Animation Fundamentals/Exercises

-SPETEMBER 24, 2024

23/09/2024 - //2024 (Week 02 – Week 14)

Wang Yifan / 0368363

Animation Fundamentals / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylors University

Exercises

INTRODUCTION

LECTURES

Week 1

In the first week, Mr. Kamal introduced us to the basic content of the course and explained the topics and subtopics that we will study in the upcoming weeks.

Fig1.1 Mr. Kamal's blackboard writing in class,Week 1(30/9/2024)

Week 2

1. Frame Rate: More frames per second (FPS) make animation smoother, but require more work. 24FPS is standard for films, 60FPS for high-quality animation.

2. Time and Speed: Controlling time adjusts motion speed—longer for slow, shorter for fast. Techniques like "ease in, ease out" ensure smooth transitions.

3. Time-Space Balance: Movement must align with time to create natural, realistic actions.

4. Arc Movement: Using arcs makes motion more fluid and lifelike, following natural trajectories.

In animation production, the subtle coordination of time, space, and motion trajectory is the key factor in determining the quality of the animation. By deeply understanding and precisely controlling these elements, the expressiveness and artistic impact of the animation can be greatly enhanced.

Fig1.2 Mr. Kamal's blackboard writing in class,Week 2(2/10/2024)

Week 3

The Style of Animation: Key Elements

Elasticity: Squash and Stretch

Squash and stretch is a fundamental animation principle that gives objects or characters elasticity and life. By exaggerating compression and extension, this technique mimics how objects behave in real life, adding a sense of realism and motion.

Flexibility: Drag, Follow-Through, and Overlapping Action

These techniques ensure smooth, realistic motion by showing how different parts of a character or object move at different speeds. Drag adds a delay to secondary elements, follow-through continues the motion after the primary action stops, and overlapping action adds complexity to movement.

Animation Methods: Pose-to-Pose and Straight Ahead

Pose-to-pose involves planning keyframes in advance for better control, while straight-ahead animation follows a more spontaneous, frame-by-frame approach, often used for fluid, unpredictable movements.

Illusion of Life: Created Through Squash and Stretch

Squash and stretch not only adds flexibility but also injects personality and emotion into animated characters, bringing them to life.

Types of Poses in Animation

- Key Poses: Main positions defining the movement.

- Extreme Poses: Exaggerated versions of key poses.

- Breakdown Poses: Transitional poses between keyframes.

- In-betweens: Frames filling the gaps for smooth motion.

Fig1.3 Mr. Kamal's blackboard writing in class,Week 3(8/10/2024)

Fig1.4 Mr. Kamal's blackboard writing in class,Week 3(8/10/2024)

EXERCISES

Exercise 1: Bouncing ball animation

In this exercise, we were required to apply the animation principles introduced in Week 2, which included timing, spacing, ease-in and ease-out, and the use of arcs to represent natural movement. Using Animate software, we worked on creating a bouncing ball animation with a set frame rate of 24 frames per second (fps). 

The goal was to ensure that the ball's motion looked smooth and realistic, with proper weight and speed transitions during its ascent and descent. Throughout the process, I followed the instructor’s detailed guidance in class, making continuous adjustments to refine the ball's movement. I focused on improving the timing of the ball’s bounce and ensuring that the arcs it followed reflected the natural trajectory of a bouncing object, as demonstrated in class.

Fig. 2.1 The process of making a bouncing ball

Fig. 2.2 The process of making a bouncing ball

Fig. 2.3 The process of making a bouncing ball

At the beginning of the production, I first drew the ground, the trajectory (to make it easier for me to move the ball more accurately) and the ball, which were on three different layers, making it easier for me to make the final picture clearer at the same time.

Fig. 2.4 The process of making a bouncing ball

Here is the animation video I made:

Attach the Adobe Animate file :

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1siPNIn4AOVY-HGELzQJ0bFMamRZrFm4u/view?usp=drive_link

Exercise 2: Squash and Stretch Ball With Tail Animation

For this week's task, you'll be animating a bouncing ball with a tail. The animation should be at 24 frames per second, with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1280x720 (HD720p). 

The ball's bounce follows a parabolic trajectory, slowing down as it reaches the peak and speeding up as it falls. When placing keyframes along the path, make sure to add more frames on the way up to the peak and fewer frames on the way down. This will help to convey the change in speed naturally.

  Fig3.1. Reference Mr. Kamal production,Week 3((8/10/2024)

Just like last week's task, I need to create three layers and name them "ground," "arc," and "ball." After setting up the layers, I will proceed to add keyframes for the general movement of the ball. This step is the same as the previous week and is intended to prepare for further refinement and adjustments to the animation. Through this process, I will gradually improve the details of the animation, making the ball's movement smoother and more natural.

Fig3.2 Repeat operation,Week 3(8/10/2024)

Then, we added a tail to show the principle of drag and follow through.

Fig3.3 The making of the tail,Week 3((8/10/2024)

I followed Mr. Kamal's demonstration and used the brush tool to plan the tail animation. I then used the pen tool to create my tail sketch, trying to make it resemble a fox's tail.

Fig3.4 The making of the tail,Week 3((8/10/2024)

Final outcome of bouncing ball with tail animation

(Attach the Adobe Animate file) Google Drive Link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ifMPMuetGIfHD3UfYN6kliSJzcg34L0j/view?usp=sharing

REFLECTIONS

Exercise 1:

This exercise was truly valuable, as it was my first experience using Animate software, which sparked my curiosity and excitement for future projects. However, during the initial practice, I found myself confused about how to set keyframes and struggled to understand their function. Fortunately, with the guidance and support of Mr. Kamal, I was able to grasp the concept and use of keyframes, which allowed me to complete the assignment successfully. Initially, my lack of understanding regarding layers and keyframes caused a lot of disorganization in my animation, but with practice, I gained clarity and improved my workflow.

Exercise 2:

This course gave me a deeper understanding of the fascinating movement of bouncing balls. The way different materials behave during motion is truly varied and full of interesting nuances.

However, the process of drawing the tail animation was quite challenging for me. I had to constantly adjust the shape and direction of the tail to ensure that its movements appeared smooth and natural. Without the help of a tablet, I had to rely solely on a mouse, which added an extra layer of difficulty for me.

When comparing my work to other students' animations, I noticed their tail movements were incredibly fluid because they paid great attention to the precision of the tail's design. Meanwhile, I could only manage a rough outline, leaving much room for improvement in terms of smoothness.