Tony White’s Animator’s Notebook http://avaxhome.ws/blogs/ChrisRedfield This page intentionally left blank Tony WhiTe’s Animator’s noTebook Personal observations on the Principles of movement Tony White Amsterdam • Boston • Heidelberg • London • New York Oxford • Paris • San Diego • San Francisco • Singapore Sydney • Tokyo Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier 225 Wyman Street, Waltham, MA 02451, USA The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1GB, UK © 2012 Tony White. Published by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Details on how to seek permission, further information about the Publisher’s permissions policies and our arrangements with organizations such as the Copyright Clearance Center and the Copyright Licensing Agency, can be found at our website: www.elsevier.com/permissions. This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the Publisher (other than as may be noted herein). Notices Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary. Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility. To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors, assume any liability for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data White, Tony, 1947- Tony White’s animator’s notebook : personal observations on the principles of movement / Tony White. p. cm. ISBN 978-0-240-81307-3 (pbk.) 1. Animation (Cinematography) I. Title. TR897.7.W495 2011 777'.7—dc23 2011020156 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: 978-0-240-81307-3 For information on all Focal Press publications visit our website at www.elsevierdirect.com 12 13 14 15 16â 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in China Typeset by: diacriTech, India iv Contents INTRODUCTION x ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xiii DEDICATION xv CHAPTER 1 The Principles and Process of Animation 2 Animation’s History in a Nutshell 4 The Process of Animation 6 Principles of Animation 20 Keys 24 The Importance of Testing 29 Timing and Spacing 31 What Not to Do 32 CHAPTER 2 The Generic Walk 34 The Challenge 37 Drawing from History 37 The Basic Principles 38 Body Action 43 The Head 44 Body Lean 45 The Final Walk 46 Variations 47 Timing 47 Front Walks 49 What Not to Do 50 CHAPTER 3 Stylized Walks 52 The Pose (or Gesture) Is Everything 54 Other Conditioning Factors 54 Double-Bounce Walk 57 Key Positions 59 v Contents In-Betweens 60 Sneaks 63 Timing 65 Observe! Observe!! Observe!!! 67 Mo-Cap 68 In-Betweening 2D Animation on One’s 68 CHAPTER 4 Personality Walks 70 Intrinsic Balance 73 Central Balance 74 Physical Limitations 79 In Conclusion 88 CHAPTER 5 Quadruped Walks 90 Naturalistic Quadrupeds 91 Cartoon Style 99 CHAPTER 6 Generic Runs 108 Misconceptions About Runs 110 Body Angle 114 Arm Actions 116 3-Frame Run 117 Keys Only 119 Run Cycles Versus Straight Ahead Action 119 Foot Slide and Background Panning Speed 119 Slow-Motion Runs 120 Never Neglect Your Research 121 Pose Is Everything 121 Reminder on Stride Length 121 Environmental Issues 122 Head-on Runs 123 CHAPTER 7 Jumps 126 Bouncing Ball 128 Comparing Bouncing Balls of Different Types 133 vi Contents The Standing Jump 133 The Running Jump 141 CHAPTER 8 Weight 150 Falling Leaf 152 Cannonball 152 The Lesson 153 The Pose Is Everything! 155 Weight in Movement 159 Moving Weight 160 Anticipation 161 In Conclusion 164 CHAPTER 9 Arcs and Anticipation 168 Arcs 168 Anticipation 176 CHAPTER 10 Overlapping Action 186 Overlapping Action on Hands 189 Hair 194 Random Use of Overlapping Action 195 Clothing 196 The Nature of Cloth 197 Keep Things Moving! 200 Staggers 200 CHAPTER 11 Fluidity and Flexibility 206 Squash and Stretch 213 Secondary Bodily Movement 215 Face Flexibility 216 Flexibility in Objects 218 CHAPTER 12 Basic Dialogue 222 But First, Know Your Track! 225 Body Language 226 vii Contents Rough Pose Test Animatic 227 Final Key Poses 227 Facial Expression 228 Bite 'N’ Chew Exercise 229 Animating the Face 230 Lip Sync 233 Vowel Sounds 234 Vowel Anticipation 235 Tongue Action 235 Teeth 236 Two-Character Dialogue 238 INDEX 242 viii This page intentionally left blank Introduction Imagine you have rummaged through the drawers of a dusty old studio animation desk and found inside a rare personal notebook that had in it all the core secrets of movement. Imagine if all those core secrets told you everything you’ll ever need to know to become a master animator yourself. Imagine that these notes were clearly written down, illustrated, and easy to understand—as if the author of the notebook wrote them down as he learned those key secrets from his own teacher. That is what I hope you’ll find when you open the pages of this book! It has to be said that I have a passion for teach- this particular learning experience unique— ing animation—traditional or digital! In every perhaps my best ever. I hope that each chap- book I’ve written I tried to consistently improve ter in this book offers perfect foundational the ways I teach the core underlying principles textbook material for faculty and students and process of animated movement. More involved in the teaching and learning of anima- recently I decided to put my collection of per- tion. I also hope that it provides the core mate- sonal notebooks into individual, downloadable rial for my own personal dream—an online e-tutorials that teach specific principles of atelier-style studio/academy that teaches and movement in the best and most comprehen- celebrates the traditional art form of hand- sive ways I can. Consequently 12 separate drawn animated movement. Of course, only e-tutorials now exist via Focal Press online, so you can decide if I have indeed achieved my that if anyone wants to learn just about basic best teaching approach to date. If nothing walks, runs, jumps, anticipation, flexibility, and else, I hope you’ll find the process of learning so on, he or she can download that particular from my notebook as enjoyable as it was for individual tutorial at the click of a mouse, day me when discovering, compiling, and refin- or night, anywhere around the world. It then ing all the material myself. I guess the proof of occurred to me that not everyone has easy this particular pudding will appear through the access to the Internet or is keen to purchase results you’ll get from following my advice. products online, so I got to thinking that per- haps I should provide a printed cover version of Many of the illustrations found here are those my notebooks, too. This is it, new and improved I had used previously, although some have and focused entirely on the printed word. been revised. Some illustrations have been replaced, and some are brand new. Yet all Some of the material in this book will cer- have been pretty much drawn freshly for the tainly be found my other books. But I believe I purposes of this book, so there is a new and have now found a way to explain it better, with consistent design theme running throughout added information and illustrations to make wherever possible. x Introduction The companion website (www.animators Coach; ISBN 970-0-557-78618-3; www.anim- notebook.com) material consists entirely of books.org) about getting a job in the animation pencil animation and other tests I have pro- industry that I wrote for my students (who are duced to demonstrate core principles for my always looking to land a job in this field). previous books or master classes, as well as miscellaneous clips from commercials or films The second part of the appendix contains my I have made. I particularly hope you enjoy more recent thoughts on the state of the main- viewing this film as much as I enjoyed animat- stream educational system in the West right ing it for you. Although very simple in style and now as it pertains to art and animation teach- format, it actually uses all the principles I will ing. In the last part of the appendix, to under- explain in this book, proving that they can work line my own qualifications for writing this book, in any style, whether that be 3D, stop-frame, or I have included my latest personal resume, any other forms of contemporary animation. including a list of awards won, so you can see where I’m coming from and what I’ve achieved Lastly, I am presuming that you are reading this in my career so far. book because you want to learn animation, or you are considering enrolling in an animation I wish you “good animating,” one and all! school program, or you want to supplement the education you are currently receiving.