Thanks, Builder Brothers, for insightful feedback.  My most common criticism was that of the use of the laughter and how it relates to the timing.  I will try to be more mindful in the future.  I assembled the laugh tracks from actual sitcom laughter, and I tried to study the timing and where in the attack-sustain-release-decay of the laughter curve the dialogue fits. I actually had a hand-animated film at a state film festival in 2007 and I did a much better job with the comedic timing (there was no laugh track).   But the curators and viewers gave a lot of praise on that aspect.  So I know I can do it!  I will need more practice, but hopefully, I improved as the episode played out (I animated roughly chronologically).  You may notice there was no track in the park scene.  That was because that scene was shot "on location" and not "in front of a studio audience".

A bit about the caterpillar, which was my favorite animal animation of of the group: I actually built six caterpillars: one regular and five others, each missing a different 1x1 round brick from its body.  I cycled the six models in the same position, then moved the first one forward a bit, cycled in the same spot again, repeated.  My expectation was fulfilled and it really makes him look wriggly!  I recommend this technique to anyone else animating segmented bugs.  Most of this was animated at 10 fps, but some parts, and all of the animal scenes, were at 15 fps.

Episode 2 is scripted, and I can't wait to begin!

Last edited by HoldingOurOwn (September 15, 2012 (06:21am))