Embedded Files
Develop Craft
Develop Craft
The Studio Habit of Mind that will be explored in this unit is Develop Craft.
To develop our craft as animators we must learn to use the tools (such as the light tables and computers), materials (paper and pencils), and practices (the principles of animation) of a particular art form. We must also learn to care for them in our studio space through proper cleaning and maintaining. Developing craft in an art form is also cultivated and continued over time through practice and exploration.
Just as in all of the Studio Habits of Mind, the ability for an artist to develop their craft takes repeated practice.
Animation History
Animation History
Learn more about how animation got its start and how it has evolved throughout history. This documentary covers the early types of animations and goes to more modern day forms.
Other great documentaries on the history of animation can be found on YouTube if interested.
Artistic Concept
Artistic Concept
A concept is an abstract idea. Artists use different concepts to take their ideas from abstraction to reality. The concept being explored through the lens of the Studio Habit - Develop Craft is Exploration.
Exploration lies in an artist's ability to try a number of new things with an open mind. These new things may be within or outside of the artist's comfort zone. An artist explores new media, ideas, practices, and techniques by taking risks, making mistakes, and learning from all outcomes.
How does the concept of Exploration fit into Animation?
Frank Thomas
Ollie Johnston
Principles of Animation
Principles of Animation
The 12 Principles of Animation are the "gold standard" of high quality animation and a set of guidelines used by animation professionals to create realistic motion and appealing scenes. They were developed by legendary animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston who worked at Walt Disney during their early golden age.
Find an interview with these amazing animators here.
12 Principles of Animation
12 Principles of Animation
Being Explored in this Project:
Timing
Timing
Timing in animation refers to the number of frames it takes for an action on screen to occur. For timing to appear slow, there need to be more frames for the action which means more drawings and less visual space between each of the drawings. For timing to appear fast, there needs to be less frames for the action which means less drawings and more visual space between each of the drawings.
Squash and Stretch
Squash and Stretch
Squash and Stretch in animation refers to the drawings being either flattened down and out or pulled up and out by the artists all while maintaining their same volume. These extremes are exaggerated so that they give a clearer visual read to the audience and emphasis the action more.
Frames Explained
Frames Explained
The term frames is interchangeable with the term drawings when it comes to 2D animation. One frame equals one hand-drawn image.
The number of frames in an animation is determined by how fast or how slow the animator wants the motion being represented to be seen at.
Each time an animator wants to show a movement a new frame needs to be drawn. Having equal spacing between each of the frames will create a smooth, even motion. Having more frames and grouping them closer together in a motion will create slower movement. Having less frames and spreading them farther apart in a motion will create a slower movement.
Watch the explanation here.
How to:
How to:
The Basics
Motion Guide
Motion Guide
A motion guide is a path that an on-screen action will travel along. Motion guides are used to plan out complex movements and actions. Animators create a path for the object/character to travel along and then time out the motion using a series of tick marks along the path to show where each frame should be drawn using the timing principle of animation.
Project Specifics
Project Specifics
Create a short animation that shows a ball bouncing from one side of the screen to the other using realistic motion and timing.
Bounce Ball Observations
Bounce Ball Observations
Let's start by making some observations:
What did you observe about the shape of the bounce; the path the ball takes; the overall motion; the timing of the whole action from start to finish as well as the timing of each bounce; the height of the bounces, etc.?
The Process
The Process
Using your observations, create a motion guide for your animation.
Plan out the timing of each of the bounces as well as the whole action using tick marks to show the placement of each new frame in the sequence.
Animate the sequence using a new sheet of paper for every new movement or each new frame. Remember to look back at your drawings often so that you can ensure that the volume of the ball remains the same.
Watch a quick video of the animation process from start to finish and the steps in between.
Student Example
Student Example
Watch a quick tutorial of the process in Adobe After Effects to create a digital movie file.
Making the Movie
Making the Movie
Follow the instructions here to take your individual drawings and make them into a digital movie file.
Bounce Ball in Perspective
Bounce Ball in Perspective
For the second half of this unit each student will create an animation of a ball that is either bouncing towards us as the viewer, or bouncing away from us as the viewer. The observations made previously about how a ball bounces in real life still apply to this animation. After the ball bounces a minimum of three times, something unexpected, surprising, and creative should happen.
To better understand the principle of Timing in Animation, students will plan out their own timing for their creative ending keeping in mind that pauses in an animation are effective to build anticipation and heighten any comedic moments.
12 Principles of Animation
12 Principles of Animation
Being Explored in this Project:
Secondary Action
Transformations
Transformations
Morphing or Transforming something into another thing in 2D animation can be visually stunning when done right. But it's a lot trickier than simply changing the shape of one thing into the shape of another thing. Watch this video to learn some great techniques to make a morph or transformation animation that is not only technically accurate, but also engaging for the viewer and visually appealing
The Process
The Process
Begin with a Motion Guide
In this guide, the ball starts small and gets bigger as it bounces towards us in perspective.
In this guide, the ball starts big and gets smaller as it bounces away from us in perspective.
Be Creative
Be Creative
Give your animation a personality - make sure something interesting and creative happens at the end that is engaging or surprising for the viewer to see. Have fun with this - you're only limited by your imagination.
objectives and national standards
watch as the instructor makes a bounce ball in perspective animation
want to know more? - experimental animation
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