Evaluation

I found this module very intellecually and physically stimulating, the problem being, with wasting a lot of time attempting to fix the first version of my model, I lost a lot of time, and wasted a lot of effort, causing far too much stress than was necessary!

The rigging was a fiddly part of the assignment, and again, I wish I had remodelled the mesh a lot earlier, this would have made for more time to complete the assignment to a better final standard.

I am pleased that I learned the new skills of using and animating the model via a CAT model, using the layers to help with the animation techniques. I also learned how to use the morphing control points for the eyes on my character. The most helpful skill I learned was using the preset actions that can be saved and loaded if there are custom actions required. This helped a lot in scenes where both hands especially were performing the same action.

With a second attempt at this module, I would take more time in thinking about the character I wanted to create, also thinking about how the CAT model or rigging will be better for animating. I would also make sure that I would sit for hours on end fixing every single vertex on the envelopes. Also I would make sure that I was able to create the original storyline that I wanted, as the one created was only because of the time limitations.

Storyline

The character is called Dave, the name was heavily influenced by my boss at work, although the character is nothing like him. The story sees Dave approach the computer and sit down, the audience will wonder what he is doing as he begins to tap away on the computer.

The camera will show that he gets a little angry as he is going away on the computer as the camera looks at him and he screws his eyes up a little.

The audience will see him complete his task and wink at the camera, to which the camera looks at the computer and then they will see that he hasn't been hacking anyone or completing any evil schemes, he was simply ordering his shopping online.

The video will end with him sitting down about to watch a programme on TV on how to be a better villain.

Animating

Animating was a difficult and very rushed procedure as the time was ticking away. I wish I had planned to create the model in the new slimmer way in the first place, as the time I took trying to fix the old looking model to work with the CAT model was ridiculous!

In the videos the errors in the envelopes are clearly visible, this I am not happy with, but with another effort at this task, I feel I could use the knowledge I have gained to improve upon the model and it's rigging.

During the animating I found this tool, this helped a lot when I wanted to have two limbs doing the exact same action. This came in handy when animating, it also cut a lot of time instead of fiddling with each different limb and trying to animate them individually. This tool was used especially in the scene where the character is sitting down onto the chair and pulls himself towards the desk.

A difficulty found in animating the scenes was using the layers in the CAT model, but once I had got the hang of how to use them, the whole process had become a lot easier and again, I wish I had started the work a lot earlier.

Rigging the New Model

Once the new model had been modified, the CAT assistance worked a lot better than it did in the first place, the bones took to the skin a lot better and the animations looked a lot smoother once the bones were in the new slimmer model.

I feel that because the model was created as quite a large fellow, the bones would not take to the body as easily as the newer slim model.

The standard preset walk that works with the CAT model worked a lot better once the model was rigged with a little more care. The arms were very flimsy and wouldn't sit nicely in the body, then I found that the envelopes were all wrong so that then took a little while to complete.

The envelopes for the legs and arms were both very tricky, especially when they started off looking like this:

With a lot of tweaking, the envelopes worked a lot better, although they still were not perfect, and I wasn't completely happy with it, but due to the time I had left, I cut my losses and left the model as it was.

The model had one arm that worked very well straight away and as soon as I had rigged the CAT model, it didn't require much tweaking,

This was then very frustrating when I attempted to copy the envelopes exactly as they were onto the other arm, and it still went wrong!

Designing My Villain

With the designing of my villain, I originally too a lot of inspiration from Dr Evil, of the Austin Powers series, and Gru from the film Despicable Me.

The original body shape was designed with both of these characters in mind, they are both top heavy, look manly and butch and the characteristics were planned to be similar.

The original version of my villain took shape like this:

This was the shape I had originally hoped to get, although the modelling went to plan, the rigging of the character did not. The CAT rig would not sit properly within the mesh and any movement would cause problems elsewhere on the body.

With this problem in hand, I altered the character to be slightly less 'top heavy' and made my character slimmer:

I am very happy with the newly shaped mesh, this makes it look more cartoony I feel.

Villain Analysis

The first villain I have chosen is Prince John from the animated version of Robin Hood.

This character is the currently the King, his body language shows that he likes to think he is the authority, he likes to believe that he is so powerful that he can do anything. This is also shown by the way he treats the snake he has as a sidekick. The way this character speaks too, it doesn't make you believe that he is a real villain as he is a posh speaking character, this is the typical King-like character. The key in making us believe he is a villain is the way he is dressed, also the eye movements sometimes show that he is quite evil. The clip above shows this.

This next villain is the evil step-mother from Cinderella.

Just from the way her face is screwed up in this clip, you can tell she isn't a very nice person. I think they have tried to create a bold personality who stands out from the others. This is shown by the bright colours she is using, in this clip especially, she is wearing a bold red dress, and matching lipstick. She also has a big hairdo and big earrings. She already has a big part in the movie, and this is maybe why they created her like this.


I have also looked at the evil pair in The Jungle Book, Shere Khan & Kaa.

These two seem to be the classic double act. The main character in this pairing is Shere Khan, but I prefer to look at the way Kaa is portrayed and goes about his business. He is the little errand runner, if Khan tells him to do something, he'll do it. When he is carrying out his duties, he is a slimey character (maybe why they made him a snake), he creeps around the scenes, there is one scene when he is sent to see Mowgli and the way he handles Mowgli is very delecate and not very secure, maybe this is to give the sense of playing with him and his emotions, or the fact that he isn't a very strong character, the latter is shown when these two are in the scene above, it is clear who is the boss, and Kaa isn't very strong-minded and doesn't speak up to Khan.