After some trial and error, I’ve finally settled on a reference that really excites me—Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The scene I’ve chosen features King Arthur attempting to assert his authority over a group of peasants who challenge the legitimacy of his rule, delivering a satirical take on anarcho-syndicalist communes. What drew me to this scene was the rich variety of emotion: the character (Arthur) fluctuates between pride, confusion, and incredulity, all while maintaining a comedic undertone.
This reference provides an opportunity to animate nuanced emotional transitions—starting from superiority and indignation, moving through confusion, and landing in moments of visible frustration. I especially like how Arthur keeps his chin raised, conveying condescension, then briefly dips into bewilderment when his authority is questioned. These shifts in posture and expression offer a lot of material to explore through 3D animation.
George provided some helpful critique during our session: one key point was ensuring that the character maintains consistent eye contact with the other person in the scene. I tend to look away at times, which can reduce clarity in the facial performance—especially from a three-quarter angle. Keeping both eyes visible strengthens readability and emotional impact. I was also encouraged to include the little chuckle I do in the reference—it’s subtle, but adds humanity and sells the internal emotional state.
Another suggestion was to slow the timing down slightly. While I already have snappy movements for contrast, adding variety in pacing should give more room for micro-expressions to land and feel intentional. Lastly, I plan to trim the clip to focus on the most essential beats—the peasant’s reply at the end, for example, doesn’t add much to the core performance and can be left out.
Overall, I’m excited to dive into this one—it’s expressive, challenging, and gives me space to push character personality through facial acting and timing.
