AnimSchool graduate Tommaso Maurutto shares insight for his animated shot, which features audio from the TV show “The Equalizer” (2021), and breaks down his creative process from ideation to the final animation. His shot was featured in the 2024 AnimSchool Student Showcase.
Maurutto explains that he started with an initial drawing/idea pass to get a feel for the timing, spacing, and how the characters would fit into the environment. He also mentions that it was his first time doing a shot where two characters interact, and he was interested in playing with their dynamic and how their individual personalities could be conveyed through the acting and animation.
Maurutto kept the camera movement simple with only two cameras, and focused on the change of expressions of each character. One of the challenges he ran into was conveying the nervousness and anxiety of one of the characters; his instructor ultimately helped him push the idea more with smaller, supporting actions such as rubbing his sweaty hands on his pants, a light tug on his hat, and other small movements.
Maurutto also modified the character rigs to better support the dynamic between the two characters, with one being more clumsy and the other as more of a dominant and confident character.
Watch his featured clip below:
Amanda
Your dive into the nuances of character interaction really shows your dedication to capturing the essence of each personality. I laughed when you mentioned the character nervously rubbing sweaty hands on his pants—definitely relatable and adds that sprinkle of realism we all love!