Category: Advanced and Experimental 3D computer Animation Techniques 1

Creature Animation

Spline Final Polish

Experimental Project Progress

Spline

This week, I focused mainly on fixing the shoulders of my model. At the beginning of the process, I made a mistake by rotating the Y axis, something I later realized I should not have done. This small error caused a ripple effect, forcing me to reset the Y axis value to zero and make further adjustments to connected parts like the neck and chest. It was a frustrating experience, especially because it felt like I was going backward before I could move forward.

Despite the setbacks, I am actually surprised by the outcome. The final result turned out better than I expected, and I learned a lot from working through the problem. It reminded me how important it is to double-check the foundation before moving on to more detailed elements.

Next time, I will ask for help earlier in the process. Whether it is a student assistant, a teacher, or a classmate, getting a second pair of eyes to look over the body setup before jumping into the face will save time and stress. Working on both the body and face at the same time is more complicated than I thought, and it makes it harder to know where to focus. This experience taught me the value of patience, planning, and collaboration.

Resolume Arena VJ software

Today’s session focused on learning the basics of Resolume Arena, the fundamentals of VJing, and how to use a MIDI controller in a live visual performance setup.

Key topics included clip triggering, layer management, and effect controls in Resolume, as well as mapping MIDI hardware for more intuitive real-time control.This foundational session sets the stage for more advanced creative workflows in future projects.

We could edit the workspace into the way we like to work, for instance, we can choose to press any button on the keyboard to control the clip we wanted to.

Can do the same thing to a MIDI controller. A MIDI controller refers to a controller which you could professionally use in different events for festivals or even house party, it seemed really fun to me.

Experimental Project Progress

This week, progress has been limited due to a heavy workload from two other submissions, as well as ongoing tasks like the thesis proposal and the voice acting spline. However, I did manage to re-record the stop-motion segment for the first part of the animation to achieve a cleaner version and ensure better alignment with the 3D portion.

I added this shot which is having the same action as the 3D animation to make transition from stop-motion to 3D smoother.

This is also another test with the same shot but with parachute appearing at the end. I will hand draw the animation of the parachute later on.

For the car crash part, I also re-recording the stop motion as I think that the previous version is not that good and kind of rough.

I also re-recorded the stop-motion part for the pop part where the balloon pops when its in the sky. I think for this part, if sound effect is added, it would be more realistic and understandable.

Experimental Project Progress

This week, I completed the credit sequence of the animation and began focusing on refining the full animation by adding textures, correcting transitions between shots, and performing other polishing tasks. However, I feel that more time should be allocated to the animation process, as the current timeframe is quite limited and insufficient, which raises concerns about the overall quality of the final outcome.

During the post editing process, I have been testing with different backgrounds, and I also realised that there are some issues going on. Initially, I wanted to hand drawn everything like the background, characters etc, but the style does not really match with the claymation(Left image).

This was the version without the green screen and the rigging.

After adding the credits text and reducing the size of the animation frame helps making it looks more poilished and not that buggy.

This is the initial version of the whole animation for the submission, but so many things to polish, so I will keep the work going on and finish it as soon as possible.

Blocking Plus +

To be honest, this version makes me feel a bit uneasy. There is a weight to everything we have learned so far, and I am beginning to feel the pressure. It has been overwhelming trying to keep up and make sense of it all.

While working on the blocking, I tried to refine the poses by adding more keyframes. However, instead of bringing clarity, it made the movement feel unstable, which was definitely not the intention. The animation is supposed to feel snappy and deliberate, not busy or chaotic. Every adjustment I make seems to create new issues, and I often feel like starting over completely.

At the moment, I feel somewhat lost in the process. I understand that this is a natural part of learning, but I am realizing that I could really use more guidance to help me move through this phase.

After receiving feedback, I feel somewhat more confident about the concept of overshoot. I had misunderstood it before, thinking it referred to continuous movement at the end. But now I understand it as a reactive movement that follows an action. For example, when someone jumps and lands, they do not just stop. There is a small rebound or follow-through motion, like in the video I found.

Animating Dialogue

In the lesson today, we went into the details of animating dialogue and lip syncing.

Vowels Define the Shape of Emotion: Approaching Lip Sync

When animating dialogue, it is not just about syncing the mouth to sound, it is about capturing the emotion behind the words. Vowels play a critical role in this; they shape the emotion of the performance. A character does not just say something, they feel it.

Lip Sync as Phrasing, Not Words

Think of dialogue in terms of phrasing rather than individual words. Natural speech blends sounds together. For example, we often say “how’s it going?” as “howzitgoing?” Avoid animating word by word. Instead, animate the flow of thought and speech.

Animate Thought, Not Just Action

Do not animate what the character is doing, animate what they are thinking. Strong performances come from clear intentions. This means using only a few key poses (typically three) that express the character’s inner state. Stay in these poses. Let the performance breathe.

Aaron Blaise, Disney veteran animator, emphasizes this in his approach.

What Makes Up a Sound?

Understanding how we physically produce sound will improve your lip sync. Here are the core elements:

• Tongue
• Lips
• Jaw – Place one hand under your jaw and another on a table. Speak. You’ll feel the subtle movement. The jaw rarely opens abruptly or too wide. Observe carefully.
• Teeth
• Vocal cords
• Nose – Yes, the nose moves too (these subtle movements are typically added during the polish phase).

Phonemes: Variations in Pronunciation

Phonemes are the building blocks of speech, distinct sounds that make up words. Knowing the different pronunciations helps you create accurate and expressive mouth shapes.

Tools & Tips

Software to Download:

• Tween Machine / Anabot – Great for easing poses and automation.
• Chester Sampson – Explore tools and rigs provided by this artist for practice and workflow enhancement.

Voice Acting Blocking

Before diving into blocking for this voice acting animation, I spent extra time refining my reference footage. I wanted a stronger foundation to animate from, but I quickly realized just how challenging referencing can be.

It felt like animating an imaginary face rig on my own face. Beyond just memorizing the dialogue, I had to consciously control every subtle movement: eyebrows, eyes, jaw, nose. Managing all of that simultaneously while staying in character proved to be much harder than I expected. I ended up recording myself over 20 times for a single shot just to capture the right performance.

What stood out to me is how different referencing for animation is compared to everyday conversation or even live-action acting. While it shares some similarities with movie performance, animation requires an added layer of exaggeration and clarity. It is more stylized and cartoonic, and that means the acting needs to be more deliberate.

It is an ongoing process, but every iteration teaches me something new about performance and motion in animation.

This version of my reference is the first major revision I made. However, I noticed the chest movement was too shaky and lacked a clean arc. It didn’t feel snappy or fluid enough. So I recorded another take, aiming for a quicker transition into the second pose and a smoother overall motion. Then I tried to fix this issue, and the second reference seemed better.

For blocking, I decided to take a different approach compared to my previous body mechanics assignment. Last time, I added a lot of keyframes during blocking plus, but I realized that having so many keyframes made it difficult to make adjustments later on.

So for this first version of blocking, I kept it simple and focused only on the key poses. I keyed the main poses and added keyframes primarily when the mouth shape changed. This helped me maintain flexibility and made the shot easier to refine in the later stages.

Off World Media Production Toolkit

In today’s lesson, we explored the process of creating 360° videos. I’ve always found the 360° perspective fascinating, whether in games, animations, or virtual experiences. Unlike traditional formats which lock the viewer into a single, director-chosen angle, 360° videos invite us to take control of the experience.

What makes this format so engaging is its interactivity. As viewers, we’re no longer passive observers; we can choose where to look, allowing us to feel immersed and even part of the scene. This sense of presence adds a new layer of storytelling that I find far more exciting than static viewpoints.

To start with, we had to download a plugin from OFF World.

This plugin is also useful because it includes Sprout.

Sprout refers to a feature that enables different software programs to connect with each other. For example, when OFF is added to Unreal Engine, it allows us to link it with TouchDesigner. This means we can view and interact with what is happening in TouchDesigner in real time within Unreal before rendering anything. It creates a smoother, more integrated workflow between platforms.

We could then start with the 360 camera.

To create a 360° video, we first adjusted the project settings and added new Blueprints within the level. We then used the Sequencer to animate the scene, followed by rendering the output. Finally, we made minor edits using Media Encoder. With these steps completed, the 360° video was successfully produced.

Experimental Project Progress

As part of my experimental project, I have been testing various aspects of the credit sequence in stop motion animation. Key considerations and constraints I encountered include:

• Camera Limitations
  • Zooming in or out is not possible during filming.
  • Choice of camera setup (e.g., top view vs. front view) must be finalized beforehand.
• Stability and Movement
  • The stability of the armature directly affects the flexibility and smoothness of the animation.
  • The tripod was taped to the floor to ensure a stable shooting setup.
• Frame Rate
  • Different frame rates were tested to determine their impact on motion quality and pacing.
• Editing Techniques
  • Explored the use of copy-and-paste techniques to streamline the editing process.
• Lighting Conditions
  • Lighting must remain completely consistent; any changes can disrupt visual continuity.
• Frame Ratio
  • The aspect ratio needs to be determined before shooting, as changes are difficult later.
• Pre-Production Planning
  • Stop motion requires detailed and precise setup in advance due to the limited ability to make changes once filming begins.

In this version, I accidentally switched on a light during the final part of the video, which resulted in an abrupt and noticeable change that disrupted the visual consistency.

This is some testings with another shot, but I will fix it and polish it soon.

Although this version maintained consistent lighting, the frame size appeared distorted. It looked different after export compared to how it appeared during editing. I later realized that the frame size should have been properly adjusted before filming the animation.

This was another test using the previous version of the rig, which was more fragile and allowed movement only in the tail.

This is the final selected shot for the animation, chosen after extensive adjustments, testing, and experimentation prior to filming. However, there is still considerable post-production work remaining. I plan to hand-draw the side characters and background, remove the green screen and rig from the footage, and add sound effects and music to complete the project.

Here is another behind-the-scenes video of my process. Stop motion animation is a very time-consuming and patience-demanding task, as adjustments cannot be made on the spot. Instead, any errors require redoing the sequence from the beginning.

Motion Capture

Although we began learning about motion capture in the early weeks of the semester, I still find it fascinating. Becoming more familiar with the process has increased my confidence and opened up greater opportunities to apply it in the future.

This time during the motion capture session, I experimented with a range of movements, including fencing, falling, sitting in a chair, and playing the guitar, among others. I found the experience more enjoyable than before, though I still felt a bit awkward while acting. I’m looking forward to the upcoming acting workshop, as I believe it will help me better understand how to perform specific actions effectively for animation.

Experimental Project Progress

I have started doing some testing and have begun animating using stop motion.

I find stop motion animation harder and more time consuming than 3D animation. It might be just as time consuming as 2D animation because you have to create every single frame yourself, instead of only doing the key poses and letting the software generate the in-betweens. Another limitation is that once you finish shooting the stop motion, you cannot easily make changes to keyframes like you can in 2D or 3D animation.

Also, I cannot zoom in with the camera or software to get a closer view of the shot. I have to physically arrange the props or move the camera closer, which adds extra challenges during production.

Despite these difficulties, I find stop motion very appealing because the small imperfections make the animation feel more human and less mechanical or computer-generated. I want to embrace these errors and treat this project as an experimental opportunity to explore and play with stop motion.

Although I expect my teacher may have many critiques on the animation later, I am excited to learn from the process.

Yesterday I tested a small stop motion animation. It was really challenging to animate every single body part because the armature is quite fragile and tends to break after each movement even within just these two seconds of the video.

I will work on improving the armature since it still has several limitations.

In today’s class, we began a new topic: voice acting, which will be the focus of our next task in this unit.

Voice Acting

Voice acting is an essential component of most animations. It is not simply about pointing at something and exclaiming, “Look!” Instead, it involves using facial expressions, voice modulation, and body gestures to effectively convey a story. Voice acting brings characters to life and deepens the audience’s emotional connection to them.

We were shown a helpful example of voice acting and referencing in animation:

This video illustrates different stages of animation production and highlights the critical role of referencing in professional workflows. Previously, during my undergraduate studies, I often created animations from scratch without using references. At the time, I viewed referencing as a form of cheating. However, the final outcomes often felt awkward or unconvincing. Since I began using references, I have found the animation process much easier and the results significantly more polished.

Anticipating the Voice Acting Task

I am particularly excited about the upcoming voice acting task. It is a skill I have not previously explored, and I look forward to learning through both practice and detailed feedback. I am eager to start developing ideas as soon as possible.

Key Insights and Techniques from Today’s Class

We also received valuable tips and observations regarding effective animation:

• Referencing is most effective when everything is captured in one take.
• It is important to reshoot until the performance feels right.
• Animators must evoke real emotion to make the audience connect with the character.
• Emotional expression should go beyond a single feeling; for example, instead of simply showing anger, it is more impactful to illustrate a shift between emotions such as frustration, confusion, or acceptance.

The tutor provided the following guidelines for animation:

• Ensure the animation is both clear and sincere.
  • Clarity: Is the action understandable in a single moment?
  • Sincerity: Does the character feel authentic and human? For instance, subtle gestures like coughing or touching one’s hand can express nervousness.

A good animation example we saw portrayed an emotional shift—from being worried to feeling happy and confident. This reminded me that I had not previously considered how conveying emotional transitions could enhance storytelling. I used to focus on generating ideas that I could complete quickly, which I now recognise as avoiding challenges rather than facing them. This mindset limited my growth as an animator. I now understand that embracing complexity is necessary for improvement.

Character Study: Understanding Before Animating

Another highlight from today’s class was the emphasis on character study. Before beginning any animation or voice acting, it is important to understand how a character behaves and feels. This starts with imagining how the character would enter a room, based on their emotional state and personality.

We viewed an insightful video demonstrating this process:

This kind of pre-animation exercise helps animators gain a deeper understanding of the character’s traits and motivations. It not only enhances the quality of the animation but also saves time in the later stages, as the animator is already familiar with how the character moves and reacts.

Today’s session provided a deeper appreciation of voice acting, referencing, and emotional clarity in animation. It also made me more aware of the importance of preparation and character study. I look forward to applying these insights in the next stage of our project and to developing my skills further in this area.

Final Spline for Body Mechanics

In this version, I addressed the issues identified last week. As I progressed, I noticed a significant improvement, particularly after I began removing unnecessary frames and adjusting the poses. However, I could not help but feel that, given more time, I would have preferred to start over entirely. There were numerous problems throughout the process that made me realize the importance of more consistent practice. With stronger foundational skills, I believe I could reduce the number of mistakes and, in turn, make the cleanup and polishing stages far less frustrating.

Planning of Voice Acting

I have selected three dialogues for my voice acting animation project. Below are two of the primary choices I intend to use. The third dialogue, while still under consideration, may be too lengthy for the scope of this project and will be kept as a backup option.

For the first idea, I focused on incorporating the required emotional shift. I found this particularly challenging when it came to facial acting, which proved to be more difficult than body acting due to the need for greater subtlety and detail in facial expressions. Initially, I attempted to exaggerate the expressions to convey the emotion more clearly, but the result felt unnatural. After several adjustments, I was able to produce a version that more effectively captured the intended emotion and served as a stronger reference.

Unfortunately, I was unable to use the dialogue mentioned above, as it originated from an animated film. While we were advised not to select lines from popular movies, I hadn’t realized that this guideline also applied to animated films. I now understand that using such material can lead to unintended comparisons with the original performance, which may undermine the effectiveness of my own interpretation. This is an important lesson that I will keep in mind for future projects. As a result, I decided to shift my focus to the second idea.

The second idea is based on a segment from The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. For this reference, I aimed to enhance the staging and incorporate a dynamic rhythm shift—from fast to slow—to make the performance more engaging and visually compelling. I found this approach more effective and personally prefer this reference. I’m looking forward to moving into the blocking stage with this one.