Logistics Test e-mail Animation Principles Anyone not get it? - PDF document

Logistics  Test e-mail Animation Principles  Anyone not get it?  Office Hours Monday  2-3 okay  3-4 cancelled Projects Plan for today  Reminders  Principles of Animation  Reminder that proposal is due before break.  Describing object placement  Reminder that Assignment 1 is due before  Transformations, orientations break.  Note about Pixar’s RenderMan Motivational Films Motivational Film  Early works by Pixar.  The Adventures of Andre and Wally B.  Lucasfilm (eventually became Pixar)  First Computer Animated Film by John Lassiter. 1

Motivational Film Motivational Film  Luxo, Jr.  Luxo, Jr.  Pixar (1986)  The one that really started it all  Character far more important than effects  Showed that believable, sympathetic characters can be created via computer  They don’t even have to be human Animation Animation “There is no particular mystery in  Programming animation animation…it’s really very simple, and  Creating tools for animators like anything that is simple, It is about the hardest thing in the world to do”  Good to know the principles by which animators work -- Bill Tytla, Disney Animator, 1937 Principles of Animation Principles of Animation  Developed for traditional animation by  Developed for traditional animation by Disney. Disney:  Applied to computer animation by John  Slow in and Slow Out Lassiter  Arcs  Squash & Stretch  Exaggeration  Timing  Secondary Action  Anticipation  Appeal  Staging  Follow Through and Overlapping Action  We’ll go through each one in turn.  Straight ahead action and Pose-to-pose action 2

Principles of Animation 1. Squash & Stretch  Web Sites (links on course site)  “The most important principle”  Ralph A. De Stefano (EVL – Univ Of  Most objects in the world are not rigid. Ill).  For example, silly putty  SIGGRAPH  never changes volume or mass  Lassiter paper online  The amount of squash & stretch gives  Kim Roddy (Naval Postgrad School) indication of rigidity of an object  Comet-cartoons.com 1. Squash & Stretch 2. Timing  Object need not deform in order to  “More than any other principle, timing squash and stretch defines the weight of an object” Which ball is heavier? Another example: SIGGRAPH page 2. Timing 3. Anticipation  Timing can also indicate an emotional state  “Anticipation is often used to explain what the  Start Frame: a head looking over the right shoulder following action is going to be”  End Frame: a head looking over the left shoulder  There are two main uses of anticipation: 1. Prepare for a movement 2. To draw the viewers attention to something. Example: opening of Luxo Jr. comet-cartoons.com 3

3. Anticipation 3. Anticipation  What is Wally going to do next  Breaking the rules can result in comedy  Heavy box example 4. Staging 4. Staging  “Staging is the presentation of an idea  Staging in silhouette so it is completely and unmistakably clear”  An important objective of staging is to lead the viewers eye to where the action will occur so that they do not miss anything.  Example: Luxo Jr…Jr is always focus when Dad & Jr on stage Andre’s itch is on side, If on belly, action would be in front of body and might be missed 4. Staging 4. Staging  Luxo Jr. was staged to the side for  Busy vs Still. clarity  Link 4

5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action 5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action  “Follow through is the termination of an  Overlapping Action action. Actions very rarely come to a sudden  “An action should never be brought to a and complete stop, but are generally carried complete stop before starting another past their termination point.” action, and the second action should overlap the first.”  The motion in most animation can be broken down in to three sections:  1. Anticipation of an Action – the setup for an  Disney quote action 2. The Action – the actual action 3. The Follow Through- the movement at the end of a motion 6. Straight ahead action and Pose-to-pose 6. Straight ahead action and Pose-to-pose action action  The two main approaches to hand drawn  Most animator defined computer animation. animation is keyframed.  Straight ahead action  Keyframing implies Interpolation  “the animator works straight ahead from his first drawing in the scene.”  Next several lectures will be on key  Pose-to-pose (keyframing) framing  the animator plans his actions, figures out just what drawings will be needed to animate the business, makes the drawings concentrating on the poses, ... and then draws the inbetweens.”  Link 7. Slow In and Slow Out 7. Slow In and Slow Out  Refers to the spacing of the inbetween  Keyframing / Interpolation have no frames at maximum positions. basis in physics.  Example:  a bouncing ball moves faster as it approaches or leaves the ground and slower as it approaches leaves its maximum position 5

8. Arcs 9. Exaggeration  The key to proper use of exaggeration lies in  “The visual path of action from one exploring the essence of the action or idea, extreme to another is always described understanding the reason for it, so that the by an arc.” audience will also understand it.  Splines for interpolation  Choose carefully what you wish to exaggerate.  If only one thing is exaggerated then it may stand out too much.  If everything is exaggerated, then the entire scene may appear too unrealistic. 10. Secondary Action 10. Secondary Action  Luxo Jr example  This is an action that directly results  Electrical Cord from another action.  Examples:  Facial expression on a character.  Wiley Coyote Principles of Animation – Wrap 11. Appeal Up  Make the animation something that the  Animation is an art. audience wants to see  Tools will be built for artists  Appeal != cute  Physical laws apply just as much in an  Darth Vader has appeal even though he is evil. animated world as they do in the real  The characters should be real world. Although animators can get away with not understanding the math  W here the live action actor has charism a the anim ated character has  Know when to use math and when not to. appeal. 6

Principles of Animation – Wrap Up Principles of Animation  Questions?  In character anim ation, all actions and m ovem ents of a character are the result of its thoug ht processes.  "The thinking anim ation character becom es a character."  Creating an effective character involves all of the principles.  Also true: ignoring one or more principles will result in unconvincing characters Break time 7