Animation Timing

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 12:36 am

Anyone shoot video of themselves acting out a scene and use that as reference when animating? Does this actually save time?

-EDIT-

I changed the title to better reflect the direction of the thread.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 1:00 am

I think the last thing in the world I'd ever want to do is video myself acting out anything unless it was to go straight to America's Least Wanted.

However, that technique was the core of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe back in the good old '80s and it worked with tremendous results. And I have stood in front of the mirror to watch how my hands move or arms or something to get an idea of the right way to animate something, but that was before AS and the marvels of bone rigging.

I'm not sure that taping oneself to then use as a guide for animation would save time unless it was for some really bizarre movement. Even still, I'm sure the movement could be found on YouTube (what CAN'T be found there?), saving you the step of acting it out in the first place.

I don't think that answer was any help at all.

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 1:10 am

I have a hard time getting timing right. How many frames does/should a movement take? Old school exposure sheets look like something Steven Hawking created to make me feel even more stupid.

I'm cool with this thread evolving to a discussion of timing practices, so let 'er rip!

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 1:29 am

Timing's a rough one, yes. As I've said, I've been known to try something then frantically scramble to a mirror to see if it looks right. I wish I would have thought of my own idea to search for the movement on YouTube. Then again, back then YouTube had about 7 videos and I was doing frame-by-frame on Flash (boooooooooo).

I too would like to know any tips on timing, unless it's just the obvious "try it until you get it right," something I did for days on one of my early cartoons "Jingle All the Way to Hell"

Touched · Post by **Touched** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:53 am

I sometimes shoot video of myself acting out a scene, but it has nothing to do with the timing, for me. I just do it to find some good poses, expressions, or gestures.

tonyg · Post by **tonyg** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 9:17 am

Hmmm... I was considering closing my eyes, visualising the action and putting a stopwatch on it (or counting 1-hippopotamus-2-hippopotamus).
I think I might have read this in an Animation Book... perhaps.

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 9:21 am

Oh that's no fun, no gizmos, just...thinking?!

tonyg · Post by **tonyg** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 9:29 am

Probably depends on the scene : My character is going to do exaggerated actions or actions not humanly possible.

Post by **Víctor Paredes** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 1:01 pm

Generally I act the actions for myself, but never recorded them. It´s just to know where the keys are and what can be exaggerated.

slowtiger · Post by **slowtiger** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 1:40 pm

I time most scenes just im my head. For longer shots I use a stopwatch, especially to read dialogue and get the pauses right. For movements I mostly work in increments of a third or a quarter second. It helps to have some basic musical training, so I can make dynamic movements like half a note, quarter note, eigth note etc. I write down all of this on paper, in the first draft just in seconds.

human · Post by **human** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 1:54 am

I was talking to a former employer of Disney Australia at the ToonBoom roadshow, and he confirmed that shooting video reference is just standard operating procedure at Disney.

Don Bluth recommends using video reference in his book.

Several other books on animation recommend the practice.

For heavens sake, just do it.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 2:47 am

human wrote:For heavens sake, just do it.

I fail to see the logic. Lots of people do lots of things and lots of people recommend lots of things but it doesn't make them the right thing to do.

Touched · Post by **Touched** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 3:12 am

Are you saying that this is the wrong thing to do, and that the recommendations are unwarranted?

slowtiger · Post by **slowtiger** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 9:50 am

What about "do whatever you feel comfortable with"?

I should add that I sometimes analyze video footage, counting frames from step to step, just to accumulate knowledge about timing. I don't see anything wrong in acting out a scene or recording it. Counting frames of live action gives you a reference timing from which you can more easily work out your accents. Accelerate here, slow down there, cut out some stuff, and voila, you have a dynamic timing. Now go and animate it ...