Press Release

This blog contains information about the principles of animation. The blog is made for me and other people who are interested in learning more about animation.

Most of the information in this blog will be mostly for people who are just starting animation and help them build a good foundation.

I will be using videos and pictures for examples to help demonstrate.

“Animation is different from other parts. Its language is the language of caricature. Our most difficult job was to develop the cartoon’s unnatural but seemingly natural anatomy for humans and animals.”

Walt Disney

For more information contact John Q

Source:
The Animator’s Survival Kit by Richard Williams
The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston
The Animator’s Workbook by Tony White

H. Vu Guest Post

Hello Animation Basics readers, my name is Hieu Vu and today I will be a guest poster for my good friend John Q.. I will reporting my personal thought on the two styles of animation that I noticed the movie How to Train a Dragon.

In the movie How to Train a Dragon I think movie makers did a excellent job at setup the staging and appeal aspect of the movie. The movie stages a idea into your head from the start then slows transitions over to appeal for the antagonist.

Staging - The main character Hiccup build a common idea of how dragons are dangerous. The movie starts a attack on the village and with a mini introduction into a few of the many dangerous dragons in the world they setup. He try's to plan and idea of how the viking are the heroes of this world and how they have to continuously defend themselves from raid by dragons.

Appeal - From that start of the movie the audience is told to hate dragons but then the slowly start building the appeal for the dragons mainly the opposite lead Toothless. Toothless starts off as a very isolated dragon and very defensive to Hiccup but then the start building the appeal for Toothless. The first thing they show his playful side but slowly trying to interact with the Hiccup. Which leads to Toothless trying to share his food with Hiccup and at the points the audience forgets how dangerous Toothless is.

Anticipation and Exaggeration

In today’s podcast I will be talking about anticipation and exaggeration and how they affect animation.

Anticipation – is the preparation of an action.

For anticipation think of Newton’s third law of motion, “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”  This can be seen in many Warner Brothers and Disney animations.

Anticipation is used “…to catch the audience’s eye, to prepare them the next movement and lead them to expect it before [the action] actually occurs.” [1]

For example:

TeachPe.com 2009 ©

A real life example is a track runner. The runner gets into position then goes low and explodes into the run. The dip that the runner does is the anticipation.

Exaggeration – accentuating the essence of an idea.

“If a character is sad make him sadder; if he is bright, make him shine; worried, make him fret; wild, make him frantic.”[2]

Exaggeration is not only used in actions. It can be used in “…the design, the shape of objects, …the emotion, the color [and], the sound.” [3]

Exaggeration adds a bit more life to the animation or can make it even silly.

Lesseter, J. (1987). Principles of animation applied to 3d computer animation. Proceedings of the Siggraph 87 (pp. 35 - 44). Anahiem:

[1] (Lesseter, 1987) P38
[2] (Lesseter, 1987) P41
[3] (Lesseter, 1987) P42

Secondary Action and Follow Through

Secondary Action and Follow Through/ Overlapping action

Secondary action – an action resulting from another action.

Secondary action is another tool that an animator uses to add realism to an action.  A thing to remember is the secondary action should never distract the audience from the main action. The secondary action is the result of the main action.

When a character is confused and scratches their head is a good example. The secondary action helps the audience in reading a characters expression.

“Secondary Actions will add richness to the scene, naturalness to the action, and fuller dimension to the personality of the character.” [1] 

Follow through/Overlapping action – the end of an action that connects to the next action

Follow through/ Overlapping action

An example that my 2d animation Professor uses is a baseball pitcher. When the pitcher releases the ball they won’t stop moving their body and continue until they come back to a standing, balanced position. This creates a breaking of the joints.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZJzNTxgIx0

Another example would be when Batman jumps (the main action) off a building and lands, his cape would flap (the follow through) after he lands down kneeling.  Even though the body has stopped its movement, the cape follows the main action and stops last.

Thomas, F, & Johnston, O. (1981). Disney animation the illusion of life. New York: Abbeville Press.
[1] (Thomas, & Johnston, 1981) P 64

Staging and Appeal

Staging- the way an idea is presented.

An animator would want good staging so the action during that time is seen clearly by the audience and be the focus at that time. This can be applied to the mood and setting also. If an animator wants the setting to be happy, they would use bright colors or upbeat music to add the animation.

"Staging, anticipation, and timing direct the audience to the focus at that time frame." [1]

For example:

Warner Brothers Pictures 1965 ©

In the video A Go Go the animation starts with an establishing shot leading the viewer to a still shot where a trail of smoke enters the shot from the mid left side which then leads the viewer to the next shot. The camera pans right and shows the trail of smoke and cuts to a shot of Road Runner running. The animator set up the scene to lead the audience to the main character.

Appeal –a design or action an audience will like.

Appeal on the other hand adds likability to an object or character. Either it be by design, personality or actions.

For example:

Pixar Animation Studio 2008 ©

The character Wall-E is designed with big eyes and small in body size making him look childlike and cute in appearance.  Along with that he has a gentle and caring personality, making the audience have a connection to Wall-E and like him.

Even the villains need to appeal to the audience. Little children can tell who the villains are by their appearance when they come into screen. Maleficent's character design in Sleeping Beauty depicts her with her hair up looking like horns. She has a very angular, and sharp face which makes her look dangerous. The color of her clothing is black and purple and her skin has a green shade.

Walt Disney Productions 1959 ©

“Appeal is the pleasing and fascinating quality that makes a person enjoy looking at any drawing.” [3]

"You want the stage to match the feelings you want to portray." [4]

 Lesseter, J. (1987). Principles of animation applied to 3d computer animation. Proceedings of the Siggraph 87 (pp. 35 - 44). Anahiem:

[1] (Lesseter, 1987) P 38

[4] (Lesseter, 1987) P 38

"Pixar Wall-E Movie Trailer ." Web. 22 Apr 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e16U8UsT4I>.

[2] (Pixar Animation Studio, 2008) 

Thomas, F, & Johnston, O. (1981). Disney animation the illusion of life. New York: Abbeville Press.

[3] (Thomas, & Johnston, 1981) P 68  

Interview with Steven N.

Steven N. a student who is going for radiology. He used to teach Judo at his father's dojo before they closed down. Has been practicing Judo and other martial arts since he was young. He is currently working and attending school.

Do you have a favorite animation (animated film, cartoon, game, 3d or 2d) as a kid that just stayed with you till today?

Yes I enjoyed Dexter's Lab as a kid too bad it was cancelled.

What was the most recent animated film or series that you have watched that you were impressed with? What part of the animation did you like?

Summer Wars! That animated movie was great. The story and animation was superb. The combination of 2d and 3d animation was impressive. I've probably seen it 4 times already. I liked the art style of the animation, the backgrounds and the character designs fit nicely.

Have you ever considered getting a job in the animation industry and what kind of job would you like to do?


Yes I have actually. I would really like to do some voice acting. I've had experience with acting in theater and choreographing fight scenes. I am actually trying to get into the field right now, trying to get a demo reel out by this summer. 


Funimation is what I am aiming for.


What do you think of the old animated cartoons compared to how they are made today?

The older animations were heavy on story telling while today's animations thrive on visual aesthetics. 

Interview with Scott U.

Scott U. is currently a student at UTD in the ATEC program. He will be graduating this semester and is planning on continuing his graduate studies.

Scott is a generalist, being able to animate in 2d and 3d; concept art to backgrounds; and web development. He also has background in music and is able to compose songs for his shorts.


Scott's portfolio


Interview

When did you get interested in animation? Was there anything that you saw made you think “I want to do that when I grow up!”?


I got interested in animation early on. I used to watch Batman and other cartoons in my childhood and the way characters move really intrigued me.

I was fortunately gifted in the arts, but lacked the knowledge and means to create cartoons. It wasn't until middle school that I discovered Adobe Flash 4. It never occrued to me that I wanted to be an animator when I grew up. Instead it was something I enjoyed that eventually turned into a passion for future study.

Do you have any favorite animations, directors, or studio houses?

Favorite animations: There are some animations I like purely for the quality of animation (and not necessarily story). In terms of animation quality, I liked the action sequences from Bounen no Xamdou (X'amd), 鉄腕バーディー (Birdy the Mighty Decode), and Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood. I'm not a big fan of Disney, but I also enjoyed the animation quality of Bambi, The Lion King, and The Sword in the Stone.
    
I'm a big Miyazaki fan and really enjoy the works of Studio Ghibli. I'm also a fan of studios such as: Studio Deen, Madhouse, I.G. Productions, Studio David, and Bones.

How did you get your first animation job? How did you feel about working with them?


I got my first internship/job in high school. A local animation company, Epic Software, located in The Woodlands, is run by the father of my older sister's acquaintance. It was as very educational experience, and I worked very hard to produce a fighting game in Flash with a small team of interns. The work was enjoyable and my colleagues who were really industry professionals, gave me good advice.

Are you working on any projects as of right and what role(s) and responsibilities do you have in the project?

Right now I'm the director of Project Seasons and part of S.A.T. (Students Animate Together, a rogue group from A-Z Productions). I'm working a short called Flower of the Heart which is a story about a young and frustrated photographer finding love in a bittersweet tale. I also do 3d animation contract work for Veristics Technologies in Houston. I'm currently animating a product called the Rocket Rig.

Any advice for upcoming animators who want to get into the field?


Advice I can give: don't complain and work hard, there are thousands of artists overseas who would kill for a position and possess a LOT of talent. Be consistently on-time with your assignments and learn to budget time. Always communicate with your team-members, if you have any, and promote your fellow artists.


Scott and I are currently working on a short called 'Flower of the Heart' which will be finished by the end of the semester. The trailer will be released first at the 2011 ATEC.EMAC Showcase on April 20, 2011 at 6:30 P.M. at the UTD Conference Center. I will be posting the trailer here also when we finish.

How to Animate a bouncing ball

Instructional

How to Animate a bouncing ball

Materials
-Pencil & eraser
-A ruler
-post it pad
-A ball for reference

Before we start with the steps there are 3 things I would like to talk about. There’s straight ahead, pose to pose and the combination of both animations.

Straight ahead is when an animator just draws without planning the key frames. This style of animation has “…a natural flow of fluid, spontaneous action” which “… can produce surprises.” [1]

 Quote

There are also disadvantages to this type of animation. Straight ahead could be time consuming having to experiment multiple times until the animator or director gets something they like. This type of animation is also expensive because of the resources put into making the animation.

Pose to pose on the other hand is a planned kind of animation where the animator puts in the key frames and any other important poses. The Animator then puts in the in-betweens from one pose to the other.

The disadvantage to this type of animation is that the animation may end up looking “… a bit choppy [and] a bit unnatural.” [1]

The last thing is an animator can animate with the combination of straight ahead and pose to pose where the key frames and important poses are drawn as guides. The animator will then animate straight ahead and revise parts of the key frames as needed.

Now before you start animating first thing you should do is watch how a ball bounces up and down. You 

notice that as a ball bounces back up it slows down as it reaches its peak and then gains back speed as it falls back down.

Also take notice how long a bounce takes and take that into account on how many frames per second you would like to animate. For the purpose of this animation, stick to 15 frames per second.  

These instructions will teach you how to animate a ball bouncing up and down in one place.

Steps:

1. Draw in the key frames

• on the first page, draw where you want the ball to start off at and a ground plane for the ball to bounce onto.
• on the 8th page, draw the ball in contact with the ground plane.
• on the 15^th page, draw where you want the ball to stop.

    2.   Now start drawing the in-betweens between page 1 and 8 and then  page 8 and 15. 

•  remember to add in ease ins and ease outs to create the illusion of gravity.
•  also the stretch and squash for the illusion of weight.

    3.    After finishing the drawings flip through the papers and watch the animation.

Williams, R. (2001). The animator's survival kit. Faber and Faber Inc.
[1](Williams, 2001)P 62

Squash and Stretch and Arcs

Note: Before reading this blog post I recommend reading the post about timing and spacing.

Now that you have learned about timing and spacing you can add more principles into your arsenal.

Squash and Stretch – gives an object mass and weight and which makes it believable.

Arcs – the path that something moves on. Everything in animation follows an arc.

Here is an example of squash and stretch:

John Q ©

Which one is the better one?

The second one of course, also notice that the ball travels in an arc. “If it isn’t in an arc or path of action – the animation will not flow got to go with the flow…”[1]

Notice how the second animation has more weight and feeling than the first one. The animation without the stretch and squash, the ball seems like it is just floating in the space it travels.  A simple stretch at contact then a squash can create that illusion of weight. As for the arc, it “…gives us the [a] continuous flow” of the action. [2]

Adding these little details to an animation really adds to the believability of weight an object has. 


This technique can be seen most evidently in the older cartoons like 'Tom and Jerry'.


Here is a clip showing squash and stretch in action:



M.G.M © [7]


As you can see the ball stretches into an elongated shape as it falls down. The ball then squishes as it hits the ground and bounces once then squishes again and finally retains it's original shape.

PRO TIP:

One thing to be really careful of when using squash and stretch is to not let your object get “…bloated or bulbous” when squashed and “…stringy or withered” when stretched. [3]

Keep the shape or volume of the figure to its longest shape; yet it will never change are drawing “like a half-filled flour sack.” [4]

“If dropped on the floor, it will squash out to its fullest shape, and if picked up by the top two corners, it will stretch out to its longest shape; yet it will never change volume.” [5]

Lastly “an object need not deform to squash and stretch.” [6]


Resources:


Williams, R. (2001). The animator's survival kit. Faber and Faber Inc.
[1](Williams, 2001)P 92
[2](Williams, 2001)P 91



Thomas, F, & Johnston, O. (1981). Disney animation the illusion of life. New York: Abbeville Press.


[3] (Thomas, & Johnston, 1981) P 49
[4] (Thomas, & Johnston, 1981) P 51
[5] (Thomas, & Johnston, 1981) P 51


Lesseter, J. (1987). Principles of animation applied to 3d computer animation. Proceedings of the Siggraph 87 (pp. 35 - 44). Anahiem:


[6] (Lesseter, 1987) P 36


Quimby, F (Producer). (1945). Tom and Jerry - Tee for Two[Web]. Available from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrYQKXGwQBc&feature=player_embedded


[7] (Quimby, 1945 )

Recommended Resources for Animation

Here are some book about animation that I highly recommend to read and add to your book collection. I own all three and come to the books for help.

The Illusion of Life 
Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston

This book is known in the animation world as the "Animation Bible".  Written by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, two of Disney's original animators. The book describes a bit of Disney animation and the process behind it.

Every animator should own a copy of this book.

Reasons to pick up this book:

• Contains many illustrations and pictures
• A very big book full of information, over five hundred pages worth
• Lists the twelve Principles of Animation and described in great detail
• A lot of behind the scenes information
• Has many good examples

I was able to get a used copy at Half Price Books for $34.99 in good condition.

The Animator's Survival Kit
Richard Williams

Richard Williams the director of animation for 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' wrote this book. He talks about many things that an animator should do to improve oneself. The book also has information about the history of animation.

Reasons to pick up this book:

• Hundreds of pictures of frame by frame animations
• Talks about many other animators and their influences to the industry
• Has a video version, which I also recommend
• Shows the basics of animation
• The readings are formated like the author is talking to you

I was lucky enough to buy a new copy of this book for $ 6.99. Out of the three books on this list, I use this one the most. This book really talked to me. I was able to feel his passion of teaching by reading the book.

The Animator's Workbook
Tony White

This book is really a good book to start off with. The way the book was written is easily read and concise.

Reasons to pick up this book:

• Easy read even for children
• Lots of Illustrations
• Small book that can be easily carried anywhere
• Covers special effects, animal movements and backgrounds

I bought a used copy for $9.99. This book was recommended to me by my first animation Teacher. This book gets the second most use from this list. I like bringing this book with me because of it is well rounded in the topic list.

Note:

The information learned from these books can be applied to 3d animation as well. 

Interview with Long N (Classmate)

Today I interviewed a good friend, Long N, who has been an inspiration to me. Long has been animating for about 4 years now and currently in the ATEC program at UTD concentrating on character animation.

Long's portfolio

Interview:

What got you into animation ?

"I watched the film, Finding Nemo in theaters and went home. That night I just happened to be thinking about my career, I was in 8th grade at that time. I like the animation of Finding Nemo and decided that I wanted to do what those people did to bring characters to life."

What is your favorite animation and do you have a favorite director?

"I like Disney traditional animation. My favorite director would be Brad Bird for his directing on The Incredibles."


Do you have any future plans and aspirations?

"I will spend a couple of years in earning my M.F.A. in ATEC. I will be finding gigs and studying part time. I would be working on feature films until my energy runs out from old age, when I feel that way, I go into teaching animation in a university."


Are you working on any projects right now ?

"Flower of the Heart, The Diary" (2d Short Animations)


What do you do on your free time ?

"I hang out with my little sister."


Do you have any advice for aspiring animators?

"Bring your ideas to life, it's no good if your idea never leaves your brain.
Everybody has great ideas, but not everyone can bring it to life for people to see.
Be able to execute your ideas."


Long and I are currently working on a short called 'Flower of the Heart' which will be finished by the end of the semester. The trailer will be released first at the 2011 ATEC.EMAC Showcase on April 20, 2011 at 6:30 P.M. at the UTD Conference Center. I will be posting the trailer here also when we finish.

Supplies and Gear

Before you can start animating you will need to gather some animating tools. (If you are serious about animating go ahead and skip to the next list.)

People who just want to try animation

If you want to try animation out, you will need:

• Pencils and an eraser
• Post it notes

The post it notes are convenient because they are already in a form of a flip book and you will not have to bind them.

For pencils, I recommend #2s because they can easily be erased and are the most common pencils around. As for the erasers anything will do as long as it can erase cleanly.

People who are more serious about animation

If you are serious about animation here is the list of things that you will need:

• Peg bar
• Animation paper
• Light box
• Pencils and erasers

John Q  ©

A peg bar is what holds the animation paper in place and is usually taped down or glued onto a light box.

Animation paper is a special type of paper with punched holes to keep the paper in place and is bought in reams.

A light box is where an animator draws on to be able to see multiple drawings on top of each other while animating.

Pencils and an eraser are needed also. For pencils I recommend HB or #2s and for the erasers the rubber kind.

These supplies can be bought in specialty are stores and online dealers.

Digital Animators

Lastly for digital artists that want to start in animating:

•  Animation software
• Drawing tablet

I have used Adobe Flash and Toon Boom for 2d animation. I prefer Flash because I am familiar with the software and helps make my work flow faster.

For 3d animation I have only used Maya and still learning. Sorry I will not be able to help you in this department yet, but the same principles can still be applied into 3d animation.

As for drawing tablets, I prefer working with Wacom tablets because of their reliability and not needing batteries to operate. I own the first generation Wacom Bamboo tablet and have been using it for almost 4 years now.

These lists should be a good start for you to get the right materials to start animating in my next post.

Disclaimer:

I do not endorse any of the brand names or retailers mentioned in this post. These are just my preferences from my own experience.

Timing and Spacing

“Animating… it’s all… in the timing… and in… the spacing…”
Grim Natwick [1]

Alright as an animator, the first thing you should learn and understand is timing and spacing.

Timing – “… the rhythm   of where things happen, [and] where the ‘accents’, or ‘beats’, or ‘hits’ happen.” [2]

For example in a ball bounce, timing is when the ball hits the ground as it bounces

Spacing on the other hand is how the ball’s speed will visually look.

The more the ball’s drawings are overlapped, the slower the ball will appear to move while the further the drawings’ spacings are, the faster the ball will appear to move.

John Q  ©

Here is a demonstration:

(click here for larger view) John Q  ©

Even though the timing is the same (24 frames a second, meaning 24 drawings), the ball speed is different because of the spacing.

The first one has an equal amount of spacing throughout while the second one has an ease in and ease out. Think of ease in and ease out in terms of driving a car, slowly speeding up and slowly braking.

Ease in – an object with very close spacing between each drawing and gradually increases.


Ease out – an object with space between each drawing and the space gradually decreases.

To help you get started with an animation you will have to outline your keys and inbetweens. You will want to key the main actions first and then draw your inbetweens after in a 24 frame animation. In this example I key the first, last, then the middle drawing. Then I add the inbetweens.

John Q  ©

Keys – the keys are the main actions of a movement. “The drawing or drawings that show what’s happening in the shot.” [3]


Inbetweens – are drawings that come in between the keys that complete the animation.

Now is fun part, try to animate a ball moving with different spacings. To watch your animation you can flip the pages or take pictures of the pages one by one with a camera to be uploaded to your computer to be put together as a video with windows media maker.

Post your findings and a video of your animations!

PRO TIP:

“More than any other principle, timing defines the weight of an object.” [4] The longer an object takes to move across the screen indicates a big heavy mass while an object that travels fast across the screen indicates a light mass.

Using ease in and ease out too much can give “… a mechanical feel to the action.” [5] 


Resources:
Williams, R. (2001). The animator's survival kit. Faber and Faber Inc.
[1](Williams, 2001)P 35
[2](Williams, 2001)P 36
[3](Williams, 2001)P 57

Lesseter, J. (1987). Principles of animation applied to 3d computer animation. Proceedings of the Siggraph 87 (pp. 35 - 44). Anahiem:
[3] (Lesseter, 1987) P 37


Thomas, F, & Johnston, O. (1981). Disney animation the illusion of life. New York: Abbeville Press.
[4] (Thomas, & Johnston, 1981) P 62

A Brief History in Animation

Zoetrope ( 180 AD - 1834)

• invented by Ting Huan of China ( 180 AD)
• modern day version by William George Horner (1834)
• first form of animation

A device which is in a shape of a barrel where there are slits on the side. When the zoetrope is spun the images inside appear to be moving.

An example of a zoetrope.

Tatianitanyo ©

Flip Books (1868)

• patented by John Barnes Linnet

A flip book is pretty much a set of images in order that is flipped to create an illusion of movement.

An example of a flip book.

ViewTy ©

J. Stuart Blackton (January 05, 1875 - August 13, 1941)

• formed the first movie studio, Vitaograph Motion Picture (1897)
• Father of Animation

J. Stuart Blackton ©
This is not quite an animation yet. (1900)


J. Stuart Blackton ©
First animation. (1906)


Winsor McCay (September 26, 1871 - July 06, 1934)

• created the first character animation (1914)

Winsor McCay ©
McCay was able to bring Gertie to life and personality by interacting with her. (1914)


Max Fleischer ( July 19,1883 - September 11, 1972 )

• produced first synchronized soundtrack with animation (follow the bouncing ball technique) (1925)
• invented rotoscoping (1915)
• animated Popeye, Betty Boop, (1930s) and Superman (1941)

Fleischer Studios ©
First episode of Popeye.

Walt Disney (December 5, 1901 - December 15, 1966)

• father of Mickey Mouse
• first cartoon with sound to achieve commercial success ( Steamboat Willie) (1928)

Walt Disney Animations ©

Mickey Mouse in his third animation. (1928)

Resources:
http://www.animationarchive.org/2006/03/biography-j-stuart-blackton.html
http://movies.amctv.com/person/185011/J-Stuart-Blackton/details
http://www.vegalleries.com/winsorbio.html
http://movies.amctv.com/person/89963/Max-Fleischer/details
http://movies.amctv.com/person/87871/Walt-Disney/details
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_animation

Introduction

Hey everyone, My name is John Q. I am a student at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), who is an Arts and Technology (ATEC) major , concentrating in 3d animation .

I have a background in traditional arts and now making most of my artwork digitally. With this blog I plan on introducing some basic principles that can bring an animation to life.

Here are some examples of animation in action:

John Lasseter © 1986

Disney © 1999

The 3d pencil test is a good example. The animator uses the stretch and squash principle well. As for the 2d pencil test theres good follow through with the animation.

I will elaborate more on stretch and squash and follow through on my future updates.

If you have questions or suggestions you can always leave a message or comment.