CSC3252 Lecture 23

Lecture 23

Towards An Animation

Revise the lecture on moving pictures and enter the wonderful world of animation...

The Message

A story
A situation
A joke
A moment
A feeling
Anything worth sharing can be expressed in animation!

If you have nothing to say, nothing to convey, don't make an animation!

The Plan. Ask yourself...

How can I convey my message using the major elements of moving picture production?
(From the lecture on moving pictures)
1. Object Space & Motion
2. Lighting
3. Sound
4. Time
What techniques will allow me to most effectively utilize these elements?

Sadly, the following must also be considered...
- Am I competent at the chosen technique(s)?
- Have I the financial backing to employ the chosen technique(s)?
- Is the technique(s) fast enough to meet the deadline? (Never!)

There are no rules, only guidelines.

Field Of View

The camera's field of view may be used to intensify a shot or place a viewer at a distance from its content.
The basic camera positions are...


extreme long shot	long shot	medium shot

close up	extreme close up

Does the character look more threatening in the first shot or the last?

Camera Location

It also matters at what angle you place the camera relative to the subject...


Above Character is in danger, small, insignificant, being watched from above	Beneath Character is powerful, dominant, in control	Beside Character is with us, at our level, just a normal person	In front Character is confronting us or something with which we identify

Three-Quarter front Character is entering a space, in control	Three-Quarter back Character is leaving a space, pushing tentatively into the unknown	Over the shoulder Viewer is with the character, looking over their shoulder.	Point of view Viewer is the character, seeing what they see.

Camera Movement

Although it is possible to create a film with nothing but stationary camera shots, sometimes the message is more clearly portrayed if the camera (or lens) is allowed to move.

The basic camera moves are:

Pan (Move camera across subject.)

Show an expanse of scenery in a continuous movement across it.
Dolly In / Out (Move camera towards / away from subject)

Dolly in - bring the viewer towards an object.
Dolly out - take the viewer away from an object.
Zoom In / Out (Change focal length of camera lens)

Zoom in - bring an object towards the viewer.
Zoom out - take an object away from the viewer.

Transitions

A transition is the link between separate camera shots.
Each transition plays a role as part of the language of cinema.
Editing is the process of arranging shots of appropriate length, in appropriate order, using appropriate transitions to convey the intended message.
The basic transitions include...
- Cut
  
  The cut is the most frequently used transition. Cuts preserve the continuity of a series of shots. Cuts can be almost unnoticable (smooth cut) or very jumpy (jump cut).
- Fade In / Out
  
  There is something very final about a fade-out. It is the end of something significant.
  
  A fade-in can be used as a means of easing a viewer into a shot or transporting them to a new time or location. This can work especially well if the sound is faded in before the imagery.
- Dissolve
  
  A slow dissolve may be used to link two (or a series of) shots together. It indicates that a significant amount of time has passed between the shots.
  
  Alternatively, a rapid dissolve or soft cut can be used to link two shots almost as transparently as a cut. It is often used where a jump cut would otherwise have destroyed flow. Eg. When editing out sections of an interview.
- Special Effects
  - Iris
  - Wipe
  - Barn Doors
  - etc...
  These effects dominate the shot content, can often be ugly, are frequently over and misused, and should be avoided except for very special occasions.

Principles of Animation

There are a number of tricks of the trade which can help bring your animated figures to life. (Disney believed there were twelve major ones) Here are a few...

Squash & Stretch

Deform objects as they accelerate and deccelerate.
Anticipation

Prepare the audience for an event before it occurs.

(Eg. by a change of expression, a gradual 'wind-up' or anything which exagerates the event to come.)
Staging

Make the message clear by ensuring that the important point of the action is presented without distraction or obstruction.

(Eg. If a characters facial expression is important, make sure you can see it by using a close up. If the sunset is important, make sure you can see it by using an extreme long shot.)
Straight Ahead Action & Pose to Pose

These are the two basic ways of creating a hand drawn animation.
- Draw one frame of a shot after another, create the shot as you draw. This is a very spontaneous way of making it up as you go along.
- Create the key frames (poses) to mark out the points of the shot, then fill the 'in-betweens'. This is less spontaneous than straight ahead but results in a more orderly animation.
Follow Through & Overlapping Action
- After a movement, the object should gradually come to a halt.
- Various appendages might halt (or move) some time after the character.
  
  A feather in a hat might spring forward and backward after the person wearing it stops walking.
  
  The same feather might do the same as the character starts walking.
- After a character dashes off screen his legs might follow.
Timing

A thorough feel for timing is vital for an animator, more even than the ability to draw!

How many frames does it take for a character to blink? The number used will determine the apparent mood of the character. How many in betweens are needed between the anticipation or wind-up of a character throwing a ball, the extension of the arm, and the follow through?

Suppose you were going to make an animation about a student (like yourself) who was making an animation for a university assignment. Here's one way you might go about it.

Of course the choices as to method and message described in the following notes are not correct, they are one way of interpretting the topic.

Message: Story describing how much hard work animation is, but how rewarding it is when you finish and your work is screened publically.
Elements: (general outline)
- Objects: simple outlined figures
- Lighting: predominantly dark when looking at the student and studio, bright and cheery when looking at the animation.
- Sound: music that the student listens to whilst working, and additional animator sounds: scratching of pencils, crumpling paper etc.
- Time: Short piece made to appear as if the animator is labouring for hours, the screening is short but the climax.
Technique: pencil drawing on paper

Making the storyboard

A title sequence is a good way to begin an animation.
- It sets the mood
- It names the animation
- It can tell everyone who made the animation
- It must capture the audience's interest
- It can be used to begin the story or idea
- Don't forget to include appropriate sound!
Title sequence contains student wandering around different famous landmarks of the world with a large pencil in her hand.

The title of the film 'A First Animation' and all the credits are scratched out on the page at each location the student visits.

Sound is a well known cheery pop song. (For which the rights have been obtained in writing)

Last shot of title sequence is the student entering a house (with her pencil) and slamming the door shut behind her... screen goes black and music halts.

Here we go...

With a 'click' the light is switched on.
A pool of light appears revealing the girl sitting at her animation board, pencil in hand, a blank sheet of paper before her.
Music starts... a steady pop song.
Girl begins drawing. Scribbles out what she has drawn in disgust, scrumples paper, tosses it over her head.
Girl still drawing. Small pile of scrumpled paper on the floor, small pile of completed drawings on her right.
Girl places drawing on 'finished' pile and takes a fresh sheet
Girl still drawing. Larger pile of scrumpled paper on the floor, larger pile of completed drawings on her right.
Girl still drawing.
Girl scrumples page, takes a fresh sheet etc...
Cut to close up of girl. Girl looks tired, bleary eyed.
Girl yawns, (music pauses) continues scribbling (music continues)...
Girl still drawing.
Music stops, girl sits up straight.
Girl smiles
Girl throws pencil over her head, gathers her papers in the 'finished' pile and leaves the room, closing the door behind her.
Girl is walking down the street, enters a building.
Girl is at a reception desk, gives papers to man behind the desk.
Girl sits down in a chair and falls asleep.
Man shaking girl, waving a film cannister in her face.
Girl smiles, takes cannister and runs excitedly for the door clutching the cannister. Fade to black.
Scene inside cinema full of people.
Short animated film begins, shot of the audience watching the film, light flickering on their faces.
Shot of student asleep in the front row.
Film ends and people clap and cheer
Student is awoken by the din and clapping... looks around and realizes the film has finished and everyone is looking at her and clapping.
She grins from ear to ear. Looks at the camera and winks.
End credits roll by as theme music plays.

Now its your turn! Go and draw the storyboard!

Take note of all the things discussed above with regard to camera positioning, transitions, and the principals of animation.

Have fun!