Year 2 Group – Good Luck
In this collaborative project, I was responsible for the animation of a shot, specifically the animation of hair floating in water. This task was quite challenging for me because animating hair movement requires delicate handling of dynamics, and the movement pattern underwater is even more complex. I had to consider factors such as the influence of water flow, the change in the hair’s weight, and the overall smoothness of the motion.
To ensure the animation looked natural and fluid, I collected a large number of reference materials, including videos of long hair floating underwater and 2D animation examples, hoping to find suitable motion patterns. However, the available reference materials were quite limited. Most cases were either real-life footage, which lacked clear motion breakdowns, or hair moving in the wind, which behaved differently from underwater motion. Because of this, I decided to conduct animation experiments on my own. By making multiple adjustments to the timing, smoothness, and layering of hair strands, I aimed to achieve a movement effect that closely matched the underwater environment.
In the second week, our team leader provided feedback, acknowledging the fluidity and detail in my animation while suggesting that I increase the amplitude of the hair’s movement. Following this feedback, I made the necessary modifications and successfully completed the task.
Although I encountered several challenges along the way—such as how to make the hair movement feel both light and naturally weighted—I gained a deeper understanding of this type of animation through continuous trial and refinement. This experience not only helped me improve my ability to animate underwater effects but also taught me the importance of using experience and observation to deduce animation movement patterns when direct references are lacking. In my future projects, I plan to apply the same approach to problem-solving and animation refinement.
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