Just like any other form of art, Animation too is varied. As a career field, there are different types of animation and styles as there are animators in this industry.
Setting up a list or stating the types of animation based on some defined criteria would be a major flaw and also insufficient as the variations are too flexible. Nevertheless we have tried to compile all possible variations of animations based on the technique that are being used and the comparison of the styles between them. The following list should not be accounted as an absolute reference for animation types; it is more like a general idea to see the bigger picture.
1. 3D Computer Animation
3D Computer Animation or 3D Animation is the process of generating three dimensional moving images in a digital environment. This is the most common and popular animation style today, and is used in movies, games, ads, architectural visualization, medical simulations, and more.
Manipulation of 3D models is carried out with the help of software. However ‘animation’ is a broad term and there are many more aspects to it, each offering a wide range of career prospects. There is modelling, rigging, lighting, texturing, rendering, and animation, and there are sub-fields to these too. Involvement of sophisticated software makes 3D animation technologically intense. As you know, technology does help artists redefine their craftsmanship.
While there are various other animation styles that you may consider, as a career aspirant, a 3D Animation course may interest you the most.
Check out the trailer of Pixar’s Oscar award winning 3D animated movie here to understand this style better.
2. Traditional or Cell Animation
This was once a huge milestone in the history of animation, but is almost obsolete since it is time-consuming and expensive to produce.
Images are drawn or painted by skilled hands, one frame at a time, on the celluloid sheets (cels) to be photographed and exhibited on film. One of the major obstacles of this to seamlessly transform into a film was the timing of the frame with the sound. Every frame had to match with the background score/dialogues or else could appear as a major distraction. Hand drawing of hundreds of frames with precision is such an energetically draining task.
Image credits: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
3. 2D Animation
Conventionally, 2D animation was the same as cel-animation. However, with the introduction of computers, 2D animation got a technical upgrade. Today animators create scenes and characters a 2D space with the help of digital technologies and tools available to them. Compared to drawing multiple images, using computers is far less time-consuming and effective.
2D animation is most commonly seen in educational videos, editorials and advertisements today. However, there are a few entertainment series and games that continue to use 2D Animation style. ‘F is for Family’ and ‘Rick and Morty’ are a few examples of 2D entertainment series.
Today, you can be a 2D animator even if drawing isn’t your strong suit. Traditional animation, on the other hand, requires very strong drawing skills.
Image credits:IndieWire
4. Stop Motion Animation
Physical objects are manually manipulated in small movements in between individual frames so that they will appear to exhibit motion when the series of frames is played. Any kind of physical objects with the capability to twist and turn can thus be animated. Puppets with movable joints (puppet animation) or figures (claymation) are most commonly used. The key here is not the sound but to make small changes from frame to frame to make the illusion of motion as smooth as possible. Isn’t it time taking? Perhaps more than traditional animation. But this animation style is extremely adaptable as one can get as creative as they want. Plus it is easy to impress film critics and audience alike using this.
Take a look at the behind the scenes of animating Shaun the Sheep Movie with animator Andy Symanowski.
5. Motion Graphics
Commonly called Mographs, it is less of animation and more of graphic designing. Motion graphics can be both 2D and 3D, and you will find commonly in commercials, explainer videos, sporting events, news, and other television productions. Previously, before the advent of computer editing, it was a time-consuming process that was limited to high-budget productions.
Check out this simple motion graphics animation video.
The depth of understanding an artistry is what defines an artist. With the current evolution of computer there are may be many more variants piling up in this list.
Whether you wish to be a 3D animator or a Motion Graphics Artist, you need the right skill sets and training. Join one of the prestigious animation training institutes, get trained and get hired.
And we’re back! In the previous blog, we covered the first six principles of animation.
Here we look into the remaining six principles of animation that every animator should know.
While animation is constantly evolving, these twelve concepts continues to form the base and is taught in all popular animation institutes around the world.
Arc
Try waving your hand, swinging your leg or turning your head. These a natural arc to these movements. This arc brings in realism to characters in animation, unless, of course, your character is a robot. See how Po’s head moves?
GIF courtesy: DreamWorks Animation
Staging
Derived from the concept of staging in theatre, this is the process of setting up a scene with the appropriate placement of characters, background and foreground elements, and camera angle. Staging should clearly set the mood for the action and keep the audience’s focus on what is relevant in the scene.
Secondary Action
As the name suggests, this is an action that supports the main action of a character. A character may whistle while walking or scratch his head while thinking. Such actions add dimensions to character animation. If there are multiple secondary actions, they should work together in support of one another. Look at little Riley’s actions while she screams at the top of her lungs.
GIF courtesy: Pixar
Exaggeration
This principle is self-explanatory. Animated movies and cartoons allow for the most amazing thing – exaggeration. Imagine, how boring Kung Fu Panda will be without Po’s exaggerated expressions or how plain Tom and Jerry will be without the exaggerated movements of the characters. Exaggeration of facial features, expressions, actions, and attitudes add more appeal and fun to the characters. Here is a classic example of exaggeration.
GIF courtesy: Walt Disney Company
Solid Drawing
In 2D animation, solid drawing is about maintaining proportions, volume & weight of a character or an object regardless of the action. With the introduction of 3D animation, the challenge of distorted drawing has been minimised. But the concept of posing out your characters with correct balance & weight remains as important as ever.
Appeal
In real life, you may call it the charisma of an actor. In animation, it is the ‘appeal’. Every character should have an appeal that interests the audience. An appealing character is not necessarily cute & cuddly. Villainous & monstrous ones too have to be appealing. Clear drawing and good character design will define the personality of the characters. After all, who would have thought that a slender woman in a nice red dress could be a super villain? Yet, here she is…Scarlet Overkill!
GIF courtesy: Illumination Entertainment
Now get back to that drawing board and practice these principles of animation to improve your work.
Watch this space for more tips and tricks of animation.
Interested in a career in animation? Take a look at the animation career courses that can help you get the right skill sets!
Disney remains to be the most popular name in animation, and not without reasons. Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas (two of Disney’s Nine Old Men), in 1981, introduced animators to the 12 basic principles of animation in their book, The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation. Although animation has evolved much over the years, these twelve concepts will not be outdated, and continue to be taught in popular animation institutes around the world.
Let us look at the first six principles in this first part.
Squash & Stretch
Squash and stretch remains to be the foundation of animation. It is the technique used to convey weight, emphasise movement, and enhance a character’s flexibility. From a person walking to a dog jumping, there are enough examples of squash & stretch in real life. However, in animation, these actions are exaggerated. The easiest way to understand how squash and stretch work is to look at a bouncing ball or a man walking at a regular pace.
Image courtesy: www.download.autodesk.com
Here is another excellent example of the use of this technique in 2D animation. The man in the front appears to be lighter and walking fast. With an accentuated squash and stretch, the character walking behind appears heavy and slow.
You may not have noticed it, but this technique is commonly used in your favourite 3D animation movies. Remember Murray from Hotel Transylvania? That is a lot of squash and stretch!
GIF courtesy: Sony Pictures Animation
Timing
Timing in animation refers to the number of drawings or frames that complete a given action. It determines the speed of the action. In simple terms, if there are more drawings between two poses, the action will be slow & smooth. But fewer drawings make the action fast. The below image will help you understand this better.
Image courtesy: www.evl.uic.edu
Anticipation
Anticipation is the preparation for an action. Some of the most common examples in real life include a golfer swinging his club backward before hitting the ball or a bowler waiting for a second before starting to run. In animation, humour is usually created when the movement of anticipation happens in the opposite direction of the main action. Any action that requires greater strength will have a bigger moment of anticipation. See Red smiling? Did you see this coming?
As any object or person starts to move, there will be acceleration. When they come to a halt there must be deceleration. Otherwise, the movements become robotic. Imagine that a car starts and reaches full speed in an instant or comes to a halt from 100km/hr in the blink of an eye. Such movements are unnatural. Slow in – Slow out or Ease in – ease out make such actions more life-like. In animation, the closer the drawings/frames are, the slower the animation will be. The farther apart they are, the faster the animation will be. A swinging pendulum is a classic example of this principle.
GIF Courtesy: Katie Bayman
Follow Through & Overlapping Action
These two closely related principles of animation help animators create realistic scenes. They simply follow the laws of physics. Follow-through is the idea that certain appendages and body parts continue to move even after the person/object stops moving. If a superhero character wearing a cape runs and stops abruptly, the cape will fly forward past the body, then fall back where the character stopped. If a car halts suddenly, the antenna on top of it will keep moving for another second.
Overlapping action explains the idea that different parts of a body will move at different rates. For example, when the superhero character walks, his arms will move at a different speed than his head.
GIF Courtesy: Dsource Ekalpa India via YouTube
Straight Ahead & Pose to Pose Animation
Have you ever created a stick-figure flipbook animation on the corners of your notebook? If yes, then chances are you didn’t plan it out with preparatory sketches. This is straight ahead animation, which involves creating frame-by-frame from start to finish. While most classic Disney movies were made using this technique, it is not much in use lately.
Most computerized animation uses the pose-to-pose animation. In this, you set the main poses first and insert the in-between poses later to get the timing right. In top animation studios, the key poses are often set by the lead animators while the rest of the frames are set by the newbies on the team.
Image courtesy: www.pluralsight.com
Now armed with these first six basic principles of animation, start practicing, and notice the difference in your animation, be it 2D or 3D. Bookmark this post and check back often so that you can brush up on the basics whenever required.
Watch this space for the remaining six basic principles of animation.
Interested in a career in animation? Click here and take a look at animation career courses that can help you get the right skill sets.
A successful animation career continues to remain a mystery to many in India. But it may not be as difficult to discover, after all. The key to a successful career in animation can be found in Three Ps – Practice, Perseverance and Personality. The Three P’s must be developed in order to become successful in the animation industry. Besides the Three Ps there are 3 essential steps, which would guide you on how to begin your career in animation.
Step 1: Research – Getting the Right Information
1. Identify your interest and skills. Analyse if you are interested in developing your creative skills. If yes, what kind of creative activity gives you the most satisfaction?
2. Research about the top animation institutes and schools, their courses, curriculum, faculty, student works & awards, and the kind of job placement assistance they provide to their students.
3. Understand the kind of jobs available in the animation industry and what skills are required to get recruited. Map the type of job that is the best match for your skill, talent, and interest.
Step 2: Essential Skills
The skills which differentiate an average from a good animator help you to climb the ladder of success in this industry.
• Original, innovative ideas and quality work
• An eye for detail or good observation skills
• Creative and artistic skills
• Technically sound in your area of work
• Troubleshooting abilities
• Good communication skills to convey your ideas to others
• Self-disciplined and motivated
• A team player with leadership qualities
An animator in-making has a blend of all the above mentioned qualities that aid his/her progress in the animation industry.
Step 3: Identify Your Field
Animation has become an integral part of many industries and created job avenues for many animators. As per your skill, talent and interest, some of the avenues are:
• Animation & visual effects in movies, gaming, television & advertising
• 3D visualization for medical animation, 3D architectural walkthroughs & product visualization
• Animated e-learning content
• Online animated content for websites & portals
• Games for mobiles, consoles and PCMost of these jobs require both creative and technical understanding. But some are exclusively looking for creative artists. It is up to you to find the requirement and whether it matches your interest and skill-sets or not.
If the animation industry calls you, you must join the best animation institute out there, get trained and get hired.
First Official ‘The Boss Baby: Family Business’ Trailer and Images
The wait will soon be over, there’s a new “boss,” baby, and she’s getting the band back together, in the animated comedy, The Boss Baby: Family Business, hitting theatres March 26, 2021.
In the sequel to DreamWorks Animation’s 2017 Oscar – nominated blockbuster comedy, The Boss Baby, the Templeton brothers, Tim and his Boss Baby little bro Ted, have become adults and drifted away from each other. Tim is now a married stay-at-home dad. Ted is a hedge fund CEO. But a new boss baby with a cutting-edge approach and a can-do attitude is about to bring them together again, and inspire a new family business.
The Boss Baby: Family Business is directed by returning film maker Tom McGrath.
YouTube Links:
THE BOSS BABY: FAMILY BUSINESS | Offcial Trailer
Source: DreamWorks Animation
Courtesy: www.awn.com
Epic Acquires Hyprsense Technology to Optimise Player’s Immersive Experience
Epic Games is acquiring the technology of Hyprsense, a leading developer of real-time facial animation technology. Animating convincing digital characters allows players and creators to feel truly present in an immersive socially connected experience. With this acquisition, the game company can also further its work to make content production more accessible.
Members of the Hyprsense team will partner closely with Epic’s game development teams and also collaborate with its digital human’s team, led by 3 Lateral and Cubic Motion. This will help accelerate Epic’s journey to build new and better tools and systems for developers and players alike. It will also give Unreal Engine creators the ability to deploy and drive the most advanced character assets, on any platform.
Bombay Rose, the first Indian animation film ever selected to open Venice Critics Week, is coming to Netflix December 4 globally, except for China; the film will be released in 2021 in France. A selection at the Toronto International Film Festival and winner at the Chicago and Mumbai Film Festivals, it was honoured with the ‘India Gold Silver Gateway Award’ and the Manish Acharya Award for “New Voices in Indian Cinema” at the 21st Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.
The 2D hand-painted animated feature tells the story of a young club dancer, escaping from child marriage, living in the streets of Bombay, who must choose between fending for her family and finding love with a boy orphaned by the militancy. Hand-painted frame by frame and woven delicately through music, a red rose brings together three tales of impossible love: love between a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy; love between two women; and love of an entire city for its Bollywood stars. Based on true events, the film, in documentary fashion, explores the ruthlessness of a society where the love and life that reigns on the big screen can crush you in its mean streets.
Bombay Rose was directed and written by Gitanjali Rao.
YouTube Link: Bombay Rose | Gitanjali Rao | Offcial Trailer | Netflix India
