Evaluation

Overall I feel the animation shorts I've created have potential however could be developed further with more time and techniques.

The amount of time spent on developing research and attempting to model a head was, I feel too long, something I'd do differently in the future. 
However, since doing the research my understanding of human anatomy and facial structure has greatly improved and shall benefit future animations.

Now I have the ability to understand and create human expressions, something I would have struggled with at the start of the project.

The development of not just the catalogue but also the character shall be key to the future of my animating.

Head Sequence 04: Blink & Sleep

 

Movement occurs across the face as well as neck and top of head.  Muscles relax causing face to drop, head bobs down slightly as well as ears and nose.

Head Sequence 03: Anger

 

With anger the face contract (opposite to being asleep) tensing muscles and lifting the majority of key features, bar the lowering of the middle sections of the eyebrows and nose.  Adding to character I've included the raising of one side of the lips also implying disgust.

Head Sequence 02: Content & Puzzlement

 

I wanted to look at puzzlement as an expression for an older character because of the potential to create story.  Something new to an older person tends to be greeted with both curiosity and suspicion as is the case with this character.  The bottom image aims to illustrate this.

Head Sequence 01: Joy

 

Though I had originally intended to have a full, beaming smile I believe this, almost forced look works much better.  Here movements uncover bone structure as skin is pulled back (under eyes).

Tired

I find this animation to be most successful of all the shorts.  Movements occurs all over the model with morfing ratios changing constantly.  This has created a much more organic structure.

"Old Man" with Actor - 3D Motion Capture Facial Animation

Example of over animated older character: Though I find this piece of motion capture very good the expressions are too elaborate for the character.  What I think would be more appropriate is to have an actor of the same age as the character, thereby having more realistic examples of expressions.

Though my research and images are taken of a younger actor the thort process of including older features has been recognised. 

Full Smile Demo

While developing the head smile I felt it important not to push to any extreme expression.  I felt this was important as the character itself needed to be considered.  This is an old man, therefore to push out a too larger smile would be out of character.

When animating I feel it important not just to consider the 'average' facial movements but the potential movement of the character on the screen.  For this character smiling is unnatural and repressed.  Hance the eyes not narrowing in corners.

Eyes also appear larger, something that doesn't occur on a 'real' smile.

Smile Demo: One Side Animation

What I like about this animation is that it shows the importance of small movements around the entire face.  Lokking at the contrast between the two sides of the head it's clear suttle movements make alot of difference.

Anger

Using the old face has proved to be an advantagious interms of general movements available.

On an older person skin tends to sag and muscules become smaller due to natural degradation.  What this creates is potentially a much more expressive face.  Move skin is having to move when facial expressions are formed resulting movements such as those I've attempted to imitate.

First attempt at facial animation: Eyebrows

This very short demo wasa merely a test to see the render quality and to show my first attempt at animating the head.  From here I went onto developing the movement.

3D Studio Max Screen Prints: Render

Though time consuming I felt it important to render at a higher quality to ensure I could see any problems with the animation

3D Studio Max Screen Prints

Editing Orginal Head: using soft selection tool

Set Up

Mirror, Computer (3Ds Max), Graphics Tablet and Keyboard

Animation Demo

Over the past few days I've been working on animating an 'old man' head from http://www.turbosquid.com/

Originally I started animating with a younger male head however felt with the older, wrinkled face I could show expressions that are more dramatic.  This has appeared to be the case.  As with the greater amount of 'skin' I could push areas much further and still look possible in the real world.

Model Prototypes

Originally I planned on modelling and constucting my own heads.  These are a couple of screen shots of the prototype I designed in AutoDesks Mudbox.

Facial Expressions: Catalogue

Basic Human Emotions: Parrot (2001)

Syque (2010) Basic Emotion [internet] URL: <http://changingminds.org/explanations/emotions/basic%20emotions.htm> [Accessed 24/10/10]

 

From this list there is a clear indication that there are six main emotions carried out by humans.  However, the expressions of of these emotions may not be expressed, dependant on the character and content.  For example, aniating a character who is angry yet supressing that emotion because of the content or environment.

Comments on Expressions

Though these are just primary images showing some basic expressions a few issues have risen. 

• These expressions are acted therefore inacurate of 'real emotion'
• Front view is only covered, theres no reference point for any movement
• The actual movement is not recorded

Solution

A possible way to combat this is to film the actor from a slight angle or else work with a mirror to beable to refer to my own expressions.

Expressions

Eat3D Mudbox Head Sculpting Part 1 of 2

Tangled - Official Trailer 2

What I like about Disney's new animation Tangled (2010) is that the 'shine' elements been reduced giving it a matt quality.  Something I'd like to replicate in my animation

Organic Retopology Theory

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6THR-42HXB35-33&_user=10&_coverDate=12%2F31%2F1980&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1506058104&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=8bc6552c1221eaa04061df55c667d0ac&searchtype=a

http://www.3d-coat.com/retopology-auto-retopology-manual-retopology-tools/

Facial Expressions: Plan of Action

Over the next week I plan on developing a catalog of facial expressions, breaking them down into groups then determine the muscles required to form them.

Along side this I shall be building a facial structure in Mudbox that shall be animated next week.

Targets:
To create catalog by the end of the week
Start building face in Mudbox

Medical Books Referenced

To understand the movements and constuction of muscles in the face I have been studying medical journals and books.

What these have indicated is that muscles have an origin and insertion, a basic beginning and end point. There are essentially 43 muscles in the face, all of which need to be considered when animating.

Jarmey, C. (2003) The Concise Book of Muscles. 2nd ed. Chichester, Lotus Publishing

• Illustrated medical book showing all muscles, particularly useful for the face, neck and head.

Rohn, Yokochi and Lutjen-Drecoll. (2006) Color Atlas of Anatomy, A photographic Study of the Human Body. 6th ed. Kanagawa, IGAKU-SHOIN Medical Publishers

• Photographs of various human forms.  What's good about this book is that thoughabit morbid it's a reminder that the human form is made of flesh and organic materials.  Textures and physical composites must be considered.

Jim Carrey - Part 3

Jim Carrey - Part 2

Jim Carrey

Face Model

http://www.secondpicture.com/tutorials/3d/completing_the_3d_model_of_the_face_in_3ds_max.html

Kolja Kahler, Dissertation

Dissertation written 17.12.2003, A Head Model with Anatomical Structure for Facial Modeling and Animation by Kolja Kahler

http://www.gamecareerguide.com/features/218/doctoral_thesis_a_head_model_with_.php

Current Aim

The current aim of this blog is to determine if there is any face muscle template software available to game designers and animators.  If not, is there a market for it and would it be beneficial to the industry?