I have experience in taking the traditional animation I have made for my film and importing it into flash for clean up, color, etc.  Basically I use CS3 and import a video as an embeded SWF so I can scroll and see the animation and all that jazz.  I then create another layer over the animation and fill it in white with the opacity reduced to 80% or 90%, this gives me just enough contrast between the underlying animation and the clean up lines.   Try to do this on a shot by shot basis, too much imported animation can bog down your program something fierce.   If you need any more assistance you can find me here or email me at stannardrpr@yahoo.com.   Best of luck on your film! 

I haven't had time to read the whole thing yet, but just from browsing your portfolio I can say that I don't see you having any issues getting into CalArts and I think you should also try and secure some scholarships.

I believe you, Mel, and I are the 13th disctrict and are in Oakland County.  That means the following info applies.   Representative:  (D) Andrew Kandrevas Location, N 0692 HOB.  Phone, 517-373-0845.  Email, AndrewKandrevas@house.mi.gov Senator: (R) John Pappageorge Location, S-2 Capitol Bldg.  Phone, 517-373-2523, Fax 517-373-5669, Email, SenJPappageorge@Senate.michigan.gov   To download the latest research on the Michigan Tax incentives and their impact on the people of Michigan, view or download the studies PDF via this link:  http://visitdetroit.com/images/stories/_blog/michigan_film_incentive_studyf.pdf  

Wow, never cease to amaze! :)Thank you both for taking the time not only to critique, but draw notes, and even do a fantastic re-timing!  The first part of this scene, (b) as Mark had stated, was very difficult to portray believably.  I wanted to really convey that the father is almost petrified at the destruction of his work, and is in a state of disbelief.  You're right that I should tighten up the time I spend in each pose, timing has never been a strong suit of mine and one I plan to keep working on.Staging the brush is another great point, and one I obviously overlooked as I focused on other parts of the scene.  This shows why it is always good to have a fresh pair of eyes look at your work.Due to the fathers complex design it has been difficult for me to convey a clear line of action, and your thumbnails will help me greatly. :)  Making sincere animation can be difficult when dealing with a heavily emotional scene, and as Jen pointed out, overacting or giving too much motion can run the risk of making the shot unintentionally comical.  Thank you again for the re-timing, I am really beginning to get a more solid feel for the shot now!I will take these notes and begin reworking my shot the next time I have access to a light table.  Thank you both for taking the time to do this and I hope this demonstrates why the Mentoring program is a worth while endeavor for any animator hoping to improve their craft. The critiques were very clear and well written.  I was excited to see how you discovered certain areas of my shot that needed improvement and how each of you think about improving the same animation. This is a great program and one I plan on revisiting once I have progressed my shot. -Patrick Stannard-

Mario Furmanczyk and Jennifer Hager have agreed to a proposal I set forth to make their critique of my animation public.  I have made this post on the forum as a location for that critique to happen though it may be moved, edited, etc at Mario's leisure. :)   Video and Context:   The shot up for critique is towards the end of my film and represents a pivotal moment of the film when the father is unable to direct or disperse of his anger in his traditional form of breaking a brush, and must deal with the fact that his son has just caused the destruction of months and months of work.  A 20 foot painting now face down on the ground, frames Brianelli, the father, as he stands pillar-esc out of the torn canvas.  He's a powerful man that has trouble holding in his explosive temper, but his love for Emilio causes him to find other avenues to deal with his frustration.  This scene represents the moment when Brianelli can no longer hide his temper and ends up tossing the broken brush piece at a pot before destroying a record player which has been skipping ever since the painting fell.   Follow this link to my Lyka Reel for a rough story of the film, giving context to the shot. http://vimeo.com/18770234 Follow this link for the shot in question:  http://vimeo.com/20000375   Why Mario and Jennifer? Both Mario and Jennifer have shown their expertise via their work displayed in the film section of the site.  Being able to simply click a tab and review their work was a great tool helping me decide who to consult.  Jennifer's demo reel expressed a great knowledge of how to portray characters in a serious manner with deep emotions that didn't end up being unintentionally comical or feel insincere.  Because of the nature of the shot, Mario's recent footage of his animation test featuring Mr. Darling showed me that he could convey frustration and anger very well and could help me produce extremely refined animation.   That's it for my intro.  As always if you want to know more about my project "My Dad the Giant" you can check out my KickStarter page (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/308950851/my-dad-the-giant?ref=live) or follow my production blog (http://www.mydadthegiant.blogspot.com) This post was edited by Mario Furmanczyk at February 15, 2011 10:31 PM PST