Notes on the child

I should have looked at this before, but here are a few observations on children in preparation for animating my little girl character.

To start with, I googled child actresses and liked this pic Lennon Wynn. It follows on nicely from the open/closed mouth post. The child's closed smile (together with the sparkle in her eyes) indicates a knowing-ness. She is stood up right with a confident posture.




Next, is this clip from Miracle on 34th Street. I love the patience of Santa Claus, then how big and bright the happy surprise meets her eyes.



A last note for now, is on this shyness of the boy when asking this question that is bothering him. The downward check of the eyes, to double check with him if he should ask or not.

Open or closed mouth

While focusing on the face, I started wondering how the mouth can help illustrate character simply by choice of an open or closed mouth. I contacted a few animators, receiving the following responses:  

Edwin Schaap:
I think, it's open when you want to push the emotion a little further, or to exaggerate it. I was thinking... if I laugh, i just laugh with jaw closed, but if I laugh really loud, my mouth is open.... if somebody crys it's possible with mouth closed, but cry loud. with mouth open... when you're mad, it's closed, when you open it you show your teeth.. I think you would open the jaw much more with a silent shortfilm then when the character is able to talk... I'm not sure if I'm right, but thats what i think cheers!

Kevan Shorey:
Hmmm. I've never really thought about this before, but maybe mouth position could be thought to be more related to the inward/outward projection of the emotion experienced by the character. Appeal definitely comes into it, but there are also acting/human behaviour cues that also influence things.
Closed smile, for example, suggests something internal in its weak form, and possibly smug in its strong form. Open smile is an abundance of happy times that cannot be contained - an outward projection of positive energy.
This thinking could probably be applied to other emotions, also.

Furthermore, open mouthed expressions carry with them a certain potential for subsequent action, so where a character goes next has an impact. It's easier to start talking from open, or breathe deeply for example; path of least resistance, and all that.
Whether or not a mouth should be open or closed when at rest is down to the character, both in terms of design and personality. I would judge it on a case-by-case basis.

Keith Glass:
Well, it all depends upon what works for your scene or what the motivation is for your character. Every choice we make should be based upon what the character is feeling and secondarily what is going to be more appealing to look at. So a lot of elements go into that and how you are thinking about your shot is going to determine your choices. But I'll throw out a few examples for you. 

So lets say we have a character that is talking to someone that they don't really like but want to be nice to. A closed smile might be a good choice here. Because a closed smile is closed it makes it look less open and a bit more defensive. Another example would be for sadness. When a person is on the verge of crying and they don't want to. Yes you could have a person with an open mouth and get a very strong idea of sadness. But by having the mouth close and showing that the person is fighting to control their crying it becomes a much more powerful statement. You aren't just showing someone who is sad. You are showing someone who is sad but is also thinking about himself, his world, and how he impacts the people around him. Now a lot of detail goes into doing something like that, you cant just close the mouth and get all that great information, but it is an example where that choice could be made. 

Another example is for purely animation based reasons. So lets say we have a character that is going from a happy expression to a surprised one. so we have the character going to a surprised open mouth pose. That cliche one you and everyone else has seen a million times. If we posed out the smile shape with an open mouth, when we went to the surprise it would work, people would understand it just fine. But if we posed it with a close smile shape when he opens his mouth the change is going to be way bigger. The graphic effect of the movement will be amplified while still retaining the core idea. 

Other reasons that a character might smile with their mouth closed is purely character driven. If you had a person who was not happy with their teeth you could say that they trained themselves to smile with their mouths closed. But when they laugh their mouths open because they can't help it. It would be a fun bit of character. To show a shot with a person smiling with their mouth closed and then they start laughing and you see that they have braces or something. 

Really the reasons you choose one style or another depends upon a lot of things. But ultimately its all about doing what works best for your shot and your character. My rule of thumb is that for every choice you make acting wise there needs to be a reason that you can explain behind it. either acting wise or animation wise. If you can't explain it, then you need to go rethink it. Hope that makes sense and helps.

I asked this question to Matt Finch during a skype discussion. He first responded:

There are plenty of people who smile with it open. You forget, animation is infinite, there is no answer. When you get to an acting shot, you have to look to yourself. There are mechanics physics, but there are choices and character. When you talk about choices like why a mouth should be open there is really no answer.
If you want appeal, all appeal is in a nutshell is simple shapes easily identified by any viewer. Appeal is a circle, a line, a box, a sack

Admittedly, I'm often vague trying to pin down the question I wish to ask. Thankfully, the DVD case for Megamind happened to be sitting on my desk. The below is a poster of the same film. Two characters with a similar expression, with a few important differences.

Metro man is a stereotype. The American man everyone wants to be; a touch of superman, a touch of Brad Pitt, a touch of Clark Gable. When a confident man smiles, he shows his teeth.

Metroman is a stereotype, his core of his character is a stereotype, he is what everyman wants to be, he is loved by others, he goes out on top.
Confident characters stay more symmetrical,  however, a confident, arrogant, cocky smile may lean towards being assymetrical, with only one side of the mouth open, kind of like a smirk meets smile. This is usually a choice that will be made to show a character the audience needs to be uncertain of; their intentions are hidden.
However, remember. Animation is observation, you have to always be observing  life.

This is where I feel my studies were focused. Yes, I love getting infront of a camera, observing nature etc. However, character can also be built upon stereotype. It helps people become familiar with a character.

Let's look at primitive expression:

Number one and four: The chimp cannot contain his excitement, its released through the mouth. Could you argue that a more dignified person can be shown through a closed mouth? Take a look at the Kate Middleton painting as an example. Going through history paintings, how many portraits show royals with open-mouthed smiles?

Number five shows a submissive expression. I was fascinated watching Bobo Smith's 11 SC entry for September 2011. You could argue that his lady standing under an umbrella, takes advantage of both the closed mouth regal (used at the start), before the more submissive open mouth shapes (used during speech).

Another submissive mouth is used in Liane - Cho's December 2011 animation. It is, however, pulled further back and shaped into a sneer. Great work!

Number two: The chimp is aggressive. Yes, this may open to release the rage, but currently it is contained within a pressure cooker.


Well, I've finished rambling for now. Probably need to tidy up this post sometime and include a conclusion. We will see.

Handling the eyes

I recently spent a couple of months in Bristol, whereby I was invited to watch a few episodes of Misfits. I grew fascinated by the character Simon Bellamy, whose eyes told the story of somebody struggling to fit into society; The intensity in the eyes, coupled with nervous eye darts that looked within the mind of the character. I found a few frames that illustrated this point. The first one shows illustrates a stunned sadness, through this intense focus. His thoughts are slower, but plenty still happens in the eye movements while the pupils maintain an intensity. Please note, by intensity, I mean you would look for an opportunity to show much more white around the pupil.



Next I like how a nervous smile, is partnered with this intense look. It has a disturbing quality to it.




A more well known character is Gollum from Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings. I love how Gollum's insecurities are illustrated by his inability to meet the gaze of his other self. Simon feels more of a threat, due to the lack of blinks. Similar to the characters Kirsten Stewart plays, Gollum blinks a lot. He is a more animated character in terms of his hyperactive energy levels.

Sir Ector inspiration

Sir Ector feels more and more of an inspiration for Frank's mannerisms. Today, I have seen this sequence posted by Frame by Frame. 

On the same site, I saw this sequence from the Chipmunks. I love her cheeky attitude and the roundness of her shapes. This particular image is inspiring for the fall backwards I wish to have her make at the start.

Story Development part 2

So continuing...

Opening shot:
The shot will open with a skull being lifted from a grave. It's similar to Indiana Jones and the Golden idol or Aladdin when he finds the lamp.

How do they feel about the situation?
For Frank, the skull itself is a precious artifact, for contained within is the desired brain. Its precious to Frank. His hand movement should reflect this and also show an air of mystery.

How does the character really feel about what he is doing?
This question is slightly different and really depends on how dark are Frank's motives? Is it as dark as the devil perched in the
Night On Bald Mountain. Frank is, afterall, a monster. But how does this work with the tone of the audio?
 
Possibly speak to Matt or Stina to find musical scores that may unlock further ideas about this part.  

Shot 2 part a
Elsie: What would you do with a brain if you had one?

How does Elsie really feel about what she's saying?
This is a literal interpretation. Elsie is looking inside Frank's head, recognising its emptiness. She does not know what a brain is or looks like.
How does Elsie feel about the situation?
She asks through simple curiousity. This is reflected in her innocence of lifting Frank's scalp and looking inside head.
  
How does Elsie feel and think about those around him?
There is trust between the two characters. I intend this to be a comedy moment. Its cleaniness, shedding some light on the darkness of the opening shot.
How does Frank really feel about what Elsie's saying?
As said previously, I want this shot to contrast against the opening shot. He feels a bit caught off guard by Elsie's question. I really feel this following pic of Sir Ector, courtesy of Deja View, sums up the character moment.

This really follows into the next action.

Shot 2 part b
Frank: I would not be just a nuffin'

How does Frank really feel about what he's saying?
If he was a dog he would snort or 'anti-sniff' (really not sure of the term). Its a moment to recapture his power of authority and put Elsie in her place. This can of course be done lightly. I mentioned to Matt that I saw a Dick van Dyke moment here.

However, watching his character performance in Mary Poppins scene's A man has dreams and A comical poem, highlights once again about just how dark do I want his intentions to be. If I was to include the Sir Ector moment, this would have an impact on how this line is delivered.

I really like this expression though. Possibly, it could be used to go into part b.
 
How does Elsie really feel about what Frank's saying?
This is really the last opportunity to develop her innocence, before the value of having a brain is implanted into her head (sorry about the pun).

Shot 2 part c
Frank: My head all full of stuffin', My heart all full of pain 

How does Frank really feel about what he's saying?
This is the section that I hope to draw upon the questions asked in the famous Hamlet pose; To be or not to be that is the question. To me this means the following: To live or not to live, that is the question.

How does Elsie really feel about what Frank's saying?
She grows more interested as she finds out what a brain is. Before this excitement builds, she remains sympathic. I draw inspiration from the ugly vandal's storytelling in Tangled (See pic). She then runs across his back and steals the brain.

 (to be continued)

Story Development

In the book "In the Blink of An Eye," by Walter Murch, the author talks about his theory that we blink to edit the film of our lives. Each new blink is a new thought/chapter of our own personal stories. I really like this idea and the more time I spend digging deeper regarding into shot, the more I realise the story-telling opportunities in character animation.

Matt said tonight that bringing a character to life is like orchestrating a composition. I am a big Michael Jackson fan. The reason I mention this now, is I admire his ambition as a performer. Together with his producer, Quincey Jones, he saw creating a song as painting. Each little 'paintstroke' is brung together and layered to create a composition. To learn and be inspired, he also wasn't afraid to study and learn from the teachers of the past.

This is something I admire in Glen Keane too. When asked to name one shot that made me want to pursue a career as an animator, I pointed to the Beast's transformation. You can clearly see the inspirations from traditional artists like Michaelangeo, brought to life in this masterpiece of animation.

Moving back to my shot, as mentioned above,  each new blink is a new thought/chapter of our own personal stories. What story is being captured from the lives of Frank and Elsie? The lyrics are as follows:

Elsie:
What would you do with a brain if you had one?

Frank:
I would not be just a nuffin'
My head all full of stuffin'
My heart all full of pain
And my head I'd be scratchin'
While my thoughts were busy hatchin'
If I only had a brain

The questions I need to answer are as follows (courtesy of Tony Chau's blog,
Life in Animation:

• How does the character really feel about what they're saying?
• How do they feel about the situation?
• What is the character thinking at each moment and how does it progress throughout the shot?
• How does the character feel and think about those around him?

If each blink shows a new chapter of thought, they can be used to divide the shot to give strength and purpose.

Wow, I may be rambling, so let's begin...
(to be continued)

Blinks

'When you hear that "90% of the acting is in the eyes, I know most people immediately jump to "eye darts" and "eye direction," etc., completely skipping over one of the most essential acting tools you have - the blink.'
Shawn Kelly, 'Blinks in Animation'

'It's important to note that blinking in real life ISN'T AT ALL the way actors/animators use blinks. Ed Hooks should chime in here, but we blink in real life because of need... I have to laugh when I read messages from folks looking for or asking for "rules" when it comes to things like this. To me, the rules are simple: the character does whatever is in character for him/her/it, whatever fits the style of the animation, and whatever conveys the mood, action, or point. No?'
Mike Caputo quoted in Carlos Baena's Compilation notes from different animators

I have started this post with these two quotes, because I wish to stress that I am not looking for a generic performance. However, there are certainly some useful guidelines to follow.

The first step was to animate a blink.


It seems so simple, but using a rig I am relatively unfamiliar with, it seemed appropriate to follow the advice of AnimSchool Instructor and Blue Sky Animator, Garrett Shikuma, Garrett Shikuma. As advised, the faceshape controls are used to bring together the brow area and cheeks into this movement, to illustrate how the face works as a whole.

Carlos describes one of Pixar's template blinks as

Frame 10: both eyes are open
Frame 11: Left eye begins to close
Frame 12: Right eye begins to close
Frame 13: BOTH eyes are completely closed
Frame 15: Left eye completely open
Frame 16: Right eye completely open


I have also tried an 'Orangic blink' as per the advice of Animation Scout .

Frame 1: Start Pose
Frame 2: Slow into movement
Frame 4: Close
Frame 5: Compress
Frame 6: Slow out of movement again
Frame 7 Open

The only thing I didn't include is on Frame 2, to start the movement of the lower lid with the inner section. This is something I saw mentioned on Michael Amos's blog, which I shall refer to as the 'zipper' technique.


The timing of the blink can help show the mood of the character. The faster the blink, the more alert your character will look. It can sometimes only take a frame to close the eye and a frame to open. But it's about picking the right blink for the scene.

How often a character blinks can also illustrate character. An unknown source on Carlos Baena's website notes:
A human blinks once every four seconds. This timing can change according to what emotional state the character is in. If anger is your dominant attribute then the blink rate should decrease to once every six seconds. The reason behind this is physical; the eyes open wide in anger, achieving a glare. If you are acting nervous then the blink rate increases to once every two seconds. This reaction is involuntary. Blinking brings realism to your characters but also emphasizes a particular emotion or mood.

A scene that I have seen discussed many times in the animation community is from Forrest Gump, when he becomes a dad.



'As soon as he realizes it's his son, he stops blinking completely. He's transfixed. Tom Hanks holds back his blinks to communicate the idea that his character is THAT intense about what he's realizing. Then a blink, and boom - he's on to his next emotion, which is guilt. He feels guilty. Shouldn't he have been there to raise his son? Did he do something wrong? The blinks are coming fast and furious now, to indicate his discomfort, his worry. Then a thought occurs to him: "is he slow, like me?" He doesn't say it right away, but you can feel the exact moment that crosses his mind, because suddenly his blinks stop again, and he's back to that intensity, and finally he works up the courage to ask Jenny his big question: "is he smart, or is he...?" Huge eyes, locked on, almost afraid to hear the answer. "He's the smartest in his class." And the blinks are fired back up again, which communicates his relief''.
Shawn Kelly

So how often does Forest Gump blink? Slowing the motion down, it appears that most of the shot is using eye darts. Now when he feels guilty, yes his blinks have increased, but no more than once almost every two seconds. Please note that this is considered fast. Meanwhile, his eyelids are instead almost transfixed. His gaze flickers back and forward from looking at Jenny, most happening without a blink. In comparison to the moment of relief, Forest blinks up to seven times in roughly 50 frames!

Last night, I stumbled across a video 'mocking' the number of blinks that Kirsten Stewart seems to do. Please note her characters are often nervey asocials, but again at the most extreme, she blinks at 4 times a second. That a public member has highlighted this, shows that at this speed seems unsettling and should be used sparingly.

I must keep this in mind when animating my 10-12 audio clip.

More notes and thoughts on the eyes to follow, but I must grab tea first - plus make a trip to the shop to purchase one of my final xmas presents. Totally feels like last min :)