Mastering jumps and landings is a key part of body mechanics for animators. In this tutorial, Supervising Animator Jason Martinsen demonstrates how to animate a dynamic jump and landing. Jason shares pro tips for reference, posing, timing, and adding energy to your work.
Meet Jason Martinsen
Jason Martinsen has been a professional animator since 2006 and is currently a supervising animator at Sunrise Productions. He previously worked at Framestore, Reel FX, Sony Imageworks, and Blue Sky Studios on film productions like Storks and Ferdinand. Other projects include Scoob!, Back to the Outback, Rumble and Monkey King.
You can learn more about Jason and his work here.
Getting Started: Studying Jump Reference
Jason begins by highlighting the importance of finding strong reference before animating a physically demanding action like jumping. He reviews diagrams that break down the trajectories and body part offsets during a vertical jump, focusing on how pose variations create different feels—from soft overshoots to hard impacts. He notes that a good jump includes natural offsets between the head, torso, and center of mass for believable texture.
He recommends gathering multiple video references of real jumps for inspiration, rather than copying any one exactly. Observing real physics—like hang time—shapes the foundational understanding needed for dynamic animation.
Blocking Out the Jump
Jason demonstrates blocking main poses in Maya:
- Start with a run-up: The character enters with speed and an asymmetrical pose, arms swinging back for momentum.
- Anticipation/compression: The character crouches low, squashing down to build potential energy for the leap.
- Power stretch and takeoff: Arms and legs drive upward and forward as the character launches off the ground.
- Offsetting the legs: Jason leads with one leg, raising it higher and sooner than the other for an organic, staggered feel. The second leg trails behind, catching up at hang time.
- Midair arc: At the top of the jump, the lead leg begins to descend as the trailing leg continues upward, creating a natural one-two motion.
- Landing and compression: The lead leg lands first, absorbing impact as the hand may also contact the ground for support. The body compresses, head and hips offsetting for a ricochet effect.
- Final hero pose: The character settles into a dramatic, balanced landing, with a little overshoot and subtle settling of the head and arms.
Jason stresses the value of viewing and adjusting poses from both the side and front for authentic motion and appeal.
Adding Energy and Splining
- Arm drive: Energetic arm swings are vital—they generate upward and forward momentum and frame the action.
- Body and spine extension: Stretch the body for an athletic look at takeoff, then compress for a strong landing.
- Using Maya’s graph editor: Jason shows how to adjust curves for smooth movement and proper hang time, especially on the character’s center of mass.
- Overlap and ricochet: As the character lands and compresses, offset the head and hips to create a realistic bounce and follow-through.
Arc Tracking and Final Polish
To refine the animation, Jason demonstrates:
- Parenting a sphere to the character’s hips to track jump arcs visually in Maya.
- Using “ghosting” or onion-skinning tools to check and adjust spacing, ensuring the arc is smooth and free of hitches.
- Polishing the animation by tweaking foot plants, hand contact, and subtle overlap on secondary elements like clothing or accessories.
Final Touches: Camera and Presentation
For added drama, Jason creates a moving camera to follow the action, zooming in on the landing hero pose and animating around an obstacle to show purpose in the jump. Cinematic camera movement helps elevate a simple jump and land into an action-packed moment.
Key Takeaways
- Always start with real reference to inform your timing and posing.
- Use clear, readable key poses and offset limbs for believable action.
- Exaggerate anticipation and follow-through for energy.
- Track arcs and tweak in the graph editor for smooth motion.
- Use the camera to highlight the action and sell the performance.
Try these techniques to animate your own jumps and landings—focus on texture, energy, and impact, and your characters will leap to life!
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