In Week 4, we learned about facial pose and how to make expressions feel more organic. The main idea was that perfect symmetry is not appealing. If both sides of the face move in the same way, it can look robotic. I realised that in my previous animations, I often kept the face too symmetrical because I was afraid of breaking the model. However, asymmetry actually makes the expression more alive.
We also talked about connectivity. The face should move as one unit, not separate parts. For example, when the eyebrows move, the cheeks, eyelids, and mouth should also react slightly. I understood that I usually focus too much on one control at a time, instead of thinking about the whole face.
Another important point was volume and shape. The lecturer mentioned avoiding “football-shaped” eyes and thinking more graphically. I noticed that sometimes I only adjust sliders instead of designing the expression carefully.
Overall, this lecture made me more aware that facial animation is not just technical control, but about observing real emotion and creating dynamic shapes. I will try to apply asymmetry and better connectivity in my next facial assignment.
Feedback
During the feedback session, I realised that my original idea did not clearly show a “change of mind”. The character was hitting the stone, but there was no clear motivation behind the action. It felt random, and the emotional shift was not strong enough.
After discussing with Ting, we decided to develop Option Two. In this version, the character’s companion is trapped inside a cage. The character cuts the mechanism chain to try to help. However, this action triggers a giant stone to fall from above. The character must quickly react and dodge the falling stone. After the stone crashes down, it breaks open and reveals the key inside. The character then understands that the stone was actually hiding the solution and picks up the key to unlock the cage.
This version creates clearer cause-and-effect logic. The change of mind happens when the character shifts from aggressive action to cautious reaction, and then to problem-solving. Compared to my original idea, this story feels more motivated and dramatically structured.
Stitch Tea Party
Heavy Object & Change Mind Blocking
Reference
This week I focused on blocking the animation. First, I filmed my own reference video for the second half of the shot. Recording myself helped me understand the weight shift, timing, and reaction when avoiding the falling stone. I noticed small body details, such as shoulder tension and balance adjustment, which are difficult to imagine without reference.
Constrain
For the weapon setup, I created an additional controller for the hands. Then I parent-constrained the IK hand controller with the extra hand controller, and placed both under the weapon controller hierarchy. This allows the weapon controller to drive both hands at the same time. By adjusting the blend parent and constraint weights between the main hand controller and the extra hand controller, I can switch between holding the weapon with two hands and releasing it.
This setup gives me more flexibility in blocking and makes the interaction between character and weapon more stable. It also helped me better understand space switching and control hierarchy in Maya.
Camera
In camera, I intentionally used multiple low-angle shots to enhance the sense of power and physical strength. When the character lifts and swings the weapon, the low camera position makes the movement feel heavier and more dominant. It also helps exaggerate the body mechanics and creates a stronger visual impact.
For the mid-air rotation moment, I used high-angle and top-down shots. These large overhead views emphasise the character’s exposure and vulnerability in space. When the character spins in the air, the high-angle framing makes the movement more dramatic and dynamic. It also allows the audience to clearly read the spatial relationship with the character.
By contrasting low-angle power shots with extreme high-angle compositions, I tried to visually communicate the shift in control and tension within the scene.
Previs
Side View