At MLC, we specialise in all things art for games, and one of our most highly requested services is 3D animation. There’s something brilliant about seeing our animators bring characters and worlds to life. Today, we’re having a chat with one of our 3D animation masters, Rob, about his journey, and he’s sharing some cracking tips for those wanting to break into 3D animation.
So, if you’ve ever wondered how to get started in 3D animation, or just fancy a peek behind the scenes of what we do here, keep reading!
Tell us a little bit about yourself, What do you do and how you got into 3D animation?
I’ve been a full-time freelance video game animator for 7 years now, but, like many students, my 3D journey didn’t exactly have a clear start. I was well into university, still figuring out what I wanted to do with my life, and there was definitely a ticking clock before my mum would feel that oh-so-familiar disappointment! (We’ve all been there, right?)
In my first year, I got a taste of all things 3D – modelling, animation, coding, but animation was the one that stuck. I’d always enjoyed animated things, whether that was flash games or Disney films, but I never really clicked that I could do it for a living until I gave it a proper go. So, by my second year, I specialised in animation.
After uni, it was no secret my animation skills were… let’s just say, not the best. So, I took a retail job to pay the bills while spending every free moment hammering away at my 3D animation skills. I freelanced small gigs for pennies (and many sleepless nights), but eventually, I felt confident enough to quit retail and go full-time with animation – and here we are!
Do You Need a Degree to Get Into 3D Animation?
Here’s the thing – while I went to uni, I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary to get into 3D animation. These days, there are so many online courses, like AnimSchool or iAnimate, that are a much better investment if you want to learn the skills. 3D animation is a portfolio-based skill, so anyone with access to YouTube and the time to practice could reach a high level of skill, put together a strong demo reel, and be on their way.
That being said, I don’t regret getting my degree. Not necessarily for the qualification itself, but for the friends I made and the experiences I had. Plus, being taught by industry professionals who had 10+ years of experience was invaluable. Their feedback helped me improve faster than I ever could have on my own.
So, do you need a degree? Not at all. But having a support system and learning from experienced animators certainly made it worthwhile for me.
Which 3D Software Is Best for Beginners?
Hands down it has to be Blender. It can be complex to navigate and a bit heavily of a shortcut-based workflow, but it is free. Also, it’s open source, which means if you need a tool or plugin for something specific there is a good chance it exists.
It’s probably where a beginner would want to start as the only cost to someone learning animation in blender is time!
More big studios are now adopting a blender-based workflow meaning the chances of getting a job somewhere that uses blender are significantly higher than it was 3-4 years ago.
What’s Your Favourite 3D Software?
I am an avid Maya user, and I believe it is industry standard for a reason.
The tools it provides are robust, it’s easy to navigate and work with, you have a wide range of free and paid rigs to work with.
I personally cannot code but I also know its Python and Mel languages are amazing for plugins or automating menial, repetitive tasks.
Animbot gets a mention here as well, an animation toolset that provides 100’s of functions to increase animation productivity. Only available for Maya!
What’s the Most Fun Project You’ve Worked On?
That would be the project I’m working on right now, Morbid Metal.
I’ve been freelancing for 7 years, and I’ve never worked on a project that’s brought me so much joy. Everything from how it looks to how it plays is just a dream. The single dev behind it is ridiculously talented and knows exactly what he wants, which makes collaboration so enjoyable.
What makes it even better is that the client gives detailed feedback and trusts me to experiment. It’s rare to have this much creative freedom in client work, and I love it. The characters are well-designed, they move in such an appealing way, and the back-and-forth with the client has been nothing short of brilliant.
What are your top 3 tips for creating 3D animation?
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Practice
Really hammer the fundamentals down. Animation specifics are a bouncing ball; A ball with a personality, multiple balls with different weights.
When you get fed up with staring at a bouncing ball do it for another couple of months past that, it cannot be stressed enough how important these first steps are.
If you come out of the bouncing ball phase with little understanding of the basics, it will propagate to any future work and unlearning bad habits is a tough slog.
Do it right from the beginning, spend as much time as you need nailing the basics and only then move on.
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Stare at people
(not in a creepy way people, let’s not get arrested)
Go to the park, the shop, watch videos of people doing stunts or feats of acrobatics.
Pay attention to how people move, walk, and hold themselves during what seems like a stressful phone call. You’ll start to build up a mental database of what people do, and ticks they may have when thinking, stressed or sad. It is these details that will breathe life into an animation, that takes it from a good animation into an amazing one.
Watch a lot of films you enjoy, actors you love. How do they show tension or show they are scared?
Seriously just look at people whenever you can, it is amazing the variance in how different people do very menial things like walking.
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Reference!
It’s rarely a good idea to wing it. Get online and collect as many references as you can. Don’t just look at it and copy it frame for frame. Begin thinking like an animator, how can you push real life to make it read better? Look at the lines of action in your reference, does the spine have a nice reverse C shape? An S Shape? Really dive into the mechanics of how these people are doing these things.
If you can’t find a reference for whatever you’re working on, get creative. Break its body down into parts. Tentacles: Check out how octopuses move around, how does seaweed flow underwater to represent tendrils in a low-gravity environment?
Really think outside the box if you are handling something super out there. Film your own reference, you will feel silly and would hate anyone seeing the footage but as long as you can do something safely then do it. I am not a small guy but I know I can do some dive rolls, I know I can handle a few big falls properly. We all have high-quality cameras in our pockets these days, so if you are tackling a shot just stand up and act the action out. Nothing will make you a better animator than “Feeling” how things work.
If You Could Give One Piece of Advice to New Animators, What Would It Be?
Don’t get attached to any single piece you do.
Sounds tough, but honestly putting your heart and soul into a piece of work only to have it get cut is crushing.
However, it is the reality of a creative medium, that a lot of stuff will never see the public eye.
It’s important to feel pride in your accomplishments and that you are talented enough to pull a tough shot off. However, 6 months down the line you will be creating those shots again to a much higher standard. You’ll have moments of clarity where something new just clicks and brings your animations to a whole new level!
Getting fixated on a single animation can hinder your ability to listen to critical feedback. That mindset sets you up for failure.
There have been many times I have thought something was amazing then someone rolls in “Yeah it looks off, this is wrong and this is wrong”; You’ll get defensive, but when you actually listen, go back and apply the changes there is a high chance the end product is WAY better than where it was at. There is also a chance it doesn’t but you tried so can now you progress.
What or Who Inspires Your Personal Work?
Tricky one, there is nothing more exciting to me than getting on YouTube and watching other people’s demo reels. It inspires me to constantly keep practising and increasing my skills.
I think on an individual level the animator “Jason Shum” of Superseed Studios really takes the cake here. His animation style tends to be on the bouncy, extreme, stretchy side of things, which is where I love to live as well. What stood out to me the moment I saw his work was not only his amazing skills as an artist but also his dedication to sharing that experience with others so they can learn, develop and grow.
What’s the Biggest Industry Trend That’s Impacting Your Work?
Motion and facial capture are a big deal now, especially with the release of next-gen consoles, players expectations are generally higher overall. People want epic blockbusters like The Last of Us: Part 2 or God of War which have ridiculous fidelity in performance capture.
More indie-level projects want to at least get close to this, some are content with throwing some Mixamo animations onto their character and calling it a day but others want that indie-level mocap experience.
Companies such as Rokoko allow this with their affordable suits. As long as client expectations are realistic it provides really quick, robust mocap animation!
And Finally, Your Favourite 3D Game?
Only a single game to choose?
I refuse to choose one so will give you my 2 tied games! Ghosts of Tsushima and God of War 2018.
Thanks to Rob for sharing his insights and top tips for anyone thinking about jumping into the world of 3D animation! If you’ve got more questions for Rob or any of our other talented artists, drop us a message – they’re always happy to share their knowledge.
Oh, and who else wants to see Rob’s dive rolls?
If you’re a game developer looking for standout 3D characters and animations for your project, get in touch. Our team of animators are ready and excited to collaborate with you.
