As before, extensive feedback suggesting ways in which to improve my animation was provided by my tutors, Rachel Dixon, Aodhan McNicoll and Alec Parkin. Feedback was again provided during class one-to-one sessions, and on a frame-by-frame basis through SyncSketch, and given a weight lift animation is such a difficult piece to get right at this stage of the course, they were certainly busy!
ANIMATION PASS 1:
Initial Animation Pass (Side View)
Here, in my initial animation pass above, feedback was that while the overall animation ‘was looking very good’, and the posing following the stumble ‘brilliant;’ that the sections where the character is stumbling backwards, and subsequently walking off carrying the heavy box, needed some adjustment.
Feeling the stumble backwards felt too slow in relation to the weight of the box she was carrying, my tutors suggested adjusting the timing of this section to be a little faster, and for additional effect, to vary the pace of the stumble.
Also, with the impression given that the feet come up too quickly as the character begins to unbalance, to have this movement appear more realistic, feedback was to have the feet remain flat a little longer, and to create the illusion of weight shift in the chest. A sliding movement too, where the foot controls are kept dead flat on the ground, and the ankle raised to have the toes glide along the ground while the opposite foot is in the air, would push the pose more, and improve the upper body flow.
Taking these comments on board, these changes were then implemented in my second animation pass.
Stumble Backwards (Before)
Stumble Backwards (After)
At my tutor’s suggestion, other areas were also improved. To reflect the weight being carried as the character recovers her balance, the centre of gravity was held further back for a few frames, so that the hips only came forward when the left foot was firmly planted on the ground.
Frame 335 (Before)
Frame 335 (After)
Also, to improve aesthetics, and create contrast as the back arch transitions to reverse from a concave to convex curve, as suggested, the posing in frame 274 was amended to tilt the head and shoulders downwards a little more.
Frame 274 (Before)
Frame 274 (After)
However, while feedback was that I’d ‘nailed the first walk cycle,’ and ‘overall the animation looked great,’ the biggest issues were with the posing, timing and lack of weight shift in the final walk, where despite carrying a heavy weight, the character was correctly described as ‘just gliding’ by one tutor, and another suggested for me to ‘act out this section of my animation myself, to better understand how my body would move.’
Having done this, major changes were then made. To maintain balance, a much wider stance was adopted, with the leg angled outwards in a triangular fashion, and the feet splayed out to spread the weight over a larger area. To reflect the downward force being applied, the knees now also remain permanently bent during the walk, and the hips lowered to bend the knees even further on each ‘down’ pose. The character is now also leaning further back to counterbalance the weight of the box, the weight shift made more dramatic, and the timing of the walk significantly slowed. Implementing these changes not only made my character’s movement more convincing, but in doing so, the contrast between my initial and final walk cycles was also highlighted.
Before submitting my second animation pass to SyncSketch for final feedback, I also took the opportunity to polish my animation further, and to add little touches that could increase its realism and believability, such as the box being carried at a slight angle to reflect as, how people generally have a dominant arm, the other is a little weaker. Additionally, although my character already appeared shocked and surprised as she stumbled backwards, to further enhance the storytelling and performance, I also added her breathing a sigh of relief to have recovered her balance, and facial expression to relay the additional effort and determination needed to both lift, and carry off a box which feels heavier with every step.
ANIMATION PASS 2:
Thankfully, this time, tutor feedback only identified an handful of issues in the final walk, which were subsequently amended.
The first was to ‘keep the back foot flat and grounded while the other foot is in the air, as the heel is only lifted when there is a contact pose,’ as unfortunately, having been so focused on ensuring the other aspects of the final walk were correct, I’d overlooked this, and secondly, to ‘have the toe/ankle rotation come down quicker, to make the movement feel snappier, and more natural for when holding a weight.’
Side View – Frame 418
Side View – Frame 423
However, having been unable to implement some pass one feedback due to knee popping when amending the rig to replicate the more dramatic weight shift and positioning suggested in the image below, I’d also sought assistance from Rachel, my 3D tutor, on how best to resolve this issue, and on receiving her feedback, this too was incorporated into my final animation.
Frame 262:
‘If you’re finding the MAIN hip control to be too extreme, make sure to utilise the inner pelvis control to soften the rotation. Utilise both hip controls here for a softer curve. The heels can also ground earlier as they balance the weight of the hips when they are farther back.’
Side View – Frame 262
Frame 273:
‘Keep the hips back a little farther to balance the weight of the box (she looks like she’s going to fall over).
Side View – Frame 273
However, if I’m honest, while implementing these changes improved the body mechanics in this section of my animation, and it’s not apparent in the front view render, in also keeping the arms straight and close to the body to reflect the weight of the box, there are now a few frames, just when the right hand is being positioned underneath, that the arm clips a little into the very corner of the box, but as even seasoned animators have said, this is tricky stuff, especially at this stage of the course.
My final weight lift animation is shown below.
Final Weight Lift Animation (Front View)
