For Animation 005, I continued to use the approach of starting with a cube. However, for Shot 006, where the cat takes a step forward and roars, the cube approach became less applicable.
For Shot 006, I adopted a method of building the animation layer by layer using controllers. First, I clarified the timing and distance of the cat’s two forward steps, as well as the duration of the preparation and roaring phases.
Since it was very difficult to find a reference for this animation, I recorded my own reference video, imagining myself as a monster emerging from behind a cliff.
Shots 007, 008, and 010 all feature Harlow’s flight animations. The total frame count is very short, but the shots are highly expressive.
First, for shot 007, Harlow is escaping. Since the entry direction for the animation in shot 008 is from right to left, Harlow’s exit direction in shot 007 should also be to the right. During the turning animation, Maya’s built-in breakdown algorithm proved ineffective, so I ultimately chose to pose the movements frame by frame. I carefully drew the curves for the head, hands, and feet to ensure that the details captured by the audience’s eyes in this extremely short time frame remain smooth.
For shots 008 and 010, I started by creating a stationary flight loop animation. Since the essence of these two animations lies in variations based on the base animation, I placed the flight animation in the base layer of the animation stack. Then, I selected the necessary controllers and added new animation layers to make the modifications required for these two animations.
Shot 009 is a rather challenging one, requiring a solid understanding of the fundamentals of quadruped animation. I repeatedly revised the feedback George provided, but the timing was still considered too fast. George suggested starting this shot with a cube as well. Key curves to pay attention to include the torso, all four paws, the tail’s tip, and the head.
This is my reference
Shot 011 can be viewed as a death animation where the character interacts with the ground. It’s important to focus on the speed of the character’s forward slide, ensuring it gradually decelerates before coming to a stop. The swinging of the legs should be staggered in position, and the force from the character bouncing back off the ground should also decrease over time.