Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
During a lecture and screening given by Richard Williams, the animation
director of
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
(1988), at the Bristol School of
Animation at the University of the West of England, he spoke of how the
old masters of animation influenced him in the development of his craft
and how the study of movement had helped him better understand the
nature of performance-based animation. Although he was not apprenticed
to the likes of Ken Harris, Art Babbitt, Grim Natwick, or Milt Kahl, he did have
the opportunity to work closely with them. He studied their methods and
processes and took what they had learned and applied it to his own work. He
also made a systematic study of human movement; in doing so, he made his
own major contribution to the art form. The way I see it, if this level of study
is good enough for Richard Williams, it is good enough for me and my own
students.
The one thing that none of these great animators depended on was the use
of simple tricks or formulas. Don't get me wrong; tricks, tips, and dodges have
their place and allow an animator to develop his or her animation skills to a
certain degree. They will even allow a student to imitate the work of others.
However, if this approach is taken as the
sole
way of learning and creating
animation, it can only lead to students developing their craft by rote, creating
little other than formulaic animation. Through in-depth study of the craft,
serious students will be able to gain real understanding of the underpinning
principles of timing and dynamics. Ultimately this study will allow them to
create for themselves a path toward making performance-based animation
with originality. Without a doubt, a good grounding in processes, techniques,
and methodologies, coupled with intense study of an art form, will enable
animation students to make progress toward their goals.
However, neither the tricks of the trade nor rigorous study are a substitute for
talent. Talent is something we are all born with to different degrees. Although
the potential we possess for anything from playing football or singing to
animating varies from person to person, we all have some potential in all
these areas. Our job is therefore to develop our talents to their full potential.
Perhaps it is fortunate that we do not all have the same capacities, since there
would then be no giants among us—no Picassos, no Mozarts, no Pelés, no
Hemingways, and no Winsor McCays or Tex Averys.
I have often heard people claim that they can't draw. They can, it's just that
they haven't yet learned how to do it or haven't developed their full potential
for drawing. The same is true for animation. Of course, natural talent will
take you so far, but through study, talent can be further developed through
patience, practice, and the systematic application of what you have learned.
That brings us to the next question:
How should an animator undertake the
study of motion?
We need to establish from the outset that there is no one process that will
provide animators with all the answers they need for the study of motion.
