Introduction to 3D Computer Animation

1. Introduction to 3D Computer Animation Dr. Midori Kitagawa University of Texas at Dallas Arts and Technology Program

2. Outline • History: Pioneers of animation • Principles of animation • Types of 3D computer animation • Future

3. 1. History: Pioneers of animation • J. Stuart Blackton(1875-1941) • Winsor McCay (1867-1934) • John Bray (1874-1978) • Max Fleischer (1883-1972) • Walt Disney (1901-1966)

4. J. Stuart Blackton (1875-1941) Father of animation • In 1896 as a reporter/artist for the New York Evening World newspaper, Blackton interviewed Thomas Edison • Became a "rapid-drawing cartoonist" for a series of Edison shorts.

5. J. Stuart Blackton (1875-1941) Combined stop motion, puppetry, and live action • Enchanted Drawing, 1900 • Humorous Phases of Fanny Faces, 1906

6. Winsor McCay (1867-1934) Father of character animation • Already well known for his newspaper cartoons “Little Nemo”, 1905-1914

7. Winsor McCay (1867-1934) Gave believability and personality to his hand-drawn characters • Gertie the Dinosaur, 1914 • Sinking of Lusitania, 1916

8. John Randolph Bray (1874-1978) Founder of the animation industry • Reporter for the Detroit Evening News, 1901- • In 1914 Bray’s partner Earl Hurd patented the use of clear cels over background • Hurd and Bray formed the Hurd and Bray Patent Company in 1914

9. John Randolph Bray (1874-1978) Turned artistic work into an assembly-line production • With additional patents obtained by Bray, the company monopolized the animation process • The patents expired in 1932 • Much of what Bray claimed to have invented have been credited to McCay and others. • Colonel Heeza Liar’s, 1913

10. Max Fleischer (1883-1972) Inventor of the rotoscope • A cartoonist and photographer for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle • Art director for the magazine Popular Science • Worked at Bray’s studio

11. Max Fleischer (1883-1972) Rotoscope • Traces the movement of live actors, frame by frame

12. Max Fleischer (1883-1972) Produced the first animation with a synchronized sound track in 1924 • Fleischer studio produced Betty Boop, Popeye, and Superman cartoon series • Affected by the Hays Code in 1934 • Tantalizing Fly, 1919

13. Walt Disney (1901-1966) Inventor of the family entertainment • Film producer, director, screen writer, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur • Greatly influenced 20th century American culture

14. Walt Disney (1901-1966) Father of Mickey Mouse • Steamboat Willie (1928) was not the first Mickey Mouse cartoon produced or released • Not the first sound cartoon either • The first sound cartoon that achieved wide commercial success

15. History: Pioneers of animation • “Disney’s memory belongs to the public; Max’s to those who remember him by choice.” (Heraldson, 1975)

16. 2. Principles of animation • Created by animators at the Walt Disney Studios in the early 1930’s • Helped to transform animation from a novelty into an art form  Still today • Guide production and creative discussions • Train young animators better and faster • Applicable to 2D/3D computer animation as well as traditional hand-drawn animation

17. Principles of animation From Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Ollie Johnson and Frank Thomas • Squash and stretch • Anticipation • Staging • Straight ahead action and pose to pose • Follow through and overlapping action • Slow-in and slow-out • Arcs • Secondary action • Timing • Exaggeration • Solid drawing • Appeal

18. Physics Principles of animation Aesthetics • Squash and stretch • Follow through • Timing • Slow-in and slow-out • Secondary action • Arcs • Anticipation • Staging • Exaggeration • Solid drawing • Overlapping action • Appeal Production methods • Straight ahead action and pose to pose Presentation of action

19. Principles of animation Physics • Squash and stretch • Follow through • Timing • Secondary action • Slow in and slow out • Arcs

20. Squash and stretch • While many real world objects, e.g. a rock, have little or no flexibility most organic objects, e.g. a human body, have some flexibility in their shapes • When an object moves, its movement indicates the rigidity of the object

21. Squash and stretch • No matter how squashed or stretched out an object gets, its volume should remain constant

22. Follow through • Termination of action • Nothing stops at once • When the main body of a character stops all other parts continue to catch up it, such as arms, long hair, clothing, floppy ears, and a long tail

23. Follow through

24. Timing • Timing, i.e., the speed of an action, gives meaning to movement, both physical and emotional meaning • Timing affects the perception of mass of an object

25. Timing Timing gives meaning to movement A character looks first over the right shoulder and then over the left shoulder. Varying the number of inbetweens can imply: • 0: hit by a strong force and its head almost snapped off • 1: hit by something substantial, .e.g., frying pan • 2: has a nervous twitch • 3: dodging a flying object • 4: giving a crisp order • 6: sees something inviting • 9: thinking about something • 10: stretching a sore muscle

26. Timing Timing affects the perception of mass of an object • The slower the object moves the heavier it looks

27. Slow-in and slow-out • Spacing of inbetweens at extremes • Soften the action and make it more life-like Without slow-out With slow-out

28. Secondary action • Smaller motions that complement the main action, e.g. hair flows as a character turns its head • Increases the complexity and interest in a scene

29. Arcs • All actions, with few exceptions (e.g., motion of a mechanical device), follow an arc or slightly circular path • Especially true of the human figure and the action of animals • Arcs give animation a more natural action and better flow  

30. Principles of animation Aesthetics • Exaggeration • Appeal • Overlapping action

31. Exaggeration • A caricature of facial features, expressions, poses, attitudes, and actions • Makes it more realistic and entertaining • Not arbitrary distortion of shapes nor making an action more violent or unrealistic

32. Exaggeration • “If a character is sad, make him sadder; if he is bright, make him shine; worried, make him fret; wild, make him frantic.” (Lasseter, 1987)

33. Solid drawing • Ability to draw weight, volume, and balance • Aesthetic sensibility for forms, textures, lights, and motions

34. Appeal • Animated characters must appeal to the audience. • They don't need to be lovely, cute and nice, but they must be interesting, somehow attractive. • Villains as well as heroes and heroines should have appeals

35. Appeal • A live performer has charisma; an animated character has appeal

36. Overlapping action • Starting a second action before the first action has completely finished • Keeps the interest of the viewer, since there is no dead time between actions

37. Overlapping action • "When a character knows what he is going to do he doesn't have to stop before each individual action and think to do it. He has it planned in advance in his mind." Disney

38. Principles of animation Presentation of action • Anticipation • Staging

39. Anticipation • Preparation for an action, e.g., when a character is about to jump, he first crouches to gain momentum and the takes off • Prepares the viewer for the action that will happen • Longer anticipation is needed for faster actions

40. Staging • Clear presentation of an idea, where the idea can be an action, a personality, an expression, or a mood • An idea should be unmistakably clear to the viewer

41. Staging • One idea at a time • A personality should be staged so that it is recognizable

42. Principles of animation Production methods • Straight ahead • Pose to pose

43. Straight ahead • Starts at the first drawing in a scene and then draws all of the subsequent frames until the end of the scene • Creates very spontaneous and zany looking animation • Used for wild, scrambling action

44. Pose to pose • Planned out and charted with key drawings done at intervals throughout the scene • Action, size, volumes, and proportions are controlled than straight ahead • The lead animator will turn keys over to his assistant

45. Principles of animation • Another way to look at the principles

46. Principles of animation • Essential for 3D computer animation

47. 3. Types of 3D computer animation • Keyframe animation • Pixar: Cars (2006), Ratatouille (2007), Wall-E (2008) • PDI/Dreamworks: Shrek (2001, 2004, 2007), Kanfu-panda (2008) • Motion capture animation • Sony: Polar Express (2004), Monster House (2006), Beowulf (2007) • Procedural animation

48. Keyframe animation • Keyframe is a drawing (image) of a key moment in an animation sequence, where the motion is at its extreme • Inbetweens fill the gaps between keyframes

49. Keyframe animation • In traditional animation, skilled animators draw keyframes; less experienced animators draw inbetweens • In 3D computer animations, animators set up parameter values for keyframes; software interpolates parameter values between keyframes for inbetweens • Every motion is created by animators

50. Keyframe animation • Different interpolation methods create different timing Linear interpolation Spline interpolation