Category: Advanced and Experimental 3DCA Techniques

Week 5: Facial Pose (Photo Ref), Heavy Object & Change of Mind (Blocking Plus)

I also paid attention to C-shape and S-shape lines in the face to make the pose more natural and appealing. To be honest, this was very difficult for me because it was my first time creating facial poses in Maya. I had to work on many small details, such as the eyebrows, eyes, and mouth shapes. I also needed to observe carefully how each part of the face moves and how the structure changes in different poses.

However, I also felt excited because this is a different type of animation compared to body mechanics. It was a new and interesting experience for me. I want to continue practicing facial poses to improve my skills and knowledge for my FMP project.

Heavy Object & Change of Mind (Blocking Plus)

This week, I improved my animation based on the feedback from last week. First, I changed the character model from Spider Man to a simple human model because it is better for practicing body mechanics. I also used stepped keyframes for the blocking pass first, and then changed them to spline keyframes to refine the animation. I changed the story a little as well. In my first idea, the character tried to push a heavy door but failed. Then, the character found a button and pressed it to open the door. This time, the character tries to push the door, becomes disappointed, and sits down. Then, the character notices a small door and pushes it lightly to open it. I think this new story shows the idea of “change of mind” more clearly. It also gives me a better chance to practice body mechanics because the character pushes a door at both the beginning and the end of the animation, instead of only pressing a button.

Finally, I used a good reference video to study how the body moves. This helped me understand the movement better and create more natural poses and actions in Maya.

Stitch Tea Party

Facial Pose

This week, I learned about the key points of facial posing, especially how the face changes depending on the direction a character is looking. For example, if a character looks to the left, the left side of the face tends to open more than the right side, as shown in the reference image.

Based on this, I need to pay attention to which side of the face is opening and apply this knowledge to my character animation in Maya. In particular, I learned that the chin usually moves from the open side toward the closed side, while the top of the head moves in the same direction. At the same time, it is also helpful to be aware of the C-shaped line created by these movements, as it makes the pose look more natural and appealing.

Heavy Object & Change of Mind (Blocking)

This week, I started working on my Heavy Object & Change of Mind shot animation. The animation starts with the main character trying to push a heavy door. The character tries different ways to open it, but the door does not move. After giving up, the character looks down and finds a button on the ground. When the button is pressed, a small door opens. The main idea of this shot is to show the character’s change of mind, from trying to push the door to finding an easier solution.

First, I made a blocking animation. However, my tutor told me that it is better to use stepped keys instead of spline when making the blocking. Stepped keys make it easier to focus on the key poses and clearly show the character’s actions before adding smooth movement. I want to use this advice in my next version.

I also received feedback about the character. I used Spider Man, but my tutor said that the character looks too realistic. My animation has a funny and cartoon-like story, so it would be better to use a more stylized character. Next time, I will choose a character that matches the style and feeling of the animation better.

Story Structure

In this week, I studied story structure in lecture. In particular, I realised that there is a tip for making good story by using these images. The good story has a flow.

Previs – Hunter to Prey

Object & Change of Mind(Planning)

I imagined a story in which the protagonist tries to open a heavy door using various methods of pushing it, but it doesn’t move. Then, the protagonist calms down and carefully looks around the door. He finds a button on the floor. When he pushes the button, the door opens, and he feels tired.

In this week, I did a lot of works such as story pitch, cinematography analysis, and previs hunter to prey.

Fist of all, I made a story board with my Partner (Avi). We have to use the specific word, (Therefore, and then) . Also, I have to consious about story structure.

In this assignment, we worked in pairs to create a story. We were asked to focus on the three-act structure in order to give the story depth and emotional ups and downs. We also had to include a ladder and a window as key elements, and use the words “therefore” and “and then” to clearly show the cause-and-effect flow of the story.

Our group created a story about a bird character as the protagonist. During class, the bird makes a plan to escape through the window using a ladder, and then attempts to carry it out. However, the teacher discovers the plan. Therefore, as a punishment, the bird ends up having to complete a large amount of extra homework, which leaves the character in an even worse situation than before.

Cinematography Analysis

Previs-Hunter to Prey

In this assignment, I worked in a pair with Silvia. First, we discussed what kind of story we wanted to create and wrote down as many ideas as we could while talking together using pen and paper. After that, we each created our own storyboards individually. We then compared both storyboards and selected the strongest compositions from each shot to create the final version.

For the previs, the work was divided into two parts: the first half and the second half. I was responsible for creating the previs for the first half of the story.

In this week, I analyzed cinematography structure, in particular, I got a new insights such as LAYOUT, COMPOSITION
& CAMERA LANGUAGE.

When I set a camera, I have to think about “what do I want to say and express?”.

Also, there is 4 key points for cinematography.

FOCUS
What is important to look at at this moment

FOCAL LENGTH
How much field you want
to include in your frame.

GEOMETRY IN FRAME
The architecture of the frame.

CAMERA MOVEMENT
Commonly used camera effects

Analysis of Incredible Family

We also practiced writing storyboards while analysing The Incredibles. Through this exercise, I became more aware of camera angles, composition, and the timing of cuts. In particular, I found it challenging to balance the quality of the storyboard drawings, and I practiced while constantly thinking about how much detail should be included.