Animation Fundamentals/ Exercises

23/09/2024 - 20/10/2024 / Week 1 - Week 4

Lim En Yu / 0354452

Animation Fundamentals/ Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor’s University 

Exercises

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Instructions

2. Lectures

3. Exercises

4. Feedback

5. Reflection

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Instructions

 

Fig 1.1 Module Information

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Lectures

Week1

On the first week of the class, Mr Kamal briefed us about the module information and roughly explain about all the projects that we are going to do this semester and all 12 principles that we will going to learn from each week. He has shown us some of the examples from the seniors.

Week 2 Lecture Slide:

Introduction to the principles: 

• Frame Rate, Timing & Spacing
• Slow in and Slow Out
• Timing Chart
• Arcs

Fig 2.1 Week 2 Lecture Slide, Week 2 (30/9/24)

Fig 2.2 Miro Slide, Week 2 (30/9/24)

Week 3 Lecture Slide:

The Animation Style

• Elasticity: Squash and Stretch
• Flexibility: Drag, Follow through and Overlapping
• Animation Methods: Pose to Pose & Straight Ahead

Fig 2.3 Week 3 Lecture Slide, Week 3 (7/10/24)

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Exercises

Exercise 1: Bouncing ball animation

In our first exercise, we are required to use Adobe Animate to animate normal weight with moderate timing of bouncing ball (Soccer ball).

We will need to apply the animation principles that we have learned on Week 2, Timing, Spacing, Slow in & Slow out and Arcs is required.

Mr Kamal has guided us step by step. First, we started by creating a artboard with 16:9 aspect ratioin Adobe Animate. After that, we created a ball and a ground using the oval tool and line tool.

Fig 3.1.1 Creating a ball and ground, Week 2 (30/9/24)

Then, we start by drawing out an arc with line tool and bend it. Mr. Kamal taught us that for the arc, we can adjust the next curve to be half the size compared to the previous one.

Fig 3.1.2 Creating an arc, Week 2 (30/9/24)

I started by putting the ball at the start and end of the arc so that I can put it at the middle. For the part that need to be slower required more frames, that's why I have been putting it into half and half of the distance between each ball.

Fig 3.1.3 Duplicate and move the ball frame by frame, Week 2 (30/9/24)

By continuing the movement according the arc, here are my result for the onion skins of all frames. At the top of the arc which the movement is slower has more frames while when it going up or down has lesser frames as the movement is faster.

Fig 3.1.4 Onion skins of all frames, Week 2 (30/9/24)

Outcome before feedback

Fig 3.1.5 Outcome before feedback with arc, Week 2 (30/9/24)

Fig 3.1.6 Final Outcome before feedback, Week 2 (30/9/24)

Mr Kamal has reviewed some of our works in the class and we are allowed to make adjustments based on the feedbacks given to others as well. I have consulted with him and he adviced me to animated on "2" which the movement will not looked so quick and unnatural. Therefore, I have adjusted it on the number of keyframes.

Final Outcome for Exercise 1 

Fig 3.1.7 Final Outcome of Exercise 1 with arc, Week 3 (7/10/24)

Fig 3.1.8 Final Outcome of Exercise 1, Week 3 (7/10/24)

Exercise 2: Squash and Stretch Ball with Tail Animation

For the following exercise, we will need to apply squash and stretch principles that show elasticity of the material and giving it a life as a character through pose to pose animation method. Attached to the squashy and stretchy ball is a tail which we need to show its flexibility of motion by applying the principles of Drag, Follow Through and Overlapping action through a straight ahead animation method.

At the start it's almost the same thing as exercise 1, we will do more avanced with stretching and squashing and also add one more tail.

First, I started by drawing out the arc and also the ball. Also, I have put the ball and the peak point and also touching the ground point so that it would be easier for me to put the ball between them.

Fig 3.2.1 Drawing out the arc, Week 3 (7/10/24)

Fig 3.2.2 Adding the ball at the ground and peak, Week 3 (7/10/24)

Then, we started to stretch the ball with Mr Kamal's guidance. He mentioned that the ball need to be stretched until it touched the ground. Also, the size of the ball should also maintained along the way even though it was stretched. After that, we proceeded to squashing the ball when it touching the ground. One frame before we squash it we should also have a frame of a normal size ball.

Fig 3.2.3 Stretch the ball, Week 3 (7/10/24)

Fig 3.2.4 Squash and stretch the ball #1, Week 3 (7/10/24)

Next, I did the same thing for the following bounce but decrease the strength of squash and stretch by every bounce. Until the end, the ball should be close to the original shape as there is not much strength of bouncing already.

Fig 3.2.5 Squash and stretch the ball #2, Week 3 (7/10/24)

Fig 3.2.6 Squash and stretch the ball #3, Week 3 (7/10/24)

Besides that, after we have done with the stretch and squash of the ball, we added a tail that attached to the ball. Every frame of the ball should have the tail, and the movement when it was squashed will be different. Mr Kamal has demonstrated how it works in the class and the tail should be connected to the previous frame so that the movement will be smooth and the outcome will looked natural.

Fig 3.2.7 Adding the tail, Week 3 (7/10/24)

Fig 3.2.8 Movements of tail, Week 3 (7/10/24)

At the last part of it I was not sure about how should it looked like so I have seek for Mr Kamal's advice. He said that my tail should be connected and when the ball stops, the tail will be move forward a bit because of the momentum.

Fig 3.2.9 Adjustments on tail, Week 3 (7/10/24)

Final Outcome for Exercise 2

Fig 3.2.10 Final Outcome of Exercise 2 with arc, Week 3 (12/10/24)

Fig 3.2.11 Final Outcome of Exercise 2, Week 3 (12/10/24)

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Feedback

Exercise 1: Mr Kamal said that the ball looked a bit too quick and unnatural, therefore I have extended the frame for each drawings and it looked so much better.

Exercise 2: I have shown Mr Kamal my final version and seek for his advice as I think at the end the ball looked a bit weird and I am not sure how to make it stopped slowly and more natural. Mr Kamal said that the tail of the ball should be connected to the previous frame.

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Reflection

This module has let me get to know about how frame by frame animation actually works, it was way more tough and hard than what I have thought. It has so many things to consider and it is hard to get things goes well and naturally, you will need to really understand the momentum and characteristics of objects so that you can apply the timing, squash and stretch etc smoothly.

This was quite challenging for me as I did not really study about this a lot and this module has given me a chance to know more about this. These exercises were actually simple but I already find it difficult!! I am so not sure about my future lol.