Sneak Through Space - Maya

After completing a walk cycle which I was satisfied with, it was then time to experiment with the walk cycle in alternative contexts. I started with the sneak, and due to complexity and my inexperience with animating this movement, I decided to record my own primary video to use as reference material, I tried to keep the cameras focus on the feet, as I feel they will be the most important aspects to master in order to distinguish this from any other type of walk.

From this footage, I then compiled this very simple and quick illustration of all the key stances within the sneak, along with a bar sheet.

Primary Source

Bar Sheet Scan

However, after analysing the simple figures in this, I felt I needed to exaggerate their movements when it came to the animation itself, specifically the way the body leans back when lifting up a foot, and then slowly tilts forward as its then placed on the ground, as I think that along with the feet movement, that is one of the most defining properties of a sneak. This may be as I was perhaps a bit too subtle in my video reference, which won't translate too well into the cartoony figure of Buckid. Thankfully, I found some very helpful secondary sources, which break down key stances of a much more cartoony sneak cycle. I decided to combine elements from both sources to create my final cycle. An aspect that wasn't specified in my primary illustration, was the length of time both feet spend on the ground, as that again is essential to making the type of walk clear, but thankfully it was shown clearly in the secondary source which I gathered.

Secondary Source

https://vimeo.com/212127985

This is the final video for now, and I am impressed with how it has turned out. I made sure that as the leg stretches out, the foot slowly is placed down, with the hip following through shortly after the foot drops, not simultaneously such as in my previous walk cycle. I made sure to add a 5 frame segment after each step where both feet are on the ground. If there was anything I would improve with this animation, it would be the speed, as I was under the impression that a slower movement would have been essential to convey a sneak, however I later discovered that this isn't true, as if all the key poses and sequences are accurate (which I feel as though I have accomplished for the most part in my animation), then the illusion of a sneak will still be made, so if I ever re-do this animation, I will make sure not to spread out the keyframes as much, but for now, I am pleased with my result and it is interesting how remarkably differently I went about animating this than the usual walk animation, due to how vastly different they are from one another.