Sandeep and I make out. With our hands.

Animators often find it beneficial to observe actors reading their lines.  However, since Sandeep and I play Omar and Gaby in the show (and I animate Omar and Gaby) it’s impossible for me to watch us while we’re acting.

So with Episode 5, we decided to start video-taping our recording sessions. Now, in addition to listening to our voices on repeat, I can now watch us on video over and over again.  Sweet.  Over time, I’ve accepted how whiny my voice sounds (and the fact that my right shoulder is significantly lower than my left).

Here’s what I learned from this video:

1. I’m pretty damn flirty.
2. Sandeep does a bit of the Indian head bobble, but I don’t animate it because it’s too much work (you can’t see it in this clip but trust me, it’s there.)
3. When acting, we use more movement of the body than facial expressions to get our points across. When I animate us, I do the opposite—more facial expression and less movement. This is probably because animating the body takes much more time and since I’m a one-woman animation machine, I have to constantly be looking as to how to save time (for example, by animating Gaby and Omar making out under the covers, I saved myself days of animation).

And yes, we make out with our hands. It took us five takes before we could do it without cracking up. It brought me back to wild times in sixth grade.