47 Ronin: A few of my shots in there :)

If anyone has been following the progress of this film I can tell you it was in post production for about 2 years....BUT it IS coming out, and now there's an official date! 26/12/13!!
Happy about this trailer, it shows some nice action plus a few of my shots are in this edit :)

Enjoy!

a longer "Frozen" Trailer

Enjoy :)

Horse Run Cycle animation with an animated camera!

Wanted to play about with animating a camera so I could quickly post a compilation of all angles to post online as I'm going to quickly jump onto another project that has a deadline and then come back to the horse to make it jump over a fence at a later date.  As always, I'll update progress and WIPs here....

Horse is Running!!!

It could still do with one more pass but I'm quite happy with my output using the layers technique, it isn't suited for everything but I can definitely see the benefits for cycles.

Here's the run cycle with the global keyed in Translate Z and the muted versions also.  I think I may try to get the horse to jump over a fence next and if I'm brave enough - come to a halt.

Comments and critiques always welcome as long as they are polite and objective :)

Horse Run Cycle progress....

It's not going horribly wrong, the layering seems to be working for me which just a few kinks to figure out.
I think I'll move onto fixing everything from the front now as the legs need to go in and out and I want to work with the shoulder muscles more for a heavier feel...

Horse Run Cycle started....

So, in being a little frustrated with my wolf walk cycle, I've got this horse run cycle on the go as well using the 'layer' technique I mentioned in an earlier pose.  So I've just got the main body controls and head moving now, but already I'm feeling more confident in this test than I did the wolf walk cycle.  Maybe this technique suits me better but time will tell, watch this space....

Quad walk progression Part 2, plus a new technique to try....

Well, the dog walk is just as frustrating as I thought my first go would be, plus with the particular rig I chose (whilst looking more realistic compared to a lot of cartoony rigs) hasn't got any controls for the head other than to rotate it, so no blinking, no nose controls, no ear controls, it leaves the head looking a bit flat and dead.  So I'm going to leave this walk as is for now as sort of a dummy walk for a dog, something that I can easily pick up and work from (animation layer-wise)....

So in my struggles, I looked for methods that other's use to do quad cycles, as unfortunately Chris Sokalofsky demonstrates on Vimeo, even though it is still a great tutorial with lots of helpful insights.  I found this very quick demostration by Virginie Michel d'Annoville and I think I'll try this approach to a quad cycle....

Quad walk progression...

Haven't had much time on this one yet thanks to a particular busy week last week, but I've started moving the back legs and offsetting some limbs etc

Next I'm going to take the stiffness out of his hind and mid section, and try to add a bit more 'bounce' to his walk after that....

Starting out on a Quadruped Walk Cycle..

I've started out on my next animation task I assigned for myself, a quadruped walk cycle.  For this animation I found a very basic rig to start off with just getting the principles right.  I believe this model was rigged by Raf Anzovin, but the link no longer works so I cannot share it out I'm afraid :/

Anywho, I am drawing reference and help from multiple sources, but I am very grateful to have found this tutorial to help simplifying my work flow and getting the most important elements down before fines-sing: https://vimeo.com/52587434

And I always revert back to the trusty Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams, some things are slightly out-dated ideas or techniques but the principles are still strong there, and it's always good to look back on....

And finally, this is how today went - a slow and steady start....

Disney release Sneak-Peak promo for "Frozen"!!!

There hasn't been much out there for Frozen yet, a few leaked concept designs and a whimper of a  trailer.  But this sneak peak, short and sweet as it is - has got me excited :) it seems good old fashioned slap-stick comedy is at large so far and I had my first giggle of the day watching these 2 characters....

Enjoy!

Moving on from the walk cycle....

So I've posted it on vimeo, but here's a much smaller version for this blog.
I'm happy with this but there are still areas I could have pushed more.  Maybe after all the tests I want to get done are complete I can come back and refine everything I've done before collating it into one show reel for prospective employers....

To render or not to render!?!

I may render today, I'm trying to force myself to move on from this walk cycle and try a quad and learn some new tricks.  But I'm really anxious! Going to have to hold my breath and jump I suppose. 

Here's some playblasts of where the whole thing is at....

More blinks and a few eye darts...

So it's turning out easier to figure out blinks and darts whilst she's standing still, Once I'm confident in doing this I'll move onto the blinks and eye darts for when she's walking towards camera.  I've also tried really subtly adding cheek movements (a big obvious one with the grin at the end of course), right now it's just to experiments with the blinks and if we move more of our face than I first thought when blinking.....

Progress.....

Week 1: Tutorials about the little things....

I'm at the stage of my animation where I feel comfortable with the body mechanics for now, I feel it's time to move on before this supposedly simple task consumes me and drives me to madness - such is my love of animation.

The thing I have looked at the least since completing my degree is making a character feel 'alive', I'm not running a puppet show I want you to feeeeeeeeeel for my characters, care about them as much as I do etc etc.
One massive thing that makes us alive are our eyes, we're constantly moving our eyes and blinking.  Research has found that we can blink between 2 - 50 times per minute depending on the circumstances - that's a lot to consider for your animation, you can't just make this person blink every ten frames, it's unnatural and repetitive, we blink for reasons.  We usually blink everytime we turn our head to protect our eyes from the dust and dirt throughout the head turn motion.  Also, our pupils don't just float around, they dart, we're always thinking and taking in information that surrounds us.  Have you ever tried to just stare someone in the eyes when you're talking to them? Do you not feel your focus drift from one eye to the other instead of encompassing both? Do you realise your focus keeps dropping down to their lips as they speak as well?  This might create a subtle triangle pattern, or maybe rectangle.
In light of all this information, are there any guidelines out there? I found a great tutorial, it led me to more tutorials by the same guy! And I'm not greedy enough to not share so here is a link:

https://vimeo.com/50135405

And here's my first go at a convincing blink, please note I've only added 1 blink for now and am working on the eye darts rest today....

Week 1: Walk cycle progress

I think it's time for clean-up and to start the finesse treatment and adding a little secondary animation, perhaps take the zombie unflinching look of death off of her face.  There are still things I'm agonizing over though I've been told to move on for my own sanity and so others can view it and give me feedback so that I can grow.
So here is where I have gotten to, please note the speed of which her hand comes up to rest on her hip, I smoothed out the glitchy type feeling but now it feels rushed.  Still a bit iffy about her shifting her weight.  But I'll have to move on and then come back to the whole thing with fresh eyes in a week or so after working on something else.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - Official Teaser Trailer RELEASED

very very bloody excited about this, it looks amazing!
I have friends who are very lucky to be working on this and I am completely jealous of course.  One of the best things I ever did was work on something I was already a fan of (the last 2 Harry Potter films), it's the greatest feeling.  Hopefully I'll get to work on more things I love but until then I'm still happy just being a fan of good work :)

Week 1: Stopping a walk cycle

Here is where I've gotten up to with my walk cycle, using the great Bonnie rig by Josh Sobel.
I'm kind of OK with the walk for now, but what I really wanted to do was make her stop and pose.  I've never thought about this process before and it's pretty tricky.  We as living creatures do not simply stop like a robot might.  We have to hold ourselves and re-shift our weight for balance and comfort (unless you're standing at attention).

As you can see, I'm not done with the arms.  And her stopping and posing is still really shifty, so I am going to try and make this more subtle today.

Good luck me....

Week 1: Remembering how to draw..

I used to draw every single day.  I didn't even think of it as practice or work, I was serious about drawing for comic books one day (before I realised I could make my drawings move of course).  Needless to say I was pretty chuffed at my skill back then, there weren't many in my class at primary school, secondary school or even 6th form who could draw very well.....so my ego grew - how stupid was I?

I made it to Uni, did a year diploma in Art foundation (media pathway) and then onto a 3yr animation course.  My 'skill' was put into perspective.  I wasn't the worst, but it wasn't as easy for me to shine, I had talented competition all around me.  So I guess I slowly shied away from drawing everyday, the drive to do it fading.   That's not even the end of it, wait until you reach a VFX house, maybe peruse some of your colleague's websites, and allow your jaw to drop.

So I am not the best anymore, far......FAR.....from it (as you can see with these quick phone snaps of some drawings (I'll scan them in properly at a later date), but at least I am inspired again.  If you ever feel a lack in motivation for painting or drawing, just walk into an art shop - I swear the smell of fresh brushes and oil paint made me pause.

So, without further ado and in keeping with my new 'show your mistakes' motto, here are 2 drawings I've done recently, and find below my own observations....

This is some sort of Samurai themed gal, it started off well proportion-wise, but in the end I find her pose kind of stiff and boring.  I used free flowing floopy lines for her hair and couldn't apply that to her body, too many rigid lines.

At least this little homage to Rogue from X-men is a little more exciting to look at.  Kind of went for a mid-air cross legged pose whilst removing her glove - very dangerous if you're near her.  But I couldn't get her arm at the back correct, the angle and shape seem very wrong.  Will have to look at poses like that more often and do some studies.

I have a bit of time off....

So, I am inbetween matchmove/rotoAnimation contracts again!  I am going to try and get some new animation out there (I think it's been about 5yrs since I've been brave enough to post anything - or simply because I got so wrapped up in being in VFX I neglected personal work).

This is the scary part now.  I went into one discipline, wanted to get really great at it before I moved on but have now lost touch with animating - especially my favourite, cartoony animating! 
It almost feels like I am fresh out of uni again, forgetting that I've been in the industry for 5yrs and have a nice number of films under my belt.  All that means nothing if you haven't kept up with your own personal development!   So I am doing the humbling act of going back to basics.  I need to get the 12 principles of animation down, but not only make a simple reel reflecting all of the 12 examples, oh no, there's too much competition out there now.  There are great online short courses spewing animators out left, right and centre.   If I had the means, I would simply take time off and do a few refresher courses.  Since this is something I have to save for, in the mean time I am left to my own devices.  Although I am lucky enough to have a great network of contacts since I have been around 4 VFX facilities now - never lose touch with your contacts, an occasional 'hey, how's it going?' can work wonders in the long run, and you may be able to repay the favour one day.

Now the even trickier part, I've never not had a job (even typing 'unemployed' makes me cringe).  My body is screaming at me to eat and play computer all day, catch up on series and there's also a mysterious urge to do DIY....
To keep myself in line, I have acquired the assistance of some animator friends to not only give feedback, but to also tell me off if I am slacking (some of us need a drill sergeant to get stuff done, I don't do well with people who try to butter me up).  I'm quite lucky in that respect, they care enough to tear themselves away from their own work to raise me up and keep me moving (metaphorically of course).   So, I'm going to write a journal of sorts of progression.  I've already started a new walk cycle so cannot show off any sort of early days blocking, but I will show progress from now.

One thing I have to get over is showing work, even if it's bad.  When I was still learning it was drilled into me to never show work until it's perfect.  After a few years of growing since then, I've realised (in my eyes at least), it will never be perfect.  It will be rough, mistakes will be made - even stupid ones.  When you reach the animation or film industry there will be people there to point out your mistakes all day long so get used to it, it's how you grow.  Why haven't I been able to apply this theory to my animation work?.... probably because I love animation, and it's scary as hell for someone to point out 'hey that pose could do with a little more weight' when it's like your baby.

Anywho, let's start with week 1.....

It's been aaaaaaaaages/ Cloudy with a chance of meatballs 2!

I've been a bit poo at this blog thing since winter hit.  No, I haven't been hibernating - but I have been jumping around VFX companies, and as such have commited all my attention to them and making good impressions and what not.
Actually have a stack of cool posts I wanted to make based on more animation news findings.  But let's start with this one....

USA Today released lovely artwork for "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2", looks like we'll be seeing a whole load of funny half animal/half food creatures, which can make for some fun story ideas.

Enjoy!