Canon, and their Digital SLRs with HD Video capability. A lot of people still don’t realize, the moment Canon introduced the 5DmkII, it completely revolutionized how creative professionals in the mograph industry would produce work in the future. Not only are these dSLR cameras built very well, they’re also relatively affordable, all while shooting in HD video. Although, the real highlight of these dSLRs is the option to change out the lenses, at a fraction of the cost of a normal HD video camera. So you get all the power of Canon lenses (specifically Canon’s L series lenses), with the beauty of HD video. What more could you ask for?

Canon Rebel T1i

Canon 7D

Canon 5D mkII

Florent Porta – Tokyo Reality (Canon 5DmkII at work)

Tokyo Reality (Canon 5D MarkII) from Florent Porta on Vimeo.

Inksie Brand – 7D test film (Canon 7D at work)

7D Test Film from Inksie Brand on Vimeo.

Wesley Kandel – Palladia (Canon Rebel T1i at work)

Palladia from Wesley Kandel on Vimeo.

WANT MORE?

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There will be a Gallery Showing of works with hands-on stations at The Grassy Knoll Gallery in Portland, Oregon from 7pm-9pm on Thursday, October 29th. If you can’t meet the deadline – make something anyway! There will be an online gallery to feature all works as they are completed.

Sita Cries a River in The Greatest Break-Up Story Ever Told

The only rules:

1. The final piece must have some sort of audience interaction, and be playable in a web browser.
2. You must release the source code under the same license as the content (CC-BY-SA)

You can leave comments, questions and works-in-progress on the official page: The Interactive Open

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If you’re familiar with the Adobe MAX conferences, you probably know what they are all about. However, if you’re like me, and you only think you know what the Adobe MAX conference is, it’s time to make plans for your next chance to attend.

This year, I talked quite a bit about the Adobe MAX conferences. Sure, they were coming to Los Angeles Convention Center. Sure, Adobe is a sponsor of my user group in Hollywood. Sure, I’ve been in a couple of Adobe groups myself. But when the opportunity to go to the Adobe MAX conference session came up, I thought that it wouldn’t really be for me. After all, I’m really good at all of that, so it’s not for me, right? Wrong.

Adobe MAX is not just a chance to sit in sessions and learn about a specific application of a tool or scripting device, it’s a chance to meet the masterminds behind the Adobe product you are particularly fond of. It’s an opportunity to listen to some advanced users talk about what new ideas and new resources are out there which you may have overlooked. And, perhaps more importantly, you’ll have a chance to sit with people who — like you — use and have a specific affinity for Adobe software.

Flash, Javascript, and AJAX

The heart of the conferences at Adobe MAX this year are dominated by Flash, JavaScript and AJAX. There is no doubt that more designers will be looking to coders to deliver our content to the world on mobile devices. While as designers, animators and compositors, we will need to consider the possibility of content that is accessible by Flash, and those Flash developers will have to start considering us non-coders.

Introduction of Adobe Flash Catalyst

Adobe has already started to consider us code-newbies. Today, Adobe announced the launch of Adobe Flash Catalyst. In this morning’s session, we discussed the ever changing definitions of participation and collaboration. And, while some of us are designers at the core, we need to consider the potential of a wider audience and how we can ensure our designs flow from our desks to the code writers’ labs.

Flash Catalyst allows Photoshop or Illustrator work to move directly into interactive prototypes without having to write any “real” code.  It can be published as is, or move into the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing with Flash to build simple interactive content or huge RIAs. If you can use Photoshop, chances are you’ll have no problem with Flash Catalyst.

Beta Release of Flash CS5

Also announced today were beta release news clips (and videos) of Flash CS5. Of course, once Adobe says “CS5″, it doesn’t matter if you are using Flash or any other product in the store, you know that the community goes crazy. Tomorrow, Adobe has more in store for their community of MAX’ers and the rest of you who couldn’t make it.

MAX is about community

Adobe is there for us, talking about work, talking about fun, talking about what’s ready to show, and; Adobe is listening to what their community of users is saying.

Forget about what you thought Adobe MAX was. It’s difficult to understand without being there. You still have 2 more days to grab a session pass and come to a panel discussion. After that, you’ll have to wait until 2010 for your next chance. This is more than connecting with the applications, it’s meeting people from South Africa, Korea, and Kansas City who all like to do the same stuff you like to do — and are really, really good at it.

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It’s still quite staggering to see the numbers all these years later. It’s not certain whether another music video will top the production costs of MJ’s Scream during this decade or the years after, but it’d be interesting to see the results, especially considering how the advancements of modern technology have allowed us to achieve comparable techniques with a thousand dollar camera and home computer.

10. Michael Jackson – Bad: $2,200,000+

Director: Martin Scorsese / Original Air Date: June 1987

9. Celine Dion – It’s All Coming Back To Me Now: $2,300,000+

Director: Nigel Dick / Original Air Date: July 29, 1996

8. Busta Rhymes – What’s It Gonna Be?!: $2,400,000+

Director: Busta Rhymes & Hype Williams / Original Air Date: March 12, 1999

7. Mariah Carey – Heartbreaker: $2,500,000

Director: Brett Ratner / Original Air Date: August 16, 1999

6. MC Hammer – Too Legit To Quit: $2,500,000+

Director/Producer: MC Hammer / Original Air Date: November, 1991

5. Puff Daddy – Victory: $2,700,000+

Director: Marcus Nispel / Original Air Date: March 31, 1998

4. Madonna – Bedtime Story: $5,000,000+

Director: Mark Romanek / Original Air Date: 1995

3. Madonna – Express Yourself: $5,000,000+

Director: David Fincher / Original Air Date: May 17, 1989

2. Madonna – Die Another Day: $6,000,000+

Director: Traktor / Original Air Date: October 22, 2002

1. Michael & Janet Jackon – Scream: $7,000,000

Director: Mark Romanek / Original Air Date: June 13, 1995

Further Reading

• See the rest of the Most Expensive Music Videos at Wikipedia

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I wanted to watch some television, so I turn on the set and begin pressing the buttons on a brown box. The box has about 14 buttons on it, and a long brown wire that connects to the television set. As I make my way through the buttons, I see commercials and newscasts, boring shows for grown ups, etc. I reach the last one which is labeled Z. I press the button and the television screen turns black and white. I’m seeing a room with a formal dinner setting. People are in the room but they seem to want to leave. They can’t seem to leave for some reason. A goat appears and walks out of the room.  The people are confused.  They start trying to break a wall down in an effort to escape the room. People are yelling. I can’t understand what they are saying because they are speaking in a foreign language. There are subtitles, but I don’t know what that means yet. The words go by too fast to read. I’m not sure why I don’t change the channel, but I keep watching, keep looking. It’s 4:35 in the afternoon. Tuesday. The year is 1978. I am 7 years old and I am watching the Z channel—one of the world’s first cable stations.

Z Channel’s Impact on the Film Industry

Introduction

Jerry Harvey and the strangely named Z channel burst onto the emerging California cable scene in 1974. The few existing stations catered mostly to exclusive sports coverage or Hollywood hits. His idea—rather his goal, was to start a station dedicated to “the cinema” featuring the celebrated works from the likes of Fellini, Buñuel, Peckinpah, Bergman, Visconti, Kurosawa, Kubrick or any other noteworthy filmmaker from around the world. And that’s exactly what he did.

To understand the full impact of the Z channel, we must first remove from consideration our current landscape: Internet, DVDs, anything digital and go back to a time before Star Wars; before blockbuster mega hits in general. We must return to a time when print and word of mouth were the only realistic way one could ever hear of such films and directors. You might get a chance to see a current Kurosawa film as the reels tour the U.S., but you could only read about his back catalogue of films. A student of film in the ’70s might have the privileged experience of seeing some of the older imported gems in class but in general, foreign films were, well, foreign.

The late ’70s and early ’80s were truly the heyday of television. The business of cable was an entirely new concept and no one was quite sure what to make of it at first. Beyond the game shows, news, sports coverage and hit T.V. shows, stations aired re-runs like Gilligan’s Island and The Twilight Zone, classic movies, and old cartoons on every channel. We saw the birth of  new cartoons and the subsequent Saturday morning cartoon phenomenon, Godzilla and MGM horror movies on weekends, made for T.V. movies, and even television ‘cuts’ of movies that had R ratings in the theaters—Halloween by John Carpenter and The Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola being two examples. Cable really didn’t have much to offer beyond the three main things T.V. couldn’t offer—R rated movies, live sports broadcasts, and pornography.

A cable station featuring foreign and art house films certainly would have failed had it been launched in Des Moines, Iowa, but in Los Angeles it flourished. In 1974, Martin Scorsese was finishing his first film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Stephen Spielberg was working on his first, Sugarland Express. It was an incredibly prolific time and creativity was king. The success of Midnight Cowboy released in 1969 by maverick filmmaker John Schlesinger had changed a lot of things. It was a story about a Texas dishwasher who moves to New York to become a hustler, blindly thinking that rich women will pay to have sex with a young Texas stud. His dreams clash with reality and he soon finds himself homeless and running out of money. After a few failed attempts at male prostitution lead him to utter helplessness, he befriends another lost soul. The film won three Academy Awards including best picture. Hollywood was changing indeed and the Z channel was  immediately embraced by it’s community. Jerry Harvey and his cable channel quickly became the talk of the town making the scene, meeting people and setting up premires of new and classic foreign films in America with Theater owners.

Widescreen on Television

Back at the Z channel, Harvey introduced the virtually unheard of process of letterboxing on T.V. to an unsuspecting audience, sometimes going as far as contacting filmmakers or studios asking for original reels in order to make a transfer in the films original aspect ratio. Widescreen feels natural now, but at the time it was revolutionary. Films like Ben-Hur or How the West Was Won with their huge 70mm prints were cropped down for television and hadn’t been seen in their original aspect ratios in tens of years. It would take production companies another ten years to warm up to the idea of releasing widescreen videos, and now with DVDs, it is unheard of to be denied the full aspect ratio of the filmmakers’ vision. But Harvey wasn’t just ahead of his time, he was lightyears ahead of his time.

The Director’s Cut

By the mid ’80s, his devotion to the filmmakers’ vision would introduce us to another now household term: the Director’s Cut. Heaven’s Gate, a box office disaster whose merits are still debated to this day, had cost 42 million dollars and made only 3 million after terrible reviews. It basically sank United Artists and started a huge controversy in Hollywood. The studio had to cut down his five hour long film into something realistic for theaters, and nobody was happy with the 149 minute result. Crimino’s previous film The Deer Hunter released in 1978 was a huge hit, winning the Academy Awards for best picture and best director. At that time, Hollywood was experiencing great success with these young directors. Spielberg would get millions to do a movie, and the movie became a hit, so the studio would make billions. Studios had little reason to interfere with these maverick directors. But Heaven’s Gate ruined all that. Hollywood blockbusters would not be left up to chance anymore. But strangely, when the film aired on the Z channel a few years later in a three and a half hour ‘director’s cut’, it became a hit. The Z channel soon followed with more director’s cuts like the the five-hour cut of Bertolucci’s masterpiece 1900, which was also disastrously cut by the studio. After years of attempts at re-releasing it in everything from a shorter PG version to a longer R-rated and finally an NC-17 sort of longer version, it got a proper release in its uncut, unedited five-hour glory in 2006, something that the Z channel was happy to show way back in the mid 80s.

The End of Z Channel

With the introduction of the consumer VCR in the early ’80s, the landscape of entertainment certainly changed. Star Wars was changing things with its toy and merchandising franchise. Cable networks were popping up. Now a kind of funny thing happens. But again you must forget about how we use technology today to see it. Today we can get instant feedback via the computer. We can track how many people visited our site today. We can make instant graphs and charts. Hollywood then and today has had to take a big chances. Even with star power, you can’t guarantee a movie’s success. But the new craze of VHS and Beta rental tapes soon proved to be a more than useful aide to Hollywood itself.

First Blood is a good example. Rambo is a household name. An icon of the ’80s with a huge franchise. But the interesting thing is that First Blood was a dud in the theaters. Stallone was still coming off of Rocky fame—hence the “this time he’s fighting for his life” tagline for the title. But it basically did nothing money-wise or for Stallone’s career. His next film was even worse; a ridiculous piece of garbage called Rhinestone co-starring Dolly Parton. But then out of nowhere First Blood became a huge hit on VHS. Sales of tapes probably had people guessing for a while but they eventually made Rambo: First Blood Part II which was a huge hit on the screen and started a trend in crappy action movies. Other films like The Breakfast Club would become VHS classics and create a another trend—the modern teen movie that would last well past the ’80s. Low budget horror films become video hits and a sequel with a higher budget is made and a nice and safe system is born. Hollywood had found a formula that didn’t require the maverick filmmaker at all.

All of this meant certain doom for the Z channel. Cable station were popping up everywhere, offering the latest hot Hollywood films and in the end, Rambo beat The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie. At its peak, the Z channel only had 100,000 subscribers. In the early days of cable, that was a fine number since there were so few to compare it to. Jerry Harvey’s world was coming to an end, and he would never live to see his ideas and impact on the film community. His ideas became memes embedded in every filmmaker, actor, director who was lucky enough to see the Z channel.

Epilogue

I was much too young to understand what I was seeing and I’m sad to say I didn’t watch more. Even in my early teens, I’m sorry to say I wasn’t instantly  influenced to become a filmmaker after viewing the works of the most important filmmakers in the world. The truth is, I was like every other kid in my initial quest for T.V. entertainment; I was looking for Godzilla, Kung Fu movies, cartoons or a show I liked. But if I couldn’t find anything I would always check the Z channel just to see what might be playing as a last resort.

Years later, I would fall in love with film and revisit many of the images I had observed as a curious child. I would discover Film Noir and start watching everything I could get my hands on. A scene would happen and I’d remember seeing it on the Z channel. Before DVDs, you had to rely on imported videos from Europe or Japan to see a lot of great films in widescreen or uncut versions. I was into Sergio Leone at the time and was happy to see a crappy bootleg with chinese subtitles just to see a widescreen version of one of his films. I remember when Once Upon a Time in the West finally came out on DVD around 2005 or 2006. Perfect image. Widescreen with the correct aspect ratio. Uncut. Restored sound. Just like the version that played on the Z channel more that 20 years earlier.

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With a recent surge in the number of 3D movies being released, it seems that 3D is certainly enjoying the spotlight. The last year alone has seen the release of My Bloody Valentine, Bolt, Coraline, G-Force, Monsters vs Aliens, The Final Destination and Up, and that is by no means a definitive list. This begs the question of why now, and is the rise of 3D movies worth talking about? In order to obtain more insight into this matter, we need to think about the good, the bad, and the future of cinema.

The Good

Perhaps the biggest advantage 3D movies have right now is that they are still a novelty. Yes, this year has seen an influx of them, but they do have a long way to go before they outnumber 2D movies. For now, 3D movies do seem to be high on studio’s agendas, and they are being used to breathe new life into otherwise forgotten or badly reviewed movie franchises. Only time will tell as to how successful this will be.

Another string to the 3D bow is that there is the potential to take audiences into the reality on the screen. I recently watched a 3D horror movie and people were jumping in their seats and grabbing in the air. There was a fun, social energy in the auditorium; one that I have never experienced with a 2D movie. 3D undoubtedly makes what we are seeing more vivid and dare I say it, real. We can almost touch the world the characters exist in, and there have been a few rare moments where I felt like I was at the same table as the characters I was watching. But ‘rare’ is the key word here; it isn’t always that easy to blur the boundary between our worlds and the worlds on the cinema screen, which leads nicely onto the downside of 3D movies.

The Bad

Some movie-goers have experienced motion sickness during a 3D movie. It is yet to be determined if it’s the 3D itself or the glasses. Either way, there has been a strong correlation between 3D movies and headaches and sickness. The glasses are another argument against 3D movies. Some may have no qualms, but for others, they can be uncomfortable and distracting. Thankfully, we have moved away from the days of cardboard glasses, and cinemas now offer plastic specs at an extra cost.

Another negative aspect is style over substance. A 3D movie might well break all box office records but it could be awful in terms of narrative, character development and emotional impact. The Final Destination was a recent example of this. The story was ridiculous, the acting less than impressive, and the characters forgettable, yet it managed to find an audience and was by no means a disaster.

Currently, 3D is an exciting experience on the big screens, but what about when we watch these movies at home? I recently watched Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3D at home and it didn’t quite work; not for me anyhow. My TV is of average size, and the 3D effects simply did not translate well. At this moment in technological time, 3D movies provide little to no dimensional impact on the small screen, and that isn’t the only area where they fail to transcend.

Lastly, modern 3D genres are limiting. The majority of 2009’s 3D releases fall into the category of animation, placed alongside a few horror movies thrown in for cheap thrills. When will we see a stunning 3D movie from another genre?

The Future

In a recent issue of Empire Magazine, Peter Jackson was reported saying that he wants to make 3D versions of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, but the Warner Bros. says there aren’t enough 3D screens to justify this. Jackson also has 3D visions to release a remake of the classic 1954 film, The Dam Busters. With a budget of £24 million, this will certainly be on everyone’s watchlist. There is still a long way to go before 3D can really dominate and as it currently stands, such movies can only be shown in selected cinemas. James Cameron’s action/adventure/sci-fi  movie Avatar is imminent, and if we believe the hype and the articles to date, it may change the face of cinema forever according to CNN. It is also reported that 2010 will see the release of a 3D television, and we are also promised 3D versions of Toy Story and a tie-in 3D computer game. Regardless of all the arguments against it, 3D looks to have a big future ahead of it.

Further Reading

• 3-D Film at Wikipedia
• The Illustrated 3D Movie List
• AMC’s Top Ten 3D Movies

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Content Creation

These days, the web is filled with incredible amounts of video content. In every medium, from journalism to entertainment, the number of creators and consumers has massively increased, and a majority of video content is provided by the general community. Corporate production companies and mainstream media outlets are now feeling the pressure from their new competition. Some would call this, “The rise of the amateur.”

Quality vs. Quantity

When it comes to video, web is the king of quantity. Creating video for the web has become increasingly easy. With millions of content creators now producing their own video for the web, a bulk of it is very poor quality.

In today’s saturated market, well-produced quality video content is extremely important in order to float atop the infinite sea of online videos. Creators are recognizing this and spending more time and money on producing their videos to separate themselves from the masses of amateur content. This is still not enough. Businesses, start-ups and bloggers are now contracting professionals to produce and polish their content to be consumed by the masses.

Motionography is very important for content providers to be successful. A lot of them just don’t know it, or would rather cut corners. Millions are spent on marketing campaigns and social media gurus are paid ridiculous salaries. Yet, somehow one forgets what makes these videos so popular in the first place: a visual message worth sharing.

The Motionographer’s Role

This new market is a starving beast. Our role is to help turn this average content into quality content by feeding the struggling creators with slick motion intros, engaging infographics, beautiful animations and everything else necessary to establish distinct video content on the web.

So what can we do?

Never settle for mediocrity, and always strive to learn more. Pass your knowledge onto newcomers in this industry, and educate current and prospective clients. Drink plenty of whiskey water. Also:

Stay informed and ahead of the market.

• Keep an eye on Mashable’s Video lists.
• Read Advertising Age & AdAge’s MediaWorks
• NAB 2009: TV Production in the Age of YouTube

Be inspired.

• Check out FYM’s Curated Series
• TED: Ideas Worth Spreading

Check out these recommended job boards:

• Motionographer Jobs
• Mograph Jobs Forum
• Krop
• CGnews Job Board
• Behance Network Job Board
• Coroflot Job Board
• MediaBistro Job Listings
• Mandy Film/TV Jobs

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NATHAN LAUD

Various works by Squash and Stretch

Squash and Stretch is in it’s 2nd year of trading focusing on 3d animation, taking on freelancers as and when needed. I spoke with Animation Director Nathan Laud on how his company has performed during the recession.

Have you noticed a significant downturn in the last 12 months?

No not really. I have quiet periods and extremely busy periods. If anything the quantity of work has increased. This is probably due to the fact I’m only in my second year of trading and the first year took a little while to get going.

Have you noticed a change in clients expectations, attitudes and budgets?

If I compare them to budgets for work when I was at a larger company then yes, but then that is why I set up on my own. Even before the economic downturn I could see that people wanted more for their money and using big post production companies was becoming too expensive. By setting up on my own without any of the overheads it has allowed me to produce the same level of work but for about half the rate. They don’t get to come and sit in a nice office but they are happy to sacrifice this.

Are you optimistic that the next 12 months will see an upturn in business?

Yes. I feel I’m ideally positioned to take advantage of the fact that budgets have been falling. More and more clients are realising that they can still get the high quality from a skilled individual.

DEBBIE DARBY

Debbie Darby has been a Producer for over 20 years working for companies such as Lambie-Nairn and Smoke and Mirrors. She is now a Freelance Producer at COI.

Have you noticed a significant downturn in the last 12 months?

Yes, Work slowed down for me in March 2009

What cost saving measures have you introduced, if any?

Business life – to cut down on travel costs I only come into London when there’s more than one meeting/production to be done. Personal life – Shopping at Asda rather than Sainsburys (!)

Have you noticed a change in clients expectations, attitudes and budgets?

Clients want it all with a much shorter schedule and for much less money than before.

Have you noticed an increase in competition? Are your competitors reducing rates to win business?

I guess all producer’s fees are dropping, there are lots of people out there ready to work for a lower daily rate.

JOHN PENNEY

John Penney is Creative Director at Writemedia employing 10 people working in web design, flash animation and motion graphics.

Has the type of work you’ve taken on changed in any way, if so how?

We take on less large scale projects with several smaller, quick turnaround jobs replacing them.

Have you noticed a change in clients expectations, attitudes and budgets?

Budgets have definitely been trimmed so it’s a case of what you can do in that time. As we don’t want the quality of work to suffer, we ultimately end up spending more time than quoted to get the job done to keep clients happy and the standard of work high.

Have you noticed an increase in competition? Are your competitors reducing rates to win business and are you, in turn, expected to follow suit?

Competitors are increasing their efforts but by keeping our working relationships on a good basis we hope this (combined with a high standard of work and competitive prices) will sway them to stay.

Are you optimistic that the next 12 months will see an upturn in business?

Definitely optimistic. You have to be in this industry!

STUART SIMPSON

Various works by Stuart Simpson

Stuart Simpson is a freelance designer / animator based in London, UK.

Have you noticed a significant downturn in the last 12 months? Within that period have you noticed a particular time when business was slow or picking up?

The last 6 months of 2008 were non-stop, and in comparison I had always expected a quiet period at the start of this year. It extended slightly longer than I’d thought and work didn’t really start picking up again until the end of February and beginning of March.

Has the type of work you’ve taken on changed in any way, if so how?

It’s become more varied. A large part of last year was spent on DVD menu work. Which is surprising given the lower budgets compared to a few years ago. The quieter periods for in house work have given me the time to focus on operating as an independent studio. I can take on multiple projects and really devote quality time to them. The Hotel Trubble title sequence for the BBC and advertising shorts for an American insurance firm were two of the highlights.

Have you noticed a change in clients expectations, attitudes and budgets?

Expectations are always high! I think there is a tendancy to negotiate fees more. It depends on the nature of the client, B2B and corporate work seems more financially stable at the moment.

Have you noticed an increase in competition? Are your competitors reducing rates to win business and are you, in turn, expected to follow suit?

It is very competative at the moment. I’ve seen a lot of new showreels out there. The problem is motion graphics covers a large area of technical knowledge and design creativity. The first hurdle is – do you meet the clients needs? The most important question for the client is can you do the job? and are you available? Once on that shortlist it might become a rates race but I think it usually gets decided before it reaches that stage.

Are you optimistic that the next 12 months will see an upturn in business?

I’m a glass half full kind of guy! I have goals in mind and so far things are on track. It’s well known the industry is evolving. I think it might be tough times for large companies, but I think it can only give people like myself exciting opportunities.

CLOSING

After talking with Nathan, Debbie, John and Stuart, it’s clear that they have all embraced this downturn and are trying to do something positive about it. We’ve probably all been affected by the recession in one way or another, and know someone who has been laid off. We can either sit back and hope it will ride out, or positively try to make a change and look for new opportunities.

When asked what he thought about the recession, fashion designer John Galliano simply said, “There is a credit crunch, not a creative crunch. It’s our job to make people dream, and to provide the value in quality, cut, and imagination.” Words wisely spoken.

We’d love to hear about how your creative business has coped with the recession.

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