Assignment description:
Using the animation technique of Inverse Kinematics (IK), students will create 2 animations.

The first is a walk of at least 5 steps in approximately 5 seconds. Students will use a pre-rigged figure for this part of the animation. The motion should include correct positioning of arms, legs, pelvis, shoulder and hip swing.

The second is an expressive scenerio by the figure. The main goal is to use gesture to communicate action, thought and motivation in the animation. Once the gesture animation is complete, exaggeration will be added to add character to the figure. Gesture is: a movement of the body, head, arms, hands or face that is expressive of an idea, opinion, emotion; any action intended for effect


Concept development:
The student will explore four of the twelve animation principles as defined by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnson in The Illusion of Life.

• Staging - presentation of any action or idea so it is unmistakably clear
• Follow-through - conclusion or completeness of an action; different parts of an object will move and resolve at different times
• Exaggeration- taking the essence of an action or emotion and making it more convincing without destroying believability
• Timing - the amount of time that an action will take, timing can define or imply weight, size or emotion

• Monday, November 13th
  Working in groups of four, students will create 2 scenerios for actors to perform as motion/gesture studies. Each scenerio should take 5-10 seconds for the actor to recreate. Describe what the action is, what the motivation is and who the character is.
  Tutorial on figure rigging.
• Wednesday, November 15th
  Video tape actors performing your scenerio, limiting the action to no more than 5-10 seconds and the total movement, walk+gesture, to no more than 5 secs
• Friday, November 17th
  Edit the acted scenerio with visible time code to VHS and then create a movie file that you will use as reference. (make sure each group member has a copy)
  Tutorial on Figure Rigging.
  
• Monday, November 20th
  Work on Expressive Scenerio
  DUE: Walk on class video tape
• Wednesday, November 22nd
  Work on Expressive Scenerio animation
• Friday, November 24th
  no class - Thanksgiving Holiday
• Monday, November 27th
  Critique of Expressive Scenerio animation
• Wednesday, November 29th
  Work on Expressive Scenerio animation
• Friday, December 1st
  Due: on Class Tape - Expressive Scenerio animation
• Monday, December 4th
  Due: on Class Tape and as QT Movie on Web - Expressive Scenerio animation

Things to think about:

• Pay close attention to the shifting of the body and weight and the coordination of the head, neck, shoulders, torso, legs and hips.
• What differences do you discover in contrasting weight distribution and body mechanics when the character moves from foot to foot?
• Pay close attention to how the skeleton changes body language (gestures) especially when the character appears to think (pause) and when he/she is in action.
• How can you use anticipation to help the action read?

Resources:
The Illusion of Life, by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston,
Walks: pages 346 - 347 Weight: pages 346 - 347

Muybridge's Complete Human and Animal Locomotion: Volume 1
Ascending Stairs: pages 346-349 Descending Stairs: pages 396-399
or look at the laser disc, Muybridge: Motion Studies







return to ID750 syllabus