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Showing newest posts with label Character Animation Ideas. Show older posts
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1 8, 2009

Acting Animating (2) Animation Movies (11) Animation News (19) Animation Tips and Tricks (7) Animation Tutorials (1) Character Animation Ideas (6) Games (1) Pixar (2) Short Films (2)

A Demo Reel Primer

Dialog would be a plus What is a demo reel for? A demo reel is essentially a sales tool. You are selling yourself and proving, to an extent, what sort of positive addition you will be to a company. If you can prove you've got oodles of talent and a creative way of thinking about things, your demo reel will get you noticed. If it is exceptionally good, it's your doorway into the industry. Who is your audience? Your audience, obviously, is comprised of those people you want to work for. The thing is, you're not alone. Many, many people want and have tried to get the same job you are applying for. These demo watchers have seen countless reels and guess what, they're tired of seeing the same things over and over again. If you think your 3 minute flying logo is going to win you a job, you better consider it very carefully before putting it on your reel. These people are not obligated to watch your entire reel. If they're dissatisfied, they will hit EJECT and move on, possibly missing your Oscar worthy animation later in the reel. What to put on a demo reel SECTION A (general): Only your best, most amazing work ever. This stuff has to be the best thing since pizza. If you can do it all (model, render, and animate), do it all! You'll earn points for this. Companies are looking for people who can wear many hats and accept many responsibilities. You need to capture their attention and show them you're more than up to the challenge of working in a creative (and crazy) environment like theirs. You want to not only show them you're up to it, you want to show them it'll be a breeze for you. What to put on a demo reel SECTION B (specific): You need to get as many strong points across to your audience visually, in as little time as possible. You need to capture their attention, draw them in, and make them forget for an instant that they are watching a demo reel. This can be quite difficult unless you a great deal of vision and a really good story to tell. Currently a lot of businesses are looking for excellent character animators. You need to bring an object to life, give it a voice, an attitude, "CHARACTER", and have it tell a story. Be fresh, creative, and original (I can't stress that enough). Also, there is a demand for artists who are good at creating low polygon count models. If you have specific skills you want to show off and can, such as adding actual paintings you've created in the real

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Utkarsh Vaidya Bangalore, Karnataka, India Animating since 2008... View my complete profile

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world into a 3d environment, then do it. You are trying to earn as many points as possible. A well rounded artist is always appreciated. What not to put on a demo reel SECTION A: Probably whatever you are most likely to think about putting on your demo reel first, is the sort of thing you want to stay away from at all costs. You may think you're being original, but believe it or not, everyone else thinks their name or company logo looks cool flying around the screen too. How about spaceships? They're cool, to be sure...but if you're a demo watcher and that's all you see day in and day out, you're probably dying to see something else. Also, with whatever objects you include in your animation, make sure they are decorated (textured) in the best way possible. Most things in the real world are not shiny and new. Instead they are dented, beat up, scratched, or flawed in some unusual way. Prove your texturing skills by creating your own complex custom textures and make your models even more interesting to look at. Realize that your audience has seen just about every basic transition and effect out there. These are the things that are only one click away in whatever program you're using. You need to be different and your effects need to be hard won. If it can be done from a simple pull down menu, it's probably not doing to impress them. You need to stand out from the rest of the pack. What not to put on a demo reel SECTION B (exceptions): Of course there are exceptions to everything in the computer graphics and animation industry. If the job you are applying for is going to require specific skills, such as flying logos or spaceship battles, then by all means gear your demo reel in that direction. However, if you are going to be applying to a wide variety of jobs, it is best to have something that will appeal and look absolutely amazing to everyone. How do I create a good demo reel? Sit, plan, make-up, cross out, plan some more, think, cross out, make up, and then get to work. A good method is to think about what your strengths are and then think about the most effective and entertaining way possible to get those strengths across on screen. Then sit and think about every aspect of what you want to do and storyboard it out. Understand what every scene is going to involve, how long it's going to take, what sort of resources you'll need to accomplish it, and if everything you want to do is really possible. And if it's not possible, how you're going to look that obstacle in the eyes and say "up yours, I'm doing it anyway". What does a good demo reel look like? Many companies have their own reels which you could probably arrange to get a hold of. Contact these places and see if they will send you one. If these are places you would like to work for, then pay close attention to the sort of things they do. Otherwise, I suggest checking out many cool animation tapes currently on the market. Look for "The Mind's Eye" series by SMV or "Computer Animation Festival" series also by SMV. Watch the tapes, be inspired, and then think about how you could have done it better...and then do something else, since what you're thinking about doing has already been done. Remember, be original. If you want to do something that's been done before, do it differently (if that makes sense). Things to remember! Put your best stuff first. You want to grab your audience's attention as soon as possible. Give credit where credit is due. If you didn't do something, say so. Also, specify the tools you used to create your demo reel.
Posted by Utkarsh Vaidy a at 5:05 AM , 0 comments Labels: Character Animation Ideas

Character Animation Exercises 4

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What folks in the industry want to see is...character animation. THINKING, BREATHING CHARACTERS! Do 15-30 seconds of GREAT CHARACTER ANIMATION with one or two characters which show the following: WEIGHT - show weight by squashing the feet and in the quads of the upper legs (on the front side) and in the hips/butt area. In 3D - use a lattice when structuring your character. WHEN IN DOUBT EXAGGERATE THE WEIGHT. Posing with exaggeration ACTIONS - LEADING AND FOLLOWING actions are easy - example: when a character land one foot makes contact and then the other...or if you lift the arms - one arm goes up and then the other. OVERLAPPING ACTIONS - example the character comes to a halt and her hair and dress continue to flow and settle into place. To be effective the overlapping has to use "S" curves to change direction. DRAG ACTION - is where you show a drag on a form as it moves through space. This usually occurs at the ends of the form. If a rubber raft is falling, the middle edge will be intact - the other edges will bend or drag back. MOTIVATIONAL FORCES - what makes thing move - 80% or more of all actions happen because of the hips and legs. If a character throws a ball the action starts with the extension (unfolding) of the front leg which rotates the hips and create toque with the torso and allows the unwinding of the torso to lead the shoulder and the rest of the arm through a throwing motion. Another example: a character can't turn unless he pushes off on the outside foot - then he can change direction. Thinking time (a character ALWAYS thinks before it does anything). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY ACTIONS - easy example in a walk - the legs are the primary action - then arms are the secondary action. ANTICIPATION - (or ANTIC) In a grab, the hand comes up and backward before it goes forward. COMPENSATION - If a character is running and stops - you have to compensate for the forward momentum (usually by driving the forces up - or down and then up.) REVERSALS - try to work as many reversals into the spine as possible (as long as it makes sense to the action). The spine is curved forward - then curves back during an antic and then curves forward when the character picks up a stone. HINT: My next lesson at the Toon Institute will have this information. A CUSHION OR SETTLE is where you move passed a key frame into an extreme/extreme and then cushion back into the original key frame. A MOVING HOLD is a very, very slow slow-out of an action - to where the movement is coming to a creeping halt. Staging (how the action is composed within the frame) Character Design - the ability to caricature a person utilizing good design skills and have appeal
Posted by Utkarsh Vaidy a at 5:04 AM , 0 comments Labels: Character Animation Ideas

Character Animation Exercises 3

1. Character on the phone, but not talking, listening to a person on the other
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end talk about something: important, sad, happy and/or "fill in the blank". Choose the subject matter to really express how the receiver of that information reacts. The exercise is designed to help people develop a character's thinking through eye movement, subtle facial expression and pantomime with body language. 2. Display the feelings a character would experience while waiting for something or someone. Gender specific reactions can be really revealing here. How a man would react vs. a woman? This is a good exercise because it demands pure acting outside of dialogue. Much like Tom Hanks for most of castaway, your character will need to show lots of emotion through psychological gesture. 3. Create a walk cycle. Now make 4 variations on the same character to illustrate an emotion. For example: Angry Stomp, Happy Run, Sad Shuffle, Cocky Strut, Questioning Tiptoe, etc. Be sure to refer to the bouncing ball for your arcs and paths on this one. 4. Create a walk cycle with a four legged character. Do the same thing as above, but now illustrate you ability to translate it into four legs or even an insect and go to six or eight legs. Always refer to real life and then translate that into your own work. It is great when you can create a connection between an animal and human nature, but if you keep the integrity of the animal's basic essence, then the animation will be much richer. Of course a dog would not have the emotional range of a human, but you still know when a dog is happy. Think to yourself, not only how a human might react to the situation, but also how "insert animal/creature here" would react to it also. 5. Character encounters something that he wants to open. Perhaps it has difficulty opening it. Perhaps it reacts to whatever it opens (but you don't see what it in it). The character can only use body parts for the first 30 seconds, but may pursue some other means (i.e. tools and explosives) thereafter. This one is really open ended and can test your ability to show many storytelling ideas in the body language and facial expressions, without one line of dialogue. 6. A similar test to the one above is to have a witch attempt to ride a broom that keeps bucking her off. Andreas Deja (animated--Jafar in Aladdin, Scar in Lion King, Gaston in B & B, etc.) spoke of this test at a talk I attended in LA. He referred to it as what Disney asked him to do before he was officially brought into the animation department. 7 . Animate two characters sawing a log. The first character is a big, macho man. Animate him pose-to-pose first holding one side of the saw and cycle his animation. The second character is a scrawny little guy who gets yanked around, grabbing onto the saw for dear life. This idea would be even better if there was some kind of big finish where the little guy gets the best of the big guy. 8. A character lifts something heavy. This is hard enough to show shifts in weight throughout the body to get leverage, but if you wanted to make the test even more complicated you can make the character do something else, while continuing to hold the heavy object. Great example of weight and timing. Again, Chapter 3 in The Illusion of Life covers this concept thoroughly. 9. A character is doing something and needs to get someone's attention. Lots of eye movement and subtle mouth stuff, as well as body language on an exercise like this. 10. The flour sack. A great test that forces understanding of the principles in its most basic form. Make a four sack move and react to show emotions and character. Be sure to remember the volume of the sack and how it would move between contact with the ground and being airborne. This test is a favorite among animators, since there is very little character design and development and you really have to pay attention to what you are trying to

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communicate.
Posted by Utkarsh Vaidy a at 5:04 AM , 0 comments Labels: Character Animation Ideas

Character Animation Exercises 2

Bouncing ball (rubber, wood, lead, glass, beach, bowling, tennis, cannon, etc.) Egg dropping/rolling Brick dropping Walk, run, jump (show character from one into the next realistic, character, 4-legged) Lift-carry-put down weight Climb Dialogue/monologue where the character starts off feeling one emotion and changes into another Different weights of characters/ vary the size and shape of the character doing above tasks Four-legged character (cat, dog, etc.) walking, jumping, climbing, stretching, yawning, scratching, etc. Juicebox: a juice box enters frame from left has an emotion change throughout the animation and leaves from right (200 frame limit) Character jumping over object Character interaction with a ball Character interaction with a box (push, pull, lift, etc.) Bring an inanimate object to life Leaf falling in arcs and the timing Egg drop / brick drop Character pushing a box / picking up box Ringing bell tower bell Interaction with a box, interaction with a ball A short dialogue (very short), putting physical accents on the significant beats of dialogue Two character dialogue - introduces more staging and interaction Standing or sitting, character doing nothing, body language should suggest thought process without any interaction with an object A bunch of people waiting for a bus, all with different ages/professions A character walks to a mailbox, deposits an envelope, and walks away. Now, how is that action different if the envelope contains (1) a heartfelt love letter, sent without knowing whether the recipient feels the same way about the sender, or (2) this year's tax return, which includes a big fat check made payable to Uncle Sam, or (3) the last mortgage payment on a house, or the last alimony check to an ex? The basic goals are the same (approach mailbox, etc), but the motivation behind them and the mood expressed will be dramatically different for each one. Character goes to pick up an object they think is light but its heavy, and vice versa 3 legged character - two legs cannot move in unison First you come up with something very minor - say, a guy picking up a flower. Now you start developing context...ask yourselves questions and try to come up with interesting answers A two legged character walk on all fours An old man kneeling down to pray, then rising Pendulum swing (using arcs) Simple head turn (using arcs) Water drop falling from a leaf One-shape character design Complex character design Emotional character walk in profile (anticipate - walk two strides and compensate to a stop) Flour sack walkcycle Flour sack falling off a ledge Character waiting for something Character sitting on object, interacting with object
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Circus/Sideshow accidents (character walking on a tightrope gets distracted by a sound off screen, and just loses control; character stuck in a cannon, trying desperately to get out before the fuse burns out, but of course doesn't quite make it; carnie tries to impress onlookers with a "talent" but it goes horribly wrong) Confrontation between two characters. One is losing but makes a spectacular comeback, just when you thought all hope was lost. This is that huge fight between the Boss and the Hero, or the dramatic clash that has led up to your dramatic quest Hero/villain attempts to execute their strange and unfamiliar powers. Suddenly something goes horribly wrong and their power backfires Character tries to access a bank machine and it misbehaves Character tries to use a restroom and can't Character takes on a profession as a mover and has to move an awkward object Character entering a dark corridor/cave with weapon drawn awaiting a surprise from the dark Character finding the one ring and reacting to his discovery Show a feat of elven dexterity (ie. Legolas jumping on the horse or walking on snow, etc., but be original) Character meeting death from an attack Character thinks they're going to sneeze, then not sneeze and then finally sneezing Character trying to swat a fly or catch a bug Character trying to stay awake, finally falls asleep (maybe something really loud wakes him up at the end its up to you) Character sneaking up on another character to scare them Character leaning against the wall, chewing gum or a toothpick, hands in his pockets or maybe flipping a coin, waiting for something to happen Character lifting their leg in front of them (perhaps ballet). Study the balance of body.
Posted by Utkarsh Vaidy a at 5:03 AM , 0 comments Labels: Character Animation Ideas

Character Animation Exercises 1

Generally, most exercises will involve either a character's emotions or a character's physical presence or both. Depending on how complex an animation you want to work with, characters can be as simple as a bouncing ball or as complicated as a living thing. It depends on how much time you have and how much you want to accomplish. Keep in mind that these are only suggestions to get you thinking. The following exercises vary quite a bit in complexity. Most of them will require at least an intermediate understanding of the program you're using, but you are welcome and encouraged to attempt them no matter what level you're at. These exercises are ways in which you can challenge yourself and improve your animation skills. If you're not being challenged, you're not really doing yourself any favors. Pick something just above your level of competency and then try it. Once you've done it effectively, make it more complex. When I have time, I will try to rate these exercises and put them in some sort of order. If you know of an exercise that has been particularly useful to you or just have an interesting idea, please send it and I will add it here. Exercise suggestions: 1) Try to display the emotions a character might go through while waiting for a bus that's late. Pay close attention to facial expressions, body language, and detail. 2) Have a character try to open something (i.e. a present) that refuses to open. The character can only use body parts for the first minute, but may
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resort to other measures (i.e. tools and explosives) thereafter. Note, the character will be affected by the tools used (i.e. blast of an explosion). After you've mastered this, try to do the same thing with a normally inanimate object (i.e. lamp) as your lead character. 3a) Animate someone riding a pogo stick or some other 'fun' object (i.e. using a hoola hoop). 3b) Have your character use a weighted object, such as a hammer or a shovel. Demonstrate how the weight of the object affects the stance and demeanor of the character using it. 4) Create a walk cycle, then vary it to accommodate different attitudes and 'character'. For example: Angry, happy, sneaky, limping, carrying a heavy object, sleep walking, etc. 5) Animate two characters sawing a log. The first character is a big, muscular brute. Animate him pose-to-pose first and cycle his animation. The second character is a scrawny little guy who gets yanked around, grabbing onto the saw for dear life. 6) Have a character bend down, pick up something heavy, and throw it. This exercise can help you with timing, emphasizing weight, and anticipation. 7 ) Put a short character in a tall room with one window, one door, one light (and switch) and a hanging ceiling fan (with hanging switch). The room contains 3 boxes, a ball, and a board. Imagine the different ways your character could figure out how to reach the hanging switch and then animate the most outrageous. Next, subtract two boxes and add a skateboard and try again.
Posted by Utkarsh Vaidy a at 5:03 AM , 0 comments Labels: Character Animation Ideas

Key Elements of Successful Character Animation Balance Weight - Timing

Balance Weight - Timing Stage 1: There's nothing about a character's movement that makes you (or other people if you're not picky enough) sit up and say, "There's something wrong with the way it moves." This would include animation that's too stiff, has too few keyframes and looks like it's occurring under water, moon walking (feet sliding), poses that make no sense, etc. You must be long past just doing walk cycles and such to get to that point. Also it would include breaking symmetry, so the exact same action or facial expression isn't mirrored on the other side of the character. This just screams "COMPUTER", which is a bad thing. Stage 2: Characters must act. Show emotion, facial expression that conveys the internal thinking of the character without the character having to say a word. The body language should also be demonstrating a character's state of mind. Are they lazy, aggressive, do they have a limp, a backache? If they were trying to be threatening, would another character be threatened? If they do talk, are they convincing? Stage 3: The character must have an absolutely unique and identifiable personality. Subject the character to the "Twin" or "Brain Switch" test. You have two identical characters. You should be able to tell if you were looking at the
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good character or the bad character, even in silhouette. Or the smart brother or dumb brother. Trickier still would be the evil character doing his best to pose as the good character, and he's *almost* there but just not quite. The characters in Toy Story would all pass this test. Buzz in Woody's body? Think you couldn't spot that. Or Woody in Buzz's. Or Rex in Buzz's. In live action I'll give you an example: in the TV show "Taxi", Andy Kaufman's character, Latka, had an alter ego called "Vic Ferrari". When he changed without saying a word, you could tell. When "Vic" was trying to return to Latka, he tried acting like him, and you could tell he just couldn't quite get it. Ask yourself, "How often have I seen this in computer animation?" If you want to really call yourself good, *Stage 3* is the bar you have to achieve. I would presume it's the bar that the various large traditional animation studios require you to reach before you can even be called an "animator".
Posted by Utkarsh Vaidy a at 5:01 AM , 0 comments Labels: Character Animation Ideas

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