Oscar Gonzales Luna - Weight shift - Critique

Hey,

it's tough to understand the clumsy part, there isn't really anything that tells us this part. The flirting bit is a bit unclear but I do sense the show-off aspect of it. Let's look at the technique, but I can elaborate on the acting a bit.

In it's current state, he looks down, then up, and goes right into his more proud stance. What's missing is the thought process inside that character so we understand each beat. What would help for instance is a moment where he kinda snaps out of his sad trance, after around x184, where he would blink and look a bit left and right (mostly with his eyes, not moving his whole body) and then realizes that the camera is on him. You want to see that realization in his face BEFORE he moves into the poses on x198 and 219, which show him being more of a show off.

I'm not sure if that hip move from x262 to 282 is very successful. It's not very clear in terms of acting ideas, whereas the last weight shift after x283 fits more the "victoria's secret" intention you mentioned. Although it's still a bit weird in terms of character change, where he goes from a more masculine type from x218 to around x245, with the belly out and rubbing it, to a more feminine weight shift and model pose at the end. So character wise he feels a bit unfocused when you have him go through so many different emotions and characters, from sad, to excited, to proud, to show-off-y to sexy.

Animation wise, I would avoid moments of twinning, where both arms are moving at the same time with the same posing, like on x186 to 204 (at least the end posing of the arms is a bit offset, but overall they start moving at the same time and both arms seem to go through the same key rhythm).

Make sure that when one part of the body moves that it affects the rest of the body. So after x219, where the arm goes forward and the hand rubs the belly, that arm movement feels very disconnected. You'd have to involve more of the shoulder and a bit of the chest.

The steps and weight shift from x246 to x269 need a bit more work regarding balance. The foot starts to move after x246, so the weight will go from both legs supporting the body to one leg, since one leg is in the air (or should be, otherwise you have him ice skate around). So around x251, the screen left foot should be a bit off the ground and the body leaned over screen right, so that the screen right leg is supporting the weight. If the character has any hip controls, then you'd have to bring up the screen right hip as well, showing the weight distribution.

​Around x259 the body should move screen left (right now it's off balance to the right) since the screen right leg is moving. All the weight is on the screen left leg and the body needs to keep the balance working.

When you do the weight shift from x283 to around x294, the body doesn't move side to side, where the weight is over one leg and then over the other. Right now it looks like the body pivots from the middle and from there the chest and hip rotate to change the pose, which feels too static. The body has to translate over for the correct weight shift as well.

Let me know if you more questions!
Cheers

JD

Alon Helman - Walk cycle - Critique

Alrighty!

The cycle's already looking good! You mention that he could break the cycle and wave and I like that, it would add a nice little moment.

Animation wise, there only a few little spots that stood upon first viewing.
- I like the rhythm of the root up/down movement, there's good weight in that and how it translates into the head for the overlap
- The head feels a bit detached, as if it was IK. Is the neck stretching when the head goes up? You could also have some sideways tilt, it feels a bit locked vertically
- looking at the front view, the hips look like there's a little bit too much Y rotation in there
- watch out for finger intersections through the hips (screen right one, front view; and left one I think too); I would also add a little bit more of an arc to the swings of the arms (they can do a little figure 8 arc when seen from the top); right now they are a bit straight they way the swing back and forth
- could you lessen the knee pop form x16 to 17? And watch out for the other knee, which goes back until x27, then forward for one frame, but then back again to x1 and forward again on x2; in real time it looks a little bit wobbley
- The feet moving backwards feel uneven spacing wise; the moment the foot touches the ground to the moment where it lifts off there should be only two keys, with a linear curve from touch down to lift off. Right now the spacing distance changes and the screen right foot even slows down before it gets off the ground (watch for toe intersections around x4 with the ground); you could also tilt them a bit more sideways around x12 for instance (screen left foot, front view)
- I would also offset his eyebrows and lower the top eye lids a bit, he feels spaced out)

Hope that helps!
Cheers
JD

Wini Wang - Christmas - Critique

Hey,

you're definitely making improvements!

The main thing that stands out are the IK arms. It's much better, I'd just do another pass on certain areas:

- x19 to 26 the relationship of the arms with body is much better, so the IK feel has been reduced, the only thing that still feels a bit odd are the hands. The wrist stays in that downward pose and the fingers never move, there's not really any adjustment. It's as if the and and fingers are glued to the ball the moment she grabs it.

- x43 to 78 the IK feel is back, where the arms float independently from the body

- the ball adjustments are weird from x84 on, where again the wrists are totally glued to the ball and the wrist has a bit of a broken feel to it, as the rotation is so far down. Plus the arms overextend on and off during that section until around 120.

- x128 to 148 the IK arms are back!

- the ending is awesome, as one hand comes off, the rotation changes, and second little grab and her expression at the end all works, that's nicely done.


I would concentrate on those arms first and really nail that. The moment you have those IK floating arms, it kills the rest of the animation, because it's a technical issue that shouldn't be in a final shot. So because we go too far into finger stuff, facial detail, foot polish, etc. work on those arms in combination with the wrist orientation.

Chutinart Warunyuwong - Check in - Critique

This looks super cool, nice work! There's really not that much to comment on. But you want picky! Let's go one by one, starting with the woman:

- the screen right hand on the sign floats up from the beginning to around x24, so make that contact a bit more solid

- the finger gesture of the screen right hand around x30 is a bit even in terms of pose to pose. The fingers all move at the same time and they also feel a bit even on the closing around x48. So offset the fingers a tiny bit, mostly index and middle finger.

- the screen left finger/hand contact with the sign gets a bit loose from x185 to 202. I would make that contact stronger and simplify it a bit, no need to move the hand around that much

- the screen left hand sticks to the same pose after x218 and while the elbow moves around a lot up to around x235, the hand would have to inherit some of the elbow movement as well. That way it doesn't feel so stuck to the ground.

- there's something off about the screen right hand from x297 to 309, it feels like it's always in the same pose. There seems to be a little rotation when it goes down, but still, you could have a little sub pose after x297 and maybe rotate the fingers back when the hand goes down; something like that to push the contrast in poses

- There could be a little reaction in her face when he puts the case on the scale around x425. Nothing big, maybe just a blink, or a little wince, something in her face that reacts to that huge, heavy suitcase plopping onto the scale, so that she reacts to her environment.

- when he pulls his suitcase up, you have a headturn and an eyedart on her starting at x492. I would lead with the eyes. Keep the head still, like she's focused on her screen or whatever she's looking at. Then an eyedart screen right noticing that the guy is doing something and then the head follows/catches up with a turn.

- her facial expression feels very similar from x507 up to the end. You could have a little more emotion when she slaps him and/or when she pulls back and looks at him have her emotion change a little bit


Now the guy:

- the body and head feel locked from the beginning to around x11, as he goes up and down

- same goes for the arms/hands. They go down and up with the body and it all stops harshly around x12. It doesn't look like the hands are grabbing anything, they just float down and up.

- from x229 to around 303 the wrists feel a bit locked while the arms are pulling and being stretched. It's a pain to animate, I know, but as the forearm and elbow move around, the wrists would move 30 to 70% with it, so you'd have to keyframe the fingers so that they keep the strong contact point with the luggage handle. It happens afterwards as well, around the pull from x330 on.

- same thing especially for the screen left hand from x357 to 367. The screen left arm does a big move, yet the wrist orientation is totally locked

- the screen right wrist floats/rotates down from x347 to 351, then is locked despite the big screen right arm move to x372

- the screen right hand moves too quickly from x374 to 375, it's too linear, flatten the tangent so it eases out more
​- the screen right forearm moves a bit too independently from x157 to 162. I like the move, just move the upper arm with it a bit

- looking at the jaw line the head moves in a very horizontal way from x311 to 317 screen right. Add an arc and have the end pose lower so it flows more into the lowering you have later

- on that big body move back to x334 I would drag the head a bit more, so that the body and head are not so locked together, same as it goes forward to x344 (not as much though, just a little bit here)

- same with the head from x361 to around 367. The head feels like it's just moving horizontally, almost IK-ish, give that a little arc as well.

- same again from 391 to x397, the head feels very locked to the body

- his right arm has a little bit of an elbow wiggle after x508 and with that arm moving around so much the wrist would move with it a little bit more, so it doesn't look so locked

- after the slap on x516 he should move the hand back right away, as a scared reaction, something instinctual, right now he holds on to the suitcase a few frames after the slap and then slowly takes it away, which feels too delayed


Alright, you wanted picky, you got picky! :)


Cheers

JD

Wini Wang - Jump - Critique

That's a fun jump!

Here my thoughts!

I need a frame counter. :)
I'll use the quicktime one which starts at frame 0.

- x8 to 9 the foot roll happens too quickly. I would start it softer and at x6 (flat tangent)
- I would bring up his/her right leg in one continuous motion; right now it shoots up to x11, then down to x13, then up again up to x17. I would have it go up from the beginning so that you can feel how swinging that leg up is helping with the jump momentum
- on x12, with the right leg going up, I would rotate the ball up (sideways), so that you get the "hip" in there
- the left leg goes up to x16, then pretty much stops the up movement and goes mostly screen right, keep going with that arc, don't flatten it; it dips from x17 to 18, then back up to x19; so overall, track your spacing and arcs
- on the landing, the left leg has a little move from x23 to 24, but then a quick slap down to x25; I would take out that little move to x24 and make it less snappy
- right leg snaps into overstretched pose from x19 to 20. Smooth out that transition
- x22 the "hips" are straight again, I would rotate it up (left side)
- feet could be tilted sideways during certain poses, like x22, so that this rotation is not untouched and default

Cheers
JD

Wini Wang - Jump - Critique

Hey,

that looks really great! Nice work!

My thoughts and picky notes, since it's so good. :)

- x24, hips, the left side could be lower and his right side higher since that leg is swinging up

- x25, I feel like the body could be rotated back a tiny bit more (looking at the right edge of the lower body up to the upper body, it's quite a straight line, so getting a bit more of a C curve in it would be good)

- picky note: x33, right foot, could be tilted sideways so it's not landing flat

- if possible, have a little downward move in his left leg from around x33 to 37; with him landing the downward momentum would go through his left leg which is just dangling/hanging there throughout those frames)

- could just be me, but I would rotate the forearm a bit up on x36 so that his right arm is not swinging in such a straight line

- the upper body rotates forward too quickly from x43 to 44 (compared to the spacing on x42 to 43); the head could also drag a bit more; right now the whole body and head move as one unit down from x43 to 48, so breaking up the body from the head and rotating the chest back on that down move will help with the drag

- I would move down his left arm from x44 to 47 then back to what you have on x51; when he lands the downward momentum would carry on through his arms a little bit for some overlap

- the head pops forward on x59 to 60 and 61, then stops, then again a quick move forward to x68; in real time the head feels a bit poppy; if you could smooth that part out a bit it would help

- x73, left leg, a tiny bit bent, so that x74 is the straight leg frame (it pops a little bit into that straight pose)

- the upper body and head move in one unit back from x92 to 96 and then the back move stops; I would drag the head a tiny bit and rotate the chest a bit forward during that move and smooth out the stop

- the head could also lead the action from x97 down to x102 and on to 108

- the right upper arm could be rotated higher on x106 so it doesn't look like the arm is horizontal

- smooth out the arc and spacing of the left arm: it swings up to x105, but then goes forward to 106; you could take out the pose on x105 and not go further than 106

- right foot could rotate down from x103 to 104 so that the foot doesn't stay in the same rotation angle during the lift off

- the body has a super quick exit from x107 to 108, which feels like a pop; give the body at least one more frame where we can see the lower body

Almost there, keep going!
Cheers

JD

Wini Wang - Jump - Critique

That looks really nice!

Picky notes:
- x14 the left foot goes up but there's not enough weight change. I know it's a fast move, but it would still be good to get a little bit of a hip rotation and root translate in there so that the leg raise doesn't feel so separate.
- I would keep the left leg extended on x30 as well and then start bending it for a nicer full extension pose
- involve the hips throughout; for instance, x33, the hips need to rotate forward in Y and up a bit, so that you can see how the right leg pulls it up and forward
- I would add a little root roll on x40 for the right leg
- extend the right leg a tiny bit on x43 so you don't just have one frame of leg extension for the push off
- left leg arc is flattened after x43; space out the left foot from x43 to 45, then from 46 to 48, the arc suddenly stops and the foot just goes down in that 2nd section.
- left foot would be flat on x49; after a jump and all that weight I would have a two frame plant
- from x55 to 56 I would rotate the foot down, so that the toes are not in a horizontal pose on x56; they are flat from x55 to 59, so that hop feels weird with the toe orientation not changing
- ease into the full extension on x65, the leg is bent and then pops into a straight and then stays locked
- leg and root move at the same time on x83, I would start the leg earlier than have the root move down (ease out of that more)
- keep the root a bit more screen right around x88; it looks like he's sitting down, so it's borderline off balance to the back
- I would have the left leg a TINY bit bent on x97, then straight on x98, the a little bit bent on x99
- reduce the foot rotation, it's bit pop from x98 to 99
- watch the spacing on the foot from x99 to x101, how it goes mostly up, but then from x101 to 102 it's more to the right than up, then from x102 to 103 it's a big jump to the right; overall work on that arc and the spacing

Picky picky but it's already looking great!