Weight Lift need some fresh eyes

**HEAVEN98** · December 3rd, 2012, 01:31 AM

Hey all. I worked on this for a couple of days off and on. I'm REALLY having trouble with the lift and could use some fresh eyes to give suggestions/critiques as to how to go about it.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/67670867/Weight%20Lift.mov

Can't seem to get the dropbox link to embed into my post? Any help with that is appreciated as well.

**figdigital** · December 3rd, 2012, 03:35 AM

New here so can't help you on the embed, sorry.

First off, props to you for doing some traditional animation, very cool. On the lift, to me it feels more like he's pulling on something that's stuck than something heavy.

When he finally moves the weight it pops and your spacing is pretty even all the way up, one frame to the middle and one frame to the top. Favor that bottom pose and give a few poses that space out more as he brings it up and you should get more of a sense of weight from it.

**themegagod** · December 3rd, 2012, 04:35 AM

Seems like the way he is lifting would probably hurt like heck (try and lift something heavy the way he does from the butt and lower back, ow). don't actually try, you might injure yourself.
try and act out the action yourself. feel how it feels to lift an object.
try and put a bit more movement in the legs- try and have them a bit bent, and take the weight off of the back. again, that hurts.
also, if your character is struggling that much with that weight, if he got it up that quick, he would have to stumble backwards. the weight would be too much, and inertia would take over.
Also, I'm not sure, but is going for a perfect facial profile the best way o stage that shot?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nRRlk6264I
watch that video. It's on the right way to do a deadlift, (just lifting the weight to thigh area) and it also shows bad habits too, so you can make your character appear amateur if that is what you are going for.
in any case, try and act out the motions yourself with a broom or something long you can place on the floor.
your intro animation looks like you definitely have the skill to knock this out of the park.
hopefully I've been a bit of help.

EDIT: just watched your video FBF and I realized, something that also might really help putting a bit of "curve" into the arms. that stretch you have before he raises the arms to his chest, seems to have the arms a bit to straight for something so heavy, and then the next frame to have up to his chest.

**HEAVEN98** · December 3rd, 2012, 10:50 AM

Wow. I've posted this on two other animation sites and this is the most help I've gotten. Thank you both (and anyone else that chimes in).

I'm taking into account everything you guys said and I'll be playing around with the shot today. We'll see what I can do. Will post when I'm done/with progress.

Seriously, thank you SO much.

Also, for reference sake the lift look I was going for, although not realistic is inspired by Adam Phillips 15 second short:

**themegagod** · December 3rd, 2012, 11:44 AM

I love adam Phillips's work, and I see no reason this 15 second animation cant be used as help. but what you should try to do is analyze what adam did you make his character appear to lift something heavy. pause the video and use your arrow keys to go through it's motions frame by frame. Adam used a lot of slight tweening and some really exaggerated key frames, and stretches. you can see that his hips and back stay straight, as his chest and shoulders lift. his arms swing up in a quick arching motion. his legs come out to brace him for his big, over the head lift.

**HEAVEN98** · December 3rd, 2012, 12:46 PM

Quick update. I got rid of the pre-lift bounce takes, essentially gutted all the frames from 65 on (except the last two since I liked them

) and started anew.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/67670867/Weight%20Lift%202.mov

Oh and just for fun. This is a weight lift exercise I did about 8 months ago, kind of sad the lack of progress....

**themegagod** · December 3rd, 2012, 03:36 PM

Nice progress already.
and I see a lot of growth from your animation from 8 months ago.

with the swoop of the motion, It looks much better. I will advise that you have him sink into the lift in the next couple of frames. That way it shows he is being pushed down by the weight, before you have him push up. Quite nice.

**figdigital** · December 4th, 2012, 12:13 PM

Feeling better but I think the weight is still coming up a bit fast, the lift is going to slow out of the pose where it's on the ground till he gets the momentum going.

Just happened to run across this tutorial from AnimSchool earlier today, might be helpful:
http://spungella.blogspot.com/2012/1...ng-weight.html