Jamaal Bradley has been Valve’s animator for 8 years and had worked at DreamWorks Animation before that, so he definitely knows what he’s talking about, and he’s not afraid to share his knowledge.
In a series of posts on LinkedIn, Bradley discussed hitting poses, offering tips for other animators using examples from The Croods.
He said that it’s possible to hit poses “without it having to feel SUPER pose-to-pose. Live in the pose with the characters’ thoughts, their breath, and what they are observing.”
You should also use references but also remove from or add things to them using your own ideas.
In another example, Bradley showed his production test done with animator James Baxter, where they tried to figure out a more cartoonish style but retain “natural beats with the acting.”
“So I hit graphic shapes on the face, snappy timing in some areas like transitions (not all), and crafted shapes in the poses,” he shared. “You can probably see that I was still hitting poses but just as in the other post I am keeping things alive. Moving holds, secondary action on the limbs, and my favorite was adding BREATHING to the talking and the still moments (also acting in the poses). There is also some subtle jiggle in the areas when we go from fast movements to a halt.”
Bradley noted that it’s not always like this, his strategy depends on the project. Perhaps you can take something away from his experience.
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