Ayca's Blog

with Nigel

This week’s theory session focused on developing a stronger research proposal by refining our research questions and understanding how to structure an academic thesis effectively. We explored the key stages of proposal development, including defining a clear research title, planning chapter structures, outlining research methods, drafting an introduction, and developing an example chapter before revising the overall bibliography and literature review.

Alongside the proposal framework, we also discussed the importance of critical thinking in academic writing. Rather than approaching research through surface learning and simply collecting information, the session encouraged a deeper engagement with sources by questioning ideas, comparing perspectives, and identifying meaningful gaps within existing research. This reinforced the importance of building an argument rather than summarising information.

Outside of class, building on the ideas identified last week, I continued researching potential dissertation directions by looking at existing theses, journal articles, and practice-based animation research. I focused on projects exploring body language, emotional performance, and the application of animation principles to storytelling, comparing different approaches and identifying common research methods.

Rather than selecting a final topic immediately, I am using this research phase to evaluate which theme offers the strongest balance between academic investigation and practical animation production. To help refine these ideas further, I have booked a tutorial session where I plan to discuss the different research directions and receive feedback before deciding on a final dissertation proposal.

with Ting

This week focused on improving both workflow efficiency and animation quality. We attended a workshop covering AnimBot, Animation Layers, and Studio Library, learning how these tools can be combined to create a faster and more organized animation pipeline. During the session, we also continued developing the AnimBot exercise from the previous week, giving us more hands-on experience with the tools and reinforcing the techniques introduced earlier.

Outside of class, I received detailed feedback on my Advanced Animation Shot. The main observation was that the performance currently reads as a fairly vanilla walk cycle, and that the poses, timing, and spacing could all be pushed further to create a more entertaining and expressive performance. We discussed increasing asymmetry, refining unrealistic motion timings, and adding stronger Tom-style anticipations and facial expressions to better capture the personality of the character. To support these improvements, I spent time studying clips from Tom and Jerry, analyzing how anticipation, exaggeration, and facial acting contribute to the appeal and comedic timing of the animation.

In addition to this shot, I received my final feedback for both the Locomotion and Lip Sync assignments.

For the Lip Sync, the overall performance was considered successful, with only minor adjustments needed. The feedback suggested making certain mouth shapes and consonants more clearly defined to improve dialogue readability while preserving the natural flow of the animation.

For the Locomotion assignment, the spine movement was praised for feeling fluid and believable. The main improvements focused on tightening the animation by allowing the feet to remain planted on the ground for slightly longer, creating stronger weight and contact. I was also advised to switch the head motion to Follow World before making further refinements and to dedicate the final polishing pass to improving the tail animation. After receiving this feedback, I worked through each of these points, refining the shot while paying closer attention to timing, body mechanics, and overlapping motion.

Overall, this week combined technical workflow improvements with performance-focused polish, helping me strengthen both my efficiency as an animator and the quality of my final animations.

with Serra

This week was entirely focused on feedback, evaluation, and refining the direction of our AI data extraction project in TouchDesigner. After completing our latest round of technical testing, we successfully finalized the tracking system and established a stable foundation for the next development stage.

Our current setup now combines MediaPipe image and object detection with human confidence level analysis, allowing the system to identify subjects while generating confidence percentages in real time. Alongside these predictions, we also have continuously updating positional parameters and live data graphs that provide detailed information about the tracked movement and detected objects.

Rather than immediately moving into implementation, this week’s feedback session encouraged us to step back and reconsider the project’s final output. We discussed the importance of defining a clear target audience and creating a film that communicates our concept in an engaging and accessible way. Through these discussions, we realized that displaying raw AI predictions, numerical values, and complex graphs throughout the final piece would likely overwhelm viewers and reduce the impact of the experience.

As a result, we decided to shift towards a more visual and intuitive presentation. Instead of exposing technical data directly, the final film will rely on elements such as heatmaps, dynamic labels, and simplified visual feedback, allowing the audience to understand the AI’s interpretation of movement without being distracted by excessive numerical information.

This feedback process also helped us identify the next major milestone of the project. Before implementing the AI prediction feedback loop, we will determine which pose-tracking parameters are the most meaningful and expressive for our visual narrative. Selecting the right movement features will ensure that the AI-generated responses support the intended message while maintaining a clear and engaging user experience.

Overall, this was a highly productive week focused on reflection and creative direction rather than technical implementation. By refining the project’s goals, visual language, and audience experience, we established a much stronger foundation for the next stage of development and ensured that future technical decisions will directly support the final artistic outcome.

with Nigel

This session covered Harvard referencing conventions and further discussion around proposal development. 

Alongside lecture, I started thinking about possible connections between my final animation project and my thesis. Instead of approaching them as completely separate projects, I explored the idea of building both around a shared research theme that could support my practical work while providing a strong academic focus. As I am planning a character-driven piece that focuses on performance and emotion, I identified several broader research themes that could be valuable throughout both the production and thesis process.

At this stage, I am particularly interested in topics such as emotional storytelling through animation, non-verbal communication and character performance, and the application of animation principles to enhance audience engagement. Rather than committing to a single direction, I am using these themes as starting points for further investigation, as they all have the potential to directly inform the creative and technical decisions within my project.

Over the next few weeks, I plan to continue reviewing existing research and practice-based projects before refining my focus.

with Ting

This week began with an Animbot workshop, where we explored a range of tools and features designed to improve animation workflow efficiency. The session introduced practical shortcuts and techniques that can speed up common animation tasks, allowing animators to focus more on performance and less on repetitive technical processes. I found the workshop particularly useful as it demonstrated how professional tools can streamline blocking, posing, and polishing stages. Learning these workflow improvements will help me work more efficiently in future projects.

To reinforce what we learned, we completed a practical an exercise, applying these new tools in a simple animation task. Working through the exercise gave me a better understanding of how professional workflow tools can increase efficiency while maintaining animation quality, and it helped me become more comfortable integrating AnimBot into my everyday process.

Following the workshop, I continued developing my Advanced Animation Shot in the Blocking Plus stage. During this week, I received feedback on several aspects of my shot, particularly regarding posture, symmetry, camera movement and overall visual interest. It was pointed out that some of my poses felt too symmetrical, which reduced the appeal and naturalism of the performance. To address this, I adjusted the character’s posture and introduced more asymmetry throughout the poses to create a stronger and more dynamic silhouette.

Another area of discussion was the prop used in the shot. Initially, I used a ball as the main prop, but feedback suggested that replacing it with an object of greater value or significance could strengthen the narrative and make the character’s actions feel more meaningful. While I applied the majority of the feedback throughout the week, I am still exploring alternative prop ideas and have not yet settled on a replacement that fully supports the performance.

Overall, this week focused on responding to feedback and improving the quality of the shot through stronger posing, clearer acting choices, and more thoughtful storytelling decisions. The process reinforced how small changes in posture, asymmetry, and prop selection can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of an animation.

with Serra

This week focused on the early testing phase of our AI data extraction project in TouchDesigner. The main objective was to explore different tracking solutions and evaluate which methods would be most suitable for extracting meaningful data from live video input.

We began experimenting with MediaPipe and tested several of its tracking capabilities, including body, face, and hand tracking. These tests helped us understand the strengths and limitations of each approach and how accurately they could capture movement data in real-time. Through these experiments, we started identifying which tracking methods might be the most effective for our project goals.

Alongside the tracking tests, we also explored different camera input setups. One of the main tasks was connecting a smartphone camera to TouchDesigner to achieve a more flexible filming setup. We experimented with OBS and related tools to stream the phone camera feed into the project, testing both connection stability and image quality. This allowed us to compare webcam and phone camera inputs and evaluate which option would provide the most reliable data for future development.

Overall, this week was dedicated to technical research and experimentation. By testing various tracking methods and camera configurations, we gained a clearer understanding of the tools available and established a stronger foundation for the next stages of the project. In addition, we continued researching and watching tutorials related to TouchDesigner, MediaPipe, and real-time tracking workflows to better understand the development process and prepare for the next implementation stages of the project.

with Nigel

This week’s materials focused on progressing towards the thesis proposal, and I continued reflecting on the feedback received during the tutorial. Since I had started reconsidering my original direction, I spent more time researching possible alternative topics and comparing the availability of academic sources related to each area.

I also reviewed the uploaded guidance documents and thought about which kinds of topics would allow for deeper analysis and more flexibility in research. During this process, I continued gathering references and reading around several themes that interested me, while gradually narrowing down potential directions.

with Ting

This week I revisited my previous lip sync dialogue shot and continued refining it based on the feedback I received earlier. I refined several facial poses to improve the clarity and readability of the expressions, making the performance feel stronger and more intentional overall. After adjusting the facial performance, I also cleaned up and clarified the lip sync to create a better connection between the dialogue and the character’s acting.

During this process, I realised that my initial approach to lip sync was too literal. At first, I was keying a distinct mouth shape for almost every individual sound and letter. However, after studying my reference more carefully, I noticed that natural speech does not require every phoneme to be fully posed. Trying to animate every sound separately made the lip sync feel overly busy and visually cluttered. Instead, simplifying certain transitions and focusing only on the most important mouth shapes made the performance appear much clearer and more natural. This observation helped me better understand the importance of selectivity and readability in facial animation.

Alongside this, I officially began blocking for my advanced animation shot. Since this assignment is entirely self-directed, working on a shot that I personally planned and designed felt especially motivating and enjoyable. I started building the main poses and timing for the pantomime performance while experimenting with more exaggerated and cartoony acting choices. Additionally, this shot required the use of technical elements such as parenting and object interaction, which gave me the opportunity to further practice an area that I previously felt less confident in. It also helped me better understand how to use the camera more effectively to support the performance and staging of the shot. Applying these technical setups within an actual performance-based animation helped me better understand how they contribute to creating cleaner and more controllable workflows. Compared to previous assignments, this process felt much more creatively open, allowing me to focus more on personality, appeal, and entertainment within the animation.

with Serra

This week focused on experimenting with RealityScan and photogrammetry workflows. We explored the process of scanning real-world objects and environments and converting them into digital assets that could later be integrated into Unreal Engine. The process was more challenging than some of the previous workshops, particularly when trying to achieve accurate and clean scans, but it was still very interesting to observe how physical objects could be translated into digital environments. Seeing the results gradually improve throughout the process made the session engaging and rewarding.

Alongside the practical workshop, we continued researching possible directions for our project and looking into artists and creative technologies connected to experimental digital media, AI systems, and interactive visuals. We also continued discussing how movement tracking, generative visuals, and real-time systems could potentially work together within our final outcome. Compared to earlier weeks, our research and experimentation started to feel more connected, and we began developing a clearer understanding of the technical possibilities and creative direction of the project.

with Nigel

This week I attended my tutorial session and received feedback on my literature review work. The discussion helped me reflect more critically on the direction of my research and the types of sources available for further development. Based on the feedback and my own review of the literature, I realised that I would benefit from exploring a topic area that offered broader opportunities for analysis and a wider range of existing research materials.

Following this, I started researching alternative directions and exploring themes that appeared to have more diverse academic discussions and stronger research potential. I also reviewed the thesis proposal structure document on Moodle to better understand how different ideas could eventually develop into a proposal.

with Ting

This week focused on polishing the creature animation assignment. Based on the feedback I received, I refined the lion locomotion by improving the sense of grounding, weight, and overall body connection throughout the movement. I adjusted the body positioning to make the animation feel more stable and believable, while also refining the leg timing and adding more clarity to the paw and shoulder movement. These changes helped the locomotion feel less mechanical and more naturally connected as a full-body performance. Working through this feedback made me more aware of how subtle adjustments in timing, rotation, and body positioning can greatly affect the realism and flow of creature animation.

At the same time, we were introduced to the planning stage for the advanced animation shot assignment. After considering the different options, I decided to create a pantomime acting shot because I wanted to explore a more cartoony and expressive style of animation. I began gathering references and searching for a suitable rig that would support exaggerated poses and stylised movement. Researching references was particularly enjoyable, as it allowed me to think more creatively about performance, timing, and visual appeal. Since this shot is more performance-driven, I wanted to focus on pushing expressions and body language further than I had in previous assignments.

with Serra

This week we explored creating 360 videos in Unreal Engine. During a previous collaboration unit, we had already experimented with 360 video production using a different software, so it was interesting to compare the workflows and overall production process. Using Unreal Engine felt much more efficient and accessible, especially because of the real-time workflow and the simplicity of setting up immersive environments. I found the session very enjoyable, and it showed how flexible Unreal Engine can be for creating interactive and immersive visual experiences.

Alongside the technical workshop, we also continued developing our group project ideas. Following the feedback session from the previous week, we spent more time researching interactive systems, AI-driven visuals, and experimental workflows that could support our concept. We continued watching tutorials related to TouchDesigner, AI plugins, and real-time interaction systems while discussing how these technologies could be combined within our project. At this stage, our process was still heavily research-based, but our ideas were gradually becoming more focused both technically and conceptually.

with Nigel

This week’s session focused on feedback for the literature review and discussing next steps for the thesis proposal. I was unable to attend the live session due to a Course Committee meeting, but I reviewed the Moodle materials afterwards and kept up with the session content independently.

I also signed up for a tutorial slot to receive feedback on my literature review for next week.

with Ting

This week each group presented their creature studies. Listening to every group’s detailed analysis of different animals was extremely interesting, but also very educational from an animation standpoint. Seeing how anatomy influences movement across different species gave me a much broader understanding of creature locomotion and performance design. Our bear presentation focused on weight, balance, plantigrade movement, and the contrast between heaviness and agility in bear locomotion.

After receiving feedback on my dialogue shot, I made a few final body animation adjustments and then moved into facial animation. Since the facial performance initially felt too subtle, I pushed the facial poses further and made the transitions snappier to create clearer emotional readability. I also added eye darts and incorporated anticipation before larger opening poses to strengthen the timing and performance. I prepared the updated version for the next feedback session, and my plan for the following week is to address the remaining feedback and finally move into the lip sync stage.

At the same time, I also began the blocking phase of the creature locomotion assignment. After reviewing all the creature presentations and references, I chose lions and gathered reference footage from multiple perspectives and started analyzing their movement patterns and moved onto blocking.

with Serra

This week focused on presenting our project progress and receiving feedback on both the technical and creative direction of the project. 

A large part of the feedback session focused on the technical aspects of the project and whether we would realistically have the necessary infrastructure and tools to achieve our ideas. We talked about possible tracking methods and interactive technologies that could support the project, and our tutor suggested experimenting with tools such as Kinect and Leap Motion for movement tracking and interaction. This discussion was especially useful because it helped us better understand the technical limitations and possibilities before moving further into production.

On the creative side, we received suggestions to research artists working with data visualization, glitch aesthetics, and experimental digital media. One of the references mentioned was Rosa Menkman, whose work explores digital artifacts, glitches, and the relationship between technology and visual communication. We were encouraged to look into the concepts and technical approaches used by artists working in similar areas, especially those combining real-time systems, AI, and data-driven visuals.

I found this feedback session very valuable because it showed how important research is, not only technically but also conceptually. It also gave us a clearer direction for how we can develop our own project while balancing experimentation with a stronger conceptual framework.

with Nigel

This week’s session focused on continuing the development of research design strategies and methods. We explored how different methodological approaches shape a project and how choosing the right method depends on the research question.

The lecture helped clarify the relationship between research design and methodology, especially how they work together to structure a study. We also looked at key reference materials that can support our understanding and guide our decisions when planning research.

with Ting

This week in class we were introduced to creature animation and started preparing for a group creature study presentation. We were divided into groups and asked to choose an animal, then prepare a presentation for the following week focusing on its anatomy, locomotion, movement patterns, and overall characteristics. My group chose bears, so we started researching references, watching documentaries and locomotion videos, and analyzing their movement frame by frame. It became one of the most interesting parts of the course for me because the deeper we looked into the anatomy, the clearer it became how directly structure affects locomotion, weight distribution, rhythm, and balance. Observing how the spine, shoulders, hips, and paws work together during movement was very useful from an animation perspective.

For the dialogue shot assignment, I decided to focus entirely on polishing the body animation before moving into facial animation and lip sync. This was also the main direction of the feedback I received. I worked on making the poses feel less floaty and more grounded and snappy. One of the biggest challenges during this process was maintaining continuity through the spine, neck, and head movement while still keeping the performance dynamic and readable. After several passes, I managed to make the movement feel more connected and natural. I also pushed the poses further by exaggerating them more and prepared the shot for the following week’s feedback session.

with Serra

This week’s session focused on learning the basics of NDisplay in Unreal Engine. After being introduced to the technical setup and seeing examples in class, we experimented with creating our own animated visuals and environments using the NDisplay system.

I especially enjoyed the hands-on aspect of the session because it allowed us to freely test different visual ideas and immediately see the results in real time. Creating my own animation setup was both fun and useful for understanding how projection, camera perspective, and screen space interact inside Unreal Engine. 

Outside of the class exercises, I also started discussing ideas for our group project. We decided that we wanted to experiment with TouchDesigner and explore AI as the central theme of our project. At this stage, we mainly focused on research and idea development. We watched tutorials about TouchDesigner AI plugins, training models, and interactive workflows to better understand what kinds of systems and interactions we could create.

During this early brainstorming process, we developed a few possible concepts related to AI learning, behavior imitation, and data visualization. These ideas became the foundation for the feedback session in Week 4.

with Nigel

This week’s lecture focused on research design and methodological approaches. The session explored how to structure a research project in order to effectively answer a research question or develop a hypothesis.

A key focus was on aligning the research question with an appropriate method. The lecture emphasized that methodology should not be an afterthought, but an integral part of how the research is conceptualised from the beginning.

We also looked at different research strategies and how they influence the direction of a project. The importance of building a logical structure from question to method to outcome was highlighted throughout the session.

with Ting

This week began with a breathing idle animation workshop, which focused on creating subtle and believable breathing motion to bring characters to life, even when they are standing still. The workshop highlighted the importance of small movements in the chest, shoulders, and overall body posture, demonstrating how these details can make a character feel more natural and present. It was an engaging session that provided useful techniques for adding life and personality to otherwise static poses.

Following the workshop, I continued developing my dialogue shot assignment, building directly on the initial blocking completed in Week 11 with a focus on refinement and improving performance clarity.

Based on feedback, I recognised that my initial reference was not sufficiently strong, particularly in terms of acting clarity and camera composition. As a result, I recorded a new reference with more exaggerated acting choices and a revised camera angle. This adjustment significantly improved the readability of the performance, as clearer poses and stronger intentions became more visible.

Following this, I progressed the shot by reworking the blocking and beginning to integrate lip sync in alignment with the feedback. This stage required balancing multiple components simultaneously, including body mechanics, facial performance, and timing. Introducing lip sync at this stage added a layer of complexity, as it required precise coordination between audio and mouth shapes while maintaining the overall flow of the performance.

Although lip sync remained challenging, I found that working with a stronger reference made the process more manageable. The exaggerated acting provided clearer cues for both timing and expression, allowing for more controlled decision-making.

Overall, this week reinforced the importance of strong reference material and demonstrated how revisiting earlier stages such as acting and camera setup can significantly improve the outcome of the animation. The breathing idle workshop also emphasised how subtle secondary motion can enhance character believability, complementing the performance-focused work completed throughout the assignment.

with Serra

The second session introduced us to virtual production tools and workflows, including VCam and related plugins. We explored tools like Live Link, Virtual Camera systems, and Unreal-based production utilities, which opened up a completely new way of thinking about real-time production and interaction between physical and digital environments. I found this session particularly engaging because it connected technical tools with creative experimentation.

The idea of controlling a virtual camera through a phone and seeing real-time results was especially interesting. It made the process feel more immediate and intuitive compared to traditional pipelines. 

While being introduced to virtual production and real-time workflows, I found myself particularly drawn to the idea of working with live systems rather than fixed outputs. This led me to start thinking more seriously about the direction I want to take for the experimental unit. I am currently leaning towards the Expanded Animation brief. I am especially interested in experimenting with TouchDesigner as a tool to build generative and responsive visual systems. The idea of creating something that evolves, reacts, and potentially behaves unpredictably feels much more aligned with my interests, particularly after being introduced to virtual production. Moving forward, I want to test how these tools can be combined to create a more immersive and experimental form of animation.

with Nigel

This week’s session introduced the overall structure and timeline of the thesis proposal. The lecture focused on understanding the key components required for a successful proposal, including research question, methodology, and literature engagement.

At this early stage, I began thinking more critically about potential thesis topics. One of the main points emphasized in the session was that a strong topic should not only reflect personal interest but also be feasible within the given timeframe and supported by sufficient academic resources.

This made me reconsider how I approach topic selection. Rather than choosing something purely based on interest, I started to think about:

• the availability of academic sources
• the clarity of a potential research question
• whether the topic can lead to a structured argument

with Ting

This week marked the beginning of the new term and the introduction of dialogue-based animation.

We began with a lecture introducing the principles of dialogue animation and the workflow involved in creating a dialogue shot. The session explored the importance of performance, acting choices, and clear communication through animation, providing a foundation for the upcoming assignment.

Following the lecture, we participated in an overlap workshop during class. It was both enjoyable and highly informative, introducing practical techniques and shortcuts for creating overlap more efficiently. The workshop demonstrated how overlap contributes to more natural and believable movement while offering useful workflow tips that can speed up the animation process. This helped strengthen my understanding of secondary motion and provided techniques that I can apply in future projects.

Afterwards, we began working on a dialogue shot blocking assignment by first developing a performance through reference recording. At this stage, the focus was on establishing clear acting choices using body poses and facial poses, without yet considering detailed facial animation or lip sync. This approach allowed me to concentrate on the overall structure and intention of the performance.

I found this stage both engaging and challenging. While I felt relatively confident constructing body poses due to prior experience with body mechanics, integrating these with clear acting intentions required more deliberate decision-making. Ensuring that the performance was readable without relying on detailed facial animation highlighted the importance of strong posing.

Additionally, lip sync was introduced conceptually, and I began a self-study to understand its technical requirements. Even at this early stage, it was clear that lip sync would be a challenging aspect due to its precision and its close relationship with facial animation.

Overall, this week established the foundation for dialogue animation, focusing on structure, posing, performance clarity, and a deeper understanding of overlap techniques that can enhance both animation quality and workflow efficiency.

with Serra

The first session introduced the structure of the unit and focused on designing for the user. We were given two briefs to choose from, which made me start thinking about the direction of my project and how to align it with the course expectations. I will also keep in mind the techniques and softwares I might want to experiment with, so I can choose a brief that aligns with both my interests and potential technical exploration.

with Ting

This final week before the break introduced dialogue, acting, and subtext, expanding the scope of performance.

The addition of dialogue required a deeper understanding of intention and delivery. Performance became more layered, combining physical action with vocal expression.

During the term break, I conducted a professional artist interview, which provided insight into industry practices.

with Nigel

This week’s lecture focused on academic writing techniques, including quoting, paraphrasing, and maintaining ethical standards. We also discussed how to compare sources and develop a critical argument within a literature review.

During the break I finished writing my literature review. Instead of simply summarizing sources, I aimed to create connections between them and highlight different perspectives.

Through writing, I reached a more nuanced understanding of my topic. While visual elements do play an important role, they do not operate independently. Narrative context and psychological factors also contribute significantly to how audiences perceive and emotionally engage with characters.

This realization showed me that research is not only about confirming an idea, but often about complicating it and developing a deeper understanding.

with Ting

This week included several industry talks and discussions about internships, networking, and career development within the animation industry. Hearing directly from professionals provided valuable insight into studio expectations and potential career pathways after graduation.