Bike animation - WIP 1

Hey there everyone,
Here's an update on that animation I talked about a while ago.



I thought it'd be a fun exercise to see how complex and refined I could get a shot of frame-by-frame animation without the constrains of deadlines and the inevitable 'eh, close enough. Onto the next...'

This is the finished rough layer. I've found I've been slightly adjusting timing and poses as I clean up, but this is what I've been working off. O, and don't worry. They aren't nekid or bald. Details like that come in the Cleanup stage.

I must admit that I cheated a bit in that I started cleaning up before the last part of this was roughed out. And as it is I've deliberately put in blank keyframes near the end because a) I find doing too many in-betweens in the rough stage leads to disasters of my own doing; and b) leaving them as holds makes the flickering clash with the other character layer.

I've been slowly working on this since between Christmas and New Years, and am liking my progress. I've cleaned-up the key poses up to the bit where the girl is thrown upwards, and've already discovered some things I'll need to work on in the future. Proportions being the main one.

But, it's all a learning process, and as I said I am happy with how it's turning out. (Though haven't yet decided whether I'll leave it on two's or die a thousand deaths and do it on ones... hrmmm, decisions)

Anyways, I hope everyone's evening is being a splendid one,
and may your immediate proximity be filled with scrumptiousness,
-Daniel

Frame by Frame

Heya everyone,
Just a quick post about a bit of animation I'm working on.
I thought it'd be a fun exercise to see how complex and refined I could get a shot of frame-by-frame animation without the constrains of deadlines and the inevitable 'eh, close enough. Onto the next...'

This is a cleaned up image of one of my favourite frames with the rough underneath.



It's not going to be finished for a while, but I wanted to share anyway. I'm about a third of the way through cleaning up the roughs (of which, the end still needs a bit of work)
At 13 seconds, It may be a bit short to submit to festivals and the like but -shrug- we'll see.

Hope everyone's having a great start to the weekend,
-Daniel

Oh, while I've got you here,
As some of you may or may not know, The state of Queensland here in Australia has been completely devastated by floods.
If you want to help out the relief appeal, you can find the site here.

What is a bicycle?

As previously mentioned, I've stared a new job.
In the past I've caught metro trains from Southern Cross station to get to work, but as my new work is in South Melbourne I've decided to get in a bit of exercise and make my own way down there by means of the Melbourne Share Bike Things.

They're pretty good. You swipe your card, take a bike, ride it to where you want, dump it at the next station.
The bikes only have 3 gears (which sucks hard!) but besides that they're easy to ride.

What I'm finding difficult, nay HORRIBLE, is navigating Melbourne traffic. Mainly, am I a vehicle or a pedestrian?
Both options seem ridiculous to me.
Between my lack of stamina and my 3 gears, I'm far too slow to compete with cars. Yet surely I'm too fast and cumbersome for the footpath.
...I think I'm rather screwed either way...

Please, if you have any advice or anything, let me know, because my morning and evening commute just became a whole lot scarier.
-Daniel



(On a smaller note, it turns out I can't make it from South Melbourne to Prahran and back in a lunch break)