Narrative Animation

The Temple (Action-Reaction Animation)

The Temple

After learning how to 3D model and animate, we were given the assignment of making a short action-reaction animation. This project utilized all the 3D modelling and animation knowledge we learned so far. We built our scene and story, and then used a combination of mocap data and keyframing to do the animation. Afterwards, we added lighting and edited the sound and finishing touches in Adobe After Effects.

The story behind the Temple features how my character Roi, got their sword. I wanted to incorporate some fast movement in my action-reaction, as well as show my character’s fighting skill, while also not overworking myself with the time we had to create this animation.

Modeling

Temples

I modelled Greek style temples in Autodesk Maya. I chose to render it out at this camera angle because I thought the close-up and faraway one looked interesting. It also showed off a front view and a side view of the temples.

Behind the Scenes: Environment Texturing
Hydra

My favorite weapons are swords, so I wanted to design a sword for this assignment. I made it large to add more details, and I like the aesthetic of a character carrying an oversized sword around. I also gave it a bright blue edge and an eye to make it look like its got a life of its own. The name and the writing on the side are references to my fish-based character that wields it.

Character Render
Character Bio

For my character, I designed a fish person because I wanted to make something kind of glowy with large teeth and fun spikes. That idea reminded me of an anglerfish, so I went with the fish idea. I liked the contrast of putting a monstrous-looking creature in fancy-looking clothing, so I used a fancy shirt and pants with shiny buttons. I also put gold on the jacket for emphasis.

Animation

Walk, Run, Jump Cycles

Once we were finished creating our character, we learned how to animate them by keyframing in Autodesk Maya. We learned through making a walk cycle, run cycle, and jump cycle.

Motion Capture

We learned how to use motion capture data to animate in Autodesk Maya. Here, we used a variety of different mocaps to make a scene for practice with different shots.

Lipsync

We learned how to use blendshapes in Autodesk Maya to create a lipsync. The audio I used is from the game Genshin Impact.

Reflection

I enjoyed learning how to create a 3D animation from start to finish. My favorite part was using substance painter to texture my character. The action-reaction assignment was challenging, but I’m proud of how it turned out in the end. Overall, I value the new skills I have when it comes to 3D animation after going through the whole process of making one.