This week was mainly focused on feedback and workshop time; however, we were also introduced to project 1, which is due in a month. This brief focuses on choosing a concept I’d like to explore or use in my FMP as a “test-run”. At the moment, I’m still unsure what I want to commit to, so I’m using this time to notice ideas I naturally keep coming back to.
After reviewing my work, Ting confirmed what I thought: I’m still overcomplicating things. There are too many elements and too much movement layered into the piece, which makes it difficult to manage both technically and narratively. As we went through my reference and blocking, I explained how hard it had been to finish, we agreed that the core idea works but the activity needs editing to stay readable while still conveying the message. For example, instead of three separate attempts to slide the bag, we cut it down to a single, clear effort. When the character finds the stuffed animal, we simplified the actions to just looking at it and giving it a kiss, removing the hug and the side-to-side turns. We also decided to bring the camera closer so I wouldn’t need a long walk cycle on top of everything else.
I explained my ongoing struggles with managing multiple constraints and why I was avoiding fully showing the bag. Ting confirmed that a better strategy is to first focus on solid body mechanics and only layer constraints afterwards, so I don’t burn time wrestling with rig setups too early. For next week, I’ve edited the acting reference and started the shot again from scratch, aiming to push it to a clean blocking-plus stage, with stronger poses and clearer timing.
This is the new one:
I also received feedback on my facial poses, where Mariana suggested pushing the line of action further and giving more attention to the mouth since it was where a primarly struggled.
These are the new ones:
For next week, we’re asked to create three facial poses with a new rig, but this time with photo references. I truly enjoyed this new rig; it has more controls and a picker, which made it much easier to select and manipulate specific areas of the face efficiently. Having the picker changed the way I worked, because I felt more confident experimenting and pushing the shapes without getting lost in the controls. This time, i wasn’t afraid to exaggerate more, and I can aready see an improvement in appeal and clarity compared to my previous set of expressions, Even though there is still a lot to refine, the precess helped me understand how much tool design influences how far I’m willing to push my poses, and it made the assignment feel less intimidating and more playful.
