principles of animation.ppt

7/25/2019 Principles of Animation.ppt

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Example ofAnimation

F ELECT 3 PRINCIPLES OF ANIMATION 2


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What is Animation?

Animationis the rapid display of a sequence ofimages of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positionsin order to create an illusion of moement!

"t is an optical illusion of motion due to the

phenomenon of persistence of ision# and can $ecreated and demonstrated in a num$er of ways!

%he most common method of presentinganimation is as a motion picture or ideo

program# although seeral other forms ofpresenting animation also exist!

A transformation is involved, what was stillnow moves.



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What is Animation?



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What is Animation?Animation is any thing that moes on your screen like acartoon character!

"t is the isual art of creating the illusion of motionthrough the successie display of still images with slightlypercepti$le changes in positioning of images!

Animation is the illusion of moement!Animating & making something appear to moe thatdoesn't moe itself

Animation & a motion picture made from a series ofdrawings simulating motion $y means of slight

progressie changes in the drawings%he result of animation is a series of still imagesassem$led together in time to gie the appearance ofmotion



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What is Animation?


%o animate means to gie life to an inanimate o$(ect# image#

or drawing

Anima means soul in )atin

Animation is the art of moement expressed with images thatare not taken directly from reality

"n animation# the illusion of moement is achieed $y rapidlydisplaying many still images or frames in sequence!


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"*%+,D.%",*%here are some principles of animationthat can $e consciously used in any scene!

We should familiari/e ourseles with themfor $oth animation and animation-cleanup!%he action in this scene is quite $road#making the principles easy to 0nd# $utthey should $e applied to su$tle scenes

also!+arely in a picture is a character doingnothing- a$solutely nothing!



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"*%+,D.%",*%he purpose of studying and analy/ing a scene likethis is to acquaint oneself with the possi$ilities inthe use of the principles of animation!

%here are 21 principles# though there well may $e

more!%hese are the tools of animation and should $eincorporated wheneer possi$le!

ome of them are accidentally stum$led upon while

animating in an emotional spurt# $ut when theemotions are lax# knowing these principles willena$le the artist to animate his scene intellectually#logically and artistically as well as emotionally!



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"*%+,D.%",*Here is a list of things (principles)that appear in these drawings, mostof which should appear in all scenes,

for they comprise the basis for fullanimationPose and Mood

Shape and Form

AnatomyModel or Character

eight



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"*%+,D.%",*!ine and SilhouetteAction and "eactionPerspecti#e

$irection%ensionPlanesSolidityArcsS&uash and Stretch

'eat and "hythm



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"*%+,D.%",*$epth and olume#erlap and follow thru%imingor*ing from e+treme to e+treme Straights and Cur#es

Primary and secondary actionStaging and compositionAnticipationCaricature$etails%e+ture

SimplificationPositi#e and negati#e shapes



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"*%+,D.%",*Between the late 1920's and the late 1930's animationgrew from a novelty to an art form at the Walt DisneyStudios.

With every picture, actions became more convincing,and characters were emerging as true personalities.

Audiences were enthusiastic and many of the animatorswere satisfied, however it was clear to Walt Disney thatthe level of animation and existing characters were notadequate to pursue new story lines-- characters were

limited to certain types of action and audienceacceptance notwithstanding, they were not appealing tothe eye.



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"*%+,D.%",*It was apparent to Walt Disney that no one couldsuccessfully animate a humanized figure or a life-like animal; a new drawing approach was necessaryto improve the level of animation

Disney set up drawing classes for his animators atthe Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles underInstructor Don Graham.

When the classes were started, most of theanimators were drawing using the old cartoonformula of standardized shapes, sizes, actions andgestures, with little or no reference to nature.



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"*%+,D.%",*Out of these classes grew a way of drawing movinghuman figures and animals.

The students studied models in motion as well aslive action film, playing certain actions over and

over.The analysis of action became important to thedevelopment of animation.

Some of the animators began to apply the lessons

of these classes to production animation, whichbecame more sophisticated and realistic.



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"*%+,D.%",*The animators continually searched for betterways to communicate to one another the ideaslearned from these lessons.

Gradually, procedures were isolated and named,analyzed and perfected, and new artists weretaught these practices as rules of the trade.

They became the fundamental principles of

traditional animation12 principles ofanimation



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42 5rinciples of

Animation1. Squash and Stretch - Defining the rigidity & mass ofan object by distorting its shape during an action.2. Timing - Spacing actions to define the weight & sizeof objects & the personality of characters.

3. Anticipation - The preparation for an action.

4. Staging - Presenting an idea so that it isunmistakably clear.

5. Follow Through & Overlapping Action - Thetermination of an action & establishing its relationshipto the next action.



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42 5rinciples of

Animation6. Straight Ahead Action & Pose-To-Pose Action -The two contrasting approaches to thecreation of movement.

7. Slow In and Out - The spacing of in-between

frames to achieve subtlety of timing &movements.

8. Arcs - The visual path of action for naturalmovement.

9. Exaggeration - Accentuating the essence of anidea via the design & the action.



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42 5rinciples of

Animation46! Secondary Action - The Action of an object resulting fromanother action11. Appeal - Creating a design or an action that the audience enjoys

watching.

12. Solid Drawing - Knowing them can dramatically improve one'sability to create good, strong poses and compose them withwell crafted environments.



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5rinciples ofAnimation%7E 42 5+"*."5)E A+E 8,%)9 A:,% ;%7"*acting the performance#

>directing the performance#>representing reality through drawing#>modeling and rendering#>interpreting real world physics and

>editing a sequence of actionsmake characters that move in a convincingway to communicate personality and mood!



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1. Squash and

Stretch.onsidered the most important principle# its a$outachieing the illusion of weight and @exi$ility withcharacters and# in general# any plia$le material!

Well executed# it $rings lieliness to your animations!

%here are many functionalities that can $e used for thispurpose# from simple o$(ect transformations to meshdeformation and proper armature posing whileanimating!

sing it simply means drawing or posing 0gures indeformed -- squashed or stretched -- poses! "t can $eapplied to o$(ects and creatures# as a whole or restrictedto more @exi$le parts when under the action of graityor some other pull or push!



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Squash and

StretchA few examples=

A $ouncing ru$$er $all squashes when it hits the ground# thenstretches $ack upon re$ounding!

acial expressions=

squash= in a $ig smile not only the mouth and cheeks moe# wehae eyes squinting and more -- the whole face can $e inoledB

stretch= yellC With the (aw$one open wide# the face gets longer#looking stretched!


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Squash= @atten an o$(ect or character $y pressure or $yits own power!

Stretch= used to increase the sense of speed andemphasi/e the squash $y contrast!

Note: keep volume constant!



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Squash and

StretchWhy?%he reasoning $ehind this principle iso$ious= many real materials are plia$le#including $ut not limited to soft organicmatter and anything ru$$ery or (ellylike!%his must $e accounted for in morerealistic drawings# paintings# sculptures

and# as animators soon discoered# its aital eect when things start moing#$ecause moement emphasi/es anyrigidity in a silhouette!



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Squash and Stretcho they started squashing and stretching in theirsequences of poses! %he eect was heailyexplored in sight gags those short isual (okes

sometimes inoling piesF# with charactersarms# legs# necks or whole $odies extendingalmost to no end when pulled!

+u$$er 7oses and .ircles

"n its earlier form# squash and stretch was alreadyextensiely used during the 4G26s# in cartoon seriesfeaturing elix the .at or :etty :oop# to name the $estknown examples!



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Squash and StretchMAIN BENEFIT:improe the illusion ofweight# olume and of the elasticity orhardness of each material!

7ow?%he key detail that raised quash and tretch to aprinciple is in fact quite triial to understand=

stretching does not mean enlarging

squashing does not mean shrinkingAgain and again the olume must $epreseredC



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Squash and Stretchtretch without olume preseration!


Strt!" #it" $%l&' (r)r$*ti%n.


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Squash and Stretch5ulling a cartoony arm to twice its length is0ne -- hey# cartoons natural laws allow thatC%he pro$lem is doing so without thinning thearm to compensate! "f something $ecomesextended along one of its axes# it must $ecompressed along the other two! Example= aru$$er $all elongated in H should $esquashed in its I-9 plane accordingly# or it willseem that the $all increased in si/e!

Not preserving the volume is one of themost noticeable mistakes an animatorcan make.



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Squash and Stretchquash and tretch proed to work sowell on the screen that animators felt likegetting to the heart of it!

%hey would use the eect wheneerpossi$le and kept on experimenting#oerdoing it to amusing results

,ne of the most important applicationsof quash and tretch is in facialanimation# $oth realistic and cartoony!



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Squash and Stretch

:asis shape for a realistic human male face!


S'il )"*(+ n%t t" !r*)in, *n- &l,in,.


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Squash and Stretch.artoons# as we know# can hae ery pronouncedsquashing and stretching in exaggeratedexpressions!

While realistic faces dont go anywhere that far#

opening a mouth causes a slight head stretching --we (ust need to $e careful to do it properly!

%he mirror and pictures are always good references!

quash and tretch is not restricted to soft tissueand ru$$ery things!

"ts present in a dierent way in any articulatedsystem# $e it mechanical or organic!



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Squash and Stretch.onsider a character walking or running!7er (oints $end her $ody# more nota$ly atthe knees# as she throws her weight on the

planted footB then they stretch to propel herup and forward!

"f she (umps high# we clearly see herskeleton JsquashK to prepare the moe#then stretch to launch her into the air#squash again upon reaching the ground andpro$a$ly stretch $ack to her normal heightonce she has 0nished the landing!



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2! AnticipationAnticipating is how a $ody is prepared toexecute an action! %he more energy themotion requires# the more one has toanticipate for it! Example= to (umpforward# we 0rst $end knees and swingingarms $ack!

"t also means preparing the audience foreach main action $y adding another smallaction $efore it! Ex= raising the head$efore speaking!



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Anticipation%his moement prepares the audience for a ma(or action the

character is a$out to perform# such as# starting to run# (ump orchange expression!

A dancer does not (ust leap o the @oor! A $ackwards motion occurs$efore the forward action is executed! %he $ackward motion is theanticipation!



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AnticipationAn action occurs in three parts= the preparation for the action#the action itself# and the termination of the action!

Anticipation is the preparation for the action!

Anticipation is an eectie tool for indicating what is a$out tohappen



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/OOD AD


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AnticipationWhy?Actions that do not demand much energy can $ecarried out directly# like lifting a light o$(ect or

waing at someone!:ut to perform those where more eort isneeded# the $ody must $uild up momentum!

%he situation can $e exempli0ed $y a $ow= themore stretched $ack it is# the farther it can

launch an arrow!or the second function of Anticipation# thereason has to do with focus and attention!



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Anticipation%o follow what is going on in a moie or play#an audience needs frequent indications ofwhere to look and what the characters are

doing!,therwise the story can $ecome a tiringsuccession of unexpected actions andmisunderstandings!

%his detracts from the experience# $ecause itdistur$s the @ow# disperses and een annoysspectators!



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Anticipation



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AnticipationMain benet:improe the representation ofweight and other forces and draw attention tothe main actions!

%iming and anticipation are the two mainingredients for liely# $eliea$le we can alsosay snappy# crispyF actions!

!o"? Anticipations are animated as part of thework of keyframing poses for a character! "f

working Jin layersK the animator can $locksketchF the main actions 0rst and# on a secondpass# add anticipating moes right $efore them!



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AnticipationThe anticipation goes in the oppositedirection of the main movement= stretchbackto prepare for throwing the arrow

forward! Equialently# with (umps its= $owand arrow# crouch down to (ump upB crouchdownand swing arms backto (ump upandforward!

Antici#atin$ %or momentum:precede amain action with a smaller one in the oppositedirection# (ust like it happens in real life!



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Anticipation

7ere are some more examples with a possi$leanticipationfor each gien action=1.swing arm downto cast a stone u#"ards# backto cast %or"ardB

2!in water# thrust body upto di&e do"nB3.move leg backor forwardto 'ic' %or"ardorbac'# respectielyB

.move elbow back# @exing the arm to #unchB;!all to the same side= rotate the hips move shoulder

and elbow back# @exing arm# to gie a stron$er#unchB

".swing arm backto s(a#someone hard on the face!



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Anticipation%o get people to look at a chosen spot on thescreen all that is needed is to hae motionthere!

or instance# lets say we want people to see acharacter gra$$ing a small o$(ect! %hat is themain action! :ut to draw attention to it# westart with an anticipating moe# like raising herhand a$oe the o$(ect! At this point we

Jgra$$edK attention to her# so she can go andtake the o$(ect# properly witnessed $y theaudience!



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AnticipationAntici#atin$ %or attention:precede a main action witha smaller one to attract and direct the audiences interest!

An action occurs in three parts=4!the preparation for the action - this is antici#ation

2!the action

3!the termination of the action



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3! tagingtaging is a$out presenting actions clear and eectiely!

"t inoles how characters are posed# scene content#cameras# lighting > eerything that will helpcommunicating to an audience the ideas contained inthe 0lm!

#tagingis the presentation of an idea so that it iscompletely and unmistaka$ly clear

Why

rom its name its immediate that this is another

principle $rought from the art of acting!

After all# for the spectators# 0lmed action hasconstraints similar to those found in theater!



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tagingWatchers dont walk around inside thespace where the story is happening# neithercan they choose what they want to see

there or een the $est angle and distancefor iewing and listening!

%he o$(ectie of taging is to oercome therestrictions of the medium so that iewers

can en(oy the richest experience possi$le#een if they hae to watch it from a small2D screen# with no control oer the camera!



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tagingAn action is staged so that it is understood!

%o stage an idea clearly# the audiences eye must $e ledto exactly where it needs to $e at the right moment!

"t is important that when staging an action# that only oneidea $e seen $y the audience at a time



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taging%here is an implied agreement $etween the audience andthe storytellers= the 0rst accepts to Jsit and watchK# whilethe later should try their $est to present well stagedactions that eeryone can follow!

MAIN BENEFIT:communicate ideas from the animationas well as possi$le# with clarity# lieliness and intensity!



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taging

)i$hts


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taging*amera


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taging+resentation

Which is the $est way to show a gien action? %akes from faraway to show the whole scene or close-ups? teady# /oomingin or out? "n front# L# from a$oe# $elow? sing a singlecamera for a long time or cutting from one to another

frequently?%he $est con0gurations depend# o$iously# on the action# the

settings and the desired eects!



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tagingMotion

We hae total freedom of moements in.


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taging*amera mo&ement:a good general tip is that its0ne to change and moe cameras# $ut not enoughto call attention to the cameras themseles!pan left M right

tilt up M downpedestal up M downtruck left M rightarc left M rightdolly in M out

crane up M down in any direction/oom in M outrack focus in M out



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taging,ne thin$ at a time

What works $est is not to mix actions! irst onething happens# then another# then another# notall at the same time! Dialogue is an immediateexample= in general its staged so that charactersdont speak simultaneously! ,therwise iewersmay hae trou$le understanding what was saidand done!

%he exception# where multiple concomitantactions make sense# is when the intention is toshow confusion and chaos in the scene# naturally!



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taging-uidance

Animators can and should guide the audienceseyes to each action Jfocal pointK following thedetermined sequence of eents= look at this# notice

that# now this# now that# now the other thing# etc!Scene7ow to assem$le a scene set?


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tagingScene sta$in$:do not put things in a scene (ust$ecause you can or $ecause they look cool! Each detailshould hae its role and help de0ne the setting!

cene staging= a famous saying attri$uted to .harles

.haplin stated that he only needed a park $ench# a copand a $eautiful girl to make a comedy!



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traight Ahead Action#traight ahead actionis so called $ecausean animator literally works straight aheadfrom the 0rst drawing in the scene!

%his process usually produces drawingsand action that hae a fresh look# $ecausethe whole process is kept ery creatie!

traight ahead action is used for wild#scram$ling actions where spontaneity isimportant!


t i ht Ah d A ti


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traight Ahead Actionand 5ose-to-5ose+ose to +ose

ollowing this work@ow# the artist starts $lockingout planning# sketchingF a sequence# $y de0ningthe key poses in it and roughly estimating in which

frame each of them should $e! %hese poses# whichare known as extremes# are created 0rst!

%he remaining# OtransitionO ones -- calledin$etweens -- can $e done automatically $ysoftware interpolation# $ut for accepta$le results#

in particular to apply the principles were studyingand to remoe the mechanical look of computeranimation# further work is needed



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5ose-to-5ose

"npose$to$poseanimation# the animator plans hisaction# 0guring out (ust what drawings will $eneeded to animate the scene!

5ose-to-pose is used for animation that requiresgood acting# where poses and timing areimportant

,$(ects are $uilt in a hierarchy# where each layer

of the hierarchy has an associated transformation!Animation is then $uilt up one transformation at atime from one pose to the next!



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or example# when animating a personwalking# you would 0rst set the pose positionfor the hips at the start of the motion# thenyou would ad(ust the hip translation for the

end of the action!%hen $uilding upon this original pose# youwould transform other o$(ects in the model#until you had traersed the hierarchy!

All of your actions must $e well thought out#and the timing and poses planned so thateen in the early stages# the action is clear


i h h d i d


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traight Ahead Action and5ose-to-5oseStrai$ht Ahead


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traight Ahead Actionand 5ose-to-5ose:ad points=

its easy to come to dead ends# where workmay hae to $e discarded and redoneB

hard to make the character respect OmarksO=$e somewhere or gra$ something at a de0niteframeB

hard to create strong poses# well staged# solidand appealingB

the resulting set of keyframes will pro$a$ly $ecomplex and disorgani/ed# hard to work withB

only after 0nishing the animator will know howthe scene ended up!


traight Ahead Action and


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traight Ahead Action and5ose-to-5ose

+ose to +ose


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traight Ahead Actionand 5ose-to-5ose

:ad points= easy to result in Jro$oticK# dull animationB

less room for creatiity while creating and key framing posesB

randomness is played down!

requires proper planning# sketches


t i ht Ah d A ti


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traight Ahead Actionand 5ose-to-5ose+re#arations

Animators must hae a clear understandingof the scene $efore starting# of course=

where characters should $egin and end#what happens in $etween and how theyreact to it# how long should the sequencetake# etc!

:esides the written story# story$oards andanimatics can $e great tools for referenceand guidance!


traight Ahead Action


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traight Ahead Actionand 5ose-to-5oseA simple Jscene start-up kitK for ananimator would include data 0les withthe models rigged characters# scenery#

o$(ectsF and a soundtrack# at least withthe dialogues# if any!

During the work the animator willplay$ack parts ofF the animated

sequence to check how its coming alongand to correct any pro$lem!




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Animatin$: Strai$ht Ahead4!create initial pose at the starting frameB

2!insert keyframes for the created poseB

3!adance frame $y oneB

N!update poseB;!insert keyframes for the updated poseB

P!go $ack to step Q3# continue animating Jstraight aheadK untilthe last pose has $een keyframed!




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Animatin$: +ose to +ose *hoosin$ the etremes in a sequence:its up to the

animator to choose $eforehand! Extremes should $e the mostrepresentatie poses# for example the start and end framesfor each action in a sequence and the accents emphasesF of

the recorded dialogue!




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traight Ahead Actionand 5ose-to-5oseAnimatin$: +ose to +ose / Strai$htAhead

:oth hae their adantages and pro$lems! %he$est approach# then# can $e to mix them=

!ibrid method4!start with 5ose to 5oseB

2!in one of next passes# may$e only for certain keyparts that dont look good with softwareinterpolation# return and 0ll in $etween the alreadykeyframed poses# animating straight ahead#su$stituting the interpolated data $y new keyframes!


traight Ahead Action and


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g5ose-to-5ose


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traight Ahead Actionand 5ose-to-5ose:ad points=

Actually# nothing not present already inthe two methods=requires planning for the 5ose to 5ose partBits pro$a$ly slower than using 5ose to 5osealoneB

gies a little more chance for pitfalls in the

traight Ahead parts# though pro$a$ly in muchsmaller and easier to 0x steps than whenusing traight Ahead alone!



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0 Fo((o" Throu$h


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0. Fo((o" Throu$hand ,&er(a##in$ActionFo((o" Throu$hWhen a character stops moing# anyappendages attached to its main $ody will nothalt immediately! Ex= a dog with loose skin and@ews# tail and fallen ears! As it comes to asudden stop# its looser parts keep on moing fora ery short while# each stopping at a dierenttime!

%hats ollow %hrough= the continuation ofmoement that happens with the looser partsappendagesF after the main $ody has stopped!



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While anticipation is the preparation of an action# followthroughis the termination of an action!

Actions rarely come to a sudden and complete stop# $ut aregenerally carried past their termination point!



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or example# in throwing a $all# you put yourhand $ack# thats anticipation# its thepreparation for the throwing action itself!

%hen you throw the arm comes forward for themain action!ollow %hrough is then the arm continuing pastthe normal stopping point# oershooting it andthen coming $ack!%he arm has continued or Ofollowed throughO onthe action it was doing $efore returning $ack torest!


Fo((o" Throu$h and


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Fo((o" Throu$h and,&er(a##in$ Action,&er(a##in$ Action

:ack to the example of the dog= while it wasrunning# its looser parts also had somefreedom to moe on their own# they do notstick to the $ody! When the dog changeddirection# these parts continued on theirpreious line of motion until the were pressedagainst its $ody or pulled $y it!

,erlapping Action is the superimposition ofmotions of the carried parts oer those thatcarry them!



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,erlapping Action is an action that occurs$ecause of another action!or example if a dog is running and suddenly

comes to a stop# its ears will pro$a$ly still keepmoing for a $it!Another example# if an alien is walking and ithas an antenna on it# the antenna will pro$a$lysway as a result of the main $ody motion!

%his is oerlapping action!"t is caused $ecause of the main motion andoerlaps on top of the main motion!


Fo((o" Throu$h and


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Fo((o" Throu$h and,&er(a##in$ Action

ra$%ired of $eing used in our examples# the dog decided to

quickly go somewhere else! As its main $ody and four legsstarted to moe# those same looser parts took a little while tofollow! %hey JdraggedK $ehind the rest!

Drag is what happens with appendages of a $ody when itstarts to moe= they take a little time to accompany themoement!


Fo((o" Throu$h and


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Action Main Body

F%ll%# T"r%&," St%()

O$rl*((in, A!ti%n C"*n,) -ir!ti%n

Dr*, St*rt) '%$in,

Fo((o" Throu$h and


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MAIN BENEFIT:improes the illusion of weight# makingdistinct the dierent parts of a character or o$(ect= howheay# soft or loose each one is!

ie main categories that were identi0ed=

4!.haracter with appendages loose clothing# long hair or ears#antennae# etc!F will hae these parts still moing for a shortwhile after the torso has stopped!



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Fo((o" Throu$h

and ,&er(a##in$Action2! :odies dont moe all their parts at once!%hey stretch and squash# parts turn# pull andpush working against each other! When onestops others may still $e moing# like armsswinging after the trunk has halted! %oclearly show a characters attitude andfeelings her head# shoulders and trunk maystop at the same time# since those are theparts an spectator OreadsO to know how theyfeel! ,ther parts may take longer to reach

their Orest positionO for the current pose --remem$er# were talking a$out settling downat each pose# not 0nal# complete stops!


Fo((o" Throu$h and


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Fo((o" Throu$h and,&er(a##in$ Action3! 5arts with more tissue like cheeks# $ellies#

etc! can moe noticea$ly slower than the$ones $eneath them! %his is called OdragOand# well executed# it helps a lot making

shapes look solid and organic# life-like!N! %his is funC "n another sense# Ofollow

throughO can also refer to what happensto a character after an action! "t deseresits own su$section# check it right after thisone!

;! %he Moving Hold!


P l " d l , t


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P! low "n and low ,ut

low-in means slowing down the speed of an action whenreaching a main pose! low-out means accelerating againupon leaing a main pose! o with $oth the moementshould $e= slower in the frames closer to an extreme= right $efore reaching

it and right after leaing itB faster in $etween two consecutie extremes!



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low "n and low

,utExamples=When standing up we start slow# catch speedand then slow down again as we straighten

up! o if the extremes are the two poses=sitting and standing# we hae slow-out of the0rst and slow-in to the second!

A $all thrown up= slow-out as the hand starts

pushing against the $all and slow-in as the$all is reaching its maximum height $eforefalling $ack!



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#low in and outdeals with the spacing of the in$etweendrawings $etween the extreme poses!



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low "n and low ,utMAIN BENEFIT:soften the actions andmake them more natural!

Frame by %rame

"f we are animating all frames of an action#instead of leaing in$etweens for thesoftware to interpolate# we add low-out andlow-in much like traditional animators hae

done for many decades= create morein$etweens closer to the main poses andless farther away!



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low "n and low ,ut

F+S:the more frames an action takes tocomplete# the slower it is# naturally= at 2Nfps# a hand going from open to closed in 2N

frames represents 4 second of animation#while using N1 frames it takes 2 seconds toclose! %hus# we can ary the pace ofmoement $y using less or more frames for

a gien part of an action! sing more rightafter a main pose we hae slow-outB right$efore= slow-in!


low "n and low


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low "n and low,ut

With inter#o(ation cur&es"f we use animation cures to interpolate $etween

extremes# we can ary the speed of any part of anaction $y directly editing the cures control points!

Rnowing how is a fundamental a$ility for .< animators!*ote= with animation cures# the way to set the speedof moements is to change the type of cure constant#linear# :e/ier splineF and directly edit its control points!%he more ertical a piece of the cure is# the faster theaction will happen there! o perfectly hori/ontal pieces

represent o$(ects at rest in relation to the attri$utecontrolled $y the cure position# rotation# scaling# etc!etc!F!


low "n and low ,ut


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low "n and low ,ut

Fast2in3 %ast2out%o show that a character or o$(ect is accelerating#we can aoid slow-in and slow-out of a pose# and gofor Jfast-in and fast-outK transitions!

A $ouncing $all is a perfect example of where touse $oth slow inMout and fast inMout=at the high part of the moement# the $all is going up andslows into the top pose# right $efore coming down usingslow-outFB

at the low part it comes fast into the $ottom pose# whereit collides with the ground# and also goes fast out upagain!



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S! Arcs%his principle is a$out motion paths!

"n nature most motion descri$es cured#arced tra(ectories in space# not straight

ones# which are more characteristic ofmechanical moement!

%he isual path of action from oneextreme to another

"n nature# arcs are the most economicalroutes $y which a form can moe fromone position to another



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ArcsExamples=

5lants# from leaes# like $lades of grass to $am$oo and$ranches attached to large trunks to whole trees# swayin the wind or when pushed or pulled! 7aing one end

attached to the plant or the ground# they arc!Articulated creatures like us erte$rates moe our partsin arced paths# too# since (oints are made to rotate!

o$(ects thrown in the air fall in para$olic tra(ectorieswhen graity is the only releant force acting on them!

counter-example= pistons are mechanical deices thatmoe straight up and down inside cylinders



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Arcssing properly arced paths results in morelife-like motion! Tiewers notice somethingstrange a$out an animated head turn thatfollows a straight hori/ontal line# een ifthey are not aware that a real head will dipor raise slightly when turning!

%o $end# straighten or rotate our arms# the

(oints at the shoulder# el$ow and wristmust rotate! imilarly with the legs# not tomention how our spines moe!



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Arcs%he reasons come from 5hysics liing incured space-timeF and the resulting waythat most natural things are constituted!

A pendulum seres as a simpleillustration of arced in this case circularFmotion caused $y one end of the moingpart $eing connected 0rmly to a $ase

and the other free to moe! %hat can $erelated to $ody articulations and# inplants# to stems and $ranches!



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1! econdary Actionecondary actions are those that charactersperform as complements to the main onesthey are executing!

or instance# a character may $e walking >this is the main action > while also swingingarms $ack and forth# whistling or mum$ling#checking his pockets or what time it is at hiswatch# turning his head to look at the sidesof the road# yawning or shiering!

%hese are all examples of secondary actions!



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econdary Action%hinking a$out character moements# theprimary ones are those where the mainaction $eing expressed is concentrated# likethe mouth area when talking or the legs

when walking# while secondary actionsinole some of the remaining parts of the$ody in each case!

Why

%o enrich the scene# adding life andpersonality and emphasi/ing the main action!



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econdary Actionecondary actions can clearlydierentiate any two charactersperforming the same main action or a

same character in two distinct states ofmind or of physical health!

A secondary actionis an action that results directly fromanother action!

econdary actions are important in heightening interestand adding a realistic complexity to the animation!



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!o"?

+hysica(

%he $ody is a system# working as a whole!

A forced walk may $e restricted to thelower half# $ut a natural one will hae thewhole $ody moing# in general

A secondary actionis an action thatresults directly from another action!econdary actions are important inheightening interest and adding a realisticcomplexity to the animation!



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econdary Action+sycho(o$ica(

*oticing it or not# people express feelings andthoughts through secondaryF actions whiletrying to do what they need to primary# mainactionsF!

While the latter can $e direct consequencesof someones decisions earlier in the story#the secondary moements are a$le to gie an

immediate account of how a person feels at agien moment and# (udging more carefully#what kind of personality she pro$a$ly has!



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econdary ActionWor'in$ in (ayers

Working in layers means attacking thewhole sequence not from start to 0nish at

once# $ut iteratiely# in passes!Example= working pose to pose# theextremes should $e created 0rst# thensecondary# follow through and oerlappingactions can $e added in the second or atlater passes!

ine tuning comes last!


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econdary Action"magine someone walking# a normal healthy anddetermined walk# no hint a$out feelings or thoughts!

%hats the main action!

Whateer secondary actions are added will indicate

what is going on and which kind of character this is=4!(ust walking# legs moe $ut the rest of the $ody (ust follows#

arms at rest# no expression

2!looking frequently to the sides# snapping 0ngers# shaking head

3!whistling or smiling# looking around cheerfully# arms swinging

N!smiling $ut shrugging;!trem$ling# igorously ru$$ing arms and hands# putting hands in

pocket# stooping a little

P!scratching head# grimacing# talking alone



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G! %iming%iming refers to how eents are distri$uted in time!

"n nature its greatly aried# though always limited tosome speci0c range# naturally!

:eing good with timing is a crucial a$ility for animators#that requires study and experience!



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%iming# or the speed of an action# is an importantprinciple $ecause it gies meaning to moement!

%he speed of an action de0nes how well the idea will$e read to the audience

omething like an eye $link can $e fast or slow! "f itsfast# a character will seem alert and awake! "f its slowthe character may seem tired!

.artoony motion is usually characteri/ed as fastsnappy timing from one pose to another!

+ealistic tends to hae more to do a$out going

$etween the poses!:ut $oth require careful attention to the timing ofeery action!



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%iming


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%iming

Why:ecause it is all-perasie=

%he ery $asics of frames# keyframing and interpolation cureshae direct relation with it!

%he 5hysics of motion= o$(ects with dierent masses and the

external forces applied on them de0ne speci0c elocities for eacheent $ased on a num$er of aria$les!

Each creature has its own timing# down to how each part moes!%his aries with speci0c characteristics# health condition# thoughts#

emotions!



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%iming*ot only characters speak indierent timings according to thea$oe reasons# it also depends on

the language they are speaking!)astly# timing is inoled in allaspects of a production= $udget#complexity# duration of each sceneand of the whole 0lm#synchroni/ation of images andrecorded dialog# etc!



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%imingWith timing we can demonstrate personality# thoughts#feelings# state of health and peculiarities!

inally# the ery mood of the scene can $e determinedand played with $y ariations in edition# camera

moement# music# oices and sound eects# etc!%iming is eerywhere!



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%iming!o"

Basics

%he more frames a part of aF moementtakes# the slower and smoother it will $eon-screen! And ice-ersa= the less# thequicker and crisper!

Tarying the timing of successie piecesofF actions is the key to @uid# $eliea$leand interesting animations!



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%imingWei$ht

%iming alone can $e used to determine theweight of two colliding o$(ects!

Without considering other factors= theslower an o$(ect moes after $eing hit# theheaier it seems to $e in relation to theone that hit it!

A heay character will hae slowermoements than a lighter one# in general!



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%iming

Estimate

7ow does an animator know how long an action shouldtake? 7ow many frames for a step on a walk cycle or to

walk or run across a gien distance? 7ow many for an eye$link# a yawn# a (ump? We need this kind of information allthe time!!!



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%imingtudying references# like moies# is one way to improeyour oerall sense of timing and also to sole a quickdou$t!

"n some cases# you can perform the motion yourself and

guess or time it -- were talking a$out motion as complexas an eye $link# not roundhouse kicks# hereC



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46! ExaggerationExaggeration means what the name suggests= going$eyond expected limits!

"t can $e applied to drawings models# in 3DF# sounds --and story# exaggerating in the personalities# physical and

mental a$ilities# situations or# more generally# the naturalOlawsO goerning a cartoons unierse!



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Exaggeration



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ExaggerationWhy

"n the "llusion of )ife its mentioned thatWalt Disney asked animators to come up

with exaggerated# wilder $ut still morerealistic material# which confused themuntil it $ecame clear that Disney wantedan exaggeration of real life# instead of

something more surrealistic or simplyimpossi$le!



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ExaggerationExaggeration is on the essence of humor# so its(ust natural that it was used in comic cartoons! Andsoon they learned that it could work ery well inanimations# $etter than ery realistic# watered

down actions! "n fact# the main reason for it to$ecome a principle# was that some exaggerationmade cartoons look more liely than action tracedfrom lie action footage!

5eople also hae always liked to oerstate features

and achieements# good and $ad happenings! owe might (ust end this saying that we like toexaggerate!



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Exaggeration



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Exaggeration

A scene has many components to it includingdesign# action# o$(ects and emotion!

Exaggeration of eery element in a scene

creates a feeling of uneasiness in youraudience!

Eerything is distorted and unrealistic!

ind a $alance in your scene!

Allow your audience a grounds for comparisonof the exaggeration and $y so doing# the wholescene will remain ery realistic to them



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44! olid Drawingolid drawings are those with interesting#well proportioned shapes and good senseof weight and olume!

Uust as there are principles of animation#drawing also has its own# taught atdrawing art schools and $ooks!

MAIN BENEFIT:create isually deeperand appealing animations with improedsense of weight and $alance!



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olid DrawingWhy

imple! *ot only modelling# $ut also lighting#texture# eects# composition and > speciallyreleant here > #osin$can $ene0ttremendously from $asic knowledge a$outdrawing principles!

%he old adices gien to animators $ack inthe 4G36s are (ust as releant today# for any

animation medium= are your drawingstridimensional# solid# interesting? Do theyhae weight# deepness and $alance?



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olid Drawing!o"

Wei$htWhen characters make some eort# the

animator needs to clearly show with posing thatthey seem to feel it# not only with facialexpressions# $ut possi$ly with the whole pose#depending on the diVculty of the task!

A character lifting something heay with one

arm# for instance# must $e posedcounter$alancing to the lighter side to re@ectthe struggle



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olid DrawingSi(houettes

What makes a pose interesting? A goodsilhouette has a lot to do with it# for sure!And what makes an interesting silhouette?

*(arity%o clearly show an action we can and in generalshould use silhouettes that communicate well tothe audience! %hat is part of good taging! orexample# placing the camera $ehind one of the

characters in a 0ght is not the $est way to showwhat is going on# we wont see the punches andkicks and whateer!


olid


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olidDrawingee#ness

ilhouettes should hae a tridimensional quality! %his inolesproper posing and camera placement!

T"ins

ymmetries in how parts of a character are posed# withone side mirroring the other!


2 l


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42! AppealAppeal is the isual quality that makescharacters and o$(ectsF attractie#interesting# stimulating!

"ts not restricted to $eauty and goodness#though!

A monster or a illain can and should also$e appealing to the audience!

Where the lie action actor has charisma#the animated character has appeal!


A l


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Appeal



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A l


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AppealAudiences like to see a quality of charm# pleasing design#simplicity# communication# or magnetism!

A weak drawing or design lacks appeal!

A design that is complicated or hard to read lacks appeal!

.lumsy shapes and awkward moes all hae low appeal!


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AppealWhy

%hings that are uninteresting hae their space#$ut are only JthingsK# without personality!

%hey dont capture interest# iewers dont carea$out what will happen to them!

"f the heroes hae no appeal# who will wastetime watching their adenture?

And if the illains are not appealing# things arenot much $etter# $ecause scenes deoted tothem in the 0lm $ecome $othersome!


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Appeal!o"Appeal means anything that a person likes tosee! %his can $e quality of charm# design#simplicity# communication or magnetism!

Appeal can $e gained $y correctly utili/ingother principles such as exaggeration indesign# aoiding symmetry# usingoerlapping action# and others!

,ne should strie to aoid weak or awkwarddesign# shapes and motion!


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Appeal"ts important to note that appeal doesntnecessarily mean good s! eil!or example# in Disneys animated classicO5eter 5anO# .aptain 7ook is an eilcharacter# $ut most people would agreethat his character and design has appeal!

%he same goes for 7opper in OA :ugs )ifeO!Een though hes mean and nasty# his

design and characteri/ationMpersonalitystill has a lot of appeal!


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AppealBaby %ace

*ature is wise# it makes $a$ies look irresisti$ly cute to adults!We feel like taking care of them! And it seems that peoplethat presere some of this $eauty in their grown-up faces arealso appealing $ecause of that! Well# it has worked well for

Disney! And for mangas and animes that feature thesuperdeformed style!


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Appeal*oo(ness%his is harder to de0ne! "ts almost as if it issomething in the air# $ut from time to time anew or reamped style takes many people from

a group $y storm and de0nes what is trendy!%his happens with clothes# music# isuals# etc!and in some cases# once the feer goes away#more than a few look $ack and think Joh# whatwas " thinkingC?K! :ut anyway# while it lasts# it

works ery well# not to mention that some are$etter than others or arent them?F!



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ummarySQUASH AND STRETCH

This action gives the illusion of weight and volume to acharacter as it moves. Also squash and stretch isuseful in animating dialogue and doing facial

expressions. How extreme the use of squash andstretch is, depends on what is required in animatingthe scene. Usually it's broader in a short style ofpicture and subtler in a feature. t is used in all forms ofcharacter animation from a bouncing ball to the body

weight of a person wal!ing. This is the most importantelement you will be required to master and will be usedoften.



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ANTICIPATION

This movement prepares the audience for a ma"or actionthe character is about to perform, such as, starting to run,"ump or change expression. A dancer does not "ust leap offthe floor. A bac!wards motion occurs before the forwardaction is executed. The bac!ward motion is theanticipation. A comic effect can be done by not usinganticipation after a series of gags that used anticipation.Almost all real action has ma"or or minor anticipation suchas a pitcher's wind#up or a golfers' bac! swing. $eatureanimation is often less broad than short animation unlessa scene requires it to develop a characters personality.


STAGING


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STAGING

A pose or action should clearly communicate to the audience

the attitude, mood, reaction or idea of the character as it relatesto the story and continuity of the story line. The effective use oflong, medium, or close up shots, as well as camera angles alsohelps in telling the story. There is a limited amount of time in afilm, so each sequence, scene and frame of film must relate to

the overall story. %o not confuse the audience with too manyactions at once. Use one action clearly stated to get the ideaacross, unless you are animating a scene that is to depict clutterand confusion. &taging directs the audience's attention to thestory or idea being told. are must be ta!en in bac!ground

design so it isn't obscuring the animation or competing with itdue to excess detail behind the animation. (ac!ground andanimation should wor! together as a pictorial unit in a scene.


STRAIGHT AHEAD AND POSE TO POSE ANIMATION

&traight ahead animation starts at the first drawing and


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&traight ahead animation starts at the first drawing andwor!s drawing to drawing to the end of a scene. )ou can

lose si*e, volume, and proportions with this method, butit does have spontaneity and freshness. $ast, wild actionscenes are done this way. +ose to +ose is more plannedout and charted with !ey drawings done at intervalsthroughout the scene. &i*e, volumes, and proportions

are controlled better this way, as is the action. The leadanimator will turn charting and !eys over to his assistant.

An assistant can be better used with this method so thatthe animator doesn't have to draw every drawing in ascene. An animator can do more scenes this way and

concentrate on the planning of the animation. anyscenes use a bit of both methods of animation.


FOLLOW THROUGH AND OVERLAPPING

ACTION


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ACTION

-hen the main body of the character stops all other parts continue

to catch up to the main mass of the character, such as arms, longhair, clothing, coat tails or a dress, floppy ears or a long tail thesefollow the path of action/. 0othing stops all at once. This is followthrough. 1verlapping action is when the character changesdirection while his clothes or hair continues forward. The characteris going in a new direction, to be followed, a number of frames later,

by his clothes in the new direction. 2%3A4,2 in animation, forexample, would be when 4oofy starts to run, but his head, ears,upper body, and clothes do not !eep up with his legs. n features,this type of action is done more subtly. 5xample6 -hen &now -hitestarts to dance, her dress does not begin to move with herimmediately but catches up a few frames later. 7ong hair and animaltail will also be handled in the same manner. Timing becomescritical to the effectiveness of drag and the overlapping action.



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SLOW-OUT AND SLOW-IN

As action starts, we have more drawings nearthe starting pose, one or two in the middle, andmore drawings near the next pose. $ewerdrawings ma!e the action faster and more

drawings ma!e the action slower. &low#ins andslow#outs soften the action, ma!ing it more life#li!e. $or a gag action, we may omit some slow#out or slow#ins for shoc! appeal or the surprise

element. This will give more snap to the scene.


ARCS


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All actions, with few exceptions such as theanimation of a mechanical device/, follow an arcor slightly circular path. This is especially true ofthe human figure and the action of animals. Arcsgive animation a more natural action and better

flow. Thin! of natural movements in the terms ofa pendulum swinging. All arm movement, headturns and even eye movements are executed onan arcs.


SECONDARY ACTION

This action adds to and enriches the main action and adds


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This action adds to and enriches the main action and addsmore dimension to the character animation,

supplementing and8or re#enforcing the main action.5xample6 A character is angrily wal!ing toward anothercharacter. The wal! is forceful, aggressive, and forwardleaning. The leg action is "ust short of a stomping wal!.The secondary action is a few strong gestures of the arms

wor!ing with the wal!. Also, the possibility of dialoguebeing delivered at the same time with tilts and turns of thehead to accentuate the wal! and dialogue, but not somuch as to distract from the wal! action. All of theseactions should wor! together in support of one another.Thin! of the wal! as the primary action and arm swings,head bounce and all other actions of the body assecondary or supporting action


TIMING5xpertise in timing comes best with experience and personalexperimentation, using the trial and error method in refiningtechnique The basics are6 more drawings between poses slow


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technique. The basics are6 more drawings between poses slowand smooth the action. $ewer drawings ma!e the action faster

and crisper. A variety of slow and fast timing within a sceneadds texture and interest to the movement. ost animation isdone on twos one drawing photographed on two frames of film/or on ones one drawing photographed on each frame of film/.Twos are used most of the time, and ones are used duringcamera moves such as truc!s, pans and occasionally for subtle

and quic! dialogue animation. Also, there is timing in the actingof a character to establish mood, emotion, and reaction toanother character or to a situation. &tudying movement ofactors and performers on stage and in films is useful whenanimating human or animal characters. This frame by frameexamination of film footage will aid you in understanding timing

for animation. This is a great way to learn from the others.



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EXAGGERATION

5xaggeration is not extreme distortion of a drawing orextremely broad, violent action all the time. ts li!e acaricature of facial features, expressions, poses,attitudes and actions. Action traced from live action filmcan be accurate, but stiff and mechanical. n feature

animation, a character must move more broadly to loo!natural. The same is true of facial expressions, but theaction should not be as broad as in a short cartoon style.5xaggeration in a wal! or an eye movement or even ahead turn will give your film more appeal. Use good tasteand common sense to !eep from becoming too

theatrical and excessively animated.


SOLIDDRAWING


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The basic principles of drawing form, weight,

volume solidity and the illusion of threedimension apply to animation as it does toacademic drawing. The way you draw cartoons,you draw in the classical sense, using pencils!etches and drawings for reproduction of life.

)ou transform these into color and movementgiving the characters the illusion of three#andfour#dimensional life. Three dimensional ismovement in space. The fourth dimension ismovement in time.


APPEAL

A live performer has charisma An animated character


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A live performer has charisma. An animated characterhas appeal. Appealing animation does not mean "ust

being cute and cuddly. All characters have to haveappeal whether they are heroic, villainous, comic or cute.

Appeal, as you will use it, includes an easy to readdesign, clear drawing, and personality development thatwill capture and involve the audience's interest. 5arly

cartoons were basically a series of gags strung togetheron a main theme. 1ver the years, the artists havelearned that to produce a feature there was a need forstory continuity, character development and a higherquality of artwor! throughout the entire production. 7i!eall forms of story telling, the feature has to appeal to themind as well as to the eye

principles of animation.ppt

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