By Jean-Denis Haas

This post is exploring an area where keep alive is taken a step further into a messier realm and where even normal movements, which traditionally follow beautiful arcs, get the occasional hiccup. I can't think of a formal name for this, I usually just say "Dirty up the animation", or "Add some dirt...". Adding "dirt" to your animation is basically the license to be sloppy, but it's controlled sloppiness. It doesn't mean you can now stop cleaning up your animation or forgo polish. Even in chaos there is logic, so think of "dirt" as another layer of polish. Adding "dirt" doesn't change your animation dramatically, there won't be a wow effect once you apply it. It's more of a subtle addition to your animation, but it can make a difference style wise. Speaking of layers, the latest version of Maya allows you to add animation layers, which can make this process a lot easier. If you don't have layers, or extra controllers above your main controllers, etc. don't worry about it, the principles are the same, regardless of the tools.