Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Looping Animation

Vimeo Link

This animation is of Opabinia regalis, a ferocious little predator from the Cambrian period, attempting to grab an evasive, spiny worm. Indeed it is doomed to repeatedly and forever miss dinner. In the background, some sponges lazily sway in the current.

This project was my "learn how to use Adobe Animate" exercise. I know nothing about the software, so it is a learning curve for me after using CLIP STUDIO PAINT for 6 years. The general process is much more streamlined and easier to organize, but the vector-based drawing is a lot for me to adjust to. Things like opacity are a lot more complicated, and for things like coloring and shading, the easiest way to do it forces completely closed lines. Not my favorite, so I will have to experiment further to find something that works for me. 

A personal challenge for this animation - I was going for a more polished, finished-looking clip. That usually takes a lot of time, but I think I could get away with it by using color and having a more detailed, shaded background. The main problem is that I neither had enough time nor really knew the best way to shade. Without that dimensionality, especially when contrasted against the background, my subjects look pretty flat and dull. My other problem is that I do not like how jumpy the animation is. Part of this is that I tried to make it look clean, and this is a complex structure. So, there is much to keep track of and nowhere to hide. 

In terms of things that I am happy with: I really like how the animation of the trunk shooting out and grabbing turned out. It feels snappy and has weight - it is easily what most of my time went into. I am also proud of the color palette; it is cohesive and fits well, in my opinion. 

Class Suggestions

- Add shading to Opabinia regalis and the worm.

- Add a slight swaying motion to Obabinia regalis and maybe the worm to make it feel more like an underwater scene. 

- Add highlight to the eyes to make them look more eyeball-like than little voids.

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