Notes on Reanimating Escanor vs. Meliodas Fight Scene

Introduction

• Attempting to reanimate the disappointing fight scene between Escanor and Meliodas from Seven Deadly Sins.
• Original anime episode was poorly received, leading to fan disappointment.

Context

• The fight was highly anticipated but didn't deliver in the anime.
• Manga version felt more fluid and aligned with the creator's original vision.

Project Preparation

• Reference Board:
  • Compiled images of Escanor, Meliodas, their weapons, and key visuals from both the anime and manga.
• Character Practice:
  • Drew faces of Escanor and Meliodas to understand their features.
• Background Reference:
  • Sought CGI backgrounds and got assistance from a friend.

Storyboarding

• Created a detailed storyboard aligned with manga panels.
• Keyframes sketched with increased accuracy to save time in animation.

Animation Process

Cut 1

• Meliodas speaks to Escanor, animated basic blink and mouth movement.

Cut 2

• Escanor responds to Meliodas, similar process as Cut 1.

Cut 3

• Escanor boasts about proving his superiority; minimal animation with static frame.

Cut 4 & 5

• Focused on gripping weapons; close-up shots. Emphasized detailed weapons and hand movements.

Cut 6

• Escanor swings his axe; attempted smooth animation on ones using software called Kakani.
• Struggled with the software, but some success with auto-in-between generation.

Cut 7

• Conceptualized a wide-angle shot instead of a standard pan down.
• Faced challenges with Kakani, resulting in returning to Clip Studio Paint.

Cut 8

• Emphasized impact of weapon clash without 2D animation.

Cut 9

• Meliodas unfazed, focuses on his expression with hair effects.

Cut 10

• Escanor laughing, animating eye movement instead of full face.

Cut 11

• Fast attacks from Escanor; incorporated smears and movement effects.

Cut 12

• Simple animation of Escanor being kicked by Meliodas; focused on impact.

Cut 13

• Complex rotation shot with challenges in maintaining consistency.
• Took a break to avoid burnout; returned to improve the animation.

Cut 14

• Transition shot of Meliodas turning into a tornado; straightforward animation.

Cut 15

• Showed Meliodas spinning vs. Escanor struggling to keep up; used directional blur for speed.

Cut 16

• Final cut with reused animation; showcased speed with effects.

Backgrounds and Compositing

• Used CGI backgrounds as reference, stylized them for the animation.
• Added smoke effects, character depth, and dynamic elements in After Effects.

Audio Production

• Isolated voice stems from the original episode; improved with plugins.
• Integrated original soundtrack, sound effects, and impacts for depth.

Conclusion

• Project completed after 3-4 weeks of extensive work.
• Gained personal insights and discipline through the process.
• Acknowledged imperfections but felt proud of the final product.
• Encouraged viewers to support the channel and provided links to social media.