Unfortunately the aforementioned 50 seconds of blocking took about 3-4 weeks to animate (no surprise really), but an additional 40 seconds has now also been done! These sequences were relatively problem-free, but as I gain experience as an animator I long for more sophisticated rigs.

My rigs are indeed quite simple and their limitations can be a little frustrating, but rather than giving them a complete overhaul every time I think of better ways to build them, I just make small modifications specific to the current scene’s problem, otherwise I’d never finish the film.

When I’m animating, I try not to think too much about other parts of the production, but sometimes I have to. Each scene is stripped down to its bare essentials to increase my computer’s performance and help me concentrate – no effects, no lighting and a limited environment. Occasionally, however, I need to introduce these elements to ensure my animation wont clash with them later on. For example, if a character is going to walk out of a shadow into direct sunlight, an animator needs to know exactly where that shadow is in order to make the most of the shot. The character might blink as the light hits their face and it simply won’t work 12 frames too soon or too late. It’s all part of the animation process.

So I have now completed the character animation for the middle of the film, leaving me with about 90 seconds to animate until “The End”. To continue my production/road metaphor (I’ve made my bed and now must lie in it) the light at the end of the tunnel is a lot larger and I’m beginning to see what’s out there – like trees and stuff.

Speaking of trees, they are now the focus of the environment modelling. Awesome segue. Like with the rocks, I’ve created them so they can easily be modified so no two look the same in any given shot. The main varying attributes include the amount foliage on each branch, the presence of snow on each branch, and the overall size of the tree. Their detail can also be altered in relation to their distance from the camera, to speed up rendering. There is a lot more detail in this film than my first attempt in 2004, but more detail doesn’t necessarily mean more realistic. The trees are still stylised, and the additional detail is there for a reason, which you will understand when you see the film.