₦airaland Forum

'Sup bro. I'm a 2D animator myself, PURE/Traditional 2D as a matter of fact; that's how devoted I am to the genre. I have all the books you listed above and out of the pack, Richard William's Animator's Tookit and Illusion of Life standout, as they give the reader a background into how traditional animation was pioneered and refined as a mainstream artform. However, there's another author whose books prolly dwarfs the aforementioned titles in its nitty gritty detailing of the animation process, and that is Academy Award winner Brian Lemay's books (www.brianlemay.com/index.html). His books are the most detailed and comprehensive sources of animation info there is out there, infact I understand many animation schools the world over have adopted them as part of their curricula for teaching animation. Only Williams' Animator's Toolkit comes a close second for it's equally rich and comprehensive treatment of the subject. Speaking of Williams, he happens to be one of my favourite all-time animators, in the same league as Milt Kahl [the Disney animator reputed to be the Greatest and most technically proficient Animator of our time], Ken Harris [another proficient master animator from Warner Bros.], Art Babbit, Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, Glen Keane [animator of Disney's "Tarzan"], Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston [Disney's two most famous great animators], James Baxter [relatively younger, but a great animator, he animated Quasimodo from the Hunchback of Notre Damme, Tulio of "Road to Eldorado", Rafiki of "the Lion King"], e.t.c. Williams' "Thief and the Cobbler" animated feature [which unfortunately he never got to complete], is reputed to be one of the greatest animation feats ever attempted. It's got some of the SMOOTHEST animation I've seen to date! A hastily put together version of the flick can be viewed online in its entirety at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2263043366719734101&q=animator+richard+williams. His son, Alex Williams, also an animator, was responsible for animating Lion King's villain 'Scar'. Another book that you might want to look at is one about storyboarding, titled "From Word to Image, Storyboarding and the filmaking process", by Marcie Begleiter. It teaches a comprehensive and detailed approach to making storyboards and planning shots, composition, staging, e.t.c. for both live-action and animation and I think it's one of the better books out there on the subject. I believe it's available on amazon.com.

In my opinion and experience, the best way to learn 2D animation is by reading the aforementioned books, STUDYING animated films [i.e shorts and features alike], and PRACTISING what you're learning. The best animated works were made during the 'Golden Age', by Disney, Warner Bros. and the Fleischer studios from between the late '30s and the early/late '50s. Animated works of great quality do exist today as well, but for a solid grasp of the techniques that pioneered the artform, the earlier works are best suited for any student or enthusiast. If you can get your hands on the dvds of classic disney/warner bros. shorts and features, watch them in slow-motion while observing the animators apply the principles you've read about in books, AND then try to apply them yourself. Get you a light-table -- you can build a customized version -- a decent p.c or laptop with a chunky disk space, a 2d animation pencil test software like Digicel's "Flipbook" [my personal favourite] or the free shareware available online for download, called Monkey Jam, a scanner or digital camera, and start PRACTISING what you're learning! Draw! Draw! and Draw!! Exercise patience as you go along [because you won't get it all nailed down at once], and watch your skillz improve! I learned all these by experience. You gotta be patient and determined, if you're going to become a good/proficient animator.

The mentoring aspect just cannot be overemphazed. To become the best you gotta learn from the best, hence why I recommended that you cop the Disney, Fliescher and Warner Bros. studios works. Dub them from cartoon network if you must, but try and get your hands on 'em. Personally, I own dvd copies of MOST of Milt Kahl's [the reputed greatest animator] works, and STUDY them to learn what made his animation standout technically from the rest, and to train my eyes on how to recognize GOOD/QUALITY animation from one of lesser quatity. I also study Ken Harris's works, Glen Keane, and even James Baxter's. I recently bought a copy of Richard William's critically acclaimed feature, reputed to be responsible for reviving 2D animation during the late '80s and early '90s, "Who framed Roger Rabbit", and found the featurette section to be packed with a gold-mine of knowledge about the animation process. Watch as many "making-of" documentaries of animated works as you can find. A lot of dvd's come with special featurette sections where you can access and watch documentaries of how animated features are made. I cannot overestimate the educational value of such documentaries. They show you HOW the movies were made, the budget and number of artists involved. 

I currently have two almost completed animation shorts on my laptop [just need to digitally paint 'em], each 2 mins. in length. Took me two weeks to time-out the dialogue, and almost a month to animate each short -- each gulping about 1,500 individual drawings, all on ONES! One's titled 'Candid Politriks' -- about a nigerian politician, addressing an audience of supporters and candidly intimating them of his intention to loot the treasury upon getting elected into office. It's done in FULL ANIMATION style [at a high frame rate of 24 frames per second]; it came out so smooth that even I was wowed! I haven't come up with a satisfactory title for the second, but it's about two friends, Jamiu and Ike, two police officers at an illegal police checkpoint rationalizing and justifying why they collect bribe from motorists. I'll find time to upload both on youtube, as soon as I get a chance.

Cheers.

Some 2D related blogs you might wanna check out:

http://theartofglenkeane..com/
http://characterdesign..com/
http://mayersononanimation..com/
http://handdrawnnomadzone..com/
http://johnkstuff..com/
http://sevencamels..com/
http://blackwingdiaries..com/

'Sup bro. I'm a 2D animator myself, PURE/Traditional 2D as a matter of fact; that's how devoted I am to the genre. I have all the books you listed above and out of the pack, Richard William's Animator's Tookit and Illusion of Life standout, as they give the reader a background into how traditional animation was pioneered and refined as a mainstream artform. However, there's another author whose books prolly dwarfs the aforementioned titles in its nitty gritty detailing of the animation process, and that is Academy Award winner Brian Lemay's books (www.brianlemay.com/index.html). His books are the most detailed and comprehensive sources of animation info there is out there, infact I understand many animation schools the world over have adopted them as part of their curricula for teaching animation. Only Williams' Animator's Toolkit comes a close second for it's equally rich and comprehensive treatment of the subject. Speaking of Williams, he happens to be one of my favourite all-time animators, in the same league as Milt Kahl [the Disney animator reputed to be the Greatest and most technically proficient Animator of our time], Ken Harris [another proficient master animator from Warner Bros.], Art Babbit, Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, Glen Keane [animator of Disney's "Tarzan"], Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston [Disney's two most famous great animators], James Baxter [relatively younger, but a great animator, he animated Quasimodo from the Hunchback of Notre Damme, Tulio of "Road to Eldorado", Rafiki of "the Lion King"], e.t.c. Williams' "Thief and the Cobbler" animated feature [which unfortunately he never got to complete], is reputed to be one of the greatest animation feats ever attempted. It's got some of the SMOOTHEST animation I've seen to date! A hastily put together version of the flick can be viewed online in its entirety at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2263043366719734101&q=animator+richard+williams. His son, Alex Williams, also an animator, was responsible for animating Lion King's villain 'Scar'. Another book that you might want to look at is one about storyboarding, titled "From Word to Image, Storyboarding and the filmaking process", by Marcie Begleiter. It teaches a comprehensive and detailed approach to making storyboards and planning shots, composition, staging, e.t.c. for both live-action and animation and I think it's one of the better books out there on the subject. I believe it's available on amazon.com.

In my opinion and experience, the best way to learn 2D animation is by reading the aforementioned books, STUDYING animated films [i.e shorts and features alike], and PRACTISING what you're learning. The best animated works were made during the 'Golden Age', by Disney, Warner Bros. and the Fleischer studios from between the late '30s and the early/late '50s. Animated works of great quality do exist today as well, but for a solid grasp of the techniques that pioneered the artform, the earlier works are best suited for any student or enthusiast. If you can get your hands on the dvds of classic disney/warner bros. shorts and features, watch them in slow-motion while observing the animators apply the principles you've read about in books, AND then try to apply them yourself. Get you a light-table -- you can build a customized version -- a decent p.c or laptop with a chunky disk space, a 2d animation pencil test software like Digicel's "Flipbook" [my personal favourite] or the free shareware available online for download, called Monkey Jam, a scanner or digital camera, and start PRACTISING what you're learning! Draw! Draw! and Draw!! Exercise patience as you go along [because you won't get it all nailed down at once], and watch your skillz improve! I learned all these by experience. You gotta be patient and determined, if you're going to become a good/proficient animator.

The mentoring aspect just cannot be overemphazed. To become the best you gotta learn from the best, hence why I recommended that you cop the Disney, Fliescher and Warner Bros. studios works. Dub them from cartoon network if you must, but try and get your hands on 'em. Personally, I own dvd copies of MOST of Milt Kahl's [the reputed greatest animator] works, and STUDY them to learn what made his animation standout technically from the rest, and to train my eyes on how to recognize GOOD/QUALITY animation from one of lesser quatity. I also study Ken Harris's works, Glen Keane, and even James Baxter's. I recently bought a copy of Richard William's critically acclaimed feature, reputed to be responsible for reviving 2D animation during the late '80s and early '90s, "Who framed Roger Rabbit", and found the featurette section to be packed with a gold-mine of knowledge about the animation process. Watch as many "making-of" documentaries of animated works as you can find. A lot of dvd's come with special featurette sections where you can access and watch documentaries of how animated features are made. I cannot overestimate the educational value of such documentaries. They show you HOW the movies were made, the budget and number of artists involved. 

I currently have two almost completed animation shorts on my laptop [just need to digitally paint 'em], each 2 mins. in length. Took me two weeks to time-out the dialogue, and almost a month to animate each short -- each gulping about 1,500 individual drawings, all on ONES! One's titled 'Candid Politriks' -- about a nigerian politician, addressing an audience of supporters and candidly intimating them of his intention to loot the treasury upon getting elected into office. It's done in FULL ANIMATION style [at a high frame rate of 24 frames per second]; it came out so smooth that even I was wowed! I haven't come up with a satisfactory title for the second, but it's about two friends, Jamiu and Ike, two police officers at an illegal police checkpoint rationalizing and justifying why they collect bribe from motorists. I'll find time to upload both on youtube, as soon as I get a chance.

Cheers.

@uzomaeze: Abeg comot for road since you have nothing meaningful to contribute.

@texazzpete: O.k, I concede that you're apparently a sharp and industrious guy who's hungry for success, and I ain't knocking that. The thread-starter clearly expressed that she had no means of hustling the way you were privileged to, hence why she opted for the easier, more pragmatic [and if I might add, WISER] course. Some folks simply can't afford to gamble on 'mother luck' crowning their efforts with that dream-job despite expending so much time, money and effort job-hunting, especially in a harsh labour market as what holds in naija. For someone from a humble background and without the wherewithal to cover the expenses involved in job-hunting, what would you suggest they do? Go borrowing? What if the job doesn't come in say a year or more? Abi you wan tell me say we don't have motivated and zealous graduates who have been jobless for up to a year or two, due to no fault of theirs? Sha, I think we've both made our points. So long as the babe manage find legit way take dey keep body and soul together, I say she do well.

texazzpete:
@Lafem
You finished raving yet? This lady has posted this piece not only with the intention of sharing her experiences with others, but also as a way of passing on advice to others. While it is true that most people don't get jobs during or immediately after service, i know many people who've gotten jobs during NYSC and just immediately after service. of those who got immediately after service (including me!) all applied while serving. So even if the situation is desperate, and the number of those who get these jobs are few compared to those who don't get it, should that be an excuse for not even trying, for a complete lack of effort? Hell no!
besides, my advice to her that she she risks complacency comes on the heels of her going as far as opening a provision store and setling down in the school. I never said she was going to become complacent, all i said was she risked complacency. obviously the nuances of the English language are lost on you.
If you had read her post as effectively as you admonish me to have done, you'd see that SHE used the word 'paltry' herself.

Perfect. See the word i put in bold font? May, not will. Because then again, you just might get lucky. As i was. as so many people i know were. I put in my best during my service year, i taught many classes, even used my own computer (powered with my own generator, with my own fuel!) to teach my students. through it all, i made my HR skills work for me, secured approval to travel for interviews and tests during my service year. I don't know about you, but I have served, and i know how easy it is to get a fellow corper to cover for you when you travel for job tests etc. And if you're a dedicated worker, you'll find it easy to obtain permission to travel. Hell, you can even reschedule your periods with other teachers. So stop this negative attitude of yours. I'm telling all Corps Members to hustle, it's hard but you just might be the lucky one!

Broman, again I humbly submit that you please step out of your bubble, because your experience in no way represents the generally extant trend that holds in the naija employment market; you're either being unrealistic or simply disingenuous. Your rebuttal exposed a suggestive glimpse into your background, which may explain your presumptuousness. You brag(?) about putting your 'HR skills' to work for you, using your own personal computer and generator [which you had to fuel with your own money -- apparently you're from a comfortable background to be able to afford all that as a mere corper in naija, bro.], and even travel out-of-state for interviews -- on a lighter note, you prolly forgot to throw in the gist that you also had your own car as a corper . Bigboy, I hate to burst your bubble but most of your peers at the time most likely could not afford such luxuries. Yet, you deride and question their motivation and zeal simply because your privileged background gave you an edge over them. Try for a moment, if you can, to consider the fact that some folks out there with just as much zeal and motivation as you think you have may not have (had) the wherewithal and privileges you had to your advantage, perhaps then you'd begin to see clearly.

texazzpete:
@lovelyn690
Nice of you to stand by your principles, but let me draw your attention to your first post. you wrote

I just finished my NYSC two months ago.While my friends were busy writing bank tests and other jobs' tests,i was busy getting more dedicated to the school where i was carrying out my primary assignment.Hoping and praying to God to be retained immediately after service. Because i would rather have one or more years of a low paying job than have experience one day of idleless.Although i have not had any job seeking experineces,i do know alot of people who are going through that and i don't want to have a feel of it.

So indirectly, what you're saying is you made no effort to secure a job (apart from your school) during your NYSC. I don't think that's wise in any way. You're supposed to be proactive, you're supposed to hit the ground running as soon as you start your NYSC. I know many people (even i am an example!) that started work immediately after NYSC because they'd been chasing jobs since. Where's the job supposed to come from if you don't actively pursue it?
As i said before, you risk becoming complacent in your current place of work, which you yourself have admitted pays a paltry salary.

I mean, sure, i made sure i delivered my best to the school i was assigned to, but it remained evergreen in my mind that i AM an engineer, that's what i was trained to do and it was never an option that i'd let my dream stagnate and die. Even from the school i suggest you start hussling for your next job ASAP. If you need help, contact me.

Bro, perhaps you should've patiently read her entire narrative before jumping the gun and concluding that her decision was borne out of a lack of motivation on her part. Obviously you were in too much of a hurry to fault the decision that you failed to read where the lady wrote [emphasis on the bolded/blue texts]:

Thanks be to God,i was retained.I got my letter of employment as an English language teacher in the private shool where i did my primary assignment, a day after i passed out.The salary is not all that 'mighty',but it's enough to cater to a whole lot of my needs,and most importantly for me to be able to provide  my transportation fares to wherever i am being called for any test or interview(though i have written just one). That is the essence of my hoping to be retained. It could be embarrassing sometimes when asking folks for money,it's even worse when one is a graduate and is through with service,

So you can see that the lady did state that her primary motivation for retaining the teaching job was in order to be able to cater to her [b]'needs and most importantly to be able to provide transportation fares to job interviews and tests'!! [/b]My guy, you don't know this lady's background and financial circumstances/situation, and therefore have no basis to conclude that her decision was 'not wise', as you put it. This is naija we're talking about, where there are hardly enoff jobs to go around, where the situation is so desperate that it's not uncommon for over a 1000 graduates to apply at 10 job openings in one single company -- bottomline is the jobs just aren't there to support your fantastic sermonette. For all you know, the babe may be from a humble background, which may explain why she chose that route. And talking about complacency, gimme a frigging break, jose. How much more motivated could an individual be than has been demonstrated by this young lady? It's presumptuous to suggest that she wasn't being 'proactive' or didn't exert enoff effort to secure a job with that jumbo pay, just because you know a few [and prolly] lucky or privileged folks [out of tens of thousands of others who weren't so lucky or fortunate] who were fortunate enoff to secure jumbo-paying jobs shortly after serving. Get real and step out of your bubble, bro., because believe it or not there are many motivated graduates out there who had to settle for your so-called paltry salary there in naija simply because that's the BEST offer they could get; that thin wedge between starvation/joblessness and employment. Again, I repeat, THERE ARE WAY TOO FEW JUMBO PAYING JOBS TO GO AROUND. Atleast she's starting from somewhere. Or would you rather they starve or go about begging for transport fare to interviews for jobs that may never be forth-coming, or better-yet, can YOU guarantee every naija graduate a job with a jumbo pay?

ayomajek:
@goodbobo

I thought you set up this thread to ask for peoples opinions. It seems you are now vexing and becoming very defensive of your friend.

Understandable, but you should try and look at it objectively because quite a lot of the replies (not all, I know) have been objective.

KPOM! Waa sere, jare.

@Goodbobo: even you sound confused and naive, or perhaps you're just being disingenuous. How can you honestly say/type the following:

goodbobo:
Hey people I am not supporting cheating o but when no one is hurt then life goes on .

I honestly hope you don't believe what you yourself wrote up there [that no one's hurting], because if you do then I'm sorry but I'd have to conclude that you're one ignorant individual. You're both in denial. As we speak, your friend herself is hurting because there's no way the sex alone can bring her the stability and true intimacy she craves [and I KNOW that you KNOW that she's not happy about her situation], and not to mention the man's own wife [and by extension, his kids], who could be suffering neglect, depression, and other deprivations as a conseqence of the affair her husband's indulging in -- UNLESS YOU CAN ASCERTAIN THAT HIS FAMILY'S NOT EXPERIENCING ALL THAT THEN YOU HAVE NO GROUNDS TO SAY THAT NO ONE'S HURTING AS A RESULT OF THIS ILLICIT AFFAIR.

And dude, no one's claiming to be a saint; yes, we all make [and have made] mistakes, and we're all sinners, but even God forgives sinner who TURN AWAY from their sins and are striving to live right, THAT IS THE POINT THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. She refuses to quit doing what she knows is wrong, and you're endorsing that based on a flawed arguement that everyone's done it or is doing it, as if that's enoff to justify or redeem her actions. Dude, be a good/courageous friend, and tell her the truth my friend!

dayopaul:
it is very easy for the male folks to point accusing fingers . I have cousin in similar situation . She is 33 , she was crying the other day that for the past 3 years she not found any serious toaster at all . The best she has been getting are married men .
For we men , it is alot easy for us to see any desirable lady and walk up to her and express our feeling . for them it is not the same .
And most at times we male blank from our mind ladies of this age range ( 29, 30 - 35) because one we feel we need the younger ones for future partners or two we feel they've gone a very long way or we feel they must have achieve alot .

IT AIN"T EASY OOOO.

Relax bro, I haven't read any post from any male folk 'pointing fingers' here so far. If anything, most of the respondents to this thread have expressed empathy for the subject's plight, but that doesn't mean that we have to condone or endorse her behaviour. Whether you agree or not, her actions will consequently lead to more pain [for her and others], in the long-run. That's REAL talk.

goodbobo:
i asked her your questions today . she said it is not easy at all . she said she has
succeeded in playing the game for the past 6 months without any emotional attachment
its been just the friendship and sex thats all.
She is pretty i tell u . i asked her if she has no single man toasting her .
she said non for now at all . the only person that came up to her for the past two years apart from this
married man was one very young man that she is like 5 years older than and it was obvious that
all that guy wanted was just flings . she reiterated that eligible men are some how scared of single matured and successful ladies like her .
she confided in me that there was a time she had to swallow her pride and be toasting a much junior but older staff in our office (before she gave in to the married man )because she likes him and don't mind to have him as her husband . But this guy refused giving in .
Guys i tell u this lady in question is my senior in the office and for her to go toast some one junior to me in the office ( u know how hard that can be )


She ask me again . can u blame me? I got confused ,
what y'all think ?

Bro, I'm not trying to be harsh or nothing, but the problem with your friend's view is that she's applying the 'end justify the means' approach to her problem without considering the collateral damage/potential consequences of her actions. Of course, the married man she's having the affair with is the main culprit in helping wreck his own marriage, but she's also complicit for giving in, irrespective of her stated reasons. And if sex is truly her primary motivation for getting into a fling with him, then I find her excuse a bit suspect, because one could argue that she could've gotten the same thing, 'no-strings-attached', from any single man out there [I'm sure you'd agree with me that there are more than enoff men out there who'd be more than willing to oblige her in that regard]. Afterall, she knows he's married and that the relationship isn't leading nowhere, right? It sounds like she may be subconsciously investing more emotions into the affair than she thinks or would like to admit. Besides, her actions will only cause her self-esteem to take a dip/sink deeper in the long-run, as she herself has acknowledged the impropriety of her behaviour -- I can already sense her internal struggle over the morality of her actions. If you ask me, I think she needs to call off the affair a.s.a.p, because I hate to say this but she's digging herself into a hole; it's not a matter of if but when and how the relationship will end. Anyhow, I hope she's prepared to live with the fruits -- e fit lead to unwanted pregnancy, scandal, the man dumping her or divorcing his wife because of her, e.t.c.

goodbobo:
if u were in her shoes what will u do .

Are you trying to say that during the 4yrs after her last relationship she's not been approached by any other man? Come on naw, I find that hard to believe. If she's attractive enoff to draw the attention of the said man she's having an affair with, then I'd like to think that atleast a few other men out there have also been drawn to her for the same reason(s). I mean, it can't be that hard to meet single people out there, even for a woman her age, and in naija. Who knows, she could be one of those really picky females, or even a recluse who doesn't really like to socialize with men or lacks an attractive personality. I don't know what her problem is, or if she has one. But I can't understand why her situation's so desperate to warrant her settling for a married man to satisfy her 'sexual urges'.

I'll tell you what'll soon [prolly] happen to your lady friend: She'll start to want more than the sex, emotions will get entangled, and she'll then begin to contemplate having the man all to herself or atleast consider settling for a 'wife number 2' tag -- I mean, she's already sounding desperate; talking about waiting for 'Mr. right', and soon her twisted emotions may start to prod her into thinking he may just be the 'one' [na so e dey start]. Situations like this always end with scars and pain, and in the end she'll find out that the sex ain't worth it afterall. Does she have a game-plan as to when to call the whole thing off after she's had 'enoff' sex? And what happens if/when the guy decides he's done with her? Will she then go searching for other men to 'satisfy' her sexual urge? Or give in to another [married] man just because she's Hot? Either way you want to look at it, she's setting herself up for some serious heartbreak. I understand her plight, but excusing/justifying her behaviour on the grounds that she was sexually frustrated doesn't cut it. She's on track to becoming complicit in potentially ruining another woman's marriage.

If the responses to this thread are anything to go by, then one can easily conclude that there are way too many 'mama's boys' on here And it also indicates that mothers get way too much credit for raising their kids [at the expense of fathers?], or perhaps it's a reflection of the scourge and prevalence of single parenthood and broken-homes/upside-down families, else I see no reason why any balanced individual would want to choose his/her parent over their spouse. I think that any child that's raised in a stable home wherein the mother and father  play their roles accordinginly, relative to each other and their children, should readily get the cue from such a marriage that the spouse comes first.

9ja4eva:
Majority tried it and failed.

LOL. Let's thank God that you're only expressing an opinion, and not a fact based on empirical evidence; else the many otherwise well-mated couples out there who for one reason or another cannot secure parental consent would consequently have to dissolve their relationship/breakup, regardless of the parents' reason(s) for witholding their 'blessing'/consent, because "majority tried it and failed". Hehehehe. To each his own, jare. 

9ja4eva:
Well i think its best listening to them and opting out when they don't think its the best for you.

That's cool, and you're entitled to your opinion. However, it may NOT ALWAYS be best [as you blanketly put it] to listen them, especially depending on the situation and their motive. Infact, it may sometimes be necessary for parents to be the ones doing the listening. The same God that asked children to honour and obey their parents also asked parents not to abuse their exalted positions, which as we all know, some of them DO! They're human too, and are prone to exercising wrong and poor judgements from time to time. I think in the matter of marriage, we gotta be careful to appraise each situation on a case by case basis, and examine their motive and reasons, before judging whether or not to accept their advice. Fine, as an adult one can hear-out/listen to their view/advice, but the final decision ought to based on the truthfulness and soundness of such advice, because believe it or not, parents don't always know best [note that I said 'ALWAYS', as nobody's 'always' right]. There've been countless instances when some parents chose to selfishly and unjustly withold their consent without sound/just reasons, and consequently caused the couple to elope and marry without it, AND STILL end-up having a successful marriage. You can't tell me that such marriages are invalid or that parental consent guarantees a successful marriage; because at the end of the day it's going to boil down to how willing the couple are to make the marriage work.  It's o.k for you to hold on to your view on this matter, but atleast put it in context by considering that some parents may not always have just/good reasons to withold their consent.

Either way you want to look at it, what you're doing is not only wrong, but will eventually lead to heartbreak and pain. Whatever you feel for him right now won't last forever. I know you don't want to hear this, but you gotta let him go. Yes, you'll hurt as a result, for a while, but YOU WON'T DIE! Don't believe that lie your emotions are telling you that you can't live without him, because you ain't the first person stuff like this will happen to, but in all cases situations like yours end-up TRAGICALLY. He most likely won't leave his wife and family for you, and by the time all that excitement and thrill he's getting from his illicit affair with you wear off [TRUST ME, IT WILL], you'll be old news and dumped like a hot potato. There's a certain thrill/excitement that comes with doing what you know you ought not to be doing, but the end result of it all will be excrutiating pain, guilt and emotional scars, and not mention wasted moments. I've learned that oftentimes, we humans do not know how to properly interprete our emotions, hence why we usually confuse infatuation and lust for true love. True love isn't selfish. My dear, sorry to say this, but you're being selfish by choosing to continue this affair. And you also sound like you have self-esteem issues, because you seem to think you can't do better or deserve, hence why you keep trying to justify the relationship by convincing yourself that he's the best man in the world for you. Come on now, you know you're wrong. Full stop.

egoldman:
well bro you also forgot that i said this too " heck, on whos side am i here ?
by the way the statement below might surprise you too ;

"I see no changes, wake up in the morning and I ask myself
is life worth living should I blast myself
I'm tired of being poor and even worse I'm black
my stomach hurts and I'm looking for a purse to snatch
'

mark the words in red ,am not trying to say that its right to steal just because one is poor or can't afford basic things in life ,am only trying to raise balanced views here .To steal is never a good thing ,but sometimes there are conditions that would leave people with no option but to steal ,especially when it has to do with keeping them alive (food)

Oh! no you didn't!   Are those Tupac's lyrics I see up there?? Dude, you got jokes. And no offense intended, bro, but I seriously hope you're not as naive as you sound. Life's about choices, and even Tupac had a choice to either steal or go out and work, so those lyrics amount to little more than empty drivels as far as I'm concerned; perhaps I'd be more receptive had he been in some poor 'third world' country. But he lived in AMERICA [I live there too, and I'm also BLACK, and yes it ain't easy, but free meals can be had at shelters if you're that hungry], the most prosperous nation on earth where at the very least you can get a job working at McDonalds to earn an 'o.k' pay [plus you get to eat free food!] if you're really that desperate, when he penned those lyrics. But, we're discussing 'NAIJA 'yahoo boys' here, hello??!!! These are guys who spend MONEY to go online FOR HOURS on end, in attempts to swindle gullible folks out of their money. So if we're to put the subject matter into perspective, since you seem to be mixing things up, we ain't dealing with no "poor/hungry, I'm-about-to-die-and-desperately-need-food-to-stay-alive-so-I-gotta-steal" type circumstance here. Obviously these folks aren't as hungry as you're trying to project them. And more often than not they're graduates, who could apply themselves to something legit and more productive, if truly willing. Anyhoo, I think arguing further with you on this matter would be tantamount to flogging a dead horse, I've spoken my piece.

egoldman:
Especially if/when his hunger and poverty's due to his own laziness?

and you relate this situation to every one that is poor ?

Bro, as you can see, i provided CONTEXT for that statement by making it conditional and subject to circumstance [hence the 'if/when' injection]. You, on the other hand, provided NO context whatsover when you made that blanket statement/quote, by implying that poor folks should feel entitled to be a liability to the rest of society and have carte-blanche to prey on other folks who aren't responsible for their poverty. Gimme a frigging break, jose. Poverty can result from a million and one reasons/factors, you coulda atleast addressed the cause of their poverty or provided context for your argument to give it some credence.

egoldman:
" i believe that a hungry poor man has a reason to steal"

president musharaf of parkistan .


heck, on whos side am i here ?

Abeg ask that 'hungry poor man' to go get off his butt and go look for a legit job to do like the many billions of other hungry/poor folks out there doing the same. Why should he 'have a reason to steal'?? Especially if/when his hunger and poverty's due to his own laziness? Listen, even if there were enoff jobs to go around, some folks would still find an excuse to steal [even some economically prosperous Western countries still got high crime rates, so go figure]. Abeg yarn better, jo. Nonsense and ingredients!

Eiya! Why did she dump you naw?? That's so not fair. She coulda atleast chilled till EFCC catches up with you and bundles the both of you to Alagbon, or is it Kirikiri, to prove the depth of her love [abi na foolishness]. She's selfish, mehn. A whole 'Yahoo Boy' like you, getting dumped?! The babe bold o. Pele. 

Now seriously, if the babe no really like you, she for no dump your behind as a way of sending you a strong message that your chosen path is dangerous.

Bro, call off the wedding or engagement and move on with your life. A scandal/betrayal of this magnitude will certainly leave a permanent scar on the relationship/future marriage. Sorry to say this, but the babe, by her act, displayed a serious character flaw. What if you hadn't caught her in the act, would she have fessed up to you about her affair/unfaithfulness, with your best friend of all people?? She may be "sorry" just coz she got caught. Marriage ain't no cake-walk, and the last thing you wanna do is to found a marriage on such shakky ground. You'll definitely hurt from the heartbreak, but you no go die . Therefore, spare yourself and the babe any future pain and resentment, and call off the relationship. Atleast that's what I'd do if I were in your shoes. You two can even remain friends sef, but I honestly think you'd be making a monumental mistake if you choose to go ahead and marry her. KPOM!

@BabusBabus: Bro, in Naija, parents generally wield enormous influence over their children [especially the females] due to social [and economic] conditioning. A lot of us naijans, due to economic considerations, often remain dependent on our parents for far too long, and as a result, they sometimes exploit that dependence as a means of blackmail in order to impose their will on their children. Some will even chose your college major and mate/future spouse for you if you let them, give you guilt-trips and harp on and on about how they carried you for 9-months, paid your way through school, clothe, housed and fed your behind, in their attempt to impose their will on you and convince you that they know best. Your situation is a classic case in point, where you have a girl who's ardently/fanatically submissive to her parents' wishes that she'd even disregard/deny her own feelings. Why couldn't such a parent simply advice her daughter about the potential hazards of inter-religious unions and allow the girl to consider such counsel and then make her own decision, instead of being so rigid to the point of compelling her to end the relationship. That's draconian, if you ask me. You might as well just fashi and move on, bro.   

I'll tell you what, honestly, it's because of parents like that, that I shy away from seriously dating females from other parts of naija, outside yorubaland, out of fear that these girls may be too weak-willed to put up a fight in the event that their parents object to our relationship out of sheer prejudice. Sometimes we gotta respectfully/lovingly, yet firmly, stand our ground before our parents and take responsibility for our own decisions. Parents don't always know best, though sometimes they can be right on the money. 

I think, generally in the naija context, it's the females that tend to struggle with the question. Speaking for myself, while it'll be great for my parents and hers [my future mate's] to our give their consent to our union, I do not place a high premium on their approval. If your parents' consent mean so much to you as an individual, you might as well just ask them to pick a mate for you. The whole idea, atleast in my opinion, is overrated, as some of our folks can be so rigid about it that it's not even funny. To the point where they unfairly withold their consent as a form of blackmail, usually based on unfounded prejudice and stereotypes. I'm a grown man and therefore can make that decision on my own and live with the consequences, thank you.

You're right about knowing the fundamentals (spacing, timing, weight, ). But i don't believe you actually have to go through traditional/2d before understanding the 12 principles of animation, they can always be learnt from books(like Animators Survival Kits, Illusion of life, ). Beacause at the moment 3d animation is one of the stuffs am learning and i don't have time to start learning how to draw and animate in 2d.

@zPixel: What I really meant about having a 2d background is that, to be a GOOD 3d animator, you HAVE TO HAVE GOOD DRAWING SKILLS [a fundamental 2d/traditional genre requirement]. I know that folks will tell you that you don't need that for 3D but really, you do, especially if you want to measure up to professional standards. Even the straightest 3D animator I know, who never had a single drawing lesson, could draw. In fact, most non-2D full-3D animators draw all over their books just trying to work out expressions and poses. It's just part of the process unless you are someone who does nothing but mocap. If you need both [drawing and 3d skills] you might want to find a school that does 3D but has included drawing courses. If you already draw just look for a good 3D training course. Personally, I watch and rewatch animation from the 'golden age/era' of animation, from studios like Disney, Warner Bros., and Paramount, and even play them in 'slow-mo' if you have to [if you're using a dvd player], to observe how the gurus applied  those principles to their animation. If you can't get your hands on those rare gems, more recent animation features and shorts from the reputable studios, a la Disney/Pixar, Dreamworks, Warner Bros., e.t.c should suffice.

For 3d, I'll also recommend that along with animating (if thats all you want to do and not lighting or other stuff) you learn rigging. Why? Because your greatest frustration will be working with characters that other people rigged; often by people who don't understand animation. You don't want to have to keep running to a TD to get them to rerig for you. That way you won't be frustrated by other people's limitations.

A person I know (an experienced 2D animator who switched to 3D and learned not only modeling but rigging) was contracted by a giant studio who's doing a 3D feature. They subcontracted this person to animate some sequences. He got their models and discovered the rigging was awful and so without telling them her rerigged the entire model. The difference between his and the giant studio's was like night and day. So much better they wanted to use his version of the rig but refused to pay him for rigging so they couldn't.

I don't think you can find any 2d artist here in Nigeria, only if you want to train them yourself (am not trying to discourage).

Actually, draftsmen/artists do exist in naija [I've seen some great drawings and illustrations by naija cartoonists in some naija news dailies that incorporate some fundamental 2d/traditional drawing  principles like perspective, weight and a pretty decent knowledge/grasp of layout and storyboarding.] Such artists, if willing, can be taught to hone and apply those skills to animation. They'll also need to be taught animation techniques and, voila!!

Addendum: You can also find some great knowledge of the animation process at the 'featurettes' section of most 3d and 2d animation feature dvds, wherein you'll find clips of the process involved in the production of the features. There you'll confirm what I said about having good drawing skills if you want to do good 3d animation, as you'll see that all the character models and poses are first planned/drawn on paper, and even clayed out, before the computer even gets involved.

@xPixel: Thanx for your commendation. As per your question regarding Black/AFrican American animators, I'm not aware of any of renown, they probably exist, but perhaps haven't yet attained any significant level of recognition. I'm ever honning my 2d skillz, because to become a proficient animator [whether 2d or 3d; in 3d for example, an animator with a 2d background would be better able to rig 3d characters in a manner that projects a more believeable illusion of motion/movement way better than one with mere 3d computer skillz], you've got to have a strong background in the fundamental principles of traditional/classical 2d [a la spacing, timing, weight, anticipation, takes and accents, acting, overlapping, breakdowns, e.t.c, all of which adds vitality to animation and separates the pros from the amateurs, and are readily obvious to the trained eye when watching great animation features]. I'm relocating to naija towards the end of the year and intend to get to work a.s.a.p to recruit draftsmen and prolly train assistant animators to help with inbetweening, digital coloring, storyboarding and background artists. I can't wait!

Below's the link to a short crude sample 2d traditional animation pencil test reel of a conceptual commercial/advertisement pitch I animated for a prospective client some months back -- no dialogue. It shows movements from pose 2 pose:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2VvNED954k

I'll be posting some finished colored/cleaned-up 2d animation projects with seemless lip-sync/dialogue shortly.

Trini threw a bait are you guys and you all fell for it. Babe's mind is already made up, so don't bother trying to refute her position as doing so would be fruitless anyhow -- she's demonstrated that she's unwilling to bend, and therefore no amount of refutation would suffice. Playing word games about the semantics of 'premarital' sex vs. fornication is just that, coz it's not rocket science for any sincere person to understand the Bible's CLEAR position on the matter. Fornication can encompass and accomodate adultery, prostitution, whoredom, 'premarital sex', and other sex sins, when understood in the context under which it's used in the Bible. Bottomline is: THE BIBLE IS CLEAR ON ITS ADMONITION OF CHRISTIANS AGAINST SEX OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM, it's left to man to agree or disagree with God on that point as he's a free moral agent anyhow. Man's attempt to put a spin on that clear injunction, perhaps to numb his sense of guilt, cannot change that simple fact.

Don't do it, bro!!! Sit your butt in naija and expand your bizness within naija and beyond. Since it's that profitable, you can always afford to come abroad on holidays and even as often as you want sef. Bro, don't believe the hype. At best, 'abroad' is best suited for up and coming [relatively young] folks who still have a lot of years to spare in 'paying their dues' after they arrive here; starting from scratch, adapting/blending into the system, and then working their way up -- THAT WILL TAKE YEARS!! You sound like you've 'been there done that' already and attained an enviable measure of success there in naija, so why risk throwing all that away? IMO, don't rock the boat. Tell madam to relax and not get too excited about this going 'abroad' bizness.  You fit try pacify her with a promise of frequent shopping trips to the U.K and America.

Funny thread! lol. You folks are brutal. But seriously, is there some,  "in-fashion/'new cool' committee" somewhere that meets to delegate/determine what should be the 'new cool'/fashion trend, or something? Or does each individual simply go by his or her gut instinct/guided by personal tastes/or blindly(?) adopt/accept their "idols'" fashion sense when deciding what's fashionable or isn't?? What are the standard benchmarks, if any? 'Coz me go like know o.

Naijas and their false sense of pride, sha. "Despise not the days of small beginnings". In a country where there are hardly enoff jobs to go around, na dia some dey advice pesin to turn down a job -- like say na them go feed you or give you pocket money when you dey broke, or ask you to come chill in their house when you're dying of boredom and joblessness. Well, you can keep hoping sha, that you'll be that ONE lucky guy out of a 100,000 of your peers/mates who want to work for Shell and those Banks that offer jumbo pays, OR you can swallow your 'pride', gird your loins, and get your foot in the door with that seemingly meager pay. Like other wise minds have already said, it may just be your DOOR to better opportunities/offers. This is naija we're talking about for pete's sake! Where some sit at home for donkey years with no jobs, still depending on mommy and daddy; where's the 'pride' in that? Get real, people! That's the major reason why a lot of people end up as failures in life -- the unwillingness to make the sacrifices which success entails/requires/demands! Anyhow, good luck. 

Good job, bro! Impressive stuff. Keep it up.

Very impressive stuff, bro. Needless to say that I all those years you spent at home learning and honing your skillz were well spent -- going by the quality of your work. If you keep at it you're definitely going places. Keep it up, bro