Researching & planning. make this heading bigger.
Defining my Animation Constraints & for animation in the game industry. under line this.
My animation constraints, set by brief and it guidance of the client.
The constrain and limitation have been set during the production of my animation are specific stated by briefs guidance and client, that i have to produced an animation of a scared fish that lasts for 15 seconds in the software Maya and that the animation itself will have to be at 60 FPS which the animation is most like for console platforms. I then will have to produced a walk, run or jump cycle of which i will first have to rig the 3D model and skin it. This will be imported and implement the animation into Unreal engine 4 for the finally renders and gather feedback from peers and review the finished animation for both the mannequin animation cycle and also the scared fish animation. Notable constraints i will have to consider is the subject of the animation as what style the animation will be portrayed during the animation like for the scared fish, the subject of animation would be under the line of a cartoon style as its target demographic is for young children as this subject of animation would appeal to this audience more that older audiences.
Limitations and constraints for animation in the industry of games.
When it come to animation and their constraint they have during the production of a project their are a few. First of all animation has a certain limit of FPS (frames per second) they can have in games as for example an consoles hardware are limited to the platform their are on and the hardware itself to how much frame of motion they can play a second on such platforms. As console like PS4 and Xbox one can have 60 FPS as the standard for consoles and their games, while other platforms such as handhelds like the switch will try reach 30 FPS as their standard which is the limit of their hardware when they are working with handheld platforms like the switch and it hardware limitations compared to consoles. As with each generation of console that passes limitation are passed this means that games Animations can be now up to 120 fps on consoles.
This is probably due to advancements in consoles hardware over the generations as an resurgence in technology advancement will produce an even more smoother gaming experiences for they future predecessors of generation of gaming. This can mean as well that other game hardware such as handheld games will follow closely behind from the previous generations, so handhelds games will eventually have 60 fps on platforms such as the switch when console and PC move to 120 fps.
However fps and platform are not the only constraints that that animators face in the game industry the subject of animation also come in to play when think about limitations for games such as the Art style of the animation if the art style is detailed this can cause problems with the animation itself as it need to be consistent it what is shown not only that that if its too detail it can look janky especial if it a 2D animation 3D can suffer from this too however in 3D animation case it can look indistinguishable and can be hard to make out what it is this is due to consistence of the animation itself but not with the art style of a 3D model though. Additional constraints during production is depicting emotions thought animation can be quite difficult as you can have different level of emotion so it can be quite challenging to judge the level of emotion need for a particular character animation.
As for example cartoons tend to have very over exaggerated emotion when expressing thought their actions so it can be demanding and find the balance between characters expressing emotion their thought facial expression or their actions and how they act to it so find the right one for the certain situation in animation can be time consuming especial if the animation is not depicting that emotion thought its movement meaning having to reanimated the scenario again. Aspects of animation such as colour ,composition, life drawing and someone drawing skill can also be an major constraints of animation as first of all colour and composition can expresses mood and theme in 2D and 3D animation which can be perceived differently and are closely amalgamated together with other aspects of the animation process that help express characters emotion and action, and is more of an indicator which animators associate action with of which constraint the artist and animator to not just express thought movement but colour also. drawn skill and life art are necessary skill for an basic under standing of animation if someone can not understand is it most simplistic form then they are constrained and would not produce animation to a good quality without first knowing fundamentals of animation meaning the animation would be janky and choppy.
Before going into production in animation it need to be established what the target audience is as this will effect all aspect of the game included the animation process. After choosing an target demographic animators are contrasted to a particular creative and artistic influences and what they can produce for the production.
These constraints are what have to be took into consideration when animating anything for 2D to 3D during production of a game.
Planning how i will produce my Animation. (under line)
Proposal for my animation. (Make Bigger)
Preproduction stage for producing my animation.
during the preproduction of my animation i will be mock up an story broad of the scared fish animation in turn while gathering my own influences to help me during the early preproduction stage of the project. The influence i will look at to aid me during when i finally go into production is finding Nemo as their is a video on their deputing a scene in the film where the animators use their story board for that particular scene in the film giving me insight in how it translates form story broad to the finalized animation.Other influences i am plan on implement is the art style of which i was i will take inspiration from a game called hollow knight as this style is simplistic in nature and would work with the scene of a scared fish really well as the animation would be fluid due to it simplicity.
The scared fish scene planned for my storyboard.
The scene of which my storyboard will depict is a fish swimming thought the dark zone under the vast sea with a worried look upon it face until it see a ball of light in the darkness the fish curiously swims over to investigate, get ever close and close to the ball of light, the fish then nudges the ball of light with its nose. Suddenly Until a pair of red sinister, creepy eyes open up out of the darkness where the ball of light is dangles over the fish. These eyes are then draw and fixed upon the fish. The fish horrified and frozen it fear floats there while he appears into red eye as the red eyes it peers over him, the fish is then scared and swims for it’s life.
I will use my storyboard moving into production of the animation as a reference to what is going to happen in the animation itself the storyboard will act as a guideline for the animation and its movements of which will be referred to a lot during production of the animation. After i have done my planning and research for the animation i will move on to production.
Production stage of my animation.
during the production stage i will choose the software of which i am going to animate my scenario version of the scared fish. I will be using Mayas animation equivalent to animate this little scene. during the production of animating i will be using key frames for each animation e.g the fish swimming, the ball of light and the red eye opening and fixing on to the fish etc.I will get borrowed resources e.g full finished 3D models on site like Art Station, Sketch Fab,etc. For the 3D models of which will be full rig and skinned so i can get straight to animating the scene.
What i need to consider when going into production for the animation in terms of resources that i will be using to produce the animation with.
What i will need during production are a fully 3D model assets of fish that is rig and skinned, an pair of red eye that are also rig to open and close, a 3D model ball that glows a radiant light and finally a 2D panorama background which surrounds the scene for the Animation to take place in. This is what i will need to gather for the production of the animation, before production can start. Additional this will be one scene as my planning with my storyboard suggest. Furthermore i will need a computer that has the software e.g. Maya, pre installed and ready to use and start animation process.
Postproduction stage of my animation.
Once i have the scene full animated i will go over it so make sure the animation is smooth and not choppy or janky where some refinement and adjustment will be made to the animation in the postproduction stage of development, this it to ensure that the animation is up to a good quality and standard before it is finalized.
After check the animation and its quality make sure i am satisfied with the final result and implementation, i will export the animation scene, putting it on my personal SketchFab where it can be viewed and critiqued. i will also included a side by side comparison with my storyboard on my blog shown development process of the finalized animation. To to concluded how well i think it turn out what i could do to improve or change if i were to animate the scene again and what colleagues thought of the animation gathering their feedback and criticisms on the any aspect of the project overall giving their personal opinion on areas they think i could improve or done differently. I will do this in the form of a servery so then i can analyze all feedback given in a conclusion overall.
Insight overview into each stage of the development and what it entails.
At first planning and research will be done into the animation itself allowing it to be used during the production stage. This goes for all my influences such as art styles chosen for animation, scenario of which the animation will play out e.g. a small narrative or story which will be for me how the fish gets scared, producing a storyboard on the small narrative/scenario for the animation as this will act as a basis for the development of the animation though its production phase.
Secondly development will begin make sure i have the necessary resources need to go in to production for the animation as i have stated in my plan. During production of the animation i will refer to the story broad so that the story is clear as i am doing animation stage for the scene.
Finally after the animation is finished adjustment and changes will be made make sure the animation is good quality and running smooth in the postproduction phase.After refinement of the animation it then will be export the finalized version of the animation to social platform such as SketchFab. To concluded with feedback form peers and colleagues and review on my own performance and analyzing what i could have done differently.
My Project Plan for Animation Project.
(Project plan goes here.)
Do a storyboard.
Do a Flip book.
What i would have to consider if i was to produce an animation for different types of media and the constraints these different medias have. (under this)
-Film&TV.
When animating for film it is a bit different to games as for games the animation take place in a 3D environment but with Film and TV it is a fixed camera angle meaning the animation is only happening for one camera angle so animator only have to worry about one camera angle unlike game have to worry about the animation for all different angles as in film an TV you are suck for what ever the camera is viewing for that angle in a scene you are just along for the rid when viewing a film or Television series like a third person body which is trapped to a fixed camera angle. This allows animators that are working on film or on TV to cheat a little as if the animation look good for their desired and certain angle they want then it dose matter how the animation looks for other angles this ultimately all that matters. as long as the camera is focus on the set and as long as the director and production crew is behind the scene then audience will never see them unlike if it was a 360 view of the set like in game then you would see the production crew which would break the immersion of the film or TV series if you could see the production crew or director.
This come in to consideration make sure everything in the shot and behind the shot does not disturb the scene. Animation in film can be hard to make look believable specifically for one angle and ensuring it overall quality as for example a film called Dungeons & Dragons wrath of the god dragon was a prime example of ensuring quality of animation in this film this is a 3D dragon which is see thought out the film however the janky animation of the dragon breaks the immersion of the film and the fact that it look out of place in a real world set breaks the immersion even more overall janky animation can make the animation low quality that is why it imperative to insure quality checks before the finalized animation is implement into the film or TV series. This film however was made during the early late 1990’s to early 2000’s so that why the effect and animation is a bit janky and low quality overall mean it has not aged well overtime.
During production of a film when ever a film as some form of animation in it must be planned out first if it to interact with the real world then motion capture come into play during production of a film this has to be consider by the film crew an actors allowing extensive planning for the motion capture scenes an implement them into the scenes of the film or TV series . As the scene would need to be planned out down to the movement of the motion capture that will be depicted in the scene. when it come to motion capture and animation idea for how the scene show be when implement motion capture into films or Tv series meaning during production the motion capture always changing as plan and ideas get drafted or scraped for a better version of the final shot. It is important that the actors and production team work close with each other as animation/ motion capture need to be choreographed to the scene and initially planned it is no good if the choreography animation/ motion capture dose not match the actions and motions found in scene it would feel disjointed and out of place in the scene. Of all thing that must be considered in animation for the films or TV series it target demographic of the film or series has this shape all stages of production including how thing are animated in that certain way to appeal to that type of of audience. the animation must be consistence for is source martial of the production of which has been established.
A scene of the dragon in D&D wrath of the god Dragon referencing to it animation.
-Education
When animation for an educational game or purpose the animation must convey a academic approached to learning, like animating a video game characters and putting him/her under a scenario of where the character is tutoring in a game which encourages learn thought video games this is mostly used with young children. Animation can be used in many educationally ways weather its cultural, informative especially for shows like CBeebies for examples where animation of colorful characters to encourages learning at an early age therefore the animation itself must be appealing at the same time as well as be informative and teaching it’s audience.
Weather that be thought TV or an integrative game as long as the animation builds and stimulates the mind to learn and progress new techniques that can be used in a real world scenario then this is the general priority and purpose of an educational form of media. An animation help accentuate this make learning more fun and rewarding especially for a younger audience. When animation for an educational form of media it always important to consider the audience as this will depend on the content of animation that is going to be used, as young children like very bright and colorful cartoon character it is not the case for an much older audience like teenagers who prefer informative and interesting, cool animation scenarios of personal interest’s like horrible histories TV show or Myth Busters and other from of educational media. It’s always good to keep in mind the target audience for educational form of media especially when animating for a game or TV show.
-Games
For producing animation for games their are many aspect that must be took into account such as the platform the game is on as its different for very platform and their hardware limitation especially interns of animation which is a big proportion of what bring the game to life it used in very aspect of game design so the animators must not exceed hardware limitation when animating as this can result in crash if the animation is overly complicated and might not even fit on the designated hardware so it good to set limit for what the animators can do so that the hardware can managed the capability of the animations.
This brings to FPS (Frames per second) this also plays a fact when it come to animation as animations need to have an FPS limit that must be reached or be consistence throughout gameplay. FPS is the performance of which the game can run so this need to be in mind of the animators when animating anything to meet quality endurance and industry standards FPS as if the performance dose not run well then this in turn effects the gameplay experience; as games are interactive so not only the animation need to look good but it need to look good form every possible angle.
Therefore the animation need to hold up for what ever the player may throw at it. Another fact that which must be consider and be consistence along with other aspect of development in a game is a games target demographic animator must keep in mind their target audience when animating and that it is compatible with other parts of game design e.g. Art style, gameplay, story, characters etc. if it not then it would break the immersion of the game and the general compassing premise of the game and its aspects if animations did not match its target demographic.
-Apps
For producing animation for an app based game i would have to take into account the hardware limitation of putting a game on a mobile phone as every would be a down graded to that of handheld and console version of games this would go for the animations themselves and the Frame rate of which the animations could run at which would probably most likely under 30 fps if a phone can keep this steady frame rates due to the hardware limitation. Performance for app games takes a big hit but so dose the animation themselves as they become more simplified when game is made or ported to the platform and is on an app. The animations on the platform such as IOS and Android will also have to consist of animation for thing like the user interface as the player will definitely need to see when navigating through menus and control the basic user interface when playing the game. As a lot of game app game use all assortment of animation to communicate to the play that then need to click on the screen or go a certain way normal app game will have a tutorial where animation will help the player get to know the basic premise of the games, gameplay. Animation play a key part as to illustrate how the player will play the game on their smart device and is a helpful thing as the the animation will help them learn the mechanical of the game. So during development of an app based game animation play a big role in tutoring the players on how to play the game on platform like IOS and Android.
Animation is not only just used in game app but social media apps think like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat or Instagram these social platforms mostly used animation it for emots, icon and when someone receives or sends a message animation is use to show that person has been messaged, these animation are simply though, but they communicate to the user very clear weather That be through messaging, using emojis or click on icons and tab which as number count displayed next to it, on the social app itself. Animation is their to show and indicate to the user their actions on social platforms which need to be considered if you were to do an app matter the platform it’s on, as all need an interface to function and show the user their actions this is where animation is vital and important to an apps development.
Constraints for each media type.(Underline make font bigger)
The constraints of Films & TV.
-The budget of a film determines the overall production of a film or TV series this can put constraint on certain creative prospects that the production crew had Thier the have to cut it due to not have enough fund and capacity to under take expensive creative freedom and liberty’s especially with animation which can be costly, like filming on location with while account for the animation within the scene for example.
-Films and TV series platforms in which they film from different camera angle will have a constraint in their Frame rate of which the film can be runners as a film change for different camera angle so the FPS will be low than that of game which has one camera and dose not need specific camera angles like in films as a game use one camera and for their perspective as it is all ready establish via the genre so it can have high frames 60fps plus as their standard. Film animation will suffer and be less smooth in the long run due to filming form a wide variety of dynamic different camera angle so the animation will be less smooth not to mention other shot where the camera pans around and up and down in some occasions which would put more of a constraint on something that is animated in the scene when filming.
-When it come to animation in films and schedule for animating animators are given time constraint to finish animation with a set time.This is due to how schedule in films and TV is structured and the first thing to be done is planning and research in to the film as well as design sets and props before that the script must be written up before then filming as special effects and animation is the last thing to be implemented after production of the film or TV series therefore they have these time constraints as it the last thing that needed to be done before it can be released and advertisement can be planned and broad cast.
Motion capture for films can be expensive overall form £3,000 to 10,000 pounds to buy the necessary equipment for film production or TV this is the price per camera, so small budget film might not be able to afford this with their small budget films so that have to find a way to work around it to produce the best possibly result with their limit funds for they film. additional motion capture can be especial difficult to get the right motion and capture with a already filmed scene using real actors and it take a lot of time for them to clean up motion animation to make it smooth this is even more so for games as it can be implement into gameplay elements for example devil may cry 3 and 4 uses motion capture for Dante’s moves and cut scenes as shown in the video here 1st video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VRCzAD8FLnE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SDuL7-WfA8 2nd video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFKEJV-Etcw for games cut scene and element like this can be quit costly for the team a requires intensive planning and working hours of revision, it can also depend on scheduling and other aspect of game development as well as the budget need to be took into account as motion caputer for games can be costly even more so that films. However video game are no exception but film also face a lot of constraint during development too as during production problems will occur with the data of motion capture it can be much easier to re-shot the motion capture the motion capture scene again rather that manipulating the software data of the motion capture to get the desired out come for the scene as only a few system allow real time viewing of the motion capture.
Constraints for Games.
-Just like in film A games budget will be a determined factor for the rest of the game development and production of what the development team can do an implement into their game, as when it come to budget of a game their is normal a manager that manager the development of a team and the budget of the game so if it a low budget game the manager will have to crosses out any possibly costly expenses for the games development this can range form in depth mechanics, developing an new software or engine for the game meaning their will have to used per extincting software to develop their game one and motion capture as most indie games or small game company cant afford such investment into their game as they will most likely need to make money off the game itself so they can carry on making games so a budget can be a games company biggest constraint when it come to what can be implement into the games development especial in terms of animations with motion capture.
-For games platforms animation play a part when it comes to make animations for different ports and platforms as animation is in a way when game are put one certain platforms and problems can arise for each platform the game is on and all could be different matters entirely and can vary form each individual platform the games is working in an example would be the frame rate of the animation as it could be to high to run on some platform like handheld console or smart devices so limitation in animation has to be down graded to fit and sort out faults the animation may have when put in on that type of low tech hardware, so somethings from the previous game on the original platform might not make it other versions of the platform so their are cut and other version might be different form one another due to the constraints of hardware limitations this can be from FPS, animated CGI cuteness, graphic, and other cut or alternate content for the game animation is mostly effect as it can take up more precious memories storage and will be cut to save other aspect of the game.
-An schedule for game and their development can be pretty taxiing on the development team as the game gets closer to releasing particularly when working in animation. As animation is very time consuming when it come to get it just how the animators intended and making the animation smooth when it plays on a certain Frame rates this can be constraining for an animator due to the development schedule trying to balance quality of their animations with their creative output would put constraint on development time of the animation as well which in turn animators would rush to get the animation done with little testing, the busy schedule for will cause constraint for animation in the long run as development team will have to work out the janky need in their animation it especial turn if their were to do motion capture if not more so.
-I have talked about constraints for motion capture for games in film motion capture paragraph.
Constraints for Apps.
-The budgeting for app are general quite small in comparison to making animation for game in other platforms so the production and overall budget would be even smaller in term of animation fps and simplicity as the are very limited of what they can produce on the platform that is why most animation you see in apps are very basic and less complex it most 2D games have the most animation as it dose not take up a less memories capacity unlike a fully 3D animated model would so apps tend to constrain themselves and stick to a 2D Style of games and are budget friendly to small company that work on app, and sometime only done by a few people in the development team.
-The schedule for an apps development are normal quite short. however is is a really rush in getting the app on to the market as quick as possibly as you can tell by how many generic game their are on the platform. The quality overall like animation are very lack luster and this can make the game and its game play janky as a lot of game app are rushed and their really is no aim or consistence schedule to follow which can make the animation process even more brief than other platforms game are developed on. However app game and their animation has got considerably better on the platform but with that advancement come it’s constraints too from platform such as handheld games now under the pressure of that platforms constraints for producing better animation for the game overall when the animators are already under a taxiing schedule for animating very aspect of the game and make sure the animation has the ideal standard of Fps which is 20 to 30 now as app game get better in terms of technological advancement.
-They is not a lot of game apps that used motion capture as app game are constrained by the limited hardware and software capacity and problems the software will arisen when porting motion capture CGI cut-scene to smart devices the FPS will also be a fact of why Motion capture might not be implemented as the hardware itself is more exotic compared to other platform of which in could be as easy compatible.
Additional proposal considerations.
Target Audience for my animation.
For the target Demographic of my animation consideration the brief requirements for the animation i would say my animation idea/ proposal would be for an younger audience somewhere between 7+ to 12 and the animation itself would cotain some scene that maybe suitable for some views as it contains fear as a factor which is maybe suitable for a younger audience of 7+ but not to young demographic like toddlers of aged 0 to 6+.as for example their is a scene in my animation where reds appear out of the darkness which would frighten babies and toddlers.
Detail how exactly how i am going to produce my animation.
The 12 principles of animation will will be included in my own animation.
During animation my own scared fish scenario/scene i am planning to implement these animation principles into my animation of my characters in the animation, this includes the fish and the monster in the dark.
The following principles are appeal which will be used for both characters to clearly portray a design that is easy to read this goes for the characters personality in the animation. Another principle is exaggeration this mostly will be the characters actions and facial expressions as for example my monsters eye will be very expressive showing the expression an exaggeration thought the opening of his eye then slowing fixing on the fish the same for the fish being scared which will mostly be thought his exaggerated action and facial expression.
following thought and overlapping action will be another principle that my animation will also used for when the fish is scared and swing away for the monster in the darkness. squash and stretch would also come in my animation before the fish swing away the squashing and stretch of the fish would extenuate the action of the fish swing away fast. anticipation will be another one that i will used in my animation this will be at the start of the animation when the fish discovers the flicking light that is swaying side to side this will prepare the view for what is about to happen before hand, mean the fish is not alone in the darkness zone of the sea bed. I will use staging to guided the viewer eye to whats happening in the scene this will be when the fish is swimming along then discovering the flickering bright and swaying light in the distance the motion that is going on will guided the viewers eye pretty well as it will be the focus in the animation especial in this scene where it has being stage this way to draw the viewer focus from the curious fish to the ball of light swaying in the distance of the deep dark ocean of the mid night zone. drawing the viewer eyes to what is then important in that scene. lastly secondary action principle will be used in my animation to show the interaction between the ball of light and the fish the fish my nudged the ball of light with its head to show the secondary interaction. These are the principles that i will be using in my animation short of the scared fish.
What do i wish to achieve? During the production of my animation i would want to achieve a 15 to 20 second fluid animation at the bear minim however if i have time will make it long and included everything i have planned for the animation as i have stated in my animation proposal and all is fluid and to a professional standard including some principles of animation to make it look lively and interesting. Additional the animation art style will be inspired by the like of hollow make sure i get that vibe in the art and animation and paint and atmosphere in the animation a well as the art of hollow knight gives that creepy feeling, that i want my animation to have in the scene/ scenario.
My must have’s in my animation.
-A 15 second animation short of a scene from my animation including the main part scenario where the fish is scared by the monster in the darkness of the vast ocean.
My should have’s in my animation.
-A few of the main scene of the animation, as i have planned in my proposal. including the fish being scared and swimming away. The monster open his eye and spots the fish and glares at the fish towing over him. the fish swimming along and spotting the ball of light in the distance.
My could have’s in my animation.
-Could have the whole scenario of my animation from all the details for start to finish from my animation proposal including all my animation principles implemented and refine to a professional quality.
Feedback gathered for my scared fish/timid sea creature animation.
My family given feedback on my animation.
- Something i could improve on for my animation.
For the end scene of my animation where the timid sea creature is scared by the monster eyes in the dark, the timid sea creature could have expressed more over exaggerated facial expression of it being shocked/scared.
The background at the start scene seems abit blank, empty and devoid of life for the vast sea, maybe you could have animated a school of fish, seaweed swaying on the sea bed or even coral so that the background is more lively and feels as if it is the sea as it was hard to tell with such a blank empty background.
- Something that was good about my animation.
My farther like the trembling animation where it would run up the characters body to convey that the timid sea creature is frightened of the piercing illuminated eyes of the monster in the darkness of the midnight zone of the end scene.
My brother said that the end scene where the timid sea creature get scared by the monster eye that lurk in the dark he liked and fought that the timid sea creature facial expression was very expressive and illustrated the fish being scared of the monster very well.
Research links for the animation unit 60: https://www.pluralsight.com/blog/film-games/how-animation-for-games-is-different-from-animation-for-movies
–https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_capture#Disadvantageshttps://www.creativebloq.com/advice/understand-the-12-principles-of-animation
Shay Ward Games 