tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90194532015542911092024-03-18T14:21:53.890-07:00Animation BlogAlexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.comBlogger1248125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-82917966097594513862024-03-16T10:49:00.000-07:002024-03-17T03:34:06.195-07:00Animate a Telephone Ringing in Maya <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUylDt2rTkHBEIh9Dl5jgjCIw-v-95vXlNT1mNe3l-8xf6gUkmznqmgn64LlX6huPQjm2jVIUi1hEcaGoIXNqECPayBT-vvIvhXueN3fiH9A68xG_ttQ7wxN6jn9GwV4tOARa_miie5-NxeL2IAtOn8mxrVhfMHx2wZChXcIBd_0Jqwfakw7LTtPb_1af/s492/phoneRing.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="492" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUylDt2rTkHBEIh9Dl5jgjCIw-v-95vXlNT1mNe3l-8xf6gUkmznqmgn64LlX6huPQjm2jVIUi1hEcaGoIXNqECPayBT-vvIvhXueN3fiH9A68xG_ttQ7wxN6jn9GwV4tOARa_miie5-NxeL2IAtOn8mxrVhfMHx2wZChXcIBd_0Jqwfakw7LTtPb_1af/w400-h225/phoneRing.gif" width="400" /></a></div>In this very short tutorial (just ten minutes long) we show how to do some very simple animation - animate a Telephone Ringing. This tutorial is aimed at animation beginners in Autodesk Maya.<div><br /></div><div>Simple exercises are a great way to gain confidence in animation, starting with the basics to gradually build up your confidence and skills.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><b>Tutorial</b></div><div>Telephone Ringing Tutorial at YouTube.</div><div><b><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1QDfeksDxJI?si=U7B0BM9o08URfHFz" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></b></div><div><br /><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Work Method</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Start by going to <a href="http://Turbosquid.com">Turbosquid.com</a>, a great resource for free sets and props for animation. Search by "lower pries" and find a phone. Download anything Maya compatible (mb ma obj or fix files will all work).</li><li>Create a Project in Maya, and set to it.</li><li>Download the phone into your scenes folder.</li><li>Make sure that you can animate the handle of the phone. If you can't, go to mesh/separate to separate the handle from the rest of the phone.</li><li>Set your timeline to 51 frames</li><li>At frame 1, set a keyframe on the phone handle. Set another keyframe at frame 13.</li><li>At frame 15, lift the phone up in the air, and rotate it. </li><li>At frame 17, lift the phone up a bit further in the air, and rotate it the other way</li><li>At frame 19, lift the phone up a bit further in the air, and rotate it the other way</li><li>At frame 21, lift the phone up a bit further in the air, and rotate it the other way</li><li>At frame 23, lift the phone up a bit further in the air, and rotate it the other way. </li><li>At frame 25, bring the phone back to its starting position.</li><li>Then, copy the frames and paste them to make the phone ring again.</li></ul></div><div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i></div></div></div><div><i><br /></i></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-4480532459200783932024-03-07T02:03:00.000-08:002024-03-07T03:17:34.463-08:00Animate a UFO on a Motion Path<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYVC_3mx3fX1lsOq5ApOJln21fa9IME_2FHWcBGbTrtMJ3HiiyA-eS-f8dPj1kz2czoXnByB_DN_DsSlFK506XvdKp5E_ecmyJWXMKmdjgiPNzLt1kdDDqL9lHaArd9rl42TPWiBxGyoRIJsYGGwlJlTSwfO-_XhkfB1r1FYxlpb3_o-_lTWmOdmxix4q/s354/ufo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="354" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYVC_3mx3fX1lsOq5ApOJln21fa9IME_2FHWcBGbTrtMJ3HiiyA-eS-f8dPj1kz2czoXnByB_DN_DsSlFK506XvdKp5E_ecmyJWXMKmdjgiPNzLt1kdDDqL9lHaArd9rl42TPWiBxGyoRIJsYGGwlJlTSwfO-_XhkfB1r1FYxlpb3_o-_lTWmOdmxix4q/w400-h226/ufo.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Animate a UFO on a Motion Path</td></tr></tbody></table>In this short fifteen minute tutorial we show how to animate a UFO on a motion path - a very useful technique for animating anything moving through space - UFOs, aircraft, birds, and even fish. <div><br /></div><div>Motion Path animation is an important animation technique, and can be learned in a few minutes. The tutorial starts by searching for a free set and a UFO at <a href="http://turbosquid.com" target="_blank">Turbosquid</a> - free assets anyone can download. This tutorial is aimed at Maya beginners. <span><a name='more'></a></span><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>UFO Motion Path Tutorial </b></div><div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kp2AKMi3PbI?si=9d5BXUsebgdIYpTD" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOn-yN3umXKLJT1YDrWXB4GYlCd3B_zV0OEdYUSooO_NbXHO4oGEcmpzX4Yk2_4cNcct4yRMjZ4ydDws_180K0ETuX54-Nb5x3j1_4vQdZGfuExTxDScDABdCjiBE9VEqNs1OElk_o-ne-99TrzetXc5Wl_58V0AFxJX78F7EryVnopESy9JGWSV-l68E/s1899/UFOMoPath.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1899" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOn-yN3umXKLJT1YDrWXB4GYlCd3B_zV0OEdYUSooO_NbXHO4oGEcmpzX4Yk2_4cNcct4yRMjZ4ydDws_180K0ETuX54-Nb5x3j1_4vQdZGfuExTxDScDABdCjiBE9VEqNs1OElk_o-ne-99TrzetXc5Wl_58V0AFxJX78F7EryVnopESy9JGWSV-l68E/w400-h223/UFOMoPath.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Work Method</b></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Start at Turbosquid.com and search for the "cartoon land" set - this is the set we are using in the tutorial. Search for a UFO, sort by lower prices, and download one of the many free UFOs</li><li>Create a project and set to it; name it "UFO_motionPath</li><li>Make sure you are in the Animation Menu (top left)</li><li>Create a shot camera so you know what the camera view will look like </li><li>In the Orthographic Top View, use the CV Curve tool to create a motion path. Make sure NURBS CVs and NURBS Curves are turned on in your Maya Viewport. </li><li>Right click on the Curve and select Control Vertex so that the Control Vertices (CVs) are visible. Adjust the CVs of the motion path so that it is smooth and flowing.</li><li>Set your timeline from Frame 1 to Frame 99 - around four seconds. </li><li>Attach your UFO to the Motion Path. Select your UFO, then Shift select your Curve, and go to Constrain/Motion Paths/Attach to Motion Path.</li><li>Adjust the animation in the Graph Editor</li></ol></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Lighting & Rendering</b></div><div>To light and render your UFO, watch the two mini tutorials below:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/10/basic-lighting-in-arnold-physical-sky.html" target="_blank">Basic Lighting setup in Arnold with Physical Sky</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/10/export-render-sequence-in-arnold.html" target="_blank">Export a Render Sequence in Arnold</a></li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div></div></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-28172223149661559272024-02-27T09:09:00.000-08:002024-02-27T09:09:57.835-08:00Infinity Curves with Offset in Maya<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pLG0UqkdINc?si=bWN5YYvQm3UMYCeM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>In this very short tutorial (just two minutes long) we show how to use "Infinity Curves with Offset" in Maya. Let's say you animate a character taking two steps across the screen, and you want to replicate the action. By using Infinity Curves with Offset, you can replicate the motion automatically, and have the character take as many steps as you like. Once you're done, you can bake your curves, and then edit the shot. </div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><b>Locomotion Resources at Animation Apprentice</b></div><div>We have many resources at Animation Apprentice for animating walks:</div>
<p></p><div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNEuAEUqR-soMUSeEa2igDERERF-S5Af2jt-mxU4tBSvAN7BP6Ko5lxQihI0fpqQis8csBiZ2S2w89TxlsQ_tvkfy12g-KxP3iy3gzqiCWp4yB7-1Hdq94-yji7qK7nOdJFhvBzdUtmjghBQgb82mbCqH9jMU0aUFIquL0M0fpboPxp73RS974U-CkUg/s2326/montyWalk.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="2326" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNEuAEUqR-soMUSeEa2igDERERF-S5Af2jt-mxU4tBSvAN7BP6Ko5lxQihI0fpqQis8csBiZ2S2w89TxlsQ_tvkfy12g-KxP3iy3gzqiCWp4yB7-1Hdq94-yji7qK7nOdJFhvBzdUtmjghBQgb82mbCqH9jMU0aUFIquL0M0fpboPxp73RS974U-CkUg/w400-h224/montyWalk.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Animate a walk cycle with "Monty"</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><div><ul><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/05/bio-motion-lab-walker-and-animating.html" target="_blank">Character Walks with the Bio Motion Walker</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/11/how-to-fix-floaty-walk-cycle.html" target="_blank">How to Fix a Floaty Walk Cycle</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2017/03/how-to-stop-feet-sliding-in-walk-cycle.html" target="_blank">How to stop feet sliding in a walk cycle</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/08/why-animators-need-treadmills-for-walk.html" target="_blank">Why animators need treadmills for walk cycles </a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/11/why-walk-cycles-need-sine-waves.html" target="_blank">Why Walk Cycles Need Sine Waves</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2019/10/character-walks-animating-zig-zag-walk.html#more" target="_blank">Animating the "ZigZag Walk" on "The Thief & The Cobbler" </a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/11/two-ways-to-make-walk-cycle-which-is.html" target="_blank">Two Ways to Animate a Walk Cycle - Which is Best?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/08/character-walks-by-alexander-savchenko.html" target="_blank">Character Walks by Alexander Savchenko</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/03/why-animators-should-always-take-two.html" target="_blank">Why animators should always take two steps</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/07/character-walk-reference-for-animators.html" target="_blank">Character Walk reference by Houman Sorooshnia</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2017/09/100-ways-to-walk-by-kevin-parry.html" target="_blank">100 Ways to Walk by Kevin Parry</a></li></ul><div><br /></div><div><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div>
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</div></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-788937919346643182024-02-26T05:10:00.000-08:002024-02-26T07:49:24.057-08:00Phone Booth Pantomime Shot<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q5yNIhUMvNk" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> <div><br /></div><div>Animators need to tell a story without words, to create "pantomime" animation. The art of pantomime is that the audience should understand the story being told without words. In the example above, by Joshua Reynolds, Joshua tackles the "Phone Booth" exercise, in which the animator must tell the story of a phone call silently, just using body language and expressions, communicating to the audience what the character is thinking and feeling. Start by thinking about <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2019/04/why-animators-should-always-tell-story.html" target="_blank">the story you want to tell</a>. Then, act it out, draw some thumbnail sketches, and pose out the shot. Make sure the character poses tell the story clearly. <div><div>
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<a name='more'></a></div><div><b>Planning The Phone Booth Shot</b></div><div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGwKhAmwv91AbAcfib9czWm226TatIW1gst-dTLlyshHnO4v3vHFrf3RuZzd9rBgt7B8Hm3UH8WhRVxh7SYLaPnfZIGpXWi_U-S7btWmjUze9SEFXL5S2zc4wKiArvpNo7yNgE3F3gIAf19aE3EcRfjLC2ByZxI5SQSbeVC8Fu6YRuIaWybUHlkhuJyg/s2548/Kayla_LoRez.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1432" data-original-width="2548" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGwKhAmwv91AbAcfib9czWm226TatIW1gst-dTLlyshHnO4v3vHFrf3RuZzd9rBgt7B8Hm3UH8WhRVxh7SYLaPnfZIGpXWi_U-S7btWmjUze9SEFXL5S2zc4wKiArvpNo7yNgE3F3gIAf19aE3EcRfjLC2ByZxI5SQSbeVC8Fu6YRuIaWybUHlkhuJyg/w400-h225/Kayla_LoRez.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pantomime animation with "Kayla" by Joris Van Laar</td></tr></tbody></table>There are six steps to planning the "Phone Booth" shot:<br />
1. Think about the shot; <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2019/04/why-animators-should-always-tell-story.html" target="_blank">what is the story you want to tell</a>? Write down the conversation. <br />
2. Act it out. Film your self acting out the scene, and use this footage to find the key poses.<br />
3. Draw thumbnail sketches based either on your imagination or (best of all) on your acting. Make sure the thumbnail sketches tell the story of the shot. <br />
4. Use your thumbnail sketches to create your key poses in Maya.<br />
5. Break down your key poses (the Tween Machine is very useful for this) by adding breakdowns.<br />
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6. Spline and refine.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Phone Booth Animation by Nick Dimitriadis</b></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QfbNTfQaJ8g?si=TqCXZD5bG2DDuDCX" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>
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<b><b>1. Think About Your Shot</b></b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaOX9pxr3GD16alh7KGoIWV4KKNuGilAr7vJ34eWaafcIUnpnJ0ljROdKy1l07QqvJymiaONaI_esbvtIjiQHrAFpNp6rBI69UX_OYSr4sNtmSXTHL8SQLbgM7_O0g9x4qRc0CKQ5sGE37cpj-rTlgMcaD2SvxQNmQeeBZMLtaw-i5jFcyrXM1n_yiTYmZ/s1567/phoneBoothThumbs_LoLoRez.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="926" data-original-width="1567" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaOX9pxr3GD16alh7KGoIWV4KKNuGilAr7vJ34eWaafcIUnpnJ0ljROdKy1l07QqvJymiaONaI_esbvtIjiQHrAFpNp6rBI69UX_OYSr4sNtmSXTHL8SQLbgM7_O0g9x4qRc0CKQ5sGE37cpj-rTlgMcaD2SvxQNmQeeBZMLtaw-i5jFcyrXM1n_yiTYmZ/w400-h236/phoneBoothThumbs_LoLoRez.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tell the story in thumbnail sketches</td></tr></tbody></table>Think about the shot. Write down the story as a conversation between two people. What are they saying? <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2019/04/why-animators-should-always-tell-story.html" target="_blank">To see why animators need to tell a story, read this blog post</a>.</div><div><br /></div><b>2. Act it Out</b></div><div>Film your self acting out the scene. <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2024/02/great-tripod-for-filming-animation.html" target="_blank">We recommend this inexpensive tripod to film yourself acting out the shot</a>. To <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/10/using-live-action-reference-for.html" target="_blank">see why animators need to be actors, and how to use live action for animation, read this blog post</a>. <div>
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<div><b>3. Draw Thumbnail Sketches </b></div><div>Draw small sketches based on your imagination or (best of all) on your acting. Make sure the thumbnail sketches tell the story of the shot. We have <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/08/why-animators-need-thumbnail-sketches.html" target="_blank">lots of blog posts on the importance of thumbnail sketches</a>. </div><div><br /><b>4. Use Your Thumbnail Sketches to Create Key Poses</b></div><div>Import your thumbnail sketches onto an image plane in Maya, and start making poses on Stepped Curves. To see<a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2022/01/why-animators-need-stepped-curves.html" target="_blank"> more about Stepped Curves and how to use them, read this blog post</a>. At this point your animation might look something like this:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Phone Booth Blocking on Stepped Curves by Nick Dimitriades</b><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JRBuldxyQm0?si=BBqmkF3vXCcJNcxG" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><div><b>5. Break Down Your Key Poses </b></div><div>Now you need to add Breakdown poses. The <a href="https://github.com/The-Maize/tweenMachine" target="_blank">Tween Machine</a> is a very useful tool for this you can <a href="https://github.com/The-Maize/tweenMachine" target="_blank">find the updated version of the Tween Machine here</a>. To see how to use the <a href="https://github.com/The-Maize/tweenMachine" target="_blank">Tween Machine, read this blog post.</a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><b>6. Spline and Refine</b></div></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuD6Du52UkoFl7z4B2k12pdQAtPOAyG4tIeophbB3uuw-O2y1BUCP1UJ_jlPD4oHcw24auSfkCACEuSh0rjLdmb_8P2_V13ccKCGVFFEhwT0YmaYfqATyfwJOKtmmr7yhqHbOX4quR12TKt2vaxB65EwY-9dKo53fEOUUUSlkJTYzXKh1jP1mysxgvqr0c/s520/Screen%20Shot%202013-02-22%20at%2011.21.24.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="363" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuD6Du52UkoFl7z4B2k12pdQAtPOAyG4tIeophbB3uuw-O2y1BUCP1UJ_jlPD4oHcw24auSfkCACEuSh0rjLdmb_8P2_V13ccKCGVFFEhwT0YmaYfqATyfwJOKtmmr7yhqHbOX4quR12TKt2vaxB65EwY-9dKo53fEOUUUSlkJTYzXKh1jP1mysxgvqr0c/w279-h400/Screen%20Shot%202013-02-22%20at%2011.21.24.png" width="279" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phone Booth pose by Nick Dimitriades</td></tr></tbody></table>Now you need to refine your shot on Spline curves. To <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/10/when-should-animators-spline-their.html" target="_blank">find out more, read this blog post</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Phone Booth Tutorial</b></div><div>To see the Phone Booth tutorial, watch the videos below:</div><div><br /></div><div>Phone Booth Part 1</div><div><a href="https://vimeo.com/887979215">https://vimeo.com/887979215</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Phone Booth Part 2</div><div><a href="https://vimeo.com//887979378">https://vimeo.com//887979378</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Phone Booth Part 3</div></div><div><a href="https://vimeo.com/887979498">https://vimeo.com/887979498</a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Planning and Blocking Animation</b></div><div>To see more resources on Planning and Blocking Animation, read these posts:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/10/how-to-animate-dialogue-shot.html" target="_blank">How to plan a Dialogue Shot</a></li>
<li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/05/how-to-block-out-and-plan-creature.html" target="_blank">How to block out and plan Creature Animation</a></li>
<li>How to use the <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2014/06/what-is-tween-machine.html" target="_blank">Tween Machine</a></li>
<li>Why <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/01/why-animators-should-draw-facial.html" target="_blank">Thumbnail Sketches need Facial Expressions</a></li>
<li>How <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2015/04/how-do-animators-plan-their-shots.html" target="_blank">do Pixar Animators plan their shots?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2019/11/pixar-animation-workflow-by-michal.html" target="_blank">Pixar Animation Workflow with Mike Makarewicz</a></li>
<li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2014/12/thumbnails-glen-keane-and-secret-of.html" target="_blank">"Little Mermaid" Thumbnails by Ruben Aquino</a></li>
<li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2019/07/dialogue-and-lipsync-tutorial.html" target="_blank">Lipsync & Dialogue Tutorial</a></li>
<li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/04/why-animators-need-snappy-timing.html" target="_blank">Why animators Need Snappy Timing</a></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div>
<i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i></div>
</div>
</div></div></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-3520076378296062582024-02-23T11:14:00.000-08:002024-02-27T07:53:31.880-08:00How to Install and Use the Parent Master Plugin<div class="separator"></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aoze1GnSXZg?si=fU7ehEPyZNNixusz" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>In this short video we show how to install and use the <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-parentmaster-great-free-plugin-for.html" target="_blank">free Parent Master Plugin for Autodesk Maya</a>. The Parent Master plugin is a useful tool that allows animators to attach and un-attach objects easily and quickly. Here at Animation Apprentice we've been using it and recommending it since 2014. The plugin is a Python script created by Paolo Dominici and has recently been updated for py3. Watch the video above to see how to install it. You can also <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-parentmaster-great-free-plugin-for.html" target="_blank">read our original blog post here from 2014</a>. You can find the <a href="https://apps.autodesk.com/MAYA/en/Detail/Index?id=3374365102069298437&appLang=en&os=Win64" target="_blank">PM official site here</a>, and <a href="https://www.paolodominici.com/products/zvparentmaster/" target="_blank">also find the latest version at Paolo Dominici's site here</a>.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><b>Parent Master Plugin</b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn13bmRptq8LSPT9-K2Nk79bL7LyNsxtMC_0tQuZfltFx1H428uvA01T33lWg1JqvQEPIZCb3lE7xS0URYcNa_f5WHo8rTrRya-7daLIY2DLyTPA_NerLoe1c-OpxGRNTc4xXgzZIQWib1kNkv7G5TeZqIbcvbfI-C809fqiZsQPM0haG8v4qYGvnOTtKi/s80/zv.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="80" data-original-width="80" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn13bmRptq8LSPT9-K2Nk79bL7LyNsxtMC_0tQuZfltFx1H428uvA01T33lWg1JqvQEPIZCb3lE7xS0URYcNa_f5WHo8rTrRya-7daLIY2DLyTPA_NerLoe1c-OpxGRNTc4xXgzZIQWib1kNkv7G5TeZqIbcvbfI-C809fqiZsQPM0haG8v4qYGvnOTtKi/s1600/zv.png" width="80" /></a></div>To find out more about this super useful tool, <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-parentmaster-great-free-plugin-for.html">read our original blog post about the Parent Master from 2014</a>. To <a href="https://www.paolodominici.com/products/zvparentmaster/">find the latest version of the PM, visit Paolo Dominici's site here</a>. <br /><br /><b>Installation of The Parent Master</b><br />To install the PM, follow the steps below:<div><br /></div><div><div>1. Place "zvparentmaster" in your scripts folder.</div><div> It should be something like this:</div><div> Win: "C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents\maya\scripts"</div><div> Mac: "/Users/USERNAME/Library/Preferences/Autodesk/maya/scripts"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinj70f_pQaDXEZacQaXOhwZzvmF5Rw3PvUDCRwj29rKjCOA5q5t9pGaegkFaHX2xncMGp73n5rKsQ3JlAq9ac_QPgLXg1pxdG6I98bk1G0fHbyQj-3F4NGG_rD1_PST7CJtkDLy400MFNro0LJ4KCUn-NRgy6hQrtlwOdTHhzvF32PJGP2-5zhLChq37TK/s776/Screenshot%202024-02-27%20at%2012.59.54.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="776" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinj70f_pQaDXEZacQaXOhwZzvmF5Rw3PvUDCRwj29rKjCOA5q5t9pGaegkFaHX2xncMGp73n5rKsQ3JlAq9ac_QPgLXg1pxdG6I98bk1G0fHbyQj-3F4NGG_rD1_PST7CJtkDLy400MFNro0LJ4KCUn-NRgy6hQrtlwOdTHhzvF32PJGP2-5zhLChq37TK/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-27%20at%2012.59.54.png" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>2. In Maya open the Script Editor and go to the Python tab, copy and paste these two rows below:</div><div>import zvparentmaster.ui</div><div>zvparentmaster.ui.show()</div><div><br /></div><div>3. Highlight it and click on "Save Script to Shelf...", give a name and click "OK".</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><b>Technical Help at Animation Apprentice</b></div><div>We have many free resources on how to make the best use of Maya at Animation Apprentice. To find out more, follow the links below:</div><div><ul><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2024/02/how-to-import-image-plane-in-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Import an Image Plane into Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2024/01/how-to-use-infinity-curves-in-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Use Infinity Curves in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2024/01/how-to-troubleshoot-animation-curves-in.html" target="_blank">How to Troubleshoot Animation Curves in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/animating-with-mayas-motion-trail-tool.html" target="_blank">How to Use the Motion Trail Tool in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/how-to-use-layer-editor-in-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Use the Layer Editor in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/free-tutorial-copying-pasting-curves-in.html" target="_blank">How To Copy and Paste Curves in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/no-audio-in-maya-playblast.html" target="_blank">No Audio in Maya Playblast? How to Get The Audio Back</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2022/11/why-has-arnold-disappeared-from-maya.html" target="_blank">Why has Arnold Disappeared from Maya?</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7blRdGlpLu6pxrJgqaF0dl21nl34ckzA8NiZw1uuqGP71bDMsUzv1q1NZ_1zszpN8HUwnJht-IKoLNqrJSPLDT26LrZng6iywKP2lM0x6GrBNRgUYCn7D-Z5pTEmuuJygqkiIZP4O8PsCQInmXoz_4Gd16TGoyGj57yX02bKiIxdzMFOjxngdH9n2wFy/s1100/Autodesk-Maya-Logo-2016.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="1100" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7blRdGlpLu6pxrJgqaF0dl21nl34ckzA8NiZw1uuqGP71bDMsUzv1q1NZ_1zszpN8HUwnJht-IKoLNqrJSPLDT26LrZng6iywKP2lM0x6GrBNRgUYCn7D-Z5pTEmuuJygqkiIZP4O8PsCQInmXoz_4Gd16TGoyGj57yX02bKiIxdzMFOjxngdH9n2wFy/w400-h115/Autodesk-Maya-Logo-2016.png" width="400" /></a></div></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/07/what-kind-of-laptop-to-buy-in-2021.html" target="_blank">What Kind of Laptop Should I Buy to Run Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/11/how-to-solve-technical-problems.html" target="_blank">How to Solve Technical Problems</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/02/six-tips-to-make-maya-work-faster.html" target="_blank">Six Tips to Make Maya Run Faster</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-great-free-script-to-toggle-control.html" target="_blank">Free Script for Maya to Toggle Control Curves On and Off</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/05/how-to-load-3ds-max-files-into-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Load 3DS Max Files Into Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/04/how-to-make-playblast-in-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Make a Playblast in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/03/how-does-graph-editor-work.html" target="_blank">How to Use the Graph Editor in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/10/export-render-sequence-in-arnold.html" target="_blank">Export a Render Sequence in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2019/09/autodesk-launches-maya-indie-license.html" target="_blank">Autodesk Maya Launches "Indie License"</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/04/maya-education-licenses-free-from.html" target="_blank">How to Get Your Free Maya License</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/02/no-audio-playback-in-maya-2020.html" target="_blank">No Audio Playback in Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/03/how-to-use-gird-in-autodesk-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Use The Grid in Autodesk Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/07/introduction-to-maya-interface.html" target="_blank">Introduction to The Maya Interface</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/07/should-you-run-latest-version-of-maya.html" target="_blank">Should You Run the Latest Version of Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/05/studio-library-free-tool-for-managing.html" target="_blank">Studio Library Tool</a></li></ul></div></div><div><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-15375115632561139312024-02-21T03:04:00.000-08:002024-02-22T08:25:15.337-08:00Animate a "Sneaky Walk" with Monty<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSwPJqAUxP8ityTFUUI5UFipZiRMagDZVhPqfvgbdV7W35L2vUCm3PYkTWb9w5np8aQEL_nXTAbkti1cKiZcUSBTPGi-pBnMSwkEdsHqsRqPdsTwefizxxrQOYiUTB2cjAZy3PdNv8mz2txIjW0tKfpvPRvy3LPJlkL-trcItV90VtgKYY0Sp6oC0rdX-x/s354/montySneak.gif" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="354" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSwPJqAUxP8ityTFUUI5UFipZiRMagDZVhPqfvgbdV7W35L2vUCm3PYkTWb9w5np8aQEL_nXTAbkti1cKiZcUSBTPGi-pBnMSwkEdsHqsRqPdsTwefizxxrQOYiUTB2cjAZy3PdNv8mz2txIjW0tKfpvPRvy3LPJlkL-trcItV90VtgKYY0Sp6oC0rdX-x/w400-h226/montySneak.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sneaky Monty</td></tr></tbody></table>In the video tutorial below we show how to animate a sneaky walk with "Monty" the green pea. <br /><br />To complete the tutorial, first start with a <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2024/02/animate-walk-cycle-on-spot-with-monty.html">Basic Walk with "Monty" - which you can learn how to do here. </a> <br /><br />Then, as with our other character walks tutorials, adapt the basic walk to give it character and personality - in this case a "sneak". <p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><b>The "Sneak"</b> <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacct4l_vrQ02gkr6zlOMW8jqF2gOSehgYE1N_X4KgHmy9sHJsS7ZTVnIZwCeh7gMnZHioTLwT9u9y2MQ2kObYBE6H1pBVgIC39y6vGYfq-AlUxRd5tC1qeB7-Rdu9ZVEAs_5tSw-g92TIT2srtN1fyL4K2UfW-5QePVtWY4R6waq1LZA-RPyhQDXQdJUm/s2702/16framecycleMonty_LoRez.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1305" data-original-width="2702" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacct4l_vrQ02gkr6zlOMW8jqF2gOSehgYE1N_X4KgHmy9sHJsS7ZTVnIZwCeh7gMnZHioTLwT9u9y2MQ2kObYBE6H1pBVgIC39y6vGYfq-AlUxRd5tC1qeB7-Rdu9ZVEAs_5tSw-g92TIT2srtN1fyL4K2UfW-5QePVtWY4R6waq1LZA-RPyhQDXQdJUm/w400-h194/16framecycleMonty_LoRez.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>To turn a basic walk into a sneaky walk, we have to slow the walk down, add more up and down motion on the body, lift the feet up higher - and generally make the walk feel "sneakier". With a few small changes we can radically change the character and personality of the animation.<div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Start with a Basic Walk</b><div>To get started, first animate a <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2024/02/animate-walk-cycle-on-spot-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Basic Walk with "Monty" - which you can learn how to do here</a>. To do this, follow the thumbnails on the right hand side. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DmbX1nj-KHb3o23vSHnCiquNE7KPTrXyYPorYD6iLlxG8nZ5WeOnP4FGwpIU1hQySPjTB2ZOvYGa8O_EHvWWkXOLMz_1dtm4nkL7knLUoZfYT0XuwUjapzZ6vTYhGoqecT3xRDLDGlo1spxOTn27JSrBe8VSByeFZC_3SkM0gaFbu2RTe08UlJpKYyGs/s3654/montySneak_LoRez.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1218" data-original-width="3654" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DmbX1nj-KHb3o23vSHnCiquNE7KPTrXyYPorYD6iLlxG8nZ5WeOnP4FGwpIU1hQySPjTB2ZOvYGa8O_EHvWWkXOLMz_1dtm4nkL7knLUoZfYT0XuwUjapzZ6vTYhGoqecT3xRDLDGlo1spxOTn27JSrBe8VSByeFZC_3SkM0gaFbu2RTe08UlJpKYyGs/w400-h134/montySneak_LoRez.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div><b>Basic Walk - 32 Frames</b></div><div>The <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2024/02/animate-walk-cycle-on-spot-with-monty.html" target="_blank">basic walk is a 32 frame cycle </a>(one step every 16 frames) and should be animated "on the spot" on an imaginary treadmill. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>The "Sneak" - 48 Frames</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixORKD98bl9utR7bQT24E-ZREwsXVPMB7vFQxGahMWiEhzPjW4KFu6NxEstZjZbEogfy1Tqt3GWvDq48c-Dsk0buhmOC37ra86g4ZmBu8Wv1H1cmddkLNex5QnBH9fBshepl38IN4QphmSDJV_iMUcDhCz8toeabvszfBmRSx0WrrLXIioOZOnZoZFGl1v/s2100/montySneakStacked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2077" data-original-width="2100" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixORKD98bl9utR7bQT24E-ZREwsXVPMB7vFQxGahMWiEhzPjW4KFu6NxEstZjZbEogfy1Tqt3GWvDq48c-Dsk0buhmOC37ra86g4ZmBu8Wv1H1cmddkLNex5QnBH9fBshepl38IN4QphmSDJV_iMUcDhCz8toeabvszfBmRSx0WrrLXIioOZOnZoZFGl1v/w400-h395/montySneakStacked.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The Sneak is a 48 Frame Cycle. To animate the sneak, first open up the <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2024/02/animate-walk-cycle-on-spot-with-monty.html" target="_blank">basic Monty walk cycle</a>. Then follow the steps below:<div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Using the scale tool, extend the keys from 1-33 frames to 1-49 frames. Make sure you have Value Snap turned on in the Graph Editor. </li><li>Now tidy your key poses so they match the key poses in the new thumbnail sketches.</li><li>Next, add lots more up and down motion, especially down motion (Y translation) at frames 9 and 33.</li><li>Lift up the legs high in the air at frames 21 and 45.</li><li>Change the shape of the feet on the contact poses (1, 25 & 33) so that the toes touch the ground first, not the heel. </li><li>Now add some back and forth motion in the body. Body goes forward at frames 9 and 33, back at frames 21 and 45.</li><li>Add a hat. What kind of hat might Monty wear? A baseball cap? A beanie?</li><li>Import a set. Where is Monty sneaking? A city street? A bank vault? Smaug’s cave? A sleeping child’s bedroom?</li></ol></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Lights, Camera, Render</b></div><div>When you're done, <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/10/how-to-create-shot-camera-in-maya.html" target="_blank">create a shot camera (here is how)</a>, <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/10/basic-lighting-in-arnold-physical-sky.html" target="_blank">add some simple lights (here is how)</a>, and then <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/10/export-render-sequence-in-arnold.html" target="_blank">do a Render Sequence of your frames (here is how)</a>. Finally, <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2019/10/adobe-premiere-pro-basics-for-animators.html" target="_blank">import your rendered frames into some editing software, export a movie file (here is how)</a> - and you're done! </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Sneak Walk Tutorial</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Sneak Walk Cycle - Part 1</div><div><a href="https://vimeo.com/915627339">https://vimeo.com/915627339</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Sneak Walk Cycle - Part 2</div><div><a href="https://vimeo.com/915627339">https://vimeo.com/915627501</a></div></div><div><br /><b>Walks and Character Walks</b><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPKHU8-m3pe7OrOBT0WZfTuegObd_A39PQQcVyeyOAnig89wS1zwmk6988eY16oBinY9LsdqNdwUtRcqw4Up0qErlsAkME9lsoOh004U2aQPluZ8I4w-9t2kpO0yHVc87DPXxXIqyWXxeZMRS0hwGW4YBVVjHaOGyfttb5ZiXUkwcyQ1sMpqKFHOrbA/s1472/journeyofLife_1%20copy_LoRez.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="1472" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPKHU8-m3pe7OrOBT0WZfTuegObd_A39PQQcVyeyOAnig89wS1zwmk6988eY16oBinY9LsdqNdwUtRcqw4Up0qErlsAkME9lsoOh004U2aQPluZ8I4w-9t2kpO0yHVc87DPXxXIqyWXxeZMRS0hwGW4YBVVjHaOGyfttb5ZiXUkwcyQ1sMpqKFHOrbA/w400-h283/journeyofLife_1%20copy_LoRez.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Journey of Life" by Robin Herrmann</td></tr></tbody></table>One of the first challenges for junior animators learning their craft is to learn the art of locomotion, specifically how to animate a walk cycle, and later a character or personality walk. What makes a walk happy, or sad? Angry, or fearful? Masculine, or feminine? </div><div><br /></div><div>Animators must learn to observe how humans act and move, and be able to replicate that character and personality in their motion. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><b>Locomotion Resources</b></div><div>There are many resources on walks (and locomotion generally) at Animation Apprentice. </div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvz1flfMTNOH1kklmYNVmvHuP2HeSStWVQAoMaXi-e_9AClUinryTWyOlNe950tAn-mxYo1MLu71ppH5HwYvdFdIZYI7ODUf0wWbJj7duRAmHvRvISlVn-gb8vYonwczS0UP6x2LOsSqKHrzmwSKdslufFRN_i_HxMChcYPQS79FfwMAqYr4wOIUW4A/s1476/Screenshot%202023-06-01%20at%2016.53.39.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1476" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvz1flfMTNOH1kklmYNVmvHuP2HeSStWVQAoMaXi-e_9AClUinryTWyOlNe950tAn-mxYo1MLu71ppH5HwYvdFdIZYI7ODUf0wWbJj7duRAmHvRvISlVn-gb8vYonwczS0UP6x2LOsSqKHrzmwSKdslufFRN_i_HxMChcYPQS79FfwMAqYr4wOIUW4A/w400-h204/Screenshot%202023-06-01%20at%2016.53.39.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goose-stepping "Monty"</td></tr></tbody></table>Follow the links below to find out more about walks and character walks.</div></div><ul><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2024/02/animate-walk-cycle-on-spot-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Basic Walk "On The Spot" with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-animate-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">How to Animate a Basic Walk with "Monty"</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/10/animate-lamp-hopping-with-pixo-jr.html" target="_blank">Animate a Lamp Hopping with Pixo Jr</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/07/animate-run-cycle-with-heavy.html" target="_blank">Animate a Run Cycle with "Heavy"</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/07/animate-jump-with-monty.html">Animate a Jump with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-military-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Military Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-run-cycle-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Run Cycle with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-manly-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Masculine Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-angry-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate an Angry Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-slow-sad-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Sad Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-basic-walk-with-heavy.html" target="_blank">Animate a Basic Walk with Heavy</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/double-bounce-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Double Bounce Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/05/bio-motion-lab-walker-and-animating.html" target="_blank">Character Walks with the Bio Motion Walker</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/11/how-to-fix-floaty-walk-cycle.html" target="_blank">How to Fix a Floaty Walk Cycle</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2017/03/how-to-stop-feet-sliding-in-walk-cycle.html" target="_blank">How to stop feet sliding in a walk cycle</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/08/why-animators-need-treadmills-for-walk.html" target="_blank">Why animators need treadmills for walk cycles </a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/11/why-walk-cycles-need-sine-waves.html" target="_blank">Why Walk Cycles Need Sine Waves</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2019/10/character-walks-animating-zig-zag-walk.html#more" target="_blank">Animating the "ZigZag Walk" on "The Thief & The Cobbler" </a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/11/two-ways-to-make-walk-cycle-which-is.html" target="_blank">Two Ways to Animate a Walk Cycle - Which is Best?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/08/character-walks-by-alexander-savchenko.html" target="_blank">Character Walks by Alexander Savchenko</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/03/why-animators-should-always-take-two.html" target="_blank">Why Animators Should Always Take Two Steps</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/07/character-walk-reference-for-animators.html" target="_blank">Character Walk reference by Houman Sorooshnia</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2017/09/100-ways-to-walk-by-kevin-parry.html" target="_blank">100 Ways to Walk by Kevin Parry</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/how-to-fix-knee-pops-in-walk-cycle.html" target="_blank">How to Fix Knee Pops in a Walk Cycle</a></li></ul><div><br /></div><div><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i></div></div></div></div></div></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-65944350907967535422024-02-19T11:13:00.000-08:002024-02-19T11:13:54.750-08:00Spring Class Starts on Monday 4 March 2024<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUYfKE62H89TRyGCdrpGtwXdKu4GQVhxMppz8il2AFRaCIWNW9qq2oFiLxQApSiNj-XvE7zZ1f9WVmfwC2sx3Q1_UcWCrJ3Ehy-4coChZWAnHC8l16OyQTo9qzFeDsNZcEFzih3lXwDhJpiB0MH_TrQnpNtk9bzmUjq1i49Pj_3Ph5vIcUUsgA5ad7P49/s3558/markMasters_LoRez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1720" data-original-width="3558" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUYfKE62H89TRyGCdrpGtwXdKu4GQVhxMppz8il2AFRaCIWNW9qq2oFiLxQApSiNj-XvE7zZ1f9WVmfwC2sx3Q1_UcWCrJ3Ehy-4coChZWAnHC8l16OyQTo9qzFeDsNZcEFzih3lXwDhJpiB0MH_TrQnpNtk9bzmUjq1i49Pj_3Ph5vIcUUsgA5ad7P49/w400-h194/markMasters_LoRez.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Animation by Mark Masters</td></tr></tbody></table>Our Spring Animation Class begins <a href="https://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-our-next-course-begin.html" target="_blank">on Monday 4th March 2024.</a><br />
<br />
It's not too late to book a place; all you need to do is<a href="https://www.animationapprentice.org/register-and-get-started.html" target="_blank"> visit the main Animation Apprentice site and go through a few simple steps</a>.
<br />
<br />
If you want to learn 3D animation to a professional level, and start your new career as an animator - your journey starts here.<br />
<a name='more'></a><b></b><br />
<b></b>
<b>Getting started</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdTe2VKRkCDifkztAmpDWxbvG-rfZqTyjl190TzAqftbsN46UecaRx0CujZ1Fm7cTp8kBycz6aWJBg1dm3zPz-fQ958N2x74UE-VBa6Zdcplz-1ZjMsQ1oolqPWJpn9zXVYD7qZ6BOJ_0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-07-29+at+11.02.58.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdTe2VKRkCDifkztAmpDWxbvG-rfZqTyjl190TzAqftbsN46UecaRx0CujZ1Fm7cTp8kBycz6aWJBg1dm3zPz-fQ958N2x74UE-VBa6Zdcplz-1ZjMsQ1oolqPWJpn9zXVYD7qZ6BOJ_0/s320/Screen+Shot+2014-07-29+at+11.02.58.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The book we recommend for studying animation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Below is a brief list of stuff to get you under way. You don't have to do all of it, but tick off a
few of the things on this list and you will be a making a great start on
your animation career. <div><br /></div><div>The animation industry is booming - there has never been a better time to learn the art and craft of character and creature animation.
<br />
<br />
First, here is a short reading list to get you started. We've narrowed it down to one key book that we recommend for all our students.<br />
<b></b><br />
<b></b>
<b>The Animator's Survival Kit</b>.<br />
Any serious student of animation should buy a copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Animators-Survival-Kit-Richard-Williams/dp/0571238343/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347534926&sr=1-1">The Animator's Survival Kit</a>,
by Richard Williams. It is now the standard textbook for animators and
easily the most comprehensive book available for learning animation.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b>Download your free copy of Maya</b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZIdV0PNjunq4oC8k9AWejoiMLiQyIqMFSMg3BYv9N25xoaqPMypo7tDFaWC7Fg2C18oa7fU2TD5MdzndWqF_EtVRFCf-b7niovk54cYtbF6b8ZbhpvUvrajNf-Uld58Lq9MCNaSUz3fl/s1600/JorisVanLaar_LoRez.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="815" data-original-width="1600" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZIdV0PNjunq4oC8k9AWejoiMLiQyIqMFSMg3BYv9N25xoaqPMypo7tDFaWC7Fg2C18oa7fU2TD5MdzndWqF_EtVRFCf-b7niovk54cYtbF6b8ZbhpvUvrajNf-Uld58Lq9MCNaSUz3fl/s400/JorisVanLaar_LoRez.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Animation by Joris Van Laar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
OK - so you've bought a book or two - what else? The next thing to do is get yourself a free
copy of
Autodesk Maya. Maya is the main software we animate
with, nowadays it's the industry standard. You can <a href="http://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/all" target="_blank">find a free educational license here</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Workstation</b><br />
You will also need a decent laptop or workstation capable of running Maya. <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/09/what-kind-of-laptop-should-i-buy.html" target="_blank">To see our guide to buying a suitable laptop, read this blog post</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Start watching our free videos</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2REdhqCsCetaB8VCIDWH8uhUQc8bxngfOcQ5oD61baRhZjPOlmEkw32cjppKI9UG66ReZ1pMMfcXPY3aapIeCdA0j_Ykn-DE8-ejFpjlVeaJFFwyICxwN3C5070oNVUd781bCXV487Gy/s1654/dolphinOliverCanovas_LoRez.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1654" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2REdhqCsCetaB8VCIDWH8uhUQc8bxngfOcQ5oD61baRhZjPOlmEkw32cjppKI9UG66ReZ1pMMfcXPY3aapIeCdA0j_Ykn-DE8-ejFpjlVeaJFFwyICxwN3C5070oNVUd781bCXV487Gy/w400-h186/dolphinOliverCanovas_LoRez.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table>Once you have done that, take a look at the <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/module-1-week-1.html" target="_blank">week 1 videos at the Animation Apprentice website</a>.
The week 1 videos are all free and this gives you a general
introduction to animation, helping you to get familiar with the
language of the medium.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
<b>Welcome to Animation Apprentice!</b><br />
If you do some or all the things on this list - you will have a great head start! I look forward to meeting you. </div><div><br /></div><div>Remember that here at Animation Apprentice I personally tutor all my students. I have over 30 years experience in the animation industry, from "<i>Who Framed Roger Rabbit</i>" to <i>"The Lion King", "The Iron Giant"</i>, and "<i>Harry Potter</i>", and over 25 years experience of teaching animation.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wNP_gyOei5E" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<i><br /></i><div><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i></div></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-80496211551089247752024-02-16T06:40:00.000-08:002024-02-16T06:40:48.578-08:00How to Import an Image Plane into Maya<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nClKdeJxGkk?si=kq382c007OpjSFjw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div>In the three minute video above, we show how to import an image plane into Maya. Image planes can be especially useful for, as in the example above, importing your thumbnail sketches into Maya, so that you have your reference inside the shot. This way you can follow the reference step by step, and match your animation poses to your thumbnail sketches. <span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><div><div><b>Maya Help at Animation Apprentice</b></div><div>We have many free resources on how to make the best use of Maya at Animation Apprentice. To find out more, follow the links below:</div><div><ul><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2024/01/how-to-use-infinity-curves-in-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Use Infinity Curves in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2024/01/how-to-troubleshoot-animation-curves-in.html" target="_blank">How to Troubleshoot Animation Curves in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/animating-with-mayas-motion-trail-tool.html" target="_blank">How to Use the Motion Trail Tool in Maya</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7blRdGlpLu6pxrJgqaF0dl21nl34ckzA8NiZw1uuqGP71bDMsUzv1q1NZ_1zszpN8HUwnJht-IKoLNqrJSPLDT26LrZng6iywKP2lM0x6GrBNRgUYCn7D-Z5pTEmuuJygqkiIZP4O8PsCQInmXoz_4Gd16TGoyGj57yX02bKiIxdzMFOjxngdH9n2wFy/s1100/Autodesk-Maya-Logo-2016.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="1100" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7blRdGlpLu6pxrJgqaF0dl21nl34ckzA8NiZw1uuqGP71bDMsUzv1q1NZ_1zszpN8HUwnJht-IKoLNqrJSPLDT26LrZng6iywKP2lM0x6GrBNRgUYCn7D-Z5pTEmuuJygqkiIZP4O8PsCQInmXoz_4Gd16TGoyGj57yX02bKiIxdzMFOjxngdH9n2wFy/w400-h115/Autodesk-Maya-Logo-2016.png" width="400" /></a></div></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/how-to-use-layer-editor-in-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Use the Layer Editor in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/free-tutorial-copying-pasting-curves-in.html" target="_blank">How To Copy and Paste Curves in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/no-audio-in-maya-playblast.html" target="_blank">No Audio in Maya Playblast? How to Get The Audio Back</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2022/11/why-has-arnold-disappeared-from-maya.html" target="_blank">Why has Arnold Disappeared from Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/07/what-kind-of-laptop-to-buy-in-2021.html" target="_blank">What Kind of Laptop Should I Buy to Run Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/11/how-to-solve-technical-problems.html" target="_blank">How to Solve Technical Problems</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/02/six-tips-to-make-maya-work-faster.html" target="_blank">Six Tips to Make Maya Run Faster</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-great-free-script-to-toggle-control.html" target="_blank">Free Script for Maya to Toggle Control Curves On and Off</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/05/how-to-load-3ds-max-files-into-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Load 3DS Max Files Into Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/04/how-to-make-playblast-in-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Make a Playblast in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/03/how-does-graph-editor-work.html" target="_blank">How to Use the Graph Editor in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/10/export-render-sequence-in-arnold.html" target="_blank">Export a Render Sequence in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2019/09/autodesk-launches-maya-indie-license.html" target="_blank">Autodesk Maya Launches "Indie License"</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/04/maya-education-licenses-free-from.html" target="_blank">How to Get Your Free Maya License</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/02/no-audio-playback-in-maya-2020.html" target="_blank">No Audio Playback in Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/03/how-to-use-gird-in-autodesk-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Use The Grid in Autodesk Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/07/introduction-to-maya-interface.html" target="_blank">Introduction to The Maya Interface</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/07/should-you-run-latest-version-of-maya.html" target="_blank">Should You Run the Latest Version of Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/05/studio-library-free-tool-for-managing.html" target="_blank">Studio Library Tool</a></li></ul></div></div><div><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><i><br /></i></div><br /><br /></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-29981381525634860062024-02-15T11:20:00.000-08:002024-02-15T11:24:28.068-08:00Animate a Walk Cycle "On the Spot" with Monty<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQoJhsj9WxUZ8YWoqSBhwM6XX7diMJTYbNhcEt5qgpToGYAH6x39p4GF16cP964Tjiq5JpaBt1XmBKIm_h0bLE8Rg96__FSFZACREoxwbq09gaO_zf4_6a3U1NCZ0CsaEvijsEhh4sUqUq1YwhzpHFWnoPhZrDlm836SltVbX7day1s-e2G88GokiQ8X0/s872/montyWalk.gif" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="872" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQoJhsj9WxUZ8YWoqSBhwM6XX7diMJTYbNhcEt5qgpToGYAH6x39p4GF16cP964Tjiq5JpaBt1XmBKIm_h0bLE8Rg96__FSFZACREoxwbq09gaO_zf4_6a3U1NCZ0CsaEvijsEhh4sUqUq1YwhzpHFWnoPhZrDlm836SltVbX7day1s-e2G88GokiQ8X0/w400-h225/montyWalk.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monty goes for a stroll</td></tr></tbody></table>We've uploaded a new series of video tutorials on how to animate a walk, using the marvellous <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2015/10/recommended-free-rigs-monty-green-pea.html" target="_blank">"Monty" rig</a>, free for download from Creative Crash.<div><br /></div><div>There are four video tutorials of just under ten minutes, showing step by step how to animate a walk cycle, animating the walk "on the spot" on a treadmill, then adding a forward translation on the World Control to have Monty move through his environment. </div><div><br /></div><div>The videos are recorded in Autodesk Maya, and are aimed at animation beginners. </div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><b>Monty</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98FD0nxuTV_4jGqpHFXQv8MAYG1fbNeavT2-YQ0OcqOTvA1-K3oRtXODC-yFxfV8WZwy3rFfqj1RUf6cMcsBxSlUlQjHRmaIzxdk6rTK3CRZX23JS5CIba3sjp2EVEuctQegmf2DJsba8Zy_2tJ-jpCJgcKbtV6gCL-Te-GAMUO6qSaVN0Cr9lkc55A/s2865/16framecycleMonty.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1305" data-original-width="2865" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98FD0nxuTV_4jGqpHFXQv8MAYG1fbNeavT2-YQ0OcqOTvA1-K3oRtXODC-yFxfV8WZwy3rFfqj1RUf6cMcsBxSlUlQjHRmaIzxdk6rTK3CRZX23JS5CIba3sjp2EVEuctQegmf2DJsba8Zy_2tJ-jpCJgcKbtV6gCL-Te-GAMUO6qSaVN0Cr9lkc55A/w400-h183/16framecycleMonty.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The tutorial videos use the marvellous <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2015/10/recommended-free-rigs-monty-green-pea.html" target="_blank">"Monty" rig, free for download, and which you can read about here</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Animate a Walk with "Monty"</b></div><div>The tutorial explains how to animate a basic walk cycle. You can find the links below. The password is the same as for all our videos.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Monty Walk Pt 1</b></div><div><a href="https://vimeo.com/913284785/privacy">https://vimeo.com/913284785/privacy</a></div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQ97E_WC-IfXFJVX4nf1fn0-VRRhdBsitschsHVujiOvXkCkYkfQROKW1XiaseVVrrtzyzKTp1iax3-6EY4oM-NiJWyzelaVrfB9Yp4qtncCOQU-8Uv7TwzbKuM1kzTDdToTCfFC_9QyeyXIUnd-9gExxwz4QaX1SmvCeNjkpSgktdyHJpWVN59FhSQ/s1264/MontyParade.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="1264" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQ97E_WC-IfXFJVX4nf1fn0-VRRhdBsitschsHVujiOvXkCkYkfQROKW1XiaseVVrrtzyzKTp1iax3-6EY4oM-NiJWyzelaVrfB9Yp4qtncCOQU-8Uv7TwzbKuM1kzTDdToTCfFC_9QyeyXIUnd-9gExxwz4QaX1SmvCeNjkpSgktdyHJpWVN59FhSQ/w400-h210/MontyParade.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Character Walks with Monty</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Monty Walk Pt 2</b></div><div><a href="https://vimeo.com/913285586/privacy">https://vimeo.com/913285586/privacy</a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Monty Walk Pt 3</b></div><div><a href="https://vimeo.com/913285742/privacy">https://vimeo.com/913285742/privacy</a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Monty Walk Pt 4</b> </div><div><a href="https://vimeo.com/913285975/privacy">https://vimeo.com/913285975/privacy</a></div><div><br /></div><div>
<b>Ways to Animate a Walk - which is best?</b><br />
One of the most common questions student animators ask when they tackle their first walk cycle is this: <i>is it better to animate the walk cycle "on the spot", as if on an imaginary treadmill, or is it better to animate the character physically walking across the screen, taking two steps? </i><br />
<div>
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<b>Choose Your Method</b></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTD3g6FlEaR1LuzpwAnfVFSGWlW4sutexqjutEd7kLbWhTwgg9iyyZt1E6qySFJzsAtZPLPVdmRfPvetbs2iYzpPySh6EE7XUmTfIIIw3EydkbN_lTkcJMCUwYUPoEUwE2B0DhIylSmr0/s1600/askWalk.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="896" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTD3g6FlEaR1LuzpwAnfVFSGWlW4sutexqjutEd7kLbWhTwgg9iyyZt1E6qySFJzsAtZPLPVdmRfPvetbs2iYzpPySh6EE7XUmTfIIIw3EydkbN_lTkcJMCUwYUPoEUwE2B0DhIylSmr0/s400/askWalk.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk Cycle from <i>"The Animator's Survival Kit"</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Both methods of creating a cycle are effective approaches to the problem of character walks, and at Escape Studios we teach both methods. Both, however, have their advantages and disadvantages.<br />
<br />
Watch this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=130&v=Bg00_2g2j2M&feature=emb_logo" target="_blank">five minute video here to understand the difference between the two approaches, and decide for yourself which one suits you best</a>.<br />
<div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Walks and Character Walks</b></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPKHU8-m3pe7OrOBT0WZfTuegObd_A39PQQcVyeyOAnig89wS1zwmk6988eY16oBinY9LsdqNdwUtRcqw4Up0qErlsAkME9lsoOh004U2aQPluZ8I4w-9t2kpO0yHVc87DPXxXIqyWXxeZMRS0hwGW4YBVVjHaOGyfttb5ZiXUkwcyQ1sMpqKFHOrbA/s1472/journeyofLife_1%20copy_LoRez.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="1472" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPKHU8-m3pe7OrOBT0WZfTuegObd_A39PQQcVyeyOAnig89wS1zwmk6988eY16oBinY9LsdqNdwUtRcqw4Up0qErlsAkME9lsoOh004U2aQPluZ8I4w-9t2kpO0yHVc87DPXxXIqyWXxeZMRS0hwGW4YBVVjHaOGyfttb5ZiXUkwcyQ1sMpqKFHOrbA/w400-h283/journeyofLife_1%20copy_LoRez.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Journey of Life" by Robin Herrmann</td></tr></tbody></table>One of the first challenges for junior animators learning their craft is to learn the art of locomotion, specifically how to animate a walk cycle, and later a character or personality walk. What makes a walk happy, or sad? Angry, or fearful? Masculine, or feminine? </div><div><br /></div><div>Animators must learn to observe how humans act and move, and be able to replicate that character and personality in their motion. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><b>Locomotion Resources</b></div><div>There are many resources on walks (and locomotion generally) at Animation Apprentice. </div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvz1flfMTNOH1kklmYNVmvHuP2HeSStWVQAoMaXi-e_9AClUinryTWyOlNe950tAn-mxYo1MLu71ppH5HwYvdFdIZYI7ODUf0wWbJj7duRAmHvRvISlVn-gb8vYonwczS0UP6x2LOsSqKHrzmwSKdslufFRN_i_HxMChcYPQS79FfwMAqYr4wOIUW4A/s1476/Screenshot%202023-06-01%20at%2016.53.39.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1476" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvz1flfMTNOH1kklmYNVmvHuP2HeSStWVQAoMaXi-e_9AClUinryTWyOlNe950tAn-mxYo1MLu71ppH5HwYvdFdIZYI7ODUf0wWbJj7duRAmHvRvISlVn-gb8vYonwczS0UP6x2LOsSqKHrzmwSKdslufFRN_i_HxMChcYPQS79FfwMAqYr4wOIUW4A/w400-h204/Screenshot%202023-06-01%20at%2016.53.39.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goose-stepping "Monty"</td></tr></tbody></table>Follow the links below to find out more about walks and character walks.</div></div><ul><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-animate-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">How to Animate a Basic Walk with "Monty"</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/10/animate-lamp-hopping-with-pixo-jr.html" target="_blank">Animate a Lamp Hopping with Pixo Jr</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/07/animate-run-cycle-with-heavy.html" target="_blank">Animate a Run Cycle with "Heavy"</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/07/animate-jump-with-monty.html">Animate a Jump with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-military-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Military Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-run-cycle-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Run Cycle with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-manly-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Masculine Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-angry-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate an Angry Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-slow-sad-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Sad Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-basic-walk-with-heavy.html" target="_blank">Animate a Basic Walk with Heavy</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/double-bounce-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Double Bounce Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/05/bio-motion-lab-walker-and-animating.html" target="_blank">Character Walks with the Bio Motion Walker</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/11/how-to-fix-floaty-walk-cycle.html" target="_blank">How to Fix a Floaty Walk Cycle</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2017/03/how-to-stop-feet-sliding-in-walk-cycle.html" target="_blank">How to stop feet sliding in a walk cycle</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/08/why-animators-need-treadmills-for-walk.html" target="_blank">Why animators need treadmills for walk cycles </a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/11/why-walk-cycles-need-sine-waves.html" target="_blank">Why Walk Cycles Need Sine Waves</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2019/10/character-walks-animating-zig-zag-walk.html#more" target="_blank">Animating the "ZigZag Walk" on "The Thief & The Cobbler" </a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/11/two-ways-to-make-walk-cycle-which-is.html" target="_blank">Two Ways to Animate a Walk Cycle - Which is Best?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/08/character-walks-by-alexander-savchenko.html" target="_blank">Character Walks by Alexander Savchenko</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/03/why-animators-should-always-take-two.html" target="_blank">Why Animators Should Always Take Two Steps</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/07/character-walk-reference-for-animators.html" target="_blank">Character Walk reference by Houman Sorooshnia</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2017/09/100-ways-to-walk-by-kevin-parry.html" target="_blank">100 Ways to Walk by Kevin Parry</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/how-to-fix-knee-pops-in-walk-cycle.html" target="_blank">How to Fix Knee Pops in a Walk Cycle</a></li></ul><div><br /></div><div><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i></div></div></div><div><i><br /></i></div>
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</div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-70489244826358498812024-02-12T12:21:00.000-08:002024-03-18T02:28:09.869-07:00Animate and Light a Candle with Blend Shapes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06PSLMiAodK1Aw2VS6Bm0XbjYGh21y5a8EYHSlp8Um_Yu_qbA74o0XRxq0cI7WRPjRgjBuIdxLArEdNP23F-aInr594Mb3ILxmxZNVeco6XQLvoiZ_079XO6bp9gbHryeR8VwANqj5O4PyL-uC8S_bggL0U8kkEmsV3NjyEXkCvz_CIYE5K1_LcIIuCgc/s502/candleFlicker.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="502" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06PSLMiAodK1Aw2VS6Bm0XbjYGh21y5a8EYHSlp8Um_Yu_qbA74o0XRxq0cI7WRPjRgjBuIdxLArEdNP23F-aInr594Mb3ILxmxZNVeco6XQLvoiZ_079XO6bp9gbHryeR8VwANqj5O4PyL-uC8S_bggL0U8kkEmsV3NjyEXkCvz_CIYE5K1_LcIIuCgc/w400-h225/candleFlicker.gif" width="400" /></a></div>Below is a short free tutorial on how to create, animate and light a candle using Blend Shapes in Autodesk Maya. The goal is to understand how to use Blend Shapes to morph simple objects in Maya from one shape to another, and then animate them. <div><br /></div><div>Blend Shapes are used mainly for facial animation, but they can also be used to animate inanimate objects - in this case a flickering candle. <span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><b>Candle Flicker</b></div><div><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yQcomhtMHoE?si=Dn14p7GxXcfZOZ5p" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><br /><div><b>What you will learn:</b><br />By the end of this tutorial you should be able to:<br />1. Create blend shapes in Maya<br />2. Morph objects from one shape to another<br />3. Create shape change animation<br /><br /><b>Rigs & Sets</b><br />We will not use any rigs or sets. We will create our own simple shapes and adjust them.<br /><br /><b>Videos to Watch</b><br />1. Blend Shapes General Theory Video</div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gOg7CIwPL8w?si=woJ69mnY59_dXEcH" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><br /><b>2. Technical Video - how to create Blend Shapes</b></div><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWS1X2QOYBo">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWS1X2QOYBo</a></div><div><br /><b>Thumbnails</b><br />Begin with pencil and paper, and sketch out some target shapes you would like your base shape to morph into. What shapes would you like to create? Keep them simple. We want a flickering candle so we want to make a few "poses" that we can morph back and forth. <br /><br /><b>Blend Shapes Work Method</b><br /><br /><b>Part 1 – Create a Base Shape and a Target Shape</b><br />1. Thumbnail out your ideas on paper so you have a plan. Create some candle shapes.<br />2. In Maya, create a project, and set to it. <br />3. Under create/polygon primitives, make sure that interactive creation is turned off<br />4. Create/polygon primitives/sphere<br />5. Name the sphere baseShape.<br />6. Now cntrl D to duplicate the sphere. Move the 2nd sphere upwards in Y out of the way. <br />7. R click on the new target shape you have just created and select vertex mode. Now adjust the vertices to create a new shape, such as a long skinny candle. Try to keep the volume of the object roughly the same as the base.<br />8. You can also use the scale tool, but make sure you are in vertex mode first. <br />9. Name the new shape: targetShape1. <br />10. Go back to object mode, and select targetShape1. Shift select the base shape.<br />11. In the animation menu (top left), choose create deformers/blend shape. You will see blendShape1 appear in the inputs in the Channel Box.<br />12. To see the slider, go to Window/Animation editors/Shape Editor<br /><br /><b>Part 2 – Add more Target Shapes</b><br />1. Return to your original base shape and Cntrl D to create a new duplicate of the base shape. Name the shape targetShape2<br />2. Adjust the vertices so you create a new shape - perhaps a short fat candle shape.<br />3. Select the new target shape, shift select the base shape, and go to edit deformers/blend shape, and select add (Do NOT select create deformers/blend shape)<br />4. To see the slider, go to window/Animation Editors/ Shape Editor. You should now have two blend shapes.<br />5. Now create a few more Target Shapes so you have 5 or 6 of them.<br /><br /><b>Part 3 – Animate your Blend Shapes</b><br />1. To animate the blend shapes, go to window/animation editors/blendshape<br />2. Press the button labeled Key to set a key frame. Key frame your blend shape at frame 1, then set a different value at, say frame 13. <br />3. In the timeline, scrub between the two positions. You should have some animation. <br /><br /><b>Part 4 – Adjust your Blend Shapes in the Graph Editor</b><br />1. To find your keyframes, first go to the Channel Box.<br />2. In the Channel Box, scroll down to the target shape channel (they are purple in colour) so that you can adjust the key frames in the graph editor. <br />3. If you still can’t see the curves in the Graph Editor, try clicking on the little plus sign next to the top node in the Graph Editor.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Tutorial Part 1</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KZEZUN78SFE?si=Y4yuhvWVtMcWUeUn" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Tutorial Part 2</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w-_1sF4Ni_g?si=qfKvtVXuQsOCn3qE" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div><b>More on Blend Shapes in Maya</b></div><div><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/05/how-to-animate-with-blend-shapes.html" target="_blank">To see more on how to animate with Blend Shapes in Maya, see this tutorial and blog post</a>.<br /><div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-92034235263895932742024-02-06T05:01:00.000-08:002024-02-06T05:02:37.736-08:00Great Tripod to Film Live Action for Animation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSYmtBbU9Y_nd2VACTnXm4eoeLif2pOH2duEvSpmuZ0HYmx8Jq-oAYOIszpLkAFjJ5nSKrfxDoBPDZRiUorUMG0j1w9SMzCKv162OJe5jd4CMa5ucebUjyxWi5n6gRQvkziFlwxE0hGa5_qtSyDjmyMp8yY-yGdmAwAoui9nNz4mzGIxp2qUfyB58WLx-/s717/tripod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="679" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSYmtBbU9Y_nd2VACTnXm4eoeLif2pOH2duEvSpmuZ0HYmx8Jq-oAYOIszpLkAFjJ5nSKrfxDoBPDZRiUorUMG0j1w9SMzCKv162OJe5jd4CMa5ucebUjyxWi5n6gRQvkziFlwxE0hGa5_qtSyDjmyMp8yY-yGdmAwAoui9nNz4mzGIxp2qUfyB58WLx-/w189-h200/tripod.jpg" width="189" /></a></div>One of the best ways to get live-action reference for a piece of animation is to <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/how-to-use-live-action-reference-to.html" target="_blank">film yourself acting it out, capture the footage on your phone, and then import the footage onto an image plane in Maya</a>.<br />
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The best way to film yourself is by mounting your smartphone on a tripod. <div><br /></div><div>We're <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0873ZQB47/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">recommending this excellent (and inexpensive) tripod</a>, made by Linkcool, for mounting your phone/camera, while you do the acting and give the performance.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><b>Linkcool Tripod</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpcCZAUmul6tS19sL_ILdM_KadnkvAjWLLXjTMW2MBAluU0mNxWkGUFD2Liwu71sR6jICGjtMZoz7k774jEvPfq0T-TRmmP-410udQ_aPGi2g-VXk7sKNc8YI0J72-3o2XLvgD97OHGX8D-Gq-6cq7ZsDKvqf31Jd1KG_Do99X053oYcO4LZggDZQHwbk/s3256/EilinB_zombie.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="3256" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpcCZAUmul6tS19sL_ILdM_KadnkvAjWLLXjTMW2MBAluU0mNxWkGUFD2Liwu71sR6jICGjtMZoz7k774jEvPfq0T-TRmmP-410udQ_aPGi2g-VXk7sKNc8YI0J72-3o2XLvgD97OHGX8D-Gq-6cq7ZsDKvqf31Jd1KG_Do99X053oYcO4LZggDZQHwbk/w400-h119/EilinB_zombie.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>The Linkcool camera is a great piece of kit; lightweight, easy to use and put away, and at £17 it won't break the bank. You can buy it <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0873ZQB47/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">here at amazon.co.uk</a>.<br /><br /><b>Why Shoot Live Action</b></div><div>
When you shoot live action reference, you will almost always find things you didn't anticipate, little bits of magic that your body will do without you even thinking about it with your conscious brain. Try it out - you'll be amazed by the power of your own acting skills. To <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/how-to-use-live-action-reference-to.html" target="_blank">see how to use live action reference to make great animation, see this blog post</a>.</div><div>
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Finally, here's a short video (just 6 mins) that explains why shooting live action reference is so useful.
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KYB-EpNoSSM?list=PLuECxuxunywlB1Oc7Ul9ZaM6Bjvhntf4s" width="560"></iframe>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><div><b>Using Live Action Reference in Animation</b></div><div>For more information on how to use live action reference for animation, follow the links below:</div><div><ul><li><a href="http://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/10/using-live-action-reference-for.html" target="_blank">Using Live Action Reference to Plan Animation</a></li><li><a href="http://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/10/using-live-action-reference-for.html">How to Use Live Action Reference to Plan Animation</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2022/02/why-animation-based-on-live-action-is.html" target="_blank">How to Fix Floaty Animation Based on Live Action</a></li><li><a href="http://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/11/live-action-reference-with-pernille.html" target="_blank">Live Action Reference with Pernille</a></li><li><a href="http://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/04/framestore-live-action-reference.html" target="_blank">How FrameStore Animators Use Live Action for Animation</a></li><li><a href="http://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2017/09/tripod-for-filming-animation.html" target="_blank">A Great Inexpensive Tripod for Filming Animation</a></li><li><a href="http://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2017/06/endless-reference-free-live-action.html" target="_blank">Endless Reference - Live Action Reference Resource for Animators</a></li><li><a href="http://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/03/edward-muybridge-animators-photographer.html" target="_blank">Edward Muybridge - The Animator's Photographer</a></li><li><a href="http://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2015/05/how-disney-animators-created-beautiful.html" target="_blank">How Disney Animators Used Live Action to Animate <i>"Frozen"</i></a></li><li><a href="http://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/07/character-walk-reference-for-animators.html" target="_blank">Live Action Reference for Character Walks</a></li></ul><b>Planning Animation</b><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5hMk72rO6cC4XcrR_0aqSh7jZnrbZsA7xBhQElalpLspHHH5Ikg6Zdl5x3an8yv09aC1aQtLh_PdJFVbL-mfM7OBqjw8eOFiqrGMKfQAwEkt-pJcZiKj7seDz6Bg4BwiXcBg-9O_9B4n5ioUvsb4FBQ6ZEJWo1t4gOk8_KMs2H7X7vqeEARRt8nH7MQ=s1920" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5hMk72rO6cC4XcrR_0aqSh7jZnrbZsA7xBhQElalpLspHHH5Ikg6Zdl5x3an8yv09aC1aQtLh_PdJFVbL-mfM7OBqjw8eOFiqrGMKfQAwEkt-pJcZiKj7seDz6Bg4BwiXcBg-9O_9B4n5ioUvsb4FBQ6ZEJWo1t4gOk8_KMs2H7X7vqeEARRt8nH7MQ=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MoCap cleanup and performance by Steven Lall</td></tr></tbody></table>To see some examples of how to plan animation (including how to use thumbnail sketches and live action), follow these links:<br /><ul><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2019/11/medusa-thumbnails-by-milt-kahl.html">Medusa Thumbnails by Milt Kahl</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/01/why-animators-should-draw-facial.html">Why thumbnail sketches need facial expressions</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2015/04/how-do-animators-plan-their-shots.html">Thumbnail sketches by Pixar's Victor Navone</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/06/thumbnailing-mrs-copperbottom-from.html">Thumbnailing Mrs Copperbottom from "Robots"</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/03/thumbnailing-boog-from-open-season.html">Thumbnailing "Boog" from "Open Season"</a></li><li><a boog="" copperbottom="" from="" href="http://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/10/Planning%20Animation%20The%20key%20to%20successful%20animation%20is%20to%20plan%20it%20properly.%20This%20means%20doing%20rough%20thumbnail%20sketches%20to%20plan%20out%20your%20work.%20Thumbnail%20sketches%20show%20the%20key%20poses%20in%20the%20shot,%20which%20correspond%20to%20the%20%22accents%22%20within%20the%20lines%20of%20dialogue.%20To%20see%20some%20examples%20of%20how%20to%20use%20thumbnail%20sketches%20to%20plan%20a%20dialogue%20shot,%20follow%20these%20links:%20%20Medusa%20Thumbnails%20by%20Milt%20Kahl%20Why%20thumbnail%20sketches%20need%20facial%20expressions%20Thumbnail%20sketches%20by%20Pixar" mrs="" navone="" open="" robots="" s="" season="" thumbnailing="" victor="">How to Animate a Dialogue Shot</a></li><li><a href="http://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/07/how-to-block-out-pantomime-shot.html">How to Plan a Pantomime Shot</a></li><li><a href="http://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/05/how-to-block-out-and-plan-creature.html">How to Plan a Creature Animation Shot</a></li><li><a href="http://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/10/using-live-action-reference-for.html">How to Use Live Action Reference to Plan Animation</a></li></ul><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i><br /></div></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-14463334259319913592024-02-04T04:36:00.000-08:002024-02-04T04:36:33.067-08:00How to Animate with "Heavy" in Maya 2024<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SF5zmH0hY08?si=OvFIdimnKzazseeN" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>We've recently updated the "Heavy" rig, one of the free rigs we recommend for learning animation. Heavy can be downloaded from highend3d.com, and <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2015/11/meet-heavy-from-team-fortress.html" target="_blank">you can read all about him here</a>, <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-basic-walk-with-heavy.html" target="_blank">as well as see how to use him to Animate a Walk Cycle here</a>, and a <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/07/animate-run-cycle-with-heavy.html" target="_blank">Run Cycle with Heavy</a> here. <br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><b>Arnold Render</b><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JtjHZLRiwqTnB77x5bDBNB1xyJ9XlgudwY0OeFM0a1rY4yFiWABGByVlRbdh1kzKrWV7VPb5AUVtYWgfdwSBYixvZ0Ys3guyJbUvH8fRqMHxQ_GwRSm_egD62wJ7zHEFrqioSHwcSzauYDd6HwjudCGX_43KdU9jkRRioScqsSIaSbruENaACAOZOTOB/s3000/gammaCorrect_LoRez.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1637" data-original-width="3000" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JtjHZLRiwqTnB77x5bDBNB1xyJ9XlgudwY0OeFM0a1rY4yFiWABGByVlRbdh1kzKrWV7VPb5AUVtYWgfdwSBYixvZ0Ys3guyJbUvH8fRqMHxQ_GwRSm_egD62wJ7zHEFrqioSHwcSzauYDd6HwjudCGX_43KdU9jkRRioScqsSIaSbruENaACAOZOTOB/w400-h219/gammaCorrect_LoRez.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Increase Gamma in Maya's Viewport</td></tr></tbody></table>The original "Heavy" rig doesn't render well in Arnold, so we've updated the rig to make Heavy Arnold compatible. To get hold of a copy of the updated rig, email us at info@animationapprentice.org<div><br /></div><div><b>Heavy Texture Too Dark?</b></div><div>One small note however. When you load Heavy into your shot, his texture may look very dark. This is because Maya 2023 and Maya 2024 use the ACES colour space - with the intention of giving you a 'true' colour reference.</div><div><br />This works quite well for anything made in the ACES colour space, however older files tend to look darker.<br /><br />To fix this you can simply increase the 'Gamma' to a higher number on the viewport. See the image to the right to see the difference.</div><br /><b>"Heavy" Resources at Animation Apprentice</b><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2015/11/meet-heavy-from-team-fortress.html" target="_blank">Meet "Heavy" from Team Fortress</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-basic-walk-with-heavy.html" target="_blank">Animate a Walk Cycle with Heavy</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/07/animate-run-cycle-with-heavy.html" target="_blank">Animate a Run Cycle with Heavy </a></li></ul></div><div><div><br /></div><div><div><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i></div></div></div><div><i><br /></i></div></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-21938976398244460222024-01-30T08:56:00.000-08:002024-01-30T08:56:19.117-08:00How to Fix The Pixo Jr Lamp Rig<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c4l-y2F6et0?si=nLcCM6IJLcEfEpmn" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.creativecrash.com/maya/downloads/character-rigs/c/pixo-jr">Pixo Jr</a> is a great rig for learning animation, <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2015/11/meet-pixo-jr-animators-favourite-lamp.html" target="_blank">which you can read all about here</a>. You can also see a series of s<a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/10/animate-lamp-hopping-with-pixo-jr.html" target="_blank">hort tutorials for animation beginners, showing how to make the lamp hop.</a> But Pixo is an old rig (2006) and works less well in Maya today. This is because of Maya's implementation of Parallel Evaluation, designed to make rigs perform faster in the Viewport. Part of the Pixo Jr's rig is not behaving correctly in this new evaluation mode. The solution is to change Evaluation Mode to DG. To do this, go to Windows > Settings and Preferences and then in the Settings > Animation category, change the drop down menu for Evaluation Mode from "Parallel" to the older mode "DG".<div><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><b>Pixo Jr Lamp</b></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW96XOdi56dROaMTOt6xlRcFOEnPtGhVgPHjdrbKQerfWj6ZzMr2sQkLFLjUnTZ_cBO-8A0R32V8g9BB0H9sBPcPjgyxi5p-xB9l3GTfshzjgZkncd3IeUI8Ge_J2gz8IV-csjJUqUtJeNXj2J6XAVJjMtvebGS8nQnN7ESYn0VToIJXzf5r1rjkT2f4HC/s908/pixo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="908" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW96XOdi56dROaMTOt6xlRcFOEnPtGhVgPHjdrbKQerfWj6ZzMr2sQkLFLjUnTZ_cBO-8A0R32V8g9BB0H9sBPcPjgyxi5p-xB9l3GTfshzjgZkncd3IeUI8Ge_J2gz8IV-csjJUqUtJeNXj2J6XAVJjMtvebGS8nQnN7ESYn0VToIJXzf5r1rjkT2f4HC/s320/pixo.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.creativecrash.com/maya/downloads/character-rigs/c/pixo-jr" style="text-align: start;">Pixo Jr</a></td></tr></tbody></table>To see more about using <a href="http://www.creativecrash.com/maya/downloads/character-rigs/c/pixo-jr">Pixo Jr</a> for learning animation in Maya, follow the links below:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.creativecrash.com/maya/downloads/character-rigs/c/pixo-jr">Pixo Jr</a> - a great rig for learning animation -<a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2015/11/meet-pixo-jr-animators-favourite-lamp.html" target="_blank"> read all about Pixo here</a></li><li>Watch a series of s<a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/10/animate-lamp-hopping-with-pixo-jr.html" target="_blank">hort tutorials for animation beginners, showing how to make the lamp hop</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/01/luxo-lamp-hop-by-lisa-springett.html" target="_blank">Pixo Jr Animation with Lisa Springett </a></li></ul><div><div><b>HighEnd3D.com</b></div><div><i>Editor's Note: At the time of writing, link to <a href="http://www.creativecrash.com/maya/downloads/character-rigs/c/pixo-jr">Pixo Jr</a> at highend3d.com is broken, as the website is down. If you need a copy of the lamp rig while the website gets fixed, email me at alex@animationapprentice.org</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i></div></div></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-56823598731734447502024-01-23T08:57:00.000-08:002024-01-23T08:57:36.734-08:00How To Use Infinity Curves in Maya<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P-ffxVw27KA?si=HEeJC3Pd-9eSkkWP" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
<div><br /></div><div>In this short video we show how to turn on and use Infinity Curves in Autodesk Maya. Infinity Curves are a powerful tool that enable animators to smooth out looping cycles, such as a walk cycle, run or similar, smoothing the motion so that there aren't any frustrating clicks, bumps or mistakes.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><b>Infinity Curves</b></div><div>Animators will come across infinity curves any time they are creating a looping cycle. If you're animating a walk, a run - or a quadruped in motion - you need to know how to turn on and use Infinity Curves. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><b>Animation Exercises with Monty</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAxVO4ixnhoa-qSbpUQZPbPg3AD7V4AcYW7qdrw_Q99JYx_9i4aiU3_GyV_LaZjuxcACj-a4t5G2_ht5cRQqme6A90BzOWlCaS781qAt6OLicSEO-luvA1MptoymAH71cSFaE8uPHDrb648JOdi2QiocS_T5ZLmWAvfgtpMoqkt-NoTtr2t3mGadGN7Kg/s468/montyWalk.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="279" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAxVO4ixnhoa-qSbpUQZPbPg3AD7V4AcYW7qdrw_Q99JYx_9i4aiU3_GyV_LaZjuxcACj-a4t5G2_ht5cRQqme6A90BzOWlCaS781qAt6OLicSEO-luvA1MptoymAH71cSFaE8uPHDrb648JOdi2QiocS_T5ZLmWAvfgtpMoqkt-NoTtr2t3mGadGN7Kg/s320/montyWalk.jpeg" width="191" /></a></div>To see more basic animation exercises with the amazing "Monty", follow the links below:<br /><ul><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/animate-feminine-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Meet Monty The Green Pea</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-animate-walk-with-monty.html">How to Animate a Basic Walk with "Monty"</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/07/animate-jump-with-monty.html">Animate a Jump with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-military-walk-with-monty.html">Animate a Military Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-run-cycle-with-monty.html">Animate a Run Cycle with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-manly-walk-with-monty.html">Animate a Masculine Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-angry-walk-with-monty.html">Animate an Angry Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-slow-sad-walk-with-monty.html">Animate a Sad Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/double-bounce-walk-with-monty.html">Animate a Double Bounce Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2017/03/how-to-stop-feet-sliding-in-walk-cycle.html">How to stop feet sliding in a walk cycle</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/how-to-fix-knee-pops-in-walk-cycle.html">How to Fix Knee Pops in a Walk Cycle</a></li></ul><i><br /></i></div><div><div><b>Technical Help at Animation Apprentice</b></div><div>We have many free resources on how to make the best use of Maya at Animation Apprentice. To find out more, follow the links below:</div><div><ul><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2024/01/how-to-troubleshoot-animation-curves-in.html" target="_blank">How to Troubleshoot Animation Curves in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/animating-with-mayas-motion-trail-tool.html" target="_blank">How to Use the Motion Trail Tool in Maya</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7blRdGlpLu6pxrJgqaF0dl21nl34ckzA8NiZw1uuqGP71bDMsUzv1q1NZ_1zszpN8HUwnJht-IKoLNqrJSPLDT26LrZng6iywKP2lM0x6GrBNRgUYCn7D-Z5pTEmuuJygqkiIZP4O8PsCQInmXoz_4Gd16TGoyGj57yX02bKiIxdzMFOjxngdH9n2wFy/s1100/Autodesk-Maya-Logo-2016.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="1100" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7blRdGlpLu6pxrJgqaF0dl21nl34ckzA8NiZw1uuqGP71bDMsUzv1q1NZ_1zszpN8HUwnJht-IKoLNqrJSPLDT26LrZng6iywKP2lM0x6GrBNRgUYCn7D-Z5pTEmuuJygqkiIZP4O8PsCQInmXoz_4Gd16TGoyGj57yX02bKiIxdzMFOjxngdH9n2wFy/w400-h115/Autodesk-Maya-Logo-2016.png" width="400" /></a></div></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/how-to-use-layer-editor-in-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Use the Layer Editor in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/free-tutorial-copying-pasting-curves-in.html" target="_blank">How To Copy and Paste Curves in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/no-audio-in-maya-playblast.html" target="_blank">No Audio in Maya Playblast? How to Get The Audio Back</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2022/11/why-has-arnold-disappeared-from-maya.html" target="_blank">Why has Arnold Disappeared from Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/07/what-kind-of-laptop-to-buy-in-2021.html" target="_blank">What Kind of Laptop Should I Buy to Run Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/11/how-to-solve-technical-problems.html" target="_blank">How to Solve Technical Problems</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/02/six-tips-to-make-maya-work-faster.html" target="_blank">Six Tips to Make Maya Run Faster</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-great-free-script-to-toggle-control.html" target="_blank">Free Script for Maya to Toggle Control Curves On and Off</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/05/how-to-load-3ds-max-files-into-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Load 3DS Max Files Into Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/04/how-to-make-playblast-in-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Make a Playblast in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/03/how-does-graph-editor-work.html" target="_blank">How to Use the Graph Editor in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/10/export-render-sequence-in-arnold.html" target="_blank">Export a Render Sequence in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2019/09/autodesk-launches-maya-indie-license.html" target="_blank">Autodesk Maya Launches "Indie License"</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/04/maya-education-licenses-free-from.html" target="_blank">How to Get Your Free Maya License</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/02/no-audio-playback-in-maya-2020.html" target="_blank">No Audio Playback in Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/03/how-to-use-gird-in-autodesk-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Use The Grid in Autodesk Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/07/introduction-to-maya-interface.html" target="_blank">Introduction to The Maya Interface</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/07/should-you-run-latest-version-of-maya.html" target="_blank">Should You Run the Latest Version of Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/05/studio-library-free-tool-for-managing.html" target="_blank">Studio Library Tool</a></li></ul></div></div><div><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i></div></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-43784446073200847062024-01-21T09:48:00.000-08:002024-01-21T09:48:39.732-08:00Why Animators Should Work on Multiple Shots<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtU00JG1OW_-p2X2dkET7sbbdkNUqPJRYqGoWtTETT-XOOp7Amu4HNrrmqBZrhH_XrnyVvmpwb87RgxA7Sls028CsoU7FFXOhZa2gagqSOG2XLVFFbJtJ-599QGem9l1PTT3hkC-nNCw-jGG5_UOOzkwAtwtwf5AtTq_Be4jB8dXAXTwviCAVJJtbdyubx/s2180/hogarth.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="2180" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtU00JG1OW_-p2X2dkET7sbbdkNUqPJRYqGoWtTETT-XOOp7Amu4HNrrmqBZrhH_XrnyVvmpwb87RgxA7Sls028CsoU7FFXOhZa2gagqSOG2XLVFFbJtJ-599QGem9l1PTT3hkC-nNCw-jGG5_UOOzkwAtwtwf5AtTq_Be4jB8dXAXTwviCAVJJtbdyubx/w400-h184/hogarth.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Iron Giant</td></tr></tbody></table>Recently a student at Animation Apprentice was getting stuck on one of the weekly exercises, and I suggested that he work on a different shot. At first he resisted - he didn't want to give up on the shot he was working on. <div><br /></div><div>But I explained that lots of animators like to work on multiple shots at once - it helps to be able to rest your eyes, and come back fresh to a shot after working on something else for a while. <span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><b>Iron Giant</b><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVLXeVkcU7J2pgyL85v1mrlsR_w7Fl6IpQak9SB4iCYocjaYHyfOv9m5f0MS9uTXUaw_O6fGaG9Lrn6t_LMjDnVZK07qtxTKw_YMrifV_GR-AbJ_nK8H8XV3nCqYpnMzwAOQlVd3c0eQ0oppQKquyv6tSodSy3Ac4Adw0o8z6QYvK8JvUZNppJFBw6-yc/s2278/hogarth1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="992" data-original-width="2278" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVLXeVkcU7J2pgyL85v1mrlsR_w7Fl6IpQak9SB4iCYocjaYHyfOv9m5f0MS9uTXUaw_O6fGaG9Lrn6t_LMjDnVZK07qtxTKw_YMrifV_GR-AbJ_nK8H8XV3nCqYpnMzwAOQlVd3c0eQ0oppQKquyv6tSodSy3Ac4Adw0o8z6QYvK8JvUZNppJFBw6-yc/w400-h174/hogarth1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Working on production I always liked to be able to work on multiple shots at once. On a well organised project, such as The Iron Giant, which I worked on back in 1997, the animators were all give a sequence of shots to work on, so that we could maintain continuity, and take ownership of a small section of the film. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rough Out Multiple Shots</b></div><div>In addition, we could rough out all the shots at once, working on them simultaneously. That way, no-one got stuck or stale on a single shot. It's a great way to work, one which I recommend to all my students. Work on multiple shots, and keep your eyes fresh. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Alex williams Iron Giant Reel</b></div><div><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9DdKuuQopJ8?si=1AWlcAd-YSw6Zyuy" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Work on Multiple Shots at The Same Time</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNGSBm-G7uZoKXO7nd5yU8KB7Jr7XCPNS_LLA6xMvXjwCnIGvkVuCvlcHdYaAftQ6SpXBACOlhxTLkPE3yvgjxgMRTcImNghAe6GJIZm66DHBtM4SVilfDUO2yNjiycq29bfKf7xtc2HBl0Orrx8_J3R5lwqFDs0hgHifPSEJ30yH0GJmErJCnOyzOKV9/s2312/hogarth3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="984" data-original-width="2312" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNGSBm-G7uZoKXO7nd5yU8KB7Jr7XCPNS_LLA6xMvXjwCnIGvkVuCvlcHdYaAftQ6SpXBACOlhxTLkPE3yvgjxgMRTcImNghAe6GJIZm66DHBtM4SVilfDUO2yNjiycq29bfKf7xtc2HBl0Orrx8_J3R5lwqFDs0hgHifPSEJ30yH0GJmErJCnOyzOKV9/w400-h170/hogarth3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Personally I always like to work on multiple shots at once - I find it helps to rest my eyes, and the thinking time allows me to come back to a shot fresh after a couple of days. I have scenes in my Maya folders on my PC which I have been working on for months (or even longer). </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Try a Different Shot</b></div><div>If you haven't looked at your work for a while, you see it with fresh eyes, and you can immediately spot the mistakes, and the bits that could be improved.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i></div><div><br /></div></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-62641768789365180422024-01-20T07:40:00.000-08:002024-01-20T07:43:00.914-08:00How to Troubleshoot Animation Curves in Maya<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aqkHypF0ZPY?si=Nv_owTEgnRO6WCRQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><span style="background-color: #b2b2b2;"><br /></span></div><div>In this brief animation tutorial, aimed at animators learning Maya for the first time, we show how to troubleshoot your curves in Maya, using some simple animation with <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/animate-feminine-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Monty The Green Pea</a>. Maya's Graph Editor is confusing at first, but after a while it becomes the animator's best friend. When you first learn animation, you will find bumps and clicks in your work, which can be hard to diagnose and fix. Slowly, over time, it becomes clear how to find the curve that is causing the trouble - and fix it. </div><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><div><b>Animation Exercises with Monty</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAxVO4ixnhoa-qSbpUQZPbPg3AD7V4AcYW7qdrw_Q99JYx_9i4aiU3_GyV_LaZjuxcACj-a4t5G2_ht5cRQqme6A90BzOWlCaS781qAt6OLicSEO-luvA1MptoymAH71cSFaE8uPHDrb648JOdi2QiocS_T5ZLmWAvfgtpMoqkt-NoTtr2t3mGadGN7Kg/s468/montyWalk.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="279" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAxVO4ixnhoa-qSbpUQZPbPg3AD7V4AcYW7qdrw_Q99JYx_9i4aiU3_GyV_LaZjuxcACj-a4t5G2_ht5cRQqme6A90BzOWlCaS781qAt6OLicSEO-luvA1MptoymAH71cSFaE8uPHDrb648JOdi2QiocS_T5ZLmWAvfgtpMoqkt-NoTtr2t3mGadGN7Kg/s320/montyWalk.jpeg" width="191" /></a></div>To see more basic animation exercises with the amazing "Monty", follow the links below:<br /><ul><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/animate-feminine-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Meet Monty The Green Pea</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-animate-walk-with-monty.html">How to Animate a Basic Walk with "Monty"</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/07/animate-jump-with-monty.html">Animate a Jump with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-military-walk-with-monty.html">Animate a Military Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-run-cycle-with-monty.html">Animate a Run Cycle with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-manly-walk-with-monty.html">Animate a Masculine Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-angry-walk-with-monty.html">Animate an Angry Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-slow-sad-walk-with-monty.html">Animate a Sad Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/double-bounce-walk-with-monty.html">Animate a Double Bounce Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2017/03/how-to-stop-feet-sliding-in-walk-cycle.html">How to stop feet sliding in a walk cycle</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/how-to-fix-knee-pops-in-walk-cycle.html">How to Fix Knee Pops in a Walk Cycle</a></li></ul><i><br /></i></div><div><div><b>Technical Help at Animation Apprentice</b></div><div>We have many free resources on how to make the best use of Maya at Animation Apprentice. To find out more, follow the links below:</div><div><ul><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/animating-with-mayas-motion-trail-tool.html" target="_blank">How to Use the Motion Trail Tool in Maya</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7blRdGlpLu6pxrJgqaF0dl21nl34ckzA8NiZw1uuqGP71bDMsUzv1q1NZ_1zszpN8HUwnJht-IKoLNqrJSPLDT26LrZng6iywKP2lM0x6GrBNRgUYCn7D-Z5pTEmuuJygqkiIZP4O8PsCQInmXoz_4Gd16TGoyGj57yX02bKiIxdzMFOjxngdH9n2wFy/s1100/Autodesk-Maya-Logo-2016.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="1100" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7blRdGlpLu6pxrJgqaF0dl21nl34ckzA8NiZw1uuqGP71bDMsUzv1q1NZ_1zszpN8HUwnJht-IKoLNqrJSPLDT26LrZng6iywKP2lM0x6GrBNRgUYCn7D-Z5pTEmuuJygqkiIZP4O8PsCQInmXoz_4Gd16TGoyGj57yX02bKiIxdzMFOjxngdH9n2wFy/w400-h115/Autodesk-Maya-Logo-2016.png" width="400" /></a></div></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/how-to-use-layer-editor-in-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Use the Layer Editor in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/free-tutorial-copying-pasting-curves-in.html" target="_blank">How To Copy and Paste Curves in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/no-audio-in-maya-playblast.html" target="_blank">No Audio in Maya Playblast? How to Get The Audio Back</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2022/11/why-has-arnold-disappeared-from-maya.html" target="_blank">Why has Arnold Disappeared from Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/07/what-kind-of-laptop-to-buy-in-2021.html" target="_blank">What Kind of Laptop Should I Buy to Run Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/11/how-to-solve-technical-problems.html" target="_blank">How to Solve Technical Problems</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/02/six-tips-to-make-maya-work-faster.html" target="_blank">Six Tips to Make Maya Run Faster</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-great-free-script-to-toggle-control.html" target="_blank">Free Script for Maya to Toggle Control Curves On and Off</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/05/how-to-load-3ds-max-files-into-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Load 3DS Max Files Into Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/04/how-to-make-playblast-in-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Make a Playblast in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/03/how-does-graph-editor-work.html" target="_blank">How to Use the Graph Editor in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/10/export-render-sequence-in-arnold.html" target="_blank">Export a Render Sequence in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2019/09/autodesk-launches-maya-indie-license.html" target="_blank">Autodesk Maya Launches "Indie License"</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/04/maya-education-licenses-free-from.html" target="_blank">How to Get Your Free Maya License</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/02/no-audio-playback-in-maya-2020.html" target="_blank">No Audio Playback in Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/03/how-to-use-gird-in-autodesk-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Use The Grid in Autodesk Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/07/introduction-to-maya-interface.html" target="_blank">Introduction to The Maya Interface</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/07/should-you-run-latest-version-of-maya.html" target="_blank">Should You Run the Latest Version of Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/05/studio-library-free-tool-for-managing.html" target="_blank">Studio Library Tool</a></li></ul></div></div><div><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i></div></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-15034669315896259592024-01-09T09:12:00.000-08:002024-01-09T09:14:08.002-08:00Animation Apprentice Demo Reel 2024 <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HQpWUojDgq4?si=asfoyB6c-cqFftu5" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> <div>
<br /><div>Above is our 2024 student demo reel, a selection of the best work done at Animation Apprentice over the last year. The reel includes work by Joshua Reynolds, Marc Stevenson, Mark Masters, Michael Monks and Sean Rubin. Congratulations to all of them on their excellent work.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><b>Animation Apprentice Demo Reels</b></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTlb7IkYSbtxqanqOKbqnUh6fQqKmtNZ9L3nKgfXr95TrmJE1zGCoCEWJGZ_KE_Zpww036Nc4fMiOPZL2dugIYjmI5YSKfv8TKbyU1zseaM7m3gb_4LwyoKsi-gp2GeXhqKqUmkNj249XbGcBAaCDS4yY5YaVZpmU98ug6YzmHfSij6LoHZl1o8OGxXuK/s2992/fightbyMarkMasters.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1596" data-original-width="2992" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTlb7IkYSbtxqanqOKbqnUh6fQqKmtNZ9L3nKgfXr95TrmJE1zGCoCEWJGZ_KE_Zpww036Nc4fMiOPZL2dugIYjmI5YSKfv8TKbyU1zseaM7m3gb_4LwyoKsi-gp2GeXhqKqUmkNj249XbGcBAaCDS4yY5YaVZpmU98ug6YzmHfSij6LoHZl1o8OGxXuK/w400-h214/fightbyMarkMasters.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fight scene by Mark Masters</td></tr></tbody></table>Our students have been producing excellent work at Animation Apprentice for a decade. To see some of our students' work in previous years, check out the links below:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/01/2023-animation-demo-reel.html" target="_blank">2023 Student Demo Reel</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2022/01/animation-apprentice-2022-student-reel.html" target="_blank">2022 Student Demo Reel</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/03/february-2021-animation-demo-reel.html" target="_blank">2021 Student Demo Reel</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/01/january-2020-demo-reel.html" target="_blank">2020 Demo Reel</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2019/08/summer-2019-animation-demo-reel.html" target="_blank">2019 Demo Reel</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/11/animation-demo-reel-2018.html" target="_blank">2018 Demo Reel</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2017/10/animation-apprentice-animals-creatures.html" target="_blank">2017 Reel (Animals & Creatures)</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2017/09/animation-apprentice-character-reel-2017.html" target="_blank">2017 Reel (Character Animation</a>)</li><li><a href="http://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2015/12/animation-apprentice-2015-student-demo.html" target="_blank">2016 Animation Demo Reel</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q0REiwentk" target="_blank">2015 Animation Demo Reel</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHeUcCDPUSY" target="_blank">2014 Animation Reel</a></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div>
<span style="font-style: italic;">To find out more </span><a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html" style="font-style: italic;">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. To </span><a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html" style="font-style: italic;">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. </span></div></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-85028468459516266792024-01-05T10:02:00.000-08:002024-01-05T10:03:11.700-08:00BBC Ignite Welcomes Animation Pitches<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/ignite-animation" target="_blank"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqtheLkjm3O0e-p3hFrTBAndq_FDwp0AivtsVzJiltoMUJZKyN2KmIhUfeiQT6lwje3rUprEQhySTLWLdsHUFJeM-TKg0_YOzgHAibUkn3abt0Dwpis1uG92g9tga_GUN5wNVzWCbjL7qexLzsfdxL-n_FZnPMzo-xkyYumN2AhylR3aYSNiu6UUEvs8/s1064/BBCIgnite_LoRez.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="1064" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqtheLkjm3O0e-p3hFrTBAndq_FDwp0AivtsVzJiltoMUJZKyN2KmIhUfeiQT6lwje3rUprEQhySTLWLdsHUFJeM-TKg0_YOzgHAibUkn3abt0Dwpis1uG92g9tga_GUN5wNVzWCbjL7qexLzsfdxL-n_FZnPMzo-xkyYumN2AhylR3aYSNiu6UUEvs8/w400-h261/BBCIgnite_LoRez.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/ignite-animation" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">BBC "Ignite" deadline is 8 February 2024 at 2pm</a></td></tr></tbody></table>BBC Children’s Animation</a> are <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/ignite-animation" target="_blank">seeking submissions for fresh, bold and innovative animation ideas</a>. The scheme is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/ignite-animation" target="_blank">called "Ignite" and the deadline is 8 February 2024 at 2pm</a>. <div><br /></div><div>For all our students at Animation Apprentice who have been working on short films - this is a perfect opportunity to pitch your materials to the UK's biggest broadcaster.</div><div><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /><b>BBC Children's Animation: Ignite</b><br />BBC Children’s Animation is looking for fresh, bold, innovative new animation ideas for a fully funded development opportunity. Successful pitches will be given a "fully funded development opportunity" to bring their project to the small screen.<div><br /></div><div>You don't need to have created any finished animation for your project; more important is an idea of the stories you want to tell and who the main characters are. To <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/ignite-animation" target="_blank">see more, follow this link</a>.</div><br /><b>Anyone can pitch</b><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Mqz5X4Ko0iBoO847UavEWy5ONHv2rnZ5lap6Ld18PvF90Q_fYPIAsJuYjvio_mQCUw3wEd_ZklqKBFWw-stQVSzC0RlO8BKkOd9ZGj2Kl5gyPuOlGImP9sJa-kqnB6H9m-FcbOfbluU/s1124/IgniteLoRez.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="850" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Mqz5X4Ko0iBoO847UavEWy5ONHv2rnZ5lap6Ld18PvF90Q_fYPIAsJuYjvio_mQCUw3wEd_ZklqKBFWw-stQVSzC0RlO8BKkOd9ZGj2Kl5gyPuOlGImP9sJa-kqnB6H9m-FcbOfbluU/s320/IgniteLoRez.jpg" width="242" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BBC Ignite wants your pitches</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>You may be taking your first steps into animation, be a long-standing industry professional with something you’ve always wanted to explore or a production company or animation studio with an exciting new idea. Whatever your level of experience, BBC Ignite want to see your proposal with a view to developing it into an Industry Standard proof of concept with living breathing characters in a world that children will love.<br /><br /><b>Three Ideas To Fund</b><br />Up to three ideas will receive full development funding to create two minute animated pilots which will be considered for a commission by BBC Children’s.<br /><br /><b>Sole Creators Welcome</b><br />We’re looking for submissions from sole creators over the age of 18, collectives, animation studios, production companies, or anything in-between, where creatives would like to co-develop with the BBC rather than engage with the BBC via the usual commissioning process. If you’re a sole creator, the BBC can help you find a creative team to help build authentic and engaging characters and stories for Children in the UK and around the world.<br /><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/ignite-animation__;!!LtJ5xwj-!ciNZesnJ0tX9ab_wtl_sdQO3dfAzDq7kQssjjE7TR7L0aLq3Yxsay3UBSBUi12U1VNV7Bw$"><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzarNjxhf21j8N6xkUitFZpjnLUeZRu3He1noRdWE6k43E6R5p65PYjar8i8f3alQE9VpHBP2e2lCPT5l2vZQW-tgSgV3oU02PDq8B44QInpEF8b0bw2O5FxGlwox06tvCtKhyRqAJcvw/s1600/Peppa.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzarNjxhf21j8N6xkUitFZpjnLUeZRu3He1noRdWE6k43E6R5p65PYjar8i8f3alQE9VpHBP2e2lCPT5l2vZQW-tgSgV3oU02PDq8B44QInpEF8b0bw2O5FxGlwox06tvCtKhyRqAJcvw/w267-h320/Peppa.jpeg" width="267" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Could your idea be the next Peppa Pig?</td></tr></tbody></table></a><b>Criteria for Selection</b><br />The criteria for selection are wide and could include any of the following: originality, engagement for children, innovation, potential to run to multiple series, reaching an underserved section of our audience, international appeal, relatable storytelling and recognisable characters. But central to any idea must be that the stories, settings and characters represent the British culture and values<span face="ReithSans, Helvetica, Arial, freesans, sans-serif" style="color: #404040;"><span style="background-color: white;">.</span></span><br /><br /></div><div><b>Official Site</b></div><div>More information can be found the official website: <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/ignite-animation__;!!LtJ5xwj-!ciNZesnJ0tX9ab_wtl_sdQO3dfAzDq7kQssjjE7TR7L0aLq3Yxsay3UBSBUi12U1VNV7Bw$">https://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/ignite-animation</a></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Deadline</b></div><div>Submissions opened on Thursday 15 November 2023 and close on Thursday 8 February 2024 at 2pm</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Questions</b><br />If they have any questions: please contact: <a href="mailto:ignite@bbc.co.uk">ignite@bbc.co.uk</a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Apply</b></div><div>For more details, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/ignite-animation" target="_blank">follow this link to the official site</a>.<br /><i><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b></i><span style="font-style: italic;">To find out more </span><a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html" style="font-style: italic;">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. To </span><a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html" style="font-style: italic;">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a><span style="font-style: italic;">.</span><br /><br /></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-2546494950279857672024-01-03T07:22:00.000-08:002024-03-18T07:31:32.069-07:00Animate a Simple Head Turn with "Monty"<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKqhtXc_tQJw0TRRKXra7m8kAbSE6mxaLsuvIBR2eAUS35nF8Y4KBNKnb4vHwsubWfRVoXbu3U4RxLR8rZrhFV6ZczFj4iu3YVWH1Ltuggt45RAp2IMRMRp8L-_TwoUqjhVJzqK6RkVFa-czeRwrU1FGSC0XNGeQHIqpHRpQLn9IqEJHA6YHIfJK42ZgP/s502/montyHeadTurn.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="502" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKqhtXc_tQJw0TRRKXra7m8kAbSE6mxaLsuvIBR2eAUS35nF8Y4KBNKnb4vHwsubWfRVoXbu3U4RxLR8rZrhFV6ZczFj4iu3YVWH1Ltuggt45RAp2IMRMRp8L-_TwoUqjhVJzqK6RkVFa-czeRwrU1FGSC0XNGeQHIqpHRpQLn9IqEJHA6YHIfJK42ZgP/w400-h225/montyHeadTurn.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Animate a simple head turn with "Monty"</td></tr></tbody></table>In this basic tutorial for animation beginners we show how to animate a simple head turn with a basic character - <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2015/10/recommended-free-rigs-monty-green-pea.html" target="_blank">Monty the Green Pea, who you can read about (and download) here</a>. <div><br /></div><div>The idea is to learn how to do a basic head turn without making it stiff and lifeless - dip the head slightly on the turn, and also close the eyes - <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/09/do-animated-characters-need-to-blink.html" target="_blank">everyone blinks when they turn their head.</a> <span><a name='more'></a></span><div><div><br /></div><div><b>Monty Head Turn</b></div><div><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pvnJbL1wvNU?si=VPPQh5X36wYQ1Gtt" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><span style="background-color: #b2b2b2;"><br /></span></div><b>Everyone Blinks</b></div><div><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/09/do-animated-characters-need-to-blink.html" target="_blank">Everyone blinks when they turn their head.</a> To see more about how to animate a blink successfully, <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/09/do-animated-characters-need-to-blink.html" target="_blank">read this blog post</a>. <br /><span></span><div><br /></div><div><b>Animation Exercises with Monty</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAxVO4ixnhoa-qSbpUQZPbPg3AD7V4AcYW7qdrw_Q99JYx_9i4aiU3_GyV_LaZjuxcACj-a4t5G2_ht5cRQqme6A90BzOWlCaS781qAt6OLicSEO-luvA1MptoymAH71cSFaE8uPHDrb648JOdi2QiocS_T5ZLmWAvfgtpMoqkt-NoTtr2t3mGadGN7Kg/s468/montyWalk.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="279" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAxVO4ixnhoa-qSbpUQZPbPg3AD7V4AcYW7qdrw_Q99JYx_9i4aiU3_GyV_LaZjuxcACj-a4t5G2_ht5cRQqme6A90BzOWlCaS781qAt6OLicSEO-luvA1MptoymAH71cSFaE8uPHDrb648JOdi2QiocS_T5ZLmWAvfgtpMoqkt-NoTtr2t3mGadGN7Kg/s320/montyWalk.jpeg" width="191" /></a></div>To see more basic animation exercises with the amazing "Monty", follow the links below:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/animate-feminine-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Meet Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-animate-walk-with-monty.html">How to Animate a Basic Walk with "Monty"</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/07/animate-jump-with-monty.html">Animate a Jump with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-military-walk-with-monty.html">Animate a Military Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-run-cycle-with-monty.html">Animate a Run Cycle with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-manly-walk-with-monty.html">Animate a Masculine Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-angry-walk-with-monty.html">Animate an Angry Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-slow-sad-walk-with-monty.html">Animate a Sad Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/double-bounce-walk-with-monty.html">Animate a Double Bounce Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2017/03/how-to-stop-feet-sliding-in-walk-cycle.html">How to stop feet sliding in a walk cycle</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/how-to-fix-knee-pops-in-walk-cycle.html">How to Fix Knee Pops in a Walk Cycle</a></li></ul><br /><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i><br /><div><br /><br /> </div></div></div></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-86153625140178662302023-12-23T13:59:00.000-08:002024-01-03T07:13:02.452-08:00"A Christmas Carol" by Richard Williams<div class="p1">
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If you've got a few minutes this Christmas Eve, why not watch Richard Williams' 1972 Oscar-winning version of <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol_(TV_special)" target="_blank">The Christmas Carol</a>. </i>It has all the atmosphere of 19th Century London and none of the sentimentality. It's just twenty minutes long, and was completed at Williams' London studio at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13_Soho_Square" target="_blank">13 Soho Square</a> - a Grade II* listed building which still stands today (it's even painted the same colour).</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1"><b>1972 Christmas Carol</b></div><div class="p1"><div class="p1"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85d9gofaTh24BbjjNvjNwPiMt037sqQQT9MoKPwWAJUkmZClBh_vPlAyhPwCF9m6VHK8GmJR-aom_g2DzGaJTGX1Yb6yHDahfNjlOj30qleMNSjvjze4nyKBwEuPoGXrW3XTx9QcqzTcEVqvEOwPrzaMy4isTt1XF_cLnw-txmYElWFjwuHghbtmvIvM/s2058/Richard_Williams_Animation_1985.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2058" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85d9gofaTh24BbjjNvjNwPiMt037sqQQT9MoKPwWAJUkmZClBh_vPlAyhPwCF9m6VHK8GmJR-aom_g2DzGaJTGX1Yb6yHDahfNjlOj30qleMNSjvjze4nyKBwEuPoGXrW3XTx9QcqzTcEVqvEOwPrzaMy4isTt1XF_cLnw-txmYElWFjwuHghbtmvIvM/w199-h400/Richard_Williams_Animation_1985.jpeg" width="199" /></a></div>The twenty-two minute TV special was produced by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_jones">Chuck Jones</a> and many scenes were animated by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Harris">Ken Harris</a>, one of Chuck's star animators from <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_Runner_cartoons" target="_blank">Road Runner</a></i> days. Other legendary animators from the first <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_age_of_American_animation" target="_blank">Golden Age of Animation</a> included Grim Natwick and Emery Hawkins.<br /><br /><b>Animation Masters</b><br />These animation masters passed on their knowledge of animation to the animators at the studio in London, at a time when the craft of animation was almost dying out. I still have copies of their lecture notes - which you can find in the <a href="https://escapestudiosanimation.blogspot.com/2023/12/new-animation-books-for-anim-vfx-library.html" target="_blank">Animation Library at Escape Studios</a>. </div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1"><b>Roy Naisbitt</b></div><div class="p1">Art Director <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0619796/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1" target="_blank">Roy Naisbitt</a> designed hugely complex background layouts, creating a sense of the grime, squalor and claustrophobia of 19th century London.<br /><br />Roy Naisbitt later went on to do the extraordinary two and a half dimensional background layouts for <i>The Thief and The Cobbler</i>, and he also did the stunning layout work for the two-minute short cartoon that opens the 1988 hit <i>"Who Framed Roger Rabbit?". </i>It is Roy's work that gives the film's opening its unique character.</div><div class="p1"><br /><b>Punch Cartoons</b><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoONtTnM-GVXkPtXNMQh9WVZ5e-qKJgFz9QOKccWjXXFLl6RFMqkPI-DeJNOKvwWuU6tk_y49E-DKFBkXL3_TK3b0Y9LhemSXEP8ct5BxW8ztT3b5aOMm_GSUT6_FaCl8Nb7ONPPaH81v/s1600/BrianKenGrimArtDickPRichard_LoRez.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoONtTnM-GVXkPtXNMQh9WVZ5e-qKJgFz9QOKccWjXXFLl6RFMqkPI-DeJNOKvwWuU6tk_y49E-DKFBkXL3_TK3b0Y9LhemSXEP8ct5BxW8ztT3b5aOMm_GSUT6_FaCl8Nb7ONPPaH81v/w400-h213/BrianKenGrimArtDickPRichard_LoRez.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"></td></tr></tbody></table>The style of <i>Christmas Carol </i>was based on the illustrated <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_(magazine)" target="_blank">Punch</a> cartoons of the 19th century, similar to the animated interludes in <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Charge_of_the_Light_Brigade_(1968_film)">The Charge of the Light Brigade</a> </i>which the studio had completed a few years earlier. The idea was to make the film feel like a moving illustration - a tough drawing challenge for the animators.<br /><br /></div></div><div class="p1"><div><span style="font-style: italic;">To find out more </span><a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html" style="font-style: italic;">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. To </span><a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html" style="font-style: italic;">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a><span style="font-style: italic;">.</span></div><div><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></div>
Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-82751990999206460042023-12-12T03:29:00.000-08:002023-12-12T03:29:43.635-08:00Introduction to Character Design<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AWhA94AypPc?si=4sbTHGIFk1YDD7Ga" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> <div><br /></div><div>In this short video I talk briefly about the basics of character design, how to start with simple basic shapes and work out from there, developing your characters personalities from very simple beginnings. Character design is very much about contrasts - making characters feel different, and look different - with contrasting personalities. </div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>Character Design at Animation Apprentice</div><div>To see more about getting started with character design, see the blog posts below:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/04/considered-character-design-by-steve.html" target="_blank">The Art of Considered Character Design with Steve Sole</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/01/queens-counsel-is-back-for-few-guineas.html" target="_blank">Queen's Counsel is Back - For a Few Guineas More</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2014/11/how-does-animator-become-character.html" target="_blank">Going from Animator to Character Designer</a></li></ul><div><div><span style="font-style: italic;">To find out more </span><a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html" style="font-style: italic;">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. To </span><a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html" style="font-style: italic;">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a><span style="font-style: italic;">.</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-20411910963662421042023-12-01T07:58:00.000-08:002023-12-01T08:59:12.341-08:00How to Clean Up Scanned Images in Photoshop<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OyiMM2Zm_Uk?si=ru5XQItqnO5boa2c" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>This short video shows how to take a scanned image and tidy it up in Photoshop. The image I am using is an ink cartoon drawing, but this method works equally well for pencil drawings, and also works for images that have been photographed with a smartphone camera. Why should you clean up your scans? The purpose of the cleanup is to make your scanned images look prettier, to make them ready to send to a client, or to look nice for a presentation. Raw scans look ugly and unprofessional - watch the video above to see how to tidy them up.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-style: italic;">To find out more </span><a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html" style="font-style: italic;">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. To </span><a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html" style="font-style: italic;">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a><span style="font-style: italic;">.</span></div><div><i><br /></i><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-8214882320538329902023-11-30T03:09:00.000-08:002023-11-30T03:09:13.324-08:00How to Use The Shelf Editor in Maya<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R5kVmokFyjw?si=dvudNtBIPFTVQ-0z" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><span style="background-color: #b2b2b2;"><br /></span></div><div>This short introductory tutorial shows how to use the Shelf Editor in Autodesk Maya. The Shelf Editor allows animators to create buttons on a shelf, permitting the user to select frequently-used control curves such as hands, feet, body and head quickly and efficiently. For most animators working on production, the Shelf Editor is one of the first tools they will use when setting up their character workflow, to ensure they can animate fast and efficiently. </div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><div><b>Technical Help at Animation Apprentice</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7blRdGlpLu6pxrJgqaF0dl21nl34ckzA8NiZw1uuqGP71bDMsUzv1q1NZ_1zszpN8HUwnJht-IKoLNqrJSPLDT26LrZng6iywKP2lM0x6GrBNRgUYCn7D-Z5pTEmuuJygqkiIZP4O8PsCQInmXoz_4Gd16TGoyGj57yX02bKiIxdzMFOjxngdH9n2wFy/s1100/Autodesk-Maya-Logo-2016.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="1100" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7blRdGlpLu6pxrJgqaF0dl21nl34ckzA8NiZw1uuqGP71bDMsUzv1q1NZ_1zszpN8HUwnJht-IKoLNqrJSPLDT26LrZng6iywKP2lM0x6GrBNRgUYCn7D-Z5pTEmuuJygqkiIZP4O8PsCQInmXoz_4Gd16TGoyGj57yX02bKiIxdzMFOjxngdH9n2wFy/w400-h115/Autodesk-Maya-Logo-2016.png" width="400" /></a></div>We have many free resources on how to make the best use of Maya at Animation Apprentice. To find out more, follow the links below:</div><div><ul><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/animating-with-mayas-motion-trail-tool.html" target="_blank">How to Use the Motion Trail Tool in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/how-to-use-layer-editor-in-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Use the Layer Editor in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/free-tutorial-copying-pasting-curves-in.html" target="_blank">How To Copy and Paste Curves in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/no-audio-in-maya-playblast.html" target="_blank">No Audio in Maya Playblast? How to Get The Audio Back</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2022/11/why-has-arnold-disappeared-from-maya.html" target="_blank">Why has Arnold Disappeared from Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/07/what-kind-of-laptop-to-buy-in-2021.html" target="_blank">What Kind of Laptop Should I Buy to Run Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/11/how-to-solve-technical-problems.html" target="_blank">How to Solve Technical Problems</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/02/six-tips-to-make-maya-work-faster.html" target="_blank">Six Tips to Make Maya Run Faster</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-great-free-script-to-toggle-control.html" target="_blank">Free Script for Maya to Toggle Control Curves On and Off</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/05/how-to-load-3ds-max-files-into-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Load 3DS Max Files Into Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/04/how-to-make-playblast-in-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Make a Playblast in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/03/how-does-graph-editor-work.html" target="_blank">How to Use the Graph Editor in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/10/export-render-sequence-in-arnold.html" target="_blank">Export a Render Sequence in Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2019/09/autodesk-launches-maya-indie-license.html" target="_blank">Autodesk Maya Launches "Indie License"</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/04/maya-education-licenses-free-from.html" target="_blank">How to Get Your Free Maya License</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/02/no-audio-playback-in-maya-2020.html" target="_blank">No Audio Playback in Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/03/how-to-use-gird-in-autodesk-maya.html" target="_blank">How to Use The Grid in Autodesk Maya</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/07/introduction-to-maya-interface.html" target="_blank">Introduction to The Maya Interface</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2021/07/should-you-run-latest-version-of-maya.html" target="_blank">Should You Run the Latest Version of Maya?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/05/studio-library-free-tool-for-managing.html" target="_blank">Studio Library Tool</a></li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: #b2b2b2;"><br /></span><p> </p></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-9586272997200661882023-11-27T09:39:00.000-08:002023-11-27T09:39:46.463-08:00Animating With Maya's Motion Trail Tool<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FuzYwM0nL6M?si=SrUxeyh3O0HtQbo3" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />This short video (just three minutes long) shows how to use Maya's Motion Trail Tool. The Motion Trail Tool is very useful for smoothing out the kinks and bumps in your animation, to ensure that your arcs and paths of animation are as smooth and flowing as possible. Bumpy animation curves will create pops and bumps in your animation. The Motion Trail Tool is one way of overcoming these problems and giving your animation an extra polish. <span><a name='more'></a></span><div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><b>Locomotion Resources</b></div><div>There are many resources on walks (and locomotion generally) at Animation Apprentice. </div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvz1flfMTNOH1kklmYNVmvHuP2HeSStWVQAoMaXi-e_9AClUinryTWyOlNe950tAn-mxYo1MLu71ppH5HwYvdFdIZYI7ODUf0wWbJj7duRAmHvRvISlVn-gb8vYonwczS0UP6x2LOsSqKHrzmwSKdslufFRN_i_HxMChcYPQS79FfwMAqYr4wOIUW4A/s1476/Screenshot%202023-06-01%20at%2016.53.39.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1476" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvz1flfMTNOH1kklmYNVmvHuP2HeSStWVQAoMaXi-e_9AClUinryTWyOlNe950tAn-mxYo1MLu71ppH5HwYvdFdIZYI7ODUf0wWbJj7duRAmHvRvISlVn-gb8vYonwczS0UP6x2LOsSqKHrzmwSKdslufFRN_i_HxMChcYPQS79FfwMAqYr4wOIUW4A/w400-h204/Screenshot%202023-06-01%20at%2016.53.39.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goose-stepping "Monty"</td></tr></tbody></table>Follow the links below to find out more about walks and character walks.</div></div><ul><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-animate-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">How to Animate a Basic Walk with "Monty"</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/10/animate-lamp-hopping-with-pixo-jr.html" target="_blank">Animate a Lamp Hopping with Pixo Jr</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/07/animate-run-cycle-with-heavy.html" target="_blank">Animate a Run Cycle with "Heavy"</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/07/animate-jump-with-monty.html">Animate a Jump with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-military-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Military Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-run-cycle-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Run Cycle with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-manly-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Masculine Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-angry-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate an Angry Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-slow-sad-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Sad Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-basic-walk-with-heavy.html" target="_blank">Animate a Basic Walk with Heavy</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/double-bounce-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Double Bounce Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/05/bio-motion-lab-walker-and-animating.html" target="_blank">Character Walks with the Bio Motion Walker</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/11/how-to-fix-floaty-walk-cycle.html" target="_blank">How to Fix a Floaty Walk Cycle</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2017/03/how-to-stop-feet-sliding-in-walk-cycle.html" target="_blank">How to stop feet sliding in a walk cycle</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/08/why-animators-need-treadmills-for-walk.html" target="_blank">Why animators need treadmills for walk cycles </a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/11/why-walk-cycles-need-sine-waves.html" target="_blank">Why Walk Cycles Need Sine Waves</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2019/10/character-walks-animating-zig-zag-walk.html#more" target="_blank">Animating the "ZigZag Walk" on "The Thief & The Cobbler" </a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/11/two-ways-to-make-walk-cycle-which-is.html" target="_blank">Two Ways to Animate a Walk Cycle - Which is Best?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/08/character-walks-by-alexander-savchenko.html" target="_blank">Character Walks by Alexander Savchenko</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/03/why-animators-should-always-take-two.html" target="_blank">Why Animators Should Always Take Two Steps</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/07/character-walk-reference-for-animators.html" target="_blank">Character Walk reference by Houman Sorooshnia</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2017/09/100-ways-to-walk-by-kevin-parry.html" target="_blank">100 Ways to Walk by Kevin Parry</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/how-to-fix-knee-pops-in-walk-cycle.html" target="_blank">How to Fix Knee Pops in a Walk Cycle</a></li></ul><div><br /></div><div><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i></div></div><div><i><br /></i></div></div>Alexander Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001206598754082206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9019453201554291109.post-87500909104308931112023-11-23T05:10:00.000-08:002024-03-18T14:21:18.190-07:00Animate a Feminine Walk with "Monty"<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbarKpSG1Nhyfb55qgOMuImXTIUW98MPzTbymlnxkntUX_4tvj8MC1W1Bfx1E3T2eub2VGlYp-Nv2we6utTgfhTNGbjjYav7lo1RL2l4ZEiod0nhg07DGPIZxmXMOJWzP4O1LwfQ3wQDREKvxIAt098ZvnkY32RsZyANWINw7P2KsisLenplILC7tiqJBM/s390/montyfeminineWalk.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="390" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbarKpSG1Nhyfb55qgOMuImXTIUW98MPzTbymlnxkntUX_4tvj8MC1W1Bfx1E3T2eub2VGlYp-Nv2we6utTgfhTNGbjjYav7lo1RL2l4ZEiod0nhg07DGPIZxmXMOJWzP4O1LwfQ3wQDREKvxIAt098ZvnkY32RsZyANWINw7P2KsisLenplILC7tiqJBM/w400-h226/montyfeminineWalk.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exaggerated Feminine Walk with "Monty"</td></tr></tbody></table>One thing every animator needs to learn is how to animate a character walk. In this basic tutorial, we show how to take a "plain vanilla" walk using the marvellous <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2015/10/recommended-free-rigs-monty-green-pea.html">"Monty" rig</a> (free for download from highend3d.com) and make Monty walk in a feminine way, like a model on a catwalk. <div><br /></div><div>The video tutorial is recorded in Autodesk Maya, and is aimed at animation beginners. </div><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><b>Monty Feminine Walk by Phil Loeffler</b></div><div><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/46rXiEqrQAk?si=XCWpPe2yzm2pMTik" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
<br /><br /><div><div><div><b>About "Monty"</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98FD0nxuTV_4jGqpHFXQv8MAYG1fbNeavT2-YQ0OcqOTvA1-K3oRtXODC-yFxfV8WZwy3rFfqj1RUf6cMcsBxSlUlQjHRmaIzxdk6rTK3CRZX23JS5CIba3sjp2EVEuctQegmf2DJsba8Zy_2tJ-jpCJgcKbtV6gCL-Te-GAMUO6qSaVN0Cr9lkc55A/s2865/16framecycleMonty.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1305" data-original-width="2865" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98FD0nxuTV_4jGqpHFXQv8MAYG1fbNeavT2-YQ0OcqOTvA1-K3oRtXODC-yFxfV8WZwy3rFfqj1RUf6cMcsBxSlUlQjHRmaIzxdk6rTK3CRZX23JS5CIba3sjp2EVEuctQegmf2DJsba8Zy_2tJ-jpCJgcKbtV6gCL-Te-GAMUO6qSaVN0Cr9lkc55A/w400-h183/16framecycleMonty.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The videos use the marvellous <a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2015/10/recommended-free-rigs-monty-green-pea.html" target="_blank">"Monty" rig, free for download, and which you can read about here</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Start by Animating a Basic Walk with "Monty"</b></div><div>The tutorial takes a basic walk cycle (<a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-animate-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">see this blog post on how to achieve this</a>) and shows how to make very small changes that give the walk character and personality.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Adapt the Basic Walk</b></div><div>Rather than creating a character walk from scratch, a much more efficient approach is to complete a basic walk cycle and then adapt it. Just a few small changes can make all the difference. Start your journey by learning how to animate a basic walk cycle. You can find the links below. The password is the same as for all our videos.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Monty Walk Pt 1</b></div><div><a href="https://vimeo.com/830293594"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezqoCGc0W_DY2CMxabpHn_xa7dhWqGz2YWlZXhyoF6ym1JpU4l6IQcQBE_oxoLdI_ecQ6nLk_nO7qS-QDWMDIq7vcG_r2FEDXrCU2NYW8SwJzSquxDFVKwXkVkqCGSwxcfkE2Jvmh12jsa-ueAoKl-ZVLF1jGL59gPfEtOuFsRXaibTtATP4_gtNcvg/s468/montyWalk.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="279" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezqoCGc0W_DY2CMxabpHn_xa7dhWqGz2YWlZXhyoF6ym1JpU4l6IQcQBE_oxoLdI_ecQ6nLk_nO7qS-QDWMDIq7vcG_r2FEDXrCU2NYW8SwJzSquxDFVKwXkVkqCGSwxcfkE2Jvmh12jsa-ueAoKl-ZVLF1jGL59gPfEtOuFsRXaibTtATP4_gtNcvg/s320/montyWalk.jpeg" width="191" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet "Monty"</td></tr></tbody></table>https://vimeo.com/830293594</a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Monty Walk Pt 2</b></div><div><a href="https://vimeo.com/830312251">https://vimeo.com/830312251</a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Monty Walk Pt 3</b></div><div><a href="https://vimeo.com/830337206">https://vimeo.com/830337206</a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Monty Walk Pt 4</b> </div><div><a href="https://vimeo.com/830338058">https://vimeo.com/830338058</a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>"Feminine Walk" with Monty</b></div><div>To make Monty feel feminine, we need to </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Miliatary Feminine Walk Tutorial</b></div><div>You can find the Feminine Monty Walk Tutorial below:</div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/887634038" style="color: #954f72;">https://vimeo.com/887634038</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p></div><div><div><div><div><b>Walks and Character Walks</b></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPKHU8-m3pe7OrOBT0WZfTuegObd_A39PQQcVyeyOAnig89wS1zwmk6988eY16oBinY9LsdqNdwUtRcqw4Up0qErlsAkME9lsoOh004U2aQPluZ8I4w-9t2kpO0yHVc87DPXxXIqyWXxeZMRS0hwGW4YBVVjHaOGyfttb5ZiXUkwcyQ1sMpqKFHOrbA/s1472/journeyofLife_1%20copy_LoRez.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="1472" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPKHU8-m3pe7OrOBT0WZfTuegObd_A39PQQcVyeyOAnig89wS1zwmk6988eY16oBinY9LsdqNdwUtRcqw4Up0qErlsAkME9lsoOh004U2aQPluZ8I4w-9t2kpO0yHVc87DPXxXIqyWXxeZMRS0hwGW4YBVVjHaOGyfttb5ZiXUkwcyQ1sMpqKFHOrbA/w400-h283/journeyofLife_1%20copy_LoRez.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Journey of Life" by Robin Herrmann</td></tr></tbody></table>One of the first challenges for junior animators learning their craft is to learn the art of locomotion, specifically how to animate a walk cycle, and later a character or personality walk. What makes a walk happy, or sad? Angry, or fearful? Masculine, or feminine? </div><div><br /></div><div>Animators must learn to observe how humans act and move, and be able to replicate that character and personality in their motion. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Locomotion Resources</b></div><div>There are many resources on walks (and locomotion generally) at Animation Apprentice. </div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvz1flfMTNOH1kklmYNVmvHuP2HeSStWVQAoMaXi-e_9AClUinryTWyOlNe950tAn-mxYo1MLu71ppH5HwYvdFdIZYI7ODUf0wWbJj7duRAmHvRvISlVn-gb8vYonwczS0UP6x2LOsSqKHrzmwSKdslufFRN_i_HxMChcYPQS79FfwMAqYr4wOIUW4A/s1476/Screenshot%202023-06-01%20at%2016.53.39.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1476" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvz1flfMTNOH1kklmYNVmvHuP2HeSStWVQAoMaXi-e_9AClUinryTWyOlNe950tAn-mxYo1MLu71ppH5HwYvdFdIZYI7ODUf0wWbJj7duRAmHvRvISlVn-gb8vYonwczS0UP6x2LOsSqKHrzmwSKdslufFRN_i_HxMChcYPQS79FfwMAqYr4wOIUW4A/w400-h204/Screenshot%202023-06-01%20at%2016.53.39.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goose-stepping "Monty"</td></tr></tbody></table>Follow the links below to find out more about walks and character walks.</div></div><ul><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-animate-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">How to Animate a Basic Walk with "Monty"</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/10/animate-lamp-hopping-with-pixo-jr.html" target="_blank">Animate a Lamp Hopping with Pixo Jr</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/07/animate-run-cycle-with-heavy.html" target="_blank">Animate a Run Cycle with "Heavy"</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/07/animate-jump-with-monty.html">Animate a Jump with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-military-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Military Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-run-cycle-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Run Cycle with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-manly-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Masculine Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-angry-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate an Angry Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-slow-sad-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Sad Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/animate-basic-walk-with-heavy.html" target="_blank">Animate a Basic Walk with Heavy</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/06/double-bounce-walk-with-monty.html" target="_blank">Animate a Double Bounce Walk with Monty</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/05/bio-motion-lab-walker-and-animating.html" target="_blank">Character Walks with the Bio Motion Walker</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/11/how-to-fix-floaty-walk-cycle.html" target="_blank">How to Fix a Floaty Walk Cycle</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2017/03/how-to-stop-feet-sliding-in-walk-cycle.html" target="_blank">How to stop feet sliding in a walk cycle</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/08/why-animators-need-treadmills-for-walk.html" target="_blank">Why animators need treadmills for walk cycles </a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2020/11/why-walk-cycles-need-sine-waves.html" target="_blank">Why Walk Cycles Need Sine Waves</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2019/10/character-walks-animating-zig-zag-walk.html#more" target="_blank">Animating the "ZigZag Walk" on "The Thief & The Cobbler" </a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/11/two-ways-to-make-walk-cycle-which-is.html" target="_blank">Two Ways to Animate a Walk Cycle - Which is Best?</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/08/character-walks-by-alexander-savchenko.html" target="_blank">Character Walks by Alexander Savchenko</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2018/03/why-animators-should-always-take-two.html" target="_blank">Why Animators Should Always Take Two Steps</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/07/character-walk-reference-for-animators.html" target="_blank">Character Walk reference by Houman Sorooshnia</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2017/09/100-ways-to-walk-by-kevin-parry.html" target="_blank">100 Ways to Walk by Kevin Parry</a></li><li><a href="https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/11/how-to-fix-knee-pops-in-walk-cycle.html" target="_blank">How to Fix Knee Pops in a Walk Cycle</a></li></ul><div><br /></div><div><i>To find out more <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/faqs.html">about <b>Animation Apprentice</b>, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions</a>. To <a href="http://www.animationapprentice.org/when-does-next-course-begin.html">sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link</a>.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div>
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