Who knew geckos can groove? (new link)

This is my first animation, if you don’t count Gus, so be gentel. Finaly I have something beound a concept. C&C are welcome.

(the attachment is just a frame, the video is on putfile)

DIVX AVI file
http://media.putfile.com/Who-knew-geckos-can-groove

WMV video (low quality but common)
http://media.putfile.com/GMS-WMV

if streaming sucks, try this one.
http://www.savefile.com/files/8712824

Attachments


Hi geckoee
The still looks good.
Cannot get to the the putfile site though,
to see the animation.

The animation is great for your first one. Basically adding more detail to the animation (more moving parts and features like fingers) would make it a lot better, but it’s great how it is now with it’s kind of simplicity. A couple things I’d change, the background is black except when there is text. I would make the text white or light grey and keep the background black, but maybe that’s just me. The other thing is that at the end of the animation. The ghecko just kind of freezes and it looks weird to me. I would make him keep moving a little. Maybe do that smile and keep moving his head a little, and raise his eyebrows or wink as it fades to black. Also, this is another thought, don’t have the text stay stationary at the end either. Make it start where it is and then rotate to face the camera as it fades to black. Oh and I love the sync of the kick drum at the start, but he’s hitting the cimbles and there happens to be no cimbles, just drums at that part.

Thanks for the comments. There are a lot of silly things that I left out, but you mentioned some I didn’t think of. :slight_smile: I’ll try to add some more shape keys for his hands, and probably re-do the ones I have. I can’t quite get a grasp on them yet.

With shape keys, when you enter edit mode are you editing the shape key you select before entering, or is it always the basis shape?

He is hitting a high hat, and there is a high hat part. (most of it is your basic rock: tit-tit-tit-tit-tit-Sss-tit-tit, but there is some other rhythms as well like a three feel: tit-sss-tit-tit-sss-tit-tit-sss. I should probably animate the open and close on that as well so you can key into the sounds better instead of just animating when he hits the hat.) the drums that are missing from the geckos kit that are heard in the song are the toms, and snare.

I’m guessing there aren’t many replies because not everyone has divx avi codec.

Putfile doesn’t work for me, so I can’t see the animation. The still frame looks good though.

When you enter edit mode, you are editing the most newly-added RVK. That’s why you must finish the mesh before adding RVKs, because once you add them, you can’t go back and change the base mesh(correct me if I’m wrong).

Try posting the video at http:\www.savefile.com. You have to click two links to download the file, but at least everyone can download it.

I added a MWV file type link to the fist post. hopefuly more people can play that one. Sorry for the loss in quality.

I love it. I just saw it. The beginning is very good. The rest of it is good too, especially for a first animation. I agree that there should be more finger movement, especially in the keyboard player.

Thanks. I tend to put all my good ideas at the beginning or the end, and then the middle is just blaw. It’s a problem I have with composition. I’m going to highlight the arpeggiator (dirty saw playing arpeggios) entry a little better with a light change, and camera shot close to the keys looking up at the gecko, finger coming almost right at the camera, then arcing down to hit the key. I’m hoping because there will not be a lot of lateral movement that I can have a big action without it being choppy or blurred. … Ahhh it looks cool in my head.

That’s how it always happens. I have about 10 gazillion ideas in my head that I haven’t done, started to do but didn’t finish, or probably will never do.

Stick with this one, though.