Using Character Animator in Production

Discover practical ways to leverage Adobe Character Animator throughout the production process—from pre-production to post-production and delivery.

Introduction

• Introducing Adobe Character Animator
• What you should already know
• Using the exercise files
• Where you use Character Animator

1. Pre-Production

• Create the list of production needs
• Agree on style and design of the project
• Storyboard
• Create list of assets
• Budget
• Create usable digital puppets

2. Puppet Production Issues

• Image resolution of puppet files
• Working with drawn characters
• Working with objects
• Working with photos of people
• Working with a CG character
• Visual animation controls and triggers
• Shoulders move off of body
• Layers don't track with head
• Stop character snap back to default pose

3. Add Production Value

• Adding value to the look of your production
• Add up and down angles to your head
• Add in-between to your head turns
• Add breathing to a character
• Let your character walk
• Pre-animate your moves
• Add dangles for automated motion
• Capture the best eye movement
• Ground shadow that moves with a character
• Floating characters and props
• Use wind on your characters
• Create pose-to-pose movement
• Simulate stop-motion animation
• Have a character grab a prop
• Multi-part actions

4. Audio

• Find your missing microphone
• Fix audio input and output issues
• Record the clearest audio
• Use prerecorded audio
• Get the best lip sync
• Play sound effects with actions

5. Production

• Organize files for production, backup, and transport
• Use various triggers to control your character
• Use other real time transformations
• Use animation cycles
• Build and edit your scene
• Make changes to an existing puppet
• Cut between multiple live shots
• Retakes and editing

6. Troubleshooting

• Dangles drop too far
• Eyes don't focus
• Layers and actions don't work
• Keyboard triggers don't work
• Head isn't connected to the body
• Character warps when limb is moved
• Object distorts when dragged
• Joints bend the wrong direction
• Eyes disappear when blinking

7. Tricks

• Lighting for the best motion capture
• Where to set your camera
• The importance of "Set Rest Pose"
• Record live audio for the best head movement
• Slow motion recording
• Drag your character with motion trigger
• Shortcut to pause character head motion
• Make an arm go in front of and behind a character
• Hold prop upright
• Make layers and objects glow and flash

8. Post-Production

• Export scene as a movie
• Export scene as a PNG/WAV sequence
• Import a PNG sequence into After Effects
• Dynamic Link with After Effects or Premiere Pro
• Make changes for a client

9. Delivery

• Delivery and export of puppet files
• Deliver a final project
• Live production
• Live video setup with Wirecast
• Export to Facebook Live
• Export to YouTube Live
• Use Character Animator as your Skype avatar

10. Wrap

• Invoicing
• Backup

Conclusion

• Next steps