Making of signing gingerbread cookies animation
During the holiday season, Gallaudet University’s Motion Light Lab (ML2) released an animation video of three gingerbread cookies singing with ASL rhymes and using the same “B+thumb” or “Closed 5” handshapes. Check this clip out.
[Video clip showing three signing gingerbread cookies] Credit: ML2/Gallaudet
Neat! I reached out to the founder and director of ML2, Melissa Malzkuhn, to ask about what it looked like behind the scenes with motion capture technology and 3D animation. She sent us a video — check this out!
[Video clip showing storyboard, motion capture, rigging and animation, and final look] Credit: ML2/Gallaudet
Malzkuhn said her team was aiming for language play through ASL rhymes and because of the challenge of the gingerbread cookies’ shapes, they decided on using one handshape.
[Video clip of signing cookies] Credit: ML2/Gallaudet
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The ML2 team said they got a lot of comments and many views and are thrilled about it. ML2 has made similar videos in the past, such as “Bones” for Halloween.
[Video clip of a signing skeleton] Credit: ML2/Gallaudet
The ML2 team said they plan to create more videos just like this to celebrate, treasure, and expand possibilities in ASL literature.