It’s important to realize that, in the real world, not every sound is visibly articulated. It’s easy to try to make every sound clearly defined, but this is not the way people talk.
Concentrate on the key sounds and mouth shapes with a focus on making sure they obey the ground rules for being able to form those sounds.
It is recommended to first check and correct the top priority mouth shapes across the whole shot to make sure they are formed correctly. Once checked, render and review your shot.
TOP PRIORITY Mouth Shapes:
After reviewing the top-priority shapes, check any remaining problem areas for these secondary mouth shapes to identify and refine outstanding issues.
SECONDARY Mouth Shapes:
Before starting, make sure you are familiar with the Refinement Best Practices.
Download the complete Mouth Shapes Pass Guide:
Mouth Shapes Pass Guide [PDF / Light Design]
Mouth Shapes Pass Guide [PDF / Dark Design]
More downloadable guides on Refinement are available here.
M/B/P (e.g. “mat”, “tube”, “cap”)
TIMING AND SHAPES
B & P:- The lips should be pressed together on the frame before the sound (and possibly the frame before that too, depending on the strength of the B or P).
- The lips must release from each other when the B & P sounds start.
M:
- The M sound occurs only while the lips are closed.
- The lips release when the next sound occurs.
CONTROLS TO USE
If the lips are not closed when they should be for an M, B or P, then close them with the following overrides:- Jaw - Open (negative value)
- Close the jaw to bring the bottom lip up to meet the top lip. Use in tandem with ‘Mouth Shrug - Upper’ so that the lips come together in unison.
- Mouth Shrug - Upper (negative value)
- Lower the top lip to bring it down to meet the bottom lip. Use in tandem with ‘Jaw - Open’ so that the lips are coming together in unison.
- Optional: Mouth - Funnel (negative value)
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- Pull the lips inwards and press slightly together with a gentle negative value.
- If the lips are closed in your vub when they are meant to be releasing, then use the reverse of the actions above i.e. to open the lips use:
- Jaw - Open (positive value)
- Mouth Shrug - Upper (positive value)
- Optional: Mouth - Funnel (positive value)
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION
Watch this short video demonstrating how to create the 'M/B/P' mouth shapes.
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F/V (e.g. “fate”, “turf”, “velcro”)
TIMING AND SHAPES
- F & V sounds only occur while the bottom lip is in contact with the top teeth.
- No lower teeth should be visible.
CONTROLS TO USE
If the bottom lip is not making contact with the top teeth on the desired frames, then achieve this with the following overrides:- Jaw - Open (negative value)
- Close the jaw with a negative value so that the bottom lip covers at least some of the top teeth.
- Mouth Shrug – Upper (positive value)
- Once the jaw has been adjusted such that the bottom lip is in contact with the top teeth, ensure that the lips are now not sealed by raising the top lip if necessary.
- Optional: Mouth Roll – Lower (positive value)
- This brings the lower lip inward and can help give the impression that the lower lip is pressing against the bottom teeth. Fs in particular can be formed using different parts of the bottom lip making contact with the teeth, so use your judgement of how the actor would form an F.
- Optional: Mouth – Funnel (positive value)
- Mouths can purse together when saying F or V. This can help create this slightly rounded shape.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION
Watch this short video demonstrating how to create the 'F/V' mouth shapes.
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W/Oo (e.g. “however”, “when”, “cool”, “move”)
TIMING AND SHAPES
- Oo and W sounds occur with a rounding of the lips and a small lip opening.
- The Oo sound is heard while the mouth shape is held.
- The W mouth shape is strongest on the frame before the peak of the sound as it releases into the next sound.
CONTROLS TO USE
If the W/Oo shape is not sufficiently formed, then achieve this with the following overrides:
- Jaw - Open (positive or negative value)
- The jaw typically opens a little in the forming of a W/Oo, so ensure that this is happening – but only a little.
- Mouth – Pucker (positive value)
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- To create a more rounded shape
- Mouth Shrug - Upper (negative value)
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- Slightly lower the top lip to bring it closer to the bottom lip and reduce/eliminate the visibility of the top teeth.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION
Watch this short video demonstrating how to create the 'W/Oo' mouth shapes.
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S/Z/T/D (e.g. “sausages”, “hazy”, “potatoes”, “fades”)
FIND THE FRAME(S)
- Using Audio Scrubbing, find the frame or frames where you hear the ‘hiss’ of the S or Z sounds, or the frame before you hear the ‘pop’ of the T or D.
TIMING AND SHAPES
- Typically, the mouth shape for S/Z is made while the sound is made.
- Typically the mouth shape for T/D is made the frame before the sound is made.
- The lips must not be fully sealed
- There should ideally be some visibility of the teeth with no visible gap between them.
- The jaw for T/D sounds can sometimes be fractionally more open than for S/Z sounds.
CONTROLS TO USE
If the mouth is too open for a S/Z/T/D to be formed, use the following controls:
- Jaw - Open (negative value)
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- Adjust the jaw so there is little to no gap between the teeth.
- Mouth Shrug – Upper (positive value)
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- After setting the jaw correctly, ensure the lips do not seal by raising the top lip, if needed.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION
Watch this short video demonstrating how to create the 'S/Z/T/D' mouth shapes.
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Th (e.g. “thick”, “path”)
TIMING AND SHAPES
- The Th sound only occurs while forming the Th mouth shape.
- The Th shape involves the tongue touching the underside of the top teeth, meaning that it can peek out between the teeth. DeepEditor does not currently control the tongue, so to make a Th shape work, ensure the jaw is open just enough to allow for a hypothetical tongue peeking out.
CONTROLS TO USE
If the Th shape is not sufficiently formed, then achieve this with the following overrides:
- Jaw - Open (positive or negative value)
- Adjust the jaw so there is a slight gap between the teeth (note that you don’t actually have to see the teeth, just to set the jaw to the right opening.
- Mouth Shrug – Upper (positive value)
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- After adjusting the jaw, raise the top lip if necessary to ensure the lips are not sealed.
- Optional: Mouth - Funnel (negative value)
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- Th shapes can involve a widening of the mouth corners. If desired, add a gentle negative value to ‘Mouth - Funnel’ to achieve this.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION
Watch this short video demonstrating how to create the 'Th' mouth shapes.
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Ch/Sh/Dge/J (e.g. “channel”, “match”, “clash”, “fudge”, “ajar”)
TIMING AND SHAPES
- The lips should not be sealed.
- There should be little to no gap between the teeth.
- The lips often funnel outward.
- These sounds are typically heard as the mouth is starting to release from the position, except for elongated Sh sounds.
CONTROLS TO USE
If the Ch/Sh/Dge/J shape is not sufficiently formed, then achieve this with the following overrides:
- Jaw - Open (negative value)
- Close the jaw until you have nearly-touching teeth.
- Mouth – Funnel (positive value)
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- Add some curling outwards of the lips if needed.
- Optional: Mouth Shrug – Upper (positive or negative value)
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- These mouth shapes sometimes show the top row of teeth, so lift the top lip if needed. Conversely, if ‘Mouth - Funnel’ has overexposed the top teeth, you can lower the top lip if needed.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION
Watch this short video demonstrating how to create the 'Ch/Sh/Dge/J' mouth shapes.
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R (e.g. “crash”, “erode”)
TIMING AND SHAPES
- The lips should curl slightly outwards.
- There should be a slight rounding of the lips.
- The opening between the lips should be small
- The peak of a R mouth shape should be the frame before we hear the peak of the sound – which occurs as the shape is released.
CONTROLS TO USE
- Mouth – Funnel (positive value)
- To round the mouth and curl the lips outwards.
- Jaw – Open (positive or negative value)
- If the jaw looks too open, slightly close it; however, it should never be fully closed.
- Mouth Shrug – Upper (positive value)
- If the adjustment to the jaw has resulted in sealed lips, slightly raise the top lip to part them.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION
Watch this short video demonstrating how to create the 'R' mouth shape.
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N/L (e.g. “panic”, “new”, “milk”, “ballast”)
TIMING AND SHAPES
- The lips should not be sealed.
- There should be a small visible gap between the teeth. N/L is formed by the tongue touching the roof of the mouth, so we focus the jaw opening to make this physically possible.
- The N and L sounds are heard when the mouth releases from this position.
CONTROLS TO USE
If the N/L shape is not sufficiently formed, then achieve this with the following overrides:- Jaw - Open (negative value)
- If there is no visible gap between the teeth, open the jaw a little.
- Optional: Mouth Shrug – Upper (positive value)
- Once the jaw is adjusted then, if the lips are still sealed, raise the top lip a little to help part them.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION
Watch this short video demonstrating how to create the 'N/L' mouth shape.
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Ah (e.g. “mat”, “flap”)
TIMING AND SHAPES
- The peak of the Ah sound should match the peak of the jaw opening.
- The lips and jaw must not be closed.
- The size of the jaw opening should match the performance size.
CONTROLS TO USE
- Jaw - Open (positive value)
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- Open the jaw enough to match the audio performance size.
- Optional: Mouth - Pucker (negative value)
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- If there is any rounding of the mouth, reduce or eliminate this.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION
Watch this short video demonstrating how to create the 'Ah' mouth shape.
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Ee (e.g. “heed”, “happily”)
TIMING AND SHAPES
- There should be a light jaw opening, leaving a slight separation between the teeth
- There should be an increased mouth width; it can look like a smile.
- The peak of the mouth shape should match the peak of the sound.
CONTROLS TO USE
- Jaw – Open (positive value)
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- Ensure the jaw has a light opening.
- Mouth Smile - Left & Mouth Smile – Right (positive value)
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- Add ‘Mouth Smile - Left’ and ‘Mouth Smile - Right’, typically in equal proportions, to emphasize an Ee shape.
- Optional: Mouth - Funnel (negative value)
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- Using a small negative value of ‘Mouth - Funnel’ can create the look of the lips pressing against the teeth that can occur when with an Ee sound.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION
Watch this short video demonstrating how to create the 'Ee' mouth shape.