My first bit

[bighop]

Will this is my first (somewhat) finished project. I teach 4th grade, and each year every class does a short, three minute, video about Christmas from a different country.

 

Many of the teachers just tape something quickly to be done with it. I always turn it into a production, and produce a more edited product.

 

So with that, this year I created a "Bug" to introduce our production. We always call the move from my room: "112 production".....because my room number is 112.

 

So this 30 second video is about 60 hours: modeling, rigging, animation, rendering, and editing the final. It may not seem like much, but I learned a lot from doing this. Any feedback would be great. I also have to thank the many people that responded when I had a problem. This Forum was a big plus in completing the project.

Final_112.mov

[robcat2075]

Aha. So that's what that multiple path stuff was about.

 

They'll love it. Congratulations!

 

Here's what I noticed about the posing... When he's carrying the heavy object, you can make it look heavier by posing him with his arms pulled straight down from his shoulders and the object close against his chest. He'll have to lean back a bit too to balance( edit: I notice you do have him leaning back some already). Holding it out in front and away from him suggests it is a very light object.

[ptiversen]

Looks good, I think that the sound effects make up 50 % of the overall look and feel of the animation.

 

1. Is that a door opening I hear, if so it needs to be more clear, close your eyes and see if that sound can be a door opening.

 

2. As soon as the guy or bug sets down the last book and starts to turn around you should then start the camera pan so that when the guy of bug goes out of the scene you should be finished with the pan and then maybe a door opening and then slamming shut would be a great effect to end the show along with the fade to black.

 

That's just my opinion.

[bighop]

Thanks for the feedback.

 

That is a good point about the books looking too light. Of course these are our Math and Social Studies books.....don't know how many copyrights I messed with here. But I wanted the books to be visible, at least as a reference for the kids. The guy is made up of a chalkboard eraser, chalk arms and legs and eraser head, hands and feet. I was able to put the 2001 rig in him.

 

The sound at the start is a door sound. I was looking for a stage light sound. I found a door, and added reverb. I like the idea of the camera panning as he walks away, and the sound of the door when the lights go off. Thanks.

[Paul Forwood]

This looks really very good.

 

Like Robert said, more signs of weight. Have the character lean back more and keep the bottom corner of the books tucked right into his stomache/hips so that the weight pivots on that point. The straining arms and the body posture should reflect a constant battle to keep all that weight balanced around this point.

 

The sound is good too.

[Rodney]

Very nice.

Others have made excellent suggestions.

I'd love to see this animation placed right there in your classroom (via photo background).

For that you would want to explore Alpha Channels and Rotoscope projections.

Perhaps a project for another time?

 

What you've got there is great.

The sound makes a nice addition. Although it might be nice to have some music que in at the end. (You know... like the THX music ramp up just before showing a feature film in a theater?)

 

It must be great to be a student in your classroom.