“Geeking Out” with Mike Eringis

In 1887, Thomas Edison started research into motion pictures; two years later he presented the kinetoscope that projected 50 feet of film in approximately 13 seconds. Since then there have been amazing strides in the rapid display of sequence images and thus the medium of art known as animation. From Paleolithic cave paintings, to cel animation, to the current world of computer-generated imagery (CGI): there is no doubt that this world has been transformed by the onslaught of new technology and animation is no exception.

This past Monday, I had the pleasure of meeting Mike Eringis, a creative artist who has worked in 3D computer animation for over 20 years. Until recently he was employed at the Academy Award winning Blue Sky Studios, a subsidiary of Fox.

Mike’s portfolio includes work on the Ice Age movies, Horton Hears a Who, Robots and Rio among others. I should have asked him if that crazy squirrel from Ice Age, “Scrat,” ever gets to chomp down on that troublesome acorn.

Check out this funny first look of Ice Age 4: The Continental Drift

Did you know that there are 24 frames per second in an animated feature film? Each frame is designed carefully and extensively, it is touched, viewed and studied by multiple contributors. As Mike spoke, I couldn’t help but think how daunting and time-consuming the production process is—we are talking more than 140,000 frames. Over and over my thoughts were, “unbelievable,” and “they don’t get enough kudos.” There are many talented and dedicated programmers, artists and designers who log countless hours to bring you these films, often studying and rendering seconds of the movie over weeks of effort. But I guess the principles of economy and business are always at play; these films are raking in big dollars at the box office and in home entertainment.

It was made clear that the right software is an advantage, obviously trained and creative people to run that software is also fundamental. Blue Sky Studios is notable for its proprietary Renderer CGI Studio software. Mike said, this is what happens “when rocket scientists want to make cartoons.” CGI Studio is notable for its use of ray tracing as opposed to scanline rendering prevalent throughout the CG industry. The studio is known for the ability to manage light sources, emulating and diffusing light can make an extreme difference in the aesthetics and authenticity of a scene right down to the ice cubes. Mike showed a still image from Ice Age and zoomed in on a droplet of water flying off a creature jumping out of the water. In the water droplet, was a reflected image of Manny the Mammoth who was standing directly across from the scene. The image was a millimeter in size and I am certain that no one, even if they were watching on the big screen, could catch this detail. Nevertheless the software was able to create it. I was stunned; it is truly impressive.

Blue Sky Studios employs less than 500 people. It doesn’t seem possible that they could pull of a full feature film in 6-8 months given the time spent on a single second. But they do and the vast majority of employees work directly on visual development, layout and modeling, animation, materials and lighting. Eringis calls the process of production the “pipeline.” The writing, art storyboards and editorial are completed by only 20-30 people in the very beginning, when it’s time to cross into the realm of 3D then on come 400+ helpers.

Mike’s main role in these films was managing what is called “materials.” After modeling and rigging a frame all the details must be dressed. Mike worked on applying textures to all aspects of the characters, scenery and other objects. Seriously, the details are detailed! He showed pictures of his field trip to a junkyard, citing that trips out and about are often helpful for getting things right. He closely studied and photographed rust to help with the film Robots. Look closely; the wear tear is where it should be. A lesson from Mike, details are important.

Mike roughly got me up to speed on animation; the new technology is certainly emergent media. I have new respect for the detailed labor, hearing about the difficulty of simulating fur or hair and splashes of water will have that effect. Mike recently resigned from Blue Sky Studios but I could tell it was an incredibly difficult decision. He loved the creative aspects of his role. He offered some advice for the creative process that I took to heart, knowing the stressful deadline battles he continually fought. Always “set a plan, know your resources, know yourself and continually monitor that plan.” Seems simple enough? It’s always simpler said than done. I think we are often scared to work under deadlines, but as Mike reminded me “our best work is often done under limitation.” This week I will put that to the test with a few projects.

Incorporating multiple ideas and utilizing more hands will lead to a better end result. This type of creative work requires teamwork. There is not one person who could pull off a box office worthy feature film on his or her own; no matter how badass you are, it can’t be done. Aside from the lesson in animation and the creative inspiration, Mike reminded me that our work blossoms with collaboration. Learning to incorporate each other’s ideas, having the ability compromise and the willingness to let go when you should are fundamental skills in teamwork. As Mike said and as he lived with his animated life, there is something so thrilling about “creating something bigger than yourself.”

The Question of Technology

What is technology? I encourage you to take a second and write down your own definition. As time moves along you may find yourself redefining what you hold to be true about innovation, this is something I have been doing consistently over the last few weeks. We have come to recognize major advances in our society by identifying them as “technology.” The invention of the alphabet over 2,500 years ago had transformational effects on Greek society and even to this day we can’t imagine our modern world without it. The long days of scribing texts by hand came to a close with the printing press and the work of a German goldsmith named Johannes Gutenberg. Gottlieb Daimer invented the car in 1893 and well the list of world-altering invention goes on. I assure you, there is no easy way to address the question of technology; what you think it is, how it behaves, how it comes to be and do what it does. Technology is a means for accomplishing a task; it is a solution, a capability, the application of science, a tool or process, applied human knowledge, industrial art, devices, applications and power… well according to some.

There is no doubt that technology is here to serve purpose. Martin Heidegger, a 20th century philosopher, suggested that if we understand what technology is, and how we relate to it that we can essentially have a “free relationship” with it. If you are feeling masochistic I would suggest a long night with a dense Heidegger reading and for a more gentle approach a cliff notes version.

There is also no doubt that this fast moving thing called technology is dramatically altering our world. But then again it always has, be it the wheel or the world a ‘Twitter. My Dad isn’t ancient enough to have missed Edison’s brilliance (har har.) However, the other day he told me with astonishment about the lights in my family’s home; perhaps a testament to our digital age. He wakes to a world that is aglow with tiny lights. There is the flash of a digital alarm clock. The electric toothbrush is charging with a green flicka; the TV, satellite and blue-ray all suggest the power is off with a red light on. A trip to the coffee pot at 5:30am is guided like an airport runway by every digital light on the major kitchen appliances. Do you want the time? Do you want the temperature? Do you want to know that I am charged, or perhaps I need charging? They all suggest, “We can help you with that.” My microwave even says, “Have a nice day” on its display as it comes to a beeping hault. The realization: there is no longer absolute darkness among the twinkling screens, and perhaps this is metaphoric as much as literal. Perhaps this is why I hear more and more about jaunts to “electric-less cabins in the deep woods.”

Think about the technology of your lifetime, what have you seen rise, fall, or more likely seen updated and replaced? It’s rather overwhelming.

You’ve got to hand it to Samuel Morse and the boys who laid cable across the floor of the Atlantic: the telegraph is an awesome example of the power of revolutionary technology. The first telegraphic message released communication from the restraints of geography and bore a new concept of immediacy. Messages could now be sent and received in time for the content to still be relevant. Today we can bawk at the ten-minute coast-to-coast window that it took for message translation with our ‘instant’ capabilities, but in its day the telegraph was astonishing. There were fundamental effects on commodity markets, industry/imperialism, language and military efforts. The standardization of time was also made possible; socially and economically the world experienced radical advancement. No one could foresee how powerful the invention of the telegraph or even the introduction of the alphabet would be in its early inception. We must understand that the powers of a technology, and the extent of its capabilities, are never realized as it is implemented.

It is far easier to recognize how technology changes our external world but as Walter Ong wrote, “All technologies affect man’s sense of his lifeworld, his sense of himself in relation to the universe, and thus enter into human consciousness to change its structure.”

Perhaps one of the greatest definitions of technology that I have found, "Technology is how people modify the natural world to suit their own purposes... generally it refers to the diverse collection of processes and knowledge that people use to extend human abilities and to satisfy human needs and wants" (Excerpt from Standards for Technological Literacy: Content for the Study of Technology, ITEA, 2000).

You might feel like you want the last few minutes back when I tell you that I don’t have the answer to technology. I realize, and I’m sure you have too; that we live in a world that is growing more and more dependent on technology and the speed at which that technology is evolving is unprecedented in history. The power and responsibility we willingly hand to technology is daunting. Somewhere along the line I feel like technology has promised to be more dependable than our human counterparts, and as flawed individuals we accept. So… when do we become robots? Well, I’m not a big fan of gunmetal grey or taking orders so what I can tell you is that there is power in technological literacy and awareness; the ability to use, understand and assess the technology we use is incredibly important.

The Personal Identity Crisis

I do not wish to start a debate on identity, discussing what identity is, or even how it is formed. That sounds dreadfully annoying and therefore rest assured I will definitely skip any train of thought that is sure to end with “cognito ergo sum.”

But this isn’t to say that philosophical thought has no purpose, and if is written poetically it has a solid chance of ending up on my screen. Walt Whitman wrote, "O me! O life! of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless--of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life? Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse."

I am here to contribute my verse. My hope is that this blog will become a storm of thought and conversation on a changing world of media and the fast-paced modern culture of the here and now that feeds it.

Identity. I am an MFA candidate studying emergent media at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. I am an entrepreneur, yogi, designer, photographer and writer. I am a free-thinker, tinkerer, believer, maker, and mover and shaker. This morning I was a girl with mismatched socks. But when the sun comes out tomorrow, I am hopeful that I will get that right.

Perhaps the “I am here,” is most important. I am a wide-eyed, active participant in a landscape of change. Whether you like it or not, the world is under non-stop barrage of brand spanking new technology and innovative media. We are connected. We are wired. We are hooked.

What’s the next big, cool, new thing on the block? What does all this innovation mean for everyday life? What’s tomorrow looking like? If you choose information over ignorance, participatory over laziness, and challenge over effortless ease than please, join the important conversation that must be had. I encourage you to be a watchdog on the world around you. Awareness is the only answer. We must understand that change is inevitable, perhaps the only dependable nature of our world. However, what we can shape is our role in the new realm of global connectivity, networks and digital interactivity. The world is now really at your fingertips, if you want it. Let the powerful play go on.