PDKT - Potential Dame Keep Truthful (Anime Series) Preview!

[EHEBrandon]

Hello everyone we're making a anime series called PDKT which stands for Potential Dame Keep Truthful and the episodes are full episodes of 18-26 minutes long. We finished the first two episodes and are going to release sometime in May or June. The first season will be 12 episodes.

I'm the animator and background artist. Me and my girlfriend Caitlin do character designs, concepts, and key frames.

I would like to give a shout out to the people who are creating our soundtrack.

George R. Powell

&

Guy Petrie

This is being made completely with Anime Studio Pro 11

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMf4V_XSuM4

[lwaxana]

This looks so professional! it's amazing you made such long episodes with such a small crew. How many hours did it take to create one episode? Are you pre making the rigs and then fitting them into each scene? I can't wait to see more! :D

[EHEBrandon]

This looks so professional! it's amazing you made such long episodes with such a small crew. How many hours did it take to create one episode? Are you pre making the rigs and then fitting them into each scene? I can't wait to see more!

We actually don't use rigs. Its all done with point animation and switch layers. Also we draw frames on paper like example we will draw Frame 1, Frame 5, Frame 10, Frame 12, etc... Then scan and import them into Anime Studio Pro then trace the first frame and do point and switch layer animation to match the other frames. So for a better a break down and example lets say this.

Frame 1: Character 1 is in his starting pose in a 3/4 view

Frame 6: We draw the mouth movements as he or she talks

Frame 12: He/She blinks and tilts his or her head to respond to yes

Frame 15: He/She turning in a back 3/4 view

Frame 17: Extra frame for inbetween to make point animation easier

Frame 20: We draw him or her in a 3/4 back view

Frame 22: Walks away

Then we do the animation process in Anime Studio Pro.

Since we are using point animation it does the inbetweens and all we need to do is adjust misplaced points so it looks proper and then sometimes if we cant use point animation for a full turn because all the vectors go haywire we will do point animation until it does then use a switch layer and then use point animation again on the new switch layer. Our characters are usually made up of 6 groups and over 40 layers for each character. If it goes into chibi mode and the characters go simplified because of a certain moment then it takes less layers. Like the very first scene consisted of 4 groups and 15 layers.

[3deeguy]

...Our characters are usually made up of 6 groups and over 40 layers for each character. If it goes into chibi mode and the characters go simplified because of a certain moment then it takes less layers. Like the very first scene consisted of 4 groups and 15 layers.

You have it down to a science. What is "chibi mode"?

[wizaerd]

...Our characters are usually made up of 6 groups and over 40 layers for each character. If it goes into chibi mode and the characters go simplified because of a certain moment then it takes less layers. Like the very first scene consisted of 4 groups and 15 layers.

You have it down to a science. What is "chibi mode"?

Super Deformed
An artistic style in anime that is generally considered both "cutesy" and humorous, in which a character is rendered in a shorter, blobby and rounder form, somewhat resembling a caricature of themselves as a tiny yet plump toddler.
Although most commonly used in parody or as part of promotional material, it can be found in some shows at points of extreme comedy/slapstick, or when characters are seen to be acting extremely "cute" or immature. This use of Artistic Age can mask the true age of characters, making forty somethings and fourteen year olds seem the same age.
Also known as "chibi" (Japanese for "small") in some circles, although not just confined to anime — it's a very common form of Fan-Art. Name any popular character, chibi exists of them. In fact, it's almost as common as Rule 34.

BTW, in case you're curious... Rule 34 - If it exists, there is porn of it — no exceptions.

[3deeguy]

wizaerd, thanks - and I was curious about rule 34.

[EHEBrandon]

...Our characters are usually made up of 6 groups and over 40 layers for each character. If it goes into chibi mode and the characters go simplified because of a certain moment then it takes less layers. Like the very first scene consisted of 4 groups and 15 layers.

You have it down to a science. What is "chibi mode"?

Heh thanks but Wizard got it down pretty well. I hope you liked the video though. ^_^;

[3deeguy]

Heh thanks but Wizard got it down pretty well. I hope you liked the video though. ^_^;

IMO your work is professional quality. I hope PDKT does well.

[slowtiger]

Amazing. Not that I suddenly like Anime, but this looks really good and fits the style. Most movements are really good, some could be improved. Colours, shadows and effects are perfect.

0:15 The hair could interact with the glass wall. The BG impact shake should be mostly vertical.
0:20 Left girl suddenly gets a long neck. The head tilt isn't convincing. Right girl's head tilt doesn't match the perspective.
0:28 The punch could be more violent, just cut one or two frames from his movement, and the blood should mostly follow him.
0:40 Eyebrows and eyelids should always move both - a frown also affects the eyelids. His blinks are perfect!

A good convincing head tilt in perspective is worth the effort, because you'll do it just once and then re-use it.

[EHEBrandon]

Amazing. Not that I suddenly like Anime, but this looks really good and fits the style. Most movements are really good, some could be improved. Colours, shadows and effects are perfect.

0:15 The hair could interact with the glass wall. The BG impact shake should be mostly vertical.
0:20 Left girl suddenly gets a long neck. The head tilt isn't convincing. Right girl's head tilt doesn't match the perspective.
0:28 The punch could be more violent, just cut one or two frames from his movement, and the blood should mostly follow him.
0:40 Eyebrows and eyelids should always move both - a frown also affects the eyelids. His blinks are perfect!

A good convincing head tilt in perspective is worth the effort, because you'll do it just once and then re-use it.

Thanks for the pointers I shall improve those right now.

[EHEBrandon]

Heh thanks but Wizard got it down pretty well. I hope you liked the video though. ^_^;

IMO your work is professional quality. I hope PDKT does well.

Thank you very much I'm glad you think so. :3

[funksmaname]

Looks great, only thing I would add to slow tigers list is where there is a facing back 3/4 view, like the girl on the right at 0:20, the mouth looks weird to me being on the side of the face without wrapping around the front... I realise it's easier to do that but it looks quite strange to me Same with the side views - when in a profile it's not possible to see the entire mouth in front of the camera (this is shown in your concepts as well, it might be a traditional anime thing I'm not on board with? )

Good luck with the project!

[synthsin75]

... it might be a traditional anime thing I'm not on board with? )

Well, the 3/4 back view is a bit extreme, but it's pretty standard for profile view in anime.

[funksmaname]

I didn't get the memo obviously
I can live with a to camera 3/4 view, but profile feels really off to me personally...

[EHEBrandon]

I didn't get the memo obviously
I can live with a to camera 3/4 view, but profile feels really off to me personally...

Yeah the mouth positions is suppose to be like that usually anime do position there mouths that way.