This is a great method suggestion for our shooting.
This week’s task is to shoot a Close up reference video (FROM THE CHEST UPWARDS) and design and create an upper body animation.
I have found a reference video and plan to use this conversation to create my animation.
Part of Project 2
The work process of Project 2 this week is based on last week, adding some new scenes and props, and placing a character as a reference for the size of props.
Learned the lighting system in ue5, and increased the effect of fog
Learn how to import other textures, models, and materials
Added more objects in my scene to test
Summary of this week: Based on my reference images and preliminary design of the scene, create the scenes and props I need.
This week’s class content is to finalize this stage of the project and provide the final feedback. George gave me very detailed feedback and provided me with very clear improvement methods for my animation, which helped me better complete this animation project.
Feedback: Changing the rotation of toes and hand movements to a red line marked posture would be more appropriateFeedback: It would be better to add a position marked with the red line between the front and back movements of the body as shownFeedback: Changing the body posture to a position marked with a red line would be betterFeedback: Some rotations in the shoulder position, such as the red line marking, would be betterFeedback: Change the position of receiving the gun to the action marked with the red line, making the action more strengthFeedback: The legs should be changed to straight to make the movements more powerfulFeedback: The body should be tilted slightly to make the movement more consistentFeedback: the waist should be bent as shown in the red markings to make the movement more realisticFeedback: The arm posture should be bent as shown in the red mark in the figure, making the movement more realisticFeedback: The arm posture should be bent as shown in the red mark in the figureFeedback: The body should be pressed down in a turning position, as shown in the red markings in the figure, to make the movements more realisticFeedback: The body should be pressed down in a turning position, as shown in the red markings in the figure, to make the movements more realisticFeedback: The body should be pressed down in a turning position, as shown in the red markings in the figure, to make the movements more realisticFeedback: The right toe should be raised, as shown in the red mark in the picture, to make the action more realisticFeedback: The body rotation and arm posture have been changed to the red markings in the figure, making the movements more natural and smoothFeedback: add a pose to the body movement as marked in red in the picture to make the movement look more natural and smoothFeedback: This action maintains 2 frames of timeFeedback: Change the final posture to the action marked in red as shown in the picture
George gave me very responsible feedback, which was very clear and helpful, which led me to understand George’s feedback well and make modifications to my own animation with clear thinking, so that I was able to complete this animation project well.
Reflection:
During the weekly learning and feedback process, George always emphasized the importance of timing and the accuracy and rationality of posture. Reference videos are also very important and have reference significance. Animation is about getting better and better through feedback and modifications, ultimately making it smoother and more natural.
Part of Project 2
This week is the beginning of my project 2 scene production. Firstly, I created the sky, ground, lighting system and post process global settingsin UE5, to created my scene with a general layout.
Then I learned how to use the Foliage mode and use a plant brush to generate the plants I want on the ground.
Then learn how to use the shaders in ue5 and turn on the effect of wind, so that plants can be moved by the wind
Summary of this week: This week, I learned how to create a sky atmosphere environment and post process global settings, which is a great breakthrough for beginner. And learned how to make plants and shaders, and create special effects where plants sway in the wind.
This week, I completed my second blocking and received more feedback from George, which was very helpful for analyzing and providing feedback on my key animations.
Feedback: It would be better to refer to the red line markings for initial actions
Feedback: The second body action can refer to the appearance of the red line mark to twist the body, which would be better
Feedback: It would be better to refer to the red line markings for the third body and leg posture
Feedback: It would be better to refer to the red line marking for arm posture
Feedback: George suggested adding this pose as a connecting pose between the front and back movements, the animation would be smoother
Feedback: this pose as a later movement
Feedback: the rotation position of the arm, refer to the gesture marked by the red line is better
Feedback: The rotation movements of the body and feet, with reference to the movements marked by the red line, will be better, generating a force for body rotation
Feedback: The posture of the arms and feet during the rotation process is more appropriate to refer to the red line markings
Feedback: The posture of the arms during the rotation process is more appropriate to refer to the red line markings
Feedback: The arm’s movement has been twisted incorrectly and needs to be corrected
Feedback: The posture of the arm during rotation is more appropriate to refer to the red line markings
Feedback: There was an error or distortion in the left hand movement, which needs to be corrected
Feedback: It is more appropriate to refer to the red markings for the arm posture
Feedback: It is more appropriate to refer to the red markings for the arm posture
Feedback: It is more appropriate to refer to the red markings for the arm posture
Feedback: It is more appropriate to refer to the red markings for the arm posture
The task that I will continue to do this week is to continue modifying the blocking process and improve my animation based on George’s more detailed feedback.
Part of Project Two
The progress of Project 2 this week is to determine the script and preliminary references, and learn how to use the software of Unreal Engine 5. This has been very helpful for my future scenes production.
Trying to use the Unreal Engine and watching YouTube beginner tutorial videos, I learned the basics of using the Unreal Engine 5. And try to create some simple scenarios.
This week, we shared our ideas for our part2 projects, including inspirations, style references, character scene designs and so on, as well as everyone’s current progress and arrangements, each of us gave a brief personal presentation, we shared our ideas and George and our course leader gave us advice and comments, which I thought was a very good opportunity to show our projects.
In George’s class, he was very responsible in giving each of us feedback on our progress for the week. By breaking down the key actions of blocking, George gave us feedback and suggestions for improvement on each key action of our animation work.
Feedback: Suggest providing an initial standing posture
Feedback: Both legs should stand as marked by the red line
Feedback: The standing posture should refer to the appearance of the red line mark
Feedback: The standing posture should refer to the red line marking and tilt forward
Feedback: The standing posture should refer to the red line markings, tilt to the right, lift the right foot and hand
Feedback: The process posture should refer to the appearance of the red line mark, tilting and twisting the body to the right
Feedback: The posture and legs should refer to the red line markings, and the body should naturally move in an S-shape
Feedback: the arms and legs should refer to the red line markings to make the movement look more smooth
Feedback: The body rotation movement should refer to the red line markings to make the movement look more smoothFeedback: The body rotation movement should refer to the red line markings to make the movement look more smoothFeedback: The body rotation movement should refer to the red line markings to make the movement look more smooth
George provided very clear feedback, and my task this week is to make adjustments and modifications to my animation blocking based on this feedback.
In this week’s class, George explained to us the tasks and requirements for this term. He wanted us to choose a full body action reference after class and perform it ourselves and take a shot of it. Then, chose a model with binding and did the blocking of keyframe actions first.
I Performed a cowboy holding two guns and shooting three times in a row.
The free models downloaded from George’s recommended website have bone binding.
What is a breakdown? A breakdown drawing is a pose somewhere between two key poses that better shows the movement. Most animation moves are arcs, such as an arm waving, somebody bending, or a leg walking. All these movements are rotations. The breakdown pose is used to describe this curve better.
What must be understood and is crucial for your animation is that your breakdowns will be defined by the arcs and understanding what is directing the action. Arcs can be what sets apart the amateur from the professional. Try to plan your arcs out ahead of time if possible and don’t be afraid to change your arcs mid way if it makes you animation look way cooler!
Reflection: Through the content taught by George in class, I understand that the meaning of blocking plus is to simplify complex animation actions, first consider the accuracy of each key action point, and then smoothly connect the animation. This will make it easier and more accurate to create the animation, which is a very important step.
Through studying in George’s course, I learned the importance of camera shots, sets/props, character design, lighting, camera types, the value and role of their respective presence in animation, and how they interact and influence each other, are equally crucial and need to be considered.
Reflection
In the past, I was always hurried to start modelling and making animations, and it was easy for me to ignore whether the script was good or bad, whether the storyboard was clear and coherent, whether the character settings matched the character’s personality and mood, and whether I had a clear idea of camera placement. Through George’s course, I was able to go through the whole animation process from pre-production, mid-production and post-production. I realised that I had overlooked many essential parts of animation production, which are crucial to the way we create animation and affect the overall finish and final result. Now, through George’s course, I am clear that I should pay more attention to the script, character setting, camera language, storyboarding and other pre-production work, not to be hurried to make animation and modelling, but to clear my mind and make animation projects in order, which will help the animation process to run smoothly and reduce rework later.
In this blog I will summarise the final outcomes of the project, the process and the changes.This is our final video.
https://vimeo.com/808156376
And the following is the process showreel of my part.
https://vimeo.com/808187253
Team Members
MA 3D Animation
Yaxin Hou (y.hou0420211@arts.ac.uk)
Team leader
Storyboard
Scene
modeling
Textures
3Danimation
Lighting
Rendering
Sound
Qiaoqing Yu (q.yu0320211@arts.ac.uk)
Character
modeling
Scene
modeling
Rigging
Textures
3Danimation
Lighting
Rendering
Editing
Jiazhuo Tang (j.tang0420212@arts.ac.uk)
Character modeling
Scene modeling
Textures
3Danimation
Lighting
Rendering
Sound
MA 2D Animation
Yinyun Xu (y.xu0320215@arts.ac.uk)
scene design
2D animation
2D visual effect
Guowei Gou (g.gou0320211@arts.ac.uk)
Character design
scene design
2D animation
2D visual effect
The preliminary design of 2d students’ painting is very important to our conceptual design of animation. We have three 3d students modeling and animation together, work together, and complete the task within the specified time.
Story setting
This project is a promotional video for the game, mainly through the story of the little boy to tell the premise of the story, the hand that appears at the end of the short film, is the player with the task to find the little boy.
Our aim is to show the theme of anti-school violence through this game. The rabbit the boy holds at the beginning is a symbol of his former kindness. When he is hurt and attacked by others, he chooses to fall into the amusement park and all his former kindness is lost.
Pre-design
Our 2d members drew our animation’s characters and scenes design drawing through the story setting and reference we discussed.
Designed by Guowei GouDesigned by Guowei GouDesigned by Yinyun Xu and Guowei GouDesigned by Yaxin Hou
2d pre-design gives 3d production a great help and reference role, laying a solid foundation for the later modeling work to be carried out smoothly.
Modeling and Rigging
According to the 2d design drawing, we made a 3d model with Maya and ZBrush, and then made textures in substance painter. In addition, I used adv5 to rig the character in Maya.
Modeled by Qiaoqing Yu
The main character was modeled by myself, from the very first version to the current final version, and I kept modifying and adjusting it during the process by absorbing the opinions and comments of the group members, and finally creating the current model of the main character.
This rabbit model was also made by myself, modeled in Maya and textured in Substance Painter.
The gate scene was modeled by me and Yaxin Hou. There was not a lot of detail at the beginning, just large volume squares, and then I added a lot of detail in it.
These three models are all rigging by me.
I was mainly responsible for the animation of the first scene, including walking and watching. And the animation of walking and jumping in the second video.
I am responsible for editing videos in pr, importing all rendered images into video animation, and adding sound effects and background music to make the animation look more complete.
Finally, we worked together to complete an animation
The young boy has no friends and no fun after being bullied and isolated at school, and the rabbit is the only toy and playmate he ever had. Because of what happened to him, he longs for an amusement park where he can find friends and fun, in fact this is the site of his inner fantasy. He was attracted by the wide range of facilities in this amusement park and wanted to take possession of them. Finally attracted to the doll, a darker side of himself inside him, he eventually loses himself and is lost in the amusement park.
The rabbit abandoned outside the gates of the amusement park is the only goodwill and kindness he had left, and he has lost his good side and fallen.
The last player to appear is the one who goes on a mission to rescue him and bring the little boy back to reality from his lost plight.
But can the player really save him?
We appeal to preventschool violence, which will hurts everyone, please stop school violence!
This week’s task is to render the project file animation we have made. We render in the classroom. More than a minute and a half of the animation needs to be rendered, which is a large amount of work. We render the animation every day untilthe classroom close at 9:00.Fortunately we finished the rendering within the planned time frame.
