Inspired by Ian Cheng’s Life After BOB, I’m considering developing a short animation for my FMP that merges painterly, low-frame-rate aesthetics with a surreal narrative structure. Like Cheng’s blend of real-time animation and philosophical worldbuilding, my piece will aim to evoke an uncanny, dreamlike tone. It would build on the visual language established in my experimental unit work, using hand-painted textures and stylised motion to reflect internal states and thematic tension. This project may also be extended with a small-scale physical or projected installation, creating a hybrid, immersive experience. /note
This week marked the critical phase of planning and refining my body‑mechanics shot using pantomime and pre-visualisation techniques.
Thursday kicked off with an exploration of pantomime: how the body alone can act. Using George’s workflow checklist, I planned my shots in detail, identifying key poses that drive narrative without dialogue. This sharpened my understanding of cultural and emotional storytelling through physical gestures (Enquiry & Knowledge).
By Friday, I moved from theory to action. My shoots, animatic and reference gathering fed into a concise pre-vis storyboard. This stage taught me how to translate timing choices into spatial and temporal flow within 3D, reinforcing both my process management and communication of creative intent. I produced the first digital layout of the shot — a screen-ready step demonstrating foundational 3D body mechanics principles in practice.
Gesture-Based Shot Planning – Focus frames on silent pantomime beats.
Animatic-Powered Timing Tests – Use timing rough cuts to experiment with rhythm.
Reference>Animatic>Pre‑Vis Pipeline – A repeatable workflow for clarity.
Grease-Pencil Pose Sketches – Quick visualization of spine/COG arcs before 3D blocking.
Pantomime Variants – Test alternative gestures to strengthen narrative clarity.
Pre-Vis Camera Movement – Integrate camera consideration early.
Emotional Weight through Body Mechanics – Emphasise how posture and flow express mood.
Pose-to-Motion Justification Notes – Write brief notes explaining pose choices to support communication.