Don Allen Stevenson III

I often hear that Gen Ai has no place in a professional pipeline, because of the "slot-machine" like nature of tools like Midjourney. All of my AI experiments are about figuring out the best ways to achieve the level of control we need for Gen AI to be a serious tool. Does this video show a high or low level of creative control? I used Magnific for the ai detail layer. #ai #art

204

18 Comments

Working on my thesis rough animation these last days. I know I'll suffer cleaning this up when the time comes💀 #animation #animacion #wip #opentowork #opentoworkanimation

25

🚀 Building narrative tension is a critical skill in manga creation, and Oscar Jimenez, the talented artist behind Anime Village's original shonen title, "Adamanto," exemplifies this perfectly. Here are five techniques Oscar uses to ratchet up the drama and keep readers on the edge of their seats: 1.    Layouts 📐: Oscar uses varied panel sizes and shapes to control the story's pacing. Quick, action-packed sequences are broken into smaller panels to create urgency, while larger, more detailed panels emphasize pivotal moments, heightening emotional impact. 2.    Character Design 😲: Characters in "Adamanto" are incredibly expressive, with facial expressions and body language that vividly convey their inner turmoil and escalating stakes. This ability to capture intense emotions adds depth and keeps readers emotionally invested. 3.    Pacing ⏳: Each chapter of "Adamanto" ends with a compelling cliffhanger, leaving readers craving more. Whether it's a shocking revelation, a sudden twist, or an imminent threat, Oscar ensures that every chapter leaves a lasting impression. 4.    Visual Tone 🌑🌕: By contrasting light and dark tones, Oscar creates a visually striking atmosphere that mirrors the story's emotional highs and lows. This technique enhances the mood and underscores the tension during critical scenes. 5.    Plot Development 🧩: Oscar weaves multiple storylines and subplots that intersect and collide in unexpected ways. This layered approach enriches the narrative and continuously builds suspense as readers try to anticipate the next twist. "Adamanto" stands out as a prime example of how to effectively build and sustain tension in manga.👏 #Manga #Storytelling #Adamanto #AnimeVillage #CreativeWriting Gary Phillips MBA, MSc Oscar Jimenez Greg Phillips Michael Kelly Jeffrey Morrone

42

Why I chose Adobe Premiere Pro over other editing software! 🎬✨ 1. Integrates with Adobe Creative Cloud. 2. Widely used in film & TV. 3. Available on Windows & macOS. 4. Feature-rich editing tools. 5. Huge plugin ecosystem. 6. Tons of learning resources. Like & share if you found this helpful! 💡 Got questions? Comment below! #videoeditor #LongFormContent #ShortFormContent #premiereprotutorial #contentstrategy #johnsoriano #editingtips

1

🔥 How do you craft dynamic action sequences in shonen manga?🥋✨ Taking a page from Anime Village’s ADAMANTO: Unbreakable, here are five key techniques artist Oscar Jimenez uses to infuse movement and energy into every panel: 1. Dynamic Posing: Oscar masterfully employs exaggerated poses to convey the intensity of each character’s actions. 2. Speed Lines: The use of speed lines creates a sense of motion, making every punch, kick, and leap feel impactful. 3. Impact Frames: By incorporating impact frames, Oscar emphasizes the force behind each blow, enhancing the sense of power and adrenaline in the scene. 4. Foreshortening: Skillful foreshortening techniques add depth and dimension to the action, immersing readers in the heart of the battle and intensifying the excitement. 5. Background Details: Attention to detail in the background, such as debris flying or surroundings blurring, enhances the realism and overall impact of the scene. 🎨 Kudos to Oscar for his incredible talent in bringing ADAMANTO: Unbreakable to life with such electrifying action sequences! Better still, we’re using his manga pages to storyboard our upcoming mobile game, ADAMANTO: Unleashed and JRPG, ADAMANTO: Bodo. Lots more updates on the way! #manga #anime #illustration #mobilegames #JRPGS

77

2 Comments

I'm currently taking a sound design class with Woody Woodhall CAS at UCLA and part of the homework was to read "35 Essential Insights & Lessons Learned from 24+ Years In Sound by Sound Supervisor & Sound Designer Tim Nielsen. Great article. Two tips that stood out the most: #19 - Great sound cannot save a mediocre film. You cannot fix it in post. You will never be able to fix it in post. #32 - Every person you meet has something to teach you. Never close yourself off to that idea. #filmmaking #sounddesign #soundsupervisor #adr #foley #soundeditor #soundediting

17

The Power of Collaboration in Manga Creation Developing a great manga requires seamless collaboration between the artist and the writer. At Anime Village, our shonen title, ADAMANTO, is a testament to this synergy. Here are five ways artist Oscar Jimenez and writer/creator Bryan Soroka (that's me!) collaborate to turn good ideas into great ones: 1.    🧠 Brain Power: Regular brainstorming sessions blend visual and narrative elements harmoniously, ensuring the story and art complement each other perfectly. 2.    ✍️ Adjusting Expectations: By revisiting and refining panel descriptions, we enhance flow and readability, making the manga more engaging for readers. 3.    🎨 What a Character: Collaborative input shapes multidimensional characters. Oscar’s artistic vision brings characters to life, while the narrative’s insights add depth and backstory. 4.    🔄 Feedback Loop: Continuous feedback between us helps refine both the story and the artwork. Constructive criticism fuels creativity and improves the final product. 5.    🌍 World-Building: Jointly crafting the world of ADAMANTO ensures consistency and richness in detail, creating an immersive experience for our audience. Together, our collaboration turns the vision of ADAMANTO into a vivid reality, proving that teamwork truly makes the dream work. 🚀 #MangaCreation #Collaboration #AnimeVillage #ADAMANTO #CreativeProcess #ShonenManga Gary Phillips MBA, MSc Oscar Jimenez Michael Kelly Greg Phillips Garrett Lucas

31

2 Comments

Manga and comic book artwork, while both forms of visual storytelling, have distinct differences in style, presentation, and technique. Oscar Jimenez's illustrations in Anime Village's shonen manga "Adamanto" and Marvel's "Wolverine: Black Rio" exemplify these distinctions. Here are five examples highlighting the differences: 1. Panel Layout and Flow 📚➡️ Manga: Features a more dynamic and varied panel layout, often using irregular shapes and sizes to create a cinematic flow. The reading direction is right-to-left, top-to-bottom, guiding the eye smoothly through sequences. Comic Books: Typically follow a more grid-like structure (though modern incarnations have borrowed from manga’s more eclectic formats)  with uniform panel sizes. The reading direction is left-to-right, top-to-bottom, providing a straightforward and consistent layout. 2. Detail and Background 🌆✏️ Manga: Known for its highly detailed backgrounds and environments, with meticulous line work and screentones that add depth and atmosphere. "Adamanto" showcases intricate cityscapes and natural settings, enhancing the storytelling. Comic Books: Backgrounds are often less detailed, focusing more on the characters. The use of color adds depth and atmosphere without relying on intricate details. 3. Character Design and Expression 😲🎨 Manga: Characters in "Adamanto" have amplified facial expressions and distinct, stylized features such as large eyes and unique hairstyles. This aesthetic emphasizes emotional intensity and character personality. Comic Books: Characters are drawn with more realistic proportions and expressions. Emotional range is conveyed through subtle facial cues and body language. 4. Use of Color 🌈🖤 Manga: Traditionally black-and-white with occasional color pages. Shading and toning are achieved with screentones and gradients, creating a unique grayscale aesthetic. "Adamanto" effectively uses this to enhance mood and action. Comic Books: Typically full-color, using a wide palette to set the mood and highlight action. Color is a significant component, adding vibrancy and dynamic appeal. 5. Sound Effects and Lettering 💥🔤 Manga: Sound effects in "Adamanto" are integrated into the artwork, often written in stylized Japanese katakana characters (AKA kanji or onomatopoeia ). This adds to the visual impact and immerses readers in the scene. Comic Books: Sound effects are separate from the artwork, using bold, colorful text. Distinctive fonts and styles are employed to convey different sounds. These differences illustrate how manga and comic book artwork each bring unique elements to storytelling, creating rich and engaging experiences for their audiences. Oscar Jimenez’s "Adamanto" masterfully blends these styles, offering a compelling visual journey. #manga #artwork #marvelcomics #original @myanimevillaghe

12

1 Comment

Here's a sort of first-person view of what it looks like when I'm creating with two move controllers in 3d, enhanced with AI. Imagine working like this in full, immersive 3d with graunlar control over generative, virtual matter. Made in Dreams and sent through Krea ai screen2image. #art #ai

55

10 Comments

Have you ever wanted to crumple a paper using 3D software? And this crumpling shot you want just can't be filmed? In my new Patreon tutorial, you’ll learn two approaches for crumpling a paper ball - one fast and another high-fidelity - and when to use each in Houdini. Full tutorial and project files on my Patreon: https://lnkd.in/eKVDhk3s

65

A rendering practice project, including all the steps taken to get to final render. #digitalart #nintendo #videogames #rendering #digitalpainting #videogames #supermario #photoshop Nintendo

1

There's a new kid on the text-to-video block!😅 I haven't read about Luma Labs recommendations, suggestions, or guidelines regarding prompt design to get the most out of 'Dream Machine'. Regardless, this achievement is quite impressive for the advancement of the #genAI ecosystem! 🔥 #dreammachine #lumalabs

8

1 Comment

All use of AI-generated Art (any kind) should be labelled as such. Let's start by calling it AI-Viz (instead of AI Art) and have a disclaimer saying "This documentary uses AI to visualize people and events" (in which case it ceases to be a documentary in its truest form).

9

1 Comment

Here’s a pack shot render of my completed Bandai CG asset. Textured in Substance Painter. The game's demo sequence was created by constructing the sprites as vectors, then sequencing an animation precisely like the original. #VFX #VisualEffects #3D #CGI #B3D #Compositing #SubstancePainter #Blender

4

The new assassins creed shadows trailer is really everything I wanted when I was 12! At least we got it haha, which is exciting! Can’t wait to see gameplay. #Webtoon #manga #anime #entertainment #comics #animation #art #artdirector #mangaka #webcomic #intellectualproperty #transmedia #games #videogames #gamedesign #storytelling #writing

21

Why would a seasoned motion designer participate in Our Fly on the Wall program? Because it offers an experience different than any other studio. Hear it from Ivan Miguel, an Oakland-based senior Art Director and Motion Designer with over 15 years of experience. "A big obstacle for many freelance artists who may not have been invited to work at a big studio is wondering if they really know how a large project is handled. They may work on a part of the project but not have the opportunity or time to see the whole picture and meditate about how all the parts come together. The “fly on the wall” program offers a great opportunity to fill those gaps. While several courses for design or animation exist, creative direction (or art direction) is rarely taught and is one of those things you learn over time while developing a project with more people. Shadowing Hung and the rest of BIEN is like having the opportunity to be in the writer’s room and on the set of a show while making an episode. You can follow everything from how they answer a client’s brief, reshape scripts to be visually more compelling, hire the team according to the needs of the piece and build up the characters, always having in consideration that these aren’t just generic molds but that every decision reflects their uniqueness and background. An active eye, even with experience in these kinds of rodeos, will find many many tips and tricks to add to their own toolkit, from the way they compose decks so the client understands all of the steps in the process of making an animation, reducing in that way their possible anxiety, to the research and documentation they put together for the artists so they have all the tools at their hands to succeed. To their way of storing everything in a living Milanote document where anyone on the team can access all the info, without forgetting simple but powerful ways to configure posting and feedback on Slack, reducing the nonsense and making it easy to find each shot and its feedback, or briefing for the animation’s music (a part I always struggle with), or being present in dailies checking the teams work, worries, and progress. With so much attention to how great the shots look, to how accurate they represent reality, to the characters or the ins and outs of an event, BIEN has a specific perspective on how to approach the process that they aren’t afraid but happy to share with anyone. In an industry plagued with grey areas and unknowns, being transparent about your process and ideal of how work should be done and what a role should entail and sharing that with an audience of professionals that may not receive mentorship otherwise, is an initiative that I can only applaud." Check out Ivan's LinkedIn https://buff.ly/3K6w3Lc and his website here https://buff.ly/3K1s4Q9 As we like to say, hire this man!

45

5 Comments

Explore the AI frontier with StudioBDC! Witness our innovative AI integration enhancing client workflows, drawing inspiration from "Gattaca," directed by Andrew Niccol. Let's craft narratives that transcend limitations! #StudioBDC #AIIntegration 🚀📽️

1