Advanced Animation/Project 2: Jump Animation

11/06/2025 - 25/06/2024 (Week 08 – Week 10)

Shao Han / 0369187

Advanced Animation / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylors University

Advanced Animation/Project 2: Jump Animation

CONCENT

• INTRODUCTION
• LECTURE
• PROJECT 2
• SUBMISSION
• FEEDBACK
• REFLECTION

INTRODUCTION

LECTURE

Body Mechanic of Jump

Fig1.1 Class Note,Week 8 (11/06/2025)

How to create expressive jump animations

Leaning the body:

Increasing the forward lean of the body adds power and definition to the movement.

Delaying the movement:

By moving one leg slightly later than the other, you break the mechanical feel and make the jump feel more natural.

Avoiding "Weight":

Adding preemptive movement to the hands or feet during the jump gives the movement a sense of gravity and avoids a light, fluttery feel.

From "Hard" to "Loose" (Loosen Up):

The initial animation is a simple, clean "two-frame jump."

Later, we'll demonstrate a looser animation, adding more compression, stretching, delay, and reversal techniques to achieve a smoother, more cartoon-like animation.

PROJECT 2

Objective:
You are tasked with creating a dynamic and engaging normal and cartoon jump animation using the provided character rigs. The goal is to demonstrate mastery in exaggeration, timing, spacing, and fluidity to achieve a cartoony style while ensuring clarity and appeal in motion.

Nomal Jump

Similar to the walking animation, I still chose to follow Mr. Kamal’s video tutorial during the normal jump stage.

As long as we pay attention to a few key turning actions, we can restore the jumping animation well.

Fig2.2 Production process,Week 8 (12/06/2025)

Keyframe Insertion

Fig2.3 Production process,Week 8 (12/06/2025)

Keyframe Insertion

Fig2.4 Production process,Week 8 (12/06/2025)

Rendering results

• YOUTUBE LINK

Cartoon Jump

I found a reference for the jump animation I wanted online and slowed it down for easier viewing.

Fig3.1 Dynamic Reference,Week 8 (15/06/2025)

As before, first create the key neutral, anticipation, push up, jump (on air), contact (landing), overshoot and recovery, and then add details later.

Fig3.2 Production process,Week 8 (15/06/2025)

Keyframe Insertion

Fig3.3 Production process,Week 8 (15/06/2025)

After checking, Mr. Kamal told me that the movement path of the character's limbs was not smooth enough, which affected the smoothness of the animation.

Fig3.4 Production process,Week 9 (18/06/2025)

Rendering results

• YOUTUBE LINK

SUBMISSION

• YOUTUBE LINK

FEEDBACK

Normal Jump

It's OK.

Cartoon Jump

The character's movement curve is not smooth enough. When jumping and landing, the whole foot does not land on the ground, but from the heel to the toes.

REFLECTION

Experiences

For this project, I created two jump animations: a normal jump and a cartoon jump. First, I analyzed the key jump poses, such as the setup, takeoff, airborne, and landing phases, using reference videos and images. Then, I set keyframes frame by frame in Blender. After completing the normal jump, I created a cartoon version by enhancing the linear motion, stretching, and compressing the movements. I also utilized "move hold" and three different timings to enhance the movement's clarity and expressiveness.

Observations

In the normal jump, the smaller intervals between keyframes create a more realistic motion.

In the cartoon jump, the exaggerated setup and exaggerated bounce add a touch of life and interest.

Motion lines and clear outlines are key to the readability of cartoon jumps.

The timing variations enhance rhythm and visual interest.

Findings

Exaggeration isn't just about varying the range of motion of the limbs; it also involves the use of timing and contrast.

A strong setup and a quick landing are key to enhancing the quality of the animation.

Adding subtle supporting movements, such as arm swings or body bounces, can greatly enhance the animation.