Zombie Story

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jahnocli
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Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2004 2:13 pm
Location: UK

Re: Zombie Story

Post by jahnocli »

@ddrake -- Looks great!
You can't have everything. Where would you put it?
ddrake
Posts: 274
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2013 9:25 pm

Re: Zombie Story

Post by ddrake »

Thought I'd experiment with a Back 3/4 walk cycle.

Here's a rough rig file that maybe someone else could adjust to fit their needs.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/trb3nnpz6l7zp ... .anme?dl=0

- Headless basic rig.
- 3/4 Back View
- Walk cycle in Main Timeline.
- No bucket yet.



The goal was to eventually build this bucket girl, but I figured I'd share it now if there was a better use, or if someone else wanted to alter things before I put in any extra detail.

Image
-ddrake
steveryan2
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Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 9:46 pm

Re: Zombie Story

Post by steveryan2 »

Thanks Ddrake, creating a walk at that angle is a pretty ambitious task. If I can use it I definitely will.

Thanks also for the head turn on GuyNumber5. It gives me another example to study and looks really good!
steveryan2
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Re: Zombie Story

Post by steveryan2 »

I have been working on the body of the main character and have questions that I cannot seem to find answers for. I searched the forum, the help and looked at a lot of videos.

What is the best methodology for building a character's body? I originally created the front view on a single layer with all points connected believing this would result in the best movement once rigged. Now I am working on the 3/4 view and it occurred to me that having all points on a single layer will prevent the back arm and leg from looking like they are behind the rest of the body. It would also make binding points more difficult during rigging. But I like the idea of having everything interconnected and not hinged.

This led me to building the 3/4 view of the character with the various body parts on different layers: Torso, back arm, front arm, back leg and front leg.

From an art direction standpoint, I don't like the look of segmented characters; they look like cut-out dolls to me and move in a rigid way. So it led me to questioning whether this was the best method, or whether I use smart bones to compensate for and overcome this segmented/rigid look?

Every video I watch uses segmented characters; with each of the arms and legs on a separate layer. Is this the best approach? If so how do you address where and how the legs connect? Should each leg include part of the groin area, or should the groin area be on its own layer or attached to the torso?

Maybe I am over thinking this stuff but I am trying to look ahead to the animation phase and what will limit or inhibit getting believable movement.

----------------------------------

Update.

Never mind I worked it out. I had not yet done any point binding and when I moved a bone it grabbed the hands and foot and pulled them out of place. I don't know why I could not see the keyframe for that. I got out of AS, restarted it later and it showed up.
steveryan2
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Re: Zombie Story

Post by steveryan2 »

Here is the animatic, without sound:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-b0lrf ... e=youtu.be
steveryan2
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Re: Zombie Story

Post by steveryan2 »

Rather than posting continually on this forum, I am taking a suggestion that jahnocli made some time ago and starting a blog. This will allow me a place to document my journey of making my animated zombie story.

It probably sounds strange, but other than forums, I have never been into social media so this will be a new experience for me. Today I uploaded my first video to YouTube (the animatic), and made my first blog entry here:

https://animationblogdotcom.wordpress.c ... ssistance/

I am hoping that this will help rather than hinder the whole project. I've never had a blog so I don't really know what to expect, or what other people might expect of me. I am guessing that I won't be on the forum as frequently as I have up to now, and I worry how this will be perceived. But I am not going away and the more importantly neither is the project! I don't know if I should post here every time I have a new blog entry or what. I welcome your input and greatly value your contributions.
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lwaxana
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Re: Zombie Story

Post by lwaxana »

The blog is looking great! I do think the animatic gets a little confusing when the zombie shows up. I think part of the issue is that shots 1-5 establish a good sense of direction in terms of where everything is laid out, but then shot 6 is disorienting, although it doesn't break the 180 degree rule. It almost seems like they turned around and are coming back on the next row if you don't pay close attention to which area has been plowed. Then in shot 7, if they are looking back at the camp, their backs would be more pointed at us, right? Then direction is unclear in shots 9-19 as well. Slightly adjusting the character angle in some of those shots should help keep the viewer oriented and maintain a subconscious understanding of story continuity. And sound will help the animatic, too.
steveryan2
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Re: Zombie Story

Post by steveryan2 »

Thanks for your comments lwaxana.

It's funny that until now I didn't see what you described in shots 6 and 7, but I was going to change it anyway for the sake of production! I'm changing shot 6 so that it looks more like 2; maybe it will be exactly like 2. Then shot 7 would be the same angle, but a medium shot.

For shots 9 through 19 I can see where all the changing angles could be confusing. Generally, since the camp is on the left, the hero should be running left and the boy and zombie running right. It gets confusing what is best to do starting at shot 12 or 13 because the idea is that he is distracting the zombie and the zombie is chasing him instead of the boy. Maybe it's best to have the hero run off in the same direction as the boy and keep him to the right of the zombie? Wait, that doesn't make sense because the man is supposed to run in the direction of the camp; otherwise he would never run into the bed sheet that is hanging on a clothes line. I guess at some point the hero is going to have to move past and left of the zombie.
ddrake
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Re: Zombie Story

Post by ddrake »

This may be a non-issue after seeing some more finished looking art work, but to me the silhouette and early shots of the plow guys already look kind of zombie-ish. In part I think it's the pose of the silhouette, not being able to see details of the figures, and then the fact that the plow puller looks pretty gaunt and zombie-like when we get close.

Again, movement and final art will probably help some. But maybe it's just me, (and of course knowing what's going to happen) but it almost feels a little like you're tipping your hand for the whole bit, by showing things this way. As much as anything else, that we're seeing a person pulling a plow at the beginning kind of softens the satisfaction of a zombie plow reveal.

My only thought would be to maybe have the guys sweating in the field doing manual tilling with hoes or something. Maybe even see the plow somewhere to the side, or in the pan across, but with nothing to pull it yet.

I don't know that any changes are necessary, but was just something that struck me watching the animatic.
-ddrake
steveryan2
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Re: Zombie Story

Post by steveryan2 »

Ddrake,

I think the story will work as is; but you are right; the way the storyboard/animatic is drawn I could see how it could be taken that way. For the animation I will push the poses more and do what I can to make it more obvious that they are people struggling with the plow.

For me anyway, substituting the plow for hoes doesn't work for the comedy aspect of it.
steveryan2
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Re: Zombie Story

Post by steveryan2 »

I am in the process of updating the animatic by replacing the hand drawn images with poses done in AS. Right now I only have about 11 of the 21 shots replaced which you can see here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgWwdk7 ... e=youtu.be

Known issues are that there are no backgrounds in the replacement shots; just the character. Also, he is missing a hand in a couple shots (my bad).

I will continue to work on replacing these shots so the animatic represents more closely what the final version will look like from a staging point of view. But also to address the issue that Iwaxana brought up about the confusing shots once the zombie shows up. I welcome your suggestions. Right now the issue is that the hero is right of the zombie, but he has to somehow get left of the zombie so that he runs into the sheet. I am thinking of adding a few shots to accomplish this. Maybe the kid runs by him to safety and then the hero runs to the other side of the zombie before throwing the rock? Or maybe the hero knocks the zombie to the ground and ends up on the left side of him before the chase ensues.

Maybe there is an easier solution and I am just over thinking this. I welcome your input!
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DK
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Re: Zombie Story

Post by DK »

Hey...great work so far :)
I have struggled whether or not to post this comment but just wanted to make a small suggestion to help out after watching the YouTube animatic. A zombie suddenly appearing is confusing from an audience perspective as there is no "Hint" as to what has happened to make this a post zombie apocalyptic world. Even a newspaper clipping like "Zombie Apocalypse Destroys World" blowing around in the wind (but readable) at the very start would be enough to set me up for the onslaught of a zombie. As it is I don't get that it is a zombie attacking. Maybe even some hobbling silhouettes behind a fence line in the distance and someone making a comment like..."Damn Zombies" at the start would be enough to help set up the scene. As it is it could be a farm on the outskirts of a normal city or even a bunch of alternative lifestylers trying to cut a living. Whatever, the last thing you need is viewers second guessing storyline aspects when you are trying to deliver a short format animation.

Just trying to help ;)
Keep up the great work!

D.K
steveryan2
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Re: Zombie Story

Post by steveryan2 »

DK,

I appreciate the concern, and it's been nagging at me a bit too. One thing that the storyboard and animatic don't show is that in the first shot the city is seen smoldering in the background. And of course the first thing we see are the hand-made graves, so we know this is an apocalyptic situation (or at least I thing those two things in combination show that). But you are correct, there is no hint at the specific notion that zombies are part of the equation; until we suddenly see one.

I like your newspaper idea and maybe that could be incorporated in here somehow. As the animatic sketches are swapped out with the final AS characters, I'd like to hear what other people think. Was the sudden introduction of a zombie too out of the blue?

A part of me tells me that it's just a one minute animation and most people will accept just about anything in that period of time. But it does make me wonder.
lawnmower70
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Joined: Thu Jun 06, 2013 12:20 pm

Re: Zombie Story

Post by lawnmower70 »

Hey folks, did this ever get finished? I was looking forward to seeing it.
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