Daniel Zettl

Animator

Daniel Zettl - Animation Reel 2014

Dec 18, 2014 •

Howdy! Welcome to my animation reel from Weta Digital, spanning the years 2009 - 2... Read more

0:01-0:05

Welcome to my animation reel from Weta Digital, spanning the years 2009 – 2014. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like it! -Dan
0:05-0:08

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Senior Animator

I key-framed Gollum's body and eyes here. After I received facial motion capture I had to come up with a nuanced yet intense performance for Gollum's body. I also animated the camera here.
0:09-0:11

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Senior Animator

This shot was a great chance to infuse personality into Radagast's rabbits. I drew reference from Disney's Snow White and Thumper the hare. On top of animating the 12 rabbits and the sleigh they also had to interact with some CG branches laying in the foreground.
0:11-0:12

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Senior Animator

Smaug’s performance is fully key-framed here. I was aiming for a snake-like deeply evil performance yet had to squeeze him into a very tight CG set. Having his tail interact with the gold in the BG helped delivering a sense of depth and character here.
0:12-0:13

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Senior Animator

This shot was a great chance to infuse personality into Radagast's rabbits. I drew reference from Disney's Snow White and Thumper the hare. On top of animating the 12 rabbits and the sleigh they also had to interact with some CG branches laying in the foreground.
0:13-0:18

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Senior Animator

In the following 3 shots I key-framed all apes. This was a key drama moment in the movie and needed a powerful, appealing yet desperate physical performance of Buck, the Gorilla.
0:18-0:20

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Senior Animator

This is the continuation of shot 2. I came up with the idea of one rabbit “leading” all others and signaling a hasty departure to save Radagast.
0:20-0:22

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Senior Animator

I key-framed the Stone Giant here breaking out of the mountainside. Working to this scale was fantastic but needed a different approach to timing and spacing to look real.
0:22-0:27

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Senior Animator

This shot is a mix of motion-capture and key-frame animation.
0:27-0:29

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Senior Animator

This is the continuation of shot 8. The giant needed to break off the mountaintop, so he could throw it in the next shot.
0:29-0:32

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Senior Animator

This is a full CG shot and fully key-framed. I came up with the choreography of the Troll holding up one of the dwarves and getting slashed in the face. He tumbles back into the fireplace and gets the hammer when he tries to re-engage again. The digi doubles are a mix of motion-capture and key-frame animation.
0:32-0:34

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Senior Animator

I key-framed the body and staff here, how he gets out of the chair and rushes towards the dwarves. I implemented a facial motion capture pass but ended up refining and polishing the shapes for this new tighter camera framing.
0:34-0:42

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Senior Animator

This shot is a mix of motion capture and key-frame animation.
0:42-0:45

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Senior Animator

The Troll's entire performance is key-framed. Achieving good clean facial shapes and a somewhat funny but threatening performance was fully up to me keying it in.
0:45-0:49

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Senior Animator

This shot is a mix of motion-capture and key-frame animation.
0:49-0:55

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Senior Animator

This shot is fully key-framed. I loved adding in the little moment where Brighteyes looks back and gives us a moment to take in her facial expression.
0:55-1:03

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Senior Animator

I did postviz and the final animation of the entire helicopter sequence. Additionally I prevized and animated the destruction choreography in these 4 shots for the helicopter, the road, the cars and the Golden Gate Bridge.
1:03-1:09

Avatar

All characters in this shot are key-frame animated. Tsutey and his banshee in the FG as well as all riders and banshees in the BG.
1:09-1:10

Avatar

I animated the Ampsuit as well as the digi double in this shot. On top I prevized and look-deved the destruction of the interior and the link bed.
1:10-1:13

Avatar

These two shots are fully key-framed, the Avatar, the Ampsuit as well as the digi double inside the Ampsuit. Bodies and facials. I came up with a constraint setup especially for the second shot where Jake gets lifted up with photorealistic weight.
1:13-1:17

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Senior Animator

Again Smaug is fully key-framed here. I loved keying these character Close-Ups with him. As a bonus this shot got used for publicity as the cover of the Smaug Art of Book.
1:17-1:20

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Senior Animator

This was the first Troll shot in Animation on Hobbit 1. I was responsible for finding and defining a physically believable, dramatic way of broad movement and laying down character traits for the trolls.
1:20-1:22

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Senior Animator

The goblin is fully key-framed here.
1:22-1:24

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Senior Animator

This shot is a mix of motion capture and key-frame animation.
1:24-1:27

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Senior Animator

The goblin is fully key-framed here.
1:27-1:34

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Senior Animator

This was the first Close Up that defined Smaug’s character show wide. Smaug is key-framed here with main reference Shere Kahn from Jungle Book. Lip Sync, body and head are key-frame work.
1:34-1:43

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Senior Animator

Here I was able to again add a lot of character to Radagast through the playful acting of the birds. I came up with the idea of using 3 birds that Radagast’s eyeline could always follow one of them.
1:43-1:45

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Senior Animator

This was a dramatic key moment from Rise of the Planet of the Apes. This shot is a mix of motion-capture and key-frame animation.
1:45-1:49

Thanks for watching! -Dan

Comments (4)

James Bennett
Wow. Great work!

133 months ago
Tony Andreas Rudolph
totally amazing! very very well done!

133 months ago
Gianluca Fratellini
Amazing Work !!

132 months ago
Daniel Zettl
Thanks a lot guys!

132 months ago

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