Lip Sync November 2014 challenge

This is the first ever piece of lip sync animation practice I've done. I decided to use the November 2014 audio clip released by 11SecondClub.com. That way I was able to see how others were getting along animating to the same clip by looking through the forums on the site. The website is also completely full of great examples of lip sync and filled with good advice.

I listened to the piece of audio first and then brainstormed some ideas. Once I decided on one of the ideas I shot some reference footage. Next I downloaded AnimSchool's Malcolm rig (free to download from their website). I think it's a great rig and character to use for animation practice - the rig and controls are easy to use and the Animation Picker is an amazing tool!

These are pages from my sketchbook where I wrote out the audio, drew quick sketches of my ideas, and started to note down advice from 11 Second Club and Digital Tutors about lip sync and facial animation:

For the scene, I had the idea of a man giving himself a pep talk in a mirror. I had to work out in Maya how to create a mirror effect and I ended up achieving this by using a Phong shader in the colour black with the reflectivity turned to full:

experimenting with mirror effects...

not quite there yet...

success! :)

- Malcolm character courtesy of AnimSchool.com

A Return to Life Drawing

Considering I haven't been to a life drawing class in quite a few months, I don't think I did too badly! Although I did panic slightly that I had completely lost my drawing skills during the first drawing - top left figure in first picture... :p

Bookstore observations...

Was sat in Waterstones with a peppermint tea and one of the new ginger syrup Christmas muffins (yum) and got the sketchbook out to do a bit of observational drawing. The old man reading with the magnifying glass fell asleep for quite a while until the store got more busy - I probably would too in a cosy corner surrounded by books! :p

"Do you know the muffin man?"

New studio...

Since finishing the Masters course I have been one of DJCAD's Animators in Residence! So I have a new studio, which I share with the other Animator in Residence, to work on personal projects whilst helping out with the department.
I gave the room a good spring cleaning and now it just needs a window fixed - keeping big scarf on for now!

AnimSchool's Malcolm rig is looking a little angry in this one :p

Things that I would like to work on during the residency:
- Showreel (including examples of lipsync, and missing examples of animation principles and acting)
- CV
- Website (think I definitely need to create one!)

Observational Drawing - George Square, Glasgow

Whilst trying to avoid the flock of pigeons that were taking over the square, managed to do a few observational drawings of people sitting on the benches in the Square:

MAV London trip

Some of us from the MSc Animation course went down to London for a few days to take the Degree Show on the road.

We visited The Mill, Escape Studios, Jellyfish Pictures and MPC - Moving Picture Company. It was great to see and hear from these studios the work they do, what they look for in potential employees and general advice about the VFX and animation industry.
I visited The Mill and MPC last year with the Undergraduate course, showcasing our films in the screening room at MPC. However this years visit I got to see a bit more of the MPC building as we were in a different screening room. We received a lengthy presentation about the company and the industry, followed by a Q and A - felt truly inspired and motivated once it was over!

We also had some spare time to explore London, visiting some well-known landmarks and soaking up the London buzz :)

The 'Tug of Biscuit' team

Possibly the best bowl of Pasta I've ever had - at 'Vapiano' on Wardour Street

Masters Degree Show

The opening night of Degree Shows are always exciting, the work is finished and we can all finally relax! One of my favourite things about Degree Shows though is watching an audience react to watching your film on the big screen :D

*Somehow in the excitement of the evening, we all managed to forget to take a class photo... D'oh!