Hello There! My name is Mustafe Ahmed, and this is my blog—a space to document my process and showcase my journey through the MA 3D Computer Animation course!
I have always been fascinated by 3D animation and CGI, drawn to how they bring stories, characters, and worlds to life in almost limitless ways. From intricate character animations to immersive environments, I love exploring the creative and technical aspects of the medium.
Through this course at UAL, I hope to refine my skills, push my creative boundaries, and gain invaluable experience and knowledge. My goal is to grow as an animator and storyteller, learning from my successes and challenges.
Part 5 – Refining the Beginning and Facial Motion Capture
“funny quote here”
While much of the previs focused on blocking out the sequence, this week shifted towards refining the opening scenes, ensuring they effectively set the tone for the animation. Lighting played a crucial role in shaping the atmosphere, guiding the audience’s emotions from the very first frame. By experimenting with different lighting setups, the goal was to create depth and contrast, reinforcing the weight of the story while keeping the visuals engaging.
Before
After
By balancing technical experimentation with storytelling refinement, the previs continues to evolve into a more immersive experience. Each adjustment, whether in lighting or character movement, helps bridge the gap between a rough animatic and a fully realized scene, strengthening the foundation for the final animation.
As the previs nears completion, the move from reality to fantasy becomes a major focus. While the chess encounter stays rooted in reality, it transforms into a more abstract, psychological fight. This move allows for more experimentation with framing, motion, and visual narrative, which increases the drama of the action.
Along with this progression, final touches are being given to older scenes to improve their clarity and timing. These changes guarantee a consistent flow throughout the animation, highlighting critical points while maintaining the overall pace. With each modification, the previs gets closer to a finished narrative that successfully combines reality and heightened drama.
Previs Part 3 – Refinement and Exploring New Perspectives
I’m getting too old for this stuff
This week’s progress concentrated on improving prior shots while gradually adding new ones, resulting in a refined and unified progression. Experimental technologies like 3D scans have been studied as part of the unit; however, this week opened up new options for depth inside the previs.
A visit to Tate Modern provided further insight into abstract storytelling. Various artists used fragmented imagery, shifting focal points, and layered compositions to evoke emotion and challenge perception. Most pieces had different ways of expressing art however enjoying more literal art did make some art underwhelming.
This approach aligns with the animation’s evolving visual style, particularly in its exploration of shifting perspectives blurring the line between reality and imagination during the chess match. Lighting, framing, and motion will be key tools in emphasizing the psychological intensity of the game.
The week reinforced the importance of abstraction in storytelling; encouraging a more dynamic visual language in previs development. using inspiration from anime much like Death Note where the 2 main characters often are engaged in a battle of wits and smarts, This paired with the trip to Tate Modern unlocked a deeper understanding of this animation.
As the previs develops, one major problem is ensuring that both characters—Prod Igy* and Maximus—are easily distinct in the rough animation. Previs is largely concerned with blocking out movement, staging, and camera angles, making it difficult to portray character identification in the absence of final models, textures, or full animation. To get around this, I added a second rig to differentiate their silhouettes, movements, and positions from one another.
wanting to experiment with camera angle and staging. Both play an important role in highlighting these distinctions. Maximus’ authority can be emphasised by placing him in a more dominant posture in some shots, whilst Prod Igy’s underdog status might be highlighted by using lower perspectives.
Ensuring that both characters are distinguishable enhances the visual flow and strengthens the narrative. By addressing these elements early, the foundation for the final animation becomes more solid, allowing the storytelling to shine!
Previsualization (previs) is where static ideas begin to move, taking the first steps toward a fully realized animation. This week, the focus has been on introducing characters within previs while exploring how movement, framing, and composition can communicate emotions even without facial expressions.
A character’s posture, gestures, and the way they occupy space can reveal as much as a facial expression. A slouched figure with slow, deliberate movements can convey exhaustion or defeat, while a sharp, rigid stance suggests determination or control. Subtle shifts in weight, hesitation in motion, or the speed of an action all contribute to emotional storytelling.
Understanding camera angles and framing is another essential tool in this process. A low-angle shot can make a character feel powerful, while a high-angle shot makes them seem small or vulnerable. Close-ups of hands gripping a chess piece, tightening into a fist, or hesitating over a move can speak louder than words. Wide shots can emphasize isolation or highlight the tension between two rivals.
This stage has been invaluable for refining the pacing and intensity of the animation. Further refinements will focus on smoother transitions, stronger blocking, and ensuring each shot enhances the emotional core of the scene.
Character creation often begins with a sketch, but compelling personalities can emerge without a single drawn line. Developing a character bio focuses on their, motivation, relationships and personality allowing them to feel real before any visual design takes shape.
For example, in the ongoing chess-themed narrative, two contrasting figures take the stage: Souta, the whimsical yet determined rookie, and Maximus, the legendary grandmaster seeking a lasting legacy. Their personalities, backstories, and motivations were shaped purely through written exploration establishing their stakes, quirks, and emotional depth before committing to any visual representation.
The images above are the animatics of the establishing shot and the first character introduction, deciding which character to focus on more will have a different impact on the story.
prod igy, the whimsical yet determined rookie as well as struggles to prove himself.
Maximus, the legendary grandmaster seeking a lasting legacy, whilst slowly dying.
A story that tries to balance two protagonists equally risks diluting its emotional impact. Both have strong motivations and emotional stakes, but one character may need to take the narrative lead for the story to resonate deeply. By choosing a primary lens through which to experience the story, the emotions, stakes, and payoff become more impactful. A well-written character isn’t just about backstory it’s about the journey the audience follows.
In visual storytelling, introducing a character and establishing a shot are crucial elements that shape audience perception. Establishing shots set the scene, providing spatial context and visual tone, while character introductions convey essential traits and motivations. Effectively applying these principles in storyboarding ensures a coherent and engaging narrative structure.
Establishing shots provide context, mood, and atmosphere, often using wide or extreme shots. In a hero’s journey, an alleyway setting the previs draft is about trying to create tension and isolation with dark, wet floors, scattered trash, and hazy lights. This setting reinforces themes of conflict and adversity.
For the chess match narrative, the establishing shot of an arena highlights the competitive stakes.
The Enjoyment of Letting Pre-Production Become Concepts
Pre-production / Pre visualisation is an essential stage where ideas take shape and evolve into tangible concepts. The freedom to explore different settings, compositions, and character portrayals fosters creativity and narrative depth, and has been educational and enjoyable. whilst also allowing for errors to arise which is encoruged as this is the refinement part of the project.
In the experimental unit, three storyboards were completed, each exploring unique narratives. After careful consideration, one storyboard was selected for pre-visualization. This final choice represented a concept that had been nurtured for some time, making its transition into pre-production an exciting milestone. The opportunity to see an idea that had existed only in fragments come to life on paper was deeply fulfilling, highlighting the creative possibilities of this process.
Dan Harmons story circle which allowed for a mind map and story structure
The shift to pre-production brought its own challenges, as it required translating ideas into practical, visual sequences. This stage highlighted the need for further refinement and a deeper understanding of pre-visualization techniques, such as framing, pacing, and continuity. While this process is still new and will require significant learning and iteration, it offers an invaluable opportunity for growth.
This is a screenshot of notes outlining improvements that can be made
The coming weeks will focus on rectifying narrative gaps, particularly by ensuring that the beginning of the story is as compelling and well-defined as the middle and end. Focusing on the idea of “Show don’t Tell” whilst introducing the main character compellingly. This approach aims to strengthen the storytelling foundation, ultimately resulting in a more polished and cohesive final product.
The experimental unit’s started with initial goal was to create three distinct storyboards, each of which explored a different narrative, character, and environment. Dan Harmon’s Story Circle methodology was used to help structure the sequences successfully. This method helps to break down each story into clear and purposeful sections, providing a consistent flow from the original setup to the resolution.
Dan Harmon’s Story Circle is a storytelling framework designed to structure narratives around character transformation and universal storytelling principles. It consists of eight steps, forming a circular path that characters follow through a journey of growth and change
Using the Story Circle allowed for the development of engaging arcs that emphasized character growth and meaningful stakes within the narratives. Each storyboard represented a unique concept with distinct world-building and characters, showcasing diverse settings and themes. These initial ideas remain in the rough draft stage but serve as a foundation for further refinement and exploration in future weeks.
An example of one of the stories and it’s thought-out world-building
While I thoroughly enjoyed fleshing out the ideas for my storyboards, particularly developing the worlds and characters, I found myself struggling with translating these concepts into visual sequences.
Sketching the storyboard was especially challenging when it came to determining effective camera angles to convey the mood and pacing of each scene. Balancing dynamic compositions with narrative clarity proved to be a complex task, as I aimed to ensure each frame not only communicated the story but also captured the emotional essence of the moment.
Despite these difficulties, the process highlighted the importance of visual storytelling and provided valuable insight into areas where I can improve.
