Week 11 : Principles of Animation

Before semester break, Dr Jamal have give us homework about the principles of animation. Dewi, Fadlee and Che Ku was presented their topic in class today. After that, Dr Jamal discussed the principles with details..
There are 12 basic principles of animation introduced by the Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas in their 1981 book The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation. 

• SQUASH AND STRETCH

This principles Squash and Stretch is contracting and expanding movement within a shape as it moves through action. Also squash and stretch is useful in animating dialogue and doing facial expressions.

• SLOW-OUT AND SLOW-IN

 As action starts, we have more drawings near the starting pose, one or two in the middle, and more drawings near the next pose. Fewer drawings make the action faster and more drawings make the action slower. Slow-ins and slow-outs soften the action, making it more life-like. Or Ease in Ease Out

• EXAGGERATION

Exaggeration is an effect especially useful for animation, as perfect imitation of reality can look static and dull in cartoons.The level of exaggeration depends on whether one seeks realism or a particular style, like a caricature or the style of an artist. It's also can call it 'over acting'.

 

 

• FOLLOW THROUGH AND OVERLAPPING ACTION

Follow through and overlapping action is a general heading for two closely related techniques which help to render movement more realistically, and help to give the impression that characters follow the laws of physics. "Follow through" means that separate parts of a body will continue moving after the character has stopped. "Overlapping action" is the tendency for parts of the body to move at different rates (an arm will move on different timing of the head and so on).

 

 

• ANTICIPATION

Anticipation can be the anatomical preparation for the action, e.g., retracting a foot before kicking a ball. An action occurs in three parts:

1. the preparation for the action - this is anticipation
2. the action
3. the termination of the action 

 

• STAGING

 A pose or action should clearly communicate to the audience the attitude, mood, reaction or idea of the character as it relates to the story and continuity of the story line.

• STRAIGHT AHEAD ACTION AND POSE TO POSE

 Straight ahead animation starts at the first drawing and works drawing to drawing to the end of a scene.

• ARCS

 Arcs give animation a more natural action and better flow. Think of natural movements in the terms of a pendulum swinging. All arm movement, head turns and even eye movements are executed on an arcs.

• SECONDARY ACTION

 This action adds to and enriches the main action and adds more dimension to the character animation, supplementing and/or re-enforcing the main action. Example: A character is angrily walking toward another character. The walk is forceful, aggressive, and forward leaning. The leg action is just short of a stomping walk. The secondary action is a few strong gestures of the arms working with the walk.

• TIMING

The basics are: more drawings between poses slow and smooth the action. Fewer drawings make the action faster and crisper. A variety of slow and fast timing within a scene adds texture and interest to the movement.
 

• SOLID DRAWING

The basic principles of drawing form, weight, volume solidity and the illusion of three dimension apply to animation as it does to academic drawing.
 

• APPEAL

Appealing animation does not mean just being cute and cuddly. All characters have to have appeal whether they are heroic, villainous, comic or cute. Appeal, as you will use it, includes an easy to read design, clear drawing, and personality development that will capture and involve the audience's interest. 

"My mum told me
never to forget my
principles"