AnimBreak Challenge “Happy Locomotion” (April 2017)

Senior animators Jason Shum and Rory Alderton held a small contest for a locomotion that invoked a feeling of happiness. I didn't get the chance to finish it 100%, but thought it was still important to reflect on the process.

Lessons Learned

1. Insect locomotion

Although I've animated a plethora of different creatures and animals this is the first time I've animated a cricket. As with most things I'd rather try something new, creative, and challenging even if it means failure. Failure isn't always a bad thing. This was a great opportunity to study how insects locomote.

I started with a realistic base locomotion aiming to get the rhythm and pattern down. I then made it a bit more stylized with timing. There's room to make it more stylized and something I would have been happy to have more time to explore.

Insects are very light which is something I struggled with when trying to convey appealing movement. There isn't much body movement when an ant is trucking along. I wanted the cricket to move like a cricket, but I also wanted it to be stylized and show weight, especially since he's carrying a passenger. I ended up going a little more on the realistic side, but added some more bounce to help show emotion.

2. More complicated doesn't always mean better

I usually get carried away when it comes to new ideas. I like to tell a story, add props, multiple characters, etc. You don't need to write an animated novel in order to convey an emotion or get the point across. Could I have shown a “happy” cycle with only the cricket and had more time to focus on something simple? Of course! It's important to push yourself and focus on aspects of the animation process in which you struggle. If you have trouble blocking, don't move out of it until you have a solid pass. Polish? Take a shot and finish it.

Things that went right

1. Interpretation of locomotion

How do you define “locomotion”? I would say any way for a character or object to move from one point to another. That's quite a broad definition which invites you to explore a wide range of ideas. Falling down stairs, break dancing down the grocery aisle, riding a giant cricket chasing bubbles.

A singular biped was out of the question from the start. Yes, you can come up with some great ideas with only a biped, but I wanted to take this time to learn something new. I could have stuck with only a cricket, but I like to create back stories for my characters. Why does this cricket want to go where he's trying to go? I settled upon chasing bubbles because it was more whimsical than some other ideas I had.

If I were to revisit this animation I would add a bit more variance in the initial cycle and cheer him up more! Perhaps give him a more loping cadence or just a general bounciness.

2. Enjoy the process!

There was a point where I laughed out loud because I was polishing the belly jiggle of the rider. It's very important to find things, even small parts, in an animation if you feel yourself slogging. I value the chance to learn something new in an entertaining way.

Credits: 

Filipo rig by Boutique 23

Cricket rig by Truong CG Artist