Final Animation

My finished animation

Useful Tutorials Found and Used

I decided to put these on the blog as I felt they may be of use to other people who may not have used this site.

Rigging Part 1

Obtained from the Traptcg website 2010

Rigging Part 2

Obtained from the traptcg website 2010

Advanced Hand Rig Part 1

Obtained from traptcg website 2010

Intro to Skinning

Obtained from the traptcg website 2010

Intro to Morphing

Obtained from the traptcg website 2010

Available at:

http://www.Traptcg.com/tutorials/1

Accessed : 2010

Further Research plus funny videos with body language

Tennis Comercial for the use of mobile phones by Pixar

Facial expressions are brilliant with a very infectious laugh included:

Too good not to watch!

Big Fish after Little Fish

Making Friends or Not

There are numerous sites which offer a host of information on all aspects of facial expressions and body language. The information below has been extracted from a website and the content is not even a third of the amount they have available.

The site also has a case study on 'Tiger Woods' with an analysis of body language associated with his most recent scandal!

The site below has a huge array of information ranging from case studies, various autism conditions and how they execute or are not aware of other peoples body language for example ‘Asperger’s Syndrome and Learning Body Language’, cultural differences and body language in business amongst many others.

It is a site well worth visiting. The following information is what was extracted from their web site.
This questionnaire captured my interest particularly as I would like to teach. The reasons for the questionnaire is shown below:

For people that travel quite a bit or live in a multi-cultural community, understanding body language and gestures from other countries and cultures can be very important. Without that knowledge, unintentional miscommunication is possible.

Author Daniel Goleman (2010) claimed that 90% of a person’s emotions are expressed through non-verbal means of communication. This can include body language, gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice.

Yet, these same non-verbal gestures and expressions can have a different meaning depending on the culture. Because the world is becoming more diverse and people from different cultures are interacting more than ever, it is important to know what is and isn’t appropriate and when it may be necessary to avoid certain types of offensive gestures and expressions.

The Questionnaire given with answers:

1. In Bangladesh, is the thumb’s up sign a signal of something good or an insult?

Answer:
It is considered to be insulting. The thumb’s up gesture is also considered rude in Nigeria and Sydney, Australia.



2. Shaking hands is an accepted form of greeting in America and Britain, but should one shake a Saudi Arabian woman’s hand upon meeting her?

Answer:
No, the touching of a Saudi Arabian woman’s hand by anyone other than her husband is against the Sharia Laws and considered immoral.

3. In what countries is the A-Ok gesture considered to be an affront, equivalent to using the middle finger?

Answer:
The A-Ok gesture is considered offensive in Brazil and most Latin American countries, Germany, and Austria. In France it means “zero” and in Japan it means “money.”

4. Is it offensive in the Middle East to point at someone with the index finger as if to call them to come to over?

Answer:
Yes. It is also considered an insult to do this in Portugal, Spain, Latin America, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Hong Kong. If the index finger must be used to call someone, make sure the palm is down as that is more acceptable.


5. In Europe, the V sign can be changed from meaning “victory” to meaning “shove it” by simply doing what?

Answer:
By turning the palm toward oneself. Palm out means “victory,” palm in means “shove it.”

6. A smile always means the person is happy, right?

Answer:
Not always. The Japanese often smile when they are confused, angry, or even embarrassed.

7. In what countries does nodding the head up and down mean “no?”

Answer:
Bulgaria and Greece.

8. In what culture is it considered offensive to touch the top of one’s head?

Answer:

9. In American and Britain, when place the hand up with palm towards someone means “stop.” What does it mean in Asian cultures?

Answer:
It means to ask permission to speak

10. Is putting hands on hips a sign of confidence?

Answer:
It is in American and Britain, however, in some Asian countries is it seen as a sign of arrogance. In Mexico, it is seen as a sign of hostility. Putting one’s hands in the pockets in Indonesia is considered rude.

11. What countries consider eye contact to be offensive?

Answer:
In most Western cultures, eye contact is considered a good thing, but in Japan, Latin American countries, and the Caribbean, direct eye contact is considered disrespectful.



12. What countries require the most amount of personal space?

Answer:
Americans definitely like their personal space, but Germans and Japanese require even more. Personal space it not as important to those from China, France, Latin American countries, and Saudi Arabia.

13. In what countries are the feet considered unclean and showing the heels considered insulting?

Answer:
Middle Eastern countries, China, Japan, Russia, Taiwan, and Korea consider the feet to be dirty and the heels of the feet should never be shown to another.

14. In what countries is slouching considered to be rude?

Answer:
Germany, Sweden, and China consider slouching to not only be rude, but also a sign of poor manners.


Practical Applications of Body Language and Attitude
A typical example of your body language when you’re feeling really depressed or unhappy might look something like this:
• Negative facial expression
• Head down
• Avoid eye contact with others
• Slumped shoulders
• Shuffling or dragging feet



A typical example of your body language when you’re feeling really confident and happy.

Might look something like this:

• Neutral or positive facial expression
• Head up
• Frequent eye contact with others
• Shoulders back and body upright
• A light or even a bit bouncy step

Happiness: raised lip corners and cheeks, narrowing of the eyelids to produce crow’s feet in the corners.
Sadness: narrowing eyes with the eyebrows brought together, mouth turned down at the corners with the chin pulled up.
Fear: mouth and eyes open, eyebrows raised with nostrils flared at times.
Anger: lowered eyebrows, wrinkled forehead, tensed eyelids and lips.
Disgust: nose scrunching, upper lip raised, eyebrows downcast with eye narrowing.
Suprise: dropped jaw, relaxed lips and mouth, eyes wide open with slightly raised eyelids and eyebrows.
Contempt: Side of the mouth raised in a sneer or smirk.

The eight primary elements of body language (commonly listed):

• Face: Your face is a major source of expression when communicating with others. It can smile, frown, remain neutral, show anger, show disgust, indicate you want to speak, and show interest.

• Eyes: Your eyes are often the first piece of body language others see or notice. They can be used to make visual contact, avoid visual contact, express feelings based on intensity and length of eye contact, and the like.

• Posture: Your posture includes how you hold your head, shoulders, legs, arms, and hips. Each of these parts of your body work separately as well as together to send non-verbal cues. Examples include tilting your head, slumping your shoulders, turning your hips sideways, and the like.

• Gestures: Your gestures can be related to verbal communication or unrelated to verbal communication. For instance, you might wave at another person as a way of saying ‘hello’, but you do not have to actually say the word out loud for the message to be clear. Or, you might use hand gestures to emphasise a key point during a speech or presentation; in this case, your gesture is related to the verbal communication.

• Voice – Your voice is used to verbalize language, but is an integral part of your non-verbal communication. For instance, your tone of voice, volume, emotion, pace, and the like, all influence the messages you send as part of your body language.

• Movement: Your movement, whether using your entire body or just part of your body, is both flexible and commanding. For instance, moving toward another person may send a message of dominance or assertiveness, while moving away from another person may send a message of avoidance, submission, or simply bringing the interaction to a close.

• Touch: This is one of the most powerful elements of body language. It is capable of communicating so many different messages, and can also be interpreted in so many different ways. Touch is usually divided into four main categories: friendship, professional, social, and intimacy.

• Appearance : Your physical appearance includes clothing, neatness, body shape, and anything else that provides visual messages and cues to other people. For instance, you dress conservatively and formally for a funeral, but casually and informally for a backyard barbecue



All information on this was taken from: http://www.bodylanguageexpert.co.uk/questionnaire-cross-cultural-body-language.html

Accessed:
March 2010

Storyboard for Norman

The storyboards drawn display the characteristics of:

Sadness.
Grief.
Crying.
Desolation.
Being uncomfortable in ones own skin.
Loss of composure.
Parts of the body which may give support.


The eyes and ears will be the most frequently used to depict sadmess with the mouth accompanying both.

The storyboard shows how the placement of the hand can bring in the audience ie.. and open hand or keep the audience at bay ie.. turning the hand over so the back of the hand is like a locked gate.

Normans Persona

Norman is 28 years old and a descendant of Mickey Mouse. He is respected by many and he lives at 55 Edam Rd in Cheshire.

To the dismay of his parents George and Mildred he has a passion for brightly coloured trousers and a dislike of any form of footwear.

Presently he has a fairly rotund shape mainly due to his passion for “Danish Blue” cheese, biscuits and milk.

Unbeknown to Norman his parents talked to his friends and asked them to help in trying to get Norman to participate in extra sport activities as they were becoming increasingly worried about his health and posture.

Norman possesses a gentle nature with high moral values but at times shows a hint of juvenility. This hint of juvenility was displayed when he was dared to learn and compete in the game of tennis.

One year ago to this very day he was told about the amount of cheese he could win if he was good at tennis. His colleagues stated that he would not have the commitment or stamina to follow such a quest and wagered a cheese dish in the event of such a feat.

Could Norman become a good tennis player and what attributes must he possess to give him a fighting chance?


Personal Qualities

Norman has been known to show his determination to win particularly when Oscar the cat tried to prevent him from acquiring his cheese.
His sheer determination and perseverance has enabled him to collect his cheese without missing his snacks for quite a few years.

Unfortunately he sometimes finds it difficult to stay calm under pressure particularly when Oscars breathes down his neck or indeed picks him up by his tail. This ordeal occasionally pushes his gentle nature to breaking point.
Not to be beaten Norman always bounces back to fight another day and refuses to allow Oscar to ruin his meals.

Norman puts many hours into thinking and organising his aperitifs and this alone provides a passport to success in all his cheese quests. Irrespective of Oscar, Norman believes it is his right to win and losing never enters into the equation.


Physical Qualities

Norman and his ancestors have all been recognised for their brilliant hand-eye coordination, quick reflexes and wizard leg speed whilst dodging the altogether menacing cat or broom.
Hard work is not part of Norman’s repertoire as he feels that he needs to rest in order to develop in mind and body.
Norman does not train because he has a slight problem with his time management therefore this could prove to be a handicap if he wishes to succeed in the game of tennis.

Psychological Qualities

Norman has always shown that he has a competitive attitude accompanied with an air of self confidence, but one wonders whether he would display these attributes in the game of tennis.

Tactical Qualities

Norman is aware of his goals and has several very well laid out plans for obtaining a variety of feedstuffs. Amongst his plans he has a diary were he religiously records Oscar’s traps and behaviours and due to him being vigilant in his note taking believes that Oscar will never win.

Norman realised he would need help in mastering the skills of tennis and although he enjoyed sport tennis had never been part of his sporting activities therefore his first thought was to find a trainer.

A year has gone by and everyone has been amazed at what Norman has achieved although he is still rotund he has been classed as the player with a “clean cut image”. His parents are elated and are immensely pleased with their son’s dedication to the sport.

Trophies are abundant in the household but Norman has a dream of winning his next tournament the “Australian Championships”.

He has experienced highs and lows throughout the year but he has bounced back with gritted determination resulting in him winning his last four matches. His expectations are high and he is aware that the public are expecting him to win the pending match.

His confidence has grown and at times verges on a form of arrogance together with his aggressive play technique his opponent will meet a force to be reckoned with. Two days to go for Norman to realise his dream.

Will Norman succeed and win the match?

Creating Eyes and Morphing

Morphing a Face

A quick and dirty way with the creation of the head but the main objective was to complete the morphing exercise

The heads were created using 2 cylinders

Video of morphs



Reason for Paying Attention in the Creation of the Eyes

I am aware that the eyes are a very important feature to provide some life and attitude to a model creation. They are one of the main areas in a character or person that relate emotion, life and depth to a storyline or life’s ups and downs.

Making an Eyeball and Iris



Creating a pupil and cornea



Creating eyelids




Map material for iris done in Photoshop


Copying eyes into character


Creating a controller and 2 dummies for animation


Test run of eye animation

skinning and boning Norman

Norman is blind at the moment because I do not know how to do his eyes, but this will be revealed next week.

I have been trying the skinning process on various shapes prioir to attacking Norman. The same methos has been use for adding bones but I still need to do a little more practise.

Storyboard in textual form

1: Normans wears a false smile
Eyes looking down at the floor
Hands keeping hon upright and providing emotional support as they envelope the microphone
Only the backs of his hands are visible to the spectators.

2: Norman issues congratulations to his rival but in a strained broken voice
Eyes continue to look down
Hunched shoulders signifying the strain of talking at this sad time

3: Norman thanks his supporters
Arms and hands praying for him to disappear for this ordeal
Eyes looking at the spectators but not seeing - empty eyes
Right sweaty palm is wiped down his shorts revealing the amount of tension Norman is
experiencing
Mouth and face showing emotional tension

4: Norman looks away as he tries to reestablish composure
Right sweaty palm wiped once again down his shorts
Eyes now look downwards
Right hand being passed over his nose
Norman rocks briefly but nervously from side to side as he fights to keep himself together

5: Norman blows through the air (relieved that the first part is over)
He is fighting with himself to finish his sppech
Norman comments on the support he has received with a dropped jaw and a face riddled with
tension.

6: Norman apoligises for his failure and grasps at the air with his right hand as emotion builds.
Norman looks down whith his head tilted to one side
and exhales with a blowing motion through his lips
Once again he grasps the bridge of his nose as he hides briefley

7: Norman raises his left hand to signify that he wishes to speak
and tries to pass a joke
His left hand supports him through the joke as it is posed on his left hip

8: Poor Norman he realises that he is feeling more awkward as he goes on
He thanks his team
Eyes still looking downward and face tense with emotion
Norman shakes his head and admits closure
as his head is held low his shoulders unable to support hom and a false smile
Norman departs.