Out with the old, in with the new.

As I could feel my animation skills improve, especially with the help of video reference footage, I noticed in comparison to some of my previous animations done for the project felt bland. I was left with a question. “Do I redo/ tweak my previous animation?”

It was a huge question that needed to be answered. On the one hand, the animation I had previously produced was adequate and thus would allow me to focus on getting the incomplete animation done within the timescale. On the other hand, this was an opportunity to showcase my skills and understanding of animating. Ultimately, if I were to make this film and do the animation, I would do it right, i.e. use video reference footage. What also informed my decision to re-do animation segments was making the animation style more expressive and looser. Style had been an issue for me throughout this project and it wasn’t until the end of my previous module that I achieved the desired look.

Revisiting clean up:

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/18b9e9_acde377fc1234b93afce561f89cc9fd0/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

I reviewed pieces of animation I had previously produced in my last module, ‘Animation Application’, and tweaked the animation where applicable. Unfortunately, some had to be redone completely, thus adding more pressure to complete within the timescale. However, this was also an opportunity to find a more exciting way to connect to an audience through performance. Once I had made a list of shots to revisit, I acted out the movement, analysed it, and applied my findings to the animation process.

Improved animation comparison:

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/18b9e9_bc2d419086d043a8837a9f4c5b95cef1/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Overall, I am happy with the animation I have re-done. Although it did apply more pressure to complete this part of the production process and go past my deadline for completing it all, it felt not only necessary but the right thing to do. This process has taught me that animators bring their character to life through a good understanding of the 12 principles or even their ability to draw and communicate a performance primarily through observation. This is not to say I feel entirely comfortable with the observation, nor does it always work. An example is my incapability to animate a movement within a shot and, therefore, to add a shot. However, in most cases, it enhances the overall animation quality.