3D Animation. Completed 3D Character Animation

Here is my finished and rendered 3D character animation. After identifying the problems in my previous post, I started to find it easier and easier to perfect the movements within the animation. Although I produced a rough storyboard, I did change my ideas as I progressed with animating on Maya. The reason for this is I found better ways of showing character and expression more effectively than what was on my storyboard. If I were to stick strictly to it, my animation would be very dull and lifeless. Although I should have followed my storyboard, I think it was okay in the sense as I had no idea what the sequence would've looked like in 3D, considering animating and using Maya was new to me. So adding and enhancing the majority of the motions seemed ideal for my animation, and I did stick to the basic idea of the story board I originally made. It was basically that with added features, such as more facial expressions and secondary actions to purely enhance the animated sequence.


The actual additions I made appealed for both characters in the animation. I wanted them both to represent their roles stated from my storyboard, with that element of a victim and main threatening character. This was devised from the sound clip I chose, because of it's fearful presence, it felt right to represent that through this animation. That is when I came up with the idea of having a character creeping up to another to frighten him/her. Once that basic idea was planned out, I began animating it through onto Maya, where from there I could analyze the data and enhance movements that I think would make my animation stronger. For example, to start off I had the 'creeping' motion very basic, but after close analysis with the sound, I discovered shuffles that would replicate a different sort of motion. It was then that I thought to make the character appear to drag the foot alongside him, to add to that 'scary' appeal of my animation. Adding that drag to the foot made the character have much more 'edgy' personality which helped highlight that element of fear I was after. In addition to the creep cycle, I alter and moved the facial expressions to give the character that personality of being a truly frightening figure. This was done be altering the eyes and mouth into more exaggerated poses, such as wide sinister smiles and dramatically inverted eyebrows.


For the 'Victim' character, everything had to reflect from the sound clip and the action from the main opposing figure. I wanted to add a bit more character to the victim, so I paid specific attention to the emotions before and after the action from the other character. I made the victim appear relaxed and content, until when the other character gets right close behind (where the dialogue begins) he becomes shocked and fearful of the figure behind. This adds personality to the character and allows us to understand the mentalities. Because the victim doesn't play a specific action based role within the sound clip, I added motions to further enhance his personality. Elements such as rolling of the eyes, scratching and tapping the foot. Once the other character interacts, I over dramatized his emotions by stretching the body out with both facial expressions, hands and legs. I really  wanted to portray the fear within this figure, so I added an extra emotion of 'nervousnous'. I represented this by radical shaking of the knees and eyes, whilst the arms and hands scrunch over the face (to potentially hide his eyes from the foe behind)


 Within doing these extra animations, both characters gain specific roles that clearly represent their personalities. Although I am still very new to Maya, I have come to understand the importance of posture and expression through the face and body languages. I have also learned the importance of researching motion, as it greatly helps within understanding the mechanics of animation. Without it, it would be impossible to be able to represent accurate and fluid movements. Although it seemed simple enough to start with, I soon found that the 'easiest' of movements required a lot of study, so I could replicate the motions with success. Overall, I have found animating in Maya quite difficult, but in the same sense exciting and I often found myself ambitious to play with new things in order to make my animation better. I am glad I chose 3D as I have learned so much about a new type of art.