Chapter 9: Animate! Summary || Kinetic Interface Design Video Notes

Kinetic Interface Design – Video

·      Navimation: Combining navigation with animation

·      Social Navimation: Combining navigation in social media with animation

·      Motional Transformation: Gradually changing the form of a visual element

·      Spatial Manipulation: Mixing 2D and 3D spaces, be it physical or virtual

·      Temporal Navigation: Navigation that is continuous, as opposed to ‘click and wait’

·      Indexical Compositing: Movement on screen that is similar to the movement of something else

·      Virtual Kinetics: Simulating physical forces such as gravity or magnetism

Chapter 9. Animate!

Big-picture thinking, frame by frame

·      Animation can be exactly the step when all hell can break loose.

o   Each of the carefully constructed elements can be stubborn when united & put into motion

Start Easy, Gain Confidence

·      Start by animating the most fun, short and easy-to-animate scene

o   This will get you moving forward & most importantly will help to build confidence

·      Next, move on to the next most do-able scene, even if it’s not next in the sequence

·      After completing a few of the simpler sequences, you’ll be more prepared to tackle the tougher ones

Break Up the Tough Ones

·      Don’t try to tackle your more challenging scenes in one go, break them up into smaller pieces that are easier to handle & work on those pieces one by one

o   Makes it less intimidating

o   Reinforces the important notion that animated sequences are often mini-story arcs with distinct beginnings, middles & ends

o   Strengthens the storytelling as well

No Shot Left Behind

·      To avoid the torture of animating what is not absolutely necessary, you must become a brutal editor

o   Ask yourself if the shot is absolutely worth it story-wise

o   If you’re reluctant to edit the sequence because it’s your “coolest part” then definitely consider cutting it

§  Usually the “look what I can do!” shots hold back your story & add unnecessary time to your production

Protect Ya’ Tech

·      Save versions early & often!

o   Create simple filenames & folders that are logical & organized

o   Find a big, blank hard drive & back up your work at the end of every day

Strategic Movement

·      Roughing out your sequences in a more elaborate way is essential

Be A Poser

·      Key Poses: more elaborate sketches that provide a guide to ensure that all of your planned movement is possible

o   That you hit your intended marks of choreography & that all of your assets conform to the world you’ve created

§  Don’t forget to include all elements – backgrounds, props, text, logos, etc

Anticipate & Follow Through

·      These “before & after” movements help illustrate the physics of gravity on weight & movement

o   They are as important as your “main” movements & are responsible for making your animation feel natural

o   Everything that moves in the film, whether it be a character, shape, logo or text requires anticipation & follow through

§  Without it, the movement feels robotic & flat

§  Audience will sense the same is true of your story

Compose Directional Movement

·      The track of on-screen movement is always flat

·      As a result, all animated objects move along an invisible directional path:

o   Horizontal, vertical, diagonal & circular

·      It is important to be mindful of the directional movement of all objects in your sequences as it can enhance / detract from the emotional experience of your piece

o   Movement that is directionally consistent will feel calmer & so is best used for scenes meant to give the audience a sense of ease

o   If you want to adjust the emotional environment, adding a movement that contrasts to the predominant direction can clue the audience into a big story moment

·      Before animating, chart the path of your film’s directional movement by printing out your storyboards / key pose sketches & draw simple lines to show the general path that your objects are following

o   Consider how you can enhance the story you’re telling with the directions you compose

Decentralize & Mix It Up

Fundamental 1: Get Out of the Center

·      Don’t plop your subject in the center of your frame (too often)

·      Mix it up, risk having visually sleep-inducing sequences in your film

o   If you really need the subject centered, consider starting it somewhere else first & moving it towards the center

o   Keeps the shots active & exciting

Fundamental 2: Mix Up Shot Length

·      Don’t forget to mix up your shot lengths – too many similar ones will bore your viewer

o   The eye likes to experience a variety of focal lengths & to follow the visual cues set by the amount of info in the frame

·      Mixing up the scale of your subject inside the frame & the amount of info you include in the frame enhances the experience of your story

·      Mixing up shot lengths will not only keep your sequences visually varied & interesting but most importantly will help communicate the big ideas in your story

Fundamental 3: Mix Up Shot Timing

·      Vary the timing of your shots so that your sequences move at different paces

o   Some shots may work at a full 15 seconds before cutting, while others need cutting at just 2 or 3 seconds

·      Varying your timing will offer a less predictable visual experience for your audience

o   Many filmmakers use quicker shots for more frantic scenes & longer ones for calmer scenes

o   Some filmmakers do the opposite, but successful filmmakers always mix ‘em up for best effect

Consider The Blur

·      Shooting film, the camera’s lens has a limited ability to focus on objects at different focal lengths

o   Optics of the lens create images that are sharp in some areas and blurry in others

o   Light traveling through the lens creates an uneven exposure resulting in darkening around the edges

·      When animating in computer software, everything is in focus all of the time and the “exposure” is uniform

o   Adding effects like grain, grunge, or vignette can help add realistic depth to shots that might otherwise feel flat & uninteresting

§  Can also help de-emphasize areas that aren’t important to the emotion of the scene

§  Whether you seek something realistic or more stylized, a slight blur or darkening of the corners will help bring your piece to the next level

Sound It Out

·      Stay flexible & don’t stop tweaking until the sound fits the story you want to tell

o   The process of tweaking your sound during production will also train you to work on sound & image simultaneously as things develop

o   It will force you to consider the great power of sound to affect emotional flow & to elevate your story until it matches your vision

Be Flexible with Soundtrack

·      Be open to change & expect to spend some time experimenting

o   Sometimes will reveal your first choice was right & other times it will reach a new level with a different tone or tempo

o   If your soundtrack isn’t working, use it as an opportunity to dig deeper

Hit Your Sound Marks

·      It is essential that you animate to your soundtrack

·      Animation is a dance – a back & forth between sound & image that is rhythmically paced & elegantly timed

o   Allow the soundtrack to influence your sequences & augment storytelling opportunities

Mute Your Soundtrack

·      Be careful that your sound isn’t doing all of the work!

·      Sound effects, music & dialogue can (the soundtrack) can be so powerful that an animator can unintentionally rely on it too heavily & not give a strong enough animated performance

o   Press mute to see how your shots are playing with no sound at all

·      If your visuals lack the expressiveness to be compelling on their own, you may be depending too much on your soundtrack

o   This is especially important for character animation with dialogue

o   A great voice track can make you think that a great performance is coming from the animation

o   Turn off the sound & see if your character’s face & body are doing the acting or if it’s just the voice