The Philippines is A Contributor to Blender's Success
Hello again, folks. I got a few days off from work, so I thought I'd use some of this downtime to resume writing some blogs and post whatever I can finish before Monday. And so for now, I'd like to share with you things I was inspired to write about after a lengthy work-related discussion yesterday afternoon, with current and former colleagues in the animation industry.
One of my friends shared with us a video of Blender Foundation's chairman, Ton Roosendaal talking about the latest news about Blender, and the status of the development of version 2.8.
In the video he also presented a slide that showed the ranking of the top 20 countries that use Blender. I was surprised to learn that the Philippines ranked at number 18.
Now, for the benefit of those who don't know what I'm talking about, Blender is a complete professional, free and open-source 3D computer graphics software, similar to, and just as powerful as Autodesk Maya, the other software I often use to demonstrate creature posing in my previous blog entries.
Ranking table is at the 03:12 mark. Philippines is mentioned at 3:43.
Let's Push for Mass Adoption of FOSS Solutions to Empower the Masses
Now, it's hardly surprising to me that we'd make it to that list, given that commercial and proprietary 3D animation packages are very expensive. 3D animation is a profession that only the lucky intrepid few who have the necessary art skills, intellect, and money, can get into.
But with a free and open-source tool like Blender, many 3D animation aspirants can now empower themselves by learning it to create skills that would enable them to try out for scholarships, or qualify for professional training in a studio. It also enables an artist to get into 3D graphics and animation creation, without having to resort to the use of pirated versions of commercial apps like Maya, 3dsmax, Houdini, ZBrush, and others.
As a free and open-source software (FOSS) advocate, I can attest to the power of some of the open-source 2D and 3D content creation packages I love to use. Here are screenshots of some 3D models I am creating in Blender for future blog entries, and one (the logo) already finished and will be used too, in future posts.
I was already an expert modeler long before I started using Blender in 2011. Then in 2013, a Canadian friend asked me to help create a 3D department in his studio. He was also my former boss in another animation studio back in 2005.
So, for the 3D department that he asked me to help set up, he specifically requested that I get up to speed on Blender, and do a feasibility study of its use in serious production. He chose me to do it because every senior artist he asked told him it was such a shitty assignment, as they all hated Blender, and would rather go back to doing traditional animation than use Blender for the movie.
He knew that I was tech-savvy and had a Computer Science background, and was the only one who had the brains and the guts to pull it off. To make a long story short, I did what he asked me to, and got hired as one of the 3D animator/artists.
You can read the full story in my first and second blog entries.
To date, I have three animated shows under my belt in which I used Blender and other open-source software. They are:
- Universal Pictures' Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle
- Disney TV Animation's Penn Zero - Part-Time Hero, season 2
- Nelvana's Mysticons
A New Challenge Suddenly Appeared on my Radar
And as my meeting with my colleagues wound down to a close, we were given a heads-up on an upcoming production. A friend shared with us news about a call for artists who will work on a Filipino 3D animated film, the second of such an undertaking here in this country.
They knew that I had worked on Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle and other shows and used Blender on them. Here's another chance for me to replicate that feat. Am I interested in signing up for it? All eyes were on me and two other fellow senior artists. I told them I'd think about it first.
My animation career turned 20 years last July 10, and I am looking to add another 15 to 20 years to it, if possible. And what better way to start the next iteration of my career than by working on a movie that will make history, as claimed in the ad.
Knowing that it is an indie production, I am sure they don't have a big budget for computer hardware and software. So, this will be a great opportunity to promote Blender, Krita, and other open-source software again for serious production use. I've done it before, and I can certainly do it again. I hope my friends will join me.
That's a wrap. Now it's time to prepare my application for that job, and also continue writing for those other blog entries. Thank you for reading, and I hope you found this post informative, or even helpful in some way. God Bless you all, and have a nice day.
Au revoir!
This blog was created with eSteem Surfer, Blender, and GIMP, on a six-year old desktop computer that I've dedicated for Steemit blogging and content creation.
I have a bunch of new stuff on the way, and currently in progress are blogs about the books I have in my library, creature animations, the 2D/3D graphical elements for my own branding here, as well as Jacinta's portrait.