In this lesson, we reviewed the structure of a thesis and the thesis proposal. I have been brainstorming potential topics for both my thesis and Final Major Project (FMP).
Post-Graduation Focus
Primary Interest: 3D Computer Animation Where My Passion Lies: Education – I am more interested in sharing knowledge than just applying technical skills.
Skills Required for Career:
Software: Maya, Blender, Unreal Engine, Unity, ZBrush, TV Paint, Houdini
Soft Skills: Collaboration, Time Management, Patience, Teaching
Use the golden ratio in storyboards – place key elements at the interest points for balanced composition.
In this image, the two red circles indicate the interest points where the main character (balloon) intersects with the guiding lines. Placing the character at these points creates a more balanced composition and effectively follows the rule of thirds.
This image shows the character not intersecting with the interest points, resulting in a less appealing composition for the audience.
Plan before setting up the scene – ask key questions to ensure clarity and purpose.
Guide the audience’s focus – a well-structured scene prevents confusion.
Build up before major events – create anticipation and context to enhance impact.
Use different shots intentionally – each angle conveys a specific emotion or meaning.
Example: Shot 1 – Camera angle from inside a car, set in a darker outdoor environment.
Without showing the car, the audience can still understand that the scene takes place in a car. Additionally, shooting from a low angle creates a sense of pressure or impending action, making the scene feel more intense.
In my opinion, the elements above are essential when filming or planning. I need to study them in detail before creating storyboards and animating. Since there is so much to consider, waiting until I start the storyboard would be too late, and I might overlook important aspects.
The Hero’s Journey
Character and story are fundamental elements in animation, as highlighted by a Pixar senior animator. To create a vivid and appealing character, it is essential to follow the Hero’s Journey (refer to the image above). Many well-known characters have followed this structure, making them more engaging and memorable to audiences.
3 Storyboard Ideas
For this week’s task, we created three storyboards for our Final Major Project (FMP) or other animation work. This proved to be quite challenging for me. Although I had been recording ideas as they came to mind, developing three fully-formed concepts within a week remained difficult.
To generate ideas, I utilised mind mapping and conducted online research, including analysing YouTube short animations and exploring visual styles on Pinterest. Through this process, I developed the following three concepts.
I find this artist’s work visually appealing and engaging, particularly in terms of colour, style, and narrative. The animation effectively holds my attention, especially with its plot twist at the end. However, I find the sad and somewhat ambiguous ending less appealing. While this is not necessarily a flaw, it does not align with my own creative intentions. Therefore, I will use the aesthetic aspects as a reference but take a different approach to the ending.
Inspired by a real-life scene, when I returned home one day and saw a balloon floating on the street, I developed this story. It centres on a balloon that is simultaneously scared and worried about being crushed by a car, yet also excited by the experience. The story conveys the message that, even in extreme circumstances, we should remain positive, as this mindset can lead to a different, often better outcome.
For this story, I aim to depict a character searching for a coal rock, which, when found, will set him on fire, just like it did for others. The character exhaustively searches in various places, while everyone else succeeds, leaving him the only one who fails. In the end, he discovers the rock at home. This story conveys the message that the things we often seek are right beside us. It encourages being observant and appreciating the loved ones around us.
For the final story, I was inspired by the Frisbee disc. I am not entirely sure why, but I found it intriguing to imagine someone running on the Frisbee disc, and felt it could lead to an interesting narrative.
I developed a story in which the protagonist, like others, is focused on running as fast as possible. In his pursuit, he becomes so absorbed in competing that he neglects the time spent with family and overlooks the beautiful things, such as flowers, along his path. Eventually, he realises that time has passed quickly, and his family has grown older. In response, he runs in the opposite direction, hoping to find his family in a younger version. This story aims to inspire people to slow down and cherish their loved ones.
Among the three ideas, I am most interested in further developing the first balloon idea, as it is the most fully-formed. I already have a clear vision of the aesthetic and style I want to achieve.
Regarding my final submission for the Unreal Engine (UE) project, I am not entirely satisfied with the outcome and recognize there are significant areas for improvement. These include enhancing the smoothness of the fish’s animation, improving lighting, and refining the sound design, among other aspects. I intend to address these shortcomings not only in this project but also in future endeavors.
That said, the project has been an invaluable learning experience. While we covered the fundamentals of Unreal Engine in class, I found the knowledge insufficient, particularly for animating characters and transferring files into the engine. Consequently, I undertook extensive self-directed learning and resolved numerous challenges, which enabled me to acquire new skills that will be beneficial in the future. Looking ahead, I plan to expand my technical expertise by learning software such as ZBrush, Blender, and other 3D applications to broaden my creative capabilities.
With regard to the Maya fundamental animation projects, I have developed a heightened sensitivity to the finer details of animation after completing the course. During my undergraduate studies in Animation and Digital Arts, critiques were often focused on general impressions rather than providing specific, actionable feedback. For example, key principles such as using arcs, adding hand swings, or incorporating weight shifts were not emphasized. Moving forward, I will consistently keep these essential principles in mind to improve the quality of my future animations.
Design Proposal
(Please turn on the subtitles on the right bottom corner. )
Initially, I did not realize that animating the fingers was essential for creating curves similar to those depicted in the yellow illustrations of the animation above. At first, I focused solely on animating the arms. However, this approach lacked the necessary detail. I soon realized that to achieve a more refined and comprehensive animation, I would need to incorporate greater detail and push my skills further by animating the fingers as well.
(2) Shape changing of the body
While animating, I overlooked the rotation of the body, which resulted in the animation lacking smoothness. To improve this, I will need to incorporate these rotational changes into the blocking animation and refine the movement further during the spline phase.
(3) Anticipation before standing up
Anticipation serves to provide the audience with cues regarding upcoming actions. For a more detailed explanation, please refer to the final section of the Blog from Week 2. Therefore, it would be beneficial to incorporate an anticipatory movement before the character stands.
(4) More Clearer Poses
For this frame, I should clarify the pose by reducing the twist of the shoulder in relation to the camera, while maintaining the triangular shape between the arms and the body. Additionally, I must ensure that the left hand makes contact with the leg.
(5) Extension of the Hands
It appears that the hands are missing keyframes. Instead of only keyframing the character’s position before and after standing, I should include additional in-betweens. For more information on keyframes and in-betweens, please refer to the Blog from Week 1. By incorporating more in-betweens, the animation will have greater extensions, resulting in smoother motion.
Today’s lesson was a reminder to stay aware of the critical report and audiovisual task.
Critical Report: Image List
Today’s lesson clarified the purpose of the image list. Initially, I thought it was similar to a reference or bibliography page, but I realized it is used to detail images and enhance the essay’s clarity. Using an image list allows images to be organized separately, preventing the text from appearing cluttered or resembling a magazine format.
My images were in text, as I have my text clearly indicating the things from the image.
Audio Visual Task
I was quite worried about this task as it feels different from what I have done before. During my previous bachelor’s degree in Hong Kong, formal essays did not usually require a presentation video. If they did, it was more of a simple recording of ourselves discussing the key points of the essay, without much informality. This task feels like a new challenge for me.
I am referencing the video shown in class to gain insights into how to approach this task. I aim to ensure that my presentation is both engaging and clear, while effectively conveying the key points.
Progress on Critical Report
I have been consulting five language tutors, along with Matthew, and have received substantial feedback on my essay.
Referencing Issue
Although I have been using the Harvard referencing format for my report, I was unaware that I needed to include the accessed dates for the websites I visited. Since websites are often unstable and may be removed or the links may become invalid over time, it is essential to note the date when the website was accessed.
I was also unaware, or had forgotten, that the references should be arranged in alphabetical order. Consequently, I have reorganized them accordingly.
Word Count Issue
After including all the necessary content, my word count exceeded the requirement by approximately 500 words. As a result, I need to reduce the word count by eliminating unnecessary adjectives and adverbs, removing repetitive phrases, linking sentences more precisely, and deleting irrelevant paragraphs.
Clarity Issue
After completing my first task and presenting it to the tutor, I was informed that some of my points were not directly related to the topic, which not only wasted word count but also affected the clarity of the essay. I attempted to remove or modify these sections, but other issues arose.
Some of my points lacked sufficient elaboration, leading the tutors to ask questions such as, “What does that mean?” “Can you elaborate?” and “Why did this happen?”
I also realized that it is important not to include points that I cannot support or that lack evidence. Otherwise, they do not form a strong argument, but rather appear as unsupported claims.
I aim to refine my critical report and complete the audiovisual video to the best of my ability.
I have been working on completing the animation in Unreal Engine (UE), though there are still several aspects that require refinement. Specifically, the movements of the fish, including spinning, swimming, eye rotation, and fin movement, need further adjustments. The shark animation, in particular, presents challenges as its movements appear slightly laggy, with certain sequences exhibiting unnatural or awkward behavior.
Enhancing Visual Coherence in UE
Additionally, I am considering modifying the color of the shark. Its current color scheme does not harmonize well with the surrounding environment, and this change aims to enhance visual coherence and overall aesthetic appeal.
Realigning the Narrative: Refining Story and Animation Adjustments
An interesting realization emerged after reviewing the current version of my animation: the storyline has inadvertently diverged from my original concept. Initially, the narrative aimed to depict a fish venturing into a new world, grappling with its fear of unfamiliar fish, and ultimately overcoming this fear to form a friendship.
However, by replacing the “stranger fish” with a shark, the story’s tone shifted significantly. The shark’s behavior now suggests a predatory pursuit, emphasizing a chase rather than the fish’s journey of overcoming internal fears. This adjustment has unintentionally altered the focus of the narrative.
To address this, I have decided to modify the ending slightly. By incorporating a friendly smile and wave from the shark, I aim to realign the story with the original theme of overcoming fear and fostering connection. Although the animation for this adjustment is currently somewhat laggy, I plan to refine and smooth it in the next stages of development.
Progress on the Cape
For the final step of my animation, I needed to incorporate a transparent cape for the fish. Initially, I attempted to create this effect in Unreal Engine (UE), but I encountered difficulties in editing it within the Sequencer, which hindered my ability to synchronize it with the animation. As a result, I decided to use nCloth in Maya to simulate the cape. Afterward, I exported the cape to UE using a process similar to the one I used for transferring the animations of the fish and shark. This involved first exporting the cape as a skeletal mesh without animation from Maya and importing it into UE. Then, I imported the version with animation by referencing the same skeletal mesh.
Rendering
During my experimentation with rendering, I tested various settings, including 4K and 16K resolutions, and explored options such as the “Game Override” setting to evaluate performance. I was particularly impressed by Unreal Engine’s rendering efficiency. It completed the rendering of a 30-second animation within a few minutes, even at higher resolutions. This speed is remarkable compared to Maya, which, despite utilizing a network of 10 computers simultaneously, can require 5–6 hours or even an entire day for a similar task. Reflecting on my undergraduate studies in Hong Kong, I recall spending entire nights in the computer lab waiting for renders to finish. The efficiency of Unreal Engine is truly transformative in comparison.
After reflecting on the planning process for body mechanics last week, I identified several key aspects that require careful attention. Additionally, considering the complexity of the animation and the need for thorough testing, I have decided to focus on animating a body mechanics sequence involving a character yawning and transitioning to a standing position.
(1) Final Frame: Standing Upright
Ensure that the final frame of the animation depicts the character standing upright, with a balanced posture. Avoid any forward lean that might suggest the character is about to lose balance and fall. Additionally, incorporate a visible weight shift to convey the upward transfer of the body’s mass during the transition to a standing position.
(2) Use the Perspective View
The perspective view refers to the angle between the front and side views, providing a more dynamic representation of the object. Below is an example showcasing different views of the helicopter model.
Fig 1. Front view from Maya Help website
Fig 2. Side view from Maya Help website
Fig 3. Perspective view from Polycount website
In the image above, both the front and side views of the model are visible simultaneously, providing a 45-degree angle of the model. This view is referred to as the perspective view.
Fig 4. Perspective view from Maya Help website
The image above is one of the tests I conducted last week. Although it is in perspective view, the side view of the model is barely visible. To improve this, it would be better to rotate the camera slightly to the left to achieve a more optimal perspective view.
This yawning stand-up animation serves as a better example of the perspective view.
(3) If the Arms Are Too Difficult to Animate, Hide the Arms and Focus on the Body
Animating in detail can be quite challenging, as the complexity increases with each additional body part involved. Therefore, I will focus on animating the body and legs of the model first. If time allows, I will also animate the character’s arms.
(4) Change the Starting Pose for a Smoother Animation
At the beginning of the animation, the reference shows different starting poses. While the first pose may be more visually appealing, animating the transition from the hand below the chin to placing it on the lap could be quite challenging. Therefore, starting the animation with both hands resting on the lap might be a more practical and effective option.
Blocking Animation of My Yawning Stand-Up Animation
Spatial Sample Count: Increased for environments or when the camera is static but the character moves quickly. Higher values improve the rendering quality but also increase render time.
Temporal Sample Count: Increased for scenes with character movement to reduce motion blur and improve smoothness. This can be adjusted via the command r.TemporalAASamples 464.
Render Warm-up Count: This setting allows the system time to prepare before the actual rendering starts, improving overall render quality.
Game Overrides: Console variables are used to control various settings, such as motion blur quality or other visual aspects. These variables allow you to define percentage values for specific features.
4. Additional Render Settings
Cinematic Settings: Setting everything to Cinematic results in higher rendering quality.
This can be done under the Scalability Settings in the rendering menu.
Frame Rate: Adjust the frame rate within the settings menu for smoother animation.
Render Output Location: You can change the location where the render output is saved, ensuring your files are organized.
5. Rendering Locally
For efficiency and speed, it is recommended to render locally rather than over the network.
Project Progress
Animation
As previously mentioned, I attempted to animate using Unreal Engine due to issues encountered when attempting to convert the file from Maya to Unreal Engine.
Challenges in Unreal Engine Animation and Transitioning Back to Maya
The video above illustrates the challenges I faced while working with Unreal Engine, as I was only able to produce a result like this.
I encountered several constraints and difficulties when animating in Unreal Engine. Given my limited familiarity with the software, I struggled to locate certain settings and functions, such as animating the fish’s tail within a hierarchy or controlling the graph editor. Additionally, there is a lack of comprehensive animation tutorials for Unreal Engine in comparison to Maya. As a result, I decided to revert to animating in Maya and then converting the files for use in Unreal Engine.
I attempted to select the skeleton root of the fish rig in Maya, bake the animation, and then export the animations to Unreal Engine.
Although further modifications are still required, the result appears improved compared to the previous version.
Shark Model
Shark: Choice of Colour
I modeled a new shark and performed initial texture tests to evaluate its appearance and fit with the design. Further refinements are planned based on testing outcomes.
Initially, I textured the shark in purple to match the background environment. However, this made it difficult to differentiate the shark from the background, reducing its visibility.
I experimented with various brush strokes in Procreate and found one particularly interesting. However, the result did not align with the overall animation style or the appearance of the other fish.
I opted for a plain texture in a lighter blue, ensuring better contrast with the environment in Unreal Engine.
I have completed the first draft of the critical report, incorporating a number of images to substantiate my arguments and references.
Throughout the writing process, I have encountered challenges in linking and transitioning between paragraphs, as well as organizing the extensive research information drawn from a variety of sources, including historical accounts, videos, scholarly articles, and books. To address this, I decided to adopt a clear structural approach. I now begin each paragraph in the main discussion with a concise topic sentence, followed by elaboration and explanation, supported by references or quotations. This is then followed by further analysis and reinforcement of the argument. By using this method, I aim to ensure that the essay is more organized and coherent.
I plan to consult with a few language tutors to seek guidance on improving and refining this approach.
