Category: Ting Class

Dialogue Shot Blocking Plus

This week, I refined my audio animation shot by breaking down the blocking further and adding more keyframes. I added keyframes roughly every five to six frames, which made the animation feel smoother and more natural compared to my previous version. Although I am still working in the blocking stage, I used the stepped mode in the Graph Editor to maintain clear poses while improving the timing and spacing. This week, I focused more on understanding how timing and spacing affect the overall motion when refining the blocking in Maya. I also learned how to import and sync audio files properly within Maya. This is a useful workflow that I plan to use when continuing to develop and polish my audio animation shot at home next week.

During the tutorial, my tutor gave me positive feedback, saying that my blocking stage was good and that I could move on to the next step, such as a more advanced blocking plus. They also advised me to focus more on facial movement, especially the eyebrows, eyes, and lips, to improve the emotional performance. Overall, this week helped me improve both my technical workflow and my understanding of performance animation. I will continue developing these aspects in my next stage of production.

Creature Study

I did a research for creature study with my classmate. We chose a topic that is about Horse Locomotion. And we separate to study about it. And I researched about horse emotion, horse facial expression etc.

This week, I researched creature locomotion, focusing in particular on horse movement and behaviour. I collaborated with Avi and Binbin to study different aspects of horse locomotion, including how it is represented in various references and narrative contexts.

I specifically focused on horse facial expressions and body language in different emotional states, such as anger, happiness, calmness, and sadness. Through this research, I gained a better understanding of how horses communicate emotions without using human language. I realised that animals do not communicate through spoken language, but instead express themselves through body language, facial expressions, and vocal sounds. These elements are essential for conveying emotion and intention. By observing them closely, it is possible to understand their personality and emotional state.

I also learned that horses are very sensitive animals compared to many others. As herbivores, they are often escaped from carnivorous animals such as lions and tigers in the wild. Because of this, they need to stay alert and aware of danger at all times. This affects their behaviour and makes them highly responsive to their environment. For example, when horses feel negative emotions such as fear, anger, or sadness, their eyes become more open and sometimes show more of the white part. Their ears move quickly and react to surrounding sounds, and their tail movement becomes either very fast or tense. Each part of their body reflects their emotional state in a clear way. On the other hand, when they are calm or happy, their movements become slower and more stable, and their body language appears relaxed and rhythmic.

Based on this research, I would like to apply these observations to my future animation work, especially in animal locomotion studies. I also presented this research in front of my classmates and tutors. Although I felt nervous about speaking in English, I did my best and completed the presentation. Overall, this research helped me better understand animal behaviour and movement. In the future, I would like to study tiger locomotion as well and continue developing my understanding of creature animation.

Breathing Animation

This week was a workshop week, and the class was held remotely due to the tube strike on this week. During the workshop, I created an animation shot focusing on a character breathing cycle. The character had a unique design that resembled a snake, with a long tail, a long tongue, and spikes along its back. Because of these features, it was an interesting character to animate.

During the session, our tutor demonstrated the workflow for creating a breathing animation step by step. The clear explanation helped me understand the process much better and gave me a deeper understanding of how to approach this type of animation. What I found most exciting was seeing how much life a simple breathing motion could add to a character. At the beginning, the character was completely still and felt lifeless, almost like a statue. However, after adding the breathing animation, the character suddenly felt alive and believable. It was fascinating to see how such a subtle movement could have such a strong impact.

From a technical perspective, I also applied overlapping action to different parts of the character, including the spine, tail, arms, and the spikes on its back. By creating slight delays between these elements, the movement appeared more natural and organic. This helped make the character feel more vivid and realistic. Another useful technique I learned was the use of Animation Layers in Maya. The tutor explained that it can be helpful to create the breathing motion on one animation layer and then add other actions, such as body movement or acting, on separate layers. This makes the animation process more flexible and easier to manage. I would like to use this workflow in future projects.

Overall, I really enjoyed this workshop. It gave me new technical knowledge, practical skills, and a fresh perspective on character animation. Looking back, I can see my progress, and I feel motivated to continue improving my animation skills in the future.

Dialogue Shot Blocking

This week, I also polished my audio animation shot. Although it is still in the blocking stage, I added camera angles to improve the storytelling and visual clarity of the scene. When deciding on the camera angles, I considered how to guide the viewer’s attention toward the character’s movement, rather than distracting them with unnecessary complexity. I used two simple camera setups, from a side view and a front view. This allowed the audience to clearly focus on the character’s performance.

The animation shows one character expressing a message similar to “go live your life” to another character. Because of this, I initially included both characters in the same shot. However, after that moment, I shifted the focus more toward the main character in order to emphasise facial expressions, different angles, and emotional changes. To be honest, I feel that camera work and composition are still my weak points. Because of this, I plan to study camera angles and layout more deeply. I have found that library resources are especially helpful for this, so I would like to use them more actively for self-study in the future.

Overlap

This week, I created an animation shot during a workshop class. We worked on animating a sea monster character, focusing on overlapping action, particularly in the tail movement.

The main goal was to understand how to animate the tail using overlapping techniques, where different parts of the tail move with a slight delay from one another. Before taking this workshop, I struggled to understand how overlapping action worked, especially for tails and chains of bones in character rigs. However, through this exercise, I gained a much clearer understanding of both the technique and the workflow required to create convincing overlapping motion.

One challenge was that the sea monster rig was much more complex than the character rigs I had used before. As a result, I found it difficult to control some parts of the character. Although I did my best to apply the overlapping technique, there were moments when the tail movement felt unnatural. For example, when the character moved from side to side, parts of the tail sometimes moved in the opposite direction, making the motion look slightly strange. Despite these difficulties, I was able to understand the fundamentals of overlapping action much better than before. I would like to continue practising this technique so that I can create smoother and more natural tail movements in future projects.

After submitting the exercise, we watched everyone’s animations in class. I was very impressed by the quality of my classmates’ work. Many students had strong ideas for camera angles, composition, and staging, which made their shots engaging and visually appealing. What I found most interesting was that, even though we all used the same rig and character, every animation felt different. Each student brought their own personality, emotions, and creative ideas into their work. This reminded me how important it is to develop a unique style and approach when creating animation for a portfolio or showreel. It is definitely something I would like to think about more in my future projects.

Dialogue Shot – Reference & Rough Blocking

Week 10 was the final class of Unit 2. During this session, we mainly discussed the assignments that we needed to complete over the spring break.

The first assignment was to create a blocking animation based on an audio clip. The second was to interview an artist and reflect on what we learned from the experience.

For the animation assignment, I chose an audio clip with the message, “Go live your life.” I first recorded myself acting out the dialogue as reference footage. Using this reference, I created the blocking for the animation. Following the advice my tutor gave me earlier in the term, I focused on creating strong key poses, set keyframes first, and worked in stepped mode in the Graph Editor. I feel that this was one of my strongest blocking exercises so far, and I could clearly see my improvement.

The Professional Artist Interview

For the interview assignment, I contacted many artists during the spring break through email, LinkedIn, Instagram, and other platforms. Fortunately, one artist agreed to speak with me. Since I have been thinking a lot about how AI may change creative industries, I wanted to interview someone whose work could be greatly influenced by AI. Therefore, I chose to interview an illustrator whose warm and heartfelt artwork I have admired for a long time.

The 30-minute interview was an incredibly valuable experience. Before the meeting, I was nervous and spent a lot of time preparing questions, wondering what I should ask. However, the artist was very kind and answered every question thoughtfully, making the conversation both enjoyable and insightful.

The most memorable part of the interview was our discussion about AI. The illustrator told me that they were not overly worried about AI because they clearly understood the value of their own work. They believed that this confidence in their unique skills and creativity was something that AI could not replace.

This conversation made me reflect on my own concerns about AI. I realised that my anxiety may come from not yet fully understanding the true value of my own work and creative practice. As I continue my studies and develop my projects, I want to become more aware of the purpose and value of what I create. I believe that understanding this will help me grow not only as an animator but also as a creative professional.

Project 1 Presentation PPT

During these two weeks, I had to prepare a presentation about the progress of Project 1. In Week 8, I created a PowerPoint presentation that summarized my project. Then, in Week 9, I presented my work in front of the class.

My project is about a postman as the main character. There are several reasons why I chose this idea, but the most important one is the message I want to share. Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day, but the value of that time depends on how each person chooses to spend it. Through this story, I want to encourage people to think about how they use their time.

Another reason for choosing a postman is that letters connect people with one another. Although AI technology is developing rapidly, I believe that human connections are still very important. Therefore, I decided to use a postman delivering letters as a symbol of bringing people together.

I also want to create a unique visual style for this animation. The main character was inspired by Hayao Miyazaki. In addition, I studied heartwarming storytelling by analysing films from Pixar and short films by Tonko House. My goal is to create an original animation style that combines the charm of picture books with animation.

Presentation Reflection

The presentation took place in a large museum hall outside the university. The venue was filled with many antique objects, which made it a very inspiring place. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, although it also made me feel nervous.

I had given presentations before, but this experience was different. Standing in front of a large screen under the spotlight and presenting to an audience was something I was not used to. At first, I felt quite nervous. However, after watching my classmates present their projects, I became inspired by their passion, creative ideas, and hard work. Seeing their efforts reminded me that I should focus on sharing my own project instead of worrying too much.

Fortunately, I was able to finish my presentation successfully. During the event, I carefully listened to every presentation and took notes on each project. I wanted to learn from my classmates and have meaningful conversations with them afterwards. Because I had taken notes, I was able to discuss their work in more detail, and I realised how important it is to actively engage with others’ ideas. This experience taught me that small habits, such as listening carefully and taking notes, can make a big difference in my personal growth. I would like to continue doing this in the future.

Overall, preparing for and delivering this presentation taught me many valuable lessons. I will use what I learned to improve my Final Major Project and continue working hard to create the best animation I can.

Facial Pose Polished Animation

This week, I combined three different facial poses with different emotions in one shot. The emotions were angry, sad, and calm. This was very difficult for me because I had only studied each facial expression separately before.

In this task, I needed to change the facial motion and switch emotions within one shot. There was no clear reference for the full sequence, so it was more challenging. To help myself, I recorded my own face based on the real human reference I used last week and observed how the facial parts change during movement.

Even so, it was still hard for me to understand how each facial part should move smoothly between emotions. However, I want to improve facial animation in the future, so I plan to watch more tutorials on YouTube and other animation websites. This week, I also realized something important. Class is a good place to learn new knowledge from teachers, but self study is also very important for improving animation skills. I think of class as “input” and self-study as “output.” I need both to improve.

So, I want to continue practicing every day to improve my animation skills.

Heavy Object & Change of Mind (Polished)

This week, I continued working on my Heavy Object & Change of Mind animation shot. I added small details such as facial movement like eye blinks. I also added more exaggeration to the arms and legs. For example, when the character pushes the door, the arm movement becomes more smooth and slightly exaggerated by adjusting the joints. I also fixed some foot placement. Now, when the foot leaves the ground, it moves more gradually, and it also touches the ground more naturally.

My teacher said my body mechanics are good, so I should keep going. I will continue improving and adding small details. She also advised me to focus more on hand movement. For example, the hand should open gradually when it touches the door, and the fingers should react naturally when pushing or touching the surface.

In my opinion, this shot is very helpful for learning how the body moves and how body mechanics work. The story is about trying different ways to push a door, so I could explore different pushing styles and body movements. Because of this, I learned a lot from this exercise. I want to continue improving my animation skills and also strengthen my observation skills.

Facial Pose (Connecting Poses)

This week, I worked on facial poses in Maya. The process was similar to last week, but I used a different type of reference. Last week, I used animation drawings and 2D sketches, but this week I used real human actor facial references. I also used a new rig character called Yuron. It looks like a child character, around 5 years old. The face is very cute, especially the eyes and mouth, which are larger compared to the rig I used last week. I really like this more stylized animation style rig.

I realized that using real human references is more difficult than using animation references. This is because the rig is stylized, but the reference is real human. So I need to exaggerate the facial shapes more to match the animation style and to show clear emotions. This was the most difficult part for me, but I tried my best.

After I submitted my work, my teacher gave me feedback. She said my eyebrows are moving too much, so I should keep them simpler, like only moving up or down slightly. She also advised me to think more about C-shape and S-shape lines, and to check which side of the face is open.

Overall, I learned a lot from this exercise.

Heavy Object & Change of Mind (Polished)

This week, I also polished my Heavy Object & Change of Mind animation shot. I fixed small details such as foot placement, timing, and spacing. For example, when the hand reaches the wall, I made the fingers gradually open and added a small scratching motion. I also adjusted the shoulder movement, so it moves slightly forward and backward depending on the body action.

I also focused on the Center of Gravity (COG), because it is very important in Maya animation. It helps make the movement look natural and smooth, so I paid close attention to it. My teacher also gave me advice. I should focus more on the COG in the hips, because the hips do not move too much in natural movement. If the hips do not move correctly, the animation can look unnatural. So I want to observe this more carefully next time.

Overall, my teacher said my work is good and I should keep improving. I was happy to hear this, and I want to continue polishing my animation with more passion.

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.