ABSTRACT
Imagine a class of 20 new animators who have been exposed to simple rigs with simple features. Th ey have learned how to set keyframes; are beginning to make peace with the graph editor; and have fi gured out how to use a torn-off camera pane in lighting mode (hot key 7) that displays the character in silhouette to help them pose to the camera. However, a simple rig can only go so far and they are stuck with what ends up being a rigid character that does not pose very well unless it is a very naturalistic character, like a digital double. Th en imagine showing them the “stretchy” button that turns on the stretch feature. You hear 20 collective exclamations of relief and the fun begins as they start to pose the character in new ways. I think that moment is why I like teaching so much.
