Introduction

In Unit 1, I engaged in a series of animation exercises that helped me gain practical knowledge through hands-on experimentation. These projects allowed me to explore movement, character performance, and animation techniques, pushing me beyond my comfort zone.

This blog will document my research process, including storyboards, sketches, live-action references, and animation tests. Through these exercises, I gradually shifted from a highly detailed drawing approach to a more expressive, dynamic animation style, emphasizing exaggerated movement, clearer emotions, and improved storytelling.

Using Live-Action Video References: Character Lift, Push, or Pull

One of the most challenging yet rewarding exercises was Character Lift, Push, or Pull, where I animated a character interacting with an object. Since weight and force are difficult to portray convincingly in animation, I decided to use live-action video references to guide my motion study.

Process & Findings

1. Filming myself performing different lifting and pushing motions helped me understand weight distribution and body mechanics.

2. Through video analysis, I realized that real-life motion alone isn’t enough—exaggeration is key to making animation feel expressive and clear.

3. I experimented with different keyframe spacing to balance realism with stylized motion, adjusting the anticipation, timing, and follow-through for a more dynamic effect.

This process deepened my understanding of physics in animation, teaching me to analyze real-world movements and translate them into stylized yet believable animated actions.

Experimenting with Non-Human Characters: Mood Change Walk

For the Mood Change Walk exercise, I challenged myself by animating a non-human character—a pillow. This was my first attempt at bringing life to an inanimate object, which required a different approach than animating a human figure.

Key Challenges & Learnings

• Without facial expressions, I relied solely on body motion to convey emotions.

• The animation needed strong squash and stretch principles to emphasize the softness and flexibility of the pillow.

• I played with timing variations to make the pillow’s emotions clearer—slow movements for sadness, quick bounces for excitement.

This exercise taught me that animation isn’t limited to traditional humanoid figures—anything can be brought to life with the right movement choices.

Exploring Facial Animation & Stop Motion: Facial Acting and Lip Sync

For Facial Acting and Lip Sync, I went beyond traditional frame-by-frame animation by experimenting with stop-motion elements. Instead of a conventional approach, I animated waves along with the lip movements, creating an abstract interpretation of dialogue.

Observations & Results

• I explored symbolic animation by making the waves react to the speech rhythm, reinforcing the character’s emotions.

• I tested different frame rates to determine the best balance between fluidity and stylized choppiness.

• By incorporating hand-drawn textures, I added organic, painterly elements to blend stop-motion with 2D animation.

This experiment helped me rethink animation as more than just literal motion replication—it can be poetic, expressive, and open to interpretation.

Reflection: The Shift from Precision to Expression

Through Unit 1, I experienced a transformation in my animation approach:

• From detailed illustration to expressive movement – I learned that fluidity, exaggeration, and storytelling matter more than static detail.

• From realism to stylization – Studying live-action references helped me see that realistic movement needs exaggeration to be effective in animation.

• From conventional characters to experimental motion – Animating non-human objects and abstract expressionsopened new creative possibilities.

These exercises gave me a stronger foundation in animation fundamentals, while also encouraging me to take risks, experiment with new styles, and embrace imperfection to create more engaging work.

Conclusion

Practice-based research through storyboards, sketches, live-action references, and animation tests was essential to my learning in Unit 1. Each exercise pushed me toward more confident and expressive animation, helping me develop both technical skills and artistic intuition.

Moving forward, I plan to:

✅ Continue using live-action references to refine my sense of weight and force.

✅ Experiment with non-human characters to enhance my storytelling versatility.

✅ Explore more abstract animation styles, blending traditional 2D with stop-motion and experimental techniques.