You are to animate a character of your own design in a slight 3/4 front view. The character is to stand for 1 second, then anticipate with a rocking action forward and back and then jump up and forward into the air. The character then lands on the ground and recovers and then pauses for 1 second.
The character is to use only their arms and legs to propel themselves forward. The character cannot take a step back and then jump. The anticipation should have a build up of two swings to it. The character must land on both feet in a controlled manner. Do not have the character bounce, roll, flip in mid-air, or fall in any way.
Shoot the animation as a line test showing 5 cycles, transfer to computer file as an .avi and submit for grading.
Be sure to label the file with your last name first and first name last, like this: lemaybrian.avi (but you would use your own name of course).
Check here for pencil tests and drawings from my in-class demo.
Principles Involved
• Thumbnailing
• Scene Planning
• Working from a given key pose
• Working from a given character design
• Keys
• Inbetweens
• Timing
• Slo in & Slo out
• Stretch & Squash
• Overlapping Action
• Effects of Gravity
• Weight
• Realistic Timing
• Use of Arcs
• Observation
• Flipping
Deadline
2 weeks
Grading
Assignment is worth 10% of the second semester grade
Animation will be graded in the following areas:
The animation must show appropriate squash and stretch, realistic timing, proper slo-in and slo-out on the arms, leg movements, torque, tilt, and twist in the pelvis and shoulders (if any) as per in-class lecture demonstration. Character must appear to have realistic weight on a proper one point perspective plane with horizon line at chest level when the character is standing.
Check here for a .pdf of major things to watch out for in this assignment.
Required Actions:
| • Anticipate | ___/4 | |
| • Jump forward | ___/4 | |
| • Landing | ___/4 | |
| • Recovery | ___/4 | |
| • On Model | ___/4 | |
| Total | ____/20 |
Graded Areas:
| • Strong Key Posing | ___/10 | |
| • Appropriate, Realistic Timing | ___/10 | |
| • Proper Anticipation | ___/10 | |
| • Action | ___/10 | |
| • Reactions | ___/10 | |
| • Overlapping Action | ___/10 | |
| • Weight | ___/10 | |
| • Balance | ___/10 | |
| Total | ____/80 |
(this assignment is worth 10% of your 2nd semester grade)
Get the .pdf version of the grade sheet.
This assignment is really all about anticipation, action, reaction and a ton of overlapping action.
When you go to the section on the examples from the in-class demos look at the drawings that I did which highlight the lines of action through
the character's body and see how they move, very similar to the action from the seaweed assignment back in 1st semester.