Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
may be overlooked, particularly if the action is a fast one. For example, a
running figure repeats the action over and again, thereby allowing the
study of the separate elements that make up the action, whereas a jumping
figure may be an unrepeated action, one that cannot be fully grasped in
all its complexities if seen only once. It could also be argued that a greater
sense of the actual timing of an action is gleaned from observing the
movement first hand, the action being experienced as it happens, in the
same timeframe.
The recorded image has the advantage that the recording can be manipulated
in a number of ways to assist the analysis of action. The footage may be
stopped, rewound, slowed down, and sped up. It can also be viewed again
and again at the animator's leisure. The recorded image does flatten the
space, but this does not often present a difficulty, though the quality of the
filming and resulting footage obviously has an impact on the analysis. Slowing
images down does not necessarily provide a clearer and therefore better
understanding of the action since a soft-focused subject and motion blur
may obscure the details. Some of Muybridge's original photographs suffer
this way, particularly those depicting the fast action of birds in flight, where
a combination of the subject's speed and the occasionally rather ambiguous
outline of the birds' wings serve to obscure the nature of the action. Though
these images managed to capture general motion of a figure, they failed to
capture the necessary detail.
Let's look at how we can begin to analyze the recorded moving image. You
might want to take notes on key moments within the sequence using the
time code as a reference, though you might not need this level of accuracy.
1. Begin by establishing which part of the action you want to analyze. It
might not be the entire sequence, or it might be just a single part of the
moving figure.
2. Start by viewing the action in its entirety, trying to get a feel for the overall
speed and dynamic of the movement.
3. Run the sequence through a few times, but at this stage try not to focus
on any one aspect of the figure. Your aim should be to gain an overall
impression of the subject's movement as it travels through space.
4. Note where the action begins to speed up or slow down or whether
the figure moves at a constant rate throughout the action. Get a feel for
the variations in timing.
5. Once you have done this and are satisfied that you have a feel for the
overall timing, start to look for the source of the action. This is the primary
action. View the sequence a few more times.
6. Now scroll through the action at a slower rate still, concentrating on
the principle source of action, and begin to look for the key moments in
the movement. These moments will vary depending on the nature of the
action. It could be when a foot makes contact with the ground, when a
hand takes hold of an object, or when the subject's torso becomes fully
straightened. The variables are almost endless.
