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April 2013's Summary
APRIL 16: MOCAP/MOGRAPH MEETUP
STAY TUNED FOR PICS AND MORE
THIRD TUESDAY Project breakdowns
Headliner:
BENJAMIN BUDZAK (design / 3D / animation)
Benjamin Budzak, son of Gary and Christine Budzak, ws born in the south suburbs of Chicago, IL, but currently animates and designs in the greater Los Angeles area. He's spent most of his short career in the music business,creating promotion video for Vans Warped Tour and Live Nation, but now works at Trailer Park in Hollywood, creating graphics for numerous feature film trailers and TV projects.He also enjoys Swedish Fish
Benjamin will be presenting how to quickly set up a cool looking scene in CINEMA4D, as well as some tips and tricks anyone can use to help their workflow.
Follow his antics on twitter @benjaminbudzak
![]() ANTHONY HOIT
Graphic Film Company(mocap/ca)
At the April 16th meeting, Anthony will come to show the iPi Motion Capture rig and talk about how the studio is relying on the solution to improve the quality of their previs feature film projects and workflow speed and efficiency. post meetup:
KtIsabelle's After Party
(chill hangout)
Do you follow @KtIsabelle on twitter? If you need a free ticket to the meeting this month, maybe you should.Follow and #FF @ktisabelle with #needaticket
WORDPRESS NEEDS YOU We've launched a new look for the DMALA website. Currently, the direct URL is http://dmala.wordpress.com. We'll be moving back to HermosaWave once we start to build this up. Got any ideas? We wanna hear 'em.
-Ko
ARE YOU A MEMBER OF OUR FB PAGE? You should be. Jobs, Specials, News, More... GOT A COMMENT? SUGGESTION? WANT TO GIVE A PRESENTATION? WANT DIFFERENT PIZZA? Shoot me an email. Did you know you can add/approve your friends for the FB Group?
MARCH MADNESS success it was crazy
VIDEO COPILOT'S ANDREW KRAMER
As the host of over 100 tutorials and creator of title sequences for TV’s Fringe and the film Star Trek, Andrew has participated in many forms of production from visual effects artist, to directing commercials and promos. His website Video Copilot has been a progressive force in the visual effects industry with his upbeat training style and innovative plug-ins. BORIS FX'S KEVAN O'BRIEN
YOU! (It's demo reel night, put your work on the big screen)
Demo Reel Night is a great time to show off your work on the big screen. This month, you have the advantage of having an audience with Andrew Kramer and the Video Copilot Crew as well. Each month that we have demo reels, producers and HR are invited to come and see reels that members offer. Be sure to bring your business cards and contact info! Bring your demo reel in as a playable DVD format disc or H264 quicktime movie. Please limit your submission to less than 3-minutes. RECRUITING ADVICE and more! (YES, PIZZA TOO)
WORDPRESS LAUNCH We've launched a new look for the DMALA website. Currently, the direct URL is http://dmala.wordpress.com. We'll be moving back to HermosaWave once we start to build this up. Got any ideas? We wanna hear 'em.
OUR AWESOME SPONSORS ACTUALLY SPONSOR YOU... YES! Part of our evening is going to feature our door prize drawing. Everyone who comes gets a ticket.
SPECIAL THANKS TO WACOM FOR PROVIDING A BAMBOO TABLET AND BAMBOO STYLII FOR THIS MONTH'S DOOR PRIZE. WHAT'S A WACOM? Check out the Cintiq at the meeting and online: http://www.wacom.com
-Ko
ARE YOU A MEMBER OF OUR FB PAGE? You should be. Jobs, Specials, News, More... GOT A COMMENT? SUGGESTION? WANT TO GIVE A PRESENTATION? WANT DIFFERENT PIZZA? Shoot me an email. Did you know you can add/approve your friends for the FB Group?
March 12: VideoCopilot
A night with Andrew Kramer / Video Copilot is coming up on March 12. Yes, it's earlier than our regular meeting, but Andrew is a busy guy, and we wanted to get our meeting in before we all head off to NAB in April. Sign up for tickets: http://dmala.eventbrite.com THIS MEETING IS NOT RECORDED. If you've been to one of our meetings with Andrew in the past, you know that he offers us information that isn't for broadcast! :)
COMING UP...
This weekend February 23, you're invited to our FIRST ONLINE MEETING. DMA LA @dmala Saturday 23rd: Lunch with Kes @NLE_Ninja about @AdobePremiereyou're invited - http://t.co/K6K4XsWw http://experts.adobeconnect.com/dmala / FEB 23 / SATURDAY / 12Noon PST (check your timezone!)
FEBRUARY 2013
February 19 PHOTOSHOP PRECOMP Chances are, you've been using Photoshop. Guess what, so have we. But Photoshop has a ton of features that may have snuck by you - even if you're using it every day. We'll have an assortment of quick tips for your workflow that may help you out. DIRECTOR TAZ GOLDSTEIN Taz Goldstein has been directing and producing for well over a decade. His award-winning films, television productions, and corporate projects have been enjoyed by millions of viewers worldwide. His popular website, HandHeldHollywood.com, has inspired and empowered a new generation of storytellers, and helped to launch the mobile filmmaking revolution.Filmmaking with the iPad & iPhone: Director Taz Goldstein exposes how Apple's iPhones and iPads can be used to a aid in nearly every aspect of film and video production. Learn about all the latest apps and accessories that can dramatically enhance your production workflow.
SIX POINT HARNESS Los Angeles based Six Point Harness Studios specializes in top shelf animation for broadcast, film and the web. The 6PH team members are known for their cutting-edge technical knowledge, sleek production pipeline and artistic talent.After landing their first big project, the opening title sequence for Eurotrip, 6PH's resume has only grown more impressive. Their most notable projects include MTV's Good Vibes, Nick Jr's Wow! Wubbzy, Nickelodeon's El Tigre, Playtone's Electric City. 6PH animated the Drawn Together movie for Comedy Central and has several projects in development at various networks in Los Angeles. 6PH also created and produces the number 1 animated series on YouTube called Dick Figures.
Tony Christopherson and Greg Franklin will be on hand to discuss the AEFX part of their work on FRINGE. This animated piece for Fox's show Fringe, which illustrates the hallucinatory visions of scientist Walter Bishop, was produced in less than two weeks in Flash and After Effects. With such a compressed schedule, the characters and storyboards needed to be locked the first week, while animators analyzed dozens and dozens of Gilliam’s cut-out cartoons from Monty Python’s Flying Circus in preparation for the final stretch of animation.
![]() ![]() MORE TO COME! SPONSORS COME ONLINE FOR YOU! (YES, PIZZA TOO) WORDPRESS LAUNCH We've launched a new look for the DMALA website. Currently, the direct URL is http://dmala.wordpress.com. We'll be moving back to HermosaWave once we start to build this up. Got any ideas? We wanna hear 'em. Come check out our first pass, v.1.0 if there are any comments you have for it - post 'em in the site. This should be a scalable template too!
First - a request for help with the BGT fundraiser. The IndieGoGo campaign is temporarily on hold, but if you contact Mike and let him know that you'd be willingn to help out, he'll pencil you in (lafcpug.org)
-Ko
ARE YOU A MEMBER OF OUR FB PAGE? You should be. Jobs, Specials, News, More... GOT A COMMENT? SUGGESTION? WANT TO GIVE A PRESENTATION? WANT DIFFERENT PIZZA? Shoot me an email. Did you know you can add/approve your friends for the FB Group?
JANUARY 2013
JANUARY 15 : DMALA 1ST OF 2013
Don't let budget drive you away from realizing your creativity.
If you'd like to load up your tablet instead of a computer, you can load up your iPad for under $5. http://artrage.com Whether you're new to digital drawing or you're using something else to get the task done, you'll want to come hear some great tips and tricks from Howard on the 15th. http://abbadabba.com
Donovan Keith is a freelance animator, C4D trainer, plugin developer, and technical director living in Los Angeles. He specializes in animating medical and educational subjects but works on everything from flying logos to film vfx. Keith is a Lynda.com and Cineversity course author and has contributed chapters to two books on Cinema 4D. He has been profiled in WIRED and Animation magazines. Keith will be dropping by to share some Cinema 4D tips and tricks and to give a sneak preview of his upcoming Lynda.com course on Cinema 4D Production Rendering Techniques. He'll cover how to light with HDRI, bake lighting setups down into your own HDRI maps, and tweak GI settings to get a good looking flicker-free animation before your project's looming deadline. If time allows he'll show some tricks for getting great looking metallic objects every time, or maybe just open the floor for a general C4D Q&A.
WORDPRESS LAUNCH We've launched a new look for the DMALA website. Currently, the direct URL is http://dmala.wordpress.com. We'll be moving back to HermosaWave once we start to build this up. Got any ideas? We wanna hear 'em. Come check out our first pass, v.1.0 if there are any comments you have for it - post 'em in the site. This should be a scalable template too!
First - a request for help with the BGT fundraiser. The IndieGoGo campaign is temporarily on hold, but if you contact Mike and let him know that you'd be willingn to help out, he'll pencil you in (lafcpug.org)
-Ko
ARE YOU A MEMBER OF OUR FB PAGE? You should be. Jobs, Specials, News, More... GOT A COMMENT? SUGGESTION? WANT TO GIVE A PRESENTATION? WANT DIFFERENT PIZZA? Shoot me an email. Did you know you can add/approve your friends for the FB Group?
NOVEMBER: Wacom Workflow
NOVEMBER: WACOM WORKFLOW Send it to a friend: http://dmala.eventbrite.com
Do you still use a mouse to draw in Photoshop? You may want to rethink that method. Come and see what kind of work these artists are doing when they switch out a linear switch for a dynamic craftsman's tool. Whether you're a fan of Wacom or have never heard of them, chances are that you'll know the software these artists use. From Apple iPad to ZBrush, and everything in between, November's meeting will be one you won't want to miss. ANWAR MADRIGAL / DESIGN & ILLUSTRATIONS
Anwar uses several several different applications - from Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to SketchbookPro and ZBrush. He'll come to show how he uses his Wacom Cintiq to create character illustrations. Fifteen years of experience in the design industry working on licensed apparel development. Having created tons of top selling t shirts for properties such as Transformers, WWE, Cartoon Network, Disney and Star Wars apparel. generating huge sales at major retailers such as Walmart, Target, JC Penney and Kohls. A major part of Anwar's creative arsenal is the ability to illustrate characters, creatures and environments. Anwar is also a demo illustrator and 3D sculptor for Wacom and has shown the advantages of Wacom products at San Diego Comic Con, Long Beach Comic Con and many other events. RYAN SUMMERS / IMAGINARY FORCES / "PERSON OF INTEREST" Ryan Summers worked on Person Of Interest at Imaginary Forces. He likes animating in After Effects, drawing on his iPad, and spends way too much time on Twitter. He's twice as excited as anyone else that there will be more Star Wars movies to see in theaters. Person Of Interest was a high-profile but quick turnaround project. With 4 artists and less than 3 weeks, the team busted out opening titles that would be on air in less than 24 hours of hitting the render button in After Effects. Along the way there were some important lessons to be had. You can see some of Ryan's personal work on his website: http://www.oddernod.com
JOBS, PROJECTS, AND MORE SPECIAL THANKS TO THE CREW:
You may have noticed our cool new photos up at our GOOGLE PICASA page that's all thanks to this guy: BRANT WELLS (@wellsfilms).
THANKS FOR COMING OUT - DMALA MEMBERS MAKE IT WORTH THE EFFORT. -Ko
ARE YOU A MEMBER OF OUR FB PAGE? You should be. Jobs, Specials, News, More... GOT A COMMENT? SUGGESTION? WANT TO GIVE A PRESENTATION? WANT DIFFERENT PIZZA? Shoot me an email. Did you know you can add/approve your friends for the FB Group?
DMALA October 2012 recap
OCTOBER REEL NIGHT IMAGINEER SYSTEMS / SATYA MEKA / DEMO REELS / A BUNCH OF JOBS / PIZZA (not in that order)
mocha v3.1 Preview! Imagineer Systems, developers of the popular Planar tracking and Visual effects tools will present a quick sneak peak at technology and features found in the next release of mocha AE and mocha Pro, version 3.1. This release will add RED support and significant new tools for calibrating lens distorted footage including a new mocha Lens plug-in for Adobe After Effects users. Imagineer's west coast product specialist, Mary Poplin will be on hand to share some great tips & tricks and to give away one full seat of mocha Pro (valued at $1495) as door prize! Can't wait? You can get mocha pro from our sponsor, mocha pro sale @Toolfarm today. SATYA MEKA
One of the remarkable things about Satya is that he's both a designer and animator as well as a brilliant code writer. What makes him so crazy dangerous is that he can make tools that he needs to get the job done. This month, he'll come to talk to us about his work in several areas, including design, processing, programming, and how all of these things come together as a single workflow. Plexus has been a big favorite in motion design houses around town - and chances are that you've seen it and might be usring it already. But there are always things left to learn there. (Did you know that there's a Rowbyte C4D obj exporter for plexus or for Trapcode plugins (Trapcode Form). Other plugins for After Effects that you've seen in major productions are Bad TV, Data Glitch and TV Pixel.
DEMO REELS Several of you have signed up to show demo reels already. If you haven't, there may still be space left - make sure to see Warren when you show up to the meeting. He'll get all of the reels sorted out on a first come basis after our pre-registration list is queued up.
DMALA: August
AUGUST 21: GMUNK, MAXON COMPUTER, ALIOSCOPY Bradley G Munkowitz has over a decade of experience functioning as a Design Director for the motion graphics industry and has continued to remain passionately involved in the global design community, giving lectures around the world including conferences in Australia, Korea, Germany, Holland, Spain, Portugal, Canada, England and all over the US of A... He began his professional career as an Interactive Designer at London-based Vir2L Studios Europe, while also crafting immersive web experiences on his cult site GMUNK.com, winning a grip of awards for web excellence and innovation while inspiring a generation of interactive storytellers... He entered the motion graphics world under the tutelage of Kyle Cooper at Imaginary Forces and has since functioned as a Design Director for international brands via his work at top tier outfits Engine Design, Transistorstudios, BUCK and Prologue Films... He spent the entirety of 2010 playing in the darkness at Digital Domain leading a black-ops team of GFX All-Stars to concept, design and execute over 12 minutes of holographic content for the feature film TRON Legacy... He currently finds himself functioning as a freelance Design Director for the screen and physical space, rockn' the rounds on the Best Coast for whomever feeds the beast...
In his spare time, Munkowitz devotes his passion to reconstructing Pornographic Fruits and Berries while dreaming of Cold, Rainy Days… He swears by Galactic Travel, Botany and the finest Vegan Cuisine to keep his technology so fresh and so clean... He studied Film, Fine Arts and Green Bowls at Humboldt State University…
This session will first dive into a deep personal library of selected output throughout the years, primarily to set the table of industry musings along the way. Then will come the blue minutes of immense process behind the 8 minutes of content munko and his team of 5 graphics all-stars executed for the feature film TRON Legacy. The session will wrap with a nice healthy serving of seasoned advice for the aspiring designer to keep it fresh for those self-initiated doses of inspiration.
MAXON COMPUTER / CINEMA 4D R14
AND now we can let you know about the third guest for August's meeting. Rick Barrett will come to present some of the new features in the latest release. There is so much to see in the new software, but Rick will provide a look at some of his favorites. Leveraging more than two decades of 3D graphics programming innovation, R14 delivers breakthrough performance including a new, fully integrated sculpting system, camera matching functionality, exchange plugins to two key applications – The Foundry NUKE and Adobe Photoshop Extended – and improved integration with Adobe After Effects. CHECK OUT CINEVERSITY LIVE (August 1) for more on the software CINEMA 4D Release 14 Highlights: The following is a brief overview of the over 200 productivity-boosting features in CINEMA 4D R14, available for both Mac OS X and Windows. Digital Sculpting: Dynamic sculpting tools give artists complete control to create finely detailed models. A powerful layer system offers maximum flexibility. Complex sculpted objects can be “baked” into displacement and normal maps applied to low-poly meshes for efficiency. Camera Enhancements: The Camera Calibrator offers an integrated solution to match 3D camera images to a 3D environment – ideal for architects and matte artists. The Motion Camera, Morph Camera and Camera Composition Helper quickly frame a 3D scene following well-established composition rules. The Camera Focus Picker allows users to interactively set focal distances. Integration: Seamless integration with The Foundry’s NUKE compositing application allows direct export to a NUKE project with multi-pass layers, including full support for OpenEXR and FBX files. The Photoshop Extended exchange plug-in enables opening and manipulating CINEMA 4D scenes into a Photoshop 3D layer. Enhanced integration with After Effects brings new levels of performance to directly import and export native CINEMA 4D files. Click here for details and to see CINEMA 4D R14 in action: http://www.maxon.net/products/new-in-cinema-4d-r14/overview.html. ALIOSCOPY USA
Pia Maffei, chief operating officer at Alioscopy USA, has been instrumental in defining key global strategies such as ‘Alioscopy Ready’, a protocol where 3rd party developers support the Alioscopy proprietary 3D technology. Maffei also developed and managed strategic partnerships with companies including: Autodesk, Maxon, Turbosquid, Adobe, and Intel. Drawing on her expert understanding of content creation and production workflows, Maffei developed and introduced new AS-3D programs like the Alioscopy Preferred Content Creator community, the first on-line marketplace for auto-stereoscopic content, and the Alioscopy User Generated Content (UGC) platform, licensed from Applied IDEAS, Inc., a company she co-founded in 1996. All efforts resulted in increased sales and maintained Alioscopy’s leadership status. Maffei is an award winning public speaker and advocate for education and training for 3D animation, game development and computer graphics, and holds a degree in Television Broadcasting. You will learn about one of the newest 3D tools in Photoshop CS6 Extended that Alioscopy has recently launched. Alioscopy, a worldwide technology leader in the field of 3D displays, now offers a trigger, that once downloaded in Photoshop CS6 Extended, will allow all Photoshop users to convert stereo images into 3D and to turn CG models into content viewable on Alioscopy glasses-free 3D displays. Additionally, you will be exposed to the multi-view content creation tools and various workflow methods from Photoshop, Cinema 4D, 3DS Max, Maya and Softimage. http://www.alioscopyusa.com
MORE TO COME! food & drinks will be served JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEW DOOR PRIZES!!: As if fun creative jobs aren't enough of a prize, we'll also have some door prizes to give out at the end of the meeting. We've connected at least 5 members to jobs at each meeting this year. In March, we helped over 20 artists find work. Bring your business cards!! This meeting isn't just about learning about animation, vfx, and the industry.
DON'T FORGET TO CHECK THE FACEBOOK PAGE FOR LOTS OF J-O-B-S. Did you know you can add/approve your friends for the FB Group? SPECIAL THANKS TO VOLUNTEER MEMBERS ADOBE USER GROUPS!
-------- AWE INSPIRING WORK • BALLISTIC MEDIA http://ballisticpublishing.com #ballisticmedia Ballistic Publishing has books that will inspire you to design the next awesome work. You'll RESOURCES FOR THE COMP: • Artbeats - Footage you can use. http://artbeats.com #artbeatsinc Register online, and you can start downloading footage right now. Their huge library has something for eveyone. SOFTWARE for PROS: • Imagineer Mocha & Mocha PRO http://imagineersystems.com #imagineersystem Track it. Replace it. Roto. Clean up. You may have mocha AE, but check out mochaPRO for some heavy hitting features. Once you start using mochaAE, you'll be glad you did. • Toolfarm http://toolfarm.com #toolfarm The animation PRO SHOP. You don't even need to be a pro to shop there. • Red Giant Software http://redgiantsoftware.com #RedGiantNews Red Giant Software. Everyone jsut says "REDGIANT" year - because everyone knows - trapcode / magic bullet / knoll light factory / colorista /... and most think of RedGiant for the plugins you purchase from them - but did you know that Aharon is also running tutorial videos at the site (the many superstar guest hosts). Check it out. • Video CoPilot http://videocopilot.net #videocopilot It's Andrew Kramer. Plugins, Tutorials, Apps. Check it out. GET SMARTER - READ UP • Class on Demand http://www.classondemand.com • Peach Pit Press http://www.peachpit.com #Peachpit • Focal Press http://www.focalpress.com #focalpress
JULY 17 . dmala RECAP
** ZAX DOW (Zaxwerks Software) LUCKY WESTFALL (Quiet Earth Studios) WARREN'S STUDY MONTH
THANKS TO WARREN AND TO ADOBE: THIS MONTH IS FREE FOR MEMBERS OF ADOBE GROUPS AGAIN THIS MONTH.
AE Tricks with Warren Heaton, Project Demo from Lucky Westfall, ProAnimator6 from Zax Dow at Zaxwerks
JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEW DOOR PRIZES!!: As if fun creative jobs aren't enough of a prize, we'll also have some door prizes to give out at the end of the meeting. We've connected at least 5 members to jobs at each meeting this year. In March, we helped over 20 artists find work. Bring your business cards!! This meeting isn't just about learning about animation, vfx, and the industry. ARTBEATS FOOTAGE YOU CAN USE: This month SPECIAL PRIZE DRAWING FOR $500 worth of footage! That's it! You're in the door prize pool for the Artbeats prize. You must be present to win. DON'T FORGET TO CHECK THE FACEBOOK PAGE FOR LOTS OF J-O-B-S. Did you know you can add/approve your friends for the FB Group? SPECIAL THANKS TO VOLUNTEER MEMBERS ADOBE USER GROUPS!
-------- AWE INSPIRING WORK • BALLISTIC MEDIA http://ballisticpublishing.com #ballisticmedia Ballistic Publishing has books that will inspire you to design the next awesome work. You'll RESOURCES FOR THE COMP: • Artbeats - Footage you can use. http://artbeats.com #artbeatsinc Register online, and you can start downloading footage right now. Their huge library has something for eveyone. SOFTWARE for PROS: • Imagineer Mocha & Mocha PRO http://imagineersystems.com #imagineersystem Track it. Replace it. Roto. Clean up. You may have mocha AE, but check out mochaPRO for some heavy hitting features. Once you start using mochaAE, you'll be glad you did. • Toolfarm http://toolfarm.com #toolfarm The animation PRO SHOP. You don't even need to be a pro to shop there. • Red Giant Software http://redgiantsoftware.com #RedGiantNews Red Giant Software. Everyone jsut says "REDGIANT" year - because everyone knows - trapcode / magic bullet / knoll light factory / colorista /... and most think of RedGiant for the plugins you purchase from them - but did you know that Aharon is also running tutorial videos at the site (the many superstar guest hosts). Check it out. • Video CoPilot http://videocopilot.net #videocopilot It's Andrew Kramer. Plugins, Tutorials, Apps. Check it out. GET SMARTER - READ UP • Class on Demand http://www.classondemand.com • Peach Pit Press http://www.peachpit.com #Peachpit • Focal Press http://www.focalpress.com #focalpress *Thanks to Our Supporters* • ADOBE SYSTEMS http://www.adobe.com #adobe Each meeting is made possible by Adobe. Whether your a beginner or a veteran Adobe user, you should probably check out their site again. Did you know that there is a Community Page at the Adobe site for tips/tricks/FAQs about their software? Also: Save 15% on Adobe Software through the store. Until then, please be sure that you're part of our growing Adobe groups page (over 500 members already this year!): http://dmala.groups.adobe.com -- So get 'em while they're available (seats are first-come basis) -- SPONSORS I'd like to thank our annual sponsors for giving us amazing product - to give to you! You can thank them too by checking out their websites. Many have new tutorials / tips / project files for their end users. http://www.dmala.org SPECIAL THANKS to Adobe Systems for providing a space for us to meet. -- Ko
ARE YOU ON FACEBOOK? Update your wall with our meeting *Must be registered with Eventbrite and be present to win, other restrictions may apply If you've signed up before - it doesn't matter - please sign up again. We'd like to know if you're coming. If you have a friend who wants to come along - great, but please have them sign up for their own ticket. Share your pictures with us: http://www.flickr.com/dmala Registration does not guarantee you a seat! Be sure to show up early. Doors open at 6:30PM. PLEASE REGISTER FOR THIS MEETING See you there. Ko & Warren
Special thanks to Adobe Systems for providing space for you to join us each month!
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