This shape is one of the extra shapes modeled previously.įigure 8 Position H has the bottom lip tucked under the teeth to make the sound of the letters F or V. In highly pronounced speech, this shape is necessary, but the shape could also be replaced with Position B for more casual or rapid speech. It can also be used for D or TH sounds Position H, shown in Figure 8, has the bottom lip tucked under the teeth to make the sound of the letters F or V. If the speech is particularly rapid, this shape may not be necessary, and you can substitute Position B.įigure 7 Position G has the mouth wide open with the tongue against the teeth It is essentially an open jaw with the tongue moved up against the top teeth. It can also be used for D or TH sounds, particularly when preceded by A or I. This position is reserved for the letter L. It is one of the fundamental mouth shapes.įigure 6 Position F is used for the "oooo" sound, as in foodįigure 7 shows Position G, which has the mouth wide open with the tongue against the teeth. Position F is used for the "oooo" sound, as in food, and for the vowel U. Position F, shown in Figure 6, has the mouth smaller but more pursed. Position E is the position used for the vowel O, as in the word flow. Sometimes, particularly when the sound is at the end of a word, you can overlap this shape with the one in Position F to close the mouth.įigure 5 Position E has the mouth wide open in an elliptical shape It is created by mixing together an open jaw and the "oooh" sound. This is the position used for the vowel O, as in the word flow. Position E has the mouth wide open in an elliptical shape, as shown in Figure 5. It is essentially the same as the fundamental shape for an open jaw.įigure 3 Position C is used for the wide-open vowels, such as A and I.Īs Figure 4 shows, Position D is used primarily for the vowel E, but it can also be used on occasion for C, K, or N during fast speech.įigure 4 Position D is used primarily for the vowel E, but it can also be used for C, K, or N during fast speech. Position C, shown in Figure 3, is used for the wide-open vowels, such as A and I. All these sounds can also be made with the teeth slightly open, particularly in fast speech.įigure 2 Position B has the mouth open with the teeth closed.
This position is a common shape and is used for consonants made within the mouth, specifically sounds made by C, D, G, K, N, R, S, TH, Y, and Z. Position B, shown in Figure 2, has the mouth open with the teeth closed. For added realism, you could mix in an additional shape, to get the lips slightly pursed, for sounds following an "ooo" sound, as in the word room.įigure 1 Position A is the closed mouth used for consonants made by the lips, specifically the M, B, and P sounds. In this position, the lips are usually their normal width. Typically this can be made by pushing the open jaw pose into negative territory to close the mouth. These eight positions usually provide adequate coverage and give you the ability to animate most dialogue effectively.Īs Figure 1 shows, Position A is the closed mouth used for consonants made by the lips, specifically the M, B, and P sounds. For most situations, you can get away with approximately eight basic mouth positions. Depending on the style of animation, some animators get away with as few as three or four shapes, and some may use dozens. Animators usually boil these down to a handful of standard shapes that are used repeatedly.
Dozens of different mouth shapes are made during the course of normal speech. You must first understand how the mouth moves when it speaks. For the purposes of this article, however, we will start the process with the mouth.
Much more important to the audience is the movement of the body and head, as well as the expression in the face and eyes. When a character speaks dialogue, the shape and position of the mouth is perhaps 10–20% of the total effect. Live-action people have it easy they just point the cameras at the actors and ask them to speak.įacial animation is a lot more than just moving the mouth.
#Character animator mouth template series#
He is also the series editor for New Riders' series of books, including Lighting and Rendering and Texturing and Painting.Īnimating lip sync can really frighten the beginning animator, and rightly so because it is one of the most difficult techniques for an animator to master. George Maestri is the author of several animation books from New Riders Publishing, including Character Animation 2, Volume I and Character Animation 2, Volume II. George Maestri covers the eight basic mouth positions necessary for effective dialogue animation. Animators usually boil these down to a handful of standard shapes. During normal speech, dozens of different mouth shapes are made.