This week focused on finishing the Creature Locomotion assignment and starting the planning for our next Advanced Animation Shot. The week felt like a shift from completing previous technical exercises into planning a more personal animation idea that could connect to my FMP.
On Thursday, we worked on the Creature Locomotion Polish assignment. At this stage, the aim was to refine the movement and make the creature animation feel more believable. The polish stage was important because lions have a strong sense of weight and power in their movement, so small changes in timing and body mechanics can make the animation feel much more natural. By studying real lion references, I could better understand how the legs, paws, shoulders, hips, head and tail work together, which helped me improve the overall realism of my animation.
On Friday, we started planning the Advanced Animation Shot. For this assignment, we were told that from Week 16 to Week 19 we would work on a more advanced animation shot of our choice. This week was about submitting the shot planning for review. The planning had to include the type of shot, the context, the rig being used, video references, and any rough thumbnails or blocking that could help explain the idea.
For my idea, I want to create a short pantomime / acting shot that connects to the theme of my FMP. The shot will show a young character during their morning routine, brushing their teeth in a mechanical and tired way. While they are getting ready, siren lights and sounds interrupt the moment. The character pauses briefly and notices the disturbance, but instead of reacting with fear, they give a tired sigh, as if this kind of chaos has become normal. They then put on headphones.
The main focus of the animation will be subtle acting and body mechanics. I want to work on the repetitive brushing movement, the pause when the sirens appear, the sigh, the shoulders dropping, putting on the headphones, and the character’s detached body language. I want the movement to feel emotionally numb and slightly robotic, rather than dramatic or scared.
This idea connects to my FMP because I am interested in how people become emotionally distant from violence and conflict through constant exposure to media, news and everyday chaos. The scene shows the contrast between an ordinary daily routine and signs of conflict happening around the character. Instead of showing a big dramatic reaction, I want to show desensitisation through a small, quiet moment.
Initially, I wanted to use the Ray rig, but it is no longer available to download. Because of this, I had to look for another suitable rig that I could use for my animation work.
The feedback I received was that the idea was good and possible to animate, but that I should make the shot more focused. Instead of trying to animate the whole action, I was advised to choose only one clear section. This could either be the first half, where the character brushes their teeth, reacts to the siren and sighs, or the second half, where they put down the toothbrush, put on their earphones and walk away.