7. Choosing Characters

Crafting the Characters and Props for My Animation

Selecting and preparing the characters for my 3D animation was a crucial step in bringing the story to life. Each character and object plays a distinct role in the narrative, so I took care to ensure they fit both the visual style and the tone of the project.

For the Grim Reaper, I began with the Skull Chaser rig, drawn to its bold and striking design. However, to better align it with my vision, I made several adjustments. I changed its colour from red to blue to give it a more unique and unexpected look, removed the guns from the original design, and modelled a stylised scythe that harmonises with the animation’s aesthetic.

Next, I introduced the Grim Reaper’s pet—a black cat. The Black cat was a natural choice, as it is commonly associated with bad luck and dark magic, tying in perfectly with the spooky yet playful tone of the animation.

Then came the monster character. I went for a weird humanoid choice —a superhero costume combined with a comically muscular build. This exaggerated look adds a bit of humour and contrast to the other characters.

In addition to the characters, I modeled and rigged the principal car. This included functional details like opening doors and a trunk, ensuring it could be animated effectively in key scenes. Lastly, I created the UFO, attaching an empty axis to it to enable smooth rotations and dynamic movement during the animation.