#animation classwork

[jazzdoeswhatshewants]

Animation Analysis

A is for Autism is a 1992 film by Tim Webb commissioned by the UK’s Channel 4.

What I like about this animation style/aesthetic is that the various animated scenes is based off drawings done by some of the autistic participants, thus giving a viewer not just a audio look into the lives of the autistic interviewees, but a visual one as well. (the music was also composed and performed by autistic musicians.) The interviewed group was a mix of adults and children

I would definitely consider this an animated documentary the scenes often correlate to the current personal history being told, such as one individual’s experience of using a spinning coin to block out unwanted noises, or another’s constant questioning about street lights because they like the way the answer sounds, which are are paired with visually correlating (but also still stylised) animations.

I think this is successful in being a documentary as it correctly documents the retelling of these autistic people's personal history, and even more so in the fact its style is based off of the drawings of these autistics- it even shows some of them being drawn. 

http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/1166359/index.html (synopsis, extra information)

[jazzdoeswhatshewants]

Transcript:

[jazzdoeswhatshewants]

Animated Documentary Moodboards

[jazzdoeswhatshewants]

Making Of Video

(courtesy of Steph)

[jazzdoeswhatshewants]

Final Completed Animation!

[jazzdoeswhatshewants]

Spline Pass/Completed Animation

[jazzdoeswhatshewants]

Weekly Report Time

What issues have you faced with rigging your creature?

I think a better question is what issues haven’t I faced. As the most experienced group member with rigging and all the hells that come with it, plus being the one to suggest having two heads in the first place, I ended up with the duty to make it work. At the time I thought it would be best to make a custom rig, given the two heads, four legs on ground, not at all the human body. And it did work in that way... Somewhat. I did struggle in making things work in the way I wanted to, and despite all of my research into tutorials and rigging suggestions I don’t think I got it fully right. It works, however, and is fully usable, despite how honestly ramshackle it is. But I could have done better. If I’d figured out how to keep the legs in place when I moved the body it would have gone easier. Which I have now, but it's too late for that. Still. I know I have a lot to improve on and to learn. And I intend to, after I take a looong break from it.

Skin weighting is a hellscape and that's the issue all of itself. Crashed my computer wayyy too much.

[jazzdoeswhatshewants]

Notes to Self, I guess

Linear Pass Feedback

remember to animate Goofy's head thingys (thanks Ettie-)

refine moving holds

make goof's eyes look better when dizzy -----Dr K stuff----

steal frames from beginning (like, five) to add pause on the hit

the land mid hops loses motion, so adjust for that

move the chest with neck movements

bring more weight down on chest and hips for the hop land.

improve Goofy's motion during Sharps GRR bit

Spline tips

Spline Pass 1- Refining

use Auto Span an weighted tangents, regular can cause those >:P looking spline overshoots

foot contact and lifts generally stay in linear. keeps it solid.

smmoooooth curves

Spline Pass 2 - Timing

offsetting motions so not everything hits the pose at the exact same time- looks more organic

helps build overlapping action

offset the curves, and use the buffer curves thing to help see it

Spline Pass 3- Weight Pass

improving the overall sense of weight

make poses feel heavy where ever possible

Effective play blasts of finished animations involve multiple copies, or instances. I cant explain it well here but future Jazz will just check the vid of the lecture.