Now that the head has reached its extreme rotation toward screen left, I’m going to add 12 frames of moving hold. That means I’ll adjust the head a small amount so that it continues moving just enough to keep it alive. The head should continue to travel in the direction it was going. Figure 11 shows the first four keys in this motion. In addition to creating the slight drift, these 12 frames serve an even bigger purpose: They prepare the audience for the large headshake that follows.

[Figure 11] The head moves on a slight arc as it travels from right to left.

One of the biggest considerations for this shot is the anticipation for the violent action. I’m going to be shaking the character’s head back and forth in an effort to wake him up. A large exaggerated motion such as this demands plenty of anticipation. Remember, the bigger the action, the bigger the anticipation. Nine frames should be ample given the context of the scene.

The headshake begins at frame 44. The head is currently rotated to it s extreme screen left position. The first move occurs in 4 frames and hits on frame 48. This action is relatively quick and includes a sizable move. To lessen the abruptness, I’ve placed a key at frame 50 that’s slightly different from 48, which helps soften the drastic change.

The head moves back to the character’s left at frame 54 and back to the character’s right at frame 58. These two positions are followed by keys at 62 (character’s left) and 65 (character’s right). Notice I didn’t include the two-frame buffer that was placed on the initial rotation from frame 44 to 48. These successive motions aren’t nearly as large. In fact, each transition from left to right is smaller with each successive shake. The result is a “fading out” of the shaking.

As with the previous shot, I’m also paying attention to the forces involved. Although they are not as visible as the character’s turning body, they are just as important. There is actually a large contrast in the two shots in terms of which section is leading the movement. In sf01, the hips were in charge. They pulled the shoulders and head around as the body twisted. In sf02, however, the head is driving the action. It’s pulling the shoulders as it traverses back and forth. That means I’ll have a slight delay in the chest region. If the head reaches its extreme at frame 44, the shoulder will follow behind and hit at frame 47. The end result is an overlapping of action between the two sections creating a more organic and natural movement.

Sf03 will receive similar treatment creating more refined poses, attention to forces, arcs, and refined timing. One thing to note about this shot was the addition of a leap as the character enters the chair. Storyboards, reference video, thumbnails and quick pass all called for a traditional method to sit in the chair. However, after beginning the scene, I thought it could use some more exaggeration. Figure 12 shows the results of that change. I will go into further detail with this shot in Chapter 18: “The Finishing Touches.”

[Figure 12] The new method for sitting down incorporates a jump.