The Walk Cycle




As I have investigated further into my project, I have created an outline for one of my logo animations. As Americana World Community Center has an emphasis on their children's education and activity programs, I want an animation to focus on this care for children's well-being. Thus, I am featuring the silhouette of kids smiling, running, and morphing into the image of the Earth in Americana's logo. 

However, in order to do this, I need to learn how to complete a walk cycle (or run cycle, in this case) of a figure in After Effects. 

With the assistance of the article, "Easy Frame by Frame Walk Cycle" by the animation workshop platform Motion Design School, I can complete this walk cycle and deliver my vision for the logo animation. 

This article includes step-by-step instructions on how to keyframe the joints, pathways, and loops of animated segments. Following these instructions and understanding the animation process will be critical to both producing a successful piece and enhancing my digital art capabilities. However, what I found most critical was their detail suggestions. Including the realistic details in a piece can be the deciding factor between creating a "good" portfolio piece and a "great" one. 

The article recommends adding the four effects below:

  1. Motion Blur: Blurring elements of the character that swing during the walk cycle for increased realism.
  2. Foot Contact: Including a foundation to make it look as if the character is hitting, stable solid ground when walking.
  3. Shadows: Including a light source can enhance the atmosphere of the animation, and thus, the realism of shadows beneath feet, limbs, elements, etc.
  4. Secondary Motion: Finding the other elements that would be effected by the motion such as cloths and hair. Adding animations to these graphics make the figure and atmosphere even more realistic and cohesive with the motion.
In summary, understanding the instructions of how to produce a successful walk cycle as well as remembering the strategies to increase realism is pivotal to bringing my animation vision to life. 



Works Cited

Dudka, O. (2021, February 17). Easy Frame by Frame Walk Cycle. Easy Frame by Frame Walk Cycle Guide in After Effects. https://motiondesign.school/blog/easy-frame-by-frame-walk-cycle/



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