Week 14 mainly focused on the presentation and feedback for last week’s Creature Study group PPT. Our group chose to research feline movement. In this group project, I mainly worked on the study of the cat’s body, the analysis of feline jumping and running movements, and part of the slide layout and explanation.
The main focus of this presentation was to understand real animal movement by observing body structure, movement rhythm, and how these can be shown in animation. Feline movements are usually light, flexible, and highly coordinated. When cats walk, run, jump, or turn, the spine, scapula, pelvis, tail, and limbs all work together. Therefore, when analysing feline movement, it is not enough to only observe the legs. It is also important to look at body weight, spine bending, and how the tail helps with balance.
During the preparation of the PPT, I mainly organised the basic movement features and reference materials of feline animals. I found that a cat’s body is very flexible, especially the stretch and compression of the spine during movement. When walking, cats move quietly and steadily. When running or jumping, the body shows stronger stretch and compression. The tail is not just moving by itself. It also helps the body keep balance, which is connected to the overlap and delay principles we learned before.
The presentation feedback also made me realise that creature animation is not only about copying the surface movement of an animal. It is also important to understand the structure and function behind the movement. For example, why cats can land softly, why the body stretches during running, and why the tail changes during turning. These observations can help us create more believable animal movement in animation.
Through Week 14’s learning and presentation, I gained a more systematic understanding of feline movement. Group work also helped me learn how to organise observation materials into a clear presentation. If I continue working on creature animation, I need to analyse reference videos more carefully and break animal movement down into body mechanics, timing, spacing, and overlap. Then I can apply these movement rules to my animation practice.