Thesis Rough: Teaching Emotion and Intersubjectivity in Animated Characters

THESIS:
Teaching Emotion and Intersubjectivity in Animated Characters

INTRODUCTION:
My goal in exploring this thesis is two fold and they are related to my passion for both teaching and animation. One, is to develop curriculum that introduces and refines animation students' abilities, through industry standard exercises that teach animating emotion and intersubjectivity in characters. This curriculum would be geard towards intermediate to upper level students who are currently pursuing a career in animation in the video game, television or feature animation industries. Second, is for me to acquire and undergo these same exercises not only to gain experience and marketable skills within those fields, but to create examples that would serve the curriculum as a teaching aid.

Another vital component of this project is that it stresses fundamental theories and practices needed in the industry which the student needs be familiar with in entering the industry. For example "The 12 Principles of Animation", the preproduction process (research, sketches, storyboarding, keyframe planning), and industry standard workflows that the student will experience in this type of work.

The project when complete, will better prepare students entering a career in animation, by giving them the opportunity to practice industry standard workflows and will give them examples to be used in a professional demo reel.


EMOTION and INTERSUBJECTIVITY
Merriam Webster Online defines "emotion" :
1) a. the affective aspect of consciousness : FEELING. b : a state of feeling c : a conscious mental reaction (as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body.

It also defines "intersubjectivity" as:
1 : involving or occurring between separate conscious minds
2 : accessible to or capable of being established for two or more subjects :

The Importance of Emotion and Intersubjectivity
Animating emotion and gesture is important to conveying character emotion in video game, television and feature film animation. Emotion creates empathy and believability for a character which helps drive the story. Emotion is used when characters experience events in a story and it is through emotion that a viewer can empathize and engage in a story.

Intersubjectivity is the connection between the animator and the audience on a surface level. This not only involves animation or conveying emotion in a character, but also pertains to how a character is presented or staged. A stronger connection is made when both work togehter, and with this, the animator can guide the viewer. This leads to a deeper understanding of the character, which can lead to better story telling through anticipation or comedy, where in the viewer's understanding is switched.

Having an intermediate or even mastery level of being able to animate emotion makes one going into the field more marketable than someone who is not.


CURRENT PRACTICE:
Currently, intermediate to advanced level students entering the field take one or two classes on animating characters, which focuses on general movement and some emotion. I have found that not enough time is spent, on animating or portraying characterization utilizing emotion and intersubjectivity in schools primarily because of lack of time. Most of the time spent on this level is used to generate models that feature lighting, detail and rendering. Animating emotion is usually practiced while working in the field, or at the Masters education level. Many of these skills can be learned however early on in order to move the student forward. This project will create curriculum that is streamlined and effective in teaching these principles, which could be implemented in those programs that currently implement a quick timeline.

WHAT CAN BE GAINED:
An easy to follow curriculum as well as simple assignments and plans for the student and instructor, broken down in understandable components will be developed. This will help the student understand and practice animating emotion and intersubjectivity. It will also give them practice in fundamental animation principles, as well as experience in traditional and software workflow needed for the field. It will help generate numerous examples that the student could then include in a marketable and professional demo reel portfolio.

On a personal level, it will give me experience in teaching character animation and production in all levels beginning to advanced.


THE CURRICULUM

Importance of Planning
1) Lecture on Research : Ways to research, where and the importance of using visual reference.
2) Lecture on Sketching: Using sketch to help analyze and plan.
3) Lecture on Keyframing and Main Poses : How its used in the industry and how its used to save time.

Teaching Emotion
1) Lecture on "Emotion" : What is it and why is it beneficial for characters - Discussion.
2) Lecture: Emotion thru Gesture and body language
3) Lecture: Emotion thru Facial Animation
4) Lecture: Emotion thru Hands

Teaching Intersubjectivity
1) Defining Intersubjectivity and Examples
2) Lecture : Staging and the Importance of the Silhouette
3) Lecture : Characterization thru texturing, lighting and rendering
4) Lecture : Visual Effects and Characterizations

The Animation Workshop :
Below are the various exercises that will be implemented. Each will include lectures, demonstrations through procedural handouts, and will include sketching and planning sessions.

1) Animating personality in a ball
Lecture : "12 Principles of Animation" Overview

2) Animating personality with two balls.
one of a different weight and material
Lecture: Physics of materials overview

3) Animating Emotion : Face Only
The student is given a rigged character and is assigned to animate various emotions (5 total). Each is given a frame limit. Possible emotions emotions include: elation, anger, sadness, boredom, inquisitiveness.
Lectures include: Muscles of the face, Face and Emotion Dynamics

3B) Animating Emotion : Full Body
The student is given a rigged character and is assigned to animate various emotions (5 total). Each is given a frame limit.
Lecture: Gesture and emotion, Emotion and Hands, Staging

4) Gear Change
Animate 1 emotion, followed by a quick event which then leads to another emotion.
The student will animate 2 gear changes. One of the face, the other of the entire body.
Lecture: Types of transitions.

5) Animate a unique walk cycle
This walk cycle must convey a unique emotion.
Lecture: Walk cycle mechanics, Examples of great unique walk cycles.

6) Animating Character and Weight
Animate a character pushing or pulling a heavy object.

7) Animate two characters engaging in dialogue

8) Convey the emotion of a character through desgin, lighting, texturing, staging, environment and visual effects only. (I'm thinking that this may be a good first assignment).

9) Animate the above character utilizing any of the animation examples as reference. This assignment combines exercise 8 with any of the exercises 1 - 7.

DOCUMENTATION:
While each workshop is being conducted. I will be documenting the steps in a handout format, which could also be published to a website. Procedural steps will be listed as well as an evaluation process for the instructor, sample syllabi, and "Trips and Falls" section for each, listing common pitfalls and how to fix them.

SUPPORT:
To help me with the above mentioned animation workshop, I will need the expertise of the following individuals, many of which have done these assignment and who are professionals in the field.

• Ruel Pascual: Animator / Animation Instructor
Has animated for Pixar, Disney and Blurr Studios and teaches advanced animation classes at the Art Institute of Las Vegas.

• Rocky Bright Jr. : Animator / Animation Instructor
Teaches advanced animation at the Art Institute of Las Vegas.

• Lee Lanier : Modeler, texturer and animator
Lee has done work for Dreamworks Studios and he teaches advanced animation at the Art Institute of Las Vegas.

The following are professionals in the field that I have yet to make contact with. I'm hoping that engaging in research through this MFA thesis will open communication with these professionals. I'm confident that it will. I've made initial contact with many of them.

• Jean Denis Haas :
Animator for Industrial Light and Magic and Pixar Studios
http://www.jeandenis.net/

• Nick Navone
Animator for Pixar Studios
http://www.navone.org

• Bobby Boombeck
Animator for Pixar Studios
http://www.bobbyboombeck.com/index2.html

• David Chai
• Animation Professor San Jose State University and Director of Thunderbean Animation. http://www.thunderbeananimation.com/

• Melvin Tan
Professional Animator
http://www.melvin-tan.net/#


RESOURCES

Trade Publications
• HDRI 3D: http://www.hdri3d.com/
• 3D World: http://www.3dworldmag.com/
• Animation Magazine: http://www.animationmagazine.net/
• Computer Graphics World : http://www.cgw.com/ME2/Default.asp

Texts
• "Animation from Pencil to Pixels" by Tony White
• "Animating Facial Features and Expressions" by David Kalwick
• "Animation Motion Capture Guide" by Matt Liverman
• "Digital Character Animation" by George Maestri
• "Human Modeling and Animation" Peter Ratner

CONCLUSION
Preparing an MFA thesis in a subject matters that I'm passionate about, teaching and animation is an extreme privilege. I am not only gaining experience to be marketable in this competitive field, but that I am helping others to do the same. It helps the field of computer animation by helping to create entry level students who are more prepared and experienced with character acting.