I'm so tired.
This week I relearned the camera in Harmony. With just a view short sentences and a messed up keyframe sequence, I had it. And then I relearned how much I hate Harmony's camera. The only thing I miss about Maya is the camera. Maya's camera and I got a long way better than Harmony. Is there any way I can use a Maya camera in a 2D animation?
There isn't much animation stuff left that I want to learn in the future. I do however want to learn how to get a four or five on an AP exam because I refuse to get another two. I think I have it in the back but also English is a tricky device to learn in an advanced setting.
Just animating frustrated me this week. I know it is mostly my fault because I won't just get voice recording done so I can properly time things, but also I don't really want to voice record. But there is like a month left so I gotta get this done.
Something that made me happy this week was the realization that there are only 101 days left before I see Hamilton. (By the time you read this 100...or 99....or 98....August ninth). I am so excited because I get to see a new city and also see the musical that has taken over my life.
Normally I plan a link ahead but this time around I have not. I don't wanna give you anything animation related or an animation sooooo.....here's Drag Queens. (But also guys I think Jason animated this.)
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Creature Animation Advice
Most creatures in movies these days are animated. Like dinosaurs and gigantic apes. We don't just have them laying around domesticated and alive to use in movies. Monsters are also animated, as well as things like the Hulk or Groot and things with many arms. Creature animation is a big deal.
Alvise Avati didn't start animating until he was 32. He had originally decided he wanted to work with computer graphics, and while some of it had animation it wasn't solely animation. He has animated scenes in movies such as King Kong and Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol No. 2, and focusses on creature animation mostly. If you watch his showreel you will see a ton of creature work, all ranging from different quality. You can watch his improvement just like that.
He tells about how he got to where he was, and how he changed his mind a lot before settling on wanting to animate. One of the most challenging movies he has had to work on was Avatar. He had to animate a six-legged creature, which was difficult in itself seeing as any James Cameron movie is hard to work on. He learned that the big picture always comes first, that chunks of animation may be cut because they are details that are not necessary for the story. he also learned that research is important for any multi-legged creature. He went in to animate the thing with only a fraction of an idea of how it worked and wishes he had spent more time researching and understanding how it would move.
Avati says that creature animation means a large variety of wide variety of animation techniques. There are many forms of creature animation, from photorealistic like in Life of Pi or giant alien monsters like in Pacific rim. No matter what there needs to be a grasp of body mechanics before animating whatever your creature is. There also needs to be little attentions to detail, special touches that really give it an oomph. But that only comes with time and experience, or else it would not be as special. He says that students must know body mechanics because it is the most important in creature animation. If they don't look almost 100 percent believable they will be distracting to the viewers. The shot you are making also has to look interesting, entertaining, and appealing. So spend a lot of time on body mechanics and performance.
Creature animation is a difficult art, but grasping certain dynamic can really help you out. So get out there and get knowledge of body mechanics and appeal and make the best possible animation you can to stand out.
I liked this article. It was interesting to see talk about just one certain field of 3D animation because I do not see that often. Avati gave some good advice that was short and sweet and easy to understand.
I also really enjoyed his show reel. I have seen a lot of movies that he's had bits in and never realized. Especially Waterhorse. I know that Waterhorse doesn't have the most realistic animation, but it is cool to know about someone who did some of the animating for it. Creature animation seems like such an interesting art to pursue, even if it is difficult.
Sunday, April 2, 2017
im free the evil is defeated
I am so tired but I have eighty years of homework still. Why do teachers have to do this to us during musical weekend?
This week I learned that I have forgotten all about Harmony. I also learned more than I wanted to know about Tim Burton. And the words "cat-themed gift shop" will forever make me cringe. I also learned that four shows in one weekend leaves no time for anything but maybe eating and sleeping and I am going to physically fight our director if he does it again next year. I have limits and they have all been reached.
Something I want to learn in the future is how to do eight hours of homework in one hour because I just want to sleep. It is all I ask for. I also want to learn how to win at raffles because they are 100% rigged. And I need to relearn the art of cameras in Harmony because I am drawing blanks.
Something that frustrated me this week was: the musical. We did great things but I do not think a majority of us were ready for it. I witnessed a cast member straight up leave just because she was not feeling well, even though there is always at least one person who is throwing up off stage at some point during the show. I am also just frustrated at my lack of sleep and my lack of time to do work. I thought there would be downtime during Saturday but it was basically just an eight-hour play because we had no breaks in between shows.
I am happy I never have to touch that stupid pound of foam that is my role ever again. My knuckles are purple, my ankles are purple, and my body hurts. I was also gonna be happy to finally get some sleep but that does not appear to be happening tonight. Woe is me.
I feel like I'm missing something. I probably am. But I have another like four things to write so I'm not even going to think about it. Here's something: I have watched it every time I was feeling upset this week.
This week I learned that I have forgotten all about Harmony. I also learned more than I wanted to know about Tim Burton. And the words "cat-themed gift shop" will forever make me cringe. I also learned that four shows in one weekend leaves no time for anything but maybe eating and sleeping and I am going to physically fight our director if he does it again next year. I have limits and they have all been reached.
Something I want to learn in the future is how to do eight hours of homework in one hour because I just want to sleep. It is all I ask for. I also want to learn how to win at raffles because they are 100% rigged. And I need to relearn the art of cameras in Harmony because I am drawing blanks.
Something that frustrated me this week was: the musical. We did great things but I do not think a majority of us were ready for it. I witnessed a cast member straight up leave just because she was not feeling well, even though there is always at least one person who is throwing up off stage at some point during the show. I am also just frustrated at my lack of sleep and my lack of time to do work. I thought there would be downtime during Saturday but it was basically just an eight-hour play because we had no breaks in between shows.
I am happy I never have to touch that stupid pound of foam that is my role ever again. My knuckles are purple, my ankles are purple, and my body hurts. I was also gonna be happy to finally get some sleep but that does not appear to be happening tonight. Woe is me.
I feel like I'm missing something. I probably am. But I have another like four things to write so I'm not even going to think about it. Here's something: I have watched it every time I was feeling upset this week.
Messages
Everyone wants a movie to have a larger message to it. Not just "hey watch this movie its cool", there is always a bigger picture. Zootopia is just a feature film about a bunny cop and a con-artist fox. There is a lot of animal stereotypes used, but people also want to make the central message about prejudice. There are ways in which this could work, but also there are some flaws to that idea. Like how the dynamics of Zootopia and the real world are very very different.
Zootopia is a movie centered around little bunny Judy Hopps. She faces a lot of struggle in her life for being a bunny with a desire to be a cop. But while she is a minority in her line of work, she is a majority of her place of inhabitance. With the concept of predator and prey, Zootopia is 90% prey. When predators are found to be savage, some simple miswording during a press conference instills fear in the majority. It may seem that Zootopia could be sending a message about prejudice and the likes, but also this movie has such a broad statement that it could mean anything. It is targeting young children mainly with a message of feeling left out, not with a goal to teach them about prejudice and police brutality like some want to argue.
Zootopia's core metaphor is hard to make sense of. They want you to believe that predator and prey went from a relationship of predator eating prey to them coexisting happily in their world unless say a chemical imbalance happened. It is easy to see why prey could be scared of predator on some level. But applying this idea to our world makes little to no sense. Because then who would be considered the prey or the predator? Trying to mold the Zootopia message into one about the prejudice in our world is rather difficult because there just is not enough cause and correlation.
But in there is a general message about prejudice in this story, just not one that can directly fit our society. Reading into the timing of the release of the movie could lead people to try and connect it to contemporary issues. It could be if you follow the heavy editing that happened before the release of the movie. And still, Zootopia's overall metaphor is open and elastic for anything you want to fit in it, instead of having just one solid meaning to it. Using animals for general metaphors has always been our thing, we understand them just enough to mold them to us then throw them into the world for a metaphor. Like Animal Farm and Babe, Zootopia follows a metaphor, but it is just a broad metaphor for one subject. It is not solidly about one single subject.
Animals in movies always guide us to make some form of way too in depth metaphor that we did not think about before. In reality, however, these are often children's movies just trying to teach a small little lesson like "do not judge a book by its cover". We may see specific metaphors, but we are really just pulling our own legs.
This article was interesting to read because it talked about something I have thought about Zootopia. A handful of people I know also believe Zootopia is about prejudice and police brutality and the whole works. It really is not, in my opinion.
I see it for the broad metaphor of do not treat someone different because of who they are. Sure there is a lot of stereotyping and sensitive subjects in this movie. I do not see the way someone could pinpoint this all as just police brutality and prejudice however. I mean, they are just cartoon animals, what do you want out of them?
Zootopia's core metaphor is hard to make sense of. They want you to believe that predator and prey went from a relationship of predator eating prey to them coexisting happily in their world unless say a chemical imbalance happened. It is easy to see why prey could be scared of predator on some level. But applying this idea to our world makes little to no sense. Because then who would be considered the prey or the predator? Trying to mold the Zootopia message into one about the prejudice in our world is rather difficult because there just is not enough cause and correlation.
But in there is a general message about prejudice in this story, just not one that can directly fit our society. Reading into the timing of the release of the movie could lead people to try and connect it to contemporary issues. It could be if you follow the heavy editing that happened before the release of the movie. And still, Zootopia's overall metaphor is open and elastic for anything you want to fit in it, instead of having just one solid meaning to it. Using animals for general metaphors has always been our thing, we understand them just enough to mold them to us then throw them into the world for a metaphor. Like Animal Farm and Babe, Zootopia follows a metaphor, but it is just a broad metaphor for one subject. It is not solidly about one single subject.
Animals in movies always guide us to make some form of way too in depth metaphor that we did not think about before. In reality, however, these are often children's movies just trying to teach a small little lesson like "do not judge a book by its cover". We may see specific metaphors, but we are really just pulling our own legs.
This article was interesting to read because it talked about something I have thought about Zootopia. A handful of people I know also believe Zootopia is about prejudice and police brutality and the whole works. It really is not, in my opinion.
I see it for the broad metaphor of do not treat someone different because of who they are. Sure there is a lot of stereotyping and sensitive subjects in this movie. I do not see the way someone could pinpoint this all as just police brutality and prejudice however. I mean, they are just cartoon animals, what do you want out of them?
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Anyone Can Be Anything
1. Zootopia focuses on the goal of one bunny, Judy Hopps. Although she lives in a world where predators and prey live together in harmony there is still the issue of other's opinions. No one believes that a meek little bunny could be a cop, and yet she pursues the goal with a passion and even gains it. But even though she got what she wanted she still did not really get what she wanted, because the police chief did not want her on his force in the first place and so she faces the obstacle of opinion. The police force does not see her as a real cop by any means, and even her parents don't want her to go past anything more than being a meter maid. She still tries to be what she wants, even though she herself is plagued by her own opinions. Which leads her to meet Nick Wilde, who she only followed based on her ideas of sly and shifty foxes. She was wrong at first, but ultimately right. She almost gets fired after catching a criminal who merely stole "moldy onions", but makes a deal to try and find a missing otter named Emmit in a short time period in an attempt to keep her job. She then uses Nick to help her find the Emmit because her meek amount of evidence shows that one of the last places he was seen was buying a popsicle from Nick's shady business. He only helps her because he faces the obstacle of her outing his illegal activities, but that doesn't mean he makes it easy. They clash the entire time that they work together, using each other's dislike of them as advantages. Judy, for example, lures Nick over a fence by throwing the pen with the evidence of his tax evasion over a fence so that he'll go over it and she can have a reason to search for her evidence without a warrant. Nick brings her to the DMV to run plates, without telling her that the DMV is run by sloths and then stalling the sloths, therefore making Judy lose time. After discovering that Emmit went feral they go to find the driver who was there for the event, and then end up almost being attacked and Judy almost officially losing her job. Nick points out she still has time to the chief, and so her investigation can continue. He tells her about the time that he was basically hazed and they bond just that little bit. Then they discover Emmit and other missing mammals in a facility, and they are all feral. This turn of events gets the mayor arrested because people are not sure why the animals, all predators, are feral but they do know he is involved and one himself so they take the drastic measure. At a press conference, Judy says some things about predators that negatively affects her and Nick's friendship. In fact, the entire ordeal starts to negatively affect predators, and rallies against them pick up and they start to get fired when all anyone really wants in peace. Judy quits because she feels guilty and this is not what she wanted as a cop. Back home she encounters her old childhood bully and discovers he's changed and her opinions of foxes are kind of wrong, and she also discovers that the whole predator going feral issue could be because of someone using drugs to trigger the episodes. She hunts Nick down and apologizes and from there they work to find and bust the people behind what's happening, and they just happen to be the assistant mayor turned mayor, who was on an evil trip to put predators into bad light so that she could take over and show that the little guys really weren't all that little. Judy and Nick rekindle their friendship, Belwether gets arrested, and Nick becomes a cop. And then the chief treats both Judy and Nick as actual cops because Judy showed that it is not a matter of opinion but more a matter of letting someone show you what they can do.
2. I believe the central message of this film is to not judge a book by its cover. Almost everyone, from her parents to the police chief, judged Judy for being a bunny. They thought she would amount to nothing and tried to persuade her away from her goal. She showed them though that even a bunny could be a successful cop and not just a carrot farmer or meter maid. But even though she constantly went through judgment for who she was, she also judged others. She immediately thought Nick was bad news just because he was a fox, and in the end, he really was not that bad of a guy. And no one expected Belwether to be the bad guy because she was just a little sheep and they figured someone like her couldn't do any harm. It does no one any good in this movie to judge, and then are many cause and effect moments due to judgment. So even though it is a cliche theme, don't judge a book by its cover. Or in this case, don't judge an animal by its species,
3. The most important part about the environmental design is that it had a lot of variety. From farmland to the frozen tundra, there was a lot to look at. Though the movie was mainly focused in the city part of Zootopia, the many environments aided the plot. There was the rodent area of the city which Judy ran through on a police chase, which later saved her life because she had previously saved Mr. Big's daughter from the disaster of a giant doughnut. The tundra built some of the interaction between Nick and Judy, and also showed Judy some of Nick's devious ways in the beginning. The rainforest also added to the chase between Nick and Judy and the driver, because that environment provided many obstacles. It is well thought to have a shifting environment when following a plot like Zootopia's because there are many species and also many things going on. Where would we be without mob bodyguard polar bears or tiny rodent towns?
4. The character design in Zootopia is very diverse. For one, no would consider a vole could be a mob boss. But Mr. Big was designed in such a way that you accept it. He has a grumpy face and big eyebrows, and the suit and stature that don't make you question his position. They really managed to capture the stereotype mob boss physique. With Nick, they made it obvious that he was a slacker with the way his posture was designed to be slouchy, and how he wore a Hawaiian button-up shirt with a tie and cargo pants. The embodiment of a lazy businessman. The way he always has some form of a smirk on his face really gives him the sly fox. All the characters in Zootopia are expressive, really. This isn't really a character but something I noticed about the police department itself. I know Judy was the first bunny, but I just feel other than her the department could strive to have some more character variety. They achieved that with Officer Clawhauser, in that he is a fat cop. But really a design flaw I see is how the entire force is big and buff or just a large stature. Wouldn't you want some small cops? Like when crime goes down in the rodent city is there a separate division for them or does it just happen because every Zootopia cop is way too big to try and do anything about it? It just appears that there is no room for small statured cops in the design of the police force.
5. The story that Zootopia gives you is, in fact, unique, for an animated movie at least. Sure there is a handful of strong woman lead movies for the franchise, but also Zootopia gives us something else. There is crime and crime solving and a huge focus on cops and just a bigger feel for a diverse world. The dialogue keeps you focused because it flows easily and has interesting quips here and there. The story overall is a wonderful story. It has highs and lows and really resonates with people who deal with judgment or sticky situations or just a general need to achieve a goal. The story flows really well, and anyone can sit down and be able to follow it without getting confused. There is also a definite that it stays with you long after watching it. I have had many instances where I will be sitting, minding my own business, and suddenly think about something that happened in Zootopia. Like her depressing carrot for one.
6. The actors chosen for this film were very well picked. For one, Shakira voicing Gazelle was one of the best choices ever. Not only did she get to sing for the movie, she also had a moving little speech about peace, which fits her. Idris Elba was a strong choice for Chief Bogo, as was Octavia Spencer for Mrs. Otterton. They both have voices that are strong in person and as animations. the voices for this film were all well-picked, they fit the character and also work with the emotion of each character perfectly. They also seem to fit the build for each animal. Except for Finnick, but Finnick's voice was purposely made deep for comedic effect.
7. All of the stylistic aspects of the animation drew your eye in, from the colors to the way things were drawn. They were something different and pleasing. However, at points, it felt a little too bright lighting wise, like the Rainforest District. Sure it was night and there were street lamps but it just felt too bright to fit the mood that was currently happening, which the feral chase and the almost permanent firing. The motion was all smooth, though, even when in moving vehicles.
8. In the beginning with Judy's little talent show, there is a huge moment for exaggeration. She is "attacked" by a predator and then dies, blood and all. There are a good five seconds of Judy just throwing red streamers into the air screaming blood, and then adding in the ketchup. It is awkward for the on-screen audience, but amusing for people viewing it. You know right away that that little bunny is going to have spunk. With the sloth DMVs, there is a lot of anticipation. You anxiously wait in your seat waiting to hear what they are going to say, seeing as everything is slow motion to the extreme. The anticipation also drives Judy crazy which makes it all that more amusing. At the end, when Nick goes "feral" there is a matter of timing. The two had to work together to make it believable that he had actually gone feral so that Belwether would react. If Judy hadn't played getting hurt right, or Nick hadn't reacted to the fake Nighthowler fast enough than the sheep would have caught onto their game and the story could have ended way differently.
9. A really impressive action in the film is the secondary action. These are all animals, so there is ear movement and tail movement and all that jazz. It was cool to see the action on the tails, and also the follow through on bunny ears. The movement of the animals was also impressive, especially when you compare a fully functioning one to a feral one.
10. Yes, this film deserved to win the Academy Award for best Animated Feature. Not only did it have a unique and unused story, it was beautifully put together. Every character has a personality. There are different uses of the animal kingdom, and they knew their stuff about the inner workings of animals. The movie also holds a huge personal message that can resonate with children and adults.
6. The actors chosen for this film were very well picked. For one, Shakira voicing Gazelle was one of the best choices ever. Not only did she get to sing for the movie, she also had a moving little speech about peace, which fits her. Idris Elba was a strong choice for Chief Bogo, as was Octavia Spencer for Mrs. Otterton. They both have voices that are strong in person and as animations. the voices for this film were all well-picked, they fit the character and also work with the emotion of each character perfectly. They also seem to fit the build for each animal. Except for Finnick, but Finnick's voice was purposely made deep for comedic effect.
7. All of the stylistic aspects of the animation drew your eye in, from the colors to the way things were drawn. They were something different and pleasing. However, at points, it felt a little too bright lighting wise, like the Rainforest District. Sure it was night and there were street lamps but it just felt too bright to fit the mood that was currently happening, which the feral chase and the almost permanent firing. The motion was all smooth, though, even when in moving vehicles.
8. In the beginning with Judy's little talent show, there is a huge moment for exaggeration. She is "attacked" by a predator and then dies, blood and all. There are a good five seconds of Judy just throwing red streamers into the air screaming blood, and then adding in the ketchup. It is awkward for the on-screen audience, but amusing for people viewing it. You know right away that that little bunny is going to have spunk. With the sloth DMVs, there is a lot of anticipation. You anxiously wait in your seat waiting to hear what they are going to say, seeing as everything is slow motion to the extreme. The anticipation also drives Judy crazy which makes it all that more amusing. At the end, when Nick goes "feral" there is a matter of timing. The two had to work together to make it believable that he had actually gone feral so that Belwether would react. If Judy hadn't played getting hurt right, or Nick hadn't reacted to the fake Nighthowler fast enough than the sheep would have caught onto their game and the story could have ended way differently.
9. A really impressive action in the film is the secondary action. These are all animals, so there is ear movement and tail movement and all that jazz. It was cool to see the action on the tails, and also the follow through on bunny ears. The movement of the animals was also impressive, especially when you compare a fully functioning one to a feral one.
10. Yes, this film deserved to win the Academy Award for best Animated Feature. Not only did it have a unique and unused story, it was beautifully put together. Every character has a personality. There are different uses of the animal kingdom, and they knew their stuff about the inner workings of animals. The movie also holds a huge personal message that can resonate with children and adults.
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Brink O' Death
I have had an on and off 103 fever all weekend. I hate immune systems. With how they think they are allowed to get sick and stuff.
This week we learned about lip syncing for 3D. Will I use it? No. Was it interesting? Kind of. It seems more complicated, though, I'd rather just stick to being able to draw a mouth instead. I also learned that debates on a Friday are not a good thing. Chemistry is still terrible, stats is bearable, history is the worst because we have a student teacher.
In the future, I want to learn how to actually enjoy being in a role you hate. Because I really hate my role in this year's musical and I am not having a good time. The more I hate it, the longer the production will be to be over, so if I can just pretend I like it I can get out faster. But I don't know how to like being a pound of foam, a plant, and a 30-yard piece of fabric. It is just so invigorating you know.
Something that frustrated me this week was getting sick. I felt meh for the most part all week but also I rarely ever go to sleep when I mean to so I chalked it up to that. But Friday I felt worse, and I pushed through the day and took a nap and woke with a common cold from hell. I haven't had a fever break 100 in a while and do that alone was frustrating. I also wanted to do things this weekend and couldn't because my only pal was low-key death. I was and am still miserable. But just gotta...soldier through.
I was happy on Wednesday when I went to the mall with my friend Jennie and finally got a caped Hogwarts house shirt. Which is a miracle, because Hufflepuff barely has merchandise. I also got the best stuffed animal in the world and he has really made this weekend better. I really love him a lot. Also sometimes Bronwyn sends me a meme, or I send her one and it always makes me happy. Yay for memes.
This is a good video explaining depression. Sometimes I just feel like people might need to understand it better.
This week we learned about lip syncing for 3D. Will I use it? No. Was it interesting? Kind of. It seems more complicated, though, I'd rather just stick to being able to draw a mouth instead. I also learned that debates on a Friday are not a good thing. Chemistry is still terrible, stats is bearable, history is the worst because we have a student teacher.
In the future, I want to learn how to actually enjoy being in a role you hate. Because I really hate my role in this year's musical and I am not having a good time. The more I hate it, the longer the production will be to be over, so if I can just pretend I like it I can get out faster. But I don't know how to like being a pound of foam, a plant, and a 30-yard piece of fabric. It is just so invigorating you know.
Something that frustrated me this week was getting sick. I felt meh for the most part all week but also I rarely ever go to sleep when I mean to so I chalked it up to that. But Friday I felt worse, and I pushed through the day and took a nap and woke with a common cold from hell. I haven't had a fever break 100 in a while and do that alone was frustrating. I also wanted to do things this weekend and couldn't because my only pal was low-key death. I was and am still miserable. But just gotta...soldier through.
I was happy on Wednesday when I went to the mall with my friend Jennie and finally got a caped Hogwarts house shirt. Which is a miracle, because Hufflepuff barely has merchandise. I also got the best stuffed animal in the world and he has really made this weekend better. I really love him a lot. Also sometimes Bronwyn sends me a meme, or I send her one and it always makes me happy. Yay for memes.
This is a good video explaining depression. Sometimes I just feel like people might need to understand it better.
Don't hurt yourself for animation
Being a human is remarkably hard. We have all these weird movements and bones and facial expressions. It makes it difficult to animate too, which is why having a reference point is good.
These articles talk about how to make good reference videos because if you need a reference it needs to be good. It is probably preferred to use yourself but when the case comes up it is good to use friends too. If you are referencing movement to dialogue the first article tells you to know your audio so that you can get everything right and not focus on your words. You need to focus on the reference you are making and embody your character because you can look lost and confused in what you are using to make an animation. It is also good to just straight up speak instead of mouth your audio. You need to be able to see the right amount of emotion in order to animate it, so why hold it back by now speaking or yelling or whatever? If you are not able to yell, however, just talk in a high pitched voice. It gives you the same reaction you are looking for.
It is good to keep the energy level up. Or down. It depends on what you need for your video reference. You don't want to under gesture for an energy filled scene, but you also don't want to over gesture for something that is subdued and solemn. Within all this energy upkeep it is good to know your physical limitations. Hurting yourself just to be able to get an animation down pat is not worth it and can affect your animation itself in the long run because, well, you are injured.
To further the idea of physical limitations it is necessary to really know them. Get personal with them, understand them, and don't test them. If you don't do pirouettes and flips and this and that on a daily, it is not a good idea to suddenly believe you can do them just for a reference video. It is also good to take breaks, because even the most athletic people get extremely worn out after a while. So if you're running or spinning repeatedly to get a scene perfect, and you sit in front of your computer day in and day out, it is safe to say you can take a break sooner than an athlete. Also, do not push your body. Like stated, you need to know limits, so if your body is feeling drained or even slightly in pain its time to listen to it and stop. Go take a nap instead and come back to the reference later. If you know an athlete, get them to come help. They are more likely to be able to do the wicked stunt you are aiming for, and you are more likely to not hurt yourself. And finally, if you're injured, don't ignore it. Putting off doctor's visits always end in something worse, so just put off your animation instead and go get yourself better. You will be thankful later.
Video references are very helpful, and knowing tips on how to create them is good for your future animations. Maybe you will use them, maybe you won't. But always remember to keep the right energy, speak with all your might, and know your limitations.
These articles were interesting and helpful. I've thought about making my own video references but I've never really known how to be able to sell them for myself, because I felt I might look dumb. But maybe I can suck it up and just do it with this advice.
However, I wish she had gone more in depth about how to piece them together. Watching hers showed that she used only herself for her references, and then just edited them together, but I have no idea how to do that, and probably won't. Some short and easy tips on how to piece your video together might be helpful.
These articles talk about how to make good reference videos because if you need a reference it needs to be good. It is probably preferred to use yourself but when the case comes up it is good to use friends too. If you are referencing movement to dialogue the first article tells you to know your audio so that you can get everything right and not focus on your words. You need to focus on the reference you are making and embody your character because you can look lost and confused in what you are using to make an animation. It is also good to just straight up speak instead of mouth your audio. You need to be able to see the right amount of emotion in order to animate it, so why hold it back by now speaking or yelling or whatever? If you are not able to yell, however, just talk in a high pitched voice. It gives you the same reaction you are looking for.
It is good to keep the energy level up. Or down. It depends on what you need for your video reference. You don't want to under gesture for an energy filled scene, but you also don't want to over gesture for something that is subdued and solemn. Within all this energy upkeep it is good to know your physical limitations. Hurting yourself just to be able to get an animation down pat is not worth it and can affect your animation itself in the long run because, well, you are injured.
To further the idea of physical limitations it is necessary to really know them. Get personal with them, understand them, and don't test them. If you don't do pirouettes and flips and this and that on a daily, it is not a good idea to suddenly believe you can do them just for a reference video. It is also good to take breaks, because even the most athletic people get extremely worn out after a while. So if you're running or spinning repeatedly to get a scene perfect, and you sit in front of your computer day in and day out, it is safe to say you can take a break sooner than an athlete. Also, do not push your body. Like stated, you need to know limits, so if your body is feeling drained or even slightly in pain its time to listen to it and stop. Go take a nap instead and come back to the reference later. If you know an athlete, get them to come help. They are more likely to be able to do the wicked stunt you are aiming for, and you are more likely to not hurt yourself. And finally, if you're injured, don't ignore it. Putting off doctor's visits always end in something worse, so just put off your animation instead and go get yourself better. You will be thankful later.
Video references are very helpful, and knowing tips on how to create them is good for your future animations. Maybe you will use them, maybe you won't. But always remember to keep the right energy, speak with all your might, and know your limitations.
These articles were interesting and helpful. I've thought about making my own video references but I've never really known how to be able to sell them for myself, because I felt I might look dumb. But maybe I can suck it up and just do it with this advice.
However, I wish she had gone more in depth about how to piece them together. Watching hers showed that she used only herself for her references, and then just edited them together, but I have no idea how to do that, and probably won't. Some short and easy tips on how to piece your video together might be helpful.
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