tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141630654929864192024-03-13T05:04:25.031+00:00Brendan Body's BlogBrendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-87716167903733111532023-11-30T20:32:00.003+00:002023-11-30T20:40:55.507+00:00Camera Blocking ClassHere’s how I used to explain camera blocking to students. I showed them this step-keyed animation scene staged in different ways. Often students, would present their scenes in a neutral way, often with poor composition and flat staging. Perhaps something like this -<br>
<br>
<b>Flat, Static, poorly-framed Camera Blocking</b><br>
<br>
<iframe width="500" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qgn9eovKlnY?si=vyM6GO6EjUqK2tgZ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br>
<br>
<b>'Soap Opera' Camera Blocking</b>
<br>
Here's the same animation but presented as a wide establishing shot, then a series of over-the-shoulders. It’s basic but works a lot better than before. The characters look more appealing in 3/4, we can read their expressions better & we know who to focus on at different points.<br>
<br>
<iframe width="500" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MfKwTv2uoNY?si=-BSbieh7k4pLzPqM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><br>
<br>
If we look at the camera placement you can see that the camera stays the same side of the characters. There is an invisible line between the characters called an axis of action and, to avoid confusion, we keep the camera on the same side of this line.<br>
<br>
<iframe width="500" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7gDCr8HbDuA?si=fj82-LZvOm_SBzi6" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br>
<br>
<b>Cross The Line</b><br>
Here I have the camera on the wrong side of the line. The characters now face the same way over the two shots which feels odd. I was always frustrated this ‘wrong’ version wasn't as jarring as I’d hoped. I think because we have the table and other character to orient ourselves.<br>
<br>
<iframe width="500" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zobSEh93DjE?si=Kukyy9KExIyL4u-0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br>
<br>
<b>Refined Camera Blocking</b><br>
From our basic example we can start to plus it, enhancing the story with subtle changes. Here the shots gradually get tighter during the sequence ending up with singles on the two characters. This gives the middle part of the scene more intensity.<br>
<br>
<iframe width="500" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vcbKj1F21vo?si=Co4J7Lw94viKL7jQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br>
<br>
I've also added dollies to the shots where the boy puts his head on his hands - emphasising his dreamy reverie. I use a stronger up shot on the girl as she stands and shoot the boy in a down shot, which gives her a greater feeling of dominance.<br>
<br>
<b>Sign Opening Shot</b><br>
It’s interesting to experiment with the establishing shot, it can have a big affect on the sequence. Here, starting with a shot on the café sign emphasises the location.<br>
<br>
<iframe width="500" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A34zhiKjRg4?si=Gh91ufh3hQuhySd9" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><br>
<br>
<b>Point Of View Opening Shot</b><br>
Here I start with a close up on the boy character and add a point of view shot as he looks to the girl, now the audience are encouraged to see him as the protagonist in the scene. Their empathy for him will be stronger, giving his emotions and eventual rejection more weight.<br><b></b>
<br>
<iframe width="500" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YgTlLvpVx1g?si=8tAAWJ0ahuObtzvc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br>Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-67740664520249502112023-11-30T16:12:00.002+00:002023-11-30T16:12:07.182+00:00Main Gaits for a Horse and PantherI did these quite a while ago for an iAnimate creature introduction, part of me would like to redo them to fix all the mistakes but unfortunately I don't have the time right now, so I'm just posting them as they are. Maybe this is helpful to some animators starting out with quadrupeds.<br><br><iframe title="vimeo-player" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/888643371?h=cf2f74f131" width="500" height="300" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-28716047264629857572020-07-22T14:36:00.000+00:002020-07-22T20:21:53.130+00:00Trex SceneTo learn a bit of Arnold, I did a quick render of a Tyrannosaurus scene I demonstrate in my iAnimate Creature Workshop. I also added some sound effects from <a href="https://freesound.org/">https://freesound.org/</a>
<br />
<br />
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/434475366?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br />
<br />
This is a video of the class, edited down to some highlights but will hopefully still give you some insight into my approach and process for a scene like this.
<br />
<br />
<iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4BvmDBM0sIc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Since the animation was pretty simple, I thought the shot would benefit from some extra creatures. I hoped these would add some interest and a greater sense of life to the final result. Here I've highlighted these animations - a flying pterosaur and some small scavenging dinosaurs based upon compsognathus.
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Cb2cHUKETd0" width="480"></iframe><br /><br />
<br />
Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-66482937428152315202020-06-04T13:11:00.000+00:002020-06-04T13:12:37.518+00:00Intro to Creature Animation CourseI created a quick series of videos for iAnimate and thought it might be helpful to post them in order here -
<br/>
<br/>
Episode 1 = Intro
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/407212781?color=f0000c&title=0&byline=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br/>
Episode 2 = Principles
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/407215273?color=f0000c&title=0&byline=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br/>
Episode 3 = Anatomy
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/407216675?color=f0000c&title=0&byline=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br/>
Episode 4 = Walk
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/407218790?color=f0000c&title=0&byline=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br/>
Episode 5 = Trot
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/407221700?color=f0000c&title=0&byline=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br/>
Episode 6 = Gallop
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/407223305?color=f0000c&title=0&byline=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br/>
Episode 7 = Canter
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/424549096?color=f0000c&title=0&byline=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br/>
Episode 8 = Polish
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/407225225?color=f0000c&title=0&byline=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-12310205670480281542020-05-07T15:40:00.000+00:002020-05-07T15:42:31.541+00:00Weight Theory<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/361802084?color=f0000c&title=0&byline=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/361802084">Creature Animation workshop 3 - Lecture: Scale</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/ianimateworkshops">iAnimate</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
Here is a little animation experiment I conducted as part of my iAnimate fantasy creature workshop to demonstrate how I think about adding scale and weight to characters and creatures.Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-85613864630569373782018-09-04T16:07:00.000+00:002018-09-04T16:08:19.695+00:00iAnimate PodcastI was asked to be a part of the iAnimate podcast series, the results of which can be found <a href="http://www.ianimate.net/podcasts/item/interview-with-animator-brendan-body.html">here</a>
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzisc-dNQXccelmlMdeVRBKZlpRm75Mn-T-ugi5Tx95t-Sn_0k5LOGVAvRw-5hn0-k_5hVTnqvazot9z25PRaYpehy7q-KpdrH6IxY-fAOzKrfWe2v_REBl88vFS6o2IeuL-7p4AgHEE/s1600/BrendanBody_blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzisc-dNQXccelmlMdeVRBKZlpRm75Mn-T-ugi5Tx95t-Sn_0k5LOGVAvRw-5hn0-k_5hVTnqvazot9z25PRaYpehy7q-KpdrH6IxY-fAOzKrfWe2v_REBl88vFS6o2IeuL-7p4AgHEE/s400/BrendanBody_blog.jpg" width="400" height="182" data-original-width="963" data-original-height="439" /></a></div>
</p>
I'll be an instructor on their upcoming creature workshop on Flight and fantasy creatures. More information available <a href="http://www.ianimate.net/creature-workshop-3-breakdown">here</a>Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-79267728537877532802018-04-16T10:28:00.000+00:002018-04-16T12:13:49.039+00:00Goose Animation from Bird Flight DemoI recently did a bird flight demonstration at an animation conference called Move Summit in Scotland. It's always a fun, if a somewhat daunting challenge to animate in front of people - not least because anatomy expert Stuart Simida was in the audience!
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXS7MxnPoSVWiOQGxkJJO3XTD3tHg23NadcozR2J-BVzTQNE0U81qxzOT9_7H6dNrBgxUfS7kZ8s4p_6UJFm1MRwuRlQvad92gonJ6-LweYARkC5PXn5uCKtOrBcz3CSJQwV0uFgKFnE/s1600/DWE2t5MX4AACmQP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXS7MxnPoSVWiOQGxkJJO3XTD3tHg23NadcozR2J-BVzTQNE0U81qxzOT9_7H6dNrBgxUfS7kZ8s4p_6UJFm1MRwuRlQvad92gonJ6-LweYARkC5PXn5uCKtOrBcz3CSJQwV0uFgKFnE/s400/DWE2t5MX4AACmQP.jpg" width="400" height="300" data-original-width="1440" data-original-height="1080" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
In the demo I created a basic flight cycle using a goose character, here is the animation below with an added background and glide.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/264577339?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
I've also added a donate button to this blog. Many people have contacted me to say that they have found my bird flight tutorial useful. That is great to hear and I am happy to give this and my other tutorials away for free but the website does cost me money to host and I don't really use it for anything else now. So if you have enjoyed my bird flight tutorial and you have a spare buck or two I would really appreciate the help and you would make sure the tutorial continues to be a resource for yourself and others to use. Many Thanks!
<br />
<br />
<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post" target="_top">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />
<input name="hosted_button_id" type="hidden" value="4LY7H9RJ985DJ" />
<input alt="PayPal – The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/GB/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_GB/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" />
</div>
</form>
Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-75446970939802347792017-11-03T10:46:00.000+00:002017-11-03T10:46:30.392+00:00Article and Archaeopteryx ExhibitFor the last 8 month or so I'be been creating a museum exhibit featuring the bird-like dinosaur archaeopteryx as part of my current research, here's an article on the ideas and processes behind it.
</p>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/flight-of-the-living-dead-how-animation-brings-extinct-species-back-to-life-86737">https://theconversation.com/flight-of-the-living-dead-how-animation-brings-extinct-species-back-to-life-86737</a>
<br />
<br />And here are some pictures of the exhibit itself
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_3eZI9NgjnD2IqQX_7m8bcybD1wY5H9sxZmMoh9OJLdgP_KA5MK2ZJcq9QewT5zNEulNqg51v03sgq9op09SBgMCuH6X8Op7RAo_EbcZP534eASpm7G4DDq1b6uOvFEv4x4FoaF2rrM/s1600/bones_assemble_closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1035" data-original-width="1600" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_3eZI9NgjnD2IqQX_7m8bcybD1wY5H9sxZmMoh9OJLdgP_KA5MK2ZJcq9QewT5zNEulNqg51v03sgq9op09SBgMCuH6X8Op7RAo_EbcZP534eASpm7G4DDq1b6uOvFEv4x4FoaF2rrM/s320/bones_assemble_closeup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>The bones assembling into the animal</i></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOHZrpdhMF6ZofJkTP1zdcp29da2rvLhJchHnyfSEFTdrPQWvcDcE91RlDF2mm5DayDpAhiKAchikRliu7iPJfPvU7ymYxqGEDyYYuhlviXTG8rDitEip3W56XM2TH6V1ta5kVI2O-R0/s1600/close_up_fly3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="1600" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOHZrpdhMF6ZofJkTP1zdcp29da2rvLhJchHnyfSEFTdrPQWvcDcE91RlDF2mm5DayDpAhiKAchikRliu7iPJfPvU7ymYxqGEDyYYuhlviXTG8rDitEip3W56XM2TH6V1ta5kVI2O-R0/s320/close_up_fly3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Flying</i></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQ_KABHoAaSfAWGWZiK2XhADeYhsUlnMjym4VpN3ZzSctO5GGqesG1_HxLXBYt1CZ2xNM0O9Q0xort3Hms3g53A_uKjkeZmWQqwuotGXOrrdwK-W7vEC_wpc9g4CB6g4dA5R5twaNki4/s1600/close_up_side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQ_KABHoAaSfAWGWZiK2XhADeYhsUlnMjym4VpN3ZzSctO5GGqesG1_HxLXBYt1CZ2xNM0O9Q0xort3Hms3g53A_uKjkeZmWQqwuotGXOrrdwK-W7vEC_wpc9g4CB6g4dA5R5twaNki4/s320/close_up_side.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Standing</i></div>
Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-87826057367385525852017-10-17T08:57:00.000+00:002017-10-17T09:25:08.659+00:00Walk Cycle Creation Time-lapseThis is a recording of my process for animating a walk cycle in Autodesk Maya. I created the video as a tutorial for the animation students of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee. At this point in the course the students have already created a walk cycle using 2D, drawn animation so I aim to show a process that follows on from their traditional training. However, I hope this video will also be helpful to other animation students or anyone that is interested in learning more about the computer animation process.<br />
<br />
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/238544211?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
There are quite a lot of pauses, extra camera rotations and general mouse waving as I was talking as I was animating. Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-71358567998961130862016-12-22T13:34:00.001+00:002016-12-22T14:05:30.566+00:00XROMM and Biomechanics Studies Benefit AnimatorsSome of the latest research occurring in biomechanics could be of great benefit to animation - especially VFX where recreations of creatures is often focused around being as realistic as possible.<br />
<br />
I had the great honour of visiting the Royal Veterinary College last week and a piece of imaging technology that caught my eye was the XXROMM machine - a camera that films x-ray images. It has some limitations, only shooting a confined area means it's only able to capture small animals in full. However the images of these animals are very illuminating.<br />
<br />
Here is a partridge scrambling up an incline under X-ray (XROMM)<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yN3ufHbSOS4" width="480"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
As I've mentioned before, birds' wing bones are often hard to locate (due to the feathers) so to get a clear look at them is very insightful. It's also interesting to see and try to understand how their legs work too - the first joint (femur) is often hidden and, although the overall leg construction is similar to mammal quadruped hind limbs, it does not adhere to the same constrained linkage - which often keeps the femur and foot more or less parallel to each other.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAG-1RiX9kMoQRE7P-_2y8gL0GzYZjXSdZaQzGFlm2KTn5yU9UeFnBCQXnYjjzczvLOX6qiFdIa7sVD6LEchLKAt5O0IMQm6rXutwRyPgr4Ta0SAMWAw6npxVXuANdgw4rgUBUHQ7wx3I/s1600/dog_leg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAG-1RiX9kMoQRE7P-_2y8gL0GzYZjXSdZaQzGFlm2KTn5yU9UeFnBCQXnYjjzczvLOX6qiFdIa7sVD6LEchLKAt5O0IMQm6rXutwRyPgr4Ta0SAMWAw6npxVXuANdgw4rgUBUHQ7wx3I/s400/dog_leg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I hope to write more about how bird legs work as well as how and why they evolved soon. But I digress. I was particularly intrigued by the implication of the advanced use of these machines - by using twos XROMMs at different vantage points it is possible to 3D track animal bones as they move.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G6NxYPh4J1c" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmaYWo1oU_RSfVvLKzAf8LLEiDUsGDICWvGtP4eEG1FFb-UivSl-mGey4X1IWlebq9yrFKb8pK8-CcR9x7_19LSFmh5zannSpIf8B8J57pIwZZ_BzCseY2Pk8PSeM0U26kqoAceFfco0/s1600/movie-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmaYWo1oU_RSfVvLKzAf8LLEiDUsGDICWvGtP4eEG1FFb-UivSl-mGey4X1IWlebq9yrFKb8pK8-CcR9x7_19LSFmh5zannSpIf8B8J57pIwZZ_BzCseY2Pk8PSeM0U26kqoAceFfco0/s320/movie-1.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The study mentioned in the video above looked into the mobility of two different suborders of turtles - those with their hips fused to their shells (<span style="text-align: center;">Pleurodira</span>) and turtles' who's hips are free to move (<span style="text-align: center;">Cryptodira</span>).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDL-I28hGk6X5I3OVUgjXx4rAZS6yqXa55taO4G3sxjZWxGNC9sniVcDnbf-ofD_h9pOWk5HUnO4YqE3visyUnKBJ3EQYbqe3_3fZbvuohxpN7EkeXpxXT4eLLdC8oGMScp5j7ymjEWPc/s1600/movie-2a.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDL-I28hGk6X5I3OVUgjXx4rAZS6yqXa55taO4G3sxjZWxGNC9sniVcDnbf-ofD_h9pOWk5HUnO4YqE3visyUnKBJ3EQYbqe3_3fZbvuohxpN7EkeXpxXT4eLLdC8oGMScp5j7ymjEWPc/s400/movie-2a.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Cryptodira</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSOChp3NTVxFz2WEceLMp0dM49MrYGIRJLSc9cSnwAHhD7dr6Ixpl166sgxSyr5NfQoRqjXlo3oFykeISaboOaobaTqSuKnZx0RKO4VWI4zqBLilFcAw-M_kyxbzLfnEOxLFyFBQVN8Q/s1600/movie-2b.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSOChp3NTVxFz2WEceLMp0dM49MrYGIRJLSc9cSnwAHhD7dr6Ixpl166sgxSyr5NfQoRqjXlo3oFykeISaboOaobaTqSuKnZx0RKO4VWI4zqBLilFcAw-M_kyxbzLfnEOxLFyFBQVN8Q/s400/movie-2b.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Pleurodira</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As you can see, the study quite conclusively shows that the turtles who's hips are free to move, use this ability to increase the range of movement from their hind limbs and therefore have a much better walking performance. Which is interesting in itself, but for me, the ability to watch how bones work in an animal while they move is truly fascinating. The article can be found <a href="https://anatomytoyou.com/2016/12/15/in-focus-how-much-do-turtles-wiggle-their-hips/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<br />
As 3D animators working with an animation rig we are generally trying to animate from the bones outward - the muscles, skin and fur usually being added by other departments. So the idea that we may be able to finally see what these bones are up to in real creatures under all that soft tissue could mean a much greater understanding of animal locomotion and an advancement in terms of realism in their movements.<br />
<br />
A library of XXROMM movies can be found <a href="http://www.xromm.org/movies" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
<br />
<br />Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-36264194607753102402016-10-14T13:39:00.000+00:002016-11-24T09:11:04.056+00:00Flight Page Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9goLRFbn8LsachqwKC7b3cJJPYUJemjsgYjzPbVL9xusK8B80_cfThewgh-9-B-mjP6zc2i4zq5YS3d8tSgj89RL3ABatWRwDhoowy4k0e6bglxhRaw7wK4G43X0c-vgEbZO0wxt_yI/s1600/arm-wing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9goLRFbn8LsachqwKC7b3cJJPYUJemjsgYjzPbVL9xusK8B80_cfThewgh-9-B-mjP6zc2i4zq5YS3d8tSgj89RL3ABatWRwDhoowy4k0e6bglxhRaw7wK4G43X0c-vgEbZO0wxt_yI/s400/arm-wing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've just completed a quick update on <a href="http://www.brendanbody.co.uk/flight_tutorial/">my bird flight page</a> -
now the videos should play in all browsers. I received a few emails saying they
were broken, technically there was nothing wrong with the movie files but
unfortunately that type of embedded quicktime has fallen out of favour with
most browsers. I could still get them to work on safari and internet explorer
but on chrome and firefox they were bust. So now they're embedded from vimeo. However, if you want the movie files to study and step through, as animators
are want to do, you can download the quicktimes from the <a href="https://vimeo.com/user57797894">vimeo page</a>.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyVNcHKltonsSTBZRLFNsXxpCHECtnJdZP67_574rNw1i6WiM9ylu3oqR83PCp8dFtz8yTDyhExg1cp9qpgphF-CPVmtcWRDuW_hYh-bEJa7LkKaSgl86YyYlIm-39Y5UXnC-2ZWTov8/s1600/vimeo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyVNcHKltonsSTBZRLFNsXxpCHECtnJdZP67_574rNw1i6WiM9ylu3oqR83PCp8dFtz8yTDyhExg1cp9qpgphF-CPVmtcWRDuW_hYh-bEJa7LkKaSgl86YyYlIm-39Y5UXnC-2ZWTov8/s400/vimeo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Just in case you don't know where the download button is on vimeo</i></div>
<br />Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-51047748492775780632016-08-31T15:42:00.002+00:002016-08-31T16:00:08.897+00:00Cloudy 2 and Mune Showreel<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/180875744?color=eb4483&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
I thought it might be nice to put some of the work from the two animated features I did back in 2013 and 14 into a mini reel. The first film, <i>Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 </i>was a real challenge for me, I had done a lot of VFX creature work coming into it and adjusting to the style of animation took some time. As the project developed I gradually became accustomed to it and started to think more in the style, pushing poses more and able ignore my instincts toward realism. I feel the animation leads and supervisors felt this too and I was gradually trusted with bigger, more interesting shots. I think the highlight for me, is the Chester shot where he is presenting in the arena, I really tried to push the poses, gestures and arcs is this shot. It's a level of stylisation that I would never never have tried prior to this project.<br />
<br />
The film project I joined after Cloudy 2 was <i>Mune: Guardian of the Moon</i>, unfortunately this film doesn't seem to have come to much, which is a great shame because the design and colour work are really stunning. I really like the film and feel very privileged to have worked on this small, artist driven project. Animation-wise, I feel that this film was really good for me as it cemented some of the things I had learned on Cloudy 2. As one of the more senior animators I was given some really interesting shots to animate and, as the animation wasn't as stylised, I felt I could combine my knowledge of creatures, weight and anatomy from VFX with the zip of the Cloudy style. I think I grew a lot through these two projects, learning a huge amount and becoming a more confident and competent character animator.Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-61557805274025351932015-11-26T10:21:00.001+00:002015-11-26T10:59:51.581+00:00Brian Cox at djcadThe Dundee University, to which djcad is attached, is very fortunate to have the esteemed actor <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004051/">Brian Cox</a> as its Rector. He was kind enough to come to the college to talk to the animation students about film-making and acting. Here is a snippet from his lecture in which he talks about his acting process and the importance of motivation within a character.
<p/>
<p/>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/146228626?color=eb4483&title=0&byline=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p/>
<p/>
The talk was full of great information as you'd expect from an actor who has worked with the likes of Wes Anderson, David Fincher, Woody Allen, Paul Greengrass and Spike Jonze. Many thanks to Brian and we hope to see him again soon.Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-55347634712569580592015-11-26T09:44:00.002+00:002016-02-05T13:05:56.636+00:00Goodbye Animation Industry
Well, it's time for me to bow out of the animation industry for the foreseeable future. I have decided to change tack in my career and step into academia and teaching. I have had a great time in the world of animation, and been fortunate enough to have worked on some great projects and with some of the most awe-inspiringly talented people in the world. However, after many years of trying to navigate the increasingly uncertain waters of the animation industry I have decided to come ashore. The increased instability has coincided with a decreased in satisfaction with some aspects of the job.
<p/>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3D71dgjboUAQPUmAPXN39cUwpE7NFMD5VYseMPdOoxtY2dLTfOQ14tX-Et9ijwmUW1VOObVXNXPZO6CH7FEddL0fObrvBIj8ap3c9ziqSXlWw_zdxS9-I3ZRaWtxqDJrM_vwp-K2UKE/s1600/building_990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3D71dgjboUAQPUmAPXN39cUwpE7NFMD5VYseMPdOoxtY2dLTfOQ14tX-Et9ijwmUW1VOObVXNXPZO6CH7FEddL0fObrvBIj8ap3c9ziqSXlWw_zdxS9-I3ZRaWtxqDJrM_vwp-K2UKE/s400/building_990.jpg" /></a></div>
<p/>
<i>Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee or, as all the cool kids are calling it, 'djcad'.</i>
<p/>
Over the years I have tried to maintain links with the art college where I studied (Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Scotland) and have always enjoyed researching animation techniques and writing up blog posts or giving lectures on these things. So when I saw a teaching post come up here, I decided it was time for a change. Hopefully, my departure from the animation industry will be good news for the followers of this blog. Now I am going to be devoted to the research and teaching of animation, I hope I will have much to share.
Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-61351861952536818022015-10-29T18:00:00.001+00:002023-11-29T16:48:55.812+00:00Rapid Wrap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8XMHOy4viTv2x7Hypu47WTyFZyxkFT4r_ai8ZHxwMr5FE2e7RVJNdmQ39XU_WuHfuKQg60H2zF0yu7-57L5ND4F8OPBffxpz0UX7sUaDq0xpdQeU1f3jTxIjZe0jCbqkGRoAZY00kOI/s1600/kirsty_skip_025.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8XMHOy4viTv2x7Hypu47WTyFZyxkFT4r_ai8ZHxwMr5FE2e7RVJNdmQ39XU_WuHfuKQg60H2zF0yu7-57L5ND4F8OPBffxpz0UX7sUaDq0xpdQeU1f3jTxIjZe0jCbqkGRoAZY00kOI/s320/kirsty_skip_025.gif" /></a></div>
<p>
<p>
For the past few months I've been working on a research project at the University of Dundee - making an information film about what to do if you're recovering from a heart attack. That probably sounds quite serious but it has actually been fun, we are trying to give people the information through animation and humour. Here's the last piece of animation I did for the project, created in flash, (the gif has messed up the colours). It was really nice to do some traditional animation again. The character design is by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tompaxtonanimation">Tom Paxton</a>, and the film was directed by <a href="http://www.kieranjduncan.com/">Kieran Duncan</a>. Hopefully I'll be able to show it in full soon.Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-13215689813417852922015-10-08T15:26:00.001+00:002015-10-08T15:29:18.155+00:00Favours and Inbetweens, feel the difference. <p>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/141800702" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
A short video made for an animation class to demonstrate the difference between a direct inbetween and an inbetween favouring a pose in a two frame move. All the eye darts take two frames. The ones before the blink are direct inbetweens, the ones after favour the first pose. The favours not only appear smoother but have more life to them too.
Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-17606917713207684022015-02-17T23:54:00.000+00:002015-03-30T06:14:17.847+00:00Mune TrailerHere's a trailer of an animated film called <i>Mune</i> which I worked on last year in Montreal. We didn't have the biggest budget so I'm really impressed with how the final film looks. I think one of the most successful things is the lighting and colour schemes. The art director, <a href="http://www.remisalmon.com/">Rémi Salmon</a>, who has a wonderful unique style, created the concept art at the start of the project, as well as overseeing the lighting at the end - a rare thing in animated features and I think this has given Mune a very strong and interesting look. This was also helped by Nico Marlet having a hand in the character design.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i_Jn5_0Y9oc" width="480"></iframe>
<br /><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpvvI-_ho2NRAiEQ9I06mpV7PYd3fz0U8t7UGlqdMfF_79EAFPYu6ZnWWHl1t5HoayrVaXGftWG5J8V30BnZurygUP03yUGuFlXJvSxNyMwMWXvB7kBbEoBUZW87cvvg72odsUB3MyyE/s1600/Mune_3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpvvI-_ho2NRAiEQ9I06mpV7PYd3fz0U8t7UGlqdMfF_79EAFPYu6ZnWWHl1t5HoayrVaXGftWG5J8V30BnZurygUP03yUGuFlXJvSxNyMwMWXvB7kBbEoBUZW87cvvg72odsUB3MyyE/s320/Mune_3.jpg" /></a><br />
<i>Mune concept art</i><br />
<br />
I'm not sure when the film is coming out but hopefully soon. Enjoy.<br />
<br />
<br />Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-30563594299063952872014-09-15T06:20:00.001+00:002014-09-15T06:20:40.461+00:00Weta & Hobbit 3Hello, just a quick update, I recently relocated to New Zealand and I'm now working at Weta Digital in Wellington.
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlDP6lB2cpl4uvu1mMdC6bemBqj_IbsjR_swYdn4A9jFsb85Ikaeg8_JiuUed4XJzRPlw4aTfA1Iq28w_5ZSMiDAz3K7Pp-4zB5cjlh7qSzxYjszbhr3_eA83AfgCeVHsxKBlF7X4v8s/s1600/weta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlDP6lB2cpl4uvu1mMdC6bemBqj_IbsjR_swYdn4A9jFsb85Ikaeg8_JiuUed4XJzRPlw4aTfA1Iq28w_5ZSMiDAz3K7Pp-4zB5cjlh7qSzxYjszbhr3_eA83AfgCeVHsxKBlF7X4v8s/s320/weta.jpg" /></a></div>
</p>
For the past month I've been working with the talented guys and girls here to finish off the animation for the last Hobbit film (<i>The Battle of the Five Armies</i>) which is due for release in December. If you haven't already, you can check out the trailer below.
</p>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/rgNNb8bm_b8" width="480"></iframe>Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-81057689920456792212014-06-20T00:08:00.000+00:002014-06-20T00:08:03.685+00:00iAnimate Lecture Hello. Here's a little excerpt from the lecture I gave for the online animation school iAnimate earlier this year. I talk about birds.
<br/>
<br/>
<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/93032472" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-84951951845835455922013-11-03T16:29:00.002+00:002013-11-03T16:34:54.176+00:00Pacific Rim Animation Reel, Falling Cars 'n' AllWith the recent release of <i>Pacific Rim</i> for purchase I thought I'd create an edit of all the shots I animated on the film. I've even included the simpler ones of falling cars and hovering helicopters.
</p>
<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/78444016?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>
</p>
I've also added a few shots for continuity (marked with a red dot), most of which don't contain animation apart from the one at 0:52 which was animated by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3110752/">Cedric Lo</a>. So please note, that's his great work there.
</p>
<i>Pacific Rim</i> was a really enjoyable project to work on. I joined ILM thinking that, with their work being of such high quality, there would be many rounds of revisions and getting shots approved would take a long time. I was surprised to find that there was a lot of trust placed in everyone's ability and with unprecedented access to the director, Guillermo del Toro, I was able to animate more footage in 6 months than on any other live-action film I can think of.
</p>
Footage Copyright owned by Warner Bros. Pictures & Legendary Pictures. The song is Club Foot by Kasabian.Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-40099217734027134742013-07-05T17:46:00.001+00:002013-07-05T17:46:27.690+00:00Guest Instructor at iAnimateI have some news. I'll be a guest instructor for <a href="http://www.ianimate.net/">iAnimate's</a> upcoming Creature workshop. I shall be giving an online lecture talking about various topics and problems surrounding animating flight. They've even made this fancy video to promote it.
<br>
<br>
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/69598032?color=f0000c" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe>
<br>
<br>
If you're interested check out their creature workshop breakdown page <a href="http://www.ianimate.net/creature-workshop-breakdown.html">here</a>. There are a host of subjects, all taught by some amazing animatory individuals.Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-1636627388522442622013-04-29T20:57:00.000+00:002013-07-05T17:48:17.098+00:00New Pacific Rim Footage
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com//embed/zA92Rw6kNWw" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
Latest from Guillermo del Toro's <i>Pacific Rim</i>, a film I started working on almost a year ago. Very much looking forward to seeing how it turned out. Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-70953468538620634962013-02-27T22:22:00.001+00:002013-07-05T17:48:52.705+00:00Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2Hello and welcome to what seems to have mainly become my film trailer page. Here's the latest one for you -<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Gwj1YlYYspw" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
I'm very excited to be currently working on this project but I hope to have some more interesting posts for you soon.Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-54726648036937449842012-12-13T00:17:00.001+00:002013-07-05T17:47:46.757+00:00BBWWWWWAAAARRHHHH!<br />
Sorry for the lack of posts recently but I've been rather busy for the last 6 months working on this, <i>Pacific Rim</i>. It's latest film from director Guillermo del Toro and today everyone finally gets a glimpse. Enjoy.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2vKz7WnU83E?fs=1" width="480"></iframe>Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714163065492986419.post-3541837625934926452012-09-13T18:10:00.000+00:002012-09-13T18:10:21.415+00:00Showreel 2012Here's my latest animation showreel.</p>
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/49393497?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe>
</p>
Featuring some of my most recent work from <i>John Carter</i> and <i>The Amazing Spider-Man</i>.Brendan Bodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03834792604343452035noreply@blogger.com3