Animation Test

[apprentice]

Hi I'm working on this cartoon project. This is an animation test I did for Ms. Moon character to test her animation controls. Please let me know what you think. Thanks in advance!

 

Zipped Mov file 1.3 MB

 

Animation Test

 

[robcat2075]

Wow, that's a beautiful setup! As a test of animation controls I think it's successful.

 

Animating just a head will be very challenging. It can be done, that was pretty much what Finding Nemo was about. You might even study that to see how they handle it.

[apprentice]

Hi Robcat2075, thanks for the comment, now I can move on to other characters. Yeah, Finding Nemo definitely will a good study, I should study other Pixar stuffs too. I watched some Pocahontas last night, beautiful stuffs. I realized that I appreciate the movie more when I'm actually working on one.

[jakerupert]

Very beautifull style and the animationcontrols work perfectly, I think.

What`s that little thingy coming up next to the moon?

 

;>) Jake

[apprentice]

It's lipstick dude Thanks Jake for the comment, I must make the lipstick more recognizable. Thanks again, I feel alot more motivated now.

[pixelmech]

Andy that is really excellent, and there's no reason why you couldn't enter that into the mini movie contest

 

Tom

[NancyGormezano]

very appealing style - should be very cute when finished

[Dearmad]

I like the style too. Nice balance to the colors.

 

Interesting that the file compressed about 10:1 in the archive...

[CreativeAustinYankee]

I like it, it has alot of potential.

 

The one thing I'd like to crit is, right now, Ms Moon looks like Ms Pac-Man. Perhaps if you gave her a slightly different color or some ambience or glow?

 

Just a thought.

 

Steve P.

[agep]

Nice. Love the style and color! very cute. About the moon, it would be cool to see some craters on it, to make it more recognizeable.

[apprentice]

Tom, thank you much!If it's ok I will enter it to the mini contest. I hope I can enter a different one before the deadline.

 

Nancy, thank you. I'm glad that you found it cute! I'm always kind of scared to draw female species, I'm afraid I'll make her look non cute

 

Dearmad, thank you, now I have more confirmations that the style may work. I was surprised too with the zip file size. Good thing cause my dial up is like 26k.

 

Steve P, thank you for your keen eyes. I totally forgot about Ms. Pacman! Hmm...what can I do...actually I forgot to turn her glow on for that render. I'll try tweaking more settings. Thanks again.

 

Agep, thanks I'm glad that you liked the style. I tried some craters on her but I couldn't make it work, I should try again. The truth is I'm still trying to grasp the style for the whole short. My plan was to create something cartoony and not too detailed so I can finish quick and show it to my mom. Seriously

[steve392]

Thats real nice ,but maybe a reflection of the moon as she doese her lips in the water would be nice ,(just a thought) but very nice

[apprentice]

Thanks, Steve. I wanted to have that reflection too but somehow it's not appearing on the pond. I think it's because she's too high in position and also the camera's perspective. I could make it appear but she has to be far away back there or very close to the water, I haven't tried other camera angles. Do you know any other solutions?

[Gerry]

Not much to add Andy. I would say as above that as a test of controls it succeeds, but also has a nice appealing style that suggests stories.

 

I can also appreciate your wanting to do something quick and simple and use those as strengths. That's what I'm trying to do with mine!

[Nosferatu]

Andy,

 

Looks great. You might want to think about having her look left or right first, and THEN rotating her head. In other words, a bit more of a lag between the eye motion and the head motion. That would add a little more life to her, imo.

[johnl3d]

Nice emotion with the face the only thing that bothered me at this point is the blinking..seemed almost constant..my .02

[apprentice]

Gerry - Not much to add Andy. I would say as above that as a test of controls it succeeds, but also has a nice appealing style that suggests stories.

 

I can also appreciate your wanting to do something quick and simple and use those as strengths. That's what I'm trying to do with mine!

 

Thanks Gerry hmm...style that suggests stories...interesting....I didn't think about that, must be at the subconcious but it's really interesting that you mentioned that I'd like to think more about it. Hey, I'm excited to know that you're doing the simple design too, I'd really like to see how you are going to approach it. Keep me updated!

 

Nosferatu - Looks great. You might want to think about having her look left or right first, and THEN rotating her head. In other words, a bit more of a lag between the eye motion and the head motion. That would add a little more life to her, imo.

 

Nosferatu, thanks. You're right, eyes leading the movement thing. I will remember that.

 

johnl3d - Nice emotion with the face the only thing that bothered me at this point is the blinking..seemed almost constant..my .02

 

Thanks johnl3d for your .02, it worths alot more to me cause it's true, she does blink too much. When you're surrounded by keyframes sometimes you get lost Thanks for your observation.

[pixelmech]

It's definitely ok - please do enter some of your work if you can!

[apprentice]

Alrighty then pixelmech!

[Rodney]

Andy,

Finally getting the chance to unzip your animation.

 

Very cute. I like the style too.

Others have commented on what might improve the shot and I don't have anything to add. The eyes... and the reflection.

 

IMO you really need the reflection to sell the shot and get full focus on the character's action. If you can't do this straightforward you could do it in a separate pass or in post.

 

Great stuff as it is though!

[apprentice]

Rodney, thank you much for checking it out

Thank you for your advice about the reflection to help sell the shot, I almost left it as it is, I think I will have to do it in post. Thanks again, really appreciate it.

 

Hey, I know your avatar! It's FoneBone right? I didn't know it was underground comic since 1991, but when I saw it I was hooked and bought the comic right away, I really like the style!