we need more respect

[JabzX]

After participating at the FIRST competition, I was both happy and upset at what happened. Despite the fact that the animation deadline was sooner that previous years, I was in good spirits that I'd be able to see and judge fellow animators' animations. I was also glad to meet a few of them. Then I realized how they treated us. Our team participated at the NASA / VCU Regional. Our animations were on a small TV to the side of the pit where one would need safety glasses to enter; that means that the general public couldn't see the weeks of work that we tried so hard to produce.
I think we, as the animators of F.I.R.S.T., should join our forces to not make the F.I.R.S.T. competition a just robotics competition but a competition where animators could be known and could actually meet other animators, to not be just a common team "cheerleader" in a crowd, and to have our animations play a stronger role than before.
Maybe I'm in over my head but I'd like for us to come out with our own website and forum geared to helping new animators/modelers get started. It'd also provide a good place to chill and talk about any thing, like this great forum (it really is great). If this community gets started, I feel that our voices could be heard, listened to and recognized.
I'd like to know what you all have to say on this. Good idea, bad idea? Willing to help get this thing up? Think we are at a comfortable position? Is there already a site up that I don't know about? Did they treat you better at the other regionals? I'd like some input-

[Tton]

Good idea. But you shouldnt get mad at the regional people. Is is real hard to set up the events and the best thing to do is e-mail/talk to people from FIRST to get things changed.

I don't agree that you should join animation and robotics though I think that there should be more publicity for both but I think that the animation part should be hosted in its own room that is close to the entreance and is presented well for the public to see.

[Koko Ed]

Originally posted by JabzX
After participating at the FIRST competition, I was both happy and upset at what happened. Despite the fact that the animation deadline was sooner that previous years, I was in good spirits that I'd be able to see and judge fellow animators' animations. I was also glad to meet a few of them. Then I realized how they treated us. Our team participated at the NASA / VCU Regional. Our animations were on a small TV to the side of the pit where one would need safety glasses to enter; that means that the general public couldn't see the weeks of work that we tried so hard to produce.
I think we, as the animators of F.I.R.S.T., should join our forces to not make the F.I.R.S.T. competition a just robotics competition but a competition where animators could be known and could actually meet other animators, to not be just a common team "cheerleader" in a crowd, and to have our animations play a stronger role than before.
Maybe I'm in over my head but I'd like for us to come out with our own website and forum geared to helping new animators/modelers get started. It'd also provide a good place to chill and talk about any thing, like this great forum (it really is great). If this community gets started, I feel that our voices could be heard, listened to and recognized.
I'd like to know what you all have to say on this. Good idea, bad idea? Willing to help get this thing up? Think we are at a comfortable position? Is there already a site up that I don't know about? Did they treat you better at the other regionals? I'd like some input-

I think the animation competition would be viewed as more important if every team did it but the smaller teams don't have the resources and the people to do it and thus don't.
I bet only 30% of the FIRST teams do animation.

[JabzX]

I understand your views. I'm sorry if I might have come on too forceful, but I'm not all that upset at FIRST, it's just that I see some room for improvement. I also agree that robotics and animation shouldn't be mixed, I'd like for us to have an area away from all the "pit action" were the public could see our animations.

I also agree with the small amount of submissions. I hope that the new community, if created, would teach or support teams without the experience or materials to do animations. I think that if the submissions were of better quality, the public and FIRST would come to view us as more important.

I wanted to get the opinion of other animators to see if others felt the same before I emailed FIRST to get change. I'd also like to get at least a few people together to send emails and plan out the specifications of the community-
any volunteers?

Thanks 4 the prompt response

[Koko Ed]

Originally posted by JabzX
I understand your views. I'm sorry if I might have come on too forceful, but I'm not all that upset at FIRST, it's just that I see some room for improvement. I also agree that robotics and animation shouldn't be mixed, I'd like for us to have an area away from all the "pit action" were the public could see our animations.

I also agree with the small amount of submissions. I hope that the new community, if created, would teach or support teams without the experience or materials to do animations. I think that if the submissions were of better quality, the public and FIRST would come to view us as more important.

I wanted to get the opinion of other animators to see if others felt the same before I emailed FIRST to get change. I'd also like to get at least a few people together to send emails and plan out the specifications of the community-
any volunteers?

Thanks 4 the prompt response

I would like to see FIRST make a multimedia area so the public can see the animations, the Chairman's award submissions, show off websites and the Inventor award submissions.
There is a reason the public percieves FIRST as Battlebots. All they see is the robots competing at the competitions and FIRST really is so much more than that and FIRST needs to figure out a way to show all aspects of FIRST.

[JabzX]

again, I agree
are there any other thoughts/ideas?

[Tyler Olds]

Originally posted by JabzX
again, I agree
are there any other thoughts/ideas?

submit your work to eyedrops.

[Shawn60]

The Arizona animation was OUTSTANDING!!! It was in a quiet room. A nice size TV. My team was left off the judging list (and a couple of others). We brought it up to FIRST's attention on Thursday and they rectified it buy Friday morning. Also, they showed the winning animation (why not take 1 min. more and show all three) and they announced the all three winning teams.

GREAT JOB ARIZONA. It was outstanding.

Shawn
Team 60

[Amanda M]

I would have to agree with Shawn. This regional was awesome for the animators. They had the animations playing whenever they could. This included lunch, after matches, in the pits all day, at the team social, and in the private room. They really di do a good job.

[JabzX]

Originally posted by Shawn60
The Arizona animation was OUTSTANDING!!! It was in a quiet room. A nice size TV. My team was left off the judging list (and a couple of others). We brought it up to FIRST's attention on Thursday and they rectified it buy Friday morning. Also, they showed the winning animation (why not take 1 min. more and show all three) and they announced the all three winning teams.

GREAT JOB ARIZONA. It was outstanding.

Shawn
Team 60

I'm glad you had a better experiece than I did.

I made the new post:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...threadid=19296

[HUMMERIC]

I can honestly agree with you. I was disapointed with how the animations were treated at the Chesapeake regional. In order to view the animations you had to walk out of the field, through a long mess of hallways, up some stairs and through some museum exhibits to arrive at a small black room with a small TV where they showed the animations. Also, after they were judged we were told that 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place animations would be announced at the awards ceremony and the 1st place animation would be shown. At the awards ceremony it seemed as if they quickly announced the winner of the animation and went on to other awards. They did not announce 2nd or 3rd place and they did not show the winning animation. Animators work for 6 weeks just like the robot-builders, and it is not necessarily easier for us than them, yet we get so little respect. I would appreciate if more was done during FIRST events to show off animating.

Also, please do not read what i said above as a complaint, the Chesapeake regional was awesome overall, just very little was done towards animations.

[Ryan Dognaux]

The AZ regional's Animation competition was much much better than I expected... they had a nice room set aside and everything... very nice! Hopefully next year all of the regionals will be like this.

Oh yeah, what did you peoples think about 234's Animation?

[JabzX]

Does anyone else have any changes that would make the FIRST competition better for the 3d artists?