Gini

source : http://www.pixar.com/artistscorner/andrew/interview.html


How do you animate characters in the computer?The characters are built on the computer as models. These models are then given avars. Avars are the controls assigned to each part of the model. There’s avars in the face, the limbs, etc. We use these avars as a puppeteer would use the strings on a puppet to get the desired movement. The movement of each avar on a character model gets recorded on the computer in distance and time. Adjustments are made accordingly until we are satisfied with the motion of the model.

你怎麼在電腦中作動畫的？

我們的人物都是在電腦裡面建立起來的模型，這些模型之後會加avars(animation variables，類似Maya之中Channel Box裡面的參數，或是Rig)上去，avars是那些放在人物各部分上面的控制器，臉部有avars，四肢也都有avars，我們使用這些avars來控制模型，就像傀儡師用線來控制傀儡一樣，我們不斷調整動作，這些avars的數字也同時不斷被電腦紀錄下來，直到我們滿意人物的表演為止

Avars(animation variables) 動畫變量 :是指變量控制動畫對象的部分位置，例如一個角色。

Gini

source : http://www.pixar.com/artistscorner/andrew/interview.html

It sounds fast-paced.We try to be creative but also work within the schedule of the shot. A shot sheet says how many frames a shot has and how much time you have to work on it. It’s important to work within the schedule allotted because the shot usually has to go through other aspects of film production, such as special effects, lighting and shading. In order for us to be able to put our movie out in time, we have to allow for time in each aspect of the production process but sometimes there are technical difficulties that happen that we can’t anticipate.

聽起來製作的節奏很快

我們在這樣的節奏中試著保持創造力，不過當然也要能夠準時完成鏡頭，鏡頭進度表(shot sheet)上頭會寫一個鏡頭有幾格，也會寫你有多少時間可以做，要能夠準時交出完成的鏡頭是非常重要的，因為之後鏡頭還得要打光或製作特效等等。所以要能夠準時完成影片，就得控制好進度，雖然常常也會有我們無法預期的技術問題發生。

Shot sheet: 鏡頭進度表， 表示一個鏡頭會有幾格，也會顯示你有多少時間可以完成

Neil

source : http://www.pixar.com/artistscorner/andrew/interview.html

We have an immediate supervisor, then the art directors, then the director. First, I show the shot to my supervisor. When my supervisor thinks it's ready, it's reviewed by the art directors (such as the lighting director, etc.). They would say do a little of this and that, and when they like it we show it to the director. At Pixar, you get to sit down right next to the director and receive suggestions and fixes. That one-on-one is a nice thing, you don't get that at all studios.

如何檢閱你的鏡頭

我們有一個直接的指導者，然後美術指導，最後導演。首先，我展示鏡頭給指導者看。當我的指導者覺得鏡頭是可以的，它會被美術指導再檢閱過(例如燈光指導…等) 他們會說做一點點這個和那個，當他們喜歡它時，我們會展示給導演看。在皮克斯，你要坐在導演旁邊，然後聽導演的建議及修改。一對一是一件很好的事情，你不用待在整個工作室裡。

Art director藝術指導: 指負責影片中布景設計的人。
Lighting director 燈光指導: 負責測量最佳的曝光值搭並搭配美術風格以打出完善的光影效果

Andrew

source : http://www.pixar.com/artistscorner/andrew/interview.html

You wear many hats at Pixar-you're both a director of photography and co-writer and -director of the short film One Man Band. First, tell me more about your work as a director of photography.

As director of photography for The Incredibles, I helped provide for director Brad Bird detailed story reels with camera moves and temporary effects before it went into production (this is also known as animatics). Because I have a background in live action, my role was to create that natural imperfection in the shots that people are used to seeing. Computers make everything perfect, so I would add the effect of what it would look like if a guy were holding a camera and it were real. I added camera shakes, imperfections and rotations to give a dynamic edge to the scenes. I would also supervise and work with the animators and layout, and supervise the transition of camera movement into 3-D.


在皮克斯，你戴很多帽子。你是《許願池》的攝影導演兼聯合作者及短片導演。首先，告訴我更多有關你當一個攝影導演的工作。

身為超人特攻隊的攝影導驗，在它進入到製作之前，我幫忙提供布萊德博德導演電影故事細節的膠捲和暫時的效果。(這也就是所知的動態腳本) 因為我有實況播送情節的背景，我的角色在攝影中去創造人們通常看得到的自然瑕疵。電腦使每件事都很完美，所以我增加點它看起來像假如有個人正在拿著攝影機攝影的效果。 在螢幕上有了力學的優勢，我增加了攝影機震動，瑕疵和旋轉。我也監督和動畫家一起工作及版面編排，並且監督把攝影機裡的影像轉換到3-D影像。

Interview With Gini

Gini

sorce:http://www.pixar.com/artistscorner/gini/interview.html

你的一天通常都是怎麼過的？

在影片製作階段，每天早上我們動畫師跟導演都會在一間小放映室開會，稱作dailies (日報)，對導演來說，他可以知道我們的進度，對我們來說，則可以知道我們做的東西方向對不對，這也是個藉由看同事的作品，讓自己獲得靈感的機會，導演會看每個鏡頭的表演是否感覺正確，該有的動作是否都有，會議之後我就開始工作，有時我會請同事看我的作品給些意見，我們也會有walkthrough(演練)，這時導演會來我們位子看我們這天做的東西。

During film production, the animators get together every morning in a small screening room with the director in what’s called “dailies.” It’s a chance for the director to see where we’re at in the shots that have been assigned to us, and for the animators to find out if they’re going in the right direction. It’s also a chance to become inspired by the other animators’ work. The director is looking at whether a shot is feeling the way it should, and the action is doing what it should. After that, I start working. Sometimes I call other animators in to get feedback on my work. We also have walkthroughs when the director comes around to see what we’ve worked on during the day.

The maker of information: 97116147

Pixar’s Brad Bird on Fostering Innovation

布來得 伯特

source:http://gigaom.com/2008/04/17/pixars-brad-bird-on-fostering-innovation/

Pixar’s Brad Bird on Fostering Innovation

這一季的季刊:在今日,迪士尼早期的事業跟Pixar你要如何比較?

Lesson Nine: Making $$ Can’t Be Your FocusThe Quarterly: How would you compare the Disney of your early career with Pixar today?

布來得 伯特:當我進入迪士尼,這就好像是豪華的凱迪拉克旅行汽車在雨中PS:就算是好車，再雨中也會被忽略，因為看不清楚，就不會去看。但是這公司的想法過程並不是這樣,我們有各式各樣驚人的遊樂設施與機械設備,我們要如何用這些設備去做些史人興奮的事情我門可以用這艘火箭船到火星是可以,不過我門一點也不了解Walt Disney,我們並不了解他要做什麼.我們不要讓這件事搞雜了.我們可以先保管這火箭船;去某些新地方可能會弄壞它! Walt Disney的箴言就是,我並不要製作電影去賺錢—我賺錢去製作電影對於評斷迪士尼的起與落，這是一個好方法。在皮克斯跟很多的公司之中，這也是事實這似乎違反常理,但是以研發為基礎的公司，成功的經營是短暫的,賺錢並不能成為重點。

Brad Bird: When I entered Disney, it was like a classic Cadillac Phaeton that had been left out in the rain… The company’s thought process was not, “We have all this amazing machinery—how do we use it to make exciting things?We could go to Mars in this rocket ship!”It was, “We don’t understand Walt Disney at all. We don’t understand what he did.Let’s not screw it up. Let’s just preserve this rocket ship; going somewhere new in it might damage it.”Walt Disney’s mantra was,“I don’t make movies to make money—I make money to make movies.” That’s a good way to sum up the difference between Disney at its height and Disney when it was lost.It’s also true of Pixar and a lot of other companies.It seems counterintuitive, but for imagination-based companies to succeed in the long run, making money can’t be the focus.

The maker of information: 97116114