1) Assignment Completed: 12-Second Body Mechanics / Acting Shot (Heavy Object + Change of Mind)
This week, I completed a more advanced body mechanics/acting exercise. The goal was to combine a believable sense of weight (pushing/carrying a heavy object) with a clear change-of-mind moment within a 12-second shot.
My story idea is: the character struggles to push a heavy package → suddenly hears a countdown → stops and opens the package to reveal a timed bomb → panics, throws the bomb away → turns and runs.
2) Facial Expression Task Completed: 5 Different Facial Poses
I completed five facial pose studies. I focused on readability—how the eyes, eyebrows, and mouth work together—and how camera angle can strengthen or weaken an expression. This helped me realise that facial acting isn’t about moving one controller; it’s about balancing the entire face so the emotion reads clearly.
3) Test Completed: Stitch Making Tea (Props + Constraint Planning)
I completed the Stitch “making tea” activity. This test strengthened my understanding of action logic + technical planning:
- Clear action chain: carry the tray and set it down → drop the tea bag and close the lid → pour tea into the cup → hold the saucer while stirring → lift the cup and take a sip. Each step needs clear start/end points and clean timing.
- IK / FK choices: IK is useful for stable support (carrying the tray, holding the saucer), while FK helps add natural arcs and performance when needed.
- Plan constraints/parenting first: the “control handoff” between tray, lid, pot, cup, saucer, and spoon needs to be planned early so hand contact stays clean and props don’t slide or drift.
4) Self-Study
I completed the required self-study tutorials and summarised the most useful takeaways:
- Adjusting Pivot: makes pushing/pulling/rotating easier by setting a correct force point (especially important for heavy objects).
- Camera Clip Distance: prevents objects from being clipped when the camera is close, keeping playblasts clean.
- DAG Only: helps manage hierarchy more clearly and reduces Outliner clutter.
- Colorspace: helps avoid display mismatches that can affect material/texture judgment.
- Constraints & Parenting with Objects: supports cleaner prop interactions and reduces technical issues like popping, drifting, or broken connections.
5) Previs Update (Based on Ting’s Feedback)
I revised my Assignment: Previs – Hunter To Prey (Final) based on Ting’s comments. Key improvements included:
- Making the transformation moment clearer on camera (showing the drunk character turning into a larger monster).
- Adding camera follow-through when the slender character is thrown into the wall, so the shot tracks the movement instead of staying static.
- Adjusting several shots to include full-body framing where necessary, improving clarity of action and body mechanics.