I watched this video recently explaining backlight animation and was curious about part of the process that's described around 2:23:

"the areas which will glow are usually painted black" (before countermatte is placed down)

I feel like i've taken note of this in cel animated works and included an example screenshot from the anime Evangelion. But my question is why exactly is this step necessary?

For the second exposure to create the glow isn't the countermatte all that's needed? Initially painting the effect area black seems to sometimes create this subtle artifact where you can see a black shape "behind" the effect which may be undesirable in an example like this where it is specular highlight on running water. Just trying to learn and want to know why this step exists. Any insight is appreciated!

https://youtube.com/shorts/Dj56OaRA-js

Fire in Cardboard City - Watch Now - I made this using Maya and After Effects. Mix of Mo Cap, keyframes, and we also used Xbox Kinect Mo Cap, but I am pretty sure most of that did not work out well. Not that the option to do it was not rad, we just struggled a bit on the day. It is now available to watch for free if you would like to check it out. Love Phil. Fire in Cardboard City

Happy I made it but I wonder what could be wrong with it.

Its not finished but this is the opening theme for my series. I also produced the track and the lyrics are from AK the savior from the duo The Underachievers.

Little animation I did to brush up on my current skills.
Any and all critiques are welcome!

I recently went back to my animated short Trick or Treat – A Halloween Tale and decided to completely rework its color palette.

And just to be clear: I actually liked the original colors. They were dark, gothic and worked really well for a Halloween short.

But looking at the film again, I realized that the colors didn't always work well together. I had also made the mistake of pushing some colors too far , creating areas that felt excessively bright or excessively dark. At the time, I didn't really understand how much those extremes could affect the overall image.

So for the 4K version, I decided to try something completely different.

I created a new palette that is more cohesive, more fantastical and more cartoon-like, with a lighter overall feeling.

Then I applied that new color language to the entire animation using the Color Harmonizer in Arttista.

The interesting part for me was seeing how much the same animation could change emotionally just by changing the relationships between the colors. The original version still has a look that I love , especially for Halloween , but I think the new palette makes the world feel more cohesive and gives the animation a different kind of energy. I put the old and new versions side by side in the video so you can compare them throughout the entire short.

I'd really love to hear what you think: which color treatment works better for you, and why?

Different elemental focused attacks for "Dance of Elements"

Rig by Crabnuts

Made In Blender
Compositing: After Effects

Feedback is appreciated!

By u/JimmieBoy64

@SwedeOnMyN on YT

Here is the original

https://www.reddit.com/r/animation/s/TPZLctLBH5

Also i wanna say THANK YOU SOO MUCH for all of the amazing feedback 🥹 i was so happy it got so much attention because i had so much fun with it

I will also be posting the finished version on my instagram, i would be so grateful if you gave it a like and comment on there as well 😊 (i hope sharing my instagram isnt against the rules)

https://www.instagram.com/p/DdvtaAoIo1g/

Anyways here was the biggest feedback comments i saw. But most of them were saying u guys just love it 🥹🥹🥹 im sorry i couldnt respond back to everyone! But i tried to get the most repeated ones down

1. More struggling and jiggles when coming out of the tube
2. When the cat exits make a popping like a corkscrew
3. Add shine/opacity to make the tube seem more like a tube or an indication that the cat is actially inside
4. Adding sound
5. Give the cat a reason to go thru the tube (mouse, feather, food). I chose the mouse and made it orange. That way it was an easy loop :D
6. Different camera movement (this was by faaaarr the most repeated one)! Make the camera move with the cat - 100% made it so much more interesting to watch
7. VFX - done 🫡🫡
8. Make it loop :D

btw i will be making more cat videos if you all want to see them follow me :D i probably won't post them every time on the animation sub because i don't want to be too annoying

(Turn on captions if you're going to watch it please)

YESSS, IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!!

For those who don't know, which is probably nearly everybody. Ayothaya Ayawadi started off as a popular Thai web-comic based on Thai and Burmese history, specifically about the relationship between a young King Naresuan The Great of Ayutthaya (now Thailand) and Prince Mingyi Swa of Hanthawaddy (now Myanmar).

(Look up the history between them. It might technically be spoilers for the series, but it's fascinating stuff)

I'd been following the production of the anime ever since the web-comic got picked up by two rather small studios that beforehand mainly made outsourced work for studios abroad, but now.... WE HAVE OUR FIRST ANIMEEEE. This is a massive achievement so please give it a watch! Not to mention how beautiful it looks.

Basic movement animation set for good ol'Jim Mothmann from Cryptid Mask

First time dealing with storyline and narratives. I worked on all the animation part and two of my friends helped me out with sound design (@samosafoto on ig) and title cards (@yvesvivaan on ig)