tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1435340282916901384.post4416983772152704051..comments2024-02-12T21:47:59.947-08:00Comments on Flip: Quick Trick: One Step At A TimeCameron Fieldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15240744907010870127noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1435340282916901384.post-90200500221291374612009-09-24T10:36:16.290-07:002009-09-24T10:36:16.290-07:00This is a great post and, even as a fairly new ani...This is a great post and, even as a fairly new animator, this is pretty much how I approach a new shot in my own way.<br /><br />One thing that I do is work on odd, or more specifically, prime numbered keys when blocking out my main poses. I'll just put a key on every 7th, or 11th frame so that when I do a breakdown I'm forced to choose which key I'm favoring.<br /><br />Mainly this is just a footnote to myself for later. When I'm timing out the keys I've already reminded myself which poses are favoring others visually so I can time out a shot more quickly.<br /><br />Also this keeps some asymmetry in my scene, which I often find as being more visually interesting.Drew Geremianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1435340282916901384.post-67970608010681579012009-01-17T08:29:00.000-08:002009-01-17T08:29:00.000-08:00This method is somthing that has certainly worked ...This method is somthing that has certainly worked for me, for years I'd been struggling untill I got a bit more organised with making sure I had all my key poses set up first. <BR/><BR/>After getting through my key poses and breakdowns I then found a useful tool to spread my keys out evenly across the timeline<BR/>(http://www.supercrumbly.com/archives.php?sid=183).<BR/><BR/>I then go linear on the keys and <BR/>look for any weird inbetweens. <BR/><BR/>Once' I rid myelf of any automated glitches, then I start spacing things out on the timeline.Nanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03057612039966517405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1435340282916901384.post-91639893281130119712009-01-12T01:21:00.000-08:002009-01-12T01:21:00.000-08:00Great advice! I find that I sometimes get lazy at...Great advice! I find that I sometimes get lazy at work and let the computer in-between for me, which of course looks terrible. Stepped keys really force you to get the poses right and this technique of pose first, timing later works great! <BR/><BR/>I'm a huge fan of the dope sheet in Maya, which some of my coworkers find odd (they prefer the graph editor). But the dope sheet helps me slide all of my keys around when I work with timing.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for posting your thoughts and tips on animation, it's a great resource!ericahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10387605190002948203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1435340282916901384.post-22142314037638945472008-12-09T18:27:00.000-08:002008-12-09T18:27:00.000-08:00Kristi --> Yeah, I see your point of view and c...Kristi --> Yeah, I see your point of view and comparison, I agree on that :).<BR/>Maybe I was thinking about some good animators I’ve seen around me, blocking their 3d animation (No interpolation, real step by step keys) with their timing already set (or very close to be). They sometimes even animate a simple ball or a cube before to found their rhythm before starting on their characters.<BR/><BR/>Keith -> well, I must say I NEVER tried this techniques for Lip-synch... But I will :). I usually make my own "exposure sheet" and then directly key and create my mouth movements at the right frame. I then animate all the rest (upper face and improve the mouth depending on what's visible on the shot).<BR/>Thx for the idea, strangely never thought of it, I will try :).<BR/><BR/>Cameron --> Thx again for the Original post and your clarifications/point of views.Nico.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14694826831676330807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1435340282916901384.post-84583117492113174032008-12-01T09:32:00.000-08:002008-12-01T09:32:00.000-08:00Thats an interesting point about the mouth shapes ...Thats an interesting point about the mouth shapes Keith.. I was thinking about that the other night ( how to work the sync into the blocking ) and your point makes perfect sense. Its capturing the facial gestures that is the key at this stage.Cameron Fieldinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15240744907010870127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1435340282916901384.post-37540812351857874612008-11-30T18:51:00.000-08:002008-11-30T18:51:00.000-08:00I was sold on this way of working by several great...I was sold on this way of working by several great 2d animators that I've had the privilege of working with over the years. It truly is a very 'traditional/2d' way of animating. The way to think of it is to treat each frame as just another blank sheet of paper on which to 'draw' your poses or breakdowns. But instead of a pencil you're pushing a puppet around in the software- but the principles and approach are the same. Step back and forth between your keys (drawings) quickly and it's just like a 2d animator rolling his/her drawings between their fingers as they work. After doing it long enough you can get good enough to even animate dialog this way. The key is to get the emotional face shapes where you want them and get the phonetic shapes somewhat close. After you time it out the emotional shapes will still read even if you have to adjust your phonetic shapes a little bit. And if you want to get super exact, just take the 15-30 minutes it takes to work out a good X-sheet (yeah, the paper kind). :)Keith Langohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12496328772372705317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1435340282916901384.post-84780568455494785242008-11-24T09:40:00.000-08:002008-11-24T09:40:00.000-08:00Thanks for the replies guys! its great to see so m...Thanks for the replies guys! its great to see so much interest here.<BR/><BR/>To be honest I think there might be a misunderstanding concerning how "the best" animators really do work. Its like artists, you have a vision in your mind that the great painters work fast, accurately and always have amazing ideas. The truth is that is totally inaccurate. So its the same with animators - you might imagine that the real talents at Pixar or wherever all block their shots in stepped, in perfect timing, with perfect poses, 100% of the time.. but this isnt true. One of my biggest surprises from the Pixar masterclass by Andrew Gordon was his insight into how many of the animators work - he said that roughly 1/3 of the animators block in stepped, 1/3 straight ahead and 1/3 layer their stuff. I think this just goes to show there is always a "preferred way" ( which ever way is easiest to direct and offers the most predictable results.. e.g stepped key blocking) but there is not and never will be a perfect or "correct" way.Cameron Fieldinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15240744907010870127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1435340282916901384.post-91128445139561480342008-11-23T22:15:00.000-08:002008-11-23T22:15:00.000-08:00I disagree, Nico. When I read this post, the first...I disagree, Nico. When I read this post, the first thing I thought was that here is a lesson learned from traditional 2D animation, and not "computer-y" at all.<BR/><BR/>When drawing your poses, you don't HAVE any inbetweens to begin with - it is naturally "stepped", and without any timing that you can view immediately. True, a great animator will know from long experience where the keys will be placed - the old Disney guys had to work that way, for example, because they couldn't see their work in real time at all until it was filmed, sent to the lab for processing and brought back to the studio for viewing days later.<BR/><BR/>The more recent traditional animators I have watched at work do their blocking exactly the same way as described here - draw keys and maybe a few breakdowns, shoot the stack of drawings with a video camera, and then experiment with the timing afterwards, using line test software.<BR/><BR/>Even if you do your initial timing as you go, I do recommend the stepped approach, because auto inbetweens can really muddy what you're doing.Kristihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17830524848087220070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1435340282916901384.post-42088571748561313462008-11-20T18:48:00.000-08:002008-11-20T18:48:00.000-08:00Well, I must say that it's my way to work when I w...Well, I must say that it's my way to work when I want to work on a pause to pause base...<BR/><BR/>This technique is very “computer-y” thought, I still think a good animator (and I’m not one of them) is usually able to take care first of his timing, and blocking it perfectly.<BR/><BR/>The solution you’re writing is still a really good advice for anyone who want to progress (in quality or speed) because it’s not that easy to do at the beginning and need real focused thoughts from the animator.<BR/><BR/>thx for sharing.Nico.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14694826831676330807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1435340282916901384.post-72278376565089667102008-11-20T11:17:00.000-08:002008-11-20T11:17:00.000-08:00Great post! I had Brandon in a class or two at Ani...Great post! I had Brandon in a class or two at Animation Mentor and he always had some of the cleanest and clearest blocking of anyone. I don't use this method enough...thanks for the reminder!Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15464049474065182092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1435340282916901384.post-10957490997145879532008-11-20T04:36:00.000-08:002008-11-20T04:36:00.000-08:00I like to do this do, I usually space things 10 fr...I like to do this do, I usually space things 10 frames apart and unless it's going to be a fast action, then I just do it every 4/5 frames. Then when I go to use the biped, it can't be stepped so that's aggravating but I still try to approach it as so.Philip Crowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07196863538650284471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1435340282916901384.post-83092857080598080222008-11-19T16:27:00.000-08:002008-11-19T16:27:00.000-08:00yeah this is a really good way to work, I don't do...yeah this is a really good way to work, I don't do this nearly enough. It's something Keith Lango taught me in one of his VTS's a while back and it really does help me make better animation....when I remember to do it and don't succumb to the urge to space everything out and put it in splined tangents as soon as possible.Josh Bowmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00457754196773423544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1435340282916901384.post-45713520334465065362008-11-19T15:02:00.000-08:002008-11-19T15:02:00.000-08:00Or you can use the keyboard shortcuts < and >...Or you can use the keyboard shortcuts < and > to step back and forth between keys in Maya :)Andy Lathamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04404988861331264759noreply@blogger.com