need advice on this action animation

Noved1Noved1 Posts: 160
edited December 1969 in Art Studio

hello! i have mocked up a raw scene in which my character takes out a guard. but i simply feel like the movements seem to robotic, or stiff. watch the animations a few times, as they go by fast, and in fullscreen, and tell me how i can improve it maybe? any other advice would be helpful. (also warning, it is quite brutal)

here it is-----> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTmgzjebHp8

Comments

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Your worried over these? The Motions look fine to me, but the Figure needs life, maybe a inhale before the head butt? Maybe muscle tension in the Arm, Shoulder before the elbow blow? Those would add a touch of life in my view. And maybe add some to both figures, some small things is all I see to make this great. Not that its not great now, it is.

  • Noved1Noved1 Posts: 160
    edited August 2013

    hmm..i have quite a few deformers and dials i can use to add those i think..i am going to try that, as well as see if i can make the armor crumple some too, when its hit...i just wish i could simulate glass breaking, in the face shield. i know of no method to do that though. unless aftereffects is used.

    Post edited by Noved1 on
  • SimonJMSimonJM Posts: 5,983
    edited December 1969

    They look good to me, you got a snort of laughter from me at the second one, loved the *tap, tap* to get attention first :)
    Could you do the shattered visor by 'doing it in reverse' - starting with the visor 'in shattered pieces' but positioned so that it looks all intact and then move the bits as it shatters? I have no idea if the seams would show with that or not.

  • Noved1Noved1 Posts: 160
    edited August 2013

    SimonJM, that's actually pretty clever. my mind is having a hard time wrapping around the time it would take, to animate the physics for each piece one by one though,as Daz has no physics engine that i know of...or else my days would be lost playing around with glorious Radgoll physics! (my favorite animation tool)

    Post edited by Noved1 on
  • SimonJMSimonJM Posts: 5,983
    edited December 1969

    I'd cheat again! Depending on how much of a shatter you want 'just' have them static and in 'complete form' until the shatter, then shift them a little to make the cracks apparent, and maybe have a couple of bits spin and fly away, all manually done - not too onerous with just a few things?

  • keshkesh Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    If your goal is the animation (i.e. for exporting to other platforms or engine) then i'd say you are pretty much done, sure some 'movement anticipation' frames would make it even better (as already suggested, muscle tension, inhale, etc.).
    If your goal is making a clip out of the animations, then some motion blur would definitely make it look more cinematic and film-like.

    The motion itself looks quite good and fluid.

  • CyberDogCyberDog Posts: 232
    edited December 1969

    I'm not sure what figures you used but if they are Genesis you might have a look at this product http://www.daz3d.com/genesis-alive

  • Noved1Noved1 Posts: 160
    edited December 1969

    CyberDog said:
    I'm not sure what figures you used but if they are Genesis you might have a look at this product http://www.daz3d.com/genesis-alive

    yeah, they were both genesis, and that product is is actually my wishlist! :D
    however, i was sort of saving up for this----> http://www.daz3d.com/mimic-live
    so my characters can speak, without me having to hide their mouths with masks and helmets. i will hopefully end up with both ofthose, that would vastly improve my animations i would think

  • ReisormocapReisormocap Posts: 146
    edited December 1969

    I agree with Kesh - the motions look fine. They just need some motion blur to give them that sense that this was shot with a real camera.

  • DPWDPW Posts: 267
    edited August 2013

    The movement will look miles better if you do some magic with the camera. There's a lot of people out there that do a fighting scene with a static camera. It's like they've stuck the camera in 1 spot - hit record and left it. To get the best out of a fighting scene you need some more movement with the camera. I know you haven't moved the camera much in your example, as you want us to concentrate on the character animations, but try some more movement anyway to see what it really looks like.

    Film the scene several times with different camera angles then edit the best shots together. You might find that having the camera behind his head for the 1st part of the head-butt looks good, (pulling his head back) then have the camera in-front of the action to embrace the actual head-butt (thrusting his head forward).

    I hope nobody ignores the 1st part of this and just reads the last line... They might think they're in the wrong forum :(

    Post edited by DPW on
  • Noved1Noved1 Posts: 160
    edited August 2013

    thank you! i have indeed been toying around with camera angles. the final product, where they are in a scene with buildings and such, i will work out the angles more, to avoid the props. and...yes...if someone read your post Deanpw...without knowing the context..they would have quite a different impression..lol

    Post edited by Noved1 on
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