I went back to doing a dialogue and acting scene with audio I got years ago from the 11-second club. I have wanted to use it for years, but didn’t have the skills until recently. I also wanted to get a more built-out scene and flex those level design muscles. Making sure everything was lit and textured was fun.
This time, I started by setting up the scene in Unreal Engine and ensuring the rigs looked good and usable. Then, it was off to shoot the reference. This proved difficult as I now had less space to shoot the reference in, I didn’t own a stool, and I am a very huge guy. That said, I worked with what I had and made the reference. After doing the lip sync, I wonder if I should shave…
Using the same method I have learned since I started animating, I “blocked” out the animation’s key poses and actions. After feedback and review, I moved on to the “Spline” pass, where I did the breakdowns, started to get the movement tied down, and began to see how the timing looked, and started the lip sync. Next was the polish and hair pass, which proved to be the challenge this time, specifically the hair. After much critique and review, I got the hair to look the way you see here and am pleased with it.
Unsatisfied with the scene’s empty background, I collected some assets and built a street that you could see from outside the window. I added a few more props in the background, and I feel it has the proper vibe. If I had time, I would add other things moving in the animation background: people walking, a car going by, things like that.
A friend vents her frustration over a major job change and is reassured.
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