What do M & M chocolates, TED, the dancing HBF bear and Woody the walking, talking cowboy from Toy Story all have in common? They are all examples of inanimate objects that have been brought to life on our film and television screens by computer animators.

A relatively small number of people work as computer animators in Western Australia, and most of them work in the Perth metropolitan area. According to a Film and Television Institute (FTI, WA) spokesman, there appears to be an even balance of males and females working in computer animation.

Each year, about 165 people commence a degree in graphic art and design, and 150 commence certificate and diploma courses in multimedia.

Images Brought To Life

Computer animation involves the manipulation of still images to create the illusion of movement. Using computer technology, a sequence of staggered images captured in related positions are made to appear as if they're really moving.

A computer-animated image can be two or three dimensional. Southpark, the cartoon strip that looks as if it's 2D, has kooky characters that appear as they're made from flat, paper cut-outs. Ted, the 3D, HBF bear is rendered (a technique where objects are created through the use of light, colour, texture, shadow and transparency) to look like a real toy bear. Both are examples of 3D computer animation.

'Computer animation is about presenting ideas, images or objects that can't be presented in any other way and making them appear as life like as possible,' says David Rutherford, a computer animator at Double G Post Productions, the largest post producers of television commercials in WA.

Computer Animators At Work

Ted, the HBF bear is one of the projects David Rutherford has worked his computer animation magic on. First, he consulted a storyboard, a series of pictures usually hand drawn, which shows the flow of animation and maps out the important scenes and characters.

'My work is usually just a component of the overall ad. If an ad also features 'real talent' (actors), the actors are filmed separately. That footage and the computer animation is combined to form a composite.

'The actors have to pretend that the computer animated object is really there. I then slot in the object and make it appear as if it was there when the original shot was taken, matching the lighting and camera position. A trickier ad can take about six weeks to complete: four to do the computer animation, one for filming the live talent and about one to combine the whole product.'





Using laser equipment, computer animators scan images of real objects onto a computer and convert them to digital form. Usually the animator has to model the character or object in the computer, drawing curves, constructing surfaces and using primitive objects (such as spheres and cubes) to produce a wireframe model. Controls are then added to the model to allow it to be bent and posed. It becomes more like a digital puppet, moved into the key positions for an action and allowing the computer to work out the in-between positions for making a smooth action. From there, the object can be shaded with computer lights and rendered with a computer camera.

Whiz Digital Visual Effects Artist, Richard Turner says,

'If you plan to work in computer animation it's advantageous to understand photography, lighting and movement. You must be able to visualise how an object will look in three dimension and have the know-how to make an inanimate object look real.'

Richard, who worked in photography before making the change to computer animation, is currently working on a computer animated television special called WildKat. He says Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans will love it.



Before the advent of computer animation there was and still is conventional animation. The main difference between the two is that the animation in conventional animation is hand drawn including the in-between positions.

The starting salary in computer animation is about $25,000 with some local, more experienced computer animators earning in the vicinity of $55,000. Salaries can exceed this, expecially for those working interstate.

According to an information technology industry spokesman, employment prospects are better further afield, particularly in Queensland and New South Wales, which boast computer game manufacturers and Fox Studio. Heading overseas also presents better opportunities.



An FTI WA spokesman says that although there are small numbers of computer animators working for the larger multimedia and video post production companies in Perth, there are a lot of self-employed animators developing projects in WA.

'Warner Bros Animation and Electronic Arts Publishing also have several productions under development, which may improve employment prospects. If given the go ahead, there could create approximately 60 positions for more experienced animators here in WA or interstate.'

In WA, most computer animators work in the multimedia industry doing web design or video post production.

Excellent drawing skills, an ability to visualise how animated objects should appear and a good understanding of conventional animation would be high on a potential employer's list of requirements. They would generally look for applicants who have completed some formal training in graphic art or multimedia, and request an artwork portfolio.

Naturally, a reasonable level of computer literacy is necessary in this occupation. More importantly though is a high level of confidence and the ability to learn quickly and apply new software programs. You can look forward to reading numerous software manuals to keep abreast of the constant technological change in this industry.

A number of institutions offer courses with computer animation components that will enable people interested in this field to develop the relevant skills.

Curtin University offers a three-year Bachelor of Arts degree in Multimedia Design, Edith Cowan University a three-year Bachelor of Communications degree in Multimedia Technologies and Murdoch University a three-year Bachelor of Multimedia degree. Please contact the relevant institution for further information.

The Advanced Diploma of Art and Design (Animation) is held at the Perth campus of TAFE. You will need to have completed the Diploma of Multimedia, or equivalent, to gain entry into the Advanced Diploma.

The Certificate IV in Multimedia is offered at various campuses of TAFE while the Diploma of Multimedia is offered at the East Perth and Joondalup campuses of TAFE. Contact the relevant campus for more details or check out the TAFE website below.

	Other Training Providers
	National Training Information Service website.
	TAFE Colleges
	Homepage links and contact details for all TAFE Colleges in WA.
	TAFE Handbook
	An online guide to fulltime TAFE courses throughout WA.
	Universities
	Homepage links and contact details for all Universities in WA.

Design Institute of Australia
50 Burwood Road Hawthorn VIC 3122 Phone: (03) 8662 5490

Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (WA)
224 Stirling Street Perth WA 6000 Phone: (08) 9227 7924

Film and Television Institute (WA) Inc
92 Adelaide Street Fremantle WA 6160 Phone: (08) 9431 8700

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When WildKat, one of Whiz Digital's biggest visual effects productions to date, was screened on Australian and overseas television, the organisation's visual effects artist Richard Turner, was one proud man.

'It's one of our biggest productions yet. It's a television show in which real people are combined with 2D visual effects. Although much of my time at work is spent in front of a computer, it's a lot of fun especially when I work on shows like WildKat,' says Richard.

Dealing with the unexpected is also part of the fun.

'In one scene the production crew were unable to get a live tiger into a cage so I brought one to life using 3D computer animation. It set our schedule back, but there was an element of fun and it was challenging.'

Challenging projects like this also make Richard more forgiving of the long hours his work demands. He spends between 70 and 80 hours a week at work, often with only his computer for company. But such are the downsides of working in an industry where the client wants a concept turned into a useable product by a set time.

Unfortunately, one's creative drive does not always respond to schedule.

Not that Richard is complaining. He is well aware of the privileged nature of his work. Most of us would love the chance to be able to use our creativity alongside our technical expertise when making a living.

Richard's foray into computer animation started with photography.

'Many of the skills that I developed there I use in my current role. I find that my understanding of lighting techniques and movement are really useful. Making characters appear lifelike involves not only movement, but also the manipulation of light, colour, shadow and texture.'

As well as using his skills to entertain, Richard has also worked on more practical projects. He recently created a 3D model of the architectural plans for a proposed marina. It will be used as a significant marketing tool for the developers.

Richard says that the most noticeable change in his work has come from the dramatic and fast-paced advances in the computerised equipment used in the industry.

'Computer power has become immense. It's a lot faster than what it was compared to just five years ago and it will continue to evolve.'

For Richard, that means staying up-to-date with the latest software programs that will enable him to build and animate objects. No great ask for someone so into his work.