Double bounce walk test

 Double bounce walk test                                                                                                                            27/02/23

Figure 1: Double bounce walk animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mtvOGFV5uQ

I'm currently working on the double bounce walk cycle, which is going to be the walk cycle for Nikko.  I'm currently torn between making the exaggerated double bounce and the more casual double bounce.  The more casual double bounce would be better suited to a more mature character, and not so much the younger character of Nikko.  The most notable reference I've found so far, is this character animation of Tom from Tom and Jerry, who has similar proportions and visual likeness to Nikko, and has an animation style that I can more or less follow.  I've been advised to go for a more casual double bounce, especially considering the final product will mainly give a brief indication of character personalities.  If the project was due at the end of July, maybe we could've tried an animation with stronger indication of antics.

Double Bounce Walk Cycle from Daniel Brannan on Vimeo: 

WalkCycle - Double Bounce from joe daniels on Vimeo.

Double Bounce Walk Cycle from Jimmy Di Nezza on Vimeo.

Figure 2: Casual double bounce walk: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/R3QGPA

Figure 3: Double bounce walk cycle with Fallout Scout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtuPie0obEU

This is an example of a double bounce walk cycle with characters from Team Fortress 2 set to the song "Dear Hearts and Gentle People" by Bob Crosby and the Bob Cats.  The movement of the characters would easily appeal to the show's age demographic, and the animation is smooth, energetic and very funny, displaying confidence and joy.  This kind of movement would fit in nicely with the pitch and the character of Nikko, and I could even apply the movement to both the characters.  The limbs stay perfectly in line with the body and the outlines in the background, the bouncing is invigorating and the arm movement is swift.  I would love to try animating with the Scout figure, but for the sake of the client brief, I need to stick with Kayla to match the proportions.  

Final project update 24/02/22

Final project update                                                                                                                                      24/02/22

Figure 1: Hawaii lavaflow:https://twitter.com/5minofscience/status/996024956516478976

I've currently finished the first draft composite of the lava sequence on Dundee Law with an After Effects lava effect as well as a reveal of the double discs symbol that will dominate the final cut of the film.  The lava layer is composed on a 3D plane and is masked around the bench which I'm standing on, and I had to speed up the reveal of my double discs logo to make it more enticing.  I firstly made the lava animation in After Effects, then integrated the double discs into the lava and blended this composition into the live-action footage.

Figure 2: Lava composite test

The main challenge with the double discs animation is to integrate it into the composited footage for the second draft of the final shots.  The animation will need to have the same effects as the rest of the VFX shot, such as glow, displacement map and fractal noise to make it look like it's part of the vision, as it's intended to be.  For some shots, such as the distorted rotoscope vision, I will need to avoid showing the double discs to indicate that there is no harmony in the shot.  I will also need to consider whether I should focus on making the final output more of a VFX showcase rather than a narrative film.  I know that a decision like that at this stage in the degree is rather inept, but the reactions to the very first draft were not encouraging.  The final film will likely have a greater emphasis on the animation.

Figure 3: 3D animation whale made in Maya, Blender and 3DS Max: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/9mEZlN

This is an example of a whale animation made in 3D from ArtStation.  Obviously my whale will look nowhere near as good as this one, but I will use it as reference for a plausible whale movement and proportions.  If I size the animation correctly, it should give the appropriate sense of awe and size that I'm after in my shot.  If I were to rotoscope this footage, I would have to apply enough original detail and movement to avoid plagiarism.  

Figure 4: Fish swimming footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8KY0Zm6bug

This is a reference for the Pictish fish animation in my film.  Previously, I had tried to rotoscope some footage of fish swimming across the screen, but I had problems with proportions and drifting parts of the fish.  I think making an animation in place and then moving the figure in After Effects or TV Paint might yield more consistent results.  I've also found some footage of some actual salmon swimming which is what the Pictish symbol is based on, so hopefully the rotoscoped results of that should be neater.

Figures 5 and 6: Fish swimming references

Figure 7: Fish animation cycle:https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJjnKIYhYZ2WnC5Rd0Q0YOFQBeiw75Oc058rKAr811MFD3aaXutAQjqZRT7RAAWFLo63aVfQyIFhZZITlzGALQ_QhIuDn19JGZM2DfjJKJF4n_VOK8IR02F4D4C1mYlExFYnS2ZPwb_w/s1600/the+science+of+how+fish+swim+3.JPG

Animations complete (with first draft)

• Boar animation
• Lava animation
• Pictish penguin animation
• Pictish deer
• Hand join animation
• Pictish figure
• Painting filter
• Pictish snake
• Jute growing

Animations to do:

• Distorted vision
• Alien landing
• Whale flying
• Typewriter rotoscope
• Harp
• Rotoscoped visions
• Pictish fish
• Rotoscoped jute machine

Final Project Update 23/02/23

 Final Project Update                                                                                                                                      23/02/23

Figure 1: Pictish beast: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pictish_Beast.svg

So far, I've managed to complete a second version of the Pictish beast animation for my final project.  Originally, I had referenced the animation of a Chinese Dragon GIF that was more fluid and wave-like, but upon re-evaluating it, I've decided to remake the animation with more of a kicking motion.  I've also attempted to give the beast more structure with some new proportions, but admittedly, I still need to work on this to some extent.  This is the latest version of the Pictish beast animation with the pencil structures.

Figure 2: Pictish beast animation V2

The objective with this animation moving forward is to make a ghost-like effect with the suggested glow and mist effect, as recommended by the tutor.  The effect was suggested to make the animations more distinct from reality as well as to add the necessary haunting effect that the beast is supposed to create.  I've still got a fair amount of the animations to complete and some of the previous ones need some improvements in their composition, but hopefully that shouldn't take too long.  I've already found several tutorials that can help with this task.

Figure 3: Smoke effect tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptQ6Re6JvWM

With the latest version of my rotoscoped jute factory footage, I've made it to about the 35-frame mark, and the amount of detail in the shots (apart from the human figures which I've essentially drawn to resemble vague ghosts) makes them more time-consuming.  This effect is the one more closely-resembling the rotoscope effect in A Scanner Darkly, but all drawn in pencil to make the linework resemble a rustic carving.   The main details are in the spokes on the jute machine whilst the lines of jute are meant to be sketch-like, but still resembling a relatively credible flow.

Animations completed (with first draft anyway):

• Pictish penguins
• Pictish figure and handjoin
• Jute growing
• Glasses effect
• Snake
• Deer walking in trees
• Title reveal

Animations to do: 

• Lava
• Whale flying overhead
• Pencil distortion
• Pictish fish
• Newspaper printing
• Harp

Going Live Update 21/02/23

Going Live Update                                                                                                                                       21/02/23

Figure 1: Figure throwing ball in Maya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XII9aKbVXrg

Following on from feedback from the latest group tutorial, I have been told that I need to make my animation quicker with more tests with a silhouette version of the figure being used.  I also need to work on my poses since some of them being viewed from the front do look off and improper.  We will still be moving forward with the animation poses of a double bounce walk for Nikko and a strutting walk cycle for Tinny, but I will need to have someone else look over the poses constantly just for the sake of making the final footage usable.  I have been advised to make my own reference for walking with the filming of me doing the walk cycle so I have a better idea of how three-dimensional characters walk and interact for the sake of realism.  Finally, I have realised that animating in 3D is considerably different from animating in 2D, for obvious reasons.

Figure 2: Pixar walkcycle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Wk339c-lPg

I have managed to find a sufficient reference for the most basic walk cycle where the crotch and torso remain mostly level with no significant bounce.   A part of me would love to be able to just do this but I still have to make it engaging enough for the client, so I have to do something complex that gives a better indication of character.  It has also taught me the importance of how well a character is rigged and structured in order for it to move sufficiently, and I managed to animate the taller characters a bit more successfully.  After this degree, I will be more inclined to stick more to 2D animation, whether it be in TV Paint or any other animation software.  But for now, I will just need to keep playblasting tests from Maya until I can get the flow and posing right, as well as making sure they're in mp4 for playability sake.  

Figure 3: Simple 3D walk-cycle: https://www.pluralsight.com/blog/tutorials/walk-cycle-animation-in-blender

For my next series of animation tests, I will attempt to start with the contact positions of the character and then work my way through the in-betweens, as previously I had worked my way from pose to pose on the first few attempts.  I will also need to become more familiar with the copy position function in Maya, and then get the cycle to a stage where I can enter an expression to make the animation keep looping and reduce the need for more keyframes.  The final animation will definitely need a couple of drafts before we can get to a version that's usable, and I will probably need to try out some characters with different proportions before I get to work on the final versions of Tinny and Nikko.

Advanced Production Update 19/02/23

 Advanced Production Update                                                                                                   19/02/23

Figure 1: Film editor at work: https://adferoafferro.wordpress.com/tag/film-editing/

After reflecting on the current state of my film project, I have begun to consider trimming down the film to something around about three minutes.  Not only would this reduce the workload that I have going forward but it would also give the film a chance to develop a better rhythm and pace.  In retrospect, the idea of having a 12-minute cut of a film was far too much, and my narrative style doesn't have nearly enough substance to fill that runtime.  The new final cut, or at least the new rough cut to fill the quota for Advanced Production, will mainly focus on the animated segments of the film, and after that, I will see how much more footage, animation or live-action, will be required.  

The influences for the film will also extend to silent film, since I have always intended the protagonist to be a mute character who does not have any interaction with the world around him.  This is largely influenced by the types of narratives I studided during my first degree in Plymouth, and it can allow us to make sense of the people who pass through the environment we share with us as well as the aura of what is happening.  

"Stories impose a formal coherence on what is otherwise a flowing soup. They gather strands of experience into a plot that produces an outcome and such sequence is the source of sense" - (Karl Weick, 1995)

 Whilst the flaneur narrative has been traditionally represented in literature, it is relevant to my film because of how it usually is a metaphor for the urban culture of the time.  Modern examples of where this type of story would take place include airports, train stations and city centres where people would pass through certain areas.  The flanuer narrative has also been represented in the work of Richard Linklater, whose work contains the themes of a single, ongoing present moment, and the pursuit of meaningful, elusive connections.  The theme of flanerie allows us to make sense of how the common metropolis evolves over time.

Between Sunrise and Sunless from Rob Stone on Vimeo.

Figure 2: City environment: https://liminalnarratives.com/2017/04/29/flaneur/

 The topic of the flaneur is mainly intended to give new meaning to the streets of the city that he inhabits, and I intend to provide a similar meaning to the streets of Dundee that I have filmed my project in.  The animations I have provided in my film are intended to give a dreamlike aura to the viewer because of how they are integrated into environments but are clearly not real.  This is to highlight the disconnection between the protagonist and the environment that transcends until the final shot of the film.

 

Grant, C. (2014) “The Flâneur on Film: On films by Richard Linklater and others,” Film Studies for Free. Blogger, 25 February. Available at: https://filmstudiesforfree.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-flaneur-on-film-on-films-by-richard.html (Accessed: February 19, 2023).

Lakatos, A. (2004) The Flaneur and the detective: Patterns of Urban Identity in american fiction, The flaneur and the detective: Patterns of urban identity in American fiction . thesis. University of Glasgow. Available at: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/71440/.

Weick, K.E. (1995). Sense making in Organisations. Sage.

 

Animation cycles for characters 15/02/23

Animation cycles for characters                                                                                                            15/02/23

Figure 1: Strutting walk cycle: http://animationprojectwalkcycles.blogspot.com/2011/02/walk-cycle-c.html

As part of my animation work for the characters of Nikko and Tinny, I have to find animation cycles and positions to match the personalities we've agreed upon.  Tinny is definitely the more disciplinary figure with more pride in what he accomplishes and gives, whilst Nikko is generally considered to be the lazier and more self-centered character in the pitch.  As such, the animation cycle that would best suit Tinny would be something like a strut where the chest is held upwards, the arm and the leg positions are strong and straight, the fists are clenched and the head is held up high.  It is similar to the strut of a character such as Mickey Mouse, whose strut is more exaggerated, but has a similar build to the character of Tinny.  We've also agreed that the character has a short height and posture to resemble the audience of children aged 4 to 7, and both Nikko and Tinny have to be the same height so they can be on an even keel.

The way of planning these animations out would include roughly sketching out the keyframes (just a basic outline with simple shapes resembling the character proportions) of a strut cycle and a slouch cycle so I can follow the positions out in Maya when moving the characters into position and creating the keyframes to form a fluid animation.  I've tried doing the animation with taller character rigs from Turbosquid just to get accustomed to the 3D animation cycle.  I am aware that 3D animation is in some ways easier than 2D animation because once the character is modeled and rigged, the process after that is to move the character into different keyframe positions and hit a key to create a keyframe and then move to the next position in the timeline.  Of course, if the character isn't rigged correctly the asset will need to go back to the riggers to be fixed.  These are some of the examples that I've tried, including the Palbots from the Mitchells vs the Machines and the character of Wukong or the Monkey King.

Figure 2: Maya animation tests

For the animation for Nikko, I've mostly agreed upon a double bounce walk so that the character can appear to be more youthful and energetic in the demo reel.  I've also found a shorter robot character to practice with for the movement of Tinny, and he is considered to be the more important of the two characters we have so far.   I've also found a monkey-like animation cycle that would have been useful had we decided to make Nikko's movement more organic.

Figure 3: Double bounce animation cycle: 

Figure 4: Monkey walk cycle: https://www.freepik.com/premium-vector/monkey-walk-cycle-animation-frames-loop-animation-sequence-sprite-sheet_20184253.htm

Advanced Production Update 14/02/23

Advanced Production Update                                                                                                                      14/02/23

Figure 1: Taking it on the chin: https://jeyranmain.com/2020/07/13/take-it-on-the-chin-by-stephen-a-kennedy/

I've just had my first tutorial to discuss the current state of my project in its alpha state.  Even knowing that some serious changes will have to be made, it still can be a rather painful experience going through what you initially thought was usable turning out to be more problematic than you realise.  The main problems that need to be solved with the film in its current state animatic state include trimming the length to under five minutes, redoing shots that don't follow the 180 rule, get rid of shots that you really don't need and add more effects to the frankly underwhelming animation.  At this point, the one on one tutorials are starting to feel like injections: they're sharp, they're painful but they're vital for your health, and I do recognise that the feedback is very much the case of telling it as it is.   

Some of the shots that need redoing include the shots that have jump cuts back to the same angle, and some shots that are out of focus.  This means I'll have to do one more day of shooting to get more footage, as well as to add the animations to the scenes that need them, because without some form of projection or effect, the scene really is rendered worthless.  There is also the fact that some scenes drag on far too long, and they need to be trimmed down significantly.  This is where the ripple edit tool in Premiere Pro will really start to pay for itself.  I have found some tutorials containing the tips I need to improve the compositions, so hopefully that shouldn't take too long.  

Figure 2: 3D fog tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRZP9FcT9WU&t=429s

Figure 3: Pictish Snake TV Paint animation

Figure 4: Boar composite test

This is the latest compositing test I've tried with all the feedback that the tutor provided, including a glowing effect on the outlines, some mist effects and a rumble expression on an adjustment layer to convey the sense of unease and danger from the stampeding boars.  This is the after effects effect applied to position to create this effect:

w = wiggle(15000,260);

[value[0],w[1]]

I've also attempted to add a heightened sense of threat with the addition of multiple creatures to create a swarm-like scenario, as I had originally intended. 

Final Project Update 10/02/23

Final Project Update                                                                                                                                      10/02/23

Figure 1: Jute animation base

After some struggles with Zbrush and Maya with regards to giving the model some more depth resulting in some gnarly bugs in the model, I have pushed on with the rest of the animation for the first cut of my film.  I intend to get some footage of me working on Zbrush and Maya to refine the model for the sake of my assessment video.  I have also been considering making the whale a 2D animation to fit in with the rest of the video aesthetically, but the 3D model would look more impressive and give a better indication of scale.

I have started work on rotoscoping some rough footage of a jute processing factory.  The main movement from the footage that the viewer will see on screen will be from the figures that are seen in front operating the machine.  The machine is a traditional method of refining the jute fibres into strings that can be turned into the objects jute is used to craft.  I couldn't find any footage from Dundee's heyday of jute production and distribution, but this should hopefully be a decent approximation.  I tried using an AI plugin for Photoshop and After Effects that would make rotoscoping quicker and more efficient but it resulted in warped movements and a faulty rendering process.  Whilst this will be a slow process, I hope that my detailed approach to rotoscoping will result in some decent footage.  

Figure 2: Jute rotoscope outline

I have also started work on the final version of the snake animation for when the protagonist approaches the metalwork of the Lookout Point.  Originally, I had planned to go with the outline for something resembling the cornsnake, but upon observing the Pictish snake proportions, I decided to follow the outline of a Python for something wider and closer to the original design.  The outline has the same number of keyframes as my initial test, so hopefully it shouldn't be any more detailed than my first test with an animated snake.

    

Going Live Update 09/2/23

Going Live Update                                                                                                                                           09/2/23

Figure 1: Shotgrid project progress: https://www.autodesk.co.uk/products/shotgrid/overview?term=1-YEAR&tab=subscription

Moving on from the concept art phase of the project, we have started work on the character design and the turnarounds for the characters to give the client's a clear idea of how they will ultimately look on the final demo reel.  I have been assigned the role of doing the layout for the shot, or laying the foundations for a rough draft of the final film.  Whilst I have been advised to wait until next week for the point where I can really get to work on this stage, I am aware that the workload will come on hard, especially when the animation stage starts which will take longer than usual due to my inexperience.  The character animation will be heavily reliant on how the models have been rigged and if the movements can't match what the client asks for, it might need to go back to the stage of rigging and modelling.  

The movements and proportions of the characters will need to match their assigned personalities and their roles within the show's environment, such as Tin Man (or Tinny as we have agreed to call him) being robotic and upright and Nikko the winged monkey being more agile and organic.  With enough perseverance, we can present the animation for both characters to the clients.  I had originally volunteered myself to be the compositor for the project given my experience with Adobe After Effects, but someone else has taken on that position.

Figure 2: Tin Man: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTin_Woodman&psig=AOvVaw1klxJvmoLij77uCBVWIQM7&ust=1676110524785000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA8QjRxqFwoTCIi1rLXciv0CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAG

Figure 3: Nikko the winged monkey: https://dyn1.heritagestatic.com/lf?set=path%5B2%2F3%2F9%2F9%2F7%2F23997468%5D&call=url%5Bfile%3Aproduct.chain%5D

Final Project update 07/02/23

Final Project update                                                                                                                                07/02/23

Figure 1: Pictish figure trace outline

As of February 7th, I have now completed another short segment of animation for my final project, featuring a short, blinking animation of a recreated Pictish figure, which can be found on a cross-slab outside Kirriemuir.  I have chosen this figure because of how much Kirriemuir has resonated with me over the years since moving from Plymouth.  I have adapted this figure into my film with some indication of additional life with blinking and later a hand extension which will be the final shot in my film before fading to black.  I have also learned the technique of easily recycling footage on TV Paint to add some boiling effects to the frames where the figure isn't blinking.  When I just extended the still footage, it looked rather boring.  So far my compositing techniques have been very vanilla, given I am mainly placing animation cells on top of live-action footage.  I am aware that more professional methods of compositing would involve more masking, manipulating the background and piecing together the animation elements crafted by different people.  

Figure 2: Pictish figure compositing test

I have also commenced work on animating and compositing the hand join animation that will serve as the base for the final shot of the film.  I will animate a rotoscoped hand that will act as the hand of the Pictish figure which my protagonist will join hands with as a simple of the arc he has undertaken in the film.  I have just realised that I need to also add my double discs animation to all of my scenes, but this shouldn't take too long.  To match the hand style of the symbol, I have decided to adopt a more rustic style that it is more akin to a shadow of an arm rather than a fully detailed creation.  Of course, I might have to change the animation style as per the tutor's suggestions.

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  Figure 3: Kirriemuir Pictish slab replica: https://www.monikierockart.co.uk/product-page/kirriemuir-1-replica-pictish-stone
  
  
  Animations/compositions complete (as of 08/02/23):
  • Jute on Cox's Stack
  • Penguin walk cycle
  • Pictish Deer
  • Pictish figure
  • Pictish boar
  • Double discs

  Animations/compositions to do:

  • Pictish beast
  • Watercolour filter
  • Lava
  • Pictish fish
  • Pictish snake
  • Whale
  • Rotoscoped disconnection
  • Jute factory processing
  • Printing machine