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Procedural animation : towards studio solutions for believability

This thesis sets out to investigate the understanding of the relationship between key-frame movement performances and procedural animation. It is geared towards building a theory of practice that would help develop a succinct method for generating believable character animation using procedural animation. This research places an emphasis on a practical aproach to the theory of animation and movement, and investigates the historical development of character animation and the notion of believability. It uses Laban Movement Analysis as a method in the application of procedural animation. The study seeks to address the following objectives: (1) To examine what areas of procedural animation may enhance the believability of a key-framed movement performance; (2) To identify the areas of procedural animation that are or could be used within professional studio practice; (3) To examine the potential of procedural animation to help develop convincing and life-like character movements; (4) To identify where and how a keyframed character movement can be enhanced procedurally; (5) To carry out empirical studies in order to analyse the effects and possible benefits of procedural enhancements on a key-framed movement. The techniques used for data collection include a literature review, observation, content analysis, a survey, discussions with practitioners and semi-structured interviews; the study also incorporates the author’s experience in practice The information gathered was analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Procedural animation is an uncharted practice within the field of animation; as such, its effects and its relationship to the notions, phenomena, theories and understandings of character animation appear to have been little investigated. The discussions conducted with practitioners in the course of the study confirm that in the current context, where procedural animation is an unguided practice, they are driven to time-consuming implementation procedures, which also prevent undergraduate and postgraduate students to study and research in to this powerful tool. The recommendations and suggested approaches that follow aim to develop an understanding of the complex relation between the practice of procedural animation and believable character movement performances, to help fill this gap.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:658374
Date January 2014
CreatorsIsikguner, B.
PublisherNottingham Trent University
Source SetsEthos UK
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Sourcehttp://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/310/

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