Critique:
In the modeling, we see a simple toy, which was definitely the project goal. The “head” of the toy pushes into the base, like a button, and then pops out suddenly. The face revolves around inside of the “head”, making a fun sound and landing on a random face. The texturing on the head looks worn, probably from being pushed down repeatedly. Subtle details were also added to show scratches and prints on the paint, although they aren’t as prominent in the rendering.
The overall structure is good. The toy appears to be hard plastic, and is a bit bulky, causing one to believe that it is older. The wireframe structure looks good, and the skin is solid. The animation itself appears decent, although the wobble feels a little off. The wobble should’ve been more circular to match the object’s base. Also, once again the rendering could be stronger, although the cheaper computer doesn’t help.
Looking at the object, one can see that there is more wear and tear on the head and face than the rest of it. This is due to those parts being the points of impact for the hand. Over time a child’s hand would wear down the paint and smooth it out. The lines on the face shows where the paint was scooped out by the inner workings over time. These small details really add to the piece overall. The sound effects also make it stronger, in my opinion. They are all original/ custom, which took a bit to get right. But once they were all there, it was just like a puzzle. Overall, these details strengthen it.
The lighting is strong in this piece. The last project had some issues with lighting, and I feel that those issues were fixed with this one. The toy really seems to be a part of the photo behind it. The shadows are softer and look more realistic as well.
The hardest part of this project was time. I ended up having more on my plate than I ever thought I would as a student. As soon as I got behind on the project, it was really hard to catch up. I’m glad that I went with a really simple idea, and that I was able to finish the animation on time. I’m not completely happy with the final product’s movements, but the shading and the shadows look really good. It really blends in with the environment, and I’m proud of that.
Overall, I believe, although it is very simple, this captures the premise of the project. I wish the camera angle was a bit better, and that the wobble was cleaner. However, I believe the shading, shadows, and the sounds save it in the end. The way the face turns is realistic too, it really feels like a mechanical toy. Thus, this project is a success.
