This assignment will account for 40% of your final grade. Hand-in will be due at the start of class 15
Creature Animation. (CA) Modules 7-15. Using a fully articulated creature rig, create a non-cycling performance. Your creature must be interacting with varied surfaces and differing elevations. The animation should feature photo realistic subtlety and complexity. A layered approach to animation is recommended. Careful use of reference is required. You should depict behaviour appropriate to the creature in the scene. 8-15 sec. long (192-360 fr.)
What I'll be grading on this assignment:
- Does your animation move smoothly with no-pops or hitches evident?
- Is the scene comprised of non-cycling behaviour?
- Is there photo-realistic subtlety and complexity?
- Do you have interaction with uneven surfaces or varied elevations
- Have you made good use of reference to create an authentic performance?
- Does the performance convey a clear sense of personality and purpose?
- Have you observed rules of good staging?
Here is another good example by Ken Craig.
Week 7 - Start with a clear plan
I will be looking at your planning, so if you want to pass this assignment be prepared to show it.
Pick the creature rig you want to work with and audit the rig carefully. Write down notes of any issues you find with the rig. These lists are used to make repairs or adjustments and are a normal part of an animator's responsibility within a studio. Plan out the sequence in thumbnail sketches, or stick-figure doodles. Keep more complex ideas in the 8 sec range, especially if you have multiple creatures. Write a quick paragraph describing what happens in the scene (description of the shot) and the personality and mood of the creature. Camera cuts are fine, just be sure to showcase the animation well.
Gather reference of animals that may serve as an analogue for fantastical creatures (Gorilla reference for an Ogre, Cat or dog for Nico, etc.) Determine if you want to work with a background plate and match-move or within an entirely CG environment.
By end of week 7 you should have all your planing and reference finished along with a rough environment to work with: simple primitives, nothing elaborate is needed here. Have a 3d layout with basic *pawn animation. If you're using a live action background plate with match-move make sure that everything is locked down and tracked properly.
(*pawn animation = animation on the root only of your creature to show it's approximate position and orientation in space and time throughout the scene.)
Week 8 - Work out the mechanics
Use your pawn animation as a guide to position and timing, and sort out the foot placement
We're using a layered approach here. You'll want to make sure your timing from the pawn animation matches your intentions. The further along you get from this point the more complicated timing changes become. Give consideration to head/neck angle - where is your creature looking? What are they thinking and feeling? Conveying personality is a core requirement of this assignment: a viewer should already be able to feel the mood of your creature. Are they wary and suspicious, bloodthirsty and hostile, or silly and playful? The timing and placement should already be starting to tell that story.
We'll begin this section with body rise/fall and twist through hips/torso. This will have an impact on your limb reach so we need to figure this out first. Once we have core torso mechanics roughed in we can sort out foot placement. Remember to justify rise and fall in the body with thrust from the limbs. Pay careful attention to your reference for locomotion mechanics. Check limb angles against your reference and watch for hypertension.
Week 9 - Refine Mechanics and Timing
Based on feedback from class and blog, tighten up your timing and fix core mechanical issues.
At the end of this stage, we want to have a fluid and organic performance on the core of the character. The timing should not just be a slavish copy of the reference, but something that captures the sense and the spirit of the creature you're referencing. Tighten up the footwork as you make these timing changes. At this stage you want to lock down the placement of the creature in time/space as revisions after this point will be difficult.
Week 10 -
Improve sense of mass and weight.
At this point, you should have the movement of the core (hips/chest) and footwork all laid out. there should be a good sense of twisting and rippling appropriate to the movement you're depicting. Now we start to improve the sense of mass and weight by refining the shoulder and hip movement to help with the reach of the limbs and the feeling of weight shifting from one foot to another. We also want to improve the feeling of thrust on the planted feet that are moving the character. Create a sense that the limbs are driving the action of the character. Any last adjustments to the rise and fall, twist and roll need to happen now, because it will be a lot of trouble later.
Week 11 -
Building offset and overlap.
Week 12 -
Cleaning up Arcs, path of action.
Week 13 -
Adding Noise layer.
Week 14 -
Final polish pass, 'pick the low hanging fruit'.
Final hand in at the end of Week 15.
