During this class, we began discussing body mechanics. Body mechanics is the combination of things we’ve worked on, like weight shift, posture, and balance, and they have to work together to continue adding character and personality choices. George emphasised the importance of using a reference for this, since with a video, we not only see… Continue reading WEEK 8: Body Mechanics
Category: Maya
WEEK 7: Walk Cycle refinement
This week, I worked on the walk cycle I reviewed last week, where I was asked to watch the foot as it slid slightly, preventing the movement from flowing and becoming stuck. Another thing George pointed out was that I shouldn’t be afraid to push it when the weight shift changes, and that I should… Continue reading WEEK 7: Walk Cycle refinement
WEEK 6: Walk cycle
This week, we received feedback on our weight shift and pose. I was extremely proud to hear that I was doing really well and had understood the complexity of the assignment. George pointed out some tweaks I could make in my weight shift, as well as ways to improve the pose through just one of… Continue reading WEEK 6: Walk cycle
WEEK 5: Pose to pose
This class was divided into different sections; the first was entirely dedicated to the Juice Box feedback. I found it fun to see everyone’s polished animations, and I was thrilled to hear I made a massive improvement in my piece. Ting gave me some pointers on how to fix it at the end of the… Continue reading WEEK 5: Pose to pose
WEEK 5: Weight shifts
We are taking the next step this week and will be working on breaking down a walk cycle and its weight distribution. For further study, I read and watched a video provided by George. A walk cycle is really just the illusion of a controlled fall repeated endlessly, and no one explains that better than… Continue reading WEEK 5: Weight shifts
WEEK 4: Juice Boxes and golden poses
For this week’s class, we reviewed all our juice box animations. It was really fun to see how different each one was from the others. Regarding the golden pose, my pose was much better, but I still struggle to keep it symmetrical. The issue was the poor camera position choice. However, I’ll work further on… Continue reading WEEK 4: Juice Boxes and golden poses
WEEK 4: Tail feedback
his week’s class was entirely dedicated to reviews and feedback from our corrected Pendulum and our tail assignment. For the Pendulum, I improved the timing and ‘bending’ of the elements, as well as used the offset trick in the graph editor. However, I did something wrong in the editor since it definitely broke down, but… Continue reading WEEK 4: Tail feedback
WEEK 3: Acting in animation
For this class, we explored how animation isn’t only about making things move, but also about making the audience believe. Fundamental acting principles are what help give the element a personality. The quote “Acting is reacting” by Stella Adler applies perfectly to animation. A character begins to be believable when they respond to their circumstances,… Continue reading WEEK 3: Acting in animation
WEEK 3: Tail
In today’s class, we went through the 12 principles of animation, going in depth into anticipation. This principle refers to the movement generated by internal or external forces, resulting in dynamic motion. Going through this, as well as offsetting with the graph editor, was perfect for our next assignment: the ball with the tail. When… Continue reading WEEK 3: Tail
WEEK 2: Animation Weight
For this week’s class, I read the Timeline chapter from the ‘Animators Survival Kit’. Back in the 1930s, animators like Grim Natwick realised that smooth motion was not magic—it’s math. By drawing only the start and end “extreme” poses of an action and then placing a carefully chosen “breakdown” drawing exactly halfway, they created a… Continue reading WEEK 2: Animation Weight