Make It Move Media
Hello everyone! I am an action figure collector and 3D animator based in the US.
For over a decade, I have been honing my skills in the mesmerizing art of 3D scanning and animation. Since 2011, I have been pushing the boundaries of creativity and technology, capturing the essence of action figures and bringing them to life in captivating animations.
In 2021 I embarked on a thrilling new chapter, focusing specifically on action figures that have enthralled generations. From the classic heroes like Spiderman, Green Goblin, Wolverine, Batman, and Joker to the ever-beloved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their arch-nemesis Shredder, I have been meticulously scanning and animating these iconic characters, channeling the magic and excitement of the comic books and animated series.
Make It Move Media is a channel I created to showcase action figures and iconic superheroes and villains from comic books and movies. I wanted to do it in a way that leaned into my 3D scanning and animation hobby, bringing a sense of wonder and excitement to our action figure culture.
Ultimately, I want to grow my followers and create content that they want to share and comment on, plus I love hearing reactions from comic book and action figure collectors. The best comments are how the videos I create remind them of their childhood and how they played with their action figures in their head, with their imagination — I want to bring that to life!
I’ve been going at this for over a decade, but have over the last 8 months seen my channels really start to gain a following. I am self taught; Everything from 3D scanning and animation has been learned through YouTube tutorials, long nights grinding on scenes and a passion to make things move (hence the name). I am mesmerized by 3D animation and always have been. I learn a new technique with almost every 10-12 second scene I create. That is part of the fun — finding ways to do what I have yet to learn.
Today, I want to show you how fast and easy it is to bring 3D character scans to life with AccuRIG, a rigging tool by Reallusion. A lot of people have asked me how I animate my action figures. This is one of the tools I go to almost every time I create an animation. Watch my workflow:
Turn Toys into 3D Action Heros
First, I did a 3D scan of the Spiderman toy and loaded it into AccuRIG. This free auto-rigging program is great since it offers many features with a very straightforward interface to navigate the process. Just a few clicks and some minor adjustments, I have got my Spiderman fully rigged – body and hands. This would take hours without this awesome rigging tool. I can then use the preset animations in AccuRIG to quickly test the rigging, and the results are impressive.
Hundreds of Action Animations
I wanted to give my Spiderman some thrilling moves; so I uploaded the 3D character to ActorCore 3D store, with just one click. Over 2,000 motion captures, professionally-made, well-organized by category, are there for me to pick and choose from. I can preview everything right inside my web browser, which is pretty slick because there is no guessing.
Under the category “Action & Adventure”, I can find tons of motions to use on Spiderman. There are also themed packs specifically designed for action adventure movies and games, such as “Packour”, “Run for Your Life”, and “Hand-to-Hand Combat”. After several testings, I can grab all the motions that I want to animate Spiderman with. Download and export the FBX files to Blender. It is that simple.
Animation and Rendering inside Blender
I use Blender for all of my 3D animations. It is an open source 3D software suite with which you can animate and render. Simply locate my Spiderman FBX file inside Blender. I find it ready rigged and with a full mesh. With the imported motion, my Spiderman is animated and ready to roll! And I can continue animating inside Blender to create my next 3D action short.
It’s Pretty Phenomenal
A few years ago — I am talking probably five years ago — this workflow would have been impossible. Three years ago, this would have been hard. Now this thing is ready to rock, fast and easy — thanks to AccuRIG. So I highly recommend it.
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