Computer Animation
(Jurassic Park/Toy Story Style)
Computer animation is actually fairly similar to
traditional animation, only the animator uses a computer to draw instead
of a pencil. Computer animation is far beyond the scope of this page (at
least for now), but if you really want to get started I recomment to hop
on over to The POV-Ray Homepage to
get a quick introduction to 3-D computer art. This being said, I think
that you could spend your time much better by learning how to animate traditionally
first; a good traditional animator will almost without fail make a good
computer animator. But don't take my word for it. Do you know that
Pixar still hires traditional animators?
They know that a good artist is a good artist, know matter what the medium. |
Traditional Cell Animation
(Disney/WB/Dreamworks/Fox Style)
IF YOU HAVE NOT COMPLETED THE DRAWING EXERCISES, GO
THERE NOW!
Well, now it's time to get animating. I won't give you a big preamble
like the one before the drawing page (you have been
there, haven't you?), but I do have a few things
to say.
First of all, some of you may want to know how to animate quick,
easy and cheap. The answer: you don't. Animation is long, hard and expensive.
Although it is possible to skimp on the last item (more on that in a minute),
the first two hold.
GOODS: So, expensive. The expense comes from the fact that
there are maybe three or four large animation distributors in North America
and they can charge whatever the heck they want to and get away with it.
If you're going to get stuff from them, you'll need at least $1000 dollars
(Cnd): $300 for the desk, $200 for the animation disk, $200 for a decent
amount of paper, and $300 for a scanner and painting program or a halfway
decent animation camera. So, how do you skimp? I've found that cheap computer
paper functions reasonably well as a substitute for real animation paper.
Instead of a peg bar, I've ripped up an old duotange to get at the binding
part; stick them up on end and they'll make a decent bar. Also, you just
need a normal three-hole punch, rather than a $2500 pneumatic-driven monster
that the catalogue will sell you. In the goods section, we can point you
to directions to make your own table and disk (it'll still be reasonably
steep, but not nearly $500). As for scanners, never underestimate the power
of mouching. My piano teacher and some friends across the road each have
one; use them whenever you can. Related Article: [The Technical Aspect of Animation]
PICTURES: The vast majority of my images are Disney's; and
the vast majority of those are from Beauty and the Beast. Why? With the
exception of recent arrival Fox (and soon, Dreamworks - WB doesn't count, unfortunately), Disney is
the best source of good, quality human animation (I don't particularly
like anime, sorry Akira fans!) And Beauty and the Beast has (IMHO) among
the best animation of the recent lot (recent being post-Little-Mermaid).
I will start using The Lion King when (if) I ever get into animal animation.
Please do not ask me to include more images from your favorite film; this
is an education site, not a picture archive. There are plenty of those
hanging around if you feel like looking for them.
Well, that should do it. Let's go!
Start the Tutorial
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Stop-Motion Animation
(The Nightmare Before Christmas/Wallace and Grommit
Style)
Stop Motion animation (also known as Go-Motion animation
if you've got some extra money) is definitely not my area of expertise.
Until I can think of something intelligent to say about it, I recommend
you hop on over to Animations
of Heaven and Hell in 3D, which is a site about stop-motion animation.
Also, try looking at the Neverhood site and the Aardman Animations site
(whose addresses temporarily escapes me) for more stop-motion stuff. |