Summer is a fantastic time to get research projects an extra boost. For example, I and few other CG&ARP members have been working on developing a stop-motion effect filter for CG animation. But first we have to study stop-motion animation from both artistic and mathematical perspectives. And this has been an eye-opener, at least for me, the CG&ARP Director. Each time I examine another example of stop-motion animation, I gain a new insight.
For example, it appears that stop-motion animators have target positions in mind, much akin to CG animation keyframes, as they animate a figure. But unlike CG animation, where interpolation is done via software, interpolation for stop-motion animation is accomplished in the mind of the animator, and this brings in a whole slew of questions. Such as, when stop-motion animators move a model too slowly (or quickly) when moving from one target to another, do they need to compensate by speeding up (or slowing down) the motion? And, if this is true, what is the precise nature of these adjustments?
Now, if I’ve wet your interest, perhaps you’ll consider joining this project. We’re looking for undergraduates students, and their instructors, to join us in CG&ARP, and more specifically in our current project. If interested, just click on CONTACT above and drop us a note. We can’t wait to hear from you!