Journal Entry – Week 1

My name is Stephanie Marinova. I chose this course because I am studying film, and I find animation to be one of the coolest subcategories of film! I love stop motion. I’m interested in production and film writing. I have a dog, Nikki, and I live with four of my friends. I am from Bulgaria. I also am new to BMCC, and this technology, my sincere apologies.

One of my favorite shows is an anime series called Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which came out in September of 2022. The show was actually an adaptation of a videogame with the same name, however I haven’t played the game at the time so I was going into the show with no expectations. On the other hand I saw it was animated by one of my favorite animation studios, Studio Trigger, which are known for exaggerated over-the-top motion and flashy animation which I am a huge fan of, so I was still excited to watch the show, and they did not fail to deliver on the style. Besides the animation I really enjoyed the story, and as someone who wasn’t familiar with the source material I liked that that didn’t really hinder my enjoyment and understanding of the story. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners has it’s own self contained story with its own fun and interesting cast of characters. I liked the show so much it made me decide to check out the game so that I can get a better feel for the world this character live in and have a better understanding of the referencing made within the show.

I can name many animated films/Tv shows that I like and to be honest I don’t have a favorite film since I enjoy every single one of them. I enjoy the characters, I enjoy the story, I enjoy the music, but above all I really love the animations from those films/Tv shows. One great example is an animated film that was released in January 2020 called, “Weathering with You”. The animation in this film is outstanding. For those who don’t know the animation studio for this film, the name of the studio is called CoMix Wave Films. They have made incredible films before such as Your Name, The Garden of Words, Suzume, and more. The amount of detail that goes into these films are insane, it really makes any artist wonder how long it takes to animate a thirty second video with the same quality. It is also not just how detailed it looks that amazes me, it’s the physicality in some of the parts of the film. Another Film would definitely go to the Fate/Stay Night Heaven’s Feel Trilogy that released in 2024 done by an animated studio called Ufotable. Ufotable are well known for their animations in the Fate series and The Garden of Sinners. The fight scenes in the Fate series are breathtaking, and not to mention the godly music that plays along with it. Both animation studio outdoes themselves every time.

One of my favorite movies is “Fantastic Planet” This 1970s sci-fi film with amazing world building and eye catching animation. We watch a planet sometime in the future; rabid animals unlike anything you can imagine roam free hunting and eating each-other connected by this beautiful setting filled with wild almost sentient plants. The film plays on themes of: slavery, animal cruelty, the connection between the fear and stigma of education within lower-class communities, corrupt or ill informed government officials and the impact on everyone they lead-all within an hour and 12 min movie about this little alien girl, her human pet, and “government official” father.

Fantastic Planet (French: La Planète sauvage; Czech: Divot planeta, lit. ’The Wild Planet’) is a 1973 French-language experimental independent adult animated science fiction art film, directed by René Laloux and written by Laloux and Roland Topor, the latter of whom also completed the film’s production design.

One of my favorite movies is “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” This film is a prime example of how 2D animation techniques can be blended with live-action performances, making it one of the best-animated films in American history. The animation quality is exceptional; the cartoon characters feel like they truly exist in the real world. Remarkably, this film features a unique moment where Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Mickey Mouse, and Donald Duck appear together.

“Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” won Academy Awards for film editing, sound effects editing, and visual effects. The animation director, Richard Williams, is a three-time Academy Award winner, while the legendary voice actor Mel Blanc provided the voices for both Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. The movie was released on June 22, 1988, and was produced by Disney’s Touchstone Pictures.

An animated film that I like is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse because the movie came out on my birthday, so me and my friend saw it at Times Square and both the movie, and the audience made a great experience that I won’t soon forget. I really loved the characters because they were all funny and relatable and iconic in their own right. The animation really stood out to me especially because it is a major upgrade from last movie where the big thing with the animation is that it was kind of choppy, but with this animation in Across the Spider-Verse, the color really pops out at you and even in Gwen Stacy’s dimension they use watercolor to signify the emotional impact of each scene which was really cool, and Spider-Punk was animated differently because instead of being animated on 2s like every other character, he is animated on 3s, which means he gets put in a different pose every 3 frames, making him have the choppiest animation but it looks really cool with his newspaper look. The movie was made by Sony Pictures Animation in association with Marvel Entertainment and released on June 2nd, 2023.  

Judah Hull

Hello everyone my name is James Encalada, my major is animation and motion graphics. I chose this course because I like art and everything about art, in the future I want to learn a lot about 3D design, and my goals are to be able to have my own studio. I really like science fiction series and movies, especially the ones that have to do with mythological or weird creatures, my hobbies are listening to music, playing video games, and doing any kind of sport or exercise.

Some of my favorite animated series are “Regular Show” (2010-2017) by James Garland Quintel and “Adventure Time” (2010-2018) by Pendleton Ward, both are from Cartoon Network. These series are my favorite because of their hand-drawn animation and everything is so surreal.

I guess an animated film I like is “The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh” (1977). Based on the books by A. A. Milne, the film was animated at Walt Disney Animation Studios. What I like about this film is its calm nature, its storybook-like style, and the film’s hand-drawn animation. Interestingly the film itself is a combination of shorter “Winnie The Pooh” animations that were released earlier on.

My major is animation. I like reading manga and DC comics as well as watching anime. Annie is the reason that I got into drawing I wanted to make something wonderful something that inspires others to make something of their own. I love watching horror movies and writing stories in spare time, I don’t always finish the stories that I start since I loss ambition and motivation. I have been drawing since I was in the fifth grade and writing stories since the fourth grade. I also like playing video games.

Hello, everyone my name is Aung. My major is Video Arts and Technology, but I really interested in animation and its history. I really liked Avatar, both the first and the second. I want to become a special effect artist. If I have to choose a favorite animation, it would be Spider-man into the Spider-verse, because of its amazing art style.

I love photography, films, collecting watches, and cameras. On my free time, I enjoy grabbing my old cameras, going out to capture vibrant moments on the street.

Hi my name is Aryanna Guaba! I’m an 18 year old artist and a big clown enthusiast. I picked this course because I want to end up doing something in the animation industry one day. I’m really interested in learning 2D animation especially when it comes to anime. My major is Animation and motion graphics. My goals career wise are to end up creating pieces of art for art enjoyers and to create animations to build up stories. My hobbies consist of gaming, needlework and lots of figurine collecting.

I am majoring Motion graphics and Animation, being the clear reason of why I’m into this class. Animation is not really wanted I want to focus on since I am leaning more towards the game development path. The reason why I’m focusing on animation or game development is since I’m young, I’ve been always wished to create and express my creativity into an artistic way for the reason that I got influenced by shows I used to watch, such as The Amazing World of Gumball, Adventure Time and Totally Spies!; as well, watched some Japanese shows that were my biggest inspirations, Kill La Kill, Saiki K, Aggretsuko, Norogami, Assassination Classroom and Soul Eater. These shows are based on the comedy and the randomness, which called my attention and inspired me more. I always felt passionate about illustrating unrealistic anime-like characters. I used to spend all day creating one-shot comics about myriads of topics, but this doesn’t mean I am good at it, yet. Lastly, my main goal in life or aspiration it is to first of all, master my artistic skills, method and studies by graduating from school in order for me to achieve successfully projects and artworks that I am wiling them to get recognized around the world and be the inspirations for other artists.

My name is Michael Sarria. I chose this course because I’ve always had a deep appreciation for art and animation and would like to learn more about the history so as to understand how the world of animation today came to be. I’m majoring in Animation and Motion Graphics with the goal of getting into the animation industry and becoming a Character Animator. My goals in life are to work in a studio where I can create movies, tv shows, and/or video games, and gain the necessary experience to eventually create my own show that people can enjoy. Some other fun facts about me are: I was born in LA and moved to NY when I was 6, I’m an artist who’s been drawing since elementary school, I enjoy cooking and like to learn new recipes, and my favorite Disney/Pixar film is Ratatouille.

Hello my name is Julius Joseph my favorite genre of animation is horror, adventure, and mystery. My major is animation and motion graphics. Although i am changing majors soon i originally joined to learn more and understand how horror and mystery was captured and thrown into films so vividly. I like to play adventure games, fps, mystery, puzzle, and fighting i dont have any pets. I love ribs.

Good Afternoon, I am Isaiah Davis and I am a Multimedia Programming and design major, I picked this class because I love animation. I grew up watching cartoons specifically Steven Universe, Avatar the Legend of Korra, and Adventure Time. Still, I’m pretty ignorant of the history of animation and I want more context as to why animations are the way they are. As for career goals, I don’t have a specific job that I dream of, but I would love to work on creative projects where I can exercise that part of me. My hobbies include drawing and playing video games.

Hi, name’s Evan. I chose this course simply because I wanted to learn more about the history of animation, and how we even got to this point in the animation industry. It’s also one step closer to an associates in Animation and Motion Graphics. I love cartoons, but I also like anime so I want to be an animator that can incorporate both styles at the same time. I’m not entirely sure what I want to do as a career yet, and even though there’s a clear path into the animation industry, I want to make my own art and maybe start my own animation studio. I’d rather not be slaving away for hours on end working day and night like Mappa animators. Some fun things you should know about me is I love doodling, I hate crowded spaces, my favorite color is peach, and I have a tendency to carry around a scooter. A LOT.

An animated series I really love to watch is the Amazing World of Gumball because now that I’m older, I can understand the jokes and comedy very well, which makes it more funny to watch. I also like One Piece, and I actually really love the animation styles both old and new. The squash and stretch seems so fluid, and the timing on certain parts just makes the animation look so amazing. I love the goofy nature of the show as well, and even though it is VERY long, I enjoy it very much. The show was produced by Toei Animation, which started in 1948 by animators Kenzo Masaoka and Sanae Yamamoto.

Please tell us a bit about yourself. What is your name? Why did you pick this course? Is there a particular genre/era/type of animation you’re interested in learning more about? What is your major? What are your career goals? Include a few fun facts about yourself (hobbies? pets? favorite food?)

Hello i’m Marcelle. I picked this course, wile I am a science major, because first I need the credits but also because I love old animation. A lot of my favorite movies are older and or animations. I hope to minor in art or film history. I also adore film ant all the intricacies that come with it. I have always listened and washed breakdowns of movies and how each frame builds a world. My career goals is I believe to get my medical degree but for now I would still like to dabble in film and art because of its importance to me. Fun facts hmmmm I have a turtle, use to have to but the one I have now killed the other one. Again I love art, i draw and paint n stuff. I love Korean Caribbean and East Asian food also exited for this class lol !! bye nice meeting u

Please tell us a bit about yourself. What is your name? Why did you pick this course? Is there a particular genre/era/type of animation you’re interested in learning more about? What is your major? What are your career goals? Include a few fun facts about yourself (hobbies? pets? favorite food?)

My name is Gino Sofia, I’m a student at BMCC studying animation and have aspired to be an animator since I was around 10 or 11. I picked this course through advisement and to grown my knowledge in animation in general. There is no one style I adhere to when it comes to animation but the two mediums I like are 3D CG, and traditional hand drawn animation, I’m primarily currently trying to focus on learning both. My major is Animation & Motion graphics. My career goals are to become a CG generalist, or at the very least a concept artist, storyboard artist, or key animator. A couple of fun facts about myself are that I like to draw and dedicate most of my time to digital art. I casually play games, a huge cat person and my favorite food is pasta.

Name an animated film or tv show that you like. Why do you think you like it?  Is it the characters, the animation techniques? Include this in the journal post. Research the studio/artist that created it as well as the date it was created and include this information in your post.

An animated film I really like and commonly find myself going back to pick through on how they did certain techniques is Zootopia. When I first saw it I found myself enamored with the characters and how the different animal types in the film interacted with the world and other animals of different sized too. Initially Zootopia is what got me into 3D animation and I found myself re-watching for the story and picking out parts of the animation that I could analyze and replicate in my own work. The animated film was made inhouse by Walt Disney Animation Studio, and story and designs were conceptualized from Bryon Howard, The film itself was released march 4th 2016.

My name is Noelani. I picked this course because I feel that in order to be a good artist/animator/etc. you also need to know the history and advancements that have been made within art that brought us to where we are now–technologically or technically. The type of animation I’m most interested in 3D animation. As an artist who works solely in 2D, learning who 3D can and has been incorporated could help my own process in my own projects. I currently majoring in Animation and Motion Graphics at BMCC and plan to finish my BFA in Illustration at another college. My career goal is to be a concept artist and illustrator. I really see myself working in pre-production for films and games.

For some facts, I enjoy watching animated movies, nature documentaries, anime shows and reading manga. I’m very interested in mythology, culture and history and that inspires a lot of my art. I have a pet gecko named Redtop who is almost 16 years old. I also love fashion and like to dress up when I can.

My name is Genaro Rafael Sotomayor, I’m 42 years old, and I’m originally from Peru, but I currently live in New York City. I enrolled in this class because I want to learn about the golden era of animation in the USA. My major is Animation and Motion Graphics, and I believe this course will provide valuable information that can help me create the beautiful artwork I aspire to produce. In my free time, I enjoy modeling and sculpting 3D objects, as I love creating hyper-realistic renders. Additionally, my favorite food is ceviche; I believe the cuisine of my homeland is among the best in the world.

My name is Joseph Aca. I am taking this class since it is mandatory for my major. I’m majoring in Animation Motion Graphics. I love to draw. I play the piano every now and then. I’m also a collector in manga and video games.

I’m Juan. I picked this course because not only that I’m interested in animation, but I also make my own animations on occasion. I like both 2d and 3d animation mainly because when I try to make my own animations in 3D software, I try to apply principles that would be used in 2d animation for a stylized look. My major is in Animation & Motion Graphics and hopefully I can make a living out of being a 3D artist. Yes, I’m a 3D artist. I make 3D renders out of characters, and sometimes when I have the right amount of motivation I would make little animations with those models. My work is done in a 3D software called “Blender”.

My name is Judah, I am an animation major, and I have an interest in comics, and I like anime.

Hi, I’m Niko. I picked this course due to my studying of animation and game design, being directed to this course by my advisor as something which I can gain from, My two favorite types of animation are heavy Sakuga (Standout Quality) Scenes from a lot of Japanese anime, and limited 3D animation. My major is Game Design and Character Animation under CUNY BA, where hopefully I can land myself a job at some studios to produce work for them while I focus on my main passion project. As for my main hobby, its really to write stories and create characters, storyboarding scenes that I can hopefully transfer into passion projects in the future. Nice to meet you all!

Respond to at least 1 prompt on this page (you are welcome to respond to both). For instructions on how to submit a journal entry, please follow these instructions (or watch this video). FORMATTING FOR THIS WEEK: Use the title format “[FirstName] [LastName] W1” and select the Category “Journal Entry – Week 1”

Prompt 1

Please tell us a bit about yourself. What is your name? Why did you pick this course? Is there a particular genre/era/type of animation you’re interested in learning more about? What is your major? What are your career goals? Include a few fun facts about yourself (hobbies? pets? favorite food?)

Prompt 2

Name an animated film or tv show that you like. Why do you think you like it?  Is it the characters, the animation techniques? Include this in the journal post. Research the studio/artist that created it as well as the date it was created and include this information in your post.