Advanced Charatcer Animation Module Session 8 - Mo Cap

Motion Capture is also known by another term, Performance Capture. Motion Capture is the process where movements are captured by the actor’s performance.This includes placing markers on the actor’s body. This is carried out in special environments in which the actor wears a special suit, markers and motion capture equipment is available for example infrared cameras and magnetic tracking markers.

Key Frame animation is the process of drawing the character on on frame then simply trace it then draw the next part to create the walk cycle.This is traditionally seen in 2D animation packages such as Adobe Flash CC.This is commonly used by animators who work on projects for companies such as Cartoon Network, Disney, Dream Works etc. 

Both methods are useful for the advanced character animation project as they helped the student to understand the project from an actor's perspective.This is what is needed to complete the advanced character animation project.That is why it was best for the students to think of themselves as the characters in the environment.

Below is the breakdown for the movie Ted showing the three elements of production at the sane time. One part shows motion capture, computer generated visual effects,and finally the video.

                                      

This is a tutorial for cleaning up motion capture data using Autodesk Motion Builder. This stage of the process is an important stage as it can either make the motion capture sequence a success or a failure.The reason why this particular video was chosen for this topic was because it had the teddy bear which matched the idea for the advanced character animation project.

This topic made sense as to why motion capture would be a useful contribution to the advanced character animation project as it allowed the user to understand the importance of action out the story as the main character within the animation.

This is a youtube video for the cleaning process for the Motion Capture Data in Motion Builder.

To understand the theory of motion capture a 3D version of  Daffy Duck was provided by the lecturer.The task was to create a small animation that would be sufficient enough to analyse and critic.To be specific the class were meant to make a walk cycle for Daffy Duck then show the animation to the class to get feedback on the emotions.

The emotion for this video was suppose to be a confident walk which was evident in the posture and pose at the beginning of the animation.However the animation may appear to be blocky but that was just to get the key frames into place for the final review.

                

Advanced Character Animation Session 6 Critic Character Animation .

The sixth session for the advanced character animation module was all about showing the animations to the class in order to receive constructive feedback.This was in aid of further development for the advanced character animation project.After watching the animation with the rest of the class it was clear that it would benefit from having more key frames to make the animation flow better.

                               


The animation project was a success however the teddy bear did appear to be mechanical at times.There were two solutions to improve the actions displayed by the teddy bear.The first solution was to add more key frames to the timeline then edit the translations, rotations, scaling for the teddy bear using the graph editor.The second solution was to change the camera angle to get the best out of the animation.In the end the second solution was chosen as it was the best solution in terms of time management. 
Everyone shared the progress of their animation projects, comments were made about the other student's animation projects.This gave the advanced character animation project the push that it needed to make it excellent instead of being satisfactory. 
                                         

When the animation project was amended it was time to get some constructive feedback from the target audience.That is when the video was shown to the class for the final time and shared on the flickr group for the current advanced character animation group. https://www.flickr.com/groups/2878742@N21/.

To analyse the style of the advanced character animation project it was best to use an animation that used the same type of genre, graphic style , similar character design.Both of the animations were aimed at a wider target audience which is why the graphic style toon-shaded was used for the advanced character animation project.The animation production kept the characters designs simple for the animation production so that they could be perceived well by the target audience.This is a video from the Garfield series which shows the teddy bear alive in a angry state.This is the best reference video to compare it with the advanced character animation project.

The final submission for the project was a success as it met all of the requirements as stated in the project brief.To get the most out of the project it was best to obtain feedback for the advanced character animation project by posting it on the flickr page as well as the 2015 ACA group page for the peers to review it for the course

Advanced Character Animation Session 7 Character Walk Cycle

This week the topic was to create a walk cycle for the advanced character animation project.In the advanced character animation project the teddy bear had a confident walk which was evident in the teddy bear's posture and pose throughout the walk cycle.That is why many youtube videos were collected together as reference materials for the advanced character animation project.

If you would like to watch the videos follow the hyperlink below. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkogiJVG9TvG5jfgsVNUKb-YWqDm45RvK.

By reviewing the reference videos the animator was able to make the give the animation better flow.The Observational skills helped with the animation as the animator will be able to determine what looked right and wrong at every stage of the walk cycle.

This is an image of a confident walk cycle for the advanced character animation project that was found from google images.The reason why the walk cycle was brilliant for the project was due to the fact that it was simple yet effect for the project.

This is a compilation video of angry people on Youtube.This was one of the best ways to find professional examples where people gradually witness the temper due to small circumstances.At the end of the animation project the teddy bear shows it frustration as it bursts into tears as the handle of the pull machine broke apart.                 

                                          

This is final version for the animation of the teddy bear walking towards the machine to use the pull up machine.If there was one aspect that could be altered it would be the speed of the character for every single frame.This is one camera angle of the animation and there are three more cameras showing the same animation.

                   

                                        Front Perspective

                            
                                         Security Camera

                 
                                        CCTV Camera 1

                 

                    

                                       CCTV Camera 2

The walk cycle was the difficult part of the process but a necessary lesson. The walk cycle enable the animator to think of himself as the teddy bear going to the gym for a workout.This was useful as it enabled the animation to bring life to the character within the animation project. 

Advanced Character Animation Session 5 Animating & Polishing.

The aim of this session was to assess the quality of the advanced character animation project in order to make it better than the initial video that was presented to the class.This was the best way to receive constructive feedback from the class about the positive aspects about the project as well as the negative aspects about the project.One advice that was given to the class was to act out the scene as if you were the character in the story.

For the rocket mini project the aim was to make a story where the rocket was showing the emotion anger.As mentioned in the previous blog post the storyboard states that the rocket was angry as the hatch failed to open as it began it's blast off towards the ceiling.That is when the hatch failed to open for the launch causing the rocket to crash back to the ground.When the animation was made there were two cameras from difference angles recording the animation sequence.


The animation seems to be blocky in certain stages for the duration of the animation however the main area of improvement may be the movement for the rocket character.It needs more of a sense of urgency to display the fact that the hatch has stopped it from leaving the station.There is one powerful tool that can help to adjust the motion of the animation ad that is called the graph editor.That is when the graph editor played an important role as it enabled the user to make the flow of the animation smoother.

The first video is the Close up shot of the rocket blasting off in a fit of rage as the exit was blocked off by a hatch.The way that this has been represented in the short animation as the rocket's behaviour changed gradually from a calm state to more of an aggressive state.The rocket twist's it's neck from right to the left as a sign that it is preparing itself for the journey.The rest of the launch was recorded by the second camera from the top of the environment.
                                           

The second video is the top camera which witnessed the launch of the rocket along with smoke.The rocket builds the momentum up slowly up to the moment it reaches the hatch.That is when the rocket's facial expression was adjusted from being clam to more of an angry expression.The animation ends with the rocket falling to the ground instantly.

The inspiration for the animation was the cartoon Road Runner where the laws of cartoon physics were used as reference for the duration of the animation.The Unique aspect of the rocket animation is then the coyote is a symbol of the rocket starting off well but ends in an unsuccessful disaster.

Advanced Character Animation Module 4 Character Reserach

This week the main focus for the advanced character animation project was to gather reference materials using the references that were avaliable. The internet was a useful source of research as it showed thousands of images , youtube videos , and online forums. All of the resources for the project can be found using the hyperlink below.

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/103488598@N03/with/22709971939/

These are the concept arts for the protaganist which is a teddy bear.The idea for the project was to make the teddy bear seem soft and cuddly on the outside but tough on the inside. Initially the teddy bear was going to be showing off in the animation. However that would not be as funny as a teddy bear failing bursting into tears as the first machine breaks as it is rusty.

Here are are two 3D renders to show the transition from the sketch to the 3D Teddy bear that was used for the advanced character animation final year project.The teddy bear was specifically tailored to be used for animations that can be viewed by children and adults.

This is the front perspective for the 3D teddy bear character. Constructing the teddy bear was okay however the difficult part was getting the details in specific areas right on point.

This is the finished product for the 3D teddy bear which was fully modelled , textured , rigged and finally skinned.The professional comparison for the 3D teddy bear was the cartoon series Marcha and the bear.The teddy bear is not to the same standard a the bear from the cartoon series.



The teddy bear was skinned to a reasonable standard where it could perform a number of exercise monuvers for the gym pre workout,work out.The animation was going to be about a teddy bear going to the gym for a workout.Thats why the storyboard was created it was a reference plan for each stage of the animation project 

This is the standard that was visualised for the finished product of the advanced character animation project.As it is the closest example of a 3D bear shares a similar anatomy. The story has been viewed by someone else and they said that the 3D bear remained them of this particular animation.

Advanced Character Animation Module Session 3 Body language/ Character Animation / Peer Assessment Feedback Exercise

The aim of this week's session was to understand the importance of body language with regards to character animation. Body language focus's on an individual's characteristics in order to get a fair idea about their personality. There are many twenty five varieties of body language to choose for your character's personality. The difficult part is trying to get your character to relate to the members of the target audience.

.http://listverse.com/2007/11/08/25-examples-of-body-language/.

A scene was provided by the lecturer as practise for the final project. As the aim of the animation was to enable the rocket to show it's emotions through it's body language and eyes language. The story is about a rocket who wants to blast through the hatch but unfortunately it fails to open at the right moment. This results in the rocket being damaged by the concrete which covered the rocket. This was a great exercise as it transferred the knowledge from the current task to use for the final project.

After reviewing the storyboard more than once , it was difficult to figure out how to make the teddy bear seem confident as it went to the gym. Then it occurred that one of the many reasons why people goes to the gym is to unleash stress in a productive way. This is the angle that the story was based on for the advanced character animation module. To increase the amount of research material a Pinterest board had been constructed to gather visual references of people confident and angry. This was a real advantage as it gave the teddy bear character that edge that it needed to be believable for the target audience. Just below is the hyperlink for the emotions reference.

https://uk.pinterest.com/aahmed0739/emotions/

The best way to understand the relation between emotions and characters animation is to act the sequence out as if you are the protagonist in the environment. For an example in Polar Express there are the 3D characters in the story along with the actors in real life who are the driving force. They are the ones who are using motion capture to give the animated characters realistic movements and voice overs to make the characters facial expressions flow with the words.


To gather as much references for the angry character task many references were found with the assistance of YouTube videos and Pinterest page. But the most effective page was the you tube videos as they show the instant transformation from a person being clam to a person who has lost control of their anger. As you will see there are a number of compliations of people who have lose their nerves for many reasons. All of this research helped to develop the emotions displayed by the rocket character.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkogiJVG9TvG5jfgsVNUKb-YWqDm45RvK

The first video displays the emotion that the rocket has as it goes through the ceiling.The anger is not instant it builds up to moment when the hatch fails to open as the rocket began it's ascension.If this emotion come across in a successful way then it is a huge success if not then it will be a easy to fix.

The second video is another example where there are many moments in the film where people have expressed their anger through their body language and apparent in their facial expressions.There is one moment in this clip when the tall officer orders everyone to sit down , everyone sat down out of fear .The officer was very tall , strong and had a powerful atmosphere which make him dominate everyone.

                                    

Here are two playlists for the rocket shipaniumatipn please check them out and feel free to comment on this blog with any enquires or constructive comments.

Advanced Character Animation Module session 2 Storyboard – Pose to Pose Presentation

 At the start of the advanced character animation process the first step is to sketch a spider diagram with all of the initial ideas for the project. Then decide which one of the ideas would be suitable for the advanced character animation module project. Once the idea has been confirmed it is important to start gathering as much references for the project as possible.

The second step will be the most important aspect of the production as it involves research and development of the idea. The research and development process applies to all disciplines. The research part of the advanced character animation module may have taken roughly a week.

Once all of the research elements have been gathered the next step of the process is to communicate the idea to the target audience in a visual way. Before creating a storyboard it was vitial to understand the difference between a successful storyboard and an unsuccessful storyboard. That is why the lecturer decided to gives us a presentation on what makes a great storyboard and an unsatisfactory storyboard. Taking all of the information into account the student began to sketch out three storyboards then analysed them to make sure that they were exactly what the student wanted to communicate to the target audience. Afterwards the storyboards were scanned into the computer where they were taken into Adobe Photoshop CS6 to be edited for the presentation as well as the online diary.




 The first storyboard is simply introducing the protagonist who is a teddy at the gym. The teddy bear had an aim which was to build it's body up. The storyboard goes onto show the excitement displayed by the teddy bear when it's eyes  have spotted the equipment. The storyboard goes on to show the pre workout that the teddy bear engages in before the real workout.

 The second storyboard began with the end of the pre workout as it stopped the push up exercise. The reason that the teddy bear had stopped it's exercise was due to the fact that it had spotted the pull up machine. The teddy bear slowly made it's way across the room towards the pull up machine.

The final storyboard displays the moment when the teddy prepares itself for the first intense moment. However the moment it began it's epic journey of building muscle it was the very same moment that journey ended .The reason that the exercise ended here was all because the pull up machine was old , even fragile so it was never going to last long. The storyboard was fairly easy enough to make but the difficult part was creating the facial expressions for each key frame.

        

Both of these films display the type of power, posture , pose, balance , weight and overall appearance that would increase the quality for the advance character animation project.All of these element would enable the teddy bear to have a omnipotent ambience about itself.

Advanced Character Animation Module Research - Present - Evaluate

The aims and objectives for the Advanced Character Animation module is to understand the principles of animation ,and emotions then finally apply the knowledge to the 3D characters for the project .To be more specific enable the viewer to become more engaged with either the protagonist or the secondary characters.This will be a long process as there will be a task to complete every week and each task will have an element that requires more explanation and understanding.Here is the production time table that will explain the process for the next thirteen weeks.

That is why it is important to engage in as much intensive research as possible to get the best out of the tasks which will contribute to the final project.The most effective way will be to use the online social media websites ( Flickr , Pinterest , Facebook ) to gather as much reference materials as possible etc.If you want to be able to view the research materials there will be hyperlinks which will will take you to the social media websites. 

Flickr Page (https://www.flickr.com/photos/103488598@N03/) , 

Pinterest Page (https://uk.pinterest.com/aahmed0739/advanced-character-animation-research/)  

The social media websites have managed to inspire the development of the advanced character animation project.Now it is time to discuss the idea generation for the advanced character animation project.The brief was open which meant that it could have been anything within means. The lecturer gave some brilliant advice which was to mix two elements together that don't go together at all.The teddy bear which is known to be soft goes to the gym to gain some serious muscle.As the bear began it's pre work out it fails to get pass the first exercise machine which is the multi use exercise machine as the bear fails to achieve the first chin pull up.

  Before the project was on the way everyone was informed that the proposed idea will require a great amount of organisation and the same amount of focus which will primarily be on the weekly tasks.That enthusiasm will be the main driving force that will truly bring out the best quality for the finished product.  

 Towards the end of the first session the class were given the task of critiquing the trailer from the animation called the secret life of pets.The class were split into groups of three / four student per group.The aims and objective was to find out the intention of the cat and how the cat was displaying the emotions through the chosen frame. Everyone knew that the cat was resisting the temptation to eat the turkey but failed miserably. There were many guesses as to what enabled the viewers to guess what the obvious factors were. Some said it was the eyes , facial expression,the body language and so on. All of the answers provided by the class were correct as they described the behaviour of the cat towards the turkey.