Wednesday, May 16, 2012

CLASS 3: Modeling and Animation II: CASO presents "Optimizing the Production Process in VFX and Animation": $10 for GBC Students

These events are always enlightening! Go if you can - and if you're in the Summer session for DESN1119, you must! :D

Join us Friday, May 18th, 2012 from 12:15 -1:30 pm
at the NFB/ONF Mediatheque
150 John Street, Toronto
Just North of Richmond Street

*SPECIAL GBC Students Price $10.00 +HST
Lunch included

Regular Pricing
Student $15
Members $25.00 Advance $40.00 Door
Non-Members $40.00 Advance $55.00 Door
+ HST

Sign up here:
http://bit.ly/CASO_Opt

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

CLASS 2: Modeling and Animation II: Animation Principles, Part 2 - Flash!

Your Flipbook marks are up! Click here:
http://bit.ly/DESN1119_Winter2012
The class average is 3.25/5 which is exactly 65% or a C+
Let me know if you have any questions. A grey cell means I don't have it. :D

Intro to 2D animation techniques in Flash

A step up from a flip book, and not quite as involved as hand-animating on paper, creating traditional (2D) animation in Flash is a great way to learn to control timing and spacing to create weight.

What goes up must come down, and in the case of anything inanimate that leaves the ground, it will always come down at exactly the same speed and follow the same exact arc as it did going up. A mirror of it, of course.

Tennis Ball 

Golf Ball
Basket Ball 
Strobe photos are fantastic for showing the beautifully symmetrical parabolic arcs followed by everything that leaves the Earth... except a rocket. Also check out the video "Ball Tests" by Brendan Body (also in sidebar links -->)

How the ball moves and how it shows the effect of Earth's gravity is all a matter of timing and spacing. Things slow down as they leave the Earth and speed up as they descend. The bouncier the ball, the more 'hang time' or slow-in and out to its zenith (!) - you want to pile your timing up at the top of that arc and space the descending inbetweens to show increasing speed. The moment on the ground should be very fleeting. Don't overuse squash and stretch - it shows too much - just keep it very subtle and study your reference.

I have some great reference vids for you and if we have time I'd like you to shoot your own reference videos.  Animators tend to shoot a lot of reference to study and learn from.

We'll continue our study of the 12 Principles of Animation with a closer look at some new principles:
  • Squash and stretch
  • Staging
  • Solid drawing
  • Straight Ahead and pose to pose animation


Assignment 1: Bouncing Balls in Flash
Animate at least 2 contrasted bouncing balls showing as many of the principles of animation as you can. Start with the setup provided for you to create a 640 x 480 QT with H.264 compression. Create a simple BG - just a ground line will do. You can add other props such as a wall but keep it very simple.

Assigned: May 16th
Total Value: 10%
5% Posing Due: May 16th in class - make sure I see your WIP!
5% Finished Due: May 23rd in class - please upload to our group folders/albums called "Flash Bouncing Balls" on both DropBox and Vimeo before the start of class.
File formats:
tdonovan_ball_001.fla
tdonovan_ball_001.mov

Rubric: (click image to see it more clearly)