Insecurtiy ~ Animation Blogs

The other day, after I finished posting my personal review of Ratatouille, I started looking up other reviews of the movie. Not film critic reviews, but reviews from other animation blogs. Particularly those of Eddie Fitzgerald, Michael Sporn, and Mark Kausler. Though the reviews of Ratatouille have been generally positive, there were things common amongst the reviews that I didn’t pick up on when viewing the movie. I loved the movie the way it was, and yet things that I thought were unique and original in it, were considerable burdens to other animators.

Because I don’t consider myself a well versed animator, I have never commented on any of these blogs. The only blogs I have commented on thus far are Jerry Beck’s Cartoon Brew, and those of animators I know personally. For the most part, I am afraid to comment on animator blogs, because they speak a language that I don’t fully understand. I would like to understand it, because most of the animators I know personally understand it, and I am quite fond of their work. But other blogs (John Kricfalusi’s blog for example) I am too afraid to comment on, because I don’t always understand the point they are trying to make, and yet their commentors pick up on them right away,

For those who know me, its no surprise that I tend to be self-effacing at times, particularly when it comes to my own artwork. Although I love to draw, I have never fully grasped most drawing principles. As hard as I try, I have never been the best at life drawing. And since great animation requires dedicated drawing, I still feel like I am at stage one of the learning process. This is probably a little much, because I am 21, and have only been learning animation for the last two years.

For those who are reading this (I don’t expect too many to be reading this), this is NOT a cry for help or anything. I just felt a sense of insecurity the other day, and I need to let it out. I am going to keep learning animation. I intend to talk more about this later on.