Minecraft Rig and Animation

Hey guys, I have started doing a rig for a character based on minecraft. It’s overall theme is minecraft, but I will be making “improvements” where I wish there to be.
The following is an image of the head rig that I have made so far.
It’s my first time using shape keys, so I’m proud of what I have accomplished.

The rig has arrow controls for the upper and lower eye lid.
The upper lid can cover the whole eye or both lids can meet half way. (seems to imitate human eyes closely)
I have a rig for lowering the entire lower lip.
The upper and lower lips have controls to reveal the teeth.
My favorite animation is the eyes. The eye are used by shape keys. The eyes are flat, but the will follow the “focus” bone (bone shaped like a dumbbell)

I know there are ways to parent vertices to bones, but I wasn’t sure if my shape animations would stay linear or take a more organic feel.

I need ideas for a story. I was thinking of doing a parody of the Periodic Table of Elements Song. Thoughts on the rig and story?

Attachments


Okay, guys, I have come up with some stories and have chosen to restart this endevour.
For some of the stories I will need some help getting video footage.

First Animation
The first attachment is the the storyboard I need footage for:

Description: This story is about someone who is playing minecraft that turns into Steve (aka the character in minecraft)

First shot is a still side shot of a person playing on the computer.
Second shot is a still shot over the person’s shoulder to show that he’s playing minecraft.
Third shot is a side shot again where he looks at his arms for like 5 seconds and says “What is the world”
Then he says awesome and goes back to playing.

Second animation:
My second animation needs video footage also.
The plan is having someone appear as if he’s playing minecraft, but his screen is covered with green papper. I will try to add the game to the screen and have the character talk and jump out of the screen. Then the character will walk down the table as the camera pans.

Third Animation:
Another animation I am working on is a Iron man suit in Minecraft. With HUD and everything. This animation will just be Steve suiiting up.

Fourth Animation:
The second attachment is the storyboard I want to try is a fan trailer for Feed The Beast. It’s a special type of map for minecraft and you can read about it here: http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/1052619-125-feed-the-beast-insanity-ssp-released/

The FTB fan trailer will start like the old skyblock trailer starts. (with the character waking up) The character tries to keep himself busy but ultimately gets depressed. He tries ending his life by jumping a hole, but he falls and lands on a chest. He looks up and sees the Beast. (At this point he’s afraid, like it’s a moster going to eat him.) Then he notices the chest and opens it. With the camera shot hiding the contents of the chest, he smiles. Then the trailer goes into an artist interpretation of the mods.

Industrial Craft 2 is a mod based around macerating and smelting ores. So, I thought I would “go into the machines”. I thought I would try to make a bunch of minecraft style hammers beating Ore.

Buildcraft is based on engines, oil, and fuel. I thought I would make a minecraft style internal combustion engine.

Forestry is natoerious for having bee breeding. Some of the bees can sting the player so I thought it would be funny to have the character running away from bees.

Equivalent Exchange is based on the principle of alchemy. I thought I would try to mimic the perception of atoms and energy and stuff.

Animations Done:
I have finished one animation. It was a piece of fan mail for nearbygamer. I’m sad he didn’t acknowledged getting it, but the third attachments is a frame from that animation.

Attachments




Okay guys, first, I’ve heard there may be a new FTB map coming out so I may wait till that comes out for the FTB fan trailer.

I’ve been working on integrating blender into minecraft and integrating minecraft into blender.

I’ve been thinking about making trailers for a new map that I’m playing.

My first idea is to tour the map and impose my CG Steve into the scene. Here is a proof of concept done by someone else: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T-Ac5r8dNk

My second idea was to video capture keypoints in the map. I would then create a CG scene with CG Steve acting as a host. He would talk about the map, and a cg tv in the background would snap to keypoints that were previously captured.

So, what are your thoughts?

Hello ladies and gentlemen. I’m currently a little behind on the FTB trialer. The launcher just was release and the map will be releasing soon. I am working nonstop on the trailer. Here are a few updates.
First, here is a render I did for the FTB logo competition:



Second, here is the finished “Steve” rig I have made:


I would like some feedback on both. Thankyou.