Animation Principles touched on so far:

• Timing
• Squash and Stretch
• Anticipation
• Overlap
• Performance

Weight was also mentioned, but Andy feels that weight is something taken into consideration when covering the above principles anyway.

Timing

First principle we looked at was timing, using 12 postcards to animate a sequence as previously seen my first digital animation post. Timing comes with practice, which was comforting to know, since my timing isn’t that sharp in the exercises I have completed so far. Georg mentioned, after seeing the animation below in my tutorial, that ‘the eye’ is very cliché. Like the lens flare of the Photoshop world. Which I thought was quite interesting, because it was the idea which appealed most to me at the time, and I found that other ideas I had considered, some people in the class had done for theirs.

Squash and Stretch

Bounce, bounce. The classic bouncy ball animation. There is a slight pause in the image below as the ball raises back into the air, normally it does look more fluid. Squash is quite simply when an object makes impact or puts pressure on something. Stretch covers the idea that whilst something moves at speed, its shape either appears to , or literally does, change shape. Even if the object does not ‘really’ change shape, we do it so that the eye perceives it as motion blur.

I started to stretch my ball a little early, making it look like it has been slammed down, which wasn’t my intention. I kept the volume of the ball consistent though, which is very important for a realistic feel.

Anticipation

Apparently we don’t just float into the air when we jump, I understand from this principle that anticipation of an action is probably more important than the action itself. For example, the build up to a punch, as a persons raises their fist and pulls it back, ready to throw the punch, requires more animation than the punch itself. The punch itself may only be a frame or 2, since it passes so fast.

I probably had too many frames in the jump, since his descent is a bit slow. Andy said he felt it was a bit mechanical and didn’t feel very dynamic. When looking at other peoples, then my own, my one did look a bit stiff. And I didn’t give him arms, I forgot that minor detail.

Overlap

Overlap is the resulting end of the action, like when you jump forward, the part when your upper body lurches forward slightly as you land. I’m not entirely sure what my character is doing as he lands. What was supposed to be a slightly stumble as he lands, turned into him gently stroking the floor with his hand. I struggled to visualize him landing, since he appears to be jumping sideways. I didn’t want to do it from a side angle, because you lose some of the character (well, one of his arms).

Andy actually mentioned in the follow up lesson to the class that silhouettes are very important, and that it should be clear, for example, what a character is doing even if the character is completely filled in black. Negative space around the character (under the arms, etc) will help make the characters pose more distinctive. So I think that is what I had in mind when I did it, although whether it shows, I’m not sure.

Performance

The most recent principle covered involved using a secondary character. We had to provoke emotion in a viewer by making them sympathize with a character who has been treated unfairly. I went for a small child trying to seek attention from the mother and then being hit and ushed away by her.

I haven’t had feedback yet on this one, but I will say now I think I should of added more frames. It isn’t clear enough that he steps onto tip-toe to poke her, which was probably the bit I was most looking forward to see. I could of held that pose for a few frames even. I put emphasis on the anticipation of the hitting, with only 2 frames for the actual act. I think that bit, and the ushing away worked well. There is a good flick of the wrist I reckon.

Tomorrow we are getting an ‘informal’, yet ‘critical’, review. Yet it isn’t graded. Or something. I will blog about it when I have had it, because I don’t understand yet.

Stay tuned.