Project 1: Planet Animation
Created by: Alisa Yang
Date due: Feb. 17, 2022
Tutorial Animation
The first animation was created by following the tutorial.
Modified Animation
The second animation was created by making 7 changes to the original tutorial animation.
In this modified animation, I tried to create a short story with this solar system. After thinking about familiar animation characters for a while, I chose angry birds and came up with this short story: The combat between green pigs and angry birds moves onto the solar system. The angry pigs used to occupy the Sun, but angry birds defeated other pigs, and only this one on the top of the Sun is left. In the end, a large number of angry birds besiege the only pig and their victory is coming.
Changes made to the original tutorial animation:
1. Added more realistic textures to the planets
Original
This is what the planets look like in the original tutorial, no textures.
Modified
I added real textures to the planets. These textures are downloaded from the Internet.
2. Translated the Y-axis of all the planets as they orbit around the sun
Original
Here all the planets have the same Y value.
Modified
Here I translated the planets' Y value in increasing numbers in order to make the sudden appearance of the birds more dramatic and dynamic.
3. Changed the Sun's rotation speed and enlarged its size
Original
Here the Sun does not rotate around itself at all. The scale of it is 4.
Modified
I changed the Sun's Y-axis self-rotation speed in order to create a kind of nervous feeling of the green pig as it is now besieged by so many birds. Also, I enlarged the Sun's size in order to make it fit into my background photo well. Now the scale of the Sun is 5.4.
4. Created and animated a new camera
Original
In the tutorial animation, I playblasted my animation through the top-Y camera so that it shows the kind of Fibonacci sequence or spiral form I want.
Modified
In the modified animation, I created a new camera and animated some keyframes of the camera so that when I playblast through this camera's view I can get the shot angle I want.
5. Added eighteen 3D models of angry birds on the planets and moons
These eighteen 3D models of angry birds are downloaded from the Internet. I created parent-and-child relationships between the planets, moons, and the birds so that the birds can follow the planets' orbits.
Model source:
https://sketchfab.com/search?q=angry+bird&type=models
https://rigmodels.com/index.php?manualsearch=1&searchkeyword=angry+bird
6. Added and animated the background
I think adding a background would be more interesting and engaging, so I searched for many images about angry birds in a space-like scene and finally found this image in the official gameplay trailer of Angry Birds Star Wars. Because the theme of this project is the solar system, I feel like this background photo works very well. I also animated this background at the beginning of the animation in order to make it fit with the camera view angle.
Source: https://youtu.be/dXzMN9pbxCE
7. Added a background music
I think music is very important to an interesting animation, so I initially searched for the classic music of the game Angry Birds 1, but I suddenly noticed that this music from Angry Birds 2 works better in my animation. I added this music at the last step by using an external video editor application.
Source: https://youtu.be/dXjFK1kOKhs