- Squash and Stretch: Exaggerate deformations to add life and impact to movement.
- Anticipation: Give a subtle hint of an action before it happens to build suspense.
- Staging: Arrange the elements of your scene to guide the viewer’s eye and focus.
- Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose: Choose the appropriate animation method for the scene, smooth curves or key poses.
- Follow Through and Overlapping Action: Objects and limbs continue moving past their stopping point due to inertia.
- Slow In and Slow Out: Objects accelerate and decelerate gradually, not at constant speed.
- Arc: Movement follows curved paths, not straight lines, for naturalism.
- Secondary Action: Add subtle extra motions to enrich character and background animation.
- Timing: The duration and spacing of frames determine the speed and weight of motion.
- Exaggeration: Push expressions and actions beyond reality for comedic or dramatic effect.
- Solid Drawing: Apply fundamental drawing principles of anatomy, perspective, and weight to create believable characters and objects.
- Appeal: Make your characters and world visually appealing and engaging for the audience.
These principles, developed by Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas, are foundational to creating believable and engaging animation. They apply to both traditional hand-drawn animation and modern computer animation.
We follow the pattern, but here’s how do it differently,
Pre-Production:
- Script: Develop a captivating story with a clear structure, dialogue, and character outlines.
- Character Sketch: Draw rough designs of your characters, exploring their appearances and personalities.
- Moodboard: Gather visual references for character styles, color palettes, and environments.
- Storyboard: Visualize the narrative through a sequence of panels, showcasing camera angles, composition, and action.
- Director’s Treatment Note: Define the overall tone, style, and theme of the animation.
- Sketch: Refine character designs and backgrounds based on storyboard feedback.
Production:
- Shoot: Capture live-action reference footage for character movement and scene timing (optional).
- Touch-up: Finalize character designs, backgrounds, and props in your chosen animation software.
- Animate Video: Bring your characters and scenes to life using keyframe animation, tweening, and other techniques.
- Da Vinci Resolve: Edit and assemble the animation shots, adding sound effects and music.
- Angle Cameras: Adjust camera movements and framing within the animation software.
- Background Illustrator Touch-ups: Ensure backgrounds seamlessly integrate with the animated elements.
Post-Production:
- Voice Recording: Record dialogue, narration, and sound effects for the animation.
- Transitioning: Create smooth transitions between scenes and shots.
- Adding Screens inside the Videos: Integrate screen recordings or other digital elements into the animation.
- Sync: Synchronize animation, sound effects, music, and voice tracks.
- Color Grade: Enhance the visual style of the animation with color correction and grading.
- Lighting: Add depth and realism by applying lighting effects to characters and environments.
- Animation: Address any final animation tweaks or adjustments.
- Render: Export the finished animation in your desired format (video file, GIF, etc.).
Additional Notes:
- This is a general overview, and the specific stages and order may vary depending on the complexity of the project and the chosen software.
- Some projects require us combine certain stages, such as storyboard and character design.
- Additional creative and technical roles, like concept artists, riggers, and compositors, may be involved in larger productions.
I hope this breakdown clarifies the animation production pipeline and its various stages.
