Reflection

This course has taught me many things about animation including the history of animation, seven principles of animation, various animation rules, and the process of animation.

Learning about the history of animation was very interesting. I particularly enjoyed learning about all the different early animation tools like kineographs and zoetropes that were used around the world.

Learning about all the principles of animation was very useful. Many of them seem obvious or like common sense once you know them but might not be something you would actually think of on your own. Learning about the different principles through the lectures and critiques in class was very helpful. I learned a lot about animation by studying these principles.

We read a lot of papers that gave tips and rules to animations that were very informative. Many of the readings gave very practical advice that I am glad to have learned. Again a lot of the tips seem really obvious but I might never have thought of them on my own. Things like a person's hips moving in a circle during a walk cycle, for example, could be easily overlooked but having reading about things like that forces you to think about and consider what you’re animating.

I also learned a lot about the process of animation and the steps that you take in animating a project in both general and also the specific process followed at production companies like Pixar. I think this knowledge will be very useful in helping me to streamline my work and be as efficient as possible as well as letting me get a sense of what working for a company might be like.

Final 2D

Walk Cycle

Writing assignment 3

These readings were on walk cycles and the animation process. The information on walk cycles was very informative. The parts about sliding the feet backwards and moving the hips and head in a circle was especially helpful.

The Ollie Johnston article with the 30 notes for animation was also helpful. Note 12 “Everything has a function. Don’t draw it before knowing why,” is very good advice that I will try to always remember. Its very easy to just draw something based on what you expect it to do without really thinking about why or how it should actually look. Its very important to understand what you’re drawing though so I’m going to make an effort to always remember this advice.

The reading on animation steps was also very interesting. The steps are very logically organized. A lot of them are steps that I might not have thought to do or would have combined into one less effective step but the way the article listed them made a lot of sense.

2D Walk

anticipation

3D Bouncing Ball

Reading Assignment 2

These readings were about the animation process at Pixar, various animation rules, timing, rhythm, and anticipation.

I thought the reading on the animation process at Pixar was especially interesting. i enjoyed learning about the different specializations and steps that go into making a film. Having the different steps of storyboarding, modeling, animation, shading, lighting, and rendering means that everyone working on the project can focus their efforts on what they’re best at.

Timing, rhythm, and anticipation are all useful for adding personality and depth to animations. Timing and anticipation were both covered in class so I learned the most about rhythm. Making sure an animation has a good rhythm can make even boring or monotonous acts, such as hammering nails or cutting wood, much more interesting and lively. In Snow White, for example, the dwarves are seen marching and working which would be significantly less fun to watch if they didn’t work with an interesting rhythm that synced up with their song.  

Reading Assignment 1

Arcs define a character’s movement along an imaginary curve. No organic movement is totally straight and angled, it always flows along a curve. Without arcs characters would move too stiffly and appear to be mechanical instead of alive. Arcs also add personality and depth to characters as they move in expressively. “The discovery of arcs made a major change in the type of movements animators designed for their characters, breaking with the rigid and stiff actions that had gone before” (Arcs). An understanding of arcs helps to build and develop interesting, well rounded characters whose personality and mood can be seen though their movements.

Squash and stretch is another tool for animation. It can be used to give characters and objects weight and speed that make them seem more natural. It smooths out quick movements so they look fluid.

Another principle of animation is Timing. Timing is very important to showing a characters personality or mood as well as giving weight to objects and movement. With proper use of timing you can make objects seem to have weight that is otherwise non-existent. Without proper timing interactions such as picking up a bag, pushing furniture, or even walking would seem to take no effort and be unrealistic or even unnerving.

Reversal of curves also helps to add personality to a characters movement. It helps loosen up stiff unnatural movements and emphasizes important poses to keep them as dynamic and interesting as possible.

Spinning Animal

Ball and Tail

Can

Bouncing Ball

2d Roller Coaster