Hello again, guys!

So, it's official! I've applied to SCAD's Animation MFA, and internships at Blue Sky (visual development) and Pixar (art and animation). Wish me luck!

What now? Well, I guess I should apply for some actual JOBS. Also, continual development of portfolio/reel/ability, ha ha.

Anyway, here's some of the stuff I submitted. It went out in various formats to the various places, but these are the basics.




















I'm gonna try to get all of my animation reel stuff up on YouTube to share with you soon, too.

Best,

Jen Cram

Sleasel the Weasel

Introducing Sleasel the Weasel! (And Jen Cram as a modeler/rigger, ha ha.)

Sleasel is best friend and worst enemy to Funk Skunk, the lead character of my main animation endeavor lately (more on that later). He's a sweet, well-meaning guy, but somehow always manages to cramp Funk Skunk's style and throw awkward wrenches into situations. Still, his happy-go-luckiness and winning-but-goofy smile always manage to patch things up.

Here's my second attempt at rigging a character - the first time I've tackled things like spline IKs, controls and stretchiness expressions (and expressions at all, for that matter).



I'll post some character sketches for Sleasel in a bit - I'm just a bit giddy about how this turned out. =}

Jeanne d'Arc

This was a quick little ditty for a character challenge on ConceptArt. They have bunches of challenges here, just for fun - a great source of inspiration.

I never submitted her, because I didn't feel it was enough of a finished illustration, but I still like the concept. Modernized, soldier/guerilla Joan of Arc. Of course, she fights in Vietnam, not Northern France.

So what are you up to now, Jen?

Well, I'm currently in the process of putting a portfolio/animation reel together for graduate school/post-grad internships. Pixar and Blue Sky only take undergraduate interns, or interns who have graduated in the last 9 months - so this is my big shot. Wish me luck!

While searching for a format to show off the updated rigging I put in my Sleasel character last semester, I stumbled across the idea of a TD reel. Basically, where riggers show off all of their fantastic abilities and try to get a job. I found this one really impressive, actually...


The squash and stretch capabilities are something I was really struggling to get in my Sleasel rig. He's supposed to be a rubber band! This stuff is really energizing to see.

If you want to see more, search for "TD character reel," or "technical reel," in Google Videos or YouTube.

Best!
Jen Cram

Love

Hm. There's not nearly enough art on this blog yet.




Just a sketchbook ditty.

Slowly but surely...

...finishing up my degree!

Feelings

You know what's a great feeling? Diving into water. What a rush. Plummeting head first to what your body tells you is certain doom, only to be caught at the last second in a cradle of cool weightlessness. Then time stands still for an endless moment between you and your next breath, and you jump out of the water to do it all again.