JBarrett

Daaaaaannnngg.... that's very nice work there, Xtaz! Looking forward to seeing more!

Sweet cuppin' cakes! Awesome work, guys! On a side note, is it possible to get a translation in English, even if it's just for that last phrase? That "geil" word is repeated so much in the song, I'm uber-curious about what the heck they're singing.

Sounds like a good plan. Make it sew! ...er, I mean, make it so!

One way to accomplish that, then, is to include turntable shots for any models you animate in addition to an animated sample shot. If the only view of a model is an animated view, it makes it difficult to study the shape and form, which is easier in a turntable. By showing both, viewers can look at how you handle form and also know how the model performs for animation.

Nice work, Carl! If I may offer an odd suggestion, I would recommend that you don't animate a thing if you're making a modeling reel. Not implying that the animation is bad, 'cause it's not...some of it is quite good, actually..., but for a modeling reel, the people watching it generally don't care to see it animated. In fact, animating the models may actually be a distraction. Reviewers want to see the detail of how the model is built, and it's tough to focus on specific areas when it's moving around a lot. Some of the other suggestions already made are quite valid. Definitely show wireframes, and show more texture...sometimes a modeler is also called upon to texture their creations, so a progression from wireframe to shaded to textured is quite appropriate. Another tip re: the typical "turntable" shots. Instead of having the camera move around the model (i.e. your dino head), rotate the model and leave all else static. The problem with a moving camera is that by the time you get to the rear view of the model, the lighting is such that the detail can't be seen. By treating it more like a true turntable, where the model is on a rotating surface and the lighting and camera remain static, the full detail of the object can be more clearly presented. Keep at it!

Didn't seem very offending to me, and I used to animate VeggieTales for a living.

Wow! That's just awesome! There are a few niggling bits that could still be fixed, mainly in the lip sync, but overall this is a stellar job. Some really inspiring bits of performance in there. Woohooo!

Looks like pretty good work so far! In terms of what feels "off" the most, I think you've hit on it with the hand idea, mainly in the final part of the shot. The last gesture he does feels like it's a little too isolated in his right arm. Also, the way the hand is moving and rotating at the very end of the gesture feels odd. The initial overlap you have in it looks nice, but the very last part has the wrist moving forward and rotating backward at the same time, which makes it feel like the pivot point is in the middle of his palm, or near the base joint of the fingers. One thing that might help is to get the wrist moving in more of an arc instead of a straight line forward and backward. Keep the front/back rotation going, but make the underlying movement of the hand happen in a steady arc away and up from him, then back towards himself at the end of the last wrist "jiggle". Something else that will help to remove the isolation in this last gesture is to twist his shoulders toward the gesturing wrist. It also looks like his eyes stay locked on one position, even when he turns away to (supposedly) look at someone else. Perhaps you just haven't animated the eye target yet. One final thing is to try and get a bit more attitude in his head. A lot of his head motions are forward and backward only. Play with tilting the head to the side here and there...not randomly, of course, but get a feel for how the tilt of the head can accentuate certain bits of attitude in his performance. Lip sync looks pretty decent. Aside from the stuff mentioned above, I think this just needs some more polish to really make this guy come to life. You've got a great start on it. Keep at it!

VERY nice work! You've created a great sense of personality in this character. It could still be solidified a bit more strongly, but you have a great start on it as it is (understanding that it's at FFN status). Fun choice of sound file for this guy, too. Keep it up!

Trust me, I need them. I've done almost nothing when it comes to decals, and what little I've done wasn't even dealing with characters. I've been putting the vast majority of my time in A:M toward animation, with rigging probably coming in second. Decals are so far down the list I need binoculars. Thanks for sharing! I can't wait to see more!

Just discovered this thread. As someone else said, I don't know why I missed it when it first came up. Wonderful work as usual, Jim! And very inspiring to see this guy come together piece by piece. I'm also glad you re-posted the links to your tutes (downloaded them all...will investigate after sending this). Where were these links originally posted? I'm really curious, as I've never heard of them before finding them in this thread.

Here's another one done by my friend Michael Comet. Made several years ago, but it's still a great place to start, with examples of everything... Character Animation: Principles and Practice

What exactly are you looking for in terms of help? Do you want feedback on a shot you're working on? The more details you can provide, the easier it will be for us to help you.

Very nice work on this so far! Lip sync looks pretty good, although it could still be touched up in a few areas. Some of the pursed mouth shapes don't appear to be as strong as they should be, and some shapes don't quite look appropriate for the sounds. Movement and acting overall looks pretty good. Some of his accent moves are a hair too subtle. The vocal delivery is so low-key that it's tempting to make it a tad too mellow. Can't wait to see it finished!

Cool! Nice work for a first project. Glad to see you're enjoying A:M. Keep working, and keep learning!

Don't know if you've got easy access to any episodes of "3-2-1 Penguins!", but if so, you might take a look at Jason and the way his dot eyes are setup. Rob Dollase did a great rigging job on him and gave him poses that made what we called "comma eyes" to give the impression of looking in different directions. It's similar to some of the shapes used on Peanuts characters' eyes from time to time (Dennis the Menace might have been another inspiration...I didn't get there until after Jason was rigged, so I don't know). There were also poses for Jason that flattened the top of the eyes into a "shelf" to give an impression of low eyelids. Thanks for sharing your rigging ideas! Some great food for thought!

Looks like a fun critter! Curious to see where this goes.

Man....I know I already replied, but this is getting way too cool! Very inspiring work! Keep it up!

Pretty cool model, and the deformations are working fairly well so far. Looking forward to seeing more!

Wow! Very nice work there! I need to get off my duff and try modeling some characters one of these days.

Very fun stuff! Nice "thinking outside the box" approach. Can't wait to see/read more about this technique!

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet. Inspiring work, even for a test! I think the level of expression in the face is working QUITE nicely. Can't wait to see more!

Nice job, Rob! I'd love to do one of those 4-hour challenges one of these days, but Wednesday is the busiest day for me. Perhaps they'll let me get the clip at 9pm and turn it in a 1am the next morning....naaahh...not likely.

Good stuff! You can definitely tell the progression from the old stuff to the new stuff in the 3D area. Your 2D work is QUITE impressive! Keep it up!

Not an official NDA...more of a personal NDA...I just want to keep it a secret for a little while longer.