So, I’ve added a checklist to the main blog page, where I can track the tasks remaining until the short is complete. As of this posting, the number is 26. On the one hand, it’s good to see it all laid out like that, to anticipate the gradual shortening of the list until nothing remains but the completed piece. On the other hand, 26 is a lot of tasks.

I’ve been working on this lipsync test for a few days now, but this is the first time I’ve managed to get it to look semi-not-embarrassing. Ebon still needs some blinks and other tweaking, but I think I can live with it. Now to tackle Monk’s half of the conversation—he’s looking a little stiff.

I originally chose to start my lipsync work with this line of dialog because it’s one of the shortest, but now that I’ve scrubbed through the entire piece a few times, I can see that this shot is where most of my “acting” revisions will need to be focused. The lipsync work generally only takes a couple of days—it’s the accompanying expressions and gestures that really tax my abilities as an animator.

Anyway, here’s the clip: lipsync_shot11-1.mov