What are the most important Phonemes for talking?

LittleFenris · Post by **LittleFenris** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 9:41 pm

I am using this Moho animation for a Flash based character in a website who will talk sometimes (depending on user actions), which is part of the reason I wanted to keep things to a minimum. I also want it to look good, so I need a happy medium. I want to keep the number of phonemes (mouth positions) to around 6 to get a good range w/o being too sparse. If you had to pick only 6, which would they be?

So far I have "A" or "Ahhh", "O" or "Ooo" and a closed position. I'm thinking "E", "L" and something else. If you think I may need a couple more tell me. He will be saying short phrases and stuff so he's not really carrying on a full conversation like if this were for a TV animation or something.

rylleman · Post by **rylleman** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 11:19 pm

I would go for A (wide open), á (less open, ok for a whole range of sounds), E (put in a tongue and you got L), M,P,B (tightly shut), F,V (teeth showing) and one relaxed semi-open that counts for a lot of different sounds.

Toontoonz · Post by **Toontoonz** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 12:42 am

This guy did a nice job on mouth shapes.

http://www.tutorialized.com/tutorial/Li ... hapes/4711

nobudget · Post by **nobudget** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 8:56 pm

I usually work down and dirty. I start with a couple of switch layers I think I need and add some more if I run into other mouth positions. Open "O", wide open "E", almost closed with a bit of tongue (copy this sentence on a pornographic forum of your choise

) "Th". And say the sounds yourself. It looks ridiculous when others are around but you quickly find out how to place the lips and tongue. And don't rely on tutorials 100%. An "A" is pronounced very different in other languages, here in Holland and "E" would be pronounced as an English "A"...

Good luck,

Reindert.
www.nobudgetvideo.com

LittleFenris · Post by **LittleFenris** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 9:07 pm

nobudget wrote:I usually work down and dirty. I start with a couple of switch layers I think I need and add some more if I run into other mouth positions. Open "O", wide open "E", almost closed with a bit of tongue (copy this sentence on a pornographic forum of your choise ) "Th". And say the sounds yourself. It looks ridiculous when others are around but you quickly find out how to place the lips and tongue. And don't rely on tutorials 100%. An "A" is pronounced very different in other languages, here in Holland and "E" would be pronounced as an English "A"...

Good luck,

Reindert.
www.nobudgetvideo.com

Thanks everyone. You've been a big help. This is for my portfolio site and will be 100% American english (we all know its different than the Brit's english). Here's a teaser of what the site is starting to look like, plus the character that will be talking: Website v.01 (character is 100% Moho, background and border is Illustrator and of course the site itself is Flash MX 2004 Pro)