ADVANCED ANIMATION / PROJECT 2 - JUMP ANIMATION
22/04/2024 - 22/07/2024 / Week 1- Week 14
Chew Zhi Ern / 0358995
Advanced Animation / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Project 2 / Jump Animation
INSTRUCTIONS
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LECTURES
Lectures: Refer to Exercises
PROJECT
PROJECT 2: JUMP ANIMATION
In this project, we will animate a cartoon jump sequence using the Snow or Rain character rigs in Blender. Animate a cartoon jump sequence by keyframing the extreme poses based on your study. Exaggerate the poses by pushing the line of action and maintaining clarity of the silhouette to achieve a cartoony look. Use a variation of timing (three speeds) to create interesting timing and apply moving holds to add clarity to the action. Ensure that the animation demonstrates quality in appeal, clarity, fluidity, and flexibility, with an emphasis on exaggeration for a cartoony effect.
After obtaining the rig, I looked for real human video reference performing the jump action.
Figure 1. Jump Reference
By closely observing it, I identified the extreme poses for the jump cycle, which necessary for a realistic jump, including neutral, anticipation, push up, jump (on air), contact (landing), overshoot, and recovery.
I then proceeded to animate the jump by keyframing the required extreme poses I had studied. To achieve a dynamic and engaging animation, I exaggerated the poses slightly, focusing on the line of action and ensuring clarity of silhouette.
I began the animation process by keyframing the extreme poses identified from the reference. During this phase, I focused on accurately capturing the nuances of a real human jump, ensuring each pose was realistic and fluid. I paid special attention to the body mechanics to create a natural and convincing jump.
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| Figure 2. Animating |
After completing the initial animation, I reviewed and refined it to ensure it demonstrated appeal, clarity, fluidity, and flexibility. To make the character's movement more fluent and realistic, I used the graph editor to adjust some poses, making slight changes where necessary to enhance the overall fluidity and realism of the animation.
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Initially, the frame rate was not set correctly due to following the video reference. After completing the animation, I set the appropriate frame rate to 24fps to ensure a smooth and consistent playback.
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| Figure 4. Frame Rate Setting |
Once I was satisfied with the animation, I moved on to setting up the lighting to ensure the scene was well-lit and visually appealing.
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| Figure 5. Camera Added |
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| Figure 6. Setting Up the Lighting |
Finally, I rendered the animation, making sure all settings were optimal. And here's the final outcome.
Figure 7. Output for the Jump Animation
FEEDBACKS
Week 13:
- Overall looks good. No need to show the side perspective, just focus on the 3/4 view. The pose looks great, and the timing is ok. However, the arm swing at the end appears stiff. I might want to try with the wrist movement and follow-through to make it more fluid. The body is fine, but if have time, try to avoid twinning when the character is about to jump. Can keep the timing the same but make the left and right legs slightly different to prevent uniformity. For instance, maybe can try to lift or move the left leg slightly up or forward. When the character lands, one leg could touch the ground a bit later to create a more dynamic effect. Overall, some improvements can be made to reduce the symmetrical look of the current poses.
REFLECTIONS
Working on the Jump Animation project was an amazing journey. Initially, setting up the Snow character rig in Blender was straightforward, but ensuring the animation accurately reflected a real human jump required careful attention. Observing the reference video provided a clear guide for capturing the various phases of the jump, from anticipation to recovery. As I animated the poses, I focused on maintaining realism and fluidity, aiming to translate the dynamic energy of the jump into the character’s movements. Adjusting the poses using the graph editor was particularly insightful, as it allowed me to fine-tune the animation for better fluency. The process was iterative, with multiple reviews and refinements to ensure that the final output met the desired quality.
Observations:
During the project, I observed that capturing the subtleties of human movement was more complex than anticipated. The initial animation required significant adjustments, especially after realizing that the frame rate set during animation was incorrect. The use of the graph editor was instrumental in smoothing out the movements and making the animation more realistic.
Findings:
This project revealed a need to enhance the realism of human movements in animation. Feedback from Mr. Kamal highlighted that movements, such as those of the legs and hands, should not be perfectly synchronized or overly rigid, as real human motion includes natural delays and variations. For instance, the hands and legs may not always be in the same position at the same time, which adds to the fluidity and authenticity of the animation. Moving forward, I will focus on incorporating these subtle variations to improve the fluency and realism of my animations.
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