Polish Workflow: Evaluation, Playblasts, and Targeted Fixes

A Repeatable Polish Loop (Evaluate → Diagnose → Fix → Re-check)

Polish is not “make it nicer.” It is a controlled loop where you evaluate motion under consistent viewing conditions, identify the single biggest read problem, apply targeted fixes, then verify you didn’t introduce new issues. The goal is to reduce noise (unintended jitter, messy holds, inconsistent impacts) while preserving the intent of the shot.

Use this loop every time you touch a shot:

• Evaluate with a fixed review checklist (real-time, half-speed, frame-by-frame, silhouette, multi-angle).
• Diagnose the biggest issue category (timing, spacing, arcs, contacts).
• Fix with the smallest change that solves the read.
• Re-check the same review modes and confirm improvements.

1) Pass-Based Workflow: Blocking → Spline → Refine → Polish

A pass-based workflow prevents “polishing the wrong thing.” Each pass has a different definition of done. If you skip a pass, you usually end up compensating later with extra keys and curve fighting.

Pass 1: Blocking (pose clarity and shot intent)

Goal: the shot reads with stepped keys and clear pose changes. Do not chase smoothness.

• Keep keys sparse: story poses, key transitions, and essential contacts.
• Lock down what must be true: where the character is in space, what they’re doing, and when major events happen (beats).
• Use a simple playblast early to confirm the idea reads without interpolation.

Pass 2: Spline (make motion continuous without adding noise)

Goal: convert to spline and remove obvious interpolation problems while keeping the blocked intent.

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• Spline in controlled chunks (e.g., torso first, then root, then limbs) to avoid global chaos.
• Fix big pops and drift by adjusting tangents and key placement, not by adding lots of keys.
• Re-establish holds: spline often “melts” a hold into unwanted motion.

Pass 3: Refine (improve readability and mechanics)

Goal: improve clarity and physical believability at normal playback, focusing on the main read.

• Adjust timing of major beats if needed (still allowed here).
• Clean arcs and spacing where they distract from the action.
• Stabilize contacts and remove sliding/drift that breaks the illusion.

Pass 4: Polish (micro-fixes and noise reduction)

Goal: eliminate artifacts: jitter, redundant keys, inconsistent impacts, mushy holds, and uncontrolled overlap. Polish is where you make the shot feel intentional frame-to-frame.

• Do not “improve everything.” Pick the biggest problem, fix it, then re-evaluate.
• Prefer fewer keys with cleaner curves over many keys that mask issues.
• Check the shot in the same review modes every time to avoid subjective drift.

2) How to Review: A Consistent Checklist

Reviewing is a skill. The same animation can look “fine” in real-time but reveal major issues in half-speed or silhouette. Use a repeatable checklist so you don’t miss problems or chase imaginary ones.

Review Mode A: Real-time playback (audience read)

What it answers: Does the shot communicate clearly at intended speed?

• Watch without stopping first. Note only the top 1–3 issues you feel, not every detail.
• Pay attention to where your eye goes. If your eye is pulled to a hand jitter instead of the face, that jitter is now a priority.
• Check rhythm of beats: do key moments land where you expect emotionally?

Review Mode B: Half-speed (spacing and ease problems)

What it answers: Are there hidden accelerations, float, or sudden snaps?

• Look for “invisible pops” that happen too fast to notice at full speed.
• Identify sections where motion feels like it changes gear unexpectedly.
• Watch extremities (hands/feet) for subtle drift during holds.

Review Mode C: Frame-by-frame (mechanical truth)

What it answers: Are contacts stable? Are arcs clean? Are there single-frame glitches?

• Scrub around impacts and contacts. Confirm the exact frame of touch and the follow-up behavior.
• Look for one-frame penetrations, sudden rotations, or tangents causing overshoot.
• Check that holds are truly holding (no creeping translation/rotation unless intended).

Review Mode D: Silhouette / flat lighting (readability)

What it answers: Can you understand the action without surface details?

• Switch to a silhouette-friendly view (flat color, no textures, strong backlight, or viewport silhouette mode).
• Check if limbs separate clearly from the torso at key storytelling moments.
• Confirm that the line of action and pose changes are readable without facial detail.

Review Mode E: Multiple camera angles (3D truth)

What it answers: Is the motion solid in space, or only “cheating” from one view?

• Review from the render camera, then from a 3/4 view, then side/top as needed.
• Look for arcs that flatten or kink when viewed from another angle.
• Check contacts: a foot that looks planted in camera may be sliding in world space.

A simple review log (keeps you objective)

Write notes in a consistent format so you don’t spiral into random tweaks:

SHOT: 020_010  |  PASS: Polish v03  |  DATE: ____
Top issue (biggest read problem): __________
Secondary issues (max 2): __________, __________
Frames to inspect: ____-____, ____-____
Fix plan (smallest change): __________
Re-check modes: RT / 1-2 speed / FBF / Silhouette / Alt angles

3) Identify the Single Biggest Problem (Don’t Fix Everything)

Most shots feel “off” for one dominant reason. If you fix smaller issues first, you often lock in the wrong structure and create more work. Use this triage approach: pick the one issue that most harms the viewer’s read.

Decision table: what category is the problem?

Practical triage steps (2–5 minutes)

• Step 1: Watch real-time once without stopping. Write one sentence: “The shot feels wrong because ____.”
• Step 2: Watch half-speed. If the issue becomes more obvious, it’s often spacing/curve-related.
• Step 3: Scrub frame-by-frame only around the moment you wrote down (usually a beat, impact, or hold).
• Step 4: Assign one category (timing/spacing/arcs/contacts). If you can’t choose, pick the one that most affects the audience read.
• Step 5: Choose the smallest fix that would improve that category, and do only that before re-checking.

4) Micro-Fixes That Matter (High Impact, Low Risk)

Micro-fixes are small edits that remove distractions and increase intentionality. They are most effective when you apply them after you’ve identified the dominant problem and ensured the shot structure is correct.

A) Removing redundant keys (reduce noise, regain control)

When to do it: curves look hairy, tiny bumps appear, or you can’t adjust motion without breaking something.

What redundant keys do: they create micro-eases and unintended direction changes, especially when multiple axes have slightly different key timing.

Step-by-step:

• Step 1: Pick one control (e.g., wrist, head, COG) and one channel group (translate or rotate).
• Step 2: Identify a section that should be simple (a hold, a clean move, or a settle).
• Step 3: Delete keys that do not change the motion meaningfully (tiny value differences).
• Step 4: Re-shape with tangents rather than re-adding keys.
• Step 5: Re-check in half-speed to confirm you removed jitter rather than flattening intent.

Rule of thumb: if removing a key does not change the silhouette or the beat, it probably shouldn’t be there.

B) Smoothing jitter (eliminate unintentional vibration)

Common sources: overlapping keys on different axes, noisy mocap, tiny counter-animations added during spline, or constraints switching.

Step-by-step:

• Step 1: Locate the jitter: watch the control in frame-by-frame and mark the frame range.
• Step 2: Determine if it’s value jitter (small up/down) or timing jitter (keys too close together causing bumps).
• Step 3: Simplify: remove micro-keys, then adjust tangents to create a clean curve.
• Step 4: Check adjacent controls: jitter often comes from the parent (e.g., clavicle causing wrist wobble).
• Step 5: Verify in silhouette: jitter is often more visible as outline shimmer.

C) Aligning impacts (make hits and stops feel intentional)

Problem: the “impact” is spread across several frames or different body parts land at different times unintentionally.

Step-by-step:

• Step 1: Choose the exact impact frame (one frame you can point to).
• Step 2: Ensure the primary driver (often root/COG or the striking limb) hits its extreme or change on that frame.
• Step 3: Align secondary elements to support the impact (some may lag intentionally, but it must be controlled).
• Step 4: Check spacing into the impact: remove any “pre-hit float” where motion slows too early.
• Step 5: Frame-by-frame verify there’s no one-frame overshoot that reads like a glitch.

D) Cleaning holds (stop unwanted drift while keeping life)

Problem: a pose that should read as held slowly crawls, rotates, or breathes in a way that looks accidental.

Step-by-step:

• Step 1: Decide what must be locked (e.g., planted foot, hand on prop, head aim).
• Step 2: Flatten or stabilize those channels over the hold range (often with fewer keys, not more).
• Step 3: Preserve intentional “life” on separate controls (e.g., subtle chest/shoulder motion) rather than letting everything drift.
• Step 4: Check from multiple angles to confirm the hold is stable in 3D space.

E) Stabilizing and verifying contacts (no sliding, no popping)

Problem: contact points move when they should be anchored, or they pop when transitioning in/out of contact.

Step-by-step:

• Step 1: Identify the contact window (first touch frame to release frame).
• Step 2: In frame-by-frame, confirm the contact point does not drift relative to the surface/prop.
• Step 3: If there is drift, correct the driven control (often the root/COG) so the contact control can remain stable.
• Step 4: Smooth the transition into/out of contact: avoid a single-frame snap in rotation or position.
• Step 5: Re-check in an alternate camera angle to ensure it’s truly planted in space.

5) Final Quality Criteria (What “Done” Looks Like)

Use these criteria as a final gate before you call a shot finished. Each item is something you can verify, not a vague feeling.

Quality checklist

• Consistent spacing: motion accelerations and decelerations feel intentional; no accidental gear shifts; no hidden pops at half-speed.
• Clean arcs: paths are smooth and purposeful in 3D; no wobbles caused by axis fighting; arcs hold up from alternate angles.
• Readable intent: silhouette reads at key moments; the viewer’s eye is guided to the story point; no distracting micro-motion steals focus.
• Stable contacts: planted points stay planted; no sliding; no penetration or one-frame glitches around touch and release.
• Controlled overlap: secondary motion supports the main action without jitter; settles are clean; no endless micro-bounce unless motivated.

Final playblast protocol (repeatable)

• Playblast 1: Render camera, real-time, no overlays. Note only the top issue if any.
• Playblast 2: Same camera, half-speed. Confirm spacing smoothness and absence of pops.
• Playblast 3: Quick silhouette/flat-light pass. Confirm pose clarity and outline stability.
• Playblast 4: Alternate angle check (3/4 or side). Confirm arcs and contacts are true in space.