Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
There has been a considerable amount of research and debate around the
shaping of an individual's personality and attempts to establish whether
personality is determined by either nature or nurture: inherited genetic traits
(nature) or an individual's upbringing and experiences (nurture).
The personalities of the characters we animate need to shine through in any
of the performances we create. Naturally, this is only essential if a degree
of acting is called for. We can't expect our audience to engage, sympathize,
or empathize with characters that lack personalities; they become nothing
more than manikins moving from A to B and undertaking action without any
apparent emotional engagement.
Performance Dynamics
There are many separate aspects of animation production, each requiring not
only very specialist knowledge in the particular area but also an understanding
of how the areas relate to each other. In addition, an understanding, or at least
an overview, of the entire process is invaluable. An audience going to a cinema
to watch a feature film is naturally drawn to the narrative and content of the
film and not the processes required to get it on screen. John Lasseter has
famously said that the three most important aspects of any film are the script,
the script, and the script. However, to bring the script to life, the performance
becomes all-important. The overall performance is usually made up of a
number of separate periods (either shots or scenes) that each has its own pace.
When these shots or scenes are placed alongside one another, a performance
dynamic is created, generally considered the film's pacing .
If we look at the dynamics of a performance in much the same way as we have
animation timing, we will be able to see how a performance can be analyzed
in terms of a dynamic flow. To this end it might be useful to revisit those
classifications of animation timing: timing, phrasing, and pacing.
Timing . The term animation timing simply describes the speed at which
an object or a figure moves. Timing is the building block of animation,
so without a good understanding of timing it is difficult to create good
performance.
Phrasing . This term describes the relationship of separate actions of
varying lengths that make up a sequence. The contrasting speed between
the actions and the changes of speed within the action create a dynamic
arc in a way that's very similar to choreographed dance. The phrasing
of action creates temperament and mood and a reaction to changing
circumstances in short a performance.
Pacing . This term describes the dynamic of an extended narrative, the
story in its entirety. Pacing shapes the film and determines how the story
develops over an extended period. Pacing is illustrated by the manner
in which separate shots and scenes of different duration and varied
dynamics and phrasing come together to form a coherent entity.
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