A thread about my journey with computer animation & why I’m (re)doing computer animation with 80s tech.
33 years ago friend brought this magazine from school library, said “Now we can make animation with computer. Macintosh computer!”
The software featured in the article is VideoWorks, by MacroMind (predecessor of Macromedia). My eyes wide opened, a new dream shaped.
The software featured in the article is VideoWorks, by MacroMind (predecessor of Macromedia). My eyes wide opened, a new dream shaped.
My brain whispered “I can make this with a computer?” I declared myself I want to be a computer graphic artist.
After that day, I began my journey to learn about computer animation. Macintosh was a fancy expensive machine back then, so my parents bought us a PC machine. I learned animation wtih BASIC & PC Storyboard Plus by IBM Corp.
My dad was 2D animator, so he taught me to understand better how to create animation on paper. At the same time, he also explored the home computer animation with current technology. It was promising, but it’s not there yet.
Few years later, my dad brought this Macworld edition “The future is here! Now we can create 3D animation at home, with a desktop computer.”
VideoWorks became MacroMind Director, set a new standard for desktop animation.
VideoWorks became MacroMind Director, set a new standard for desktop animation.
Somewhere along the way, there were unsolved ideas, unfinished projects, unrealistic methods due to tech limitation, especially in early 90s.
The tech limitation somehow compromised, molded the story & the idea in that era.
The tech limitation somehow compromised, molded the story & the idea in that era.
Now that we already have the better technology, offers better graphic, better color, better rendering, there’s an urge for me to going back to the old tech with new fresh idea, new story, finish the unfinished business.
By looking back to the each bit, each pixel in the computer animation, I appreciate every motion rendered by the computer. One click, one pixel, something we take for granted, in today’s hires 4K monitor.
I believe, with old tech limitation, there will be new possibilities of story, idea, creation for the future.
By combinging new idea & old tech, will it lead into something better for the future? Not sure. But I believe, each pixel deserves our appreciation. It gives color, shape, rhythm and motion in our modern computer arts. Thank you, pixel!
