Final Looping Animation

Mere Exposure Effect

Repetitive movement and predictable patterns create a sense of safety and calm for the brain. This ties into the “mere exposure effect,” which explains why we tend to enjoy things more the more we see or hear them, making repeated sounds or visuals feel especially satisfying. The “mere exposure effect” is the idea that when a pattern or movement is familiar, it makes the viewer feel more comfortable and at ease with what they’re seeing.

Research

The Loop

These are smooth, repeating animations that look pleasing and relaxing. They use patterns and motion to create a sense of calm and are popular in digital art and social media.

The Physical Contraption

There’s something captivating about the movement of a wooden craft when it animates. The turning of gears, the shifting of parts, the smooth, deliberate motion, all driven by simple mechanics. It's precise and satisfying to watch, a clear result of thoughtful design and craftsmanship.

Example

Concept

The Music Box

The concept draws inspiration from real-life contraptions, aligning naturally with a 3D realistic rendering style. 

Viewers are already familiar with the motion of a hand, the mechanics of a piano, and the way machines function through physical logic. What catches them off guard is the abrupt halt in the music box's tune before the song reaches its end.

Storyboard

Understanding Movement

Animating a hand is already a complex process, and with the added challenge of it being machine-operated, I needed to conduct research into how a mechanical hand should move.

Understanding movement starts with knowing the anatomy. I researched the proper joints and scaling of the human hand before setting up my rig.
Reference
Before starting my animation, I needed reference of a hand playing a piano. I found that using reference for a prosthetic hand was more accurate than using an organic one.
Reference

Physical Rig

Physical Rig for Reference

Juansebastian Hincapie testing out the Rig

After speaking with my art director, he guided me in the direction of building a physical model to experiment with the movement of how the rig interacts with the hand. Using multiple test subjects, I had a much better comprehension of how the fingers would play piano.

Andrew Han Experimenting with the Rig

Technical process; Hand Rig

First step of the process was learning to rig a hand by testing it on basic shapes using spheres and cylinders.

Technical process; Motion Test

I tested the rig with a simple motion test to see how to make a smooth overlap and follow through motion with the fingers.

Technical Execution

Now comes the challenge of the machine rig. I used an IK (Inverse Kinematics) Rig to connect the fingers onto a rod that will spin with the music box wheel, without having to animate the individual fingers

Technical Process; Applying Rig to Model

When applying to the model, the rig didn’t fit the proper movement of a hand and the finger would detach from the palm. By changing the location of the rigged nulls from the fore finger, to the knuckle joint, the finger no longer detached. After the rig was set up, all I had to do was animate the rotation of the wheel and the fingers animated with it.

Process

Technical Process; Testing Machine Rig

Technical Process; Applying Rig with Spinning Mechanism

The next step was to parent the rig to the wheel without the whole model spinning with its rotation. After several failed attempts, I learned that the rig need to be parented to the wheel and not the model itself being paired.

Technical Process; Testing Animation with Keys

Above is an example of a close-up on how the keys interact with the fingers making contact with them.

Process Breakdown of Rig and Model

Rig Breakdown

Final Deliverable

Alternative Final Product

Audio Execution

For the audio, I worked with sound designer, Kelly Warner, to personalize the piano notes. I used foley sounds to add extra background sound effects to create layers of realism in the final sound.

Final Mock Up

Rig and Model

After completing my rig, I moved on to a rough animation pass using a functional model. The main feedback I received was to refine the model by rotating the key and create proper proportions to simulate a working piano. Additionally, I was advised to add more detail in front of the keys to reduce the amount of empty space in that area.

First Pass Animation

For my second pass, I incorporated additional layers of texturing and lighting. With the improved model, I adjusted the lighting to draw attention to the fingers rather than the floor. I also animated the fingers breaking away from the rods and twitching, as if stretching, to create a more dramatic effect.

Final Pass Animation

For the final pass, I implemented the feedback from my art director and revised the color correction to include a shift to black and white. I felt this added a more dramatic tone and enhanced the overall visual impact. I also added a film grain overlay in post-production to strengthen the vintage aesthetic.

TRAINWRECK

LOOP

Software Used:

Cinema 4D
Redshift
After Effects

Design Challenge

I created a short 5–15 second looping 3D animation for social media. It features a smooth loop with a surprising glitch in the middle, but still loops seamlessly. The goal is to make it fun and rewatchable, with audio that enhances the effect. I also took the opportunity and added a technical challenge to push the animation further.

Credits:

3D Modeling and Animation:
Hailey McMahon
Sound Design:
Kelly Warner