Fantastic Fredrick Walking (and creepy face)

This is my characters walk cycle and some of the expressions he can do. This is the first bit of my animation. I'll post up the evaluation I wrote for this project.

The process of creating this animation went very smoothly. The animation includes expression and a walk cycle. The idea is to show the characters personality and who he is through this. I think I achieved showing that my character is a wizard that likes beer. This is showed as the character walks hastily and smiles and it turns out it’s a massive beer he has been walking so purposefully towards.

Taking my research into account, I should have spent more time on texturing the model. Maybe looking into other techniques to do this. This is something I could work on in my next project. The characters in the animations I researched where often an extension of their surroundings. I think that with a stage for your character you can get a lot more personality across to the viewer.

As I worked through there were some obvious changes in my character design. This was due to personal and peer taste being talked over during the entire modelling process. This actually works like an extended group crit. I think a more in depth group crit would be very helpful to do at the beginning of the modelling process as this will give a direction rather than little additions being implemented and changed as I went.

The presentation was a bit like this as it brought up some issues with how my character was going to work and also some issues with the proportions. All of this was taken into consideration and the proportions where fixed.

If I was to do this again I would look at the types of shaders I could have done some test renders with. This would have added some stylisation to the  animation. The reason I would do this is because the research showed animations using different shaders to make their models look 2D or like a cartoon. This is what was done in the code hunters short.

Overall I am pleased with the outcome. I have achieved all my goals learning modelling and rigging techniques as well as morph tags and some new rendering and editing skills. An issue I have with my animation would be the camera shot. I tried to make it look like someone was walking next to my character filming by moving the camera around but this didn’t works as hoped. Also when the camera turns to his face view the key frames are very close and it looks like a jump shot rather than a swooping motion I wanted.

Fiddler on the animation

I have edited the colours since designing the character and changed the hat almost completely to get rid of the mask that would cover my models lovely (Slightly creepy) face. 

The Time Line (and the application of number to explain things)

This is how key frame spacing is important and effects an animation. It the frames are close together then the motion will be fast and if the key frames are apart the motion will be slow. The idea is to find the right speed. This can be done as a calculation although it is instinctive after a while. 

If a animation is set at 30 frames per second then 30 frames will be showed every second. This means a key frame set at frame 0 to a key frame at frame 30 will take exactly 1 second.

Here are some formulae I use in my head to quickly determine the optimal frames per second and the spacing required.

To determine animation length. AL = Frames/Fps

To determine frame rate this can be used backwards. Fps= AL x Frames

To work out how long a motion will take. You first work out the timing in seconds. This can be done mentally or you can act out the motion and count for an estimate. Then use this estimated motion time to times it by the frames per second. So a motion of waving takes 3 seconds. If the animation is set to run at 24 frames per second then you will need that motion to be set between 72 frames. 

Frames needed for motion = Time taken for motion x Frames per second.

Example in formula: 3s x 24fps = 72 frames

These are all being used all the time when animating. The computer actually helps a lot with this using time lines and real time previews for trial and error.

E4 Morning

Boats

On this post I am going to look at the Strength, weaknesses, opportunity and threats to my work in relation to this animation. This will be a SWOT analysis and I will then produce SMART targets based from this.

Strengths

With this animation I think it's my pure skill and wit that carries the idea and this is recognized by the viewer. I think the actual work on the composite works well.

Weakness

The ammont of detail is low. The image quality was lost twice due to importing the same file into other programs and not setting the resolution correctly.

Opportunity

This gave me the opportunity to enter E4's Esting competition. As well as a chance to use compositing in cinema 4D as well as experiment with camera tracking software.

Threats

The threats I have noticed is mainly my weakness in quality control may be the reason I would not win a competition like the E sting one.

SMARTs

(Little achievable targets for everyone to enjoy)

...should really call them latfetes then. but some SMARTy pants came up with something else.

My aims are to:

1. Work on setting up my renders and exports properly.

2. Get the software at home and practice.

3. Make another E4 sting that looks better.

Battle Ships Test

This is a test for my battle ships. This is just the movement and smoke effect test. The real one has the same model but the smoke is not 3D and the water is actual footage.

Some of the 2.5D Animation

This 'animation' is a black comedy about the impact of of artificial fertilizers being used on farms. The farmers are used to these creatures as this is what has become of the super bugs that have evolved to resist the chemicals resulting in great size. THIS IS A REALITY!

Photoshop - Colours

These are some screenshots from colouring up some stuff in photoshop. These are actually taken from my animatic. I would upload the animatic but it's no longer on my memory stick.

The Baby Falling

This is a loop I did for my first project. This was created in flash. I made just one loop and then used the loop as a symbol to make the rest happen. It's not very long and the quality but... it moves.

This is not the best animation I have done... The art style is very cartoony and looks like an average rubbish flash animation.
Things I could take away from this:
  - Timing
The background is very jumpy. This is because I used to many key frames. If I had made a tween between two points and lined the first frame up with the last this would have flowed just fine. It's every second the background snaps back to where it was which creates the jerky effect. This is because the frame rate is 24 frames per second and the loop is 24 frames. This means thats exactly a second between jumps.

  - The use of cycles
Cycles are a good way to re use elements of an animation and they help speed up production times and cost.

 

Pictoplasma! 2011!

I loved it! The artists all had very interesting things to say and it opened my eyes to a world of design that I actually thought was a lot smaller.
Each gallery had different styles and ideas of ways to present an idea.
Here are some examples of some things we saw:

Matt jones was a model maker. I had no interest in this before seeing him talk. He spoke about how he had an idea and that he just did it. That's a good thing to take away from his tales. I liked his character design and the way he had other artists use his model to create new models of their own. Some of these where very weird. We went to his 'kitchen' and saw all the models and some more of his work laid out on the tables.

Ryan Quincy is the animation guy at south park. He was at pictoplasma with his new animation which he had based the main character on himself. This was a very good talk and it was quite funny and interesting to she his process.

Takahashi actually creates his art and implements them into a game. His games are quite different from other games. This is something I was very interested in and would love doing one day but the talk was a little hard to understand and went on for a very long time.

These guys are representing the final show. It was like... bad... But then this awesome piano guy came out and things started looking up.

What am I doing

This week i have planned to finnish my 3D model.

Monday: I will update my blog then get to work making the hands for my model. I might need to make them and then attach them to the rest of the model.
Tuesday: This day will be dedicated to modeling the head of my character. I need to model a hat also and still need to work out how I will fit a mask/hat over a 3D head.
Wednesday: Textures. I will find/photograph and create textures for each part of my model. I'm not looking to be 100% realistic there should be an element of cartoon.
Thursday: Add all the textures. And edits.

Week Plan 5

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Update the blog.  Listen to Paul. Then start a full render of the E4 In the morning sting. Then get the rest of the battleships animated. Take screen shots and save them to memory stick.	Render battleships. And work on evaluation and testing. I also have to put the render into final cut and add the sound.	Gather/buy folders for all project work ready for hand in. Make the discs with all the data on. Plan a list of things to do that need complete for hand in.	Finish off everything that I list on Wednesday.	Hand in!

Week plan 4 review

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
I looked at using illustrator and talked about layout and the background. I had a good idea of a magic scroll and it would be good to see what it looks like when made in 3D	Boats are now in the footage and move. Need to animate the fight. They plugs need to fall and smash stuff up.	Made the boats move and fire but there is no reaction as of yet and the plug aren’t animated to fall and destroy.	Didn’t get rendered but got another animation done in cinema 4D by using a tutorial and the idea of breakfast time eating excitement.	Crit the breakfast animation and made some improvements.

Week Plan 4

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Looking at using illustrator and looking at layout techniques for some character sheets.	Get the boats working with the footage. Make any alterations.	Animate. Make the boats move and fire and sink…	Render. Look at what I can do to enhance the animation.

Time Plan 3 Review

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Characters are pat done in illustrator. Didn’t get the research done fully but ill do more later.	Got some ships made. 2 and the carrier.	I didn’t look at sounds. Instead I have recorded some footage of the river to put my animated boats into.	Did CAD all day.

Week 3

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Character design in illustrator.  Cinema 4D. Looking into Gaston cabba, aron martin, fonz Sheldon, Tado, friends with you.	3 battleships made in cinema 4D. Also need the aircraft carrier and pin built.	Sound, look at sounds and recording the tracks. This can them be used for timing the animation.

What's went on... Volume 2

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
I finished of the proposal. Updating my blog with a few more idents and animations didn't happen but I did a little design work. Updated my time plan. The Illustrator workshop went well.	Created my presentation from my proposal work and practiced (Well I read through it. Didn't get story boards coloured.	Presented. Slowly...	Spent the day trying to get battleships built in C4D. Got some development done but encountered some Issues. I think these will be easy to over come by learning some new techniques and doing some tutorials.	Other project work. Characters.

Presentation Write Up

Presentation didn't go that well. The idea is like someone else's idea using 3D battleships. The idea of pop art 2D characters was scrapped as well. I'm not going to fall into the same old trap I have done countless times and start out on an idea when I know I'm going to dread every moment of animating a poor story with bad ideas and designs. I would end up just not finishing which results in a fail. I'm putting battleships on the bench and calling out the same old animation everyone else does... At least it might then be liked for once. If I don't have a solid idea taking into account the feed back from the presentation I'll fall back on the battleships and use footage of the sea with 3d boats. Thinking about a way to bring the characters (that are not important)in to tell the story... Maybe I'll look at cute child like themes. The new idea and concept should have a twist. Something the user isn't expecting... I'll get to work and maybe get a simple outline animatic made up showing the idea.

Week 2 Plan

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Finish the proposal. Update blog with a few more idents and animations. Update time plan. Illustrator workshop.	Presentation work and practice. Maybe get story boards coloured if there is time.	Present.	Mega Mystery day! Anything could happen! But I think I’ll start working towards animatic maybe made in flash quick.	Look over past weeks work and reflect.

This week is a bit of a strange one with a presentation to prepare for and do. I also expect to be doing some workshops on programs thursday so that might be something to look forward to and might interfere or might help my plans.

What's went on

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Went well, I got most of the tasks complete. Some of the research was completed later on in the week. I was uploading as I went most of the time.	Research went well. Was mainly the same kind of stuff as the day before.	Change of plan. Made 3 storyboards in rough. Worked on some art work/styles.	Change of plan. We developed characters and did some 3D modeling practice.	The proposal need to be finished and turned into a presentation. This will be the start of next weeks table.