The 11 Second Club is a monthly character animation competition in which aspiring animators compete to win prizes and get their work noticed. Animators from all over the world participate, animating a character speaking a line of dialogue, sharing their progress with one another and critique each other's work - just like in a real animation studio.
So how to succeed in the 11 Second Club? One dependable method is for animators to film themselves acting out the line of dialogue - using live action reference to guide the animation.
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| Paloma and Eilin ranked #3 and #4 in October 2019 |
For our students, entry into the competition forms part of the AN5001 second year character animation module, in which students learn the art of character animation and performance.
Live Action Reference
In 2019, undergraduates students Paloma Zhu and Eilin Berrio Pena ranked 3rd and 4th in the October 2019 11 Second Club Competition. How did they do it? They both used live action reference to animate their scenes.
Paloma Zhu - Traffic Lights
Rush Hour by Paloma Zhu placed third in the competition. Paloma's very inventive animation skillfully imagined the two characters as a set of traffic lights. To get the acting and the timing right, she filmed herself acting out the shot.
Eilin Berrio Pena - Zombie Dinner
Eilin Berrio Pena imagined the scene as a cosy dinner a deux with a zombie and another guest, who isn't too keen on being served brains for his tea. Again, a very imaginative performance, well executed.
Live Action Reference
The secret of success in character animation is good planning. Both Paloma and Eilin worked hard to secure good live action reference, filming themselves acting out their shots and using the reference for their animation blocking. You can see examples of their live action reference below.
Paloma Zhu - Live Action Reference
Paloma filmed herself acting out the shot and imported the live action into Maya, working from an image plane to ensure that she had all her animation planned out from the start, a practical method widely used in industry. Even in the 1930s Disney animators on Snow White used live action to help create their animation performances.
Eilin Berio Pena - Live Action Reference
Eilin acted out both roles in the scene, filming herself acting out the scene, then editing the footage in Premiere so that it perfectly matched the line of dialogue. Then, she used her live action performance to create her animation blocking.
How to use live action reference
To see how to use live action reference to create animation in Maya, read this blog post. All you really need is a tripod and a smart phone. To get started, find a quiet spot (your bedroom will do), close your bedroom door and do multiple takes until you feel comfortable. Delete the bad takes, import the best take into Premiere, sync it with the 11 second club audio, and then export the footage into Maya. Now you have a basis on which to start planning your animation.
The Escape Studios Animation Blog offers a personal view on the art of
animation and visual effects. To apply for our new BA/MArt starting in September 2021, follow this link.
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