Gaty jumps back in surprise!

[raillard]

Hello, List.

 

Here's a brief animation test, featuring Gaty, my alligator boy.

It's very short (30 frames, 226 KB). It just shows Gaty jumping back in surprise.

 

My reference was a page out of a Preston Blair animation book. I think I have the same book that Smudge has. Right now I'm copying animators I admire, 'cuz I want to animate like them.

 

Thanks for taking a look!

 

Sincerely,

 

Carl Raillard

jump_back_in_surprise.mov

[JTalbotski]

Looks very good, Carl. Nice and smooth.

 

Jim

[natess44]

I don't have anything bad to say about that animation.

[jfirestine]

Nice and smooth! Very good!

 

I want to see more!!!!!!!

[Obnomauk]

It looks very nice, and there are only a few things I would look at to make it even better. Mostly offsetting your keys for the body parts right now he looks like most of the major body parts hit their keys on the same frame (or darn close to it) try pushing it a little further especially with the arms. you'd be amazed at what one or two frames one way or the other can do.

 

Great work,

-David

[shaunf]

Great! I love the character!

[raillard]

Thanks, guys! I'm glad you liked it. It's amazing how my animation skills perk up the moment I begin to slavishly copy Preston Blair.

 

At the present time I'm avoiding offsetting keyframes. I haven't had much luck using that technique. If anybody has any insights (like which bones should be offset in which direction, exactly?) I'd be all ears.

 

Sincerely,

 

Carl Raillard

 

PS: That's a swell dwarf, Jim. And that's a good-looking chick, Shaun.

[JohnArtbox]

Looks great.

for offsetting actions/ keys I tend to start with primary and secondary masses.

Your primary masses are those that drive the action, while secondary masses are the bits of your body that just get dragged along, and hence lag behind to varying degrees.

I this action I'd suggest the hands head and tail are secondary masses.

Preston has already suggested this in his animation but you could possible push it further.

[smudge]

Vrey nice! The landing is good and the hang once he geting in the air feels natural. My only small nitpick is that I'd like to see just a little more anitipation to the jump, more of a down word bunching up on himself before the spring. But that's rather minor thing, all said. It's just a nit-pick.

[raillard]

Thanks, JohnArtbox. You've given me some food for thought.

 

I've attached a piece of jawdropping animation. This piece was remarkable for me because I felt the offsetting technique actually improved it. I offset the keys on the arm, to keep them from looking symmetrical.

 

Usually when I try to offset Gaty's limbs, he winds up looking gangly, and I don't like that. I don't want Gaty to be gangly. He's supposed to be a spry child. Perhaps this quirk of Gaty's character is what's making it difficult for me to get a hang of the offsetting technique.

 

Here's a question for you guys:

Does offsetting keyframes lend itself to characters that move boldly & decisively? Or is it better suited for lazy, loose-limbed characters, such as Goofy?

 

Oh, thanks for picking the nit, Smudge! I think I agree with you, a little extra scrunching, before Gaty jumps up, might help. Another thought is maybe I should use a Distortion box to squeeze the entire character down and outward, like a balloon pressed down by a hand.

 

Sincerely,

 

Carl Raillard

jawdrop.mov

[Obnomauk]

looks nice there.

 

the thing with offsetting is that it really depends on how far you do it that will make it look either loosy goosy or just natureal, but just about every character you animate should have some of it in there at some point. if you don't want things to be all liquid then offset just the main branches from each other: take the keys for the right arm and drop em back a frame even just that little bit will help out most animations. I like to offset down the chains, especially during fast motions, it helps to establish arcs and makes things look better in my opinion.

 

-David Rogers

[nino banano]

It´s a good animation... congratulations...

[Grubber]

Very good!!!

reminds me The Mask!

[raillard]

Thanks, fellas.

 

Well I'll just have to give offsetting keyframes another try. Thanks for the extra input, David.

 

Sincerely,

 

Carl Raillard

[ZachBG]

I've attached a piece of jawdropping animation.

Hey there--

 

Something bothers me about the jaw drop. I think it's when the jaw comes back up--I think it might be better with a little anticipation before it comes back; a head movement down, then up, maybe?

 

I also wished for some blinks, but maybe you were just working on body animation.

 

Zach

[Gerry]

Yeah, the jawdrop is not as effective because it seems to be confined to the mouth. some corresponding eye movement/surprise, and some more body expression with the shoulders and arms might help. the jumpback animation is really fluid and lively. Great start!

[raillard]

Good suggestions.

 

I like the idea of a head-bob! And the blinks! Yes! I've attached a revision.

 

By the way: Preston Blair had *nothing* to do with this jawdrop animation. Sort of shows, huh? I think Gaty's surprised expression at the end is a trifle too exaggerated. I really wanted this to be more of a deadpan reaction shot, with the dropped jaw as the prime indicator of Gaty's inner feelings. But I had to have some sort of look on his face, after he reeled his jaw back in, and so this is what I wound up with.

 

It needs a sound effect. Something like: "CHUNG!" when the jaw hits the ground.

 

Sincerely,

 

Carl Raillard

drop2.mov

[johnl3d]

Nice character and the animation is very smooth . watching your samples i kept hearing the "cartoon sounds" that go with them...or was that just ringing in my ears.. .

[ZachBG]

By the way: Preston Blair had *nothing* to do with this jawdrop animation. Sort of shows, huh?

Dinna be too hard on yourself, Cap'n! The revision is very good.

 

But if you want to go back to Preston Blair, take a look at the section on "Takes"; in my copy it's on page 148. Notice how on the "down" the character has his eyes closed. This isn't to say that you _have_ to do it that way; but motivated blinks when the character moves his head are always a good idea.

 

Zach

[cronos]

very good character, like for a video game .

 

a very good work!!

[zacktaich]

For your jaw drop animation I would suggest that the head jerk backwards makes the mouth come back up. Other than that it looks great. Gaty seems like the greatest character for a childrens book.

[raillard]

Hello, again!

 

I took a minute to incorporate zachtaich's suggestion, of making Gaty's jaw fly up just as he jerks his head backwards. I've attached the results. It does look better. Thanks, zacktaich!

 

I've been watching Jeff Lew's training DVD, and I think I now have a better grasp on the offsetting keyframe technique. Previously I kept encountering the advice that I should move the keyframe one way ... or the other. So I dutifully moved the keyframes back or forth, in a very haphazard way, not knowing what I was doing, and screwing everything up. Watching Jeff at work has helped clarify the technique for me. When a limb is active (when the muscles governing it are tightening), then 9 times out of 10 the limb's movement will be leading the movement of the torso and hips -- the main body mass -- by virtue of the fact that the limb is simply lighter than the body. So the keyframes of the limbs should be shifted to the left in the timeline. In contrast, when the limb is passive (when its muscles are limp) then the limb drags behind the body's movements, sort of like a big fat meaty hair. In those cases the limb keyframes should be offset to the right in the timeline.

 

Well, I better get back to copying stuff from my Preston Blair books. I've got two Walter Foster art books, written by Blair. They are only 40 pages apiece, though. So, sorry ZachBG, I have no idea what you are talking about!

 

Sincerely?

 

Carl Raillard

drop3.mov

[ZachBG]

Well, I better get back to copying stuff from my Preston Blair books. I've got two Walter Foster art books, written by Blair. They are only 40 pages apiece, though. So, sorry ZachBG, I have no idea what you are talking about!

Which books are you talking about? What I have is "Cartoon Animation" and it's a compendium of a series of Blair books. (It's also published by Walter Foster.) The "take" info is under the title How to Animate Film Cartoons.

 

Zach

[raillard]

Which books are you talking about? What I have is "Cartoon Animation" and it's a compendium of a series of Blair books. (It's also published by Walter Foster.)

Hi!

 

I've got "Animation" and "How to Animate Film Cartoons." They cost $2.50 each. There's no specific section on takes in either one. I recollect that Walter Foster put out an Andrew Loomis anatomy book too, but it was just a highly edited version of an existing Loomis book. Perhaps my Blair books have a similar history.

 

Anyway, ZachBG, thanks for your interest. I *think* I know what you are talking about. It can be helpful if cartoon characters blink during takes, or before turning their heads, etc. It's a little trick that helps focus the viewer's eyes onto the character's face. It helps to "push" the character's expression. Still, such blinks can be overdone, if you ask me. Just my personal opinion.

 

There are also other ways for cartoon characters to clear their eyes, besides blinking. See the attached mov.

 

Sincerely,

 

Carl Raillard

eyerub.mov

[3DArtZ]

Carl, I watched the surprise movie several times! It's great! Smooth!

I don't have any critique for you really,except maybe try take the action even further. Like try and make him bunch up even more upon shock then explode out even more - like more back arch. See what that looks like.

I think it's cool little character, like could be the discovery channels new mascott!

good work!

Mike Fitz

[raillard]

Carl, I watched the surprise movie several times ... maybe try take the action even further. Like try and make him bunch up even more upon shock then explode out even more - like more back arch.

Hi, Mike!

 

Yeah, Christina Hanson also mentioned that. I think I might try using an animatable Distortion box to really press Gaty down, in the anticipation. I'd like to make him bulge out on the sides, like a squooshed balloon.

 

I'm glad you like Gaty! I'm certain Gaty would love to appear on the Discovery Channel and wrestle with the Crocodile hunter guy.

 

Sincerely,

 

Carl Raillard