The creation of expressive characters for motion, while avoiding harmful stereotypes regarding queer identities and sexualities in characterisation.
Charlotte A Wilkinson
BA (Hons) Computer Arts
School of design and informatics Abertay University
May 2023
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Mona Bozdog for her dedicated support and guidance. Mona continuously provided encouragement to our team throughout the project, and was always willing and enthusiastic to assist in any way she could throughout. Many thanks to our little peer group, who provided vital feedback throughout the project.
I would also like to thank my fantastic collaborators, Cameryn Tuliao and Eleanor Findlay, without whom I’d not have been a part of the team making this game, for their support. Finally, I would also like to thank my partner, A. Baillie, without them I don’t believe I would have managed to complete my honours. Their unconditional support and encouragement has been amazing.
Abstract
The depiction of queer and femme-presenting characters in media has been a pervasive issue for decades, perpetuating negative and harmful stereotypes that have a profound impact on LGBTQ+ individuals and society as a whole. The paper seeks to explore the root causes of this issue and examine its lasting effects on the LGBTQ+ community.
An integral component of the paper's analysis involves the study of bone/skeletal animation in video game development. This technique enables animators to create fluid, lifelike movements, while offering greater optimisation, time efficiency and flexibility when compared to traditional frame-by-frame animation.
By conducting extensive research and drawing on a range of scholarly sources and industry experts, the paper highlights the need for greater representation and diverse portrayals of LGBTQ+ individuals in media. The paper argues that increased representation of LGBTQ+ individuals in media, particularly in a positive or neutral light, can have significant positive effects on societal attitudes towards the community. Moreover, by breaking down the stereotypes that are often attributed to queer and femme-presenting characters in media, a more diverse collection of LGBTQ+ narratives can be told and celebrated.
Ultimately, the paper underscores the importance of continued dialogue and critical analysis in addressing these complex issues in both media and game development. As the games and entertainment industry continues to grow, it is essential to recognize the role that game design can play in promoting positive social change and creating a more inclusive and diverse world.
Introduction
Project Overview
This research project aims to explore skeletal animation for 2D illustrations in relation to games, deconstructing how movement conveys characterisation whilst avoiding stereotypical movement and expressions of queer and femme-presenting characters. The project follows a research design brief, with a focus on practice-based research. This resulted in the final product being a playable demo which addresses the research questions and achieved the aims set out. The project follows various methods of research including traditional academic research for pre-production and material research using dissected patterns of queer studies and character motion.
Working collaboratively with two other students, the final artefact of this project is a visual novel game with a focus on showcasing relationships and romance from an asexual perspective, alongside positively portraying minority sexualities, namely asexuals, aromantics and bisexuals. This visual novel is named Romace, and will be geared toward the queer community as an audience, with hopes to represent the asexual community positively. The main focus shall be on conveying unique characterisation through movement, while steering clear of stereotypes commonly utilised in media used to represent both members of the queer community and femme-presenting parties.
Asexuality is a complex and diverse sexual orientation that encompasses a spectrum of experiences ranging from individuals who may still experience sexual attraction, known as sex favourable, to those who may experience aversion or repulsion towards sex, also called sex-repulsed. In short, asexuality is a sexual orientation commonly used to describe people who do not experience sexual attraction towards others (AVEN, 2001). However, because of the spectrum found within asexuality, it is important to recognize and respect the diversity within the asexual community and to avoid making assumptions about an individual's experiences or attitudes towards sex based solely on their asexual identity. (Chen, A. 2020) Asexuality as an orientation is rarely showcased or touched on within games and other media. (Klein, 2022) Therefore, this research will focus on queer identities and experiences. focusing on how characters move, and if expressing a character's sexuality or identity through movement without either stereotyping or over-sexualising them is possible. Exploring characters in motion while avoiding negative stereotypes, such as gendered behaviours, poses or emotes.
This project was inspired by existing queer-focused games in the indie space exploring underrepresented identities not commonly shown in media. Some notable examples are ‘I was a Teenage Exoxolonist’ (Northway Games, 2022) and the ‘Monster Prom Series’ (Beautiful Glitch, 2018) which each explore identities and relationships in their own way. For example, ‘Monster Prom’ is known for it’s inclusivity in character design and open ended approach to romance, alongside it’s playfulness on the idea that the queer community were often akin to monsters in older media. Whilst ‘I was a Teenage Exocolonist’ as a game allows for free gender expression of the player, alongside strong character diversity and various forms non-hetero normative relationships and consensual polyamory.
Research Questions
The core quesrtion of the research project is: ‘While using skeletal rigging and animation, how best can positive media representation for diverse queer casts be reinforced while avoiding overused, tired stereotypes in motion?’ Below are some adjacent questions that expand upon this core question.
What are the core differences between traditional frame-by-frame animation and Skeletal Animation?
What are the benefits of Skeletal Animation for games?How does motion contribute to queer representation?What are the stereotypes I want to avoid when animating queer character sprites for Romace?
What are common negative media stereotypes for queer and femme-presenting parties?
Aim
Through the medium of skeletal rigging and animation, this project will explore the benefits of utilising skeletal animation rather than the traditional approach of frame-by-frame animation within video games. Additionally, it will examine the representation of queer identities in media and how motion can be used to positively represent different characters from the queer community respectfully while avoiding commonly utilised stereotypes. Romace has an overall goal to increase awareness of the asexual spectrum and develop a form of media that feels welcoming and true to the ace experience for players.
Objectives
Examine the use of spine animation in game development (mesh deformations, IK’s, etc) by exploring the available functionality within the software and how this can be utilised within a production pipeline, planning my approach and workflow for when the character sprites are received.
Delve into Spine 2D creating rigs and following on by developing unique animations suitable for use in the Ren’Py engine for our visual novel, while ensuring I work in an informed manner regarding stereotyping and characterisation in movement and working closely with Eleanor and Cameryn to ensure that the animations I create match the character's style and personality.
Explore sexuality in the context of animation. How, if at all, it impacts character animation and movement and assess what existing animation has been created regarding the characteristics of queer characters.
Documenting my development process, from receipt of the character sprite through to final animation showreel in a development portfolio submitted separately.
Research Context
When I began my research, I tackled it in different parts, each with a focus on the various aspects of this collaborative project. I wanted to explore the more technical side of skeletal animation and Spine 2D, while comparing it to frame-by-frame animation exploring the limitations and benefits of each and touching on and understanding the key theme of our game; inclusivity and diversity in media looking at both romance and relationships through an asexual lens.
In addition to examining existing media portrayal of queer characters, I also delved into the technical aspects of animation. I learned that skeletal animation allows for more efficient animation production by creating a framework that animators can manipulate to achieve movement, while frame-by-frame animation involves drawing every frame individually. However, while skeletal animation has its advantages, it can also result in a loss of control and detail, making it important to carefully consider which method to use when creating animations.
Skeletal Animation Comparison and it’s Benefits
Skeletal animation, also known as bone animation, is a popular technique used in the creation of 2D animations for video games, it enables animators to create sophisticated movements in less time and with significantly fewer resources. It does this by providing a model or 'skeleton' for animators to use as a foundation. This reduces the workload of animating each individual frame. In contrast, frame-by-frame animation involves creating individual frames by hand, and this can take significantly more time to achieve the same effects as with skeletal animation.
Research shows that body language and movement can play a significant role in expressing queer representations in media. According to a study by Niedenthal and colleagues, people are able to decode emotions from body movements alone, without any additional context, indicating that motion and body language play a significant role in shaping perceptions of characters and their identities (Niedenthal, et al., 2002).
Similarly, another study by Johnson and colleagues found that viewers are able to determine a character’s sexual orientation by observing their body movements alone, and that these nonverbal cues are potentially more powerful than any explicit dialogue or non-diegetic musical accompaniments that might be used to convey character traits (Johnson, et al., 2007).
I will also look at how other works of animation have used their medium to represent queer and femme-presenting characters through a critical lens, identifying where healthy representation has worked or not, and why. I started by looking up the benefits and limitations of skeletal animation in contrast to its frame-by-frame counterpart in video games via expert breakdowns, articles and journals found online and in the university library.
Queer representation within Media in motion
As motion is a core aspect in conveying body language and characterisation, it’s not hard to say that this is a tool which can be utilised to express core aspects of characters' personalities, and thus potentially their sexualisation or identities on the queer spectrum. This is something I intend to explore through my project.
It's important to remember that queer characters can have a wide range of personalities, interests, and experiences just like any other character. They are not defined solely by their sexuality or gender identity. (Kachel, S, et al , 2015) Therefore, when animating queer character sprites, it's essential to prioritise the individuality of each character rather than relying on stereotypes. Ultimately, it comes down to being mindful and respectful when creating queer characters in animation. (Bizofan, 2022) By avoiding harmful stereotypes and focusing on authentic representation, we can create more inclusive stories that celebrate diversity and promote acceptance.
Representation within media matters and as animators, we have a responsibility to create characters that are authentic and nuanced (Bizofan, 2022). Avoiding harmful stereotypes and promoting authentic representation are crucial components in creating queer characters in animation. By doing so, we can avoid perpetuating negative stereotypes that have long plagued mainstream media. Stereotypical portrayals can lead to negative attitudes towards the queer community and contribute to a lack of understanding and acceptance (Herek, 2007). In contrast, authentic representation has been shown to increase empathy and understanding towards marginalised groups (Wahl, et, al., 1989). By promoting more inclusive stories that celebrate diversity, animation can play a critical role in social change. As noted by Kessler (2016), media can influence attitudes towards marginalised groups, making it even more important to portray them in a positive and authentic manner. Therefore, it is essential for creators to approach queer characters in animation with mindfulness and respect, ensuring that they are portrayed authentically and in a way that celebrates the diversity of the queer community.
Stereotyping of queer and femme-presenting characters in media, and how we can overcome these stereotypes
When animating queer character sprites, it is important to avoid stereotypes that can be harmful and offensive. Some commonly known stereotypes include the flamboyant gay man, the butch lesbian, or the transgender person who is depicted as confused or unhappy (Johnson, K., 2007). These types of representations can reinforce negative attitudes towards LGBTQ+ individuals and perpetuate harmful ideas about their identities.
This can also be said regarding femme presenting characters, as seen in the case of ‘Batman: Arkham Knight’(Rocksteady Studios, 2015), where female characters, namely Catwoman, are often portrayed with exaggerated physical movements and stereotypically sensual behaviours. This perpetuates harmful gender norms and reinforces negative perceptions of women in the gaming community. (Herek, 2007) The difference of chase characters in motion was brought forward when a mod was released in early 2019, which then went viral on twitter (Juan, 2019).
Within the genre of dating-sims the over-sexualization of both male and female characters is commonplace, particularly those of over-assertiveness or aggression for male characters. This is an important commonality to avoid as we want our game to be respectful and welcoming to the asexual community, with an asexual protagonist. So, keeping movements from being overtly sexualised will be a high priority. While the idea of a flamboyant queer character may not, in isolation, be harmful. However, it is still a stereotype that many consumers feel is often overused. I want to explore creating strong character representation without leaning into the more common tropes and stereotypes lent on by media.
By avoiding harmful stereotypes, we can help break down harmful societal attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community and promote acceptance and understanding. So, when animating queer character sprites, it’s vital to focus on creating well-rounded characters with unique personalities, experiences, and identities. To be aware of the harmful stereotypes that exist in media and ensure not to perpetuate these through our art, instead embracing the diversity of the world around us.
Research Project
3.1 Project details (providing a brief description of the final work)
For this project, I will be creating between three and four unique character animations for the game's protagonist, Eunice. By delving into skeletal animation and exploring the process of rigging and animation within Spine, the industry-standard software for Skeletal Animation.
Using art software, Affinity Designer, I imported all of the Eunice Date and Uniform sprites. I split the sprites up, with each aspect having a separate layer (e.g. eyes, mouth, brows, upper and lower limbs, head, neck, hair) Before I painting behind any areas which I planned to add motion to in Spine 2D to ensure there wouldn’t be negative space within the sprite, while Eunice was in motion. I then exported the layers in one file to a JSON file ready for import into Spine 2D, once imported I had to create a mesh for each image. Following the mesh stage, I created bones for each new mesh, some having multiple bones while others corresponded to only one bone, these bones were bound to the meshes as I worked, to allow their influence over the meshes.
After this I weightpainted the meshes, editing how much control each bone would have over the different points of the mesh itself. After this, it was time to create any constraints needed for the skeleton, which I utilised on the various arms to make the animation earlier. I also created facial bones, ties to the character expressions. Finally, I created the different skins, this is a feature within Spine that allows the animator to quickly and easily change poses and switch out outfits or expressions. I created skins for each pose as well as both outfits, alongside creating skin controls for the expressions to allow me to quickly work through the poses/expressions during and after animation.
Following the set-up stage, I was able to work iteratively on the six animations, three indoor and three outdoor variants of idle, crying and laughing movements. The indoor movements for Eunice have less floaty hair than the outdoor variants, with less of a breezy look to them. I was able to easily check each pose worked with one another and both outfits looked right while animating thanks to the skin feature I’d worked to set-up beforehand.
If I were approaching this project with frame-by-frame animation, I would not have been able to create the six Eunice animations, since the sprites were delivered towards the end of April. Having such a short timeframe with a frame-by-frame approach would’ve not allowed me to create six animations for Eunice. This project has been a great example of the benefit of Spine 2D over cel animation, the skeletal approach also allowed for a lot more iteration than I could’ve achieved in the limited time if using a frame-by-frame approach.
3.2 What went right (evaluating the strengths and successes of the project, with reference to the research questions)
What went right with this project? During the four week cycle I had from receipt of the sprites to our graduate showcase, I was able to create six animations, for both the uniform and date sprites in all three poses. With the ability to customise the facial expressions freely, utilising the skin feature inside Spine 2D to easily switch between the various poses and each outfit.
When animating Romace’s queer character sprites, it was vital to focus on representing a diverse range of experiences and personalities. Avoiding cliches and stereotypes will create more nuanced and authentic characters that people can relate to regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. So, for Eunice’s animations, I ensured not to fall into the overused.
I made sure to create Eunice's motions on her personality, avoiding any stereotypes that could impact her confident, playful and approachable self. I played off of these core personality traits when developing her animations, rather than focusing on her asexuality, bisexuality or her Filipino background.
I created a laughing animation for Eunice to showcase her playful nature, as I felt it would be a good addition to her various smiling and grinning expressions. While the Idle animations I created are intended to showcase her self-assurance in herself as a person. I also created a crying animation as there are areas of the narrative where these would fit well, where heavier topics of self-acceptance and understanding are delved into. While working on these animations, I avoided making Eunice too flamboyant or sultry, as these are very prominent stereotypical approaches to female and queer animation.
Thanks to the iterative nature of Spine 2D using a skeletal approach for animation, Eunice has a total of six unique animations, with three outdoor and 3 indoor variants for their idle, crying and laughing movements. Had I been using a frame-by-frame approach, this could not have been achieved in the four week sprint following sprite delivery.
I was able to assist Cameryn in their narrative implementation by creating an easy to use texting feature, utilising the nvl system within Ren’py, this will allow us to make visual and dimensional updates to the display without needing to edit every individual instance the feature is called upon in the game scripts.
I was also able to create detailed UX wireframes for Eleanor to work from when creating UI elements for the game later into the project. This was a massive bonus as El had minimal experience with UI and UX, so the wireframes and user flow work I did helped a lot with their understanding of what was required of them for the project.
3.3 What went wrong (evaluating the difficulties or new problems that arose, again with reference to the research questions)
I was not able to create fluid animations for every outfit of Eunice, namely her casual outfit, due to limitations of my own skill in skeletal animation alongside time limiting constraints outside of my control. The four-week cycle I had to turnaround the animations was a stressful time, leading to being unable to refine the animations as much as I would have liked to. This left some visual errors inside the final animations as I wasn’t able to refine them any further, so some visible seams are present in my final animation showreel. The animations themselves, while I am happy with them given the turnaround time, I will revisit them and iterate on them to fix any of the visual errors, clipping or discrepancies they currently have.
In future, if/when continuing development of Romace, I’ll continue to iterate on the existing animations, alongside adding Eunice’s casual sprites to the file with the same level of control. I also plan to animate further members of the cast, for example Jordan, to give more life to the core cast of characters and better showcase these characters' individual traits, mannerisms and personalities. I also plan to continue improving my own skills in skeletal animation outside of Romace by working from more illustrative artworks to showcase a larger variety of character personalities better in motion, and improve my visual storytelling within animation.
Conclusion
As shown in this report, negative stereotypes in media tend to perpetuate harmful social attitudes and contribute to the marginalisation of certain communities. However, media can also be a powerful tool for social change when creators avoid harmful stereotypes and promote authentic representation. Our collaborative project, Romace, aimed to celebrate diversity and promote inclusivity with diverse and nuanced character animations for our protagonist Eunice, which we believe was successfully achieved in our Gradshocase build. This successful prototype is only the beginning as we plan to continue development of the game following our time at university.
Through my use of the skeletal animation workflow, I was able to create realistic and natural animations for Eunice while also avoiding negative stereotypes. Skeletal animation provided significant advantages over the frame-by-frame animation method, reducing production time and providing greater flexibility in making iterative changes to the animation. This allowed me to create animations that accurately reflected Eunice's personality and persona, promoting a positive representation of the queer community within a limited timeframe. Creating diverse and inclusive media is essential for promoting social progress and positive attitudes towards marginalised communities.
Through our effort to create authentic representation and celebrate diversity, our project has the potential to contribute to social change. The use of advanced animation techniques, like skeletal animation, can also streamline the creative process and provide greater opportunities for creators to focus on more nuanced and realistic portrayals of diverse characters. By being mindful of harmful stereotypes and using advanced animation techniques, creators can use media to create positive change and promote inclusivity. Romace is a testament to the power of creative media in celebrating diversity and promoting social progress.
