PROJECT 4: MOTION PATH ROLLERCOASTER
Due Tuesday, March 21st, 2019
In this project, we sought to understand motion paths in animating a rollercoaster.
Storyboard
First and foremost, here is my storyboard for the animation. Short and sweet, as there is nothing super special about this animation from a cinematographic point of view as the entire thing will be captured in first person, so the bulk of the interest comes from the design of the roller coaster itself:
Principles Used
Once again, we are attempting to use the Disney 12 Principles of Animation to make our animations look better!
Slow In, Slow Out:
Whatever the cart does, it always eases in and out of the motions, as there is no place in the animation where the movement of the cart (and consequently the camera) is linear.
Anticipation:
At every bump in the coaster, the viewer is able to anticipate the drop that is coming. In the very first hill specifically, the cart actually comes to almost a complete stop to allow the viewer to anticipate and almost feel the speed and intensity of the drop ahead.
Timing:
For the coaster to look realistic, the timing on each of the curves and the turns needs to be correct. Too fast, and the rollercoaster feels floaty. Too slow, and the cart feels like it's sliding on the track rather than rolling on it.
Video
Below is the full rollercoaster ride! Please enjoy (and keep your hands and feet within the ride at all times)!
Addendum: Camera Movement and Focal Length
One of the things I focused on in this project was the camera movement to try and minimize the negative effects of high speed motion like this (i.e. motion sickness). One of the ways in which I did this was making a separate motion path for the aim of the camera - this motion path was essentially the same as the cart's, albeit pitched up and modified to account for timing differences. The camera would essentially use this motion path to anticipate the motion of the cart and look in the direction that the cart will be going, rather than just straight ahead.
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Another thing that I tried to do was to change the focal length of the camera (and thus the field of view) to depict the changing speed of the cart - you can see subtle changes to the focal length every time that the cart goes down a "hill", decreasing the focal length as speed increases, and increasing focal length as speed decreases.
Both of these effects serve to try and create a more natural view of the roller coaster as the cart is moving, emulating head movement and visual effects rather than just a stationary camera.