help me learn? lol

[ICEE]

hey, i've taken up animating again. its been a while since my attempts at a gravity hammer, so ive been trying some new things, and i feel ive improved. however, id really like some opinions from skilled animators. heres a render of my latest assault rifle reload, just to show a bit of my current knowledge and skill.

http://files.filefront.com/reloadmk3mov/;8702859;/fileinfo.html

THE PURPOSE OF THIS THREAD IS PURELY FOR CRITIQUE! I AM NOT LOOKING FOR ATTENTION, SHOWING OFF, TRYING TO OBTAIN REP, OR RELEASING A FINISHED PRODUCT! PLEASE POST ACCORDINGLY! thank you


things i am NOT looking for in this thread!:

flames

spams

rudeness (its totally possible to critique without being rude)

posts that begin with "sorry but..." ( im not looking for pity, im looking for advice)

comments such as "BUT THE ASSUALT RIFLE HAS BEEN DONE SO MANY TIMES!". i honestly dont care.

discouragement.


THINGS I AM LOOKING FOR IN THIS THREAD!

criticism

tips

general words of wisdom to help me better myself.





MY QUESTIONS:

what is the formula for a good grenade throw animation? ive been trying and trying to get it right, but i cant seem to find a good frame count, starting position for the throwing hand, or timing of the actual throw.


are there any ways i can control the elbow movements more? I R A CONTROL FREEK! and sometimes i just cant get them right.

FP model size? some people have told me that smaller is better, some people say that a normal size is best. frankly, i've found that i can get a better FP position out of a smaller model, but the hands are just to big and bulky to wrap around a tiny handle.

thanks for reading and listening.

looking for some help, I-C

[Kiwibird]

That animation was too stiff. It didn't look human at all. When MC is reaching for the clip, move the gun around a bit to make it look like he is looking for the clip.

[Rob Oplawar]

I'd recommend a bit of "noise" in the animation- people don't move perfectly from a to b; they waver a bit, and the movements are imperfect. Just, you know, have the arms waver a bit.

[Teh Ganon]

i would make the gun waggle slightly. Its also nice to differentiate other things as well.

[teh lag]

Too robotic. WAY too robotic. It needs to be more flowing, more in-between keyframes.

[343guiltymc]

Looks stiff when he was inserting the clip. Not even a robot can be that stiff.

[ICEE]

Too robotic. WAY too robotic. It needs to be more flowing, more in-between keyframes.


thanks a lot, ill return to max and mix it up a bit. will post a redone reload in a bit