Character Animation

In this blog I will upload all of my notes, ideas and work throughout the semester.

PINTEREST LINK - https://uk.pinterest.com/raynevampix/computer-arts/

Week 1

Movement is everything for characters. Movement helps us relate to the character and be emphatic towards them.

In this module I will

Develop character animation ability
Research animators work
Build on my understanding of character design
Research personality through motion
Produce a short character animation
Practical classes that will improve my character animation toolkit

This week another student and myself had to present an idea and produce a short TV sting in the style of the old Mtv idents.

Week 2
Simplest ideas are the best.
It was suggested that I create a Pinterest page for character animation. I will need to look into this as I have never been on Pinterest before.

I should start creating sketches for character animation and upload it to this blog. The idea is to get all of my bad ideas out of the way first then build on the good aspects of my drawings.

For next week I need to design and create a short 10-15 second animation using two shapes. I must use the 12 principles of animation to create a short film and have some interaction btween my two shape characters, I can use any methods and software that I want.

I should create a character profile, and character sheets first then once the character of the shapes has been designed, I should then think of the story and begin production.

First I created a quick mind map to get down some ideas about what sort of personalities we would expect from various shapes. For example, a triangle is pointed so could be an aggressive character.

Idea: Moody square vs annoying circle.

Character profiles:

Name : Square
Age: Old, middle aged. Not elderly but not in the mood for childish mischief.
Build: Heavy, solid square, slow. It would take a lot to flip this guy.
Occupation: Office manager. He doesn't move very much and likes his peace and quiet. Maybe read a paper on his day off.
Relationship with the other character: Neighbors
Mood: Moody, grumpy and irritable. He wants to relax and have some peace and quiet.
Likes: Quiet. Cleanliness, Relaxing, and not being irritated by annoying bouncy circles.
Dislikes: Noise, mess. Any disruption to his routine.

Name : Circle
Age: Young, child-like, Mischievous.
Build: Lightweight, bouncy. Fast.
Occupation: Unemployed. Juvenile delinquent. Likes to annoy unsuspecting squares for fun.
Relationship with other character: Neighbors
Mood: Overbearingly happy all the time. He never stops. Relentless, like bugs bunny.
Likes: Games, funny pranks, giggling, bouncing, noise, messy activities
Dislikes: Quiet, cleanliness, relaxing. Routines.

Concept Sketches:

Quick Story Boards:

Final Animation created in 3DS Max.

Week 3:

This week after showing my animation to the class we were instructed to perform weird and wonderful walk cycles which were recorded on a video camera.
The purpose? For next week we have to design and animate a character's walk cycle.

I should think about the form and function of my chosen character's walk.
Research the aesthetics and appeal of the movement.
Create the character's personality through character sheets and poses.

Needed for my walk cycle animation:-

Character with arms and legs
A scene with ground
Possibly a simple prop

I should work it out on paper then focus on animation using software.

Week 4 - Drawing session

Blog entry:- Effective character (750 word report)

In this report I will analyse the character of Edward Elric, the lead protagonist of the Japanese manga and anime Fullmetal Alchemist, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood and several animated movies based on the series.

Edward Elric

Source - http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/fma/images/b/bc/Edward_Elric.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110526194029

I find Ed to be a very effective character within the source material for a number of reasons.

Edward Elric and his brother Alphonse lost their mother at a young age. The brothers attempted to bring their mother back to life using the power of alchemy but did not anticipate the equivalent exchange. Essentially, it was impossible to bring the dead back to life and they had to pay a price.
The failed human transmutation cost Alphonse his body in the ritual and Edward lost a leg.

In testament to Edwards love for his brother, he also willingly gave up his own arm as payment to bind the soul of his younger brother to a suit of armour so that he did not lose him forever.

Ed uses Alchemy to bind his brothers soul to a suit of armour

Source - http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090524023847/fma/images/f/fd/RuneAnime.jpg

Years later, the brothers travel the world together in the service of the military as state alchemists. The goal of the brothers is to gather alchemical knowledge that can not only restore their bodies but also to possibly bring their mother back from the dead.

Edward Elric is a very intelligent young man who is a naturally gifted Alchemist. Because of what happened to him as a child with the failed human transmutation, one perk that Ed gained was the ability to use Alchemy by simply clapping his hands together without the need to draw out a transmutation circle as most other alchemists do. He has a love of books and all alchemical knowledge. He has long blonde hair and yellow eyes and is mostly seen wearing his well-known outfit of black clothes with a red cloak which has a black alchemist’s symbol on the back.

Edward Elric - Fullmetal Alchemist

Source - http://www.comicbookreligion.com/img/e/d/Edward_Elric_2.jpg

Ed is quite small in stature compared to other characters and people his age. This is used comically in the series and is a very sore point with him. For instance, whenever a new character is introduced to the Fullmetal Alchemist, they often presume it is Alphonse in his metal suit of armour they are referring to and not the short little one.

Edward’s long blond hair even has a solitary spike at the front which stands on end, presumably to make him appear taller. Ed frequently gets very angry at being called small and often greatly over-exaggerates the situation by throwing tantrums and screaming things like "so-tiny-that-he-need-not-fear-being-crushed-by-a-boot-because-he-fits-so-easily-between-the-grooves-of-the-sole"

Someone called him small again...

Source - http://www.pureanimegallery.com/d/12434-1/ed-gets-mad-again.jpg

Another element of humour his character uses is an intense hate of milk. This is sometimes used as a joke in that the reason Edward is so small is because he refuses to drink milk.

These elements of humour, coupled with his overwhelming desire to restore their bodies presents Edward as a very strong character who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

The character does however have many flaws which add to his personality and in my opinion humanises him. Ed is exceptionally stubborn and prone to not following orders from his superiors in the military. He is very self-centred and egocentric, believing himself to be unbeatable, often at the cost of putting not only himself but his brother in danger. Ed is deeply sarcastic and blunt to the point of offence at many of the characters he meets, saying what he thinks and then acting without thinking about the consequences. He often points out flaws in others beliefs in topics such as religion and faith and claims superiority in alchemical science as his only salvation.

He is not however, without a heart. Edward can be very compassionate towards others, especially to those who are suffering. This is most likely because of the horrors he suffered at a young age which pulls out feelings of empathy. Ed would never ignore someone in genuine need for help and frequently urges people to stand up for what they believe in, a very admirable characteristic.

As he was disabled at a young age, Ed had to be fitted with artificial limbs called auto-mail by a friend in his hometown. He uses his alchemical knowledge to craft his auto-mail arm into a sword to battle his enemies and instead of remaining disabled and wallowing in self-pity, Ed capitalises on his new found strength and carries ever onward, never giving up hope of returning the brothers bodies back to normal. Again, he does not let his small size or his age deter him as he is very combative and never backs down from a fight.

Week 5 - Heavy Lifting
This week I had to create a short animation that shows centre of gravity and weight distribution.

Reference video:

I used this old video of myself flipping a 250kg tyre in my local gym as a reference for my animation.

Character creation

Final animation

Character Animation Project

Moodboard

Character designs and concepts

Rough sketch of Arc.

My first drawing of Arc Angel.

Poised for action.

Original animation.

For this project, instead of creating a new character from scratch I will be looking further into one of my own original characters. Back in August 2012 I created this simple flash animation in which the protagonist 'Arc' is surrounded by shade demons. For my project, I hope to remake this animation, adding in the experience in animating characters over the last three years since the original animation.