Moho Forum

I appreciate those extra details - good practical workflow stuff.

I was just referring to the general crispness of the animation and - yes - good matching of gestures and word timing. I think you might be right about using a video camera for word/gesture synch.

It sounds like your success was due to a combination of brute force and simplicity by design. The time and effort you put in really does show I think.

2.5 years for a 13 minute movie ... and a success at the end. Why not? This is a testimony not only to your persistence but to the motivating power of a truly funny script.

I could easily see myself spending similar amounts of time on my current project. But, only a month in, it is enough fun that the prospect doesn't worry me. I am learning the tools at the same time. My script is not comic though. I might have to think about that. Someone else on this forum (or was it the other) has commented on the centrality of a funny script for a successful animation project.

Anyway warble warble warble - well done again.

I don't know about that. . .the funny script for successful animation part.

I think there are plenty of popular pieces that aren't comical--much anime, Paprika. . .Heavy Metal, Spawn (HBO). . .that's only the ones I've heard of or seen.

With gestures/timing/words you just have to figure out what feels right. There are several parts of every little micro movement. The final position (is his hand at shoulder level when he stops?), timing for the movement (how long does it take to raise the hand from being relaxed at his side to the final position--this will depend on where the moving part is when it starts the movement and where it is when it ends; if it has a shorter distance to go the, same amount of time will seem slower than if it has longer to go), how long the position is held (does he hold that hand up for a few words, a few syllables, an entire sentence, what?), and how long it takes to go back to being neutral/relaxed (timing issues same as the reverse). As I said, I just sort of sat/stood, and mimicked the intended movement with my own body, trying to figure out what felt natural. The camera would have been nice because it's very hard to tell without one whether a movement takes 8 frames or 10 frames. Big differences (quarter second vs 2 seconds or something) are obvious without camera, small ones harder. Hence all the testing and rendering and retesting and rerendering.

Glad you're having fun. I would call the experience for me more rewarding than fun. . .I liked watching it come together, but DOING it was sheer torture. If I do more I've got to find a local animator so I can write/direct/supervise/oversee/abuse.