Final Reflection

    Over the course of this semester I have expanded my knowledge of 2D animation.  There was so much that I didn’t know about the process, history, and aesthetic of 2D animation.  I’ve always appreciated the work of Disney and other hand drawn animations but after going through the course of ACM 216 I now fully understand the massive amount of work that gets put into those kinds of films.  I never knew that there were so many artists that assist the main artist and some even specialize for specific features like color, clothing, etc.  What really amazed me was how much work you have to put in just to animate 1 second.  24 frames per second means that a movie about 1 hour and 30 minutes would be 129,600 pictures only if the time was constantly 24 frames per second.  A lot of people don’t appreciate the fact that an animated film takes so much effort.  As I was doing my final 2D project just 4 seconds took my 96 drawings.  And the entire process of drawing and taking a picture of each frame took me about 7 hours.  I think that 2D animation is something that isn’t held at as high of a standard as 3D.  Even though, 2D takes so much more time and dedication. 
    Other than the process and history of 2D animation there was a lot of aesthetic I learned.  In class and reading the assigned documents have taught me that 2D animation takes personality, exaggeration, careful thinking, and planning.  When animating a character you have to really think about what you’re trying to portray; who is this character you’re animating?  Every character is a different person, therefore every character reacts, walks, talks, and moves differently.  Animation exaggerates actions; that’s what makes them so entertaining to watch.  They break down the boundaries of reality.  When I think about 2D animation it’s really about bringing your ideas to life.  Your style of drawing could be very detailed and flawless but if you don’t have the aesthetic knowledge of 2D animation your film will feel like it’s lacking something.  

2D Scene

3D Walkcycle

walk cycle

3D Bouncing Ball

Reflection#2

    This first reading that I selected was “Timing” by Eric Larson.  There were a lot of things that Larson talked about in his article that I liked.  Larson stated that, “In our action the big moves may move us from place tot place, suggesting the spirit and emotion in our character, but the smaller moves, embellishments within the big moves, magnify the attitude and emotion and add dimension and sincerity, keeping our action from being Just ordinary or passable.”(Eric Larson).  I liked how Larson describes how the little movements are the ‘embellishments’ that bring out the emotion and dimension in a character.  His description really emphasizes the personal thought that an animator can put into their character through the small movements.  For future reference this piece of information greatly helps me.  I now know that when I create a character and make them do even the simplest moves I have to really put in some personal thought into really “animating” my character.  I have to put a personal touch on each characters moves to really bring them to life and captivate the audience.  Larson also talked about rhythm being essential towards timing.  “I think a good study of music would be indispensable to the animator--a study of rhythm--the various rhythms that enter our lives every day...there are things in life that we do to rhythm that come natural to us..”(Walt (Memo to Don Graham)).  The quote that he included talked about how music has rhythm and so does everything else we do in life.  I’ve played the trombone for 6 years and I understand musical rhythm.  His reference to musical rhythm really made sense for me.  In music you have to phrase the musical notes together.  Each note is different; they can be connected through a slur, separated by staccattos, or rise in volume through cresendos, etc.  Music is so dynamic, just as movements are dynamic.  Movements can also be phrased; slow relaxed actions, violent fast actions, someone speeding up their pace, etc.  I found that Larson comparison of music rhythms to movement rhythms gave me a new perspective on understanding how movements flow.  Because I can compare movement to something that I’ve studied for 6 years this can really help me when designing any character. 
    The second reading that I selected was “The Ideal Animator ” written notes from Ollie Johnson.  I liked how this document was in a list format.  It gave you the main points, which were very useful tips.  I feel that I took in more of what Johnson writes about in his list because it so much more personal than reading through an article.  He doesn’t just list technical stuff but he describes things that didn’t even cross my attention.  One of the things he talks about is “What is the character thinking?” It never really consciously crossed my mind to think about what the character is thinking or what would the character do; to put my mind in my character’s own shoes.  It’s such a simple tip and yet I’ve never really paid attention to that sort of thing.  Even in Johnson’s sketch of the “Ideal Animator” the notes he puts describing the animator are things that caught my attention.  He writes “Heart: He feels what he draws. Animation to him is not purely a technical exercise but a personal expression.”(Ollie Johnson).  These are aspects that books can’t teach you.  I really enjoyed reading through Johnson’s note and as I work towards becoming a better animator I would like to reference back to his note’s again.

Head Turn