Before starting, there is some facial knowledge:
- Step1: Find an audio clip (in PR)
- Step 2: Act out (yourself or a friend) performance to the audio (lip-syncing)
It’s recorded, but I’m a little embarrassed to put the video up.
- Step 3: Convert the audio (if needed) and match it to your performance footage
Cut it out in PR, and import it in AE, rendering the sequence.
Be careful the name, use in Maya, there should be a . instead of _.
- Step 4: In Maya, create lip-sync (jaw bounce and visemes only).
This controller can change the hairstyle, moustache, eye colour and so on.
This lower control has a switch for gender, and you can create the feature of the character.
- Creating a ‘Jaw Bounce’ animation (key point)
We will start with setting keyframes. Animation setting: use standard animation in this step.
Listen to the audio, find a place mouth open, and notice the degree of openness.
If you’re seeing things move too rapidly is that perhaps you got it opening too much.
2. Creating a ‘Viseme’ animation
The underlying structure is a guide and we’re trying to match it as best we can.
The interval between two keyframes should not be too close, perhaps 2 frames are the minimum requirement. But it depends on the actual situation.
Add pull in and pull out:
Add tone and teeth:
3. Mouth enhancements
Move the corners of the mouth and the overall position of the mouth.
Add a few more flourishes, like check inflate and curl on the lips:
Add the nose moving attached to the mouth.
4. Creating facial animation part 2: Upper hemisphere (Brows & eyes)
Finally, adding body motion: