"Sole Searching" Rough Blocking - First Third

Click HERE to see the first pass of blocking on the first 800 frames of the short.

So things are starting to take shape a bit. Kind of feels like first day of rehearsals of a play, doing rough blocking. You're working with these digital actors that have never done this role, that have never interacted with each other before. And as an animator, I sit there and push their faces all over the place and see how far I can stretch them til they break - find all their flaws, weaknesses and strengths. Kind of like the Miss America pageant, minus the silicone and vacant craniums.

The only difference between this process and the rehearsal process I'm used to with plays and such is that with a play, you usually get several weeks to work this kind of stuff out. And you get all this influx of energy from your fellow actors - playing off of what they do and the talents they bring to the table. Animation? No more than a few days, at least in most production environments, and it's mostly a solitary affair - like doing an extremely difficult crossword puzzle.

So that's why I encourage you to give me your feedback. Let me know if something's not working or if you think something is working really well. This is the stage where big changes need to be made before it's too late, if they need to be made.

Don't be shy...

:-)