Category: Advanced 3D Animation

In Week 4, we started learning about Facial Animation, focusing on facial poses and how to make expressions look organic. Facial Anim – Pose We learned that an appealing face should avoid perfect symmetry, because symmetry can make the character look robotic. Instead, we should use asymmetry, clear shapes, and good connectivity between facial features to make the face feel alive. Facial Anim – Pose We also studied how muscles work together, especially the eyebrows and eyelids, and how small changes in shape can affect emotion and energy level. Facial Anim – Pose Another important point was maintaining volume in the face, so expressions do not look flat or collapsing. Facial Anim – Pose

For the assignment, we had to reproduce five facial poses using a model sheet and attach references. Facial Anim – Pose We needed to apply what we learned in class, including asymmetry, shape design, and clear emotional intention. Camera angle also mattered in presenting the pose. This exercise helped me understand that facial animation is not just moving sliders, but carefully designing expressions with structure and intention.

In Week 4, we continued practicing animation, focusing on facial expression exercises. We used animation references and recreated different facial poses to understand how expressions work in motion. This practice helped me see the importance of timing, clarity, and emotional intention. Instead of only copying the reference, I tried to understand why the expression works and how small changes in asymmetry or shape can make it feel more natural.

At the same time, we started the basic blocking for the “Heavy Object & Change of Mind” assignment. In this stage, we focused on clear storytelling and strong poses rather than details. The goal was to show the action of pushing or lifting a heavy object and clearly present the change of intention. Blocking helped me think more carefully about key poses, timing, and silhouette before moving into more complex animation. Overall, this week helped me connect facial performance and body mechanics with stronger planning.

This week we learned about story structure and how it helps organise ideas clearly when we create narratives. Story structure is the way events and actions are arranged in a story so that the audience can understand the journey from beginning to end. A good structure usually has a clear setup, a build-up of tension or conflict, and a resolution that answers the main question of the story.

We studied how events must connect through cause and effect, which means one event leads logically to the next. This makes the narrative easier to follow and gives the story a sense of purpose and direction.

We also learned that different structures can change how a story is experienced. For example, a typical three-act structure has a beginning where characters and their goals are introduced, a middle where obstacles and tensions develop, and an ending where the conflict is resolved.

As part of class discussion, we analysed how structure affects viewer engagement and how we can apply these principles to our own story projects. This helped me understand not just what happens in a story, but why and how it happens in a satisfying way.

In Week 3, we worked on the “Heavy Object & Change of Mind” planning assignment. The main goal was to find a strong reference that includes both physical action and emotional change. The character needed to interact with a heavy object, and there had to be a clear shift in intention or decision. This task helped me understand how to combine body mechanics with acting and storytelling. I learned that the emotional change must be clear and motivated, not random. We also did self-study on Parent, Constraints, and Locator functions in Maya. These technical tools are important for controlling objects and characters more efficiently in animation, and I realised they will be very useful in later projects. In addition, we submitted the final version of our “Hunter to Prey” previs. Reviewing and finalising that project helped me reflect on camera design and story clarity. Overall, this week connected performance planning, technical skills, and narrative thinking together.

In Week 2, we learned about basic story structure and how to build a clear narrative. The main idea was that a story is not just a list of events. It should show cause and effect. The slides explained that we should not connect story beats with “and then,” but with “therefore” or “but.” Story -Basic
This helped me understand that every action in a story should create a consequence.

We also learned that stories are built, not imagined randomly. Story -Basic
A good story is a sequence of meaning, not just things happening. The character should lead the story. Events should happen because of the character’s choices, personality, and flaws.

Another important idea was that conflict creates drama. A story begins when desire meets obstacle. Story -Basic
There can be internal conflict (inside the character) or external conflict (from the outside world). This made me think more carefully about what my character wants and why they cannot get it.

We also practiced the SWBST method:
Somebody → Wanted → But → So → Then. Story -Basic
This structure helped me organize my ideas clearly and check if my story makes logical sense.

Overall, this week helped me understand that storytelling is about character, motivation, and consequence. Simple structures like SWBST are very helpful for me to think clearly and build stronger stories.

This week we completed several assignments that helped us understand story and cinematography more deeply. We did a cinematography analysis where we studied shots from a film and focused on camera movement and composition. By analysing framing and camera techniques, we tried to understand the director’s intention and how visual choices create meaning, emotion, and tension. This helped me realise that every shot is carefully designed and not random. We also created a previs project called “Hunter to Prey,” which shows the transformation of a hunter becoming the hunted. In this project, we had to design the camera movement and shot progression to clearly show the shift of power. Through this process, I explored different ways to use camera language to support narrative change. These assignments helped me connect theory with practice and understand how visual storytelling works in a more practical way.

In Week 1, we learned that cinematography is not just about making images look nice, but about using the camera to communicate meaning. We were encouraged to ask important questions before placing the camera, such as what the scene is about and what we want the audience to feel or understand.

We explored how focus can guide attention. Deep focus allows the audience to look freely around the frame, while shallow focus directs attention to a specific subject. Rack focus can shift attention without cutting, which helps storytelling visually. Cinematography II

We also learned that depth of field depends on aperture, focal length, and distance, showing how technical settings affect the emotional impact of a shot.

This week changed how I think about making images. Instead of only focusing on visuals, I now see cinematography as a language that shapes how the audience experiences the story.

This week we practiced how to draw storyboards and think carefully about how to use different camera techniques. Instead of only sketching actions, we learned to plan shots clearly, such as deciding when to use a wide shot, medium shot, or close-up to communicate information step by step.

We also practiced showing camera effects directly in the storyboard, like framing, focus changes, and movement. This helped me understand that a storyboard is not just drawing pictures, but explaining how the camera will work and how the audience will see the scene.

Another important exercise was recreating a classmate’s video. By doing this, we learned how to translate a storyboard into actual visual content and check if the shots make sense when combined. This process helped me see the connection between planning and final result.

Overall, this week improved my understanding of how to organize shots logically and use camera language to tell a clear story visually