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Action Analysis

In this exercise we were asked to study and analyse the movement of birds and quadrupeds. Our research included; pictures, videos, sketches or animations of the subject.

Birds

I went to the harbour to collect some videos of birds in flight. I managed to collect quite a few videos of seagulls taking off and landing.

 

Below is each frame from just over a seconds footage of a gull taking off.

Action Analysis

For this exercise we were asked to research and analysis the movement of birds in flight and quadroped locomotion. The research i've done includes; photos, videos, animations, drawings and sketches.

Birds in Flight

Below is just over a seconds footage of a seagull taking off in an image sequence. Breaking the video into each frame as an image allowed me to look at every small movement and pose the gull had while taking flight.

Below is compilation of the footage I collected of birds in flight, I've selected some of the best shots of action and played them a second time slowed down so we can see the movement clearer.  

In the animation below of a seagull taking off I drew in the joints and rough skeleton of the bird to get a better understanding of the movement.

In the above two images I traced the silhouette of a seagulls taking flight to further understand the movement. The images portray how fast the action is, at first look it seems to be a mess of wings.

I've noticed that seagulls have much longer wings than I first realised, more than half seems to be tucked away when they aren't flying but you can see how elongated they become when in flight.

Quadruped

For my quadruped I chose to study dogs movements. I found it much more difficult to get a grasp of the movement of a quadroped, it's easy to get confused with 4 legs.

 

Below I've colour coded the legs to breakdown the action. The front back leg and the back front leg (green) mimic eachothers motion and vice versa with the back back leg and front front leg (red).

I've included this image sequence because dogs have a completely different foot pattern when they run. When they run the two front legs mimic each others movement as do the two back legs, as apposed to the walk when the adjacent front and back legs are the ones mimicking each other.

Below is compilation of the footage I collected of dogs walking & running, I've selected some of the best shots of action and played them a second time slowed down so we can see the movement clearer.  

I took one of the clips from the compilation and animated a rough skeleton over the slow downed clip, below is the result.

I did this so I could understand the way the skeleton would move in animation.

I took one of the clips from the compilation and animated a rough skeleton over the slow downed clip, below is the result.

I did this so I could understand the way the skeleton would move in animation.

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