What is the art of animation?

Description of the animation

• Art of movement.
• Frame/ Cel a container that holds image information.
• Key. Setting a position in space. For an image to look like is moving there will need to be a minimum of 2 keys to help give the impression of movement.
• Time & Space.
• Directional Force.
• Communication of an idea through time.
• Dialogue - always get tacked on at the end, but this 9 times out of ten is the lifeblood of animation. We can't forget to though if you can show it rather than speaking can sometimes be better.

Art of Movement

Animation is like making a drawing come to life. Imagine you have a flipbook; you draw a little stick figure on each page, and each drawing is slightly different. When you flip through the pages quickly, the stick figure appears to move. That's the art of movement!

Frame/Cel Frames, or cells, are like individual pages in your flipbook. Each frame holds a single picture, and when you play all those pictures in a sequence, you get animation. Think of each frame as a snapshot of a moment in time.

Key Setting

A key setting is like telling the stick figure in your flipbook where to stand at specific times. If you want the stick figure to jump, you'd set one key for the starting position and another for the highest point of the jump. These "key" points guide the movement, and the rest of the frames fill in the action between the keys. It's like connecting the dots!

Time & Space

Time in animation is how fast or slow the movement happens, like if your stick figure walks or runs. Space is where the movement happens on the page or screen. You control time by how many frames you use for action, and you control space by where you draw or place the images.

Directional Force

Think of this as the way the wind blows your stick figure. Directional force is like the push or pull that moves your character. It could be gravity making them fall, or a push that makes them slide across the screen. It's what gives the movement energy and makes it look real.

Communication of an Idea Through Time

This is the big picture! Animation isn't just about making things move; it's about telling a story or sharing an idea. Your animated stick figure could be used to show how to dance, tell a funny story, or explain how a plant grows. You're using pictures that move (frames) and the way they move (keys, time, space, force) to share something cool or important with the people watching.

Acting and Dialogue

1. Dialogue For Animation.
2. Always be economical.
3. Hit the mouth shape 2 frames before you hear it.
4. End of sentence = blink and maybe new pose.
5. 98% don't offset the face.
6. Listen for the accent or stressed words in the sentence for physical body reaction or change in the pose ie. head move or stepping.
7. Tone will help define the angle of the head. Tone up, head up, tone down, head down.
8. Breakdown key the journey to the adjective.
9. Don't have your character look like they're stuck in one spot. Keep your feet moving or shift weight.
10. Reading the Peaks & Valleys of the waveform. Vowels are valleys and Constance area peaks.

Acting and Dialogue for Animation

Always Be Economical In animation, you want to use the least amount of effort to convey the most information. Imagine trying to tell a story in only six pictures instead of sixty; you'd only draw the most important parts. This makes your animation clearer and saves time.

Hit the Mouth Shape 2 Frames Before You Hear It

When characters talk, their mouths need to match the words. If a character says "Hi," their mouth needs to open like they're saying it. But the tricky part is you want the mouth to shape the word a tiny bit before the sound is heard. It's like starting to open a gift box just before someone says "Surprise!"

End of Sentence = Blink and Maybe New Pose

When people finish talking, they often blink or move a bit. In animation, doing this helps the character look more real. Think of it like taking a breath after finishing a sentence in a storybook.

98% Don't Offset the face

Most of the time, animators keep the face moving together. If the eyes and mouth move separately, it might look strange. Imagine if your eyes looked left, but your mouth moved right; it would be confusing!

Listen for the Accent or Stressed Words

When people talk, some words are louder or have more energy. Animators use this to make characters move more during those words. If you shout "YAY!" you might jump up; in animation, you'd do the same thing.

Tone Will Help Define the Angle of the Head

The way a character's voice sounds can help decide how their head moves. If they sound happy and excited, their head might lift. If they sound sad or tired, their head might drop. It's like nodding yes when you agree with something.

Breakdown Key the Journey to the Adjective

This means showing the little movements that get a character to a big movement. If a character is going to jump, you'd show them to bend down first. It's the details that make it look real!

Don't Have Your Character Look Like They're Stuck in One Spot

Characters should move a little, even if they're standing still. It's like how you might shuffle your feet if you're waiting in line; it makes things look more natural.

Reading the Peaks & Valleys of the Waveform

When looking at the sound of the dialogue, vowels (like 'a' or 'o') look like valleys, and consonants (like 'p' or 's') look like peaks. Animators use this to help match mouth shapes to words. It's like matching puzzle pieces to make sure everything fits just right.

Acting and dialogue in animation is about making the character feel alive. This is probably the most important principle to keep coming back to. So keep asking the question what does this character need to "feel" alive?