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Favian Ee's Posts (10)

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Slave

Posted by Favian Ee on February 22, 2011 at 6:00am

I just purchased a book and somehow my heart resonates with it with unusual enthusiasm, so much so that I've been posting about it on Facebook and my blogs.

 

So why not here?

 

The book I'm talking about is Slave, by John MacArthur. Those of you who are familiar with his works know that he is an expository preacher. In his new book, MacArthur gives us a clear understanding of how first century slavery functioned, and what the apostles meant when they called themselves slaves (not servants) of Christ, and what Jesus meant when he calls us His slaves (such as in the well-known phrase: "Well done, good and faithful slave [doulos].").

 

This book is surprisingly easy reading, after having read some of MacArthur's other works. The chapters are short too, and the book is not very long. But what I found most fascinating is how this concept of being a slave of God ties so much of the New Testament together, and provides a very close analogy of what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. In MacArthur's words, "Servants do a job. Slaves are owned."

 

Here's the promo video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t3rJijxmKk. This is one book every Christian needs to read.

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2 Negatives = 1 Positive!

Posted by Favian Ee on December 10, 2009 at 3:59am
Well, it's been several months since I've graduated, and I'm happily working as a 2D visual effects artist at Double Negative Singapore, the Singapore branch of the biggest Visual Effects studio in Europe! I really thank God for this job. It's got a great friendly and helpful culture, good hours and 10 mins by bus from my home!Actually I was never planning to go in to visual effects, my specialization in school being concept art. VFX was the last thing on my mind till just a few weeks before graduation. But as my friends and I prayed, the Lord led very clearly and opened this opportunity and gave me this job. I love my workplace and couldn't be happier.
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Graduating Soon!

Posted by Favian Ee on May 28, 2009 at 6:01am
Well, what do you know! I'll be graduating from animation school in a month's time! And it's off to the workforce for me. Lucky for me, I don't need to fly to Hollywood to find work, cos Hollywood has come to town! The Singapore government has wooed several big name studios like Lucasfilm and Double Negative to set up offices here, and they're currently recruiting!As with many things in my life, I find the Lord leading me down roads that I never intended to tread. But along the way He's taught me to trust Him and His leading, and more so that He can be trusted. I came into animation school wanting to become a concept artist, but opportunities here for such positions are few and far between. On the other hand, 2D artists and compositors seem to be in demand, and I've learned through the course of my study that this is an area that I can potentially excel in.As I step into a new phase of life, I am reminded of a song:All the way my Savior leads me,What have I to ask beside?Can I doubt His tender mercy,Who through life has been my Guide?Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,Here by faith in Him to dwell!For I know, whate’er befall me,Jesus doeth all things well;For I know, whate’er befall me,Jesus doeth all things well.
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On The Job Hunt

Posted by Favian Ee on January 29, 2009 at 7:48pm
Well, what do you know! I'm going to graduate in just over half a year! It's been a great 2 years in animation school, and I thank the Lord for the opportunity to study there. It's a long story how I came to walk this path, but I can confidently say the Lord's timing is best and He has done great things.To cut a long story short, I graduated from university with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering in 2003. I was in the IT industry for a year or so before the Lord led me out and showed me that that wasn't what He created me to be. I learned the hard way what it was like to conform to the norm instead of stepping out for what the Lord has made me to do, and it took a big change in mindset to accept that He made all of us different, and had a different plan for me than what I spent 4 years studying.However, the training I received in Computer Engineering did not go to waste. I think it balances my artistic tendencies and makes me more systematic and analytical, and also helps me process information and pick things up faster, which proved helpful in animation school. It also gives me an edge in that I've learned programming before and can pick up scripting for animation programs more easily than those who have no IT background.As graduation arrives and I work on my final project (which, incidentally, is a Christian themed project), it's time to think about the future.I've always wanted to do Christian comics to tell people the Lord's stories. Animation was and is a means of training for me, which is why I took my course. I always felt that comics are less expensive, less resource intensive, faster to produce, and more easily distributable (imagine rural villages in third world countries trying to afford a DVD player, or having electricity for that matter!). Animation has its pros, and I'm open to the possibility of working in that area, but there's a struggle: The best and most advanced technology, and the biggest progress in this field is in Hollywood and entertainment - places where moral values have little value. Education, on the other hand, often can't afford good quality, and in many cases, do not have the experience to discern good quality. I'm not sure if that is true everywhere, but it's more or less the case where I come from. So the question for me is: If I should do animation, where should I be looking at and apply for? Or should I just try to go into Christian comic production? What are my options, and where does the Lord want me to be?In this economic low, I guess one can't be too choosy. But then again, one has to be discerning. Jumping at any opportunity may solve financial woes - temporarily - but may put us out of God's will and result in many heartbreaks. So now I guess it is a time of prayer and seeking His will while looking around at the possibilities and opportunities that are available. If anyone can point me in the right direction or has some insights, I am more than willing to listen too.
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Animator - Comic Artist Combined

Posted by Favian Ee on August 7, 2008 at 5:44am
Someone recently remarked to me that comic book artists make the best animators. I don't believe that, because they are different (though related) disciplines with different skillsets. I'm thoroughly convinced, however, that they are complementary disciplines, and this is the reason why I chose to study animation.While in comics we are concerned mostly with capturing the moment in still shots, in animation we need to deal with movement and timing. Adding these to comics brings life to the drawings in a whole new way.For starters, there are 12 basic principles of animation, namely:1. Squash and stretch2. Anticipation3. Staging4. Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action6. Slow In and Slow Out7. Arcs8. Secondary Action9. Timing10. Exaggeration11. Solid Drawing (same or different as Weight)12. AppealThese principles were developed by Disney's "Nine Old Men", the last of whom just passed away recently. Further elaboration on these principles are explained on the website of 2 of these men at http://www.frankanollie.com/PhysicalAnimation.html The application of these principles makes a series of still drawings come to life (ever seen 'dead' looking animation?). The mastery of these principles when applied to a piece of animation is what makes it great (think Pixar and the early Disney cartoons).How does this apply to comic art? Well, since we are concerned with capturing the moment, we have to decide which moment to capture. If we are able to visualize the whole sequence of movement of a character for example, we can choose the best moment to capture. And the application of these 12 principles into a sequence is what makes it great. And I'd think capturing a great moment from a great sequence would really help in illustrating a comic panel.That's my 2 cents worth :)
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Spiritual Gifts + Talents

Posted by Favian Ee on February 19, 2008 at 7:37am
One of my pastors who's an evangelist sometimes preaches on spiritual gifts. He distinguishes them from talents, which both believers and unbelievers can have. Spiritual gifts are given only to born-again Christians.At times, he further breaks individual gifts down to their ways of expression. For example, he's a preacher, so his evangelistic gift is exercised in public preaching. Others may have the gift of evangelism, but their personalities are less extroverted and they may express their gift through writing or personal evangelism.Of the spiritual gifts, there are those which can be classified as "speaking gifts" - pastor/teacher, apostleship (or missionary), evangelism, prophet (or preacher). I prefer to think of them as "communicative gifts" as they are used to communicate God's Word to people. The pastor/teacher expounds God's Word and feeds his flock. The apostle brings the Gospel to different peoples and cultures. The evangelist preaches the Gospel all around, and the prophet calls people back to a relationship with God as the prophets of old did. And all these communicative gifts need a medium of communication, be it speaking from the pulpit, literature, music, or even (you guessed it!) comics!Comics, being a communication medium, can be used effectively to bring others into a relationship with God, or to deepen their walk with Him. But being able to write and draw comics is a talent that even unbelievers have. Apart from the Spirit's leading and power, the result can be spiritually hazardous and even death-dealing.What makes an effective Christian cartoonist different is 1) the content, 2) the motivation, and 3) the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. To produce good content, the artist needs to be skillful in God's Word and Spirit-filled. The right motivation comes from a humble heart and healthy walk with the Lord. And the guidance and power of the Spirit finds its source in a heart that is wholly yielded to His leading. When a comic artist/writer exercises his/her spiritual gift in the power of the Spirit through his/her talent, the impact can be tremendous.
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Animator in the making!

Posted by Favian Ee on February 6, 2008 at 6:03am
A few years back the prospect of working as an animator really didn't appeal to me because of the long tedious hours. I didn't quite like the prospect of living with that kind of strain and giving up my social life, especially since I already don't get very good sleep as I have sleep apnoea. But last year the Lord led me to take up an animation course, and His timing has proven to be perfect.

I decided to take up animation partly because I thought I should get some training and expand my skillset, but also because I read some graphic novels and instruction books that were done by animators. Their work had a totally different quality. There was a kind of life in the drawings that I believed came from the experience of animating moving characters with personality. Two of those books are Herobear by Mike Kunkel, and Creating Characters with Personality by Tom Bancroft.

When I decided to get animation training, a new school opened up where I live, which has its own animation studio. For some reason it was the only school I seriously considered applying for. It was partly due to the cost, and partly due to the duration of the whole course, but I felt very sure that that was the school I wanted to enter. So I applied and sat for the entrance test and got in.

Many things proved that the Lord had led me into this school, but one of the things I found most amazing is that some of the staff are Christians, and they want to serve the Lord through this medium. I dare say no other animation school in Singapore would have that and be a better fit for the work I believe the Lord has for me, which is to communicate Christ through comics and cartoons.

As I do have my own company which does illustration and design work, I haven't figured out how I'm going to get the industry experience after I graduate and run it at the same time. School can only teach so much, and in an area like animation, industry experience is very important.

But I guess I still have time to pray and think things through. I will graduate next year if all goes well, and I hope that by that time the next step will be clear as day.
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New Year, New Hopes, Old Dreams

Posted by Favian Ee on January 31, 2008 at 4:57am
"Dream Big" has been the theme of the still small voice since the last quarter of 2007, and since the beginning of 2008, it's been an adventure of recovering old dreams, learning to dream bigger, and working at it.

I've been drawing for ages, and I started doing cartoons when I was about 11. Along the way I got saved and the Lord gave me the desire to draw for Him to spread His Word through this media. Dreams of creating my own comic book, doing a comic Bible, and even telling the stories of the old heroes of the faith (i.e. biographies) through comics stirred my heart. But these dreams got lost a few years back in the depths of depression. However God's plans for me didn't end there, and He's been working to recover and re-form His plans in my heart. He's given me the opportunity to print my own Christian comic book and cartoon stationery, and to study animation in what I would consider one of the most promising schools in Singapore. Furthermore, the opportunities and blessings the Lord has given to me in the past few months are just too many to write down.


I feel that this will be a year of building, and only He knows what is in store! My prayer is that He'll draw me closer to Him that I may know Him more.
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