Pixel Challenge notes

For a long time now, I wanted to post my notes of the different masterclasses I assisted during the Pixel Challenge conference, both as a way to have a backup and to share them since it must be useful for someone else.

My notes are basically phrases that summarize an idea, generally short and concise.

Here we go!

Cameron Fielding - Understanding reference

Cameron Fielding - Using reference from iAnimate on Vimeo.

• On analyzing your reference: What motion describes physicality?
• What should you copy? (from your reference)
• Never just assume you know what it looks like.
• What to look in your reference: Honesty, not subtlety.
• "It's the quality of the artist interpretation that makes art, not the subject itself"
• The pose is king. Motion is secondary to the gesture.
• Forget about movement, what pictures do I need to understand this movement? Which are my "first impression" images?
• Where do you start?
1. Capture your first impression images (to summarize the feeling of the shot).
2. Think like a technician (forget about art).
• Changes of direction (for characters, focus on one part of the body)
• Ins, Outs (just before and just after a change in direction)
• Weight shifts (not the passing position)
3. Think like an artist
• Motion is secondary to the gesture.
• Leave your first impression poses and add the more appealing ones.
• Smart playback script (I believe is this one, but not sure...)
• How to embellish a shot? Depends on your style.
• Acting: Capture the subtext
• Action: Capture the physicality.

Brett Pascal - Practical Cameras

Brett Pascal - Camera work and staging from iAnimate on Vimeo.

• What is a camera?
• Shutter
• Iris - How much light reaches the sensor
• Lens - Changes what's in view
• + Length (mm), + Zoom
• Jump cuts: Background does not change but position of character does.
• 180 Degree Rule - Hard to break but breakable.
• Rule of thirds: relationship on the screen.
• He mentioned that it is possible to have two characters in the same third, to give the feeling that one is over the other.

• Cutting cameras: cuts needs motivation.
• Fading cameras: implies passing of time.
• Most used lenses: 18, 21, 28, 35, 50, 85, 120, 210
• Reference material: DIY Film Lab, Film Riot (Youtube channels)
• Cameras DO NOT pivot from center of gravity, they pivot from where they are held.

Camera Rotation Pivot

Richard Lico - Destiny

Richard Lico - In games animation workflow from iAnimate on Vimeo.

• On Run cycles: Key essential changes
• Spline should be only to make it look good
• Hips get more motion than the head.
• Do not let the IK animate by itself. Add the kick!

Add the kick to your run cycle!

Ted Ty -Difference between 2D and 3D

I didn't take any notes on this one because I didn't want to miss anything of what Ted was saying.


Ted Ty - Genuine acting from iAnimate on Vimeo.


There are also a couple of videos with the iAnimate panel. Here are the links:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Enjoy!