This past week my research efforts have been focused on preparations for animation work later this semester. I plan to do both 3D and 2D animations so I have been researching the best way to do 2D animation that aligns well with my skills. I have been studying the techniques involved in 2D animation via Adobe After Effects and the method presented seems to be an extremely viable one. After Effects combined with processes form Adobe Illustrator allows artists to rig 2D characters using a combination of layer work and character design. This process is a significantly easier one for me because of my background rigging and animating 3D characters.

The ability to rig 2D characters allows me to expand my possibilities for the different visual styles I can incorporate into my project. I cataloged numerous videos that are prime examples of the use of After Effects animation to get a sense of the different ways in which this particular animation process works and what benefits and drawbacks there are to using it. While the process will prove easier for me given my skill set, it is still a lengthy process and will require a decent amount of time to do properly as well time to edit any changes into the animation that may arise.