Introducing younger folks to 2D Animation with Cartoon Animator
Kristen Collier
Creating animated movies and educating a youthful viewers about 2D animation , Kristen Collier wanted to seek out software program that was straightforward to make use of, but might produce prime quality animated movies.
In Cartoon Animator (CTA), Kristen discovered the whole lot she wanted and was shortly capable of educate herself and others how one can animate, and has even been capable of create her personal customized actors for her tasks.
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” I researched completely different software program throughout the lockdown, and noticed that Cartoon Animator (CTA) had the most effective rankings of studying curve and for being economical. I really like Cartoon Animator, and it’s straightforward on the floor stage, for learners, and for doing brief, easy animations. CTA is my absolute favourite software program. After I was engaged on my characteristic cartoon, Benny the Barnacle, for months I might work 12 – 16 hour days on the animation, it was so engrossing. I used to be working continuous on it, and loving each minute of it. Cartoon Animator is addictive, however in a very good, constructive means. “
Kristen Collier | 2D Animator/ Illustrator
Q: Hello Kristen. Can you start by telling us in regards to the work you do utilizing Cartoon Animator?
I simply accomplished my first characteristic cartoon, Benny the Barnacle, which stars Corbin Bernsen who performed the dad on Psych, and starred in LA Regulation. It options cameos by Marta Kristen, who was Judy on Misplaced in Area, and the legendary Lou Gramm, from Foreigner, amongst others. And what’s completely cool is that the distribution firm, C3 Leisure, handles The Three Stooges. It was truly began by them, so you possibly can’t ask for greater than that!
Q: You create a variety of high quality 2D animation. Why did you select Cartoon Animator because the platform to create your content material?
I researched completely different software program throughout the lockdown, and noticed that Cartoon Animator (CTA) had the most effective rankings of studying curve and for being economical. I realized animation throughout the lockdown by watching Reallusion’s YouTube tutorials time and again, earlier than I even had the software program. I used to be decided to be taught animation, as a result of my husband is the artist and author, and I used to be decided to get his characters seen by the world.
Q: Do you’ve got a particular style or theme that’s your favorite to work with?
I actually like undersea characters, and am targeted on these. My husband, Kevin, an animation historian who’s written books for Jerry Beck’s Cartoon Analysis, is the artist, creator, and author of our tasks, and now we have a variety of undersea cartoons we’re engaged on now.
Q: Do you discover the method of making characters and content material for Cartoon Animator straightforward and gratifying?
I really like Cartoon Animator, and it’s straightforward on the floor stage, for learners, and for doing brief, easy animations. CTA is my absolute favourite software program. After I was engaged on my characteristic cartoon, Benny the Barnacle, for months I might work 12 – 16 hour days on the animation, it was so engrossing, my husband truly missed me, regardless that we do business from home, and I used to be there. However I used to be working continuous on it, and loving each minute of it. Cartoon Animator is addictive, however in a very good, constructive means. There have been days after I would suppose, my abdomen is growling. Why is my abdomen growling? After which I spotted it was as a result of I used to be hungry, however didn’t wish to step away to eat!
Q: Do you’ve got your favorite Cartoon Animator instruments or options that you simply get pleasure from working with most?
The Duplicate Instrument is hand’s down my favorite Cartoon Animator software. I used that to create faculties of about thirty seahorses in Whispering Wally and 40 jellyfish in Benny the Barnacle, for instance. That software is invaluable for animating giant scale scenes. My second favorite software is the Photoshop Pipeline, that could be a life saver for organising puppetry eyes. Additionally, simply sending stuff to Photoshop through the CTA pipeline helps for a lot. For instance, after I use the identical mouths for various characters I ship it to Photoshop to alter the define of the mouth to match the completely different character colours, and many others.
So, I’ve advisable the Pipeline model to a number of folks, and we even purchased 4 packages of it for our church’s studio that my husband and I run. We even have some worldwide college students at present right here from Kenya which can be engaged on their Masters in laptop science, who wish to be taught Cartoon Animator. I’ll be educating the worldwide college students animation at our church’s studio and I’ve even taught the little children there. They picked up the software program fairly simply. Our youngest voice actress, who was 3 when she did her traces for our sequence Whispering Wally. She cherished the Leap Motion controller. I confirmed a 7 yr previous boy in our group how one can report his traces on the zoom mic then switch it to Cartoon Animator and he picked it up immediately. Plus I did a one-day demonstration at an elementary faculty for all the youngsters in grades Okay – 8. I let the youngsters come up and take a look at the software program and even the kindergartners had no issues choosing it up, so I can’t advocate CTA sufficient for faculties!
One other favorite CTA software is the Render Instrument. I used to be capable of create visible depth by duplicating the identical seaweed prop however altering the distinction and brightness with the render software. That was a useful factor I realized about CTA, and actually helped me add some visible, cinematic depth to the cartoon.
Q: Given all of your expertise working with Cartoon Animator, what recommendation would you’ve got for uplifting builders trying to break into the Reallusion Market and promote their content material?
My recommendation could be to hone your hand-drawn abilities. I heard that on the newest Disney D23 occasion, the most important buzz was from an announcement that they’d be releasing a hand-drawn (or a minimum of replicating the look of being hand-drawn) characteristic size movie subsequent yr. So, it appears followers desire a return to conventional cartoons. They usually’re saying they’re bored with the generic look they’re seeing.
So, heartily I like to recommend that animators hone their drawing abilities. Or, if, like me, they’re not artists – my husband is the artist and first author, I assist with writing – I like to recommend animators companion with an up-and-coming illustrator in the event that they don’t have the artwork abilities.
As a result of, to me, the best praise I might ever get could be that Collier Animation Studio cartoons are on the extent of Hanna-Barbera, the best animation firm, in my and my husband’s estimation, of all time. I’m impressed by the background artwork of The Flintstones and The Jetsons. I even did an homage in that in Benny the Barnacle, and I really like the glitches within the artwork, that has that selfmade enchantment, so much less antiseptic of right this moment’s visually perfected, however story-wise missing cartoons being panned right this moment by audiences.
Q: You might be clearly an animator who thinks large. So what are your plans for future content material?
I’ll be beginning “The Treasure,” which is the primary episode within the Benny the Barnacle brief animated sequence, which will likely be 3 – 5 minute cartoons other than the characteristic cartoon at present awaiting distribution. My husband has written the script and I’ve one of many voices, so will begin that when the opposite voices are in.
I’ll even be doing extra dancing bunny music movies for a consumer, that are hilarious, this bunny is a few steep competitors for us, ha ha, however all for a terrific trigger! Cherry the Resurrection Rabbit is a Southern Gospel dancing bunny, with illustrations by Jack Foster. And for the Christmas cartoon I simply accomplished for a similar consumer, I used to be capable of incorporate a few of the Cartoon Animator template artwork, which got here in tremendous helpful!
What’s attention-grabbing is that I discovered the music movies to be actually arduous contemplating they’re only some minutes lengthy, as a result of it’s important to time the artwork and actions to the music. And I additionally do my greatest to match the lyrics to the visuals. In order that they’re a fairly large problem for me, however this bunny is so cute that my husband and I believe they’ll be an enormous hit as soon as they get distribution, I might see Cherry being the following Child Shark.
Q: What are the foremost benefits that Cartoon Animator presents you in your work?
Cartoon Animator is totally my all-time favourite software program. I’m most likely considered one of CTA’s greatest model ambassadors, and I’m not even paid to try this, ha ha! As a result of with all the scholars I’ve proven it to across the nation, from all ages, they’ve picked it up shortly, and with the world being so surprising, it’s the excellent means for folks to earn a dwelling from wherever they’re. One among our voice actors in Benny the Barnacle is in Mexico Metropolis, the narrator is in Scotland. So, having the ability to work with folks around the globe in a simple means, is so useful in these final days.
” Cartoon Animator is totally my all-time favourite software program. I’m most likely considered one of CTA’s greatest model ambassadors, and I’m not even paid to try this, ha ha! As a result of with all the scholars I’ve proven it to across the nation, from all ages, they’ve picked it up shortly, and with the world being so surprising, it’s the excellent means for folks to earn a dwelling from wherever they’re. “
Kristen Collier | 2D Animator/ Illustrator
The CTA – Adobe Premier workflow makes the whole lot straightforward and practical too. I put collectively my CTA clips in Adobe Premiere Components, and do my sound results and bubbles for my undersea cartoons there. Additionally my titles and music. I’m grateful for this software program, which permits actually anybody to make a cartoon, and step into the vacuum made by the massive boys.
Q: You sound like a really busy particular person. What different tasks have you ever most not too long ago been engaged on?
Together with the Benny the Barnacle and Cherry the Resurrection Rabbit, I’ve additionally carried out my husband’s Whispering Wally. He’s a blue whale who whispers, and the trailer for Debut CAS Cartoon: “BLINK”. She’s a purple cyclops octopus.
I’m excited to be beginning the Blink sequel, “Discovering Elsie,” which options Elsie Algae and sooner or later my husband is writing extra for the Blink sequence.
I’m most enthusiastic about Benny the Barnacle as he has all the time stayed in my coronary heart. And now he’ll be coming to streaming stations.
And at last, I additionally created and hosted the 2022 Christian Ani Awards to assist in giving publicity to the sector of Christian animation in January.
Comply with Kristien Collier:
Instagram:
Collier Animation Studio (@collieranimationstudio) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter:
Collier Animation Studio (@CollierCartoons) / Twitter
YouTube:
Collier Animation Studio – YouTube
Fb:
Collier Animation Studio | Grand Haven MI | Facebook
LinkedIn:
(2) Collier Animation Studio: Company Page Admin | LinkedIn
