Say hi, Mimi!

Like/dislike ratio as of 6/07/2024: 161k/2.4k

My 2nd Blender test. This one is much more ambitious than the last one since it tackles Grease Pencil (amazing tool btw, and not too hard to use in this case), some rigging (mainly modifying an existing rig), and much more extensive compositing.
Also learning DaVinci Resolve (more extensively, though I'm yet to fully master it at the moment).

A huge shoutout to @hisanimations and the entire TF2-Blender community for the tools and tips. 👍

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Credits (please correct me if I'm wrong):

- Mimi Sentry base design: Flyingpiggles10
- Mimi Sentry base model (SFM port): Mochi
- Mimi Blender port: @Untitled_Niamiko and @ai_zaqraven99
(My modifications consists on removing facial features for Grease Pencil overdraw, adding a lattice for jaw deformations, modifying materials, adding bones for the hairs, and switching all rotation orders from quaternions to euler).

Spy's voice comes from different movie clips with Thierry Lhermitte (in particular "Le père Noël est une ordure" from 1982 and "Le Dîner de cons" from 1998)

No AI was used there, it's pure voice mixing. (Figured I might leave that note just in case) 😉

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Feel free to become a Patreon for some WIPs, previews...
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Music: Engi's best dad!

Custom subtitles made with Aegisub 3.2.2 and YTSubConverter 1.6.3
A huge shoutout to @DinoBoiRex for the help! 👍
(Though it was still complex, so only English subtitles for the moment.)

Update 1/10/2023: French and Polish subtitles now available!

[ThatGrayCartoonPony]

I know this sounds ambitious (even I had to do a lot of experimentations on my part), but I hope this will set a new standard on how Mimi should be animated. She has one of the most beautiful designs I've seen as of late, and she's well deserving to be animated on a level worthy of the design.

Also press 1 for Mimi. ❤

[gionator]

If you're trying to set the standard for Mimi, I gotta say, that bar is high. The subtle details of her lights' glow to reflect her mood. The economical use of the stock sentry sounds to convey language. The mix of blender with hand drawn, chef's kiss. It's a lot of effort but if anyone shares the love and appreciation for this world and its characters, they will venture down the long path to mimic your mimi.

[ColonelFanzipantzen]

The 2D facial overlay effect is surprisingly fitting! Makes Mimi way more expressive, would be cool to see more grease pencil animations like these.

[LARAUJO_]

It took me a few times to realize the clicking at 0:21 was Spy trying to go invisible and not Mimi trying to shoot while out of ammo

[spidermanslife]

I honestly think it’s wholesome about Mimi sentry and Engineer being father and daughter, I guess engineer got a little lonely in both the battlefield and workshop and decided to build himself a robot daughter.

[rexd]

I love the idea that engineer literally just made mimi just to experience the joys of fatherhood. Classic texan father right there

[SrPelo]

DAMN!!! I LOVE YOUR ANIMATIONS SO MUCH I LOVE EM!!!! SO GOOD!!!

[theocanonoy]

Mimi was an interesting concept for humanised sentry, and I really loved her design. So it was mostly a shame that she was viewed as a "threat" and was used mostly in animations that

A. Involve her beind killed off by a TF2 character with no remorse (to signify how much the tf2 community hated mimi's existence) And
B. Not so safe animations (which further boosted the hate against her)

And this, is just beautiful. I always wanted her to be done justice, and this ticks all boxes. From her portrayal of being Engi's daughter to being a relatively shy type of character. Not to mention the already fluid animation.

This is simply amazing and You have my approval.

[godslayer]

I've loved how many animators had animated mimi using jittery and robotic movements until I watched this video. This feels like witnessing some kind of breakthrough in animation

[Alex_Spider]

Wow that’s some fluid animation you did!

Great job!! :D

[merasmus]

“You can play with my train set!”

🥹

[derpysponge]

“You can play with my train set if you want.”
I loved this animation already, but that callback earns my twelve outta ten.

[kingbash]

I've seen Mimi animated amazingly before, but this is genuinely boundary-pushing stuff. I've never seen her this emotive and expressive in a gmod animation.

[knoxzedlav]

The attention to detail in this animation is astounding
-mimi's head light shines when she's scared/surprised
-the animated face
-the sound effects
10/10!

[arcturus]

Spy saying "Oh putain!" And "Je vous emmerde mon petit vieux" Was unexpected.

[somerandomyoutuber]

Best Mimi sentry animation
It’s not just being like “oooh she hot” (not all of Mimi’s content does that, but way too much of it does), it’s showing what she would (maybe) be like as a character
I’ve come to love the idea of Mimi, as engine’s sort-of daughter. A dad/daughter dynamic is just so endearing and, dare I say it, legitimately wholesome.

[willc]

I like how Mimi was originally roasted for being another palpable R34 source, but through time evolved into a wholesome daughter character for Engineer. Especially in this case, if you turn on subtitles.

[ColinJoesseppiVEVO]

I like that the lights on Mimi glow whenever she feels intense emotions, like when she shouts at Engi, gets scared by the camera filming her, and Mimi getting too embarrassed to say anything beyond that cute lil’ wave with her gun.
It’s small details like this that are very fun to find out about in other forms of media.

[Thescrambledmann]

I love the idea of mimi being like an anxious teenager😭

[stolenalt]

Thismis actually the most expressive animation ive ever seen. It is peak cuteness. The sound she makes when she yells at engie, the genuine flinch, the awkward smile, and of course her slow flare up. I honestly cant think of a more expressive 3d animation peice.