Advanced Animation - Final Project

24.09.2024 - .2024 (Week 1 - Week 14)

Low Li Vern/ 0362678

Advance Animation / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media

FINAL PROJECT

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INSTRUCTIONS

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FINAL PROJECT

For the final project, we need to animate a 5-10 second physical action sequence, like a fight, chase, or sports activity. The settings is 24fps, 16:9 aspect ratio with 1280 x 720p resolution. The process starts with finding a video reference for the chosen action. 

Reference :

I started by reviewing the YouTube link shared by Mr. Kamal. It offered a variety of references to choose from, and the best part was that each action sequence had four different camera angles. I selected the reference that I found most interesting to work with.

Fig 1.1 Video Reference

It took me a while to choose the right reference because I wanted one that would work well in Blender. I eventually picked an action sequence with a spinning motion, as it seemed the most fun to animate.

Storyboard :

Fig 1.2 Storyboard 1

Fig 1.3 Storyboard 2

#Blocking Progress

The first stage in Blender is the blocking phase. I started by watching the video reference multiple times to understand the action better. Then, I identified and pinned the extreme poses from the video. To make the process easier, I also imported the video into Blender for a clearer view while working on the poses.

Fig 2.1 Preview in blender

I posed one of the first extremes of the action after identifying it. I carefully viewed the pose from multiple angles to ensure accuracy, focusing on how the body bends and the placement and rotation of the legs and arms. Using the rotation sphere in Blender, I adjusted the angles while ensuring the limbs didn’t overtwist.

Fig 2.2 Pose

After completing the first pose, I moved on to the other poses. I carefully checked each one from different angles, ensuring the rotations were smooth and not overtwisted. Overtwisting the hands or legs can make the pose look unnatural and awkward, so I paid extra attention to avoid this.

Fig 2.3 Pose with video

First Attempt of Blocking Stage :

Fig 2.4 First Attempt for Blocking

Once I finished the blocking stage, I exported it and consulted with my lecturer, Mr. Kamal, during class. He provided feedback on my hand posing, pointing out an issue where the hands looked like they were floating. I had used the wrong control for the hands, and he advised me to switch to IK controls to fix the problem.

After receiving feedback, I reworked the hand poses using the IK switch as suggested. I also adjusted some awkward spine poses to improve the overall movement. Once these changes were made, I completed the final blocking stage.

Final Blocking Stage :

Fig 2.5 Final Blocking Stage

#Polishing Stage

Once I was satisfied with the blocking stage, I moved on to the polishing stage. I focused on areas that didn’t look smooth, particularly the hands and legs. The spine was the most critical part of the rigging, so I started by checking its flow to ensure it was smooth and consistent throughout the animation.

Fig 3.1 Knee polish

The spine looked smooth and consistent to me, so I moved on to other parts. I noticed that the knees appeared too straight during some turning motions. To fix this, I adjusted their positioning and checked the changes from different angles to ensure they looked natural.

Fig 3.2 Toe polish

When the character Snow jumped, I noticed the toes were going underground, which looked really odd. I adjusted this issue using the controls, and it looked much better after the adjustment.

Fig 3.3 Hand before polish

Fig 3.4 Hand after polish

Next, I worked on the hands. In some parts, the hand's bend didn’t align consistently with the next keyframe. To fix this, I adjusted its position, ensuring smooth transitions between keyframes.

Fig 3.5 Leg before polish

Fig 3.6 Leg after polish

Final Polishing Stage :

#Final Animation

For the final render, I began by searching for a suitable background for my action on Sketchfab. Once I found the right one, I imported it into Blender to integrate it with my animation.

Fig 4.1 Sketch fab model

After that, I focused on adjusting the camera angle. It took some time to find the best perspective. I realized that the angles from my storyboard didn’t capture the action as powerfully as I wanted, so I made some changes to enhance the visual impact.

Fig 4.2 Camera

Final Action Animation :

Fig 4.3 Final without sound

Fig 4.4 Final Animation

#Final Outcome

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REFLECTIONS

Looking back on my final project for the advanced animation class, I feel satisfied with the outcome, though I know I didn’t do my best at every stage. The project was a valuable experience, allowing me to improve my skills in Blender, especially in rigging, posing, and animation refinement. While it wasn’t easy, I spent considerable time learning new techniques and overcoming challenges, like fixing floating hands and unnatural leg movements. This project taught me the importance of attention to detail and patience, and while there is room for improvement, I am proud of the progress I have done. I hope to continue refining my skills and take on more complex animations in future projects.

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THE END