Phoneme Breakdown from 'I See What You Say'

[Rodney]

I've been meaning to post a few examples from a book I picked up years ago at a Library book sale.

The book, part of a series of lessons on learning how to lip read... with accompanying video... which was missing when I purchased BTW... echos what most animators have been taught about lipsync but adds a few descriptions to assist with categorization. Those categories include:

 

Blowing

Wide

Smiling

Sealers

Pinchers

Forwards

Lip Biters

Peekers

Pushers

Teethy

Lifters

 

In theory, all dialogue can be shoe-horned into one of these categories.

This is perhaps something to consider when rigging a face to achieve articulation for dialogue... although they very likely won't cover the entirety of expressions used for exaggeration in animation *unless* considerable exaggeration is pre-built into the expression (i.e. extreme posing that will likely never be used).

 

Note that these phoneme breakdowns are designed to be visual breakdowns of what is observed more than what is heard; thereby making the lessons more applicable to deaf and hearing disabled persons.

 

Here's the first of the images on phoneme's from the book:

[Rodney]

Continuing...

[Rodney]

It may be worth noting that all three vowel shapes can generally be replaced by consonant shapes.

For example:

 

Blowing is similar to Pinchers

Wide is a similar/exaggerated form of Lifters

Smiling is a slightly more relaxed form of Teethy

[robcat2075]

How interesting. I didn't know there would even be a book on it. I wonder if it works!

[Rodney]

I wonder if it works!

 

I assume it has worked for some folks.

Keep in mind that this is an old program. (the book has a 1994 publishing date).

Its a simple volume at 97 pages.

There is a sample video on youtube:

 

xhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?t=69&v=CQ3L8Hcs8R0

 

I just looked up the site and they still sell the course.

It'd set you back $45 (plus shipping) to find out if it will work for you!

 

Here's their site: http://lipreading.com/

 

There are some other free lip reading videos out there on the internet that very likely should be explored before spending any cash.

 

Where learning lipsync would probably pay off would be to assist with rigging the face for dialogue for use with fairly realistic characters.

The standard open/close model being on the opposite side of the spectrum for cartoon characters.

 

Added: All this makes me wonder if deaf people/lip readers would make better animators of dialogue.

.

[Rodney]

A fun part of the book is near the end where there are practice pages to test your lip reading skill.

 

One joke (from 21 different jokes):

 

What do you get when you cross a flea with a rabbit?

 

Invisitext Answer: (Select and Scroll over)

Bugs Bunny

[Rodney]

Here's what looks like a useful resource in the same general area of interest.

(from the folks in the UK)

 

http://www.lipreadingpractice.co.uk/

 

Here's one on lip reading/sync with rhythm from that same site:

 

http://www.lipreadingpractice.co.uk/Lip-Reading-Exercises/Rhythm/