How to manage Timing and Poses?

[TheMinahBird]

I know this is real choppy and poorly done (well it is just a draft but it's still pretty ugly) but did I time this right? I decided to go on ones instead of twos to make it faster

I think the main problem are the poses and lack of anticipation? Like maybe the poses are too dramatic? The poses might be too different looking on each frame, like off model I guess.

Any tips on how to make this work with only three poses?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_8kIJ ... sp=sharing

My girlfriend said it looked choppy so I really want to improve it.

(And please excuse Pe'pe's derriere, hehe shes big boned)
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Here's a head turn I mimicked, would it apply to a body turn of a few poses too?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_8kIJ ... sp=sharing

[TheMinahBird]

Oh! By the way? Does this turn look too jarring too?
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_8kIJl ... cslist_api

It doesn't make me cringe but I think her lip syncing is a bit weird.. Does anyone else feel this way?

[neeters_guy]

I think you almost have it. I'd make the back view match the size of the other views, so she doesn't appear to pop closer to the viewer. Also she walks backward for few frames?

You're correct that anticipation (and follow through) will smooth out the turn. In this example, the figure leans forward before the turn, then leans back after the turn.


Also matching the arm and leg movement can also help smooth out the turn.



Another tip is to plot the hands, elbows, feet and knees, and make sure they move in smooth arc motions. I didn't do that here and you can see, for example, the right foot popping all over the place. Very distracting.
(edit: added cleaned up gif.)

Hope that helps. Keep up the good work.

[lwaxana]

I like the lip sync! The facial expression acting matches the voice acting nicely. Very cool to see your character come alive. For the turn, I would just wonder what is happening in the scene that motivates the character to turn because that's going to impact all the body mechanics. Right now she is walking in a perfect side view, stopping, then rotating exactly 90 degrees. There are some scenes that would call for that, but in many scenes it would look more natural to have a character walking ~side view, then turn to ~3/4 back view (possibly turning the head a little bit more to look back) or show them walking ~3/4 back view and turn to ~back view. Plus it's easier to animate. haha And it may also help to make the turn during the step, using the leg that is stepping to initiate the turn.

[lwaxana]

cool character, neeters! :D

[Greenlaw]

Another tip is to plot the hands, elbows, feet and knees, and make sure they move in smooth arc motions.

I think I mentioned this in another post but one tool I like to use is ScreenMarker. ScreenMarker is like a virtual pen you can draw on your screen with, on top of any program window. I use it when animating in 2D and 3D--it's great for marking off feet placement, motion arcs and other reference guides, and you don't have to worry about damaging your LCD screen. (My wife still prefers to use a real erasable marker on her screen though.)

G.

[neeters_guy]

@lwaxana -- thanks!

Another tip is to plot the hands, elbows, feet and knees, and make sure they move in smooth arc motions.

I think I mentioned this in another post but one tool I like to use is ScreenMarker. ScreenMarker is like a virtual pen you can draw on your screen with, on top of any program window. I use it when animating in 2D and 3D--it's great for marking off feet placement, motion arcs and other reference guides, and you don't have to worry about damaging your LCD screen. (My wife still prefers to use a real erasable marker on her screen though.)
G.

Yes! I was trying to remember the name of that program. Thanks for the reminder.

[Greenlaw]

I found one that I like even better and it's also free. It's called Epic Marker:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/epicpen ... source=dlp
Just like with ScreenMarker, when you want to continue working after marking up the screen with Epic Pen, just click on the Pointer tool. Your screen markings will then stay on-screen while you work away in ASP or whichever program you happen to be animating in.

One minor issue I've always had with ScreenMarker is that the Clear Screen button only clears the screen when you start drawing your next 'mark'. Epic Marker's Clear Screen button however clears the screen when you click it, which is more like how I would expect it to work. Oh, and the Hide Ink button is a nice additional feature--it let's you hide your screen markings without deleting them. (Now, off to update that old post.)

Enjoy!

G.

[TheMinahBird]

Thanks so much and I barely noticed anything happening to her right it looks fine to me.

[TheMinahBird]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_8kIJ ... sp=sharing

Here's a much a better version I think (I know some things are popping out of place and stuff like the joints), but now I have another problem.


How would you show her closing the gate from behind in an effective way? I tried making her bend down first but eh.. I'm still not feeling it, she looks really weird.

(yeah the background is panning but the gate isn't I have to fix that later.)