The Three Big Rules of Character Animation 3D Animation Companies Follow

Character animation is not an easy task to master, as more complex your character is, the more skill is required to convey realism in every movement. Since it takes years to learn everything there is about character animation, people rely on 3D animation companies to assist them create a 3D cartoon character. People over at the 3D animation company are experienced in their craft. In order to present a perfect product to the client, they follow three big rules for creating a 3D character. The three big rules they follow closely are:

1.      Focus on the Character’s Sound of Movement

Animators have to time the character’s sound movement, meaning they match the sound with the reference. This enables them to work faster, as they do not have to sit through the reference per frame. In fact 3D animation companies’ use this technique at all phases of animation, from polishing passes to blocking. For instance, imagine the 3D animation designers have to animate a flying kick.

In order to get the timing of the kick right, they will associate the sound it is suppose to make when the animation kicks the ball. Now, all they have to do is add the sound. The timing and the spacing is now on par with the animation’s movement.

2.      Focus on Concealing the Character

To reduce distractions caused by other parts of the character, 3D animators hide some parts of the character that they are not animating. They do this by concealing some parts of the rig. You will see them using this technique often when they have to polish their work. An example would be a character performing a gymnast-type flip.

When it comes time to polishing the 3D animated character, they will conceal the character’s limbs, leaving its torso and head on display. This enables 3D animators to perfect the flip, as they do not have the limbs of the character distracting them. Next, they reveal the limbs to perfect their timings.

3.      Focus on Changing the Angle of the Camera

The 3D animation character, when viewed through the camera, should appear balanced throughout its movement. Out of all the camera angles, the shot camera is the most important. The audience views the animation through the shot camera thus, making it vital. Even if the movement of the character looks worse from other camera angles, as long as it looks perfect in the shot camera, the 3D animator is satisfied with the results. However, this does not mean the 3D animator will not care at all about the other angles of the camera. The animator will ensure that other angles mesh well with the overall movement.

For this reason, 3D animation companies only hire the most capable people who know how to get around such complex problems. The movie and gaming industries rely on them to ensure what appears to the public is pure perfection at its best.