Advanced Animation- Final Project
03/10/2023 - 17/10/2022 (Week 09- Week 14)
Yong Kai Yi (0352826)
Advanced Animation
Final Project: Action Animation
REFERENCES:
fig: motion reference
0:06-0:08
1:17-1:20
1:35-1:40
4:46-4:50
4:51-4:55
11:35-11:39
12:24-12:28
fig: continuation kick
fig: dive front flip
fig: flip flip jump
fig: flip landing
These are some of my preferred action, but I was thinking to go for more movements, for camera movements too, and I got an idea by doing parkour.
fig: draft 1
fig: draft 2
I found some actions and combined them in a sequence, the main concept is parkour and fight, the character will keep moving from left to right (back to front). Then, I think that using punches and fight action for the last will be better. So I find more punches move and made a draft compilation.
fig: drafts compilation
The main concept is to combine ground movements, parkour action, and fight action. My personal preference is 3, 4, and 5.
PROGRESSIONS:
Thumbnails:
fig: extremes
I analyzed the extreme (key poses) for the three action motion videos I chose, so I can know what's the overall motion and poses.
fig: jump slide thumbnail
fig: parkour jump thumbnail
fig: punch thumbnail
Storyboard:
Blocking:
fig: pose
After importing the extreme sequence of the action, I started to pose with the reference, mainly using feet and hip control.
fig: Checking
I often check if the pose is accurate or close to the reference.
fig: adding actions
Adding a different action's sequence, and trying to link the actions.
fig: blocking Eevee render
I rendered the blocking in 3FPS, with Eevee, default lighting, and a side view camera.
fig: adjust the timing
I start with adjusting the timing by referring to the reference, then further edit the timing based on my preference and add some in between keyframes where the parts I thought were weird and not smooth.
fig: add in between frames
I added some in between frames where the parts I thought were weird, for example, the running part.
fig: readjust timing and pose
Then, I need to readjust the timing again. Some of the legs don't start in the right place, hence, I need to use annotate to mark down the positions and reposition them.
After I adjusted the timing, I felt like the walking part/ running part was weird, I thought it was the timing problem after I consulted Mr.Kamal, the problem is actually the poses, although I followed the reference, for the walking and running and jumping cycle should follow the basic cycle rule, everything should be included (for example, passing, contact, down, up poses). Mr. Kamal mentioned that I should analyze it more, hence I imported the original footage to ProCreate analyzed the frames again, and determined the poses. Then, I redo the blocking by adding the correct poses in between.
2nd attempt:
fig: blocking ver02
After done the poses for blocking, I rendered them in Eevee with a side-view camera.
fig: adjust timing after redo blocking
Then I started to adjust the timing.
fig: adjust the poses
Adjust the poses when needed, because sometimes when the timing is, the in-between will be very weird, and the legs will keep sliding.
I also added breathing animation, for some idle parts by following this guidance,
breathing animation tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuoEPGaI80Y
1. chest- scale z-axis, position y-axis, rotate x-axis, a tiny bit
2. shoulder - rotate and position
3. neck- rotate forward a bit
fig: fingers animation
Add presets first, then only further edit the keyframes.
fig: fingers animation
fig: fingers animation
Adjust the fingers when the character jumps over the obstacle, as the strength is mainly driven by the hand to make the character push forward.
fig: facial expressions
Start with the preset then further edit the expression, mainly focusing on when the character has big moves and breathing, need to add some subtle animations on those.
fig: adjust the hip and feet
After consultation, Mr. Kamal mentioned that the hip should be moving further when he jumps, so everything needs to travel. I adjust the feet and hip using a graph.
fig: adjust the graph
Make sure the part when he breathes, the feet shouldn't slide around.
fig: issues after adjusting the position
I had issues after adjusting the positions, as the frames after that are based on the position previously set, hence, it will be further away and so jaggy in between.
fig: trying to link
As I kept trying and trying different methods to link the two poses, which is so not logical while the distance is so far away, I finally came out with a solution, instead of doing a full walk cycle (as the leg doesn't match), I make it as half cycle, and stop, and stood there to pause and breath, so it won't look so rush, then only proceed to the next pose. It also helps to portray to whole story flow, before the character do a big move, he will inhale deeply first.
Finally, I adjust the timing, and it looks fine for me, and the time to submit is getting nearer, hence, I need to quickly move on to the lighting and setups.
fig: import environment model
I wanted a parkour, downtown, street look, so I look for skatepark, and this model looks exactly what I wanted, with the graffitis on the wall too.
Then, I start to add lighting based on where the 'light bulbs' are in the environment, and added a sun light above the roof. There are mixture of cold and warm lights, but the main light is warm.
fig: replacing the cube
I replaced the cube with a oil can to match the overall environment.
fig: adding emission plane on the light bulbs
I add a plane with emission material and placed it on the light bulbs in the scene, so it looks more realistic that the lights are coming from them.
fig: final adjust
After setting up, I did the final checking, and animate the camera, I try to maintain foreground, midground, background, for some scenes, so it looks more 3D.
Environment free model:
Oil can free model:
FINAL OUTCOME:
Progressions 1 (Blocking):
Progression 2 (Polishing):
Polishing + Camera movement:
Final Version:
I rendered with cycles engine, 100 samples, with a total of 450 frames, 24/fps.
Final compilation:
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