By Dan Grushkin
Now that nearly everyone has digital camera, there's been a glut on the market of software programs that crop and edit digital images. However, from time immemorial Adobe Photoshop has been the industry standard.
There were once complaints that Photoshop was too big a program to handle for people's very basic needs. Not for the animator. In fact it's very intuitive and a very powerful tool. If you're in animation school or thinking about attending, consider signing up for a Photoshop class.
Why Photoshop?
You'd think that digital stills have nothing to do with animation, but you'd be very wrong. True, an animator's main goal is to capture believable motion in their craft. But they also have to present the most impeccable image on the screen.
You don't ever have to step into a classroom again. Westwood College's online bachelor's and associate's degree programs allow students to learn without the hassle of scheduling class times and traveling to campuses.
For that reason most animation software are compatible with Photoshop. To be the best animator possible and the best animator in animation school, you going to have to prove that you can crank every detail of your digital image to the next level.
Tweaking the color in the images in your animation or the brightness may be a job for Photoshop. For that reason, consider taking a Photoshop class early in you animation career.
Another Thing to Consider about a Photoshop Class at Animation School
So you finally finished the movie that took you all semester to animate. You pained over every detail, from the lighting to the character movements to the camera angle. You worked your heart out and you want to show everyone the fruits of your labor. Now you want to have screening.
It's a good thing you took that Photoshop class. Now you can take still shots from the movie and use Photoshop to design posters and ads to publicize your event. With some luck and great advertisements, you'll have a packed house cheering your praises.
About the Author
Dan Grushkin is freelance writer in Brooklyn, New York. He has written about world affairs for Agence France-Presse news wire, various international publications and has contributed to a book on the Middle East crisis. Dan holds a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University.
Monday, May 16, 2005
