Principles of Animation?

[kunal_sarkar84]

can anybody tell me the basic principles of animation and some other imp/
key word which one should keep in mind while animating something.(charecter/object)

thnks in advance.

[Buzzy]

Well, there are tons of things to keep in mind and principles to understand (I just finished 4 years of college, with a Disney animator as a teacher, and I still don't know alot of stuff) There are probably plenty of free online resources on this topic, but I'll see if I can hit a few major points anyway (and remember, with Disney-style training, I'm biased to character animation).

First, animation is NOT about realism...its about believability. Watch any Disney or Chuck Jones film, and watch them frame by frame.... 90% of the drawings are physically impossible...but they "feel" right when watched in sequence.

Second, animation by definition, is bringing life to something that isn't alive. Your characters have to be alive... that means they have to think, have emotions... the audience has to be able to relate and empathize. In the words of my professor, "Anyone can move a character around the screen, but animators can bring them to life."

Ok, now that we got that out of the way, here are a few fundamentals

Stretch and Squash - Think of a ball bouncing... when it hits the ground, it flattens out a little... then it stretches out a little when it shoots up into the air. Thats Stretch and Squash in a nut shell... but as an animator, you have to exaggerate the stretch and squash to make it believable. More stretch and squash generally makes the object feel heavier.

Anticipation/Follow-Through - Anytime you move, you make a slight movement in the opposite direction to "Anticipate" the action. Example : A baseball pitch. The pitcher will swing his arm way backward (the wind up) before throwing it forward (the pitch) After he throws it, his arm will continue to swing past the point of release... this is the follow-through.

Timing - Timing is how fast or slow things happen. Take the example of the pitcher from above. If you were to animate a pitch, the actual action (the pitch) would only be maybe 4 or 5 frames...the anticipation would probably be a good 30 or 40 frames. By increasing the length of the anticipation (ie, its timing), you can make the ball seem heavier and the pitch more powerful.

Ease In and Ease Out - Also called "Slow In and Slow Out".... this refers to Newton's Law of Motion... objects at rest, stay at rest... and objects in motion, stay in motion. When an object starts moving, it takes a bit before it gets up to speed...so it starts out slow and "Eases into" the motion. When the object stops, it has to slow down first, or "Ease Out" of the acton. The longer the ease in and ease out, the heavier the object looks.

Arcs - Nothing organic moves in straight lines...therefore, nothing you animate should move in a straight line.... 'nuff said

Overlap - Also called "Secondary Action", "Delayed Action" or "Drag"...a good example of this is a ponytail. When a person with a ponytail moves, the head moves first, then the ponytails moves a little bit later... and when the head stops, the ponytail doesn't stop right away...it keeps going for a little bit...its actions are delayed from the primary action of the head. This principle is very important...everything drags.... when a character moves his arm, his hand will drag and overlap a little.

Anyway....now that I've just made the longest post ever....but you asked for it by asking such an in depth question. Now go and buy the book "Animator's Survival Kit" by Richard Williams.

[kunal_sarkar84]

thnx buddy for writing such a huge post, well thnx for suggesting a book also
iam making my mind for purchasing it ! thnx again!!!!!

[Rutuja Shivde]

Hello,
I have to prepare myself for an important Seminar.Can anybody give me the latest topic in Animation for the Seminar.The seminar should include all the details about the topic.