Duel Breakdown

Duel Sequence from Iuri Monteiro on Vimeo.

This was the approach I used to make the Duel Sequence.

First I wrote the idea of the shot, started sketching and making a lot a storyboards and poses.
At the same time, to keep the motivation, I usually make a reference style of animation.
I use this technic in concept art so I found myself confortable doing the same thing in animation.

Then I shot references and this was my first,

I tried to shoot different ideas of what I did in my storyboard

What do I do with the references? 

I extract the key poses and start polishing them. 

I analyse frame by frame and draw over every joint of the body, every mass of the body frame by frame to try to understand what is happening, how this part of the body affects the other and so on.

When I'm done with my notes and keyposes I usually don't come to my reference again so that I don't fall in the temptation of copying. I just watch it again if, for example, I don't know how to move certain parts in which I'm having serious difficulties, so in that case I study the reference again and take notes or shoot the reference again. 

First Blocking

What I have learned...

So these are my notes to create a good pose,

Things you should look for, (feel free to add more in the comments pls)

- Line of Action

-Silhuette

-What the pose is telling

-Twinning

-Contraposture / Force and opposite force

-Exageration

-Directing the eye

-Arcs

-Movement Resistance

- In and Out of a pose

-Squash and Stretch

-What part is leading and what part is following

- Movement flow (dynamic shapes)

-Quiet moments

-Appeal

-Weight Balance

-Contrast

-Look to the pose as a simple shape(like a square..)

- Laws of motion

Unfortunately I don't have the middle process to show..

I did a loop for the run in place and them I translated forward. What I have learnt with my mentor Thomas, was that the faster you run the less energy you waste so the less up and down your body will have while you run. So I used the loop for a fast approach translating him forward but then I refine the loop to address that note. 

I added some rocks and polish the camera moves as well as the composition.

As you can see I was struggling with the end so I shot a lot of references and tried to feel the poses and the body

Here are some:

I actually took some photos to help me figure out the poses.

I re-did the end part a lot of times

So I ended up with this,

And them I added some final polish 

Duel Sequence from Iuri Monteiro on Vimeo.

I feel like I failed with the acting because the guy should have continued chancing the other guy but I feel that I achieved a good piece of body mechanics and I have learned many things that I didn't know.

Hope you guys liked it ;)