Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
useful tools in creating vibrant and believable animation effectively and
economically.
Straight-ahead animation is called that because the animation is made by
creating one image after another in sequence, starting at the beginning of an
action and moving progressively forward—that is, straight ahead—toward
the end of the action. Image one is made, followed by images two, three, four,
and so on. All stopframe animation is made using straight-ahead animation.
It is in the nature of the discipline and as yet there is no alternative method
available to animators who manipulate actual objects within a real space to
create their animations. The process for Stopframe animation using straight-
ahead techniques is deceptively simple: A model is positioned and then
filmed for a given number of frames; it is then repositioned and filmed again.
The process is repeated again and again until the action or shot is completed.
The discipline needed to undertake this kind of animation calls for a high level
of concentrated effort, particularly if the animator is using multiple characters
in a shot. The process of straight-ahead animation is not the sole prerogative
of stopframe; animators working in 2D classical animation or digital animation
may find benefits to working this way.
If the action required is a fast one and the animation has a high degree of
complexity to it, with plenty of separate elements all requiring animation with
their own discrete timings, it may be more effective and economical to use
straight-ahead animation to deal with all the elements at once. Trying to work
out the keyframes for all these separate elements may be far too laborious
and restrictive.
One disadvantage for the 2D classical animator working in this way is that
the drawn figures may appear to shrink as the animation progresses. This is a
result of very minor differences between subsequent drawings. The individual
variation may be only the width of a pencil mark, but over the duration of 50
or 60 drawings, this will be a considerable difference. Care must then be taken
to ensure that shrinkage does not occur.
(a)
(b)
FIG 3.8
a: Straight-ahead action. b: Pose-to-pose animation, images 1 and 4 being keyframe.
