Study Task 10 - Keyframes, In-betweens and Extremes

This exercise was good for reducing the number of frames to draw while still keeping the action clear. This is a very time-efficient way of working. I drew the keyframes, then the in-betweens and extremes between the keys. I struggled with the extremes as I didn't want to over-exaggerate the actions, but rather keep them natural. I understand however that the extremes are good for making the character less rigid. I'll use these drawings for the animation but with more in-betweens so the action's smoother.

Adventure Animation Production

I've started drawing the 2D protagonist scenes. Some scenes have been easier than others. The scene with Aiden putting the map down/helmet on went smoothly first time. The scene with Aiden cutting the tree down however took many attempts to get right.

I didn't like the drawings I did for this scene - Aiden's body is inconsistent, so I redrew it.

The second time I drew it, Aiden's feet slid about (didn't appear attached to the ground).

In the final version, I attached Aiden's feet to the ground and added shadows. Aiden's walk is much improved, although I'll cut a few frames out where he freezes up in.

The stop-motion animating went to plan. The puppet was flexible enough, despite some tears.

Adventure Animation Pre-Production

I've set up the green-screen by wrapping the stop-motion stand in green card.

I successfully removed this green-screen when practicing in After Effects.

I've finished rendering the 3D backgrounds, which the Savage will be added to. Some of Aiden's walk-cycles will be used in the animation, but will be tweaked to correct the perspective. With the post-production and animatic finished, I can start producing the animation.

Showreel

I've been working on my showreel. At first I didn't think I would have enough good-quality work to include in the video, however by the end, I was struggling to put everything into 30 seconds. I'm particularly pleased with the editing, where I tried to make each clip seamlessly transition into the next. I kept the showreel at a high intensity throughout, following the pace of the music, to keep it interesting. The tutor advised me to include my contact details, which I later added. Another improvement I'd make would be to make sure every clip is at a suitable resolution, as some clips became slightly pixelated.

Study Task 9 - Animatic and Soundscape

I've created an animatic on After Effects, which includes some developed scenes and walk-cycles. I combined the Maya sceneries, 2D and stop-motion characters.

What Went Well

• Aesthetically-pleasing mixed-medium animatic.
• Sounds clarify actions.
• Timing will overrun (2-5 seconds) so I'll need to cut a scene.

Improvements

• Only a rough time estimate - some actions possibly over/underestimated.
• Some background camera-angles will need adjusting.