Simba is coming, Simba is coming .. How do you join the cartoonists?

"Animation can embody everything that the human mind can imagine, and this ability makes it one of the most varied and clear means of communication, and is designed to gain rapid public appreciation."

(Walt Disney (1))

The story began with a dream in which a man pursued many tales woven into his imagination, in which a child stripped his clothes to inhabit the jungle, and a good girl was caught in evil who took shelter in the house of dwarves from the oppression of her stepmother, and gave him luck, when the midnight of that night came, as a prince for a girl, just as in The dream world The beginning of the dream had no color seen by anyone, or a voice heard by the surroundings, and little by little the characters of these dreams were embodied silent drawings on paper, then on TV.

The dreamers did not stop here, but gave him a life, so he uttered the sound of their ideas and colored the colors of their imaginations, and was known as "Animation", which later stormed, with the help of the innovative force of technology, the world of cinematography (2), and the stories rolled and mixed with childhood Everyone who experienced it, trying to simulate or compete with his favorite characters in playing yo-yo, joining the Pokemon world to hunt evil supporters, or even investigate crime threads and pounce on criminals, and the value of the animation industry globally in 2018 was estimated at $ 259 billion USD, and it is expected that This number reaches 270 billion US dollars by the year 2020, how can learn to draw cartoon characters? How do you search for your opportunity to work in this field?

Inside the "Animation" world

Speaking with Meydan , Omar Al-Labbad, a animator in "Al-Jazeera Plus" (AJ +), says that "Animation" started on paper, and it was known as "Traditional Animation" as in "Snow White". Old “Tom and Jerry”, “Adnan and Lina” and “Sinbad the Treasure Island” and “Grendizer”, while “Animation” is categorized into traditional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional (computerized), animated illustrations or what is known as marketing In the name of "Motion graphics", and the technique of stopping movement known as "stop motion" (3) ("stop motion"), "Omar" explains that "Animation is a sequence of images that appear when displayed as if what is inside is moving regardless of T. The technique used, whether it is two-dimensional graphics, or three-dimensional graphics, or digital, or stop motion as in moving toothpaste, and all the methods used follow one method and rules, the "Animator" studies the rules of the twelve famous animation and then chooses the technique 2D, 3D, or Stop Motion ".

Omar also explains to " Meydan " that the traditional "animation" can be drawn but digitally, and that the manually executed works are an introduction to the two-dimensional "animation", and to clarify the difference between the techniques used in the "animation" industry, Omar says that "each style has its identity. Dimensions Drawing must be mastered to a great degree, while in three-dimensional graphics this is not required dynamically, but for the manufacture of integrated visual work, drawing has a large role, whether it is two-dimensional or three-dimensional, the three-dimensional graphics are subject to preliminary designs of two-dimensional such as: storyboard and design of characters and backgrounds , Which is reconstructed to be thula Two-dimensional, and in order to obtain a smooth movement of the cartoon character, 12 pictures must be drawn for every second of work, drawing less than this number will cause shredding in the final video, and the non-specialized human eye can notice it, and it is also possible to increase the number of pictures drawn per second To 24, 25 or even 60 images, depending on the rendering system and the techniques used for animation. "

Omar also confirms to Meydan that technology has played a big role in developing this industry and speeding up production processes, and therefore the traditional “animation” implemented on paper is the most costly and time-consuming industry of “animation”, followed by digitally executed, and this is what drives The leading companies in this field to avoid this cost and stop the production of films executed in traditional ways, and to move towards making 3D movies, as they are less expensive and more visually impressive than others.

The video is one of Omar Al-Labbad's works

"Animation" on paper

Traditional animation is known for several names, and it is known as "Hand-drawn Animation", "Cel Animation", or "Classical Animation", and about the nature of this type of drawing talks to " "Mohamed Al-Dalu" field , an anime painter who recently represented Palestine in "Al-Shammari Fine Art Exhibition", on his experience in drawing cartoon characters on paper, which started seven years ago, he says: "The Internet is a fertile land where there are resources for learning to draw all cartoon characters, Using keywords, such as: "anime" or "How to draw anime", while searching on "google" or "youtube", the person will connect to many sources, and By constant research, he will find what helps him to learn manual cartoon drawing. ”Muhammad indicates that there is a shortage of available sources in the Arabic language, and that he used books in the Japanese language to learn drawing, such as: How to Draw Manga? It includes explanations with pictures in incremental steps, and language will not be a hindrance to the learning process.

On the period that a person needs to learn and develop his skill, Muhammad explains to Meydan : "Anything we want to learn will find difficult in the beginning, and the person may think that he does not achieve development in his level during learning because he is rushing the result and wants to reach his goal in a short period, but this is The wrong thing is, it is possible for a person not to notice any progress in his level before 6 months of practice, as it is difficult to determine the necessary period for that, as the time varies from person to person, and according to the availability of the talent of drawing with the person or not, so the person must be patient and keep his desire In learning, the world of animation is vast and large unlike any other As a portrait illustration, for example, and for a person to follow his path in this art and advance in the level of the works presented by him, “Muhammad” believes that this is due to the availability of motivation for the person and his desire to develop himself, and that this is achieved by continuing to learn, and the constant knowledge of new cartoon works, and keeping up with Animation world developments.

"Animation" at the university, and online

The options available to those interested in learning modern "Animation" tools vary, and these options are included in academic education programs and online learning. How were these programs designed?

"Animation" academically

Several academic institutions have initiated programs to teach this art within their colleges, and these programs have been offered to undergraduate and master students. The Budapest Metropolitan University in Hungary has designed a program to obtain the “Bachelor of Arts in Animation”, to teach students how Animation drawing, designing complex works for use in marketing, electronic media, digital publications, and game design. The program focuses in its educational goals on providing students with an understanding of the stages of making cartoon business, starting from the idea and building texts to moving characters and using B Program two- and three-dimensional animation, to qualify graduates of the program to work in making animation work, and the use of digital and traditional techniques, and working for advertising agencies, or in film studios, or even as independents (via the Internet), the program displays in English, and requires a study of six chapters.

As for students interested in studying master’s programs in this specialization, one of the programs available for them is the “Master of Arts in Animation” (MA Animation) program from Aalto University in Finland, which deals with animation theory and practice, and provides students with an understanding of their various applications And with the skills needed to design, manufacture and lead visual works, and with knowledge of film-making tools such as visual effects, sound design, and script writing, the program focuses on its content on story telling, visual photography, character design, and the revival and direction of characters using 2D and 3D technologies, and includes N is a research proposal, and the students of the program qualify for making, directing, producing, supervising and supervising cartoon films and other roles related to these works. The program is taught in English and requires two years to study it.

Animation online

The educational resources available on the Internet fall into various categories that make it easier for the interested person to deal with, and by returning to "Omar", and based on his experience in learning "animation", he tells " Meydan ": "3D schools" flourish than schools specialized in "2D" Animation, such as: “Animation mentor online school”, “I animat”, “Anime School” and “Anime squad”, all of which are schools that depend on Students' follow-up and evaluation of their work. The educational system differs in these schools. In the two schools, “Animation Mentor” and “IAnimit”, in which “Omar” was taught, and they are classified as “3D Animation” schools, he says: Sending a recorded lecture, and after a day or two a class meeting is held that brings the teacher with seven or eight students to discuss the topic of the lecture, and at the end of the meeting students are assigned a task in implementation of what was proposed in theory in this lecture, and the students should implement it and then upload the work in the form of a video on the school site , So that it will be presented to the teacher who will put his notes on this work, and the student will see it to continue it, and so on during the learning period. "

As for learning levels, Omar mentioned to Meydan that there are seven levels that include the basics, mechanical movements, and representation, while providing an opportunity to obtain specialized education at the higher levels such as learning to move around video games, animation for movies, and animation for creatures, animals and monsters , Which are not free schools and requires up to two years to study. "

And about the schools of "2D Animation" Omar says: "It is very few, and I only encountered one school," 2D & 3D online animation institute, "which teaches moving characters, and was providing lessons in the Russian language, and it is now also available in English, and there are schools that teach" Todd motion Motion Graphics (2D Motion Graphic) like “mograph mentor”, and also depends on the presence of teachers to follow the students ’development. He also clarifies regarding the people who started learning and cannot determine their level before applying to schools. All they have to do is provide a model for their work. , And schools will determine their level.

Learning resources are not limited to e-schools, as Omar explained, those interested can practice self-learning, by purchasing educational content and trying to implement it, and this option is characterized by being the least financial cost, but it lacks the follow-up of specialists, and thus does not achieve the desired benefit, and that the free resources, despite Because some of them are useful, most of them are disorganized or incomplete, may benefit beginners, but it requires a long period of time in research, which is shortened by electronic schools.

Omar reports to Meydan that there are many difficulties that people face during the learning process, such as financial difficulties in providing the required tuition fees, and providing work requirements such as a computer, electronic drawing board, Internet connection, and electricity, all of which are difficulties he encountered during his learning phase, especially if it coincides These difficulties are with other personal responsibilities such as study, work or family.

Work in the animation industry

Opportunities and workplaces expand in this industry with an expanding role in various fields. The list of workplaces includes major commercial studios, television projects, marketing agencies, media institutions, or movie studios, and a person may work independently (4) (Freelancer), but access To the level required to achieve the requirements of working in these places requires an awareness of how to qualify to compete with the applicants.

In his conversation with " Meydan " "Omar" advises those interested in developing their level in this field to reach professionalism by "permanent training in drawing, moving or cutting some scenes from films and analyzing them image after image, and there are many useful books that must be obtained and used as references for return" Whenever we encounter problems in animation, such as: "The Animator's" Survival Kit, and "the illusion of life".

To search for a suitable job opportunity, Omar says: “I found it best to compile a list of companies that offer similar jobs to what you have learned, and start submitting your CV and Showreel, in which you display the best jobs in a short time, between Just a minute and two minutes, and the pages of Facebook and LinkedIn will help you, but I think that visiting the company's main website is the best option.