This was the week I completed the spline phase of my animation. I transitioned from blocking plus into spline, and focused on integrating the feedback I’d received in earlier reviews—especially around body mechanics and staging.
One of the main adjustments I made was correcting the pivot point during the backflip. Previously, I had the character rotating around the hips, but after feedback I shifted the rotation to the upper chest, which creates a much more natural arc. It immediately felt more grounded and realistic.
Another change I made was to how the character leans into the spline. Initially, I had them leaning forward going into the run-up, in a sort of exaggerated cartoon curve—similar to what you might see in Tom and Jerry, where a character forms a backwards “C” before launching forward. It was fun and expressive, but ultimately too stylised for the tone I was going for. Now, the character leans back slightly before the jump, which reads better physically and visually.
I also refined the silhouette, especially during the spin. I added a subtle S-curve in the arms to strengthen the overall pose clarity and motion arcs. Another great piece of feedback I received was to have the character lean more into the run. That small adjustment gave the movement more weight and purpose—it feels like they’re genuinely sliding along the ground into a ducking pose rather than floating through it.
There was also discussion about hand positioning during the takeoff—originally, both hands moved back in sync, but I’m now experimenting with slight asynchrony, which makes the action feel more natural and dynamic.
Regarding the jump itself, George recommended that the character should visibly stretch into it, but I explained that in my concept, the character actually disappears from the ground and reappears mid-air. Since they’re a speedster who manipulates lightning, I wanted to show their power through a sort of instantaneous movement. I plan to use a lightning strike or burst effect to visualise that teleport-like motion.
For the final dash, the character currently vanishes and reappears just before the attack. George suggested adding a brief pause or hover or zip around before the final strike. I really liked this idea—it allows the character to occupy more screen space, adds personality, and fits with the powerful, theatrical nature of a lightning-based finisher.
Overall, this week was about refining key movements, tightening up the spline animation, and staying true to the character’s style while making the action more readable and intentional.
In this iteration, I’ve reworked the animation from a previous version—starting with a new design for the crystal and a complete overhaul of the environment. Unlike before, this version introduces actual camera movement and does away with the wireframe look I was previously experimenting with. I found that the wireframe aesthetic ended up being too visually noisy; it added unnecessary detail to background elements and ultimately distracted from the core action. So, I’ve decided to remove it in favour of a cleaner, more focused visual style.
A key change in this version is the introduction of a continuous camera movement that follows the character. Initially, my idea was to use multiple dynamic cuts to convey speed—as if the camera itself was struggling to keep up with the character. However, I learned that for this unit, we’re required to use a single, unbroken camera shot. I actually really appreciate this limitation, as I believe creative restrictions often push better solutions. So I embraced the challenge and began designing the shot around a continuous camera move.
This version is still a preliminary pass. One of my next goals is to make sure the crystal is clearly visible at the start of the animation, to better ground the viewer and give the action more intentionality. Right now, it leaves the frame briefly, and I’d like to avoid that—it breaks cohesion. Keeping it in frame will take more work in terms of timing and choreography, but I think it will make the sequence feel tighter and more purposeful.
Unfortunately, in this Cinema 4D version, the rig is broken, so the character animation isn’t functioning fully. I plan to retarget the motion onto a more stable mesh for the final pass, and I’ll also explore different art styles for the render.
One small detail I like: rather than having the crystal explode on impact, I’ve made it fall to the ground. It feels more muted, which gives other effects—like the environmental disintegration—more space to shine. I also animated the floating earth around the crystal to crumble and fall, visually representing that the crystal has lost its power even if it doesn’t blow up. If everything explodes, nothing stands out—so I wanted to create more contrast by keeping certain effects more subdued.