This week Ting introduced Project 1, which she described as a test run for the Final Major Project rather than a complete proposal. The idea was to focus on one element that we wanted to explore and develop it into a polished outcome. She showed several examples of how previous students had approached the project, whether through developing a visual style, testing a workflow or planning their portfolio. I found this reassuring because it removed the pressure of having to know exactly what my FMP would look like and instead encouraged experimentation and focused research. Since I had already been thinking about my FMP, I immediately began considering how I could present my ideas and what aspect would be most interesting to explore further.
We also continued working on facial poses, but this time using live reference instead of model sheets. I found this considerably more challenging than the previous assignment. The model sheet expressions were already stylized and exaggerated, making them easier to interpret, whereas real facial expressions are much more subtle and complex. Often I found myself struggling to identify what exactly made an expression work. Small changes around the mouth, eyelids or eyebrows could dramatically alter the feeling of a pose. Although I struggled initially, the process forced me to become more observant and taught me that facial animation is less about copying individual features and more about understanding the relationships between them. By the end of the exercise, I felt more comfortable analyzing expressions and translating them into appealing poses.
I also continued refining my “Heavy Object / Change of Mind” shot. Taking Ting’s feedback into account, I focused on improving the movement of the centre of gravity. One issue she repeatedly pointed out was that my COG would occasionally stop moving entirely, making the character feel stiff and disconnected from the action. At first, the idea that the COG should almost always be in motion was difficult for me to understand. I had a tendency to treat poses as isolated moments rather than parts of a continuous action. To improve this, I spent time studying reference footage and adjusting my blocking to ensure that the weight flowed naturally from one pose to the next. Although it was frustrating at times, I gradually started to understand how even subtle shifts in the hips can make a character feel more alive and believable.
Looking back, I noticed that many of the topics we have covered over the past few weeks are beginning to connect. Whether it is camera movement, facial posing or body mechanics, the common theme seems to be that animation is less about moving controls and more about observing life. The more I rely on reference and think about why people move the way they do, the easier it becomes to make creative decisions rather than guessing. I feel like I am slowly becoming more patient with the process and spending more time planning and analysing before jumping into animation.