Donatella's 3D Computer Animation Blog
My 3D Computer Animation Progress

Month: September 2023

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6.9 Week 9 FMP & Thesis Thesis

Week 9: Determining Validity in Qualitative Inquiry

Introduction

After defining my research question and designing my methodology, the next step I needed to do is determine the validity of my qualitative research. To do so, I explored which validity procedures researchers use in their inquiries in order to apply the most suitable into my investigation.

Defining Validity Procedures

According to Creswell, J. W. and Miler, D. L. (2000, p. 124) there are two key factors that affect the validity of an inquiry, and they are ‘the lens researchers use to validate their studies and researchers’ paradigm assumptions’. In this sense, in my research it will be crucial to define the framework I am going to use as it will clarify what perspectives I am going to use to analyze and interpret Tim Burton’s movies.

In order to examine how Tim Burton balances horror and empathy in his characters, I will approach the character design from a cognitive psychology perspective since it will enable me to understand the emotional engagement they have with the audience. When it comes to the paradigm assumptions, which are influenced by how the researcher perceives the world, I will conduct my study based on a systematic procedure to avoid bias while collecting data and information from the characters.

Further Comments

Defining a validity procedure is extremely essential as it can be argued that qualitative research is subjective in approach when it studies human behaviors rather than collecting countable and numbers-based data. For this reason, in the following week I will define what type of validity procedure I would like to apply to my paper.

Bibliography

Creswell, J. W. and Miller, D. L. (2000) Determining Validity in Qualitative Inquiry. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1477543 (Accessed 8 August 2023).  

Wax, M. L. (1995) ‘Knowledge, Power, and Ethics in Qualitative Social Research’, The American Sociologist, Vol. 26, No. 2, Part II: Sociology, Law, and Ethics, pp. 22-34. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/27698724 (Accessed: 8 August 2023).

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7.8 Week 8 FMP FMP & Thesis

Week 8: Animation Process (PART 1)

Introduction

Over the next weeks, I will start working on my animation. So in the following blog entries, I will go over the drawovers I received in class by George. They are a crucial part of the process, as it enables me to improve the timing, spacing and movements of my characters. In some other cases, it also helped me to create clearer character sillhuetes.

Skullchaser Lifts Ball

Feedback V01

I was advised to create a more appealing pose by spreading the legs on the ground.

On the other hand, it would be beneficial to put the stone closer to the camera.

Finally, I should definitely reduce the toe rotation as the movement does not seem natural.

Skullchaser Throws Ball

Feedback V01

In my first draft, I struggled hard with the position of the back arm. Therefore, I was advised to put the arm lower.

This implies to rethink the spacing of of the arm going behind his back.

Feedback V02

In my second draft, not only did I adjust the position of the arm, but I also focused on generating overlap with the body and the head of the character.

However, I need to polish the way the character is moving while he throws the ball. To do so, I will use the motion path to track the arcs.

Horse Follows Ball

Feedback V01

In my first draft, I admit that I completely failed to animate the movement of the ball. I merely focused on animating the ball off-screen, though rather than following an arc, it is moving linearlly.

On the other hand, I was advised to open the jaw of the horse to drag the mouth while it follows the ball.

I was also advised to refer to the dog cycle we animated last term, to understand the ups and downs of the front and back legs.

Feedback V02

In my second draft, I also focused on animating the villain, and I was advised to create a clear contrapposto pose.

I also noticed that it would be better to make the shot a little bit longer, to showcase the fall in more frames.

I also added the bones breaking and falling apart on the floor.

Villain Snaps Fingers

Feedback V01

I added a hat to the villain, so that he has a more unique character identity.

Again, I was advised to work on the contrapposto pose.

When it comes to Skullchaser, I should work more on dragging the chest of the character and adjusting the timing of his movement.

Critical Reflection

The feedback session was extremely helpful to guide me on the character animation. I also got very useful advice, which I will try to apply in my future animations:

  • Create clear and appealing character poses.
  • Add props to the characters to create a unique identities.
  • Keep working on dragging some character’s movements, especially when it comes to the arms.
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6.8 Week 8 FMP & Thesis Thesis

Week 8: Research Design

Introduction

After defining that I will conduct a qualitative research, I started working on defining my research design methodology.

Research Design

In order to conduct my study, I will follow two main approaches to answer my research question:

  1. Case Studies: I will examine the main characters of some of Tim Burton’s most influential animated and live action movies in form of case studies. The movies are: Beetlejuice (1988), Edward Scissorhands (1990), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1994), Corpse Bride (2005) and Frankenweenie (2012).
  2. Diagnostic Research: I will attempt to find a pattern between the protagonists of the before mentioned movies by examining their physical appearance, personality traits and backstory. The focal point will be to figure out which grotesque and uncanny characteristics these characters have and how they trigger an emotional response on the audience. To do so, I will elaborate a data collection tool (by adapting and editing preexisting studies from different authors and fields) to systematically gather information.

Conclusion

By analyzing the movies in form of case studies, I will approach my research in a systematic way of collecting data.

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7.7 Week 7 FMP FMP & Thesis

Week 7: Animating Skullchaser’s Run Cycle

Introduction

This week, I focused on animating Skullchaser’s run cycle, as I categorized it as an A-Shot (High Difficulty) and this sequence is going to appear in several other shots. In addition, I also worked on animating the bat’s flying cycle.

Run Cycle – Animation Process

Run Cycle (Image Reference: The Animator’s Survival Kit)

Reference

I used The Animator’s Survival Kit to analyze the keyposes and gain a better understanding on the timing of the run cycle.

Animating the Run Cycle

Run Cycle (Skullchaser)

I animated the run cycle on the spot, which means without translating the character on the X axis. This enables me to import the run cycle into different sequences and then adapt the movements according to the scenes.

Animating Towards the Camera

Another thing I learned is that sometimes animators can get away with some issues as long as they are not visible to camera. For instance, Skullchaser’s head is clipping with his helmet, however, since the character will always face towards the camera, the audience will not see it.

Using Studio Library

I learned that a very efficient way of working is to save animations and poses in Studio Library, as it enables animators to implement their saved animations into their different scenes.

Flight Cycle – Animation Process

Flight Cycle (Image Reference: Bat Flight Cycle by Terrana Cliff)

Reference

In order to start animating the bats’ flight cycle, I looked for reference pictures and I found this diagram by Terrana Cliff on the Internet.

It helped me to understand the keyposes and breakdown poses of the animation.

Animating the Flight Cycle

I animated the flight cycle on the spot to save the animation in Studio Library. Then, I imported it into the different scenes and animated the master controller to create the movements for the bats. Since the rig only had limited joints and controllers, I animated as well some of the vertex points, for instance, in the ears and toes.

Further Comments

Applying Studio Library into my work methodology was essential, as it enabled me to save plenty of time. Finally, it was my first time animating characters on the spot, so I had to pay attention to not animate on the X axis.

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6.7 Week 7 FMP & Thesis Thesis

Week 7: Qualitative Research

Introduction

Developing a methodology is crucial as it helps the audience understand how the researcher is planning to gather information to answer their research question. What follows next is a brief description of what type of research I am planning to conduct.

Qualitative Research

‘Unlike quantitative studies which are concerned with outcomes, generalization, prediction, and cause-effect relationships through deductive reasoning, qualitative studies are concerned with process, context, interpretation, meaning or understanding through inductive reasoning’ (Yilmaz, K., 2013, p. 313).

Since I would like to understand how Tim Burton makes use of the grotesque and uncanny in his characters, I will carry out qualitative-based research. I will analyze the dualistic nature of his character design, focusing on their physical and personality traits, in view of finding a pattern between the different protagonists. Then, I will examine how the director manages to trigger an emotional response on the audience by examining the emotional connection through the character identification and engagement with the viewers.   

Conclusion

In order to find an answer to my question, I will compare and contrast the characters from Tim Burton’s movies by creating my own data collection tool. In order to gather information systematically, I will establish common categories and guidelines on how to analyze the physical and personality traits of the main characters. 

Bibliography

Yilmaz, K. (2013) Comparison of Quantitative and Qualitative Research Traditions: epistemological, theoretical, and methodological differences. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/26357806 (Accessed: 18 August 2023).

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7.6 Week 6 FMP FMP & Thesis

Week 6: Reference Recording

Introduction

Before starting to work on my shots, I record reference videos to guide me on how to animate the movement of the characters. It is an essential step to help me identify key poses and breakdowns.

Reference Recordings

What follows next are only some examples of my reference videos. During the course, I learned that it is crucial to:

  • Record from a 3/4 angle rather than from a front or side view.
  • Record from different perspectives in order to visualize the movement of the character from different angles.

Further Comments

From my personal perspective, recording reference videos can be highly challenging since I sometimes misplace the position of the cameras. Furthermore, it can be difficult to find inspiration on how the character should to move, and therefore, it would be beneficial to work on my acting skills in the future.

On the other hand, it is important to understand that reference videos should only be a guide, and therefore, the animator needs to modify or exaggerate certain poses.

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6.6 Week 6 FMP & Thesis Thesis

Week 6: Literature Review Reading

Introduction

This week, I decided to go over and revise the books I have chosen as my key bibliography as it will enable me to get a clearer understanding on how to analyze Tim Burton’s movies.

Post-It Notes

As you can see in the picture, I used post-it notes to help me structure the information in the books. I used two different colors to set apart general concepts with explanations. This system will help me to quickly find any quotes I want to include in my research.

Conclusion

It is beneficial to organize the information with different color tags, as it enables me to memorize the quotes and descriptions which I am planning to use in my paper.

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7.5 Week 5 FMP FMP & Thesis

Week 5: Defining Shot Hierarchy

Introduction

This week, I learned that it is highly beneficial to establish a hierarchy in the shots that I need to animate. In this sense, rather than animating chronologically, I can start animating the shots according to their level of difficulty.

Shot Hierarchy

  • A Shots: High difficulty.
  • B Shots: Medium difficulty.
  • C Shots: Low difficulty.

What follows next, are some examples of the shots I will need to animate according to their level of difficulty.

A Shots

B Shots

C Shots

Further Comments

Organizing the shots according to their level of difficulty is a great way of getting an overview of the time I need to spend on each shot. Since the A shots are the most difficult ones, I will need to spend more time animating them. On the other hand, the C shots are the ones where I do not need to spend much time on, as their level of difficulty is lower.

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6.5 Week 5 FMP & Thesis Thesis

Week 5: Establishing Key Filmography

For my research paper, I will analyze the animated movies The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Corpse Bride (2005), and Frankenweenie (2012) as well as the live-action movies like Beetlejuice (1988) and Edward Scissorhands (1990).

Filmography

Beetlejuice (1988) Directed by Tim Burton. Available at: Amazon Prime Video (Accessed: 21 August 2023).

Edward Scissorhands (1990) Directed by Tim Burton. Available at: Disney+ (Accessed: 17 August 2023).

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1994) Directed by Tim Burton. Available at: Disney+ (Accessed: 18 August 2023).

Corpse Bride (2005) Directed by Tim Burton. Available at: Amazon Prime Video (Accessed: 21 August 2023).

Frankenweenie (2012) Directed by Tim Burton. Available at: Disney+ (Accessed: 20 August 2023).