This week, I finalised the storyboard and shot planning for my Advanced Animation project. After reviewing different ideas, I decided to focus on a simple but physically demanding action: opening a washing machine door. Although the action appears straightforward, I realised that it provides a good opportunity to study weight, force, and body mechanics.
To explore different performance possibilities, I planned two versions of the shot. In the first version, the character crouches down and uses both hands to pull the washing machine door open. In the second version, the character remains standing and pulls the door with greater effort from above. By comparing these two approaches, I hope to understand how posture influences the perception of force and weight.
While developing the storyboard, I spent time thinking about how people communicate effort through movement. When a person pulls a heavy object, the audience does not only read the action through the arms. The feeling of effort is often shown through the entire body, including weight shifts, body lean, shoulder tension, and even facial expressions. This made me realise that successful animation is not simply about completing an action, but about communicating the character’s physical experience to the audience.
Overall, this week helped me think more critically about force and physical acting. As I move into blocking, I want to focus not only on the mechanics of opening the door but also on how the character’s body communicates effort, resistance, and intention throughout the action.
