MAYA – YU TANG

WEEK1: Bouncing Ball 1.0 Key Performance Points a. Motion ArcThe ball’s falling trajectory is not a straight line but rather a curved arc. During production, the curve adjustment tools in a graphic editor can be used to refine the path, making the motion more natural and closer to real physical laws. b. Speed VariationAs the…

WEEK1: Bouncing Ball

1.0 Key Performance Points

a. Motion Arc
The ball’s falling trajectory is not a straight line but rather a curved arc. During production, the curve adjustment tools in a graphic editor can be used to refine the path, making the motion more natural and closer to real physical laws.

b. Speed Variation
As the ball falls, its speed gradually increases, creating the effect of acceleration. After making contact with the ground, its rolling and spinning gradually slow down until it eventually comes to a complete stop.

c. Timing of Deformation
The ball does not deform at the very beginning. Instead, deformation such as squash and stretch occurs at specific stages—typically when it hits the ground or experiences impact. As it rises again, the ball returns to its normal shape.

d. Energy Decay
Over time, the ball’s energy gradually diminishes. In the animation, this should be shown by the decreasing height of each bounce and the shortening of the distance between landing points, until the ball finally comes to rest.

This week focused on learning the fundamental principles of the Golden Pose, particularly the importance of clear silhouettes, balanced weight, and strong readability. However, I also realised that I initially misunderstood this concept. Not every movement needs to strictly follow the Golden Pose. In many situations, especially during transitional or more natural actions, forcing a clear pose can reduce realism. Instead, these principles should be kept in mind as guidelines rather than rigid rules to be applied to every pose.

Week 2 – Pendulum Planning

In this week’s pendulum exercise, my main focus was on the transition of StoC (Straight to Curve) shapes. At the beginning of the animation, the pendulum presents two clear double C shapes. However, due to the introduction of animation delay, these shapes gradually evolve into a more natural S-shaped form.

One key aspect of this exercise was the careful control of delay. When necessary, I adjusted the animation frame by frame to achieve more precise timing and spacing. The goal of this task was not to perfect a single pose, but to create a complete, smooth, and logically consistent animation.

I began experimenting with character posing, starting with relatively simple movements. During this process, I became increasingly aware of the importance of detail, especially the relationship between the pelvis and spinal rotation. These structural twists play a crucial role in conveying weight, balance, and dynamic energy within a character’s pose.

Week 3 – Ball with Tail (Planning / Animation)

This week focused on planning and animating a ball with a tail. An important takeaway was that different jump forces lead to different animation outcomes—there is no single correct way to animate the motion.

At the moment of maximum force, the animation should show:

the tail bending forward into an S-shape with a clear arc,
the body compressing downward to show squash,
and a clean, well-designed jump trajectory.

To evaluate the accuracy of the jump, I used the motion path viewer in the viewport rather than relying solely on the speed graph, which I previously did incorrectly. Additionally, the tail movement needed to feel soft and fluid, following a clear C → S → C shape progression.

This week introduced juicy animation, where I learned how to create effective breaks in motion and how to enhance an animation’s liveliness through rhythm and timing. I started to understand that a convincing animation often relies on controlled variation and the strategic disruption of expected movement patterns.

Week 4 – Ball with Tail (Refinement)

This session was dedicated to further refining the ball-with-tail animation. I researched real-life references, particularly observing how squirrels use their tails during jumping, which helped improve the believability of the motion.

Another crucial focus was time and spacing, a principle that was also strongly emphasized in Liu Ting’s classes. By reviewing the animation frame by frame, I was able to identify and correct issues related to rhythm and continuity.

I continued refining the juicy animation by incorporating techniques such as deformation and exaggeration. These adjustments helped strengthen the visual impact of the animation and encouraged me to push movements further while maintaining believability.

Week 5 – Overlapping Actions

In the overlapping actions exercise, the main focus was on weight transfer and strong initial poses. To make the animation feel more fluid, I rotated the pelvis slightly toward the opposite direction of the upcoming movement at the start. This created a clearer anticipation and made the weight shift more readable.

Exaggeration was also important at this stage. Increasing the range of motion, especially in body rotation and overall movement, helped enhance clarity and energy. Additionally, when the character’s weight was fully supported on one foot, a subtle body offset further reinforced the sense of balance and gravity.

I began working on character transformation animation. During this week, two particularly useful plugins were introduced, both of which significantly improved my workflow and efficiency in character animation, allowing me to focus more on performance rather than technical limitations.

Week 6–7 – Walk Cycle

The walk cycle is consistently one of the more challenging aspects of animation. A key focus was on the foot-to-ground contact, particularly how the foot rolls and rotates.

Rather than keyframing the small front foot control, I learned to adjust the foot’s built-in rotation controls. If the motion appeared jittery or uneven, it was often due to incorrect foot rotation angles, which could be resolved through repeated refinement. During these two weeks, I also learned the fundamentals of blocking in Liu Ting’s class, which provided a solid foundation for later stages of animation.

This week emphasised hand animation. I realised for the first time how many considerations are involved in what initially appears to be simple hand movements. The five fingers have a clear sense of depth and hierarchy, and subtle rotations and directional changes are essential for achieving natural and expressive hand gestures.

Week 8 – Final Animation Planning

From this week onward, we began working on the final animation. I chose a kicking action as my final piece. Although the presentation slides included specific frame count requirements, the tutor emphasized that he was more concerned with the quality of the animation than strict technical limitations.

Following this guidance, I started the process with blocking, focusing first on establishing strong timing, clear weight shifts, and solid poses before moving into further refinement.