Collaboration: Final Lord of the Rings Skits

Recently been struggling a bit with my skits, however they are now complete but it took a while. Instead of having a walk cycle it was agreed that a shuffle would be better, but the shuffle done in the animatic video didn't express the character's exhaustion so I filmed a new one below, (I used Rhia as a Frodo reference and Laura as Gimli reference and myself (partly) as Gandalf).

Close ups of facial expressions which can't be seen that well in skits.



But then I saw these two animations and I liked how they did movement, however theirs is more lively so I tried combining their style of movement with my reference video and got my skit - so the glide stays and I like it.

Camera wise I took inspiration from Bill Plympton's 25 Ways To Quit Smoking, I liked the one camera shot that showed everything and everything that happened in the skit performed for the camera rather than the camera trying to capture everything with various shots.

Collaboration: LOTR Skit 2 - Progress 1

I've managed to do the basic animation for this skit but it's not there yet. I think the timing needs a bit more work and I think that's where it will become more funny, at the moment it's too slow. Next steps: Speed up the shuffling and see how that looks and try and emphasise the tiredness more in the shuffle. Also I'm going to use soft selection to make the ground plane look more terrain-like.

I'm also struggling with lighting, I have placed a directional light (1) rotated the same direction as the sunset in the painting is but for some reason I can't get it to cast shadows. I have another directional light (2) cast on the sign and darker side of the scene just so the sign can be seen but that light has shadows turned off.

DL 1: 1 Intensity 0 Exposure - DL 2: 0.5 Intensity Exposure 3

DL 1: 1 Intensity 0 Exposure - DL 2: 0.7 Intensity Exposure 3

DL 1: 1 Intensity 0 Exposure - DL 2: 0.9 Intensity Exposure 3

DL 1: 1 Intensity 1 Exposure - DL 2: 0.9 Intensity Exposure 3

Collaboration: LOTR Skit 2 - Progress 1

In this skit all the characters turn, to keep in theme with the shuffle I thought it'd be better to do more like a quick flick turn.

Collaboration: LOTR Skit 1 Animation Progress 2

Collaboration: LOTR Skit 1 Progress 1

I'm finally getting there with the shuffle - bare in mind the feet will be covered by grass but can't show that in the playblast. Still need to animate other half of skit in addition to refining what I have so far such as make Frodo look like he's gliding less, fix Legolas's arm movements, facial movements and adding slight head movement to all the characters.

Collaboration: LOTR Prop Models

Designs by Ruth.

LOTR Legolas's Arrows and Arrow Bag

Hobbit Rucksack


Gandalf's Staff

Safe vs Death Sign

Free Eagle Rides Sign

Collaboration: Lord of the Rings 'The Free Ride' Skit Set

Our sets will be mostly matte paintings rather than models, for the 'LOTR free eagles rides' skit, will be this with a sign (modelled) saying free rides with eagles next to it, the characters will shuffle up the grass (behind front plane).

Collaboration: Eagle Model (Updated)

The wings are now planes and when texturing, a double sided shader will be used.

Collaboration: Eagle Model

The Eagle Model (designed by Ruth) now ready to be passed on for texturing. - Paris.

Collaboration: Video References and Animatic Stills

Made by Ruth.

Because we couldn't paint onto the video, Ruth painted this still to convey our intentions. This skit is reoccurring throughout our animation so we've only created a reference for the first part, storyboard it's based on below.

Storyboard by Ruth

Made by Ruth.

Storyboard by Polly