WEEK 11: 2D Animation Using Flash, Intro to Character Design

This week we're really getting into the nitty-gritty of frame-by-frame animation techniques using Flash.

For inspiration, we'll be looking at some work created using this method. We'll discuss the animation principles most applicable to creating 2D animation: exaggeration, solid drawing, and appeal. We'll start some simple animation cycles using the bouncing ball and our trusted flour sack.

Simplicity is a necessity with this labour-intensive medium. We'll have a look at one of the most popular examples of hand-drawn Flash animation -- Simon's cat.  The creator, Simon Tofield, created his first Flash cartoon to teach himself Flash. 

We'll also start thinking about the final assignment for the year -- a 2D/live action integration project.

We'll discuss character design techniques -- finding a style using at all kinds of media including what's in your fridge..

Bring your tablets! Be ready to draw...

Homework:  Design a character for the final project. Have a printout of it ready to hang on the wall.
Three words of advice:

1. Keep. 
2. It. 
3. Simple!

If you're stuck check out these simple characters for inspiration:
Powerpuff Girls
Kirby
"Mr Men" and "Little Miss"
Super Meat Boy
Zero
Rex the Runt
Erky Perky
Ilo Milo
Patapon
Picachu
Moomin
Totoro, Soot (and other Ghibli/Miyazaki cartoons)
Stick Figures
Pikmin
Bone
Mole sisters
Sandra Boynton
Pocoyo
Breadwig.com
Teen Girl Squad (Homestarrunner)

WEEK 10: Blending Animation

We're going to 'blend' our cycles together using the simplest tools in Maya.  Blending between different actions may involve adding extra details between cycles.  For example, a walk to a run requires a tricky middle action where the character gathers energy to move more quickly. 

Homework, due Mon March 28:
Blend 3 game cycles (eg, walk-run-jump, or idle-crouch-walk).

We'll also look at automatic retargeting systems such as the ones used here by Havok:

WEEK 10: Intro to 2D Animation Techniques

3D is an orderly world of objects that never change volume, graph editors that keep track of the motion, and automatically-generated inbetweens. It's time to leave the cozy, predictable world of 3D and embrace the friendly chaos of 2D animation.

2D animation, also called traditional or hand-drawn animation, is drawn frame-by-frame with pencil & paper or digital drawing tools.  You will have to put all your knowledge of timing and spacing to good use by planning and imagining how you want the final result to look while striving to keep volumes consistent.

"Robot Elephant" - hero of "(notes on) biology". Also my hero.

We'll start with a simple bouncing ball flip-book excercise.  Try as many different weights and styles as you can using the knowledge you gained from your 3D bouncing balls. If this is really easy for you, branch out to something more complex. Flip-books are one of the few things in this world that are FAST, CHEAP, and GOOD -- see how insanely fun these can be to create watching this awesome flipbook tribute film:
"(notes on) biology"


 We'll move on to the world-famous half-filled Flour Sack.  We'll study some tricks for drawing 3-dimensionally and test our skills by creating drawings of the flour sack in 4 distinct moods.  Bring these next time: 

• Sad
• Confident 
• Wasted
• Shocked/bamboozled

Reminder: Please BRING YOUR TABLETS to all classes for the rest of the term.

CASO invites you to hear Rango's TD Doug Sutton, on Thursday, March 31st: Reserve your seat today!

 Thursday, March 31st, 12 pm - 1:30 pm 

at the Scotiabank Theatre at John & Richmond. 

$10 including a brown-bag lunch

(you get the GBC deep-discount - regular price: $40!).  

"Rango: A Lizard's Journey of Self Discovery and a 

VFX Company's Journey into Feature Animation" 

presented by Doug Sutton, Rango's Technical Director.

Doug Sutton's other credits include Star Wars I, II, III and the Transformers movies.

If you haven't yet seen Rango I urge you not to miss this extravaganza of eye-popping visual effects and superbly detailed character animation.  It's ILM's first animated feature.

Everyone is welcome but CASO would like to know how many to expect.

PLEASE SIGN UP HERE:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dHd2ZWpxZHUtNWVLdUwxLVh4VjdYX0E6MA

WEEK 9: Review of Exam & Assignment Outcomes

Grades a little lower than you were expecting? Me too.

As second year students in the Animation stream, it's rather important that you have a strong grasp of all the basic concepts we've been exploring so far -- the principles of animation as well as the use of Maya tools like file referencing, setting up cycles, offsetting overlapping action using the graph editor, etc.

We're just about to wrap up our animation lessons for the term and head into the technical twilight zone of rigging.  And I want you to be animation-savvy riggers!

So... I'm giving you another chance to solidify key concepts and  pull up your marks a little bit if you need it.
 
This new assingment should be a bit of review. You'll probably find much easier and faster than the first one now that  you know the tools. Please go back over the blog for the key concepts, and look to Digital Tutors for more support if you need it. Always feel free to ask me questions.

Homework due Monday, March 21st:

WEEK 9: 'Field Trip' Friday, March 11th, 12 pm - 1:30 pm CASO presents Paul Griffin_Animation 2.0 "The Next Level" on March 11th! Reserve your seat today!

Hey, everybody -

Hope you had a great break and aren't as sick as I am right now!

There's a very cool event happening Friday and with Jean-Paul's permission I've decided to make it a "Field Trip". For the DESN1119C class, this means this event IS your class, so you are expected to be there unless you can't afford it.
For the DESN2022A class, I realize you may have another class at this time. Please let me know so I can contact your teachers to find out what they think.  I would definitely like you to be there.

CASO (Computer Animation Studios of Ontario) has invited all of you to to a lunchtime talk:

"Animation 2.0 "The Next Level" with Paul Griffin.

You may not have heard of Paul Griffin, but you've definitely seen his work.  His credits include:
Animation Supervisor :
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter video game, cinematic sequences,  Benjamin Button, The Mummy, Pan's Labyrinth, King Kong, Fantastic Four, Mr & Mrs Smith
Lead Animator:
Star Wars, Ep I & II - ILM
Animator:
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - Weta

WEEK 7: Midterm Exam

This exam is now closed.

If you were away for the exam, please contact me to arrange a make-up time.

tDonovan@georgebrown.ca

Week 6: Idle Cycles + Animation Madness from Blur

Your last week before MIDTERM EXAMS (moo hahahaha...) we'll delve further into the most subtle of the animation principles -- overlapping action, which is paramount to creating weight.  We'll take lots of cues from the Pixar of Game Animation, Blur Studio in California.

Idle Cycles:
We'll be working on the Rubic's cube of cycles -- the humble "Idle".  How your character behaves when he's just waiting around conveys a lot of attitude. You'll need a lot of subtle control to keep a character alive.  Too little movement and they'll just look dead, too much and they'll appear to be having a seizure. :o)

I must warn you that as simple as it may seem to make a character 'do nothing', it is most diabolical!  With great subtlety you must add some movement to every part of the character. Nothing should bump or pop, everything should have a nice smooth arc and you should not really be able to pick out where the cycle starts and stops -- it should be a loop about 1-2 seconds long.

Week 6: Action analysis, continued

Time to polish up those assignments -- they're due next class.  We'll work on them a bit in class today.
Next week: MIDTERM EXAM!  BoooooOOOoooo ...
If there's anything you're in doubt about, now's the time to speak up!

Homework:

• Finish polishing your Action Analysis assignments.  Have the final product and your live action reference posted for MONDAY, Feb 28th.
• Get ready for next week's midterm! Guess what it's about? the 12 Principles of Animation!  It will be based on everything you've learned so far.  Review the work you've done going back to day 1.  This will be a practical test so be sure you understand the tools such as the graph editor, setting and moving keys, adding secondary action, and working from live action reference.

This week we'll have a look at some animation from films that borrowed (without stealing) from live action reference.  We'll see how they added snap, weight, and energy to the animation using exaggeration, contrast, and little tricks like overshoot and settle.

Week 5: Crouching Cycles (Hidden .. Squirrels?)

More cycles! Moah! ha! ha!

Now you'll need to apply your subtle overlapping action skills to a crouching idle.

Homework:

* Crouch cycle  -- idle in a crouch position. This cycle will eventually have to transition back to a regular standing idle
* Due next class