Month: January 2026

This week focused on planning a more advanced body mechanics and acting shot. The main assignment was Heavy Object & Change of Mind, where we had to create a short animation that combines a heavy object with a clear moment where the character changes their mind. The shot length had to be around 12 seconds, and the goal was to show both the physical weight of the object and the emotional or mental shift of the character.

I found this assignment interesting because it is not only about making a character lift or push something heavy. The movement also needs to communicate the character’s thought process. For example, the character might first try to solve the problem in one way, struggle, become frustrated, and then decide to do something different. This made me think more about how acting and mechanics can work together in animation.

The guidelines also made it clear that the shot needs to show clarity. The audience should understand the weight of the object and the exact moment the character changes their mind. We were also allowed to set up cameras, but the shot still had to show the full body, because the physical movement is very important for body mechanics. I think this is useful because heavy-object animation depends a lot on posture, balance, weight shifts and timing.

We also had a self-study task about constraints, parenting and locators in Maya. The goal was to understand how objects can connect, disconnect and interact in a 3D scene without breaking the animation. This included learning the difference between parenting and constraints. Parenting is more like a permanent hierarchy in the outliner, while constraints can be turned on and off, which is more useful for animation.

The self-study also explained how locators can be used as invisible anchors. Instead of attaching a prop directly to a character’s hand, it can be connected to a locator to keep the setup cleaner. This is especially useful for actions like throwing a ball, holding a weapon, or holding a stick with both hands. I found this relevant because it showed how technical setup affects the animation workflow. If the object is not connected properly, it becomes much harder to animate naturally.

On Friday, we also continued working on the Previs – Hunter to Prey final assignment. The aim was to finalise the scene, address feedback and keep improving the previs. This connected back to the previous week, because the focus was still on story, rhythm, timing and camera language rather than polished lighting or final animation. The “Hunter to Prey” theme was about showing a power shift, so it was important to make the change clear through staging and camera choices.

This week focused more on story structure and how to develop a clear narrative before moving into previs. We started by looking at the basics of story and how a scene should not just be a list of things happening. The lecture explained the difference between a chronicle and a narrative: a chronicle is just “this happened and then this happened,” while a narrative is a sequence of events that have meaning and consequences. This helped me understand that a strong story needs cause and effect, not just random actions.

One of the main ideas from the session was the difference between “and then” and “therefore / but.” Instead of writing a story where events just follow each other, we learned that each beat should happen because of the previous one, or create a new obstacle. This made me think more about how a character’s choices should push the story forward. The session also introduced the SWBST structure: Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then. I found this useful because it gives a simple way to check if a story has a clear character, goal, conflict, action and resolution.

In class, we also did the Story Pitch activity. We had to create different story ideas using the SWBST structure, then choose the strongest one and explain it to someone else. This was helpful because pitching made me realise if the idea actually made sense. When you have to explain the story out loud, it becomes easier to see if the logic is clear or if some parts feel random.

We also had the Cinematography Analysis assignment. For this task, we had to choose a 1–2 minute clip from a film that we found visually interesting and analyse how the cinematography supports the storytelling. I chose a scene from The Hunger Games, because the visual language clearly shows power, control and vulnerability. In SyncSketch, I analysed different frames and looked at elements such as composition, camera angle, lighting, framing and how characters were placed in the scene. For example, the symmetrical and centred compositions helped show the authority of the Capitol, while close-up framing made certain moments feel more personal and emotionally intense.

https://syncsketch.com/sketch/U6TLOfSTk6k4

On Friday, we worked on the Previs – Hunter to Prey assignment in Maya. The theme was about showing a dramatic power shift between two characters or more. The focus was not on final lighting, textures or polished animation, but more on story, rhythm, timing, spacing and camera language. This connected well with the story lecture, because we had to make sure the scene was not just a random conflict, but had a clear setup, action and resolution.

We also generated storyboard images to get a more visual idea of what we wanted to create. This helped us understand the framing, camera angles and overall mood before starting the previs in Maya. By using these images as visual references, we could make clearer decisions about how to show the shift from hunter to prey and how to build tension throughout the scene.

After presenting our Hunter to Prey previs, we received feedback on both the camera work and pacing of the sequence. One of the main suggestions was to make certain shots longer in order to give the audience more time to understand the action and build suspense. Ting also recommended using smoother camera curves during the ball sequence rather than relying on very fast zooms, as some of the camera movements felt rushed.

We were advised to slow down the zoom-in and spread it across a longer duration, creating a more gradual sense of tension. Another point of feedback was to improve the relationship between camera distance and shot length, ensuring that the pacing of the camera movements matched the scale of the action on screen.

The camera should also better follow and catch up with the ball during the sequence, helping the audience focus on the key action. To strengthen the dramatic impact, we were encouraged to increase the visual contrast between calm and intense moments and to introduce a stronger camera reaction when the character falls. Finally, the ending should move closer to the character with a tighter framing, and the street should be shown again to provide a clearer sense of location and resolution.

I also found a reference video of someone throwing a ball, which helped me better understand the body movement, timing, weight shift and follow-through of the action.

These changes will help create a stronger feeling of suspense and make the hunter-to-prey transformation more visually engaging and easier to follow.

This week we started by looking at storyboarding and how scenes can be translated visually through camera choices, framing and shot composition. For the first task, we had to recreate the storyboard of a film scene during the break. I chose Incredibles 2, because I thought it would be interesting to analyse how an animated film uses clear camera angles, action poses and composition to communicate the story. Recreating the storyboard helped me understand how each shot is planned before animation, and how important it is to think about what the audience needs to see in each moment.

We also had the second part of the Cinematography session, which focused on layout, composition and camera language. The session explained that the main question is not just “where do you put the camera?”, but also “what is this scene about?” and “what do you want to say?” We looked at elements such as focus, focal length, geometry in the frame and camera movement. I found this useful because it connected directly to storyboarding: every camera choice should support the emotion or meaning of the shot, instead of just looking visually nice.

In class, we then did the Storyboard – Creative Adaptation activity/quiz. For this, we had to take part of the storyboard and adapt or rethink it creatively.

Another task was the 5 + 5 Emotions through Camera storyboard. We had to create two storyboards using exactly five shots, with each shot lasting five seconds. The challenge was to communicate a clear emotion or story without dialogue, facial acting or heavy performance, only using camera language such as framing, composition and movement. This made the task more difficult, but also more useful, because it forced me to think about how the camera itself can create emotion.

I revised my storyboards based on the feedback received during class. The main focus was improving the camera language, shot variety, and visual storytelling to make the emotions and narrative clearer.

For the loneliness sequence, I reworked the camera progression to create a stronger sense of isolation. The scene now begins with a slow zoom-out, gradually revealing how small and disconnected the character is within the environment. Following the feedback, I added a close-up and extreme close-up shot to draw attention to the character’s emotional state before transitioning back to wider compositions. I also adjusted the framing and camera angles to create a stronger contrast between the character and the surrounding space, reinforcing the feeling of loneliness.

For the suspense sequence, I refined the shot order to build tension more effectively. The sequence now starts with a slow push-in towards the character, creating anticipation and drawing the audience’s attention towards the action. I then introduced a close-up of the character reacting to a sound, followed by a close-up of the phone vibrating on the table. Based on the feedback, I explored different camera angles and framing options to make the source of the sound feel more mysterious. The final wide shot reveals the character’s reaction while maintaining the suspense built throughout the sequence.

Then we brought the storyboards to life in Maya by exchanging them with each other and animating someone else’s idea.

On Friday, we continued the 5 + 5 Emotions through Camera task in Maya. This was the practical version of the storyboard exercise, where we had to use Maya cameras to create the same kind of emotional storytelling. It helped me understand how a storyboard can move from a flat planning stage into a 3D space. I had to think more carefully about camera position, shot size and composition, because in Maya the camera actually becomes part of how the emotion is shown.

We also had to upload an animation short film and explain why we chose it. I chose “Turbo – You Can Do It, Turbo!” because it resonated with me. The scene shows how stress can make you try to act like someone else. The line “Are you a car? … Then stop driving like one!” followed by “Snail up, baby!” is funny, but it also has a real message. It reminds me that confidence comes from leaning into your own way of doing things, instead of copying someone else.