Live from C2E2: Pool Party animation demo
Shoquistador took to the stage on day two of C2E2 to lead players through how Pool Party Graves learned his moves.
Animating a skin starts with understanding the base model and the shape language that makes each champion instantly recognizable, he explained. Showing Graves in his traditional outlaw garb, Sho shared that Pool Party Graves originally had dreadlocks. When the model was silhouetted, the team realized that he wasn't nearly as recognizable as he needed to be.
With Graves' inconsistent hairstyle explained, the audience followed along as recall animations, reloading clips, dashes and particles were added to the skin. Showcasing four of Graves' diving board animations, the animator went behind the scenes to illustrate the inspiration behind the character model's movement.
Rigging, modeling, rendering and several more stages breathe life into the static sprites, transforming the motionless husk into a swaggering hunk.
Rapid-fire Q&A followed the demonstration, as players delved for details surrounding the next possible skin releases. Will Pizza Delivery Sivir arrive in 30 minutes or less? How outrageous would Armor of the Fifth Age Braum be?
Sho emphasized how much he loves the silly, troll-ish, occasionally nonsensical skins. Turning a serious champion into a playful trickster doesn't always work, but he highlighted Weather Lady Janna or Pool Party Ziggs as particularly successful examples of the archetype he's always looking forward to vivifying next.
Looking for more coverage of C2E2? Don't forget to check out the Summoner Showcase tumblr!