Animation tests

[Paul91]

Hi, everyone!

Recently I started taking a little animation course and I've done two little animation tests in it. The first one is a simple walking cicle and the second one is a little more complex:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S12UyhXqvFs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSIAcjAm41M

I know they finish too quickly but, if possible, I would like some opinions on them. It would be very much appreciated! :)

[Rodney]

First... hello. I don't think we've officially met. :)

You didn't ask for anything in particular so I'll just dive into the opinion...

First animation
I like it. Cute little bird.
Solid walk.
I understand it's a basic walk... mission accomplished. If moving on from this I would love to see some additional personality applied to him. Who is he? What is on his mind? Where is he going? What could you add to that walk cycle that would further suggest his personality?

Second animation
A little too much going on to be able to tell.
After watching a few times and taking time to respond about your first animation here are my lingering impressions. If you have more specific questions I'll go back and look further.

This had something to do with a bowling alley.
Our guy winds up for the spin and lets it go.
Things don't exactly go as planned.

So, if that was what you intended, congratulations, you've communicated your story. :)

Suggestions for improvement:
- Isolate what is most important and keep my focus there
- Strive for clarity... If you colored everything in black silhouettes could you still effectively 'read' the story.
- Consider emphasizing either an Arc or a direct Line of Action from his launching point to the finale. While I think my subconscious picked up a lot here, rather than rely on my imagination I really want to see and experience your story. Arcing his trajectory would give us more time to see him go. A straighter line would signify more force.

Final thoughts: Thanks for that. They may be a little rough but as far as entertainment goes I enjoyed them. If you need more specific feedback let us know. :)

[Paul91]

Thanks a lot for the feedback, Rodney! It helped a great deal :D Glad to see you liked them and that you could give some good insight regarding them.

And yes, there's still a lot of stuff to correct, but that's part of the process right? Learning animation is so beautiful. I truly can't wait to learn more and maybe some day animate like Mr. Bluth himself. That would be a dream come true.

Again, thank you so much for taking time to reply! You don't know how much I appreciate it.

[Rodney]

I watched the guy with the bowling ball again...

He reminds me a little bit of Tintin (the comic book... not the new film). :)

[Paul91]

I watched the guy with the bowling ball again...

He reminds me a little bit of Tintin (the comic book... not the new film). :)

Hehe, it was the idea mainly. It was born from this little drawing I did not too long ago, where it took Tintin's classic pose but added a little tweak to it...

http://www.telltalegames.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=382&pictureid=2417

[Rodney]

Well, what do you know. :)

I haven't read Tintin since I was a kid but it made a very big impression on me. There were some elements that especially hit me hard with regard to the design elements. At the time I had no way of really understanding how to express how those elements were impacting me but I recognized it. One thing in particular that stood out was Herge's use of repetition to capture interest and then maintain it periodically.

He did this not only in the characters (the brother characters with the hats) but in the repetitive nature of the stories and story arcs as well. He got us to anticipate and look forward to the reappearance of the main character's in each story but always kept us guessing as to exactly when they would appear.

While not strictly a fan (I was more into Marvel's dynamic superhero style at the time), I was entirely captivated.

...and thusly, enjoy seeing Tintin's reappearance here. :)