"What's next?" I think the answer will find you by itself...
Animation Artist, creator of over 100 pieces of Flash animation on and offline. Graduate of the School of Visual Arts, Class of 2011.
Chris Niosi
@Kirbopher
Age 35, Male
Animation Artist
School of Visual Arts
New York
Joined on 7/21/04
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Sadly, moments like these are what artists have to go through. But for one thing I can say is that you have no idea how many people would like to be at the state you're at. They would love to be able to make some little gimmicky video and get hundreds of thousands of views extremely quickly and make some decent money from it, just like that. At times I wish I could do that.
But then there's the whole "respect" part, and "doing what you love to do"... and, to be honest, even though I'm really not a fan of TOME (which you probably know by now based on my reviews I gave you), I'm glad you're doing that instead of gimmicky parody stuff, because guess what? You are doing what you love to do now, and you're not just focusing on the whole "career" and "money" aspects, because, the problem is, even though you may be making money with the parodies, you're not really giving yourself any dignity, and you're only pleasing the ones who's opinions don't really even matter, therefore I don't think you're assisting yourself in furthering your career.
When I made that "Generic Skyrim Movie" parody, I got more views then I ever did, and I made more money then I ever did with my other stuff, but I didn't really feel good about it. It was like everyone only liked the video, but not my actual, raw creativity and my talent. I could pump out more video game parodies weekly if I wanted to, but I want to give myself a little dignity and show the world what is REALLY in my imagination and what I'm REALLY capable of doing.
Bottom line, I don't disrespect what you are doing as of now, regardless of what my opinion is on your design and writing or whatever. It pisses me off to see all these game parodies constantly being shot out every few days and hogging all the glamor and money that only took 'em a week to make, and then I spend a month or two on an animation that gets 4,000 views and makes $2. You're very lucky to be in the situation you are in, and there's so many aspiring artists out there who want to be in your current state.
I mean, I can't draw a human body with any accuracy either, but no one really notices ME... be happy with what you have right now. If you REALLY want my advice, continue what you are doing right now, or do more shorts like "The Balancing Act" and things like that...
I don't know why you don't usually make posts like this, practically all my posts are this.
Those guys dieing sent a really weird message to me aswel, but it's a different thing than what you saw, so maybe check out what I had to say about that: <a href="http://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/topic/1298595/3#bbspost23835400_post_text">http://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/topic/1298595/3#
bbspost23835400_post_text</a>
Reading this post, it sounds like me a couple years ago.. but it turns out you're actually 3 years older than me, so fuck man, I dunno!
When I felt like this, I started making really small games for a few days at a time. Then they'd be out before I got completely bored of em. They're still designed to be GOOD games, obviously, so they can make money and I'd enjoy makin em, but they also don't take as much work as somethin that's gonna take me 6 months. Also I later decided that those tiny things I knocked out were closer to my personality than when I was actually trying.
So that made me feel better.
I'm completely fine with selling out, though, cos I know I can just make something really genuine on the side whenever I want.
Anyway this whole thing's not so much a problem for me any more, cos someone out there saw what I was doing and hired me.
Games are different to what you're doing, so maybe it's not exactly the same, but hey; now you know what I did.
oh and I don't know what the fuck TOME is, n all this "respect from my peers" stuff has always bin castles-in-the-sky fantasy rubbish to me. JUST MY TWO CENTS LOL!
If your search for a job in the desired field isn't going the way you wanted it. Just get a regular job as a means to support your craft while, at the same time, doing your original series. Do something that does more than get bullshit DVD releases, comic publishing deals, Tank Awards, or a television contract. Take a cue from another New York animator, Ralph Bakshi.
I think that you should do keep doing TOME and stay with the work that you love doing. If it really is a money issue then maybe ask for donations to help keeping the series going... to be honest I thought that the "Background character" thing was a good idea. Its like donating but you get a little something out of it. Who cares if they are only there for a second? You are helping someone with something they love.
Kirb, I'm gonna be honest, I love TOME but thats not the reason I want you to continue it. I want you to continue it because it makes YOU happy. If the artist isn't happy then the creations are gonna suffer. If you don't feel like making jokes about video games then just don't do it. I believe that whatever you do then your fans will follow. Those who complain and leave just because you aren't making corny jokes about kirby "Sucking" or Mario getting high off of shooms, then they should leave.
Long Story Short... Do what you want and we will follow, just give us some way to give you money and we will give. <3
At least this post tells us that you're really working hard on achieving your goals, unlike other people who think that their goals can be achieved in the snap of a finger and they really don't have to do anything. As for me, I'm hoping to become an actor/voice-actor and it's WAY for difficult than I ever thought is was going to be. But I still intend to continue working as hard as I can and hopefully that can help me achieve what I wish to achieve. Otherwise, it would be, what you said, a complete distraction and a waste of time. To be honest, you're one of my inspirations when it comes to what I hope to accomplish, and with you working so hard to reach your goals in the animation field, I'm hoping to do the same. I wish you good luck in the future Kirb!
it seems to me..
you dont so much dont know what to do but rather want to do every thing at the same time.
having the work that you love hones your skill and spreads your name, Even if folks would hate it or love it any one willing to pay for your skill would be looking at the heart that was placed into the work over anything else...just as paid work may not be what you want to do(working some mindless front desk job at a inn that has no one visit it and sucks your soul as it does your day) but helps it over all.
I know it may feel wrong to make money off characters that are not yours or ideas that may not be fresh...or being a tool box to retarded trends that start but at the end of the day its about make'n money so you can fuel your dreams and wants.
the field of animation is growing insanely and the vast ocean of artist, progammers, animator etcetc.. all trying to be picked by companies if not starting their own.
my point is that you must stand back and look at will make you money, then with this money you can freely chase anything dreams on the side but you must be heartless and crule in your execution of this(not to burn bridges mind you rather just go about your actions fully as though you are out to destroy another animator through the work you make)
in short you must do what you hate to fuel what you love..but i guess thats just life.
just hang in there and chase every lead with your skill and what am sure is a restless energy of a wanted dream youll in time have all that and then some. hope i helped some...good luck to you.
Dude I will try not to swear and you know if you look at my stuff I have nothing but knock off that pathetic self worth bull crap. The passing of friends and mentors is tough and seeing what they make and how they impact people is something that opens peoples eyes and you might just be stinging from their deaths which I am not going to criticize but stop putting yourself in their shadows! They are human beings just like you who probably dealt with the exact thing you are going through which is depression but you cannot let it beat you and kick in your teeth, either you beat this depression to a bloody pulp and say "You will not control what I do!," or you roll over. But I am so sick of people saying how sad they are and that they will not ever amount to anything when if you looked at your work and the awards you acrude and the fans who stick by your side through think or thin I think that shows your legacy, but if you think they are not worth it and will let some nameless, faceless person on the internet control what you say or do then you should not have put so much effort in all the things you have done. I mean everyone has the same problems that you have school, work, family, friends, relationships, and thousands of other things that would take forever to aknowledge, but what you do have is talent, you made movies people enjoyed and followed and that inspired you, did it? You continued on and went one step further and chased after a degree in the field that made you happy right? So why so sad and why now of all times have you hit the wall? Don't let people who bad mouth your work and who have nothing done themselves take away your thunder! They are only jealous of what you have achieved and created with your own two hands and your imagination! Life is never easy and it will only get tougher if you back down now what is that going to say? Life got tough so I quit? NO! You have this degree, you created movies and games that inspired and entertain people which is what it is suppose to do, and heck I am a fan of the TOME series and enjoy it. I have seen what other people have commented about it and I just think, if you did not like it why watch it or comment it. If they have a good idea on what you need to improve upon, well take that with a grain of salt and also check out what they have made also. The last thing is this "life is a bully with a glass jaw"GL
Sorry if i wasn't encouraging. But too many good authors just get bored and stop midway through the series. I'd really hate to loose this. Alvin Earthworm just pronounced SMBZ dead. That's how it usually goes. Most of the good series just don't make it to the end. I just don't want you to be one of those. That's all.
I suggest spending a year or two in honing your drawings skills, really just focusing on drawing proper anatomy and things based on real life. I did this in my time in college since I basically don't know what I want out of life as well(not an art student, did this between breaks and my time at home), I was looking into getting in comics. This phase helped me a lot in my future projects, not just in animation but in everything art related.
Once you got the skills to go freelance, you could try getting projects online in various sites or promoting your services. Being a freelance animator would give you money for living then make your animation on downtime. Problem is you won't have the whole day to make it since you also have a job but that's a reality of life. You need to survive, as well as improve TO survive in the illustration world. Just remember that these are all suggestions in my experience and I've learned through the years that nothing is impossible. If you want to make TOME into a regular kick ass series and make a living out of it, who's stopping you? Edd made it possible, you can do it as well. All you need is the advice of people who did it themselves, you just have to find them. Goodluck man, stay awesome.
It's alright Kirbopher. I support your work. I look forward to seeing more TOME from you and the rest of the cast.
All I can say is keep animating. If its what you love to do. Hell, I am in fact learning from every animation I watch. Yours are no different. I for one, love the TOME series so far. I am even recommending it to others. Keep up the good work.
Chris, I have been around from the time you were still doing TTA, back in the days. Sure, I noticed the series when the lasts episodes were done, but nevertheless, I grew to like the series. The animation at first was fitting for an animator that was beginning to really want to learn how to do animation, you showed initiative and a burning passion of the field animation that I really liked, and that that it was displayed on the amount of episodes your account featured. You had a great start, since you began to actually research and do your own thing. I in the other hand had not much of a great start. I started drawing 3 years ago and I barely made the cut into a prestigious animation school. Every time I look into my future I see nothing but a really small dream. I'm betting that you had the same thing feeling when you began creating TTA.
Now look at it. It's has comeback, with those characters that some of us actually cherished and who we remembered fondly too. My favorite was always Gamecrazed, so I liked how you actually portrayed him in this version.
I know that you just recently worked yourself out of school and that it gets hard from here out, but didn't it always be that way? School was merely one step that needed to be leapt over to achieve what you wanted, the TOME series. The story itself could do well as a game or a radio show if you ever wanted to adapt it, not to mention that comics is a way to go too, since they don't have to be long, but with good quality.
Lastly, I know also how it feels when you lose the person you looked for, be it a fellow animator, friend or in my case, family. It's okay to be selfish with yourself in times like this, to just want to do your own thing, so keep the work you love and care
With care.
A fellow Animator (student)
my vote goes to TOME which is at the beginning stages of being great just make episode 3 and um produce t-shirts of the characters?
Polar
Hello there. I'm a fan of your TTA and Tome series and have literaly just made my account in the space of five minutes ago to post a comment to this.
...I don't think I could give any useful advice for your plight, considering I've not even finished School yet and I'm still pretty ignorant to College and Work. But I can preach my honest, truthful, if maybe cheesy and idealistic belief.
Live your life, chase after your Dreams, and never give up Hope.
And I hope this helps.
Thanks for reading.
I understand what your going through. I've only recently gotten super into animation. But when I first started out with drawing in general I used fanart to get people to know who I was. After awhile I was asking myself why I wasn't drawing my own characters and creating my own stories. Years later about 5 ish. I now have my own set of characters and I have an animated series planned. Making my own characters my own "world" has defiantly made me a lot happier. I have been out of high school for a little over 2 years. And I have a regular job along with animating. You defiantly don't have to give up on animating or doing what you want to do. You just need to learn to manage your time a little better. Work on refining your skills and marketing yourself to the internet. I'm defiantly not a popular artist but I'd rather be known by my own original works than some 30 second parody. Continue to do your original work. I defiantly like it!
You just answered your own set of questions without realizing it.
One thing I noticed about your style or motif, Chris, is you avoid drawing characters with human proportions. Regardless of subject matter, you never made cash from them either. It wasn't your goal; your desire was to make cartoons from love, practice, and to entertain people. Since the emphasis now involves money, you delved into creating original content from necessity. Results: a pitch-worthy property reminiscent of 1990s Saturday Morning Cartoons, including a cheesy theme song. A THEME SONG!
Two signature issues you are failing to confront: first, you aren't in the present, and wherever you are right now is a sour place if you're never in the present. Second, you're probably bored. That's right: it gets humdrum when at the top of your game (the latest episode of TOME screams 'exemplary, period', a comment I just DON'T hand out to people). It can get distracting to ask yourself where you want to end up. If I ask myself that, suddenly I'm nowhere near where I want to be and also behind schedule. It's self-defeating, accomplishing nothing.
First step: be in the present. Where you are right now is far more important than where you want to be. Reel it in and center yourself. Remember: sometimes, the most important goal to set for yourself is to have no goals. Not everything requires you to strive and strive. Life gets in the way, and you may lose perspective (like in this case). Boil down projects down to a science, from conceptualization to completion, worrying not for the next three steps down the road, but for the step you're trying to tight-wire right now.
For number two, that part about being bored... have you considered taking up figure drawing? You have a background in art as is and there are always opportunities practice and study. Think of how TOME's aesthetic would improve! Even JAZZA hit a snag with his female characters and simply sucked in his gut and studied. One of his Witchblade tributes--compared to previous works--is a testament to his dedication and progress. He's better now.
Also take hints from Greasy Moose's Sexual Lobster (Chris Voigt), who draws jam comics and adapts them into cartoons. Never worry about what's next. Just keep your pen moving. And don't forget you can pitch TOME to a Studio, if all else fails.
Good luck and Godspeed.
if you want to, than i would say, ''go for it!'' because of the 3 facts
1)that i am a fan of you
2) i realy like TOME and 3) i got inspired by you, so, go for it!
Baz00kaj0e
What's next? In my opinion, that for you to decide. Just keep doing what you're doing, and you'll go really far in the animation business. You animate well, you come up with things no one else thought of doing, and just get your name known to someone who might be able to get you a job or something, and you could go as far as you want. Because the sky is the limit, and in animation, you can make the sky as far up as you want.