Incorporating a tail to the animated ball bounce requires thought out follow through and well-planned timing.
In-Class Exercise
In class, we had to use motion trails to create a smooth arc and with added squash and stretch and follow through on the tail, considering its three key sections and their different timings. Looking at the realistic movement of a tail, I used the reference of a squirrel to see how the tail would effectively follow a small jumping body and exaggerate it.
Squirrel Walk & Small Jump (Slow Motion Animation Reference) – YouTube
Below is the finished task, which I feel has successfully created a clean follow through with the tail, however, the bouncing itself is quite violent and the timing could be worked on to create a more effective and natural-looking piece of animation.
Stepping Stones (Extended)
Expanding on from the initial in-class exercise I wanted to create a more creative and challenging version of a ‘staircase’ animation, adding a more playful essence that allowed me to think more about the tails reaction to the involuntary movement (such as the platform hovering like a lift). Looking into different ways, I could approach a more appropriate follow-through method. I used the dope sheet to offset the different movement timings, which was visually easier to manipulate than the graph editor in this instance.
Reflecting on the final product I think that once again I achieved a realistic follow through on the tail, which seems to correspond to the environment in the most practical way I could achieve. However, the last bounce of this sequence lacks the weight of realism, and in an attempt to add character and charm to the fox, I seem to have missed an element of realism. Going forward, I will focus in more detail on the weight and balance of the character.
Final Version (with Rendering)
Using newly learned rendering techniques, I used an Arnold global light source with added directional lights to make prominent reflective surfaces that make the ‘fox’ stand out against the background to make the movements clearer rather than blending into the plain background. For future rendering areas, I could incorporate ‘360’ environments that can be used with the Arnold globe. In accordance with The VES Handbook of Visual Effects (Okun et al, 2021), HDRI and chrome balls can be used to capture light sources that help match CGI objects with real live-action footage, generally with a grey matte side which helps capture light sources on non-reflective objects simultaneously. These images can then be imported into Maya, and prove interesting to perhaps keep in mind for potential CGI live-action projects in future.
Final reflection
Making reference to Richard Willaims discussing the portrayal of weight, in animation, after discussing with Milt Kahl that to effectively convey the illusion of weight, you have to understand where the weight is at any point in the animation (2009,p.256). Taking the grease pencil tool that I made use of in the process of later energy, I went back and made an indication of where the weight would be present in the ball at every frame, and where it would be transferring, to help me assess retrospectively where I faltered at specific points to make better progression in future. For example, towards the end of the animation, I give the conveyance of weight impact before the ‘ball’ even makes contact with a surface, which takes away from the realistic effects of the performance. The grease pencil tool, and software such as Sync Sketch, will become essential parts of my workflow going forward into next term.
References
Okun, J., Zwerman, S., McKittrick, C. and Sepp-Wilson, L., n.d. The VES handbook of visual effects. 3rd ed. New York: Routledge.
WILLIAMS, R., 2009. The animator’s survival kit. London: Faber and Faber, p.214- P.282.