You know in the world of animation where I live in-betweening is a very important skill to master.
You see, before studios started all their silly outsourcing, they would go out into the world and hire young, bright, creative men and women who had a desire to better themselves, and would offer them jobs as in-betweeners.
In-betweening was where you learned how to find your place. You would try out different styles, different techniques, always working with the guidance of those animators who had already gone through this and moved on to the next level.
Some people found they were good at seeing the potential in things and went on to be colorists, filling simple line drawings with a myriad of colors, giving them depth and context.
Others found they were good at finding order within chaos. Looking at a drawing where the key artist had used 500 lightly shaded lines, and knowing which one was the right one for the final image and they worked as line cleaners. Giving the animation a smooth and polished look.
Other's were destined to lead, they became key animators. They took the risks, made funny faces in mirrors, and boldly set down the first images on the page that others would follow to make a complete story.
In-betweening is scary at first. You're new to it, you're worried you can't cut it, things sometimes seem to all go horribly wrong and you don't see how you'll ever get your pages done on time. But as you work on it and grow comfortable with it, in--betweening becomes easier. You learn the skills you need, find your own style, get to know the people that you need to know, and eventually figure out which path you want to take.
So as you've glimpsed, in-betweening is scary, but it's just because it's your first step toward a huge world of possibility. A lot of us are still in the in-between phase. There are some natural artists out there who move up the ladder quickly and get to where they're going with seemingly little effort. But then there are those of us, who aren't gifted with natural skill. So we work longer and harder, and some day we'll get there too.
I'm still in the in-betweening department with you my friend. So at least you know that while you're struggling to hone your craft, you've got plenty of people on either side of you working on the same thing, and willing to go out with you after work and complain about our days. =)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2012-08-09 11:35 am (UTC)You see, before studios started all their silly outsourcing, they would go out into the world and hire young, bright, creative men and women who had a desire to better themselves, and would offer them jobs as in-betweeners.
In-betweening was where you learned how to find your place. You would try out different styles, different techniques, always working with the guidance of those animators who had already gone through this and moved on to the next level.
Some people found they were good at seeing the potential in things and went on to be colorists, filling simple line drawings with a myriad of colors, giving them depth and context.
Others found they were good at finding order within chaos. Looking at a drawing where the key artist had used 500 lightly shaded lines, and knowing which one was the right one for the final image and they worked as line cleaners. Giving the animation a smooth and polished look.
Other's were destined to lead, they became key animators. They took the risks, made funny faces in mirrors, and boldly set down the first images on the page that others would follow to make a complete story.
In-betweening is scary at first. You're new to it, you're worried you can't cut it, things sometimes seem to all go horribly wrong and you don't see how you'll ever get your pages done on time. But as you work on it and grow comfortable with it, in--betweening becomes easier. You learn the skills you need, find your own style, get to know the people that you need to know, and eventually figure out which path you want to take.
So as you've glimpsed, in-betweening is scary, but it's just because it's your first step toward a huge world of possibility. A lot of us are still in the in-between phase. There are some natural artists out there who move up the ladder quickly and get to where they're going with seemingly little effort. But then there are those of us, who aren't gifted with natural skill. So we work longer and harder, and some day we'll get there too.
I'm still in the in-betweening department with you my friend. So at least you know that while you're struggling to hone your craft, you've got plenty of people on either side of you working on the same thing, and willing to go out with you after work and complain about our days. =)