Hi guys, I have been brainstorming a new competition idea that I think we could run here as a fortnightly animation challenge.

The Title: SME (Start, Middle and End) Challenge

The Idea: I or someone else submits a scene which contains the following:
1) A scene (for example a stage, cliff, road whatever)
2) A free character rig (for example Hogan rig, Generi rig)
3) The character doing 3 key poses which tells the story (One keyframe at the start of the animation, One keyframe in the middle of the animation, and One keyframe at the end, Hence the name for the challenge)

The Challenge: The people partaking in the challenge will fill in the gaps of the animation, essentially adding in the extreme poses and inbetweens. The 3 key poses are locked down and cannot be changed but you may do anything you like to the character in between, and this is where animation skills will shine.

Think of it like a book you have the opening chapter where you are introduced to the character, you have the middle where the character gets into a fight for example and you have the end where the character lives happily ever after, it is your job to decide how he gets in a fight and how the fight turns out.

An Example

You are supplied with the scene file of a cliff edge, at the start the character is stood on the cliff peering over the edge, in the middle the character is now hanging off the cliff, and at the end he is now out of sight of the camera.

There are a million and one things you could do to make him fall off the cliff, you may add things into the scenery or other objects or characters it is completely up to your imagination.

You could for example have the character trying to get a better view over the cliff and slipping on a rock that you have added, or another character coming up behind him and giving him a scare. The possibilities are still endless

You will be marked by others on the ability not only to animate but to tell the story.



So what do you guys think does it sound good to you enough people to start something?