Check out the cool example show reel from RMIT graduate Avner Engel who I met at the 11 Second Club.There's been much discussion on this blog and amongst the 2nd years about show reels and narrative films as methods to show off a student's skills as an animator to potential employers. The creative end result was a change in the animation course where both objectives were aimed for: create an animation that contain Essential Animation Principle Scenes (EAPS). Yipes! The project has to be less than 90 seconds long.
*New* 2nd year Quiz (win yourself a Snickers for the first correct answer listing the EAPS in the show reel, in the comments); Did Avner fulfil all the EAPS that are required of us?
Avner's excellent reel reminded me of some notes I took about animation to consider for a show reel:
- Remember; always put your best work at the front of your reel
- Remember; keep it short and slick
- Walk cycle & run cycle (2 views of each, e.g. front & side)
- Dialogue; showing acting of emotion and the use of body language to convey meaning
- A scene with two characters showing a physical interaction e.g. dancing
- A push/pull scene where your character struggles with an inanimate object
- A gymnastic action showing your character jumping, tumbling or maybe even doing gymnastics!
- Character designs; show your versatility and imagination: e.g. slender, large;
show your characters' (above) basic movements in relation to their design - Idle animation; breathing, looking around, preparing for an action, subtle thinking
- 2D animation; Flash, stop motion, traditional (only if they are good)
What do you reckon? Maybe industry animators have a show reel tip to tell us about?
Click here to return to the ARC blog to make a comment or add an insight.
