Speaking with Magik | Facial Animation

PRODUCING ‘SPEAKING WITH MAGIK’
Sculpted in Zbrush
Retopped, UVs and Eyes were handled in Blender
Blendshapes were Sculpted in Zbrush using Layers
Textured in Substance Painter
Animation Controllers were made in 3DS MAX
Rendered using Redshift

THE FACS SYSTEM WAS USED TO PRODUCE 66 INDIVIDUAL BLENDSHAPES FORTHIS PROJECT.
Some of the Micro Expressions do double up as both Individual versions and joint versions, e.g.
Left Eye Blink
Right Eye Blink
Both Eye Blink

‘Speaking with Magik’ was my Final Studio Project at the Glasgow School of Art, and took 11 weeks in total; from the conception and greenlighting of the project through first pass sculpt to final production animated character face.

I researched Blendshapes and Facial animation at the beginning of the semester before setting my sights on blendshapes as my final product. Using Zbrush I sculpted my characters head and face. I retopped her in Blender making sure she was animation ready and unwrapping her UVs. Before returning her to Zbrush to use layers to produce 66 blendshapes - these were all informed by my research into FACS or the ‘Facial Animation Coding System’, Her expressions range from key expressions like [lip puller] to micro expressions such as [nose wrinkler].

After which she was taken into 3DS Max and was set up with a viewport controller which included HI IK Solvers and Constraints to allow for greater control over all these expressions and her eyes. This allows for greater control over layering them together to produce a full range of facial expressions and lip syncing for her final performance. Additionally she was rigged in 3DS Max using Biped.

I loved this project and it allowed me to truly explore something I had always wanted to but was nervous about.