Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Training soon became a vital part of the industrialization of the art form;
establishing animation principles did much to enable individual animators'
development and increase the studios' productivity. Since they were first
formulated these animation principles have offered animators a system not
only for the study of movement and dynamics but also for the creation of
naturalistic and believable movement through animation.
During the first decade of the 20
th
century, simple animated movements
of characters were usually enough to satisfy an audience, so naturally the
studios were content to provide them with that. As competition for audiences
became more intense, the demand for higher standards began to increase.
Some studios rose to the challenge; others were content to continue
producing what they had always done. No prizes for guessing which studios
thrived and which ones began to struggle.
During my years as an animation teacher I have heard young aspiring
animators utter many misconceptions. One of the greatest of these is the
mistaken belief that the principles laid down by some of the pioneering
animators no longer apply to modern-day techniques. These young animators
couldn't be more wrong. Beyond a doubt, there have been some fantastic
advances in production processes since those pioneering animators made the
first animated films in the emerging studio system of the early 20
th
century.
Indeed, there have been many changes since I first began animating in the
early 1980s. But the principles hold as well now as they did way back then.
Approaches to Animation
Before we start to look in some detail at the animation principles themselves,
we should look at three rather distinctive approaches to animation. These
are not animation principles but rather guidelines that offer animators a
way of looking at and classifying animation. We may find it useful to divide
animated motion into three separate categories of movement:
simulation,
representation
, and
interpretation
. Each one of these classifications provides
a distinctive context in which the animation is seen by the audience.
In addition, it may help to create a framework for the production of the
animation.
Simulation
Animation that could be classified as
simulation
has a high degree of accuracy
in its replication of naturalistic actions. Movement of this kind replicates
exactly, or nearly as possible to exactly, the actual action or dynamics of
objects and effects. It should be possible to test the results of simulated
animation against real objects or events. Simulation is often used for highly
naturalistic movement of objects and figures as well as effects such as water,
flame, and smoke that appear in live-action films. The purpose of animation
