For this exercise, I applied what I have learned to my own character design. Below is a breakdown of my process:

Understanding Frame by Frame - image 1 - student project

Step 1: Keyframes

Understanding Frame by Frame - image 2 - student project

Step 2: Squash and Stretch

One of the roadblocks I encountered in this project was the squash and stretch. Since I am working with a human character as opposed to a stylized spherical character, I didn't know whether I should squash/stretch the entire body or focus on distorting certain areas only such as the torso, arms and legs. I was worried that the hands and feet look big/weird when stretched. Here, you will notice that the feet swell up in the stretch frames haha! I tried to correct this during the cleanup phase.

Understanding Frame by Frame - image 3 - student project

Step 3: Inbetweens

Another hard part was the planning of ease. Sir Marvin's technique to think about "where the movement slows down" was helpful and I remind myself of this constantly.

You may notice that I did not follow exactly what was instructed in the video. I was trying to figure out the ease/timing chart on my own. I wanted to test if I understood the lessons properly. For me, the timing chart is still confusing/intimidating. I would imagine that it is also more challenging for complex actions. I would need to review and practice this further before I become confident in timing in my own animations.

Understanding Frame by Frame - image 4 - student project

Step 4: Cleanup

Overall, this course is a great starting point for someone like me who is interested in getting into frame by frame. I will continue to refer back to it as I practice. Thank you very much, Sir Marvin, I'm looking forward to taking your next class! :)

Anna Ferrer

--

8