| Late night dilemma |
[Jan. 11th, 2010|09:48 pm] |
As I sit here, back at work in Los Angeles, ready to launch into overtime in order to start saving up for my next epic tuition payment next August, I contemplate food. It's past dinnertime and I'm hungry, of course, but I'm also thinking about my resolution this year to cut environmentally harmful factory meat and farm products out of my diet. By the time I leave the office in Downtown and get on the subway train to North Hollywood, it will easily be past 11pm. I have two conflicting desires: On one hand, I desire to eat fresh, healthy, non-packaged food as often as possible. On the other, I desire cheap food I can get at any time. I'm a busy girl, after all, and have a budget to balance.
The difficulty of obtaining healthy food that doesn't contain pig anuses, preservatives or pesticides infuriates me. Local growers close early and are only in select locations. Organic dairy products and eggs don't last as long as their hormone-injected counterparts and have to be purchased and used up more frequently--and the cost is higher as well. It's like the food industry targets poor neighborhoods and families on a budget and makes the worst food the most accessible, creating a whole new generation of chronically-diseased diabetics for the future.
I don't know. I just don't know. It seemed like while I was in China, eating healthily was so incredibly simple. Everything was a fish or a crab or a wild chicken caught that very morning, and you could see directly where the food was coming from, bones and skin and head and all. There's something to be praised there. There's such a serious disconnect between our food sources and what we stuff into our mouths in rich, developed countries like the United States. I was listening to a report on NPR the other night about gold and silver nanoparticles used for food in the UK, for flavoring and shelf life purposes. Nanoparticles that safety authorities are unable to regulate! This shit is crazy! What have we become?
Anyway, I'll have to try my best in the future to work my schedule around fresh food availability as often as I can, but for tonight it'll be a veggie burrito from the little taco truck down the street. It's not perfect, but it's the best I can do after 11pm, on a tight budget. At least it's easy to avoid factory meat when there's no meat in your meal at all!
For more information about produce commerce, have a listen to Act One of this episode of This American Life. It's a fun segment. |
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| More Chinese instruments |
[Jan. 4th, 2010|07:03 am] |
I had the opportunity to play a yangqin and a guzheng tonight. They are both beautiful, but I especially love the guzheng's elegant simplicity and 5-note scale (and the fact that even a dumb beginner like me can make nice sounds with it right away), and I want ooooone!
One instrument at a time, Sara! Learn how to play your erhu first.
My trip is almost over! I am taking a train to Shanghai tomorrow, and leaving for the States 2 days after that. I love China dearly, but I am very eager to go home and hug my cat. And eat a chicken pot pie. I know it sounds really lame, but after 2 solid weeks of nothing but Chinese cuisine I am DYING for something Western to eat. It doesn't even have to be Western. Some Indian food would suffice. Pho, even! Ham sandwich? ;_; Feeling totally white right now.
Also to do when I get back: read Journey to the West and Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It's frustrating being out of the loop of what amounts to common knowledge here. It's like not knowing how the story of Romeo and Juliet goes. But! That is going to change. I'm totally gonna be a Monkey King and Han Dynasty expert soon.
I also can't wait to get back to the FULL INTERNET! I have lots of photos and videos to upload, including the lectures. And Youtube, ah Youtube, how I miss thee. I've been reduced to watching Crunchyroll up in here, because there's nothing else!
OK, gonna go get some shut-eye before the train ride tomorrow.
Happy New Year! |
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| Jeepers! |
[Jan. 3rd, 2010|04:46 am] |
The erhu is freakin' HARD to play! I haven't sounded this terrible on a string instrument since violin in the 3rd grade. Very little of violin technique carries over, which distresses me. I think I'm going to have to pay for lessons if I'm going to learn this thing properly.
Replying to earlier facebook comments (remember I don't have direct access to facebook right now; I'm cheating with LJ):
@Sanghoon and Robin, you should get one too, and then we can play together!
@Justin, I have a qipao... does that work? Maybe wearing it while I play is the magical key to success! (If it isn't, I'm blaming you for my crushing disappointment. ;p) |
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| Whaaaaat |
[Jan. 2nd, 2010|08:12 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  amused | ] |
I got an erhu, y'all! In my search for online tutorials, I found this website. Tell me that is not the most amazing photograph of all time. ERHU ACTION SHOT!
There are completely random and bizarre animations on the site, as well. WHAT ARE YOU, website? I am intrigued and confused! |
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| D: Worried |
[Dec. 29th, 2009|04:39 pm] |
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So my cat-sitter's brother started having allergies and now I'm anxious about Maya. I sent out a mass email earlier to see if anyone could take over but all the replies have been a no-go so far. ;_; Gaaaaaah, worried! Stress! I want to go home and hug my cat! |
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| Observations |
[Dec. 29th, 2009|06:08 am] |
I participated in another lecture today, this time with a smaller group of advanced students (yesterday was with 1st and 2nd years) and going over more technical information. Yesterday's lecture was more broad and covered a lot of visual development elements--how to pay attention to color, value, layout, leading the audience's eye through the frame with shot composition, etc etc etc. Today's talk was more about practical software tips and tricks and advice about solid character animation. I am totally lectured out, you guys! Oh, FYI, if Chinese animation explodes in the next few years and becomes super awesome and amazing, I'll go ahead and take the credit for that. ;p
I am experimenting with watching a bit of TV, and as I flipped through the channels just now I stumbled upon something that may have been a dramatic soap opera OR an infomercial. It involved angry pouring of dishwashing soap. Sold! Nice high drama! The kid's stuff is mostly underwhelming, with a slew of low-budget animated shows and some anime imports. They were totally playing one of those terrible live-action Disney movies from the 90s, Blank Check, earlier today, dubbed in Mandarin. I'm sure that with enough channel surfing I will stumble upon Kazaam, starring Shaquille O'Neal. It just seems inevitable at this point.
There's some interesting stuff, though. I'm currently watching some Chinese Opera, an art form that simultaneously fascinates and baffles me. Chinese friends have assured me it makes as much sense to them as it does to me, so I wonder how these guys even rehearse this stuff. "Wobble your voice more! MORE! Now flap your sleeves around. Perfect!" - Director of Chinese Opera
I can't get enough of this! So great. China is great at TV. And bootlegging things! I told someone "Hey, let's go out and do something tomorrow, now that the lectures are done!" and they were like "Yes, I know the best times and locations for the bootleggers!" and then I was like "Hm, not really what I meant there" and then THEY were like "Great, sounds like a plan!" so now I am watching people buy bootleg DVDs tomorrow I guess. Oh, China. You are superb in every way.
My only complaint so far is it's friggin' COLD, and the concept of indoor heating has appeared not to have made it to Chinese shores. I was seriously freezing my ass off during today's talk and lost the feeling in my outer limbs. Let's get some central heating up in here, yo! "Heat in winter is for the weak. Those damn kids can just wear gloves. While they work ON THEIR COMPTUERS." - Electrician of Nanchang University |
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| Naaaaailed it |
[Dec. 28th, 2009|04:25 am] |
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I gave my lecture today in front of 200 Chinese University students and totally nailed it. I'm pretty sure, that is. I made jokes they laughed at, at the very least. New addition to resume: Work Experience - Made 200 Chinese Students Laugh. Best resume! The thing I like best about writing on LJ late at night is that it really makes sense! |
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| Merry post-Christmas! |
[Dec. 26th, 2009|04:26 pm] |
I'm currently in Nanchang, China, preparing a presentation that illustrates my process using Flash for experimentation in 2D animation and my philosophy about animated movement in general. I'll be showing little clips from my FYS piece (what has been completed so far, at least) and a few other exercises I've done that have played around with full frame-to-frame animation and texture in Flash, and post compositing. Nervous!!!
I still can't get over seeing Wan Laiming's gravestone. The guy is a legend. Old Chinese animation is some of the most stunningly gorgeous motion picture film I've ever seen. Damn you, Cultural Revolution! It makes me so sad to think about what animation in China could have been, had it not been for the interruption of the artist/intellectual/educated people witch hunt.
OK, back to work. |
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| Facebook is blocked in China! |
[Dec. 24th, 2009|09:29 pm] |
...But Livejournal isn't, bitches! So I will override the system by writing things here and letting facebook import my LJ posts as notes. And then I will experience facebooks comments vicariously through email updates (my Gmail still works).
Hurray for working around the system! This way I can still be in contact with you lovelies over the next 2 weeks.
So far to report: my meal tonight was epic and amazing and I saw the grave of the director of the legendary Havoc in Heaven. Awesome trip already! |
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| Wow! |
[Dec. 14th, 2009|09:03 pm] |
In tonight's final VisDev class, I asked Lisa to show us how to paint 3D models as flat images for conceptual and promotional purposes. She had mentioned it in passing a few weeks ago and I really wanted to learn how to do it, but she forgot to bring a model in to show us her process. So I gave her mine!
Lisa Keene's painting over my 3D character:
XD SOOOOO cool! She's such a freaking master at painting. I'm totally not touching this so I don't ruin it. Maybe in a few days I'll upload my own botched personal attempt. ;p |
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| Princess and the Frog |
[Dec. 14th, 2009|07:00 pm] |
This morning I went to an exclusive screening for CalArts animation students of The Princess and the Frog in the Disney Feature Animation building. Besides the awesomeness of the event itself (the theater we used is the one where they screen their in-studio tests and dailies, and John Musker and Ron Clement were there to hold a Q&A session afterwards--plus the studio people gave us a ton of free swag and food) I was really pleased with the film. It doesn't quite achieve the seamless level of perfected storytelling of the classic and Renaissance Disney films, but it tells a simple, heartfelt story with solid technical execution. And it was just *such* a great feeling to watch classic style Disney animation on the big screen again. I feel like I need a few days to mull it over to decide what my lasting criticisms would be--it's not perfect by any means--but my initial impression was one of extreme enjoyment. Dr. Facilier, especially, is an extremely enjoyable villain and steals the show in all of his scenes. Go see it! Support 2D animation!
John and Ron brought up a really interesting point in the Q&A session; they commented on not only how strong this year was for animated film, but also how diverse. We had strong showings from all sorts of animated mediums: Coraline and Mr. Fox for stop motion, Up and Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs from 3D, and Ponyo, Kells and Frog from 2D. They expressed hope that this year is representative of a future trend in animated film, and we'll get a more diverse selection of animated films each year as 2D makes its comeback. I certainly hope that's the case. |
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| Pencil Test |
[Dec. 13th, 2009|01:42 pm] |
I am currently in the midst of the hellish finals week. My schedule decided it would be funny to kick my ass and make everything in the semester due on Monday. ;_; I am finishing up the second-to-last thing right now, and hopefully will have enough time to draw all my concept art this afternoon/tonight.
Anyway, here's a pencil test of a piece I'm working on. It's not my first year short, just something on the side.
Untitled
Back to the grind! |
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| Tax dollars at work. |
[Dec. 8th, 2009|03:20 pm] |
Who is in charge of zoning in the SFV? This is crazy town. My block goes like this: AT&T building, apartment building, apartment building, car shop, apartment building, community center, BRAND NEW BEST WESTERN, tiny strip mall with donut shop, laundromat and randomly placed (but delicious) sushi restaurant, 7/11. WHAT IS THIS.
I thought that Best Western was going to be more apartments while it was still under construction, because that's what made the most sense. Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnope!
Zoning in Los Angeles in general is all sorts of fucked up, but the Valley is a very special kind of random. Even after 3 years I'm still not used to it. Neighborhoods, what? |
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| Turkey and Edward Cullen |
[Nov. 29th, 2009|05:14 pm] |
Thanksgiving was awesome this year! My camera was lame and didn't have sufficient battery supply to provide the plethora of photos I wished to take, but some friends covered that for me. I'll post some of theirs as soon as they are sent to me. In the meantime, here's some party games from Thanksgiving day!
We started things off hot by drawing Edward Cullen from memory. I have no idea why we did this, but the drawings are sufficiently goofy:
( Edward Cullens )
Then we played the Telephone Drawing Game. The second-best artists' game ever! (First is Exquisite Corpse.) The way you play this is everyone gets a sheet of paper and writes a sentence at the top. Then the paper is handed to the person next to you (this works best in odd-numbered groups of 5 or more), and they draw a picture illustrating your sentence. Then, that person folds the paper so the original sentence is hidden, and passes it on the next person, who writes a sentence describing the picture. Then the paper is folded over again, and passed on, and so forth and so on, until you have a hilarious page of misunderstanding!
( Here are a few of the best. ) |
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| Character designs |
[Nov. 17th, 2009|10:07 am] |
Here's the final style I ended up going with for the character designs.
( Under the cut 'cause it's big. )
I'm planning to go back and polish these even more, so feel free to leave comments and suggestions. I love visual development! |
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| Style exploration |
[Nov. 10th, 2009|04:52 pm] |
I'm coloring up some character designs for my Visual Development class (which turns out to be worth the price of admission to CalArts alone) and trying desperately to improve my range of so-so to terrible Photoshop coloring skills.
( Let's get started. ) |
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