Explain

Both open hands in front of the body, the palms toward each other, shaping the idea as it is said: apart, together, then wider apart, the head nodding with each beat.

Use it in a cartoonChange it in the move makerThe pack file (JSON)

What it is for

Explain is the move for a character making a case: describing a plan, telling a story, teaching. It follows its own voice, as Talk does: a quiet line moves the hands a little, a loud one a lot, and a silent one stands at rest, so it can stay on a character for a whole speech.

The principle it shows: a gesture shapes the words

The hands hold the idea between them. They open to show something big, close in to show something small or exact, then open wider for the point the line is building to. The elbows stay near the body, so the gesture stays in front of the chest and never pulls the eye away from the face.

The program, line by line

when it starts
  forever:
    show the front view
    at the same time:
      — 1:
        glide left arm (22*loud), part:arm:-1~out 12, part:arm:-1~twist (-8*loud), right arm (22*loud), part:arm:1~out 12, part:arm:1~twist (-8*loud) over 0 s
        glide left arm (23*loud), part:arm:-1~out 14, part:arm:-1~twist (16*loud), right arm (23*loud), part:arm:1~out 14, part:arm:1~twist (16*loud) over 0.45 s (out)
        glide left arm (22*loud), part:arm:-1~out 10, part:arm:-1~twist (-24*loud), right arm (22*loud), part:arm:1~out 10, part:arm:1~twist (-24*loud) over 0.5 s (inout)
        glide left arm (27*loud), part:arm:-1~out 16, part:arm:-1~twist (30*loud), right arm (27*loud), part:arm:1~out 16, part:arm:1~twist (30*loud) over 0.5 s (out)
        glide left arm (22*loud), part:arm:-1~out 12, part:arm:-1~twist (-8*loud), right arm (22*loud), part:arm:1~out 12, part:arm:1~twist (-8*loud) over 0.55 s (inout)
      — 2:
        glide left forearm (84*loud), part:forearm:-1~twist (40*loud), right forearm (84*loud), part:forearm:1~twist (40*loud) over 0 s
        glide left forearm (80*loud), part:forearm:-1~twist (45*loud), right forearm (80*loud), part:forearm:1~twist (45*loud) over 0.45 s (out)
        glide left forearm (90*loud), part:forearm:-1~twist (38*loud), right forearm (90*loud), part:forearm:1~twist (38*loud) over 0.5 s (inout)
        glide left forearm (78*loud), part:forearm:-1~twist (50*loud), right forearm (78*loud), part:forearm:1~twist (50*loud) over 0.5 s (out)
        glide left forearm (84*loud), part:forearm:-1~twist (40*loud), right forearm (84*loud), part:forearm:1~twist (40*loud) over 0.55 s (inout)
      — 3:
        glide part:hand:-1~fist 0, part:hand:-1~wrap 0, part:hand:-1~point 0, part:hand:-1~thumb 0, part:hand:1~fist 0, part:hand:1~wrap 0, part:hand:1~point 0, part:hand:1~thumb 0 over 0 s
      — 4:
        glide head 0, part:head~twist 0, part:head~tilt 0 over 0 s
        glide head (5*loud), part:head~twist 0, part:head~tilt (-3*loud) over 0.4 s (out)
        glide head (1*loud), part:head~twist 0, part:head~tilt (3*loud) over 0.5 s (inout)
        glide head (6*loud), part:head~twist 0, part:head~tilt 0 over 0.5 s (out)
        glide head 0, part:head~twist 0, part:head~tilt 0 over 0.6 s (inout)
      — 5:
        glide torso segment 1 0, part:torso#1~twist 0, part:torso#1~tilt 0 over 0 s
        glide torso segment 1 (3*loud), part:torso#1~twist 0, part:torso#1~tilt 0 over 1.4 s (out)
        glide torso segment 1 0, part:torso#1~twist 0, part:torso#1~tilt 0 over 0.6 s (inout)
      — 6:
        mouth follows (min(1, loud*1.25))

• 0 s — arms 22 out 12 twist -8, forearms 84 twist 40, hands open, head 0 twist 0 tilt 0, chest 0 twist 0 tilt 0.
• 0.4 s — head 5 twist 0 tilt -3.
• 0.45 s — arms 23 out 14 twist 16, forearms 80 twist 45.
• 0.9 s — head 1 twist 0 tilt 3.
• 0.95 s — arms 22 out 10 twist -24, forearms 90 twist 38.
• 1.4 s — head 6 twist 0 tilt 0, chest 3 twist 0 tilt 0.
• 1.45 s — arms 27 out 16 twist 30, forearms 78 twist 50.
• 2 s — arms 22 out 12 twist -8, forearms 84 twist 40, head 0 twist 0 tilt 0, chest 0 twist 0 tilt 0.

In the program each turn the voice drives is its size times loud, how loud the line is at that moment, from 0 (silent) to 1 (its loudest), so a whisper moves it a little and a shout a lot: the upper arms swing out (22*loud), (23*loud) and (27*loud) and roll (-8*loud), (16*loud), (-24*loud) and (30*loud), opening the hands apart and bringing them together; the forearms bend (84*loud), (80*loud), (90*loud) and (78*loud) and roll (40*loud), (45*loud), (38*loud) and (50*loud), turning the palms toward each other; the head nods (5*loud), (1*loud) and (6*loud) and tips (-3*loud) and (3*loud); the chest leans in (3*loud); and the mouth opens (min(1, loud*1.25)).

Try this

1. Spread the hands in 0.25 seconds instead of 0.45. The first beat lands sharper: a speaker who knows exactly what they mean.

   In the program: ramp · over 0.45 → 0.25

2. Take 0.9 seconds over the widest opening instead of 0.5. The big gesture slows down, as if the speaker is enjoying the idea.

   In the program: ramp · over 0.5 → 0.9

How it differs from Talk and List on fingers

Talk beats one hand and then the other on the stressed words; Explain moves both hands together, as one shape. List on fingers counts separate points; Explain builds one.

Works on

c4c:beh:explain · version 1.0.0 · c4c-free · by Jabbertoon