This is Chris's first lecture in a series on character animation using Maya. In this lecture Chris introduces the basics of feature film style character animation. Starting with the bouncing ball and then moving on to using a character rig, Chris gives you a guided tour of the inner workings of Maya, covering the interface and how to develop good workflow habits. He discusses the basics of acting and emotion and demonstrates how to setup the always challenging walk cycle, from blocking in and smoothing out the animation to refining it by adding attitude and feeling.
The Gnomon Workshop - Character Animation: Mechanics And Emotion
This is Chris's second lecture in a series on character animation using Maya. Using the same character rig as in Character Animation: Fundamentals, Chris leads you down the twin paths of successful character animation: mechanics and emotion. Conjoining believable motion with believable acting is the holy grail of animation, and this duality is demonstrated by animating the bouncing man. Chris covers appealing poses, believable weight distribution, activation of limbs, use of gesture to demonstrate attitude, the aura of the character and effective utilization of the stage.
The Gnomon Workshop - Character Animation: Acting And Lip Sync
This is Chris's third lecture in a series on character animation using Maya. In this lecture, Chris delves ever deeper into the world of acting and its most important aspect: the character's internal thought process. Chris covers the fundamental principles of lip sync and dialogue, from keying the audio track and breaking it down to phrasing and inflection. Building on earlier themes, including dynamic posing, contrast of shape and emotion, line of action and use of negative space, Chris shows you the step-by-step process of bringing a scene to the level of full 3D theatrical animation.
