Ss2-Lip sync lessons learnt and morph mouths

Lip sync test lessons learnt

Early editing for a lip sync test

Second part of my specialist study i am doing a lip sync piece using the characters from Street Act which originally would be doing a directors commentary on Street Act but to concentrate on the lip syncing i am going to focus on the last ten seconds in which both characters have a line each.

Thinking about sounds i will be using the best of all the voice overs that have been made offer the last couple of days, also while researching disney and how they work with dialog back in the prime of the 2d days and found they always did the characters physical performance before lip syncing which i found interesting (one cell then the other on top).

Photo above is of a test which i did on Final cut pro last week where i used a static image of the character then put the individual lip shape to symbolise the sound being played, which worked as a test and a learning curve finding that there need to be more in-betweens and hold the longer lasting letters.

Other advice also included when i asked for feedback that of putting your hand under your chin to feel when the mouth opens and closes for what letter you make, then also from a 3d animator told me to the lips should always start moving two frames before the sound comes in which had a huge improvement on the test.

Moving on to plastercine lips

Mouths

As you of noticed if you watched street act that there isn't any lip-syncing needed giving more focus on the characters physical performance, in this next snippet of animation to add to the end of street act there will be as crisp lip syncing as possible so i ditched the original mouths and gone for plastercine.

There are many reasons but main being in-betweens can be simpler to pull of using plastercine with the sculpey ones they were great for pulling off quick expression from the character and understanding the emotions quickly.

There will be less mouths but each one will be able to morph into another word and not look like too fast of a change.

expression and speech

Instant changes of expression between the above two mouths, as the disney guys worked on the performance before the speech i will map out the expression on the dope sheet also but won't be able to do them separately as its stop motion.

most morphable

The above mouth is a particular favourite which will be used and morphed into many words giving simple removal of the teeth and back of mouth if going for a closed mouth.

Ss2- Time for some Extras

Second part of specialist study taking shape

Since the release of 'Street Act' and its success playing at the Symphony Hall, ive been working on getting another animation done before my time as a student at Birmingham City University which will mainly consist of concentrating on the verbal side of comedy yet still in keeping with Street Act.


The goal is to create a character commentary throughout street act set in the cinema which will work much like a Directors commentary that you usually find on most dvds, but be with the characters watching the film in the cinema seeing their silhouette sitting at their seats talking away.

one of the only ruff sheets which i was able to upload

The goal is to create a character commentary throughout street act set in the cinema which will work much like a Directors commentary that you usually find on most dvds, but be with the characters watching the film in the cinema seeing their silhouette sitting at their seats talking away.

Also at the end of the film the camera will cut to a front on look of the characters eating their popcorn and continue talking about the film for a few seconds. Also before i started planning this i learned new techniques with lip syncing which will come useful by talking to people from the industry only the tests won't upload to the blog.

Ss1-Don't be rood say hello!Animating first puppet.

Just a little something i made earlier...

Dragon Stop-motion

First puppet wasn't a full success but can you tell,set up my new software Dragon today with control pannel and started making a little clip a test really to see how my puppet was to animate and what have you.

  Painted him in a Mime way which looks different but when it comes to animate the character is very friendly, also testing out a latex hand i made prior in the week which i matched up the colours to keep to the same character.

This puppet is a before puppet to get the learning proccess of software,materials,character and lighting up to scratch for my 10 second clip which will be used and be marked on for Ss1 and my Canimation project.

Before adding colour and making more of a mime out of him the reason of the shine is i might of over done it on the latex as it was the first puppet i latexed which i think would of worked a little better if i added the colour before the latex.

Third puppet in the making

This is my next puppet which i have already started on which will have no mouth in place like the others instead will be using replacement mouths to be able to lip sync emotions a lot easier and might just use my acrylic eyes which i have been saving.