Lip sync test: Mark III

[shaunf]

Last night I did a small lip sync to test the rigging of my remodelled mother wren. It's not quite done (still need to do a little tweaking), but I'd be interested in peoples comments, suggestions etc.

 

http://www.shaunfreeman.com/motherwren_sync.htm

 

[AMAR]

Great Job..... very Pixarish. Good textures .....Great Lipsynch....

 

My question is ....is that you doing the voice over..... if is Great Voice Over.

[Parlo]

Lovely work Shaun - or should I call you Speedy?

 

I'd take a look at the phrasing. The head gesture for "Oh, my little ankle biters!" could do with being one clean move ("oh") and a hold through to the end of the sentence. This would make head shift on "Do I.." stronger. I'd also love to see some wobble on the beak on the "oh".

 

If you can actually make any sense of the above, feel free to ignore! It's a great character and she suits Mrs Doubtfire to a T.

[shaunf]

Thanks Sam,

 

Thats great advice. I'll have a go and see how it works tonight.

[J. Baker]

Very nice! I hate to give advice on a job well done but for some reason when the eyes are tossed up when "ranks" is being said, bothers me for some reason. That could be one of deals if there was a full body animation to go with it, such as, her wings being spread out during this moment might make more since on why her eyes are tossed up. Keep up the good work.

 

EDIT: Or should I say arms, not wings.

[shaunf]

The voice over is Robyn Williams in Mrs Doubtfire.

 

Hi J. Baker, I agree with your comments re: the eye movement, and had already thought it looked a little odd. I'll definately fix that one tonight.

 

Thanks for the comments!

[hashlister]

NICE! I pegged it as Robin Williams right away. I LOVE the bispecles, great touch. Are you using V11 hair as feathers? I'll agree that it is very PIXARISH...send it to them, unless you are already making 150k...

 

That is a GREAT SAMPLE!

[johnl3d]

another great character !

[jfirestine]

NICE work man!

[JTalbotski]

Nice stuff just for a test, Shaun. I wonder if maybe some more facial distortion might be needed to add to the beak movement, like in the cheeks to emphasize certain words. I'm sure you'll get to the eyebrows and such later. Maybe this is just to test mouth poses, so ignore that if that's the case.

 

Nice to see things coming along.

 

Jim

[MiddleKid]

Nice work Shaun! Here's what jumped out at me:

 

The eye movement is, um... well, for lack of a better word... all over the place. The wren starts out looking down-left but never really returns there until the very end. The tone of the sound clip suggests someone who's confident and in charge, thus, a lot of of eye contact with whoever she's speaking with.

 

The lipsync is great until "...are we ready for homework..." and then it just gets lost. Must've been getting late when you finished this one up. More expressions in the mouth shapes and facial movement in general would help this a great deal. But, as Jim mentioned, this is probably just testing your phonemes, so I'll shut up about that.

 

Keep it up! Your work just keeps getting better and better.

[J. Baker]

Nice work Shaun! Here's what jumped out at me:

 

The eye movement is, um... well, for lack of a better word... all over the place. The wren starts out looking down-left but never really returns there until the very end.

I understand what MiddleKid is saying but I do like the rapid eye movement. It seems to go well with your character, in my opion.

[shaunf]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. Re: the eye movement, (aside from the already identified 'odd' movement at the word 'rank'), the idea was the she was talking to two or so kids sitting in front of her, so she started off addressing them (looking from one to the other), she then looked up and to the left almost rhapsodising about how happy she is that they might be dissenting giving her the opportunity to give them more manual labour, (the big glance to the left doesn't work, but I'll sort that one out). She then looks down at the kids she's talking to again, again looking from one to the other.

 

I guess that doesn't come across very well?

 

I'm still to put in the cheek movement (squinty cheeks, etc etc) and eyebrows. I'll work on that this evening.

 

Thanks again for the suggestions. I appreciate it!

[Sharky]

Hi Shaun!

 

This lip sync test is very good as animation and as tutorial stuff!

But please You complete it with a word tutorial,for example how do you make the model face rig and how do you make your animation!

 

I like the texture of your models too and I ask you please write me how do you make the textures for your models and how can I do similar eyes as your models!

 

Thanks before, Sharky

[littleandy]

I agree with Sharky, You've got to show us how you rig these guys! I think it's interesting that when it comes to the mouth area you control each control point with its own bone. Do you use cp weights to keep it all together? And how much of your lip sync is actually posed?

 

-Andrew

[shaunf]

If I get a spare moment I'll record a tutorial if people would like. The setup is very much like Raf Anzovins facial setup except instead of doing the many up-down, and side to side lower level controls for each spline moving away from the face (VERY fiddly and time consuming...), I assign a single bone, and use cp weight falloff for each spline to ensure a gradual lessening of movement of the spline the further away from the face.

 

I then create similar sorts of poses as with the Anzovin facial setup, with lower level and higher level controls. The bones make it MUCH easier to do, because the can be moved up-down, left-right etc and they work perfectly in relation to each other (and its much faster to create, as there is no individual tweaking of cps!!!). Also when animating its VERY easy to go in and tweak an expression using a lower level slider and expect it to work without screwing up your current expression.

 

One of the other benefits of doing it this way is that the bones naturally follow an arc, so aesthetically I've found it looks much better than the standard cp slider movement which (unless you put in lots of keyframes to animate a curve) end up just moving in a straight line.

 

IF I get a chance however, I'll record a tute. (No promises though. Its hard enough squeezing in my animation at the best of time. I write this at 6.30 on a saturday morning before anyone wakes up - baby included )

[shaunf]

Ooh, forgot to mention, I've added in some eyebrow controls and have updated the animation with some of the suggestions. ANy thoughts would again be great.

[J. Baker]

Looking really good Shaun, keep up the good work. Also, you may have said this or answered it for some one, I just can't remember at the moment, are your plans to make a short or long animation with all your characters?

[entity]

Great work!!!

The EYES have it. It is so hard to bring eyes to life... you noticed that! It really felt like she is talking to more than the camera, but a group of more than one person (ie... "ankle bitters"). I don't think the head should move so much though... but that may be personal taste. I think it's good for certain key words but it takes away from the emphasis of those key words when the head moves all the time. It is very brilliant of you to tilt the head while she is "scolding". It does give the sense that she means business. Okay... I'll put my fine tooth comb away now.

 

Overall though, I definately could not have done anything so great!

 

thanks.

[Sharky]

Hi Shaun!

 

Of course, we like and want it,that you do some tutorial

about your model's face rig and how do you animate your model's dialogues!

I'm waiting your tutorial in particual, because I don't know Raf Anzovin's facial setup neither.

 

Meanwhile, please write me How can I do similar eye texture as your models?

 

I'm waiting your answer and I'm waiting your tutorial in particual!

 

 

Thanks before, Sharky!

[Rodney]

Hate to just post a "Great... Love it!" post but... that's exactly what I'm gonna do!

 

Excellent! Looks like you are really having fun with this too!

[shaunf]

I don't think the head should move so much though...

I had another little fiddle last night. I've uploaded another version with the heads tilts a little more understated. I agree. I think it was a little distracting. I've also tightened up the sync a little more and changed some of the blinks and eye shifts to more appropriate places.

http://www.shaunfreeman.com/motherwren_sync.htm

 

and want it,that you do some tutorial

about your model's face rig and how do you animate your model's dialogues!

As soon as I get a chance I'll do something like that. Thanks for your comments Sharky.

 

The textures are just colour maps at the moment. No hair or other maps such as bump or specularity.

 

are your plans to make a short or long animation with all your characters?

At the moment its looking to be about 6 --> 6 and a half minutes.

 

Looks like you are really having fun with this too!

I LOVE animating!!!

[Animus]

Great work again Shaun!

 

I remember your great cuckoo trailer. I look forward

to seeing more. Just one opinion; since she wears glasses,

i would like to see her look more through her glasses. It is not clear

to me if she used her glasses or not. Not a crit, just a opinion.

 

P.S. Have you watched the movie "Chicken run"?

 

Keep fun and happy birthday!

[JTalbotski]

The eyebrows really help convey the attitude now. Very nice!

 

Happy Birthday,

Jim

[entity]

had another little fiddle last night. I've uploaded another version with the heads tilts a little more understated. I agree. I think it was a little distracting. I've also tightened up the sync a little more and changed some of the blinks and eye shifts to more appropriate places.

OKAY! That is it!! Now this is what I'm talking about! You know, after you release this animation to the public we probably won't hear from you again..... because Pixar or Disney or sombody will have snapped you up!!!! That animation is at the top of PRO... you PRO!!!!

I hope you remember us when it happens. It made me LOL, and I basically had seen it before... something about the squinting gaze, at the end there, that did it.

 

BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!

[zacktaich]

Great job, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

 

[3DArtZ]

First off, I think it looks great! The only thing that caught my eye, and I was looking really hard....

"Dissention in the ranks...." I think that they eyes should stay put at this point, not moving until she starts on her next words.

The mannerism she is taking on looks as though for an instant she is caught up in the internal thought process of what that "dissention" phrase means to her, and the quick eye move during it doesn't fit with that.

It's a minor thing, but since I'm able to watch it over and over, I noticed it.

Nice work on the piece

Mike Fitz

www.3dartz.com

[littleandy]

I know that at the level I'm at with animation I really don't have any right to talk at all...

 

But is there a way you could make the little glasses shift around a TINY bit when she's talking? When I watch it they just seem kind of superglued to her beak. Which I suppose may help to keep the focus on her expressions, but I think with some of her quicker movements, it wouldn't hurt to have the glasses come off a little bit or slide to one side or the other. I mean, that's what would happen to me if I was trying to talk and keep those glasses on at the same time.

 

Just an idea...

 

-Andrew

[shaunf]

Just one opinion; since she wears glasses, i would like to see her look more through her glasses.

Thats a good point! When I animate her I'll make it a point of animating like that (ie. looking over her glasses etc), as I think that would improve interest in the animation of her character substantially. Thanks for bringing that one up.

 

Happy Birthday

Thanks chaps

because Pixar or Disney or sombody will have snapped you up!!!!

Sigh.... I wish!!

 

BTW Zack, thanks for the plug on CGTalk!

 

I think that they eyes should stay put at this point, not moving until she starts on her next words.

I think I agree again! I'll play around with it and see how it works.

 

is there a way you could make the little glasses shift around a TINY bit when she's talking

Thats a good idea. I'll try it. It depends whether it will distract for the main animation, which while I think about it, it may do, as much of the focus of the animation is where she is looking. If you're staring at her eyes you might start staring at her glasses instead. I'll try it on though and see how it looks

 

Thanks for all the feedback and positive comments!

[Sharky]

Hi Shaun!

 

First too, I wish you Happy Birthday!

Your update is fantastic!

I think that Your work is more fluid and your lip sync is fitting in dialogue beautifully! Very nice, I like it!

And so again I'm waiting your tutorial in the future too!( face rig, animate this)

 

The textures are just colour maps at the moment. No hair or other maps such as bump or specularity.

 

Ok, I understand it ,but How can I do these? (I'm interesting in eyes mainly!)

 

I'm waiting your answer!

 

Thanks before, Sharky!

[zacktaich]

BTW Zack, thanks for the plug on CGTalk! 

For the people who didn't want to waste a second of their time looking over amfilms

[shaunf]

Ok, I understand it ,but How can I do these? (I'm interesting in eyes mainly!)

Sorry about the late reply Sharky. I made the eye textures AGES ago, and I now just reuse them and alter the hue.

 

The below link is the one I used to help design the iris. I hope that helps.

 

http://www.kandsdesign.com/kim/eyemap-tut.html

[Sharky]

Hi Shaun!

 

Thanks your answer!

I'm checking this tutorial,and I'm looking this is a photoshop tutorial! Yes?

 

But I'm interesting in your eye model in particular!

How did you make it years ago or now?

How much sphere did You use these eyes?

How did you render it?

Did you use the lights in the eyes?, etc.

 

Ps.: I'm so waiting your lip sync rig and animation tutorial keyframe by keyframe!

Because I'm working a big project and I need to be a good lip sync in it!

 

I'm waiting your answer!

 

Thanks before, Sharky

[modernhorse]

Sharky -

You might also *pester* Parlo as he seems to be another resident lipsync guru. Check his recent wip's. Stunning.

 

Doug

[Sharky]

Hi Doug!

 

I checked Parlo's post and I downloaded his clip, because I like his work!

I wroten to him ,but he said for me,that he doesn't spare time!

 

Maybe I will try it again!

 

Thanks, Sharky

[Sharky]

I try again!

 

Hi Shaun!

 

Thanks your answer!

I'm checking this tutorial,and I'm looking this is a photoshop tutorial! Yes?

 

But I'm interesting in your eye model in particular!

How did you make it years ago or now?

How much sphere did You use these eyes?

How did you render it?

Did you use the lights in the eyes?, etc.

 

Ps.: I'm so waiting your lip sync rig and animation tutorial keyframe by keyframe!

Because I'm working a big project and I need to be a good lip sync in it!

 

I'm waiting your answer!

 

Thanks before, Sharky

[shaunf]

HI Sharky,

 

Re: eyeball design, I originally made my eyeballs back when I was learning to model, and following the steps outlined in Jeff Paries animation master manual.

 

Essentially I created the structure of an eyeball (cornea, iris, retina (make it black)as it is found in real life, without the lens behind the cornea. So the simplest solution in the interim is to look at the structure of an eyeball, and try and model it.

http://www.stlukeseye.com/Anatomy.asp

 

If I can fit it in I'll post some pics of the structure of the eyeball.

 

With regards to the lip sync rig, I'll be recording a tutorial on it at some stage but it won't be available for a while at least, as I'm VERY busy down here.

[Sharky]

Hi Shaun!

 

Thanks your answer and your help!

 

I'm waiting your tutorial away!

 

Thanks before, Sharky