Animation Fundamentals exercises 1/2

  Animation Fundamentals exercises 1/2

Bachelor of Design in Creative Media 

DONG XINBEI / 0359733

 

week1 -week4

Instruction

Lecture

week 1

In the first week's class, Mr. Kamal provided an overview of the course for the semester and outlined the tasks we'll need to complete going forward. Additionally, he introduced us to several important books related to the course material. These books include 'The Animator's Survival Kit' and 'The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation', both of which contain a wealth of knowledge and insights into animation production, which will be applicable throughout the course.

week 2

In the second week, Mr. Kamal tasked us with an exercise that required the use of Adobe Animation. We were tasked with creating an animation of a bouncing ball. Mr. Kamal chose to guide us through the process in class, including discussing initial sketch ideas before production. For this bouncing ball animation, it was crucial for us to have a clear understanding of how to proceed. Through Mr. Kamal's guidance and demonstration, we gained a basic understanding of the techniques during the class session.

Figure 1.1 Animation Principle

Figure 1.2

Figure 1.3

Figure 1.4

Figure 1.5

week 3

Figure 1.6

In the third week's class, Mr. Kamal reviewed and provided feedback on everyone's submissions for the previous bouncing ball assignment. He offered guidance on areas for improvement and suggested corrective methods. Building upon the first assignment, we were tasked with creating animations that exhibit greater elasticity and smoothness. Adding various dynamics to a basic animation contributes to a more natural overall appearance. Moreover, each action becomes pivotal in shaping the final design.

week 4

Figure 1.7

A character or scene with appeal typically possesses uniqueness in appearance, movement, or emotional expression, evoking resonance and emotional investment from the audience. This appeal can be achieved through careful design and portrayal, thereby enhancing the visual impact and emotional resonance of the work.

Solid drawing is an important skill in animation, requiring characters and objects to have a sense of realism and three-dimensionality on screen. This means artists must understand form, structure, and perspective, and apply this knowledge to their drawings to create the illusion of depth and dimension in a two-dimensional space. By employing solid drawing techniques, artists can make characters and objects appear lifelike on screen, immersing the audience in the animation. 

Figure 1.8

This skill goes beyond just visuals; it also enhances the storytelling aspect, making characters and plots more convincing and believable. Therefore, solid drawing plays a crucial role in animation production, laying a solid foundation for the success of the work.

week 5

Figure 1.9

week6

Figure 1.10

week 7

In animation production, anticipation is a crucial technique where a character performs preparatory actions before executing significant movements. This approach not only enhances the naturalness and realism of actions but also increases audience emotional engagement and focus. Anticipation goes beyond simple action preparation; it improves the timing and pacing of movements to ensure overall animation fluency and coherence. Moreover, anticipation serves as an effective tool for expressing character emotions and inner states. For instance, hesitation or reluctance shown by a character before a jump can deepen their personality and motivations. Therefore, anticipation is not just a technical method in animation but also a vital tool for creators to craft rich characters and vivid scenes.

week 8

Independent Learning Week

Week 9

 Lecturer MC 

Week 10

In this week, Mr. Kamal introduced us to the tasks for Project 2B, outlining the specific requirements and expectations we needed to meet. Additionally, he took the time to review and provide feedback on our work from Project 2A, offering insights and suggestions for improvement. His guidance helped us understand how to approach the upcoming project and refine our skills based on the feedback received. Overall, it was a productive week of learning and preparing for the next phase of our animation projects.

week 11

In week 11, Mr. Kamal provided a detailed briefing on Project 3. We were tasked with utilizing previously learned animation techniques and principles to create a short animated story featuring a character of our own design. The goal is to convey the storyline and emotions through the character's actions and expressions. Mr. Kamal's guidance helped us better understand how to use animation to shape character personalities and drive story development. This week of learning has provided valuable insights and preparation for our upcoming creative process.

week 12

Mr. Kamal provided detailed feedback on Project 2 during the class, addressing the various levels of each student's work. He offered specific suggestions tailored to the strengths and weaknesses of each project, highlighting areas for improvement and aspects to focus on in future endeavors.

week 13

In the course, Mr. Kamal demonstrated the process again and asked us to create our final作品 according to the given guidelines.

week 14

This is a course where we can ask questions. We inquired online with Mr. Kamal about the breakdown of poses for jump animations and how to present them smoothly.

Exercise 1

 Bouncing Ball Animation

In the first exercise, we were required to fully create the animation of a bouncing ball. Under Mr. Kamal's guidance, we needed to pre-design the bouncing path of the animation. In the subsequent frame-by-frame animation, we had to follow this path to create the animation. I set this path to gradually bounce from highest to lowest, with the ball landing on the horizontal line after each bounce before bouncing again. Additionally, the amplitude of each bounce decreased from larger to smaller.

Figure 2.1 Basic route

In the following steps, I need to arrange the actions of each frame of my animation. To make the final outcome appear smoother, I incorporated elements of both pause and acceleration into the animation. 

When the bouncing ball descends, I changed the movement pattern to accelerate, with each frame moving faster than the previous one. Additionally, after descending and bouncing back up to the highest point, the motion is slowed down. With these adjustments, the animation as a whole appears much smoother.

Figure 2.2 Accelerated descent 

Figure 2.3 slow ascent

After studying the previous steps, I proceeded to create the subsequent animations according to my own ideas. As the magnitude of the movements gradually decreased in the later stages, I also needed to adjust the frame rates of my animations. Following Mr. Kamal's guidance, I used the method (Fn+F5) to either extend or reduce the frame rates in the later parts. After numerous attempts, I finally managed to adjust this exercise to a relatively smooth animation. Through each failed attempt, I gathered more insights into the underlying issues, which will be beneficial for learning future courses.

Figure 2.4 The final trajectory of the bouncing ball's animation

Final Outcome

Figure 2.5 Final Outcome of exercise bouncing ball

Exercise 2

In this exercise, Mr. Kamal demonstrated how to apply squash and stretch techniques to create a natural bouncing effect by altering the shape of the original object. He integrated the methods taught in the first exercise with the bouncing ball animation to achieve a seamless depiction of natural bouncing and rebounding dynamics. Additionally, he showed us how adding a tail to the original shape can highlight the trajectory of the animation while enhancing its fluidity. 

 I modified the shape of each bouncing ball, mimicking the form it would take when a real ball lands.

Figure 3.1

After adjusting the squash and stretch of the bouncing ball, I proceeded to add a tail on top of it. Using the brush tool, I designed the style of the tail following the trajectory of the bouncing ball, ensuring its curvature matched a natural, fluid motion.

Figure 3.2

After adjusting the position and height of the tail, I felt that merely outlining it was insufficient to emphasize the visual impact of the animation. Therefore, I utilized the color fill brush to add colors, enriching the visual presentation.

Final Outcome

Figure 3.3  Bouncing ball with tail

Exercise 3

Figure 4.1 

Due to my laptop needing repairs, I'll be doing this exercise on a tablet. Nonetheless, I'll be following Mr. Kamal's instructions as usual.

In the exercise of the sixth week, we needed to pay attention to the smoothness between certain keyframes and how to effectively utilize a cycle of frames for an object. I followed Mr. Kamal's guidance and drew out all the frames for the walk cycle. 

From the precision of each frame to the nuances of every action, this time I focused on creating more detailed and accurate leg and arm movements. To enhance the final appeal, I extended the timing of certain keyframes, allowing for a more natural effect.

Figure 4.2

Exercise 4

In this week's assignment, we practiced animation related to jumping actions. Following Mr. Kamal's instruction, I developed my exercises based on the character's movement steps.

I refined the leg movements in the draft based on Mr. Kamal's research on jumping poses.

Figure 5.1

In the leg movements, I designed the landing pose to be a crouched position, which increased the amplitude of the motion.

Figure 5.2

Figure 5.3 Final jump animation exercise

Reflection

In these exercises, it's my first time encountering practices and knowledge about animation production. They are somewhat challenging for me because they require more drawing fundamentals. Nonetheless, I'll strive to overcome these challenges. I believe that attention to detail and precision are crucial in animation production. Every keyframe is essential as they determine the overall fluidity of the animation. Despite the challenges these exercises may pose, I believe that through continuous practice and learning, I will gradually master these skills and enhance my abilities in the field of animation production.