The Animator's Survival Kit, Expanded Edition: A Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion and Internet Animators [Expanded Edition] 0571238347, 9780571238347, 0571238330

Table of contents :
Why this book? -- Drawing in time -- Time to draw -- It's all in the timing and the spacing -- Lesson 1 -- Advancing backwards to 1940 -- More on spacing -- Walks -- Runs, jumps and skips -- Flexibility -- Weight -- Anticipation -- Takes and accents -- Timing, staggers, wave and whip -- Dialogue -- Acting -- Animal action -- Directing -- Review -- The enlarged edition

Citation preview

RICHARD WILLIAMS DIRECTOR OF ANIMATION

‘WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT’

EXPAND - )EDition

ANIMATORS SURVIVAL KIT A MANUAL OF METHODS, PRINCIPLES AND FORMULAS FOR CLASSICAL, COMPUTER, GAMES, STOP MOTION AND INTERNET ANIMATORS

z *

The Animator's Survival Kit

xPAND|=|)ED

RICHARD WILLIAMS

om ORS SURVIVAL KIT EXPAND != )EDition

Jaber and faber

This Expanded Edition first published in 2009 by Faber and Faber Limited Bloomsbury House, 74-77 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DA Typeset by Faber and Faber Limited Printed in China by C&C Offset Printing Co.Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong All rights reserved © Richard Williams and Imogen Sutton, 2001, 2009

The right of Richard Williams to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 0-571-23834-7 ISBN 0-571-23833-0

OSE Semon 5m4 ace

(pbk) (cased)

To Imogen,

my co-conspirator and wife, without whom this book would certainly not exist —- and the author might not be around to write it.

| want this book to put over what | have found to be the best working methods, so that animating becomes better and easier to do. There are lots of formulas, principles, clichés and devices here to help, but the main thing | want to pass on is a way of thinking about animation in order to free the mind to do the best work possible.

| learned it from the best in the business and I've boiled it all down into a systematic working order. It transformed my work — | hope it will be useful to you.

vi

A commercial | did based on a Frank Frazetta poster

CONTENTS WHY THIS BOOK? DRAWING

IN TIME

TIME TO DRAW IT’S ALL IN THE TIMING AND THE SPACING LESSON 1 ADVANCING

BACKWARDS TO 1940

History of the Chart and Inbetween Extremes and Breakdowns Keys

Three Ways to Animate Testing, Testing, Testing

The X-Sheet Came the Dawn... The Best Numbering System

The Great Ones and Twos Battle The Top and Bottom Pegs Battle

vii

84

MORE ON SPACING

88

Classic Inbetween Mistakes

90

Watch Your Arcs

oz

Getting More Movement Within the Mass

96

The Elongated Inbetween

99

The Major Beginner's Mistake

99

The ‘Ruff’ Approach

101

How Much Do We Leave To The Assistant?

101

Take The Long Short Cut

102

WALKS

106

Getting the Weight

109

Set the Tempo

ig

The Passing Position or Breakdown

AS

Two Ways to Plan a Walk

118

The Double Bounce

120

Loosening it Up

128

Digging Deeper into Walks

3.

There's Nothing Like Trying It

136

The Heel

136

Foot Action

142

Normal Walk Spacing

146

Weight Shift

147

The Belt Line

148

Arm Movements

156

Counteraction

163

The Recipe

167

Sneaks

173

The Tip Toe Sneak

176

RUNS, JUMPS AND SKIPS

189

The 4 Drawing Formula Run

192

The 3 Drawing Run

195

The 2 Drawing Run ©

200

The Recipe

201

Run, Jump, Skip and Leap

209

Skips

212

Jumps

213

Weight on a Jump

Vili

217

FLEXIBILITY

218

The Breakdown

223

Simple Overlap

226

Overlapping Action

230

Simple Counteraction

231

Breaking Joints to Give Flexibility

246

Flexibility in the Face

249

Overlapping Action in the Face

£1

Instant Read — Profiles for Readability

256

WEIGHT

262

Pressure and Weight

264

How Much Effort Do We Have To Expend?

269

Dancing

272

Rules of Thumb On Synchronising Action

273

ANTICIPATION

282

Surprise Anticipations

283

Invisible Anticipations

285

TAKES AND ACCENTS

205

A Hard Accent Bounces Back

295

A Soft Accent continues

297

TIMING, STAGGERS, WAVE AND WHIP

27

Stagger Timings

2a

The Side to Side Vibration Formula

301

Whip Action

301

Wave Action

304

DIALOGUE

305

Phrasing

310

Picture and Sound Sync

Se

Accents

314

Attitude

314

The Secret

315

ACTING

320

Change of Expression

321

Look for the Contrast

323

An Acting Point

Body Language Symmetry or ‘Twinning’

Steal It! Eyes

340

THE ENLARGED EDITION

342

‘Lesson One’ on Flexibility

343

Delaying Parts and Progressing the Action

ANIMAL ACTION Live Action Reference Basic Animal Walk Pattern DIRECTING

The Brief The Leica Reel

Separate the Characters Best Foot Forward Casting Animators

Making Changes ‘Say! Say!’ Ss)

Voice Recording

335

Hook Ups

33)

Research

355

Editing

335

Believe in Your Material

338

344 346 348 348 349 352 353 356 358 359 360 361

Put It Where You Can See It

A Hollywood Hop Contrast and Change

Phrasing Dialogue Using Live Action for Reference Animal Flexibility Action on a Running Dog

How Does a Horse Really Walk? Horse Trotting

Horse Galloping Birds

A Challenging Assignment in ‘Realism’ and Weight

368

The Moving Hold

569

The Great ‘Realism’ Debate

371

The Solution

575

Yes, But...

REVIEW

374

Conclusion So Far

338

The Procedure

376

My Conclusion

Beg

The Ingredients

S7/

Life Drawing for Animation

382

Acknowledgements

AMmmatiOTy Volume 2, Issue 1

Rabbit Touchstone Amblin and ©Entertainment, Roger Pictures Inc. by Used Touchstone from Amblin and permission Pictures Entertainment.

x


en

eae Li sth Brees ee eet

There's a very important thing | learned from Ken Harris. | know it sounds crazy — but if you have a series of B drawings — don't put the B in front of the number. i.e.

|-6 Put the B after the number. i.e.

2 ei +

Si. We want to think as simply as we can. Ken said, ‘Look, you don't call me Mister Ken. Put the

letter behind so all you think of is the numbers.’ Put any formality or whatever behind. It may seem mad but it helps you do more work. Try it. All we're really doing is thinking of series of numbers from 1 to 10. Anything to keep it simple. Nobody could figure out how this sick old man could produce so much work — and of such high quality. He just kept everything as simple as could be.

wo Q

Two more things:

The only time you should circle a drawing on the X-sheet is when a cycle of action re-starts - when we're repeating the same set of drawings. We circle drawing (1) to alert the cameraman that it's out of sequence with the normal dial numbers.

N:

Og) /-A OVI

Then we circle the drawing in the correct dial number when we come back to a normal sequence.

|

My rule is: The only time you ever put a letter in front of a number is when you have an overlay cel (of something in front of the characters). Then you put O-1 (for the overlay cel) or for a held cel (somebody's stationary feet, for example) and call it H-1.

TABLE

ns =

iia a

HELD

OVERIAY Feer ACTION

BL sche Geb 8 BLN 77

Thé GREAT ONES aud

THOS BATTLE

)

Some people always complicate the numbering by calling ones and twos, ‘singles’ and ‘doubles’. In fact ‘singles’ is from a 1940s term for inbetweening when the animator did drawings 1 and 3 and 5, made an evenly-spaced chart and said to the assistant, ‘I've left you singles.’

i.e. single in betweens But when to use ones and when to use twos? The rule of thumb is — use twos for normal actions and ones for very fast actions. For instance, runs always have to be on ones — normal ‘acting’ on twos. Walks can function nicely on twos, but they're going to look better on ones.

Obviously, life is on ones (or whatever speed we film it on), but twos work well for most actions and, of course, it’s half as much work as doing it on ones. And half as expensive! Working on ones is twice as much work and expense all the way down the production line. Apparently, in the early 1930s as Disney's animators got better and better, costs were skyrocketing, and since twos work for most things, they tried to stay on twos whenever they could.

A lot of great animators even say that twos are really better than ones, that ones lead to a mushy result, that broad, fast actions on twos ‘sparkle’ and adding ones diminishes that vitality. Well, yes, this is true if the ones are just dumb, mechanical inbetweens.

My experience is different. I've found that if you p/an for ones, the result is usually superior to twos.

| feel that twos are an,economic answer to an artistic question. With twos being half the work, everybody gets to go home on time, and why would / make a case for ones? Hell, | was a studio owner.

When | was re-learning all this stuff, | would wait till my animation on ones was traced and painted, then I'd shoot it on ones as planned and then I'd take out every other cel and shoot the rest on twos to see if it ‘sparkled’ and was better.

In all but one case, ones worked better. The time the twos worked better was when | had an old lady pulling out a doctor's stethoscope from her pocket. The ones produced a very smooth movement.

78

It worked just fine, but then | removed every other painted inbetween and shot it on twos. It was better on twos! | cannot figure out why — it just was better. So they’re partly right, | guess. But | became addicted to using ones whenever | could — ones seem to make for compulsive viewing and that's what we're after. Art Babbitt used to nag at me for using ones. ‘That's too realistic — one of the things about animation is that it’s not like life!’ But | would often add ones to Art's work when he wasn't looking and it came out better - and he liked it better. Computer animators have everything on ones — with perfect inbetweens — and it hasn't diminished the appeal of their work — rather the reverse. And twos tire the eye after a few minutes. | feel that ones are twice as much work, but the result is three times as good. Compulsive viewing, easy to watch.

| think my co-animator Neil Boyle said it best : ‘Twos work — ones fly.’ And Ken Harris, who spent most of his life working on twos, would say to me when I'd be putting ones into his stuff, ‘Oh, it's a/ways better on ones.’ There's one thing that always makes me crazy. When you have a character animated on twos and the camera is panning with it on ones you get stroboscopic jitter. Either pan with it on twos (not great) or add in single inbetweens so it doesn't strobe! Some of the really good guys do this. It’s a mystery to me. Why don’t they add single inbetweens so it doesn't strobe? Maybe its because a lot of things don't show up on the pencil test. It's when it's coloured in that we see the bumps.

( CONCLUSION: ) It's a combination of twos and ones. Not only but also. Normal actions on twos - which is the bulk of our work anyway. Fast or very smooth actions on ones. Normal spacing on twos. Far apart spacing on ones. 79

Se CMe TOP aud tial «tS eteee

ry BOTTOM

PEGS BAT ee

)

An endless debate has gone on among classical animators about whether to register the drawings on top pegs or bottom pegs. At present, bottom pegs seem to have won out; most people seem to be animating using the bottom pegs to hold their drawings.

Frank Thomas has said, ‘Getting off the top pegs and working on bottom pegs has actually advanced the art of animation because you can ro// the drawings as you work and see what's happening — whether the creature is doing what you want.’ And that’s had a tremendous influence. (Disney animators all work on bottom pegs.) Alternatively, Ken Harris spent his life on top pegs and would flip his drawings and see what's happening — whether the creature is doing what he wants. (Warner animators all worked top pegs).

Ken would sometimes go red in the face and explode, ‘You know who started that whole bottom pegs business? A goddam lazy cameraman who didn’t want to be bothered reaching all the way under the glass pressure plate to place the cels at the top! He's the bum who started bottom pegs!’ 80

It comes down to something like this:

a

=

!

a

=|

iP i

If you only have four fingers you can still roll four sheets at once, plus the bottom drawing — giving us five images.

VERSUS

Fut PPINe

Ken would stretch an elastic band around his pegs to make flipping easier as he drew — without having to take the drawings off the pegs. When Ken had calmed down, he used this example:

SAY | WAS OFFERING YOU A CIGAR FROM A CIGAR BOX — WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO PRESENT IT1O YOU

Like THis?

OR LIKE THIS?

81

And what's going to make it easiest to draw?

LIKE THs 7

OR LIKE THIS 2

Add to this the fact that most of the discs that animators use are made of heavy metal with inset panning bars with screws to tighten and release them for sliding pans. It's pretty awkward with all these points sticking up and we unconsciously have to dodge the pegs as we draw.

OucH! The engineer who made most of the equipment for my English bars differently every time. | had to fire a guy once, and his close ed — quit with him. To get even with me they ordered a special three panning bars for different field sizes, top and bottom - six in the screws it looked like this:

oucd!

studio arranged the panning friend — who was very talentdisc (on the firm) made with in all! By the time you added

HOW WOULD You Uke TO DRAW ON THIS? You COULD END UP IA) (NTENSIVE CARE,

82

But how often do you really use the panning bars? Not too often, in my experience.

One day about fifteen years ago | found layout artist and designer, Roy Naisbitt, working on a big piece of white plastic Perspex (Plexiglass) with a peg bar just taped on to it.

What a solution!

You tape the pegs on wherever you want, top or bottom. Also, | keep a heavy metal disc with panning bars beside the desk for when | very occasionally need it for a mechanical pan.

This also allows you to tape on taller pegs to carry more drawings if you're on top pegs. The shorter peg bars are OK for bottom pegs, but the drawings keep falling all over the floor. Again, an elastic band helps. I'm delighted to see that Roy's solution has spread through the industry, as I've seen several animators walking around in Hollywood with Perspex discs and a taped-on peg bar tucked under their arms. It works just fine. | animated the first close-up on Who Framed Roger Rabbit in a Welsh hotel room with a Perspex disc on my knee - and top pegs! | work both ways. Again, it's not only but also. Top pegs is great for drawing and bottom pegs is great for rolling. Take your pick. Obviously, computer animators are free from all this tactile nonsense — but I'm sure you have equivalent stuff to cope with. Having started out as a drawing animator, Jim Richardson, now a computer animator, told me that when he first switched over to the computer, he found it was like ‘animating with a microwave’. 83

MORE ON SPACING Somebody once said an animator is something between an artist and a garage mechanic. Here's more nuts and bolts from the garage — but very interesting ones, and it really helps to know them. Ken Harris showed me this one:

Say we've got a telephone pole moving up quickly in perspective. Where do we put our middle position?

You'd put it in about here, right? 84

|

\

Wrong. Even after fifteen years’ experience | got it wrong. And nearly every professional I've asked since has gotten it wrong. Here's where the middle position is:

Rule in the lines like this and the cross point tells us it's here. At least technically. And just keep doing it:

This works well for fast moves. However, for more normal moves it's best to cheat it — split the difference — and come back about half way to where our first guess was. Do that throughout and you'll get a better result.

eee

W THIS MIPPLE POSITION WORKS -

,

A

3) NX

| aay ORE:

i oe SAEFace -DOXSKT

=

es : TRAYEL WITH The CAUSE OF IT. JT, RISES UPNo OUT. ‘ ¢

UP

re

7

-

J

The DOWN

CON

WE COLLLP TAKE The SAME THING aud PUT Te DOWN POSITION ON #3 aad Te UP RIGHT NEXT 70 IT ON “8 the

4 tASS

Gy

i gf

7

He

HERES A SIMILAR THING W ITH MORE CARTOON’ PROPORTIONS A CARTGON RUN ON G's — BuT WITH the FEET OFF TheGROUND Fe 2 POSITIONS -Puas VIOLENT ARM SWING. - / SONTAG

—_ But

itn < POWN NoT Too FAR POWN

re INBTWH

tin FE Pass Pos. =——HIGH EET OS) ORE

5 eS

ee

7 cw CONTACT TACE

C INGIWN ‘

feet VIGHEST

ARMS AT WIDEST

nee.

ANOTHER RUN ON Gs Hees the BEAL’ VERSION OF The SAME THING —

NOTE Te REDUCED ARM ACTON - WITH HARDLY ANY UP aud DOWN ON The BOPY — PULS BOTH FEET ARE OFF The GROUND

Foe 2 FRAMES.

| 2

EXTREME

he DOWN

ALMOST

CSIING Oe

CONTACTS

WITH BUNS WE CAN Po ALL The THINGS Wé PID WITH WALKS. The HEAD CAN GO UP aud DOWN, SIDE TO SIDE, BACK aud FORTH. the Bopy

CAN BEND aad TWIST IN OPPOSITE PIRECTIONS the FEET FLOP IN od Cut ele,

Bul WE CANT DO AS MUCH BECAUSE WE PONT HAVE 2 20

5

LETS MAKE

THIS EXTRENE EXTREWE

-

DOWN

PXTRENE

:

.

HIGHER

Pats

THAN

yy ";

(4 Dia

CONTACT

CONTACT

\

“AND KE JT THEN TAKE ExTReme*4 AND ONLY MAKE ONE INBETWEEN BETWEEN IT aad ExrReue*| (ste Meet)

HIGHEST

EXTREME

G

uP a

:

THIS GIVES US

V/RTUALY |O STEPS

by :

IN

A SECOND

(9S ACTUALY )

- AWFULLY FASTCONTACT

SO WE GET:

LerpeNe pou

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bean

See

i

CONTACT

F@OM

ves

ag ed

Se

cen Tae

ExPene As (i)

guia

uge

’

C

n

ANP WE CAN SWITCH

EXTREME

[=

oa:

CONTA

ONE SIDE TO The OTHER WITH The SHORTER OR LONGER STEP-

“The 2 PRAWING RUN ) Hy fisrecr POSSIBLE RUN- (AT LEAST WITH FILM RUNNING

AT 24 FRAMES PER SECOND )= 12LE srep2 isla

IN The 408 DIRECTOR TEX AVERY PUSHED The LIMITS - (NVENTIVELY DEFYING

CRUDAY, ITs OXTREIE

RAVITY -GOING FASTER ud FASTER FOR HIS SPLIT SECOND GAGS — ond THEY WANTED TO GE 2 DRAWING RUNS THAT WORKED .

PASS. Pos

195

WITH A TWO

THE PROBLEM

DRAWING RUN -

WITH The LEG ACTION IS THAT ITS GOING TO FLICKER

AND LOOK LIKE WHAT IT IS — JuSt 2 DRAWINGS SHOWING MORE OR LESS AT ONCE -

zg

a

ae 4

A DOUBLE

INAGE ON

ae ca

eueik

a

fd

an

Tle SCREEN *

&

ee

i

Rut THEY

STILL WANTED TO GET fle HUMANLY

IMPOSSIBLE SPEED —

ONE SOLUTION I[S NOT T© PUTTMe PASSING POSITION OF the LEGS IN The MIDPLE But TO FAVOUR TWO

OF The LEG FCSITIONS CLOSER

TOGETHER, :,

SO THAT The EYE READS the TWO DRAWINGS aud THEN IT JUMPS The BIG GAP

CONTACT sare SE TOG

A, an

:

:

.

|

:

hase aern

“Loge ee

AND The WEIGHT- BEARING FEET ARE ALSO

FRETTY

CLOSE TOGETHER. ,

VERY CLEVER! AND [TS The SAME THING WITH A BACK OR

196

FRONT VIEW —

THE SAME IDEA WORKS PRETTY NICELY ONA CUCSE

34 VIEW -

CLOSG

BUT FOR A SIPE VIEW WITH A TALLER FIGURE WITH LONGER LEGS ITS BERT Jo REVERT To A 3 DRAWING RUN.

Bul FROM-he FRONT OR The BACK VIEW the 2 DRAWING DEVICE WORKS

ASTONISHINGLY WeLL.

NOT POSSIBLE, But BELIEVABLE.., 12 STEPS IN A SeConp!

$0, the ACTUAL. PASSING POSITION |S OMITTED -/MPLIED—BY The 2 CLOSE The GAP WHERE The PASS TOGETHER DRAWINGS AT FACH END ~AND tke EYEJUMPS

-

Postion WOULD NORMALY BE 197

The SAME THING CAN BE

HELPED ALONG BY OVERLAPPING

CONTRARY SHAPES -

ANOTHER WAY TO PO-he 2 DRAWING RUN I$ TO KEEP VARYING “fe SILHOUETTES AS WE GO ALONG —“THEN The EYE READS IT AS A SCRT OF CONVINGNG ScCRAMRLE — EXTREME

i. as

EXTREME

EXTEEME

a va

a

EXTPAIE

ETCETERA - --

ANOTHER TACTIC iS TO FLAIL The ARMS AROUND FRANTICALLY— PROGRESSING fhe BODY ad HEAD

LEAN FORWARD AS SHE GOES — OF BACKWARDS — TO DIVERT The EYE 200 TAKE Me CURSE OFF Tee 2 DRAWING ‘FLICKERING ‘Fast ACTION,

LGR Yee

Si

Te HEAD COULD MOVE IN A TIGHT CIRCLE USING A MINIMUM A DRAWINGS TO BO IT.

- ANP THAT C{RCLé ACTION COULD AL P

FORWARD - OR BACK =

198

|

[NCIPENTALLY,

HERES A SUGGESTION

OF A PATTERN FOR AQMS FLAILING Dubinc-

A RUN. (IF ITS A RUN ONTWOS - THE ARMS WOULD FLAIL TWICE AS SLOW AS The RLIN)

FORA FINAL VARIATION ON A 2 DRAWING RUN —Me FASTEST POSIBLE RUN WE CAN GET INTO BLURS.—

WE CAN HAVE JUST TWO DRAWINGS - (ON ONES) EUT ITS QUITE EPFECTIVE TO FILM THESE ON 2 FRAME DISSOLVES —> 3O THE DRAWINGS ARE ON TWOS - FOR 2 FRAMES EACH

But SOPTENED BY The DESOLVES -

A

Som bh

coe aeEA

gO

ad

PISSOWE

2b Deine tae

“THe RESULT IS THAT EVERY OTHER FRAME

FRAME L KN Focus

FRMWE 2 1S 50/20% FRAME riZ IN Focus — FRME

4

IS S0/G07

FRAVE & is ae

2 GIVES A SILKY

SOFTENING EFFECT

FACTIONTOSOFTENTUNES = CTION IS: CLOSE TOGETHER. - IT ACISASAKIND OFVARNISH oar 199

SUMMING UP ON RUNS:

GeeREC|P = aes

es

ee

SY

RUNS

ARE ALWAYS

cleDEVEE) Fol. THE 2 FA4ne PIGSCLVE OW ONES. (axcepr WHICH I< REALLYJUST A TECK

WE CAN DO EVERYTHING WE DO ON WALKS EXCEPT REDUCER - ROUGHLY BY HALE

iS The HEAD PUMPING UP aud DOWN? OR ROCKING SIDE To SipE ?

OR REVOLVING IN A SMALL CiRCLeE?

ARE the LEGS PUMPING UP dad DOWN 7 OR PUSHING OuT BROADLY 7

ARE the ARMS To BE CONFINED ? STIFE

DOINN The BODY 7

;

OR ARE THEY THRASHING AROUND IN BROAD ACTION


G ANP COME IN A BIT AS HANPS FLOP OVER.

( FLEXIBILITY IN Tle FACE

)

THERES A TENDENCY To FORGET HOW MOBILE Ou FACES REALLY ARE IN ACTION -AND Ir ALWAYS

SHOCKING TO SEE HOW MUCH DISTORTION THERE IS WHEN WE LOOK AT LIVE ACTION OF ACTORS‘

CLOSE-UPS FRAME BY FRAME.

NOT TOMENTION WHAT A FACIAL CONTORTIONIST CAN DO (N SPITE OF the JAWS avd TEETHforbes

246

THE SKULL OBVIOUSLY REMAINS Yhe SAME RUT THERES LOTS OFACTION HAPPENING BELOW THE CHEEKBONES. OUP UPPER TEETH Don't CHANGE POSITION AS THEYRE LOCKED ONTO OUR SKULL. THE HINGED LOWER, JAW ACTION !$ PRIMARILY UP wd DOWN W/TH A SLIGHT LATERAL MOTION.

a.

the iS

‘et

1 @

TENDENCY

FORGET

@) GH

JUST HOW BIG OUR

-

MOUTH

IT

CAVITY

(Se

| va

oc

AND HOW SMALL

he LOWER JAW IS HINGED IN FRONT OF the EAR.

IT CAN APPEAR -

ART BABRITT OFTEN TOLD OF HOW, AFTER ANIMATING the EEAUTIFUL EVIL QUEEN MAGIC MIRROR ON The WALL’ SCENE IN “SNOW WHITE aed TheSEVEN DWARFS” (A DEGREE OF REALIGM THAT NO ONE HAD EVER ATTEMPTED BEFORE, LET ALONE SUCCEED IN ACHIEVING,) HE BECAME INHIBITED

WHEN ANIMATING CLOSE-UPS ON The 7 DWARFS.

HE GOT HELP FROM The OTHER TOP MEN

IN DARING TO COMPRESS aud DISTEND The FACES. HE ALWAYS SAID,“ BE SRAVE, Dor BE AFRAID To STRETCH The FACE.”

and COMPRESS IT. THERES A TENDENCY TO HAVE A SIMPLE

MOUTH SQUIRMING AROUND - FLOATING ON The FACE

THERES A TREMENDOUS

STRETCH IT TO MAKE IT AN INTEGRAL PART OF the FACE.

AMOUNT OF ELASTICITY IN OUR FACE MUSCLES.

SUCKING IN

PUFFING OUT 247

TAKE CHEWING FOR EXAMPLE ¢ A

§

;

The CHEW CAN PULL The NOSE

AROUND —

GULP,

AH.

AGAIN, WITH SQUASH Oud STRETOH, WE TEY To KEEP The SAME AMOUNT OF MEAT. IF YOU Took I OUT aud) WEIGHED T= IT WOULD WEIGH The SAME. AN UNCOUTH

FELLOW -

GULP

RumBLE

BURP.

So, AGAIN, ITS WHO IS CHEWING FAT, SMALL ,OLD, CRAZY, INHIBITED? A SOPHISTICATED PERSON CHEWING VERSUS ; TRAMP WHO HASNT EATEN Fok 2 WEEKS?

FFAS SS ron Ooo ett eet

sd 0)

a

o

,

|

|

A SOCIETY — VERSUSA MATRON — LABouRER | NEVER OPENS

HER, MOUTH-

&)

248

EATING-

( OVERLAPPING ACTION IN ‘teFACE)

HERES A THING You OFTEN SEE GOOD ACTORS DOING: SAY SOMEONE

GETS FRIGHTENED -

=

ITS CRUDE JUST TO Go

Co

FROM ONE TO the OTHER.

\\

IT CANGO IN SECTIONS-

eS

pote

a

a.

%

ao~

TIME -

\

®

/)

“he OVERLAPPING

oy

ACTION WORKS

f

le

“A

FACE

CAN BE ) VEY FAST

VICE VE@SA -WORKS ITS WAY UP The FACE -

oD Ga

\

oY)

Ey)

FIRST the MOUTH- THEN The NOSE- THEN the EVE-

START FROM SQUNT-

nA)

3 THEN The HAIA .

4 in)

Eye ORNS FIRST- NOSE STRAIGHTENS - JAW FAUS

Qu) OPENS 249

STAAT WITH the EYES — THEN KEEP GOING

The FACE. The CHANGE COULD TRAVEL ACKOSS

AS the MOUTH OVERLAPS wd STRETCHES

7”

SAY SOMEONES DISAPPOINTED -

Stuer FROM

rN aN

|eS

(\ a

Daa,

OPPOSITE ba(S MIGHT HAPPEN M ORE SLOWLY

Eve y FIRST - ied ih

DROPS -

‘the EYEBLOW REVERSES

ud BEOW FURROWS

aud CHIN GOES IN.

WE ALL KNOW fhe TWO FACE-

|

the DOUBLE FACE

Mae

P A ie

FACE Ow IT-

THERE'S CONTRADICTION :

ID LIKE TO ANIMATE ONE SIDE SEPARATELY ond THEN ANIMATE The OTHER. —

a

;

a

ok

7

i

( INSTANT READ - PROFILES FOR READABILITY

\

)

The _

THIS HAS TO GO IN the

BOOK

SOMEWHERE

aud IT MIGHT

AS WELL BE HERE...

IF WE WANT OUR. AUDIENCE To READ AN ACTION FAST — SHOW IT IN PROFILE. AND

:

es

Bu

AND

But”

NOT”

. |~

WE CERTAINLY DONT HAVE ANY TROUBLE

SEEING WHATS HAPPENING HERE-

ihhite

AND FROM the POINT OF VIEW OF FLEXIBILITY- LOOK HOW JUST A SIMPLE REVERSAL

OF HER BACK ARCH GIVES TERRIFIC SUPPLENESS. DRAWING @)S BACK IS ABOUT AS CONCAVE AS YOU CAN GET- STAYS THAT WAY ON (E) 30d THEN REVERSESTO CONVEX ON (F) aud (G). The HAIR /S DELAYED aud ONLY DROPS ON BY. NICE. ITS ALWAYS A GOOD |DEA TO TRY To GET ACLEAR OPPOSE FROM WHAT WERE GOING TO CHANGE To - WHETHER ITS A FACIAL EXPRESSION OR A CHANGE OF SHAPE LIKE THIS. 251

TO FINISH OFF THIS SECTION aud AS A KIND OF REVIEW HERES AN EXAM IN FLEXIBILITY-

AN ASSIGNMENT AET EABBITT GAVE US TO PRACTICE SUCCESSWWE BREAKING JOINTS —

(LD TAKE The FRONT VIEW OF A FEMALE SWAVING SIDE TO SIDE.

(2) HAVE The HIPS WORKINA FIGURE 8. Se

HAVE The HEAD

COUNTER The Booby.

A) HAVE The HANDS WORK INDEPENDENTLY aud BEEAK the JOINTS. (

2

HERES “The SCRIBBLE | MADE AS ART SET our Tle PROBLEM:

KIND OF A SCARY PRORLEM aud AS | WANTED TO DO IT SORT OF REALISTICALLY

SCARIER. CK, WHAT DO WE DO FIRST? (THINKS) UHHH... HEY, OFCougse “the (KEY) =-WEN DeAwne"(D) The ONE THAT

TELS The Me)

WHATS NEXT?

(THINKS) 1, OBUOUSLY....

The NEXT EXTREME

WHERE SHELL SWAY Tothe OTHER Lip

- CAWTHIR*2

BECAUSE WHEN PAGrIiFoOsn _ | TAKE ABOUT 2 A SECOND To SWING 10 ONE SIDE avd Y2 SEC. To SWING BAK = [SECOND OVERALL.

252

a

MAKE iTA CYCLE SO WE CAN TEST (T REPEATEDLY To SPOT ANY GOOFS.

HEY ITS NOT SO SCARY ANYMORE NOW |F WE JUST GET INTERESTING PASSING POSITIONS BETWEEN The

“TWO EXTREMES...

FIRST, SWAYING IS WAY, HAVE The HIPS

FAVOUR 77/3.

NOW BACK The OTHER 144 +—_+—_|| Ss

js

i

+

au £5:

aud COMING BACK

Ps

254

IS iq2!

23

26

clit tae a ei

.¥

()

—|

4

TEN ADD IN ONES THROUGHOUT—Bur THEYRE JUST BRAINLESS INBETWEENS TO Sweoty THINGS CUT FURTHER -

(THIS CAME OUT JUST FINE, DIDNT NEED ANY CORRECTIONS.) 255

Al

WEIGHT

Pont

44

THE FIRST QUESTION | EVER ASKED MILT KAHL WAS : “HOW DID You EVER GET THAT JUNGLE BOOK TIGER TO WEIGH SO MUCH?’

He ANSWERED,

‘WELL, | KNOW WHERE The WEIGHTIS ON EVERY DRAWING. | KNOW ON The CHARACTER. | KNOW WHERE The

WHERE The WEIGHT(S ATA NY GIVEN MOMENT WEIGHT IS, aud) WHERE The WEIGHT IS TRANSFERRING TO.”

WHERE ITS COMING FROM aud WHERE [TS JuST TRAVELLING OVER- 2ud

WieVe ALREADY SEEN THAT IN A WALK WE FEEL the WEIGHTON the DOWN PESTON WHERE The LEG BENDS AS IT TAKES the WEIGHT, ABSORBING The FORCE OF The MOVE. But HOW ABCUT OTHER KINDS OF WEIGHTS OBJECTS -LIGHT? HEAW ?HOW CO WE SHOW TAT?

ONE WAY WE CAN SHOW HOW HEAVY AN ©BJECT IS -

-1S BY the WAY WE PREPARE TO PICK IT LP.

TO PICK UP WEIGHT WE HAVE TO PREPARE FOR IT -To ANTICIPATE the WEIGHT.

OBVIOUSLY PICKING UP A PIECE OF CHALK ,A PEN OR A FEATHER DOESN'T FEQUIRE ANY PREPARATION -

a

UT A HEAVY STONE...

WE CAN SUGGEST WEIGHT RY JUST HAVING- HM WALK AROUND IT - SIZING IT UP-

a

¢ BAD. No FEELING OF WEIGHT. iITMUST BE A POLYSTYRENE ROCK:

HOWS HE GONGToDOTHIS? HES CONSIDERING WHAT HES GOING TO PICK UP. HOW HEAVY (S (T° HES ANTICIPATING WHAT ITS GOING

% WEIGH...

MAYBE WE PONT HAVE The SCREEN TIME TO HAVE HIM WALK AROL ND, BUT OR ANOTHER, HES GOING TO ANTICIPATE “Mee WEIGHT:

ONE WAY

Looe WHAT tHe SPINE

Wi -

\ ))

HE'b CERTAINLY SPEEAD HIS FEET HIS KNEES =

Fi@sT ANP BEND

j

AND GET AS CLOSE

To “flu WEIGHTAS POSSIBLE ,

ARCH

—

REVERSES

Hea

)

/)

STRAIGHTENS

(( HE ADJUSTS HIMSELF

Bopy Goes BACK

DAMAGE = AS HE LIFTS $0 AS TO NOT He POESNT HIMSELF, WANT A

xa

HERNIA.

Aece

At

:

STAMGHTENS

TIES To GE

:

UN DERNEATH The

REVERSES

WEIGHT - MIGHT

AS He TAIES JO GET A PURCHASE -

AD )uST FEET IN LITTLE BITS ERRATICALY

=

Q Bie Lier

CTRAIGHTENS - ;KNEES SHAKE

|:

FAAS S BACK OR WHATEVER 257

A MAN CARRYING A SACK OF POTATORS ON HIS BACK BENDS DOWN TO COUNTERBALANCE “he WEIGHT. THE WEIGHT FORCER HIS BODY CLOSER To The GROUND, KEEPING the KNEES BENT aud MAKING the FEET The WEIGHT OVER CHU FELE ALONG, The FEET ALSO SPLAY CUT TO FORM A SORT OF TRIPOD TO SPREAD A LARGER AREA.

Feer APART-

FEET DONT

COME OFF

_ KNEES

VERY MUCH.

ge A LOT OFDIFFERENCE IN THESE WALKS OR. RUNS IS DETERMINED BY The WEIGHT The FERSON MIGHT BE CARRYING. »

II A PERSON IS CARRYING A HEAVY RacK-

“The WEIGHT WOULD LOWER. The SHOULDERS aud STRETCH the ARMS.

(Paeo SLIGHTLY Apagt)

17

ae

HELL |MOVE

1

AGAIN the

MORE SLOWLY

ded the Boby

he HEAD aud NECK COULD COME DROWN.

x

WILL RAISE

ONLY SLIGHTLY

PASSING FOOT

WILL. HARPLY

LEAVE The GROUND

aud

ON The PASSING POS/TION Se oe

“The KNEES WILL REMAIN BENT _ ALL TheTIME

WILL NOT RAISE

FROM The WEIGHT.

ATALL ,

The TIMING OF the FEET COULD RE ERBATIC —

STEP, PAUSE, STP, STEP, PAiSE, STER PAUSE, STEP, STEP, STEP Pause, ee-

Hi COULD GLIDE RAPIDLY oud THEN DROP IT. 258

4 -

|

A HAND PICKING LIPA SILK

HANPKERCHIEF LYING ON

flie GROUND ENCOUNTERS NO RESISTANCE -

But A HAND PICKINGUP A BRICK~LETS CONSIDER WHAT HAPPENS TO The WHCLE BODY -

“he WecHT

OFTHE ERICK

ANGLE OF HEAP COULD OPPOSE

SHOULDERS |

|

STRAIGHTENS

“lhe ARM

ud PULLS

the SHOULDER

;

|

a

HELPING TO

BALANCE

The RRICK

7

\Q

“The ARM !s

IN The RIGHT

HAND.

PICKING UP A FEATHER ON The Goby. ISNT GOING TO HAVE ANY EFFECT

REVERSING The FEATHER SHAPE as

To Ne

IN The MOVE MAKES Mu Sy iespagihadl

‘OF CovaSt, ONE WAY TO GET WEIGHT ISTO BE CONSCIOUS OF IT.

Me GREAT ANIMATOR, BILTYTLA SAYS You HAVE \ The POINT IS THAT YOU ARE NOT MERELY SWISHING A PENCIL ABOUT, BuTTHAT WEIGHT WITH CAN POSSIBLY YOU WEIGHTINYOUR FORMS aud YOu DO WHATEVER

TO CONVEY SENSATON. IT ISA STRUGGLE FOR ME 2d |AM CONSCICUS OF ITAU The TIME, 259

f {—

Ree

ON ene

ie

The ARM MIGHT

A HAND PRESSING ee

But,A HAND PRESSING

JUST STRAIGHTEN A BIT-

|

|

SHOULDER 1S

|

PRESSED uP

“Tle HAND WILL DISPLACE Some OF LITLE ERRECT ONThe WATER «

Tle WATER BUT WILL REALLY HAVE

SE OF THEIR WEIGHT Leté peor A FEW THINGS WHICH FALL AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS BECAU auc) WHAT THEY RE MADE OF.

.

WOULD

OVERCOAT

/

CATCH A

CERTAIN AMOUNT

FALLS -

|

OF AIR AS IT FALLS

a

sae Ss AIR

Ren Ale ATCH

fy

—| FAeT

+

i

CaS

WONT LINGEIZ

LANDS -

THIS

HAS AIK

UNDER IT

f

Kw Wes NEVER Noes Setrte AT ALL.

:

eas. 7 ANDee SETTLES

\

TAKEA CHINA CuP -

IN REALITY the CuP WOULD PRORABLY SHATTER ON IMPACT But WE CAN HAVE IT BOUNCE AROUND A Bit. IT APPEAR BELIEVABLE, TAKE LIBERTIES WHH REALITY But MAKE

\

ZO’ 2 ae al WY Ae oD NZ

Boece

\\ Us:

Bounce

Nuc

BONE

Seis

Phe PAUSE

THEN IT SHATTERS.

A FALLING LEAF WILL LINGER IN The AIR Al CURRENTS WILL AFFECT IT- ITS FALL Is BEING RESISTED BY The AIR.

y)

P Y)

SAME SORT OF THING WITH

/

A PieCe OF PAPER PROPPING _i/

A Me TIMING OF THIS WOULD

BE SLOW

aud GIRACEFUL. QRH

Qos»

9

A FEW SMAHE

HEIPPLES

(>

WHICH QUICKLY

SS

ITs LANDING IS RESISTEP

BY WATER -

™

A SLOW SKID TOA HALT.

DROP A ROCK OF 50-60 LBS.RIPPLES MIGHT GO To The VERY EDGE OF The POND.

A PEBBLE PROPPING INTO WATER--

EEL > e DOUGH FALLING -

A BALL OF MuD-

( ( Peessuee Peessuce ud audWEIGHT WEIGHT)

TOUCHING

NOT MuCH

To STRENGTHEN

PRESS

PRESSURE

GA

PRESSING

ay

qe |

fe"

FLATTEN ENP

|

A\\

IT WOULD

GIVE.

\

FOR PRESSURE

SuPPose the SURFACE I$ SOCFT- CLOTH OR RURBFR -—

STRENGTHEN IT FURTHER

NOT MUCH PRESSLIRUE

FINGERS

HERE

TO GWE y:

pe

AGAIN ,IN PICKING UP SOMETHING HEAVY, The WHOLE BODY WILL HELP AND the SOURCE OF fe ACTION [S IN the HIPS.-

=

IN PICKING UP A PENCIL Me. SOURCE oF The ACTION

lS IN The ELBOW,

¢

«- OBVIOUSLY

Nor

FROM the HIPS

|

|

=

A VERY HEAVY BOCK FALLING-

= A HARD GOLF BAU FALLING-

= A_ STL BAL OR BOWLING BALL FALLS

IT Pteicalittnt

WE

SOUND comes WHEN

HAS ACTUALLY LeFr Tle 00WD

Te Feer-the IMPACT The BOX IS PARTIALLY OPEN AT the

MOMENT

‘

OF IMPACT,

WHEN ITHITS WE

heen ANP

ce

IMMEPATRY

IT ZoUNCES BUTIMIMEDATAY FOUS ToA 810P.

mn

Oo)

5 |

RISES.

PS

A TENNIS BALL WILL SQUASH ON IMPACT ___ THEN REGAIN ITS ORIGINAR

SHAPE

PRESSURE |S PART OF WEIGHT BALLOON

PROF ILE

IF WE PUSH HARD ENOUGH Que ARMS WILL BEND aud

OUR FET WULSLIPORSLIPE.

NN

:

HOW MUCH EFFORT DO WE HAVE TO EXPEND (@ To MCVE SOMETHING?

(2 TO CHANGE (© DIRECTIONS (3) OR TO STOP IT?

WILL INPICATE HOW MUCH IT WEIGHS re

COMING TO A STOP IS PART OF WEIGHT : dad REVERSES AGAIN

SPINE

SPINE _ REVERSES |

if

\ Yy Pe

or A = IC SteBECTON

SH ta

i

THROWN WE RE OFF BM ANCE

-

,

THEN WE GO INTO OUR.NKEXT ACTION — LIKE COMING CFF AN ESCALATOR.

FRANK THOMAS SAYS — | ie "WEVE GOT TO DO SOMETHING TO STOP The FORWARD PROGRESSION OF BELIEVABLE WEIGHT.

WHATEVER, WAS (N MOTION

Acatsr

EACH &(T

Bene

INDICATING the WEIGHT

iG ae em

OF ITSELF.

ARMS, HEAD,

HANDS, HAIR,

DRAPERY.

HERES MILT KAHL ON [T“ STOPPING THINGS CONVINCINGLY |S ONE OF The DIFFICULT THINGS TO PO IN ANIMATION.

WHEN YOU COME Te ASTOR PICK A GOOD PLACE TO STOP.

HOW You CHOOSETO STOP-

WHAT KINP OF A STOP - WHETHER ITS AN ALERT STOP OR A LAZY ONE, CHOOSING WHERE

To DO IT IS AN IMPORTANT CHOICE. aud THEN NOTHING HAPPENS TO IT

da

| HATE TO SEEA FOOT COME THROUGH ao LAND

| THINK WHEN IT LANDS WE CUGHTTO GO AHEAD

aad PUT the WEIGHT ON IT- OR ROCK FORWARD - OR RAISE “the OTHER feoT.”

264

|a

So, How MUCH EFFORTITTAKES TD STOP SOMETHING SHOWS HOW MUCH IT WEIGHS AtSO, the SPEED OF AN ACTION WILL DETERMINE HOW VIOLENT The DRAPERY IS IF A MAN IS RUNNING WITH A COAT MADE OF THIN, LIGHT MATERIAL. 2ud HE COMES

To A SUDDEN STOP “he MATERIAL WILL CONTINUE TO FLOW, TO KEEP ON GOING —

To GOAHEAD OF HIM INDEPENDENTLY ud THEN FLOP BACK ond SETTLE. FOtOWs, )

6,

;

oD 4

—_— aan

ud) SETTLES

STOPS - MATERIAL CONTINUES

A WOMAN IN A SULKNIGHTIE...

the MATERIAL WILL BLOSSOM Qud FLAP VIOLENTLY.

COPS - MATERIAL CONTINUES BLO

|

aed WILL SETTLE maRE SLOWLY -

ACTION. SO WHEN SHE STOPS, HAR CLOTHES a) HAIR FOLLOW THROUGH ARRIVING LATER THAN Te MAIN AND OF COURSE HER MAIN ACTION ALSO STOPS IN PARIS, FINISHING UP AT DIFFERENT TIMES.

D UNIFORMLY? ee THERE EVER BEEN AN ACTION WHERE ALL the PARTS OF ABODY MOVE

EXCEPT IN ROBOTS, 2ud PROBABLY NOT EVEN IN THEM.

AGAIN, FOLLOW THROUGH ' [Sthe RESULT OF oud |S GENERATED BY the MAIN ACTION. 265

Bur the ONLY WAY WE CAN REALLY SHOW WEIGHT IS WAH Te ACTION. Sty Welee PICKING HEA HEAVY BATCH OF HAY WITH A PITCHFORK

ANTICIPATES

THRUST

‘<

A

or even L

~

-

©

2 To 24 icEVEN NUMBERS)

THEN MAKE ANOTHER SER IFS, OFFSET SLIGHTLY FROM 3 te 28 (bb NUM EERS) THEN WE INTERLEAVE THEM. (FOR MORE ON THIS SEE VIBRATIONS’)

( DANCING

)

TO FINISH OFF THIS SECTION ON WEIGHT WE SHOULD INCLUDE DANCING. “The REASON IS THAT theESSENTIAL PART OF DANCING IS NOT WHATS HAPPENING TO The FEET BUT WHATS HAPPENING To The BODY -the WEIGHT -The UP aud POWN OF The BODY.

KEN HARRIS 2d ART BABBITT WERE BOTH SPECIALISTS IN DANCE ANIMATION 2ud THEY

BOTH SAID EXACTLY The SAME THING:

ITS The UP AND DOWN ON TheBODY 20d HANDS

THAT K the MOST /MPORTANT THING IN A DANCE.

IN A TAP DANCE-

ITS WHATS HAPPENING TO The BODY

WITH he WEIGHT MOVING UP aud DOWN IN RHYTHM.

Wh

hy

(PULLED APART)

DOWN oF The BODY RIGHTIF WE BLOCK OUT The FEET 2«d JUST GET The UP aud RE. ANYWHE ON FEET The PUT THEN WE GAN 269

LETS ADD FEET 10A SIMILAR UP aud DOWN BODY PLAN. The BEAT IS ON 12/8 (THIS WRKS WELL ON TUioS)

ANTICIPATING the BEAT

(A.

Now LES CENT the UP and REALLY THROW The BODY UP dad DOWN aod

CWINGTle ARMS AROUND.

Hie BEAT IS ON IGS EVEKY 4TH DRAWING IS AN EXTREME.

THIS (S ALL ON ONES qud JUST NEEDS 3 SINGLE MORE oR LESS STRAIGHT INBETWEENS BETWEEN EACH EXTREME.

ANTICIPATING the

UP

270

up ANTICIPATING “the Bee

LOWN

Comes ON A DANCE- USUALLY HiT theBEAT ONThe DOWN. WE FEEL he WEIGHT AS TheBODY

WE CAN ACCENT EITHER the POWN OR The UP OF the BODY.

ON A DANCE ,IF WE Get MOST OF the BIG BEATS RIGHT THEN

WE CAN ALMCST

IGNORE

The LITTLE BEATS OR SECONDARY ONE. DONT SPEND TIME OW the INFIN (TESMAL ANYTHING LESS THAN

-

A FRAMES WONT READ.

Get the MAIN THING RIGHT - REALLY RIGHT.

THEN SUPPORT IT wiTH SECONDARY go ox

271

WITH DANCERS -NCTICE The TwiSt IN The SHOULDERS AS THEY OPPCSE The TWIST IN The HIPS. &

~the HIPS 2d SHOULDERS TEND To COUNTER EACH

K fe TP

ZA

Pras

a

zs

NS

OTHER ALL The TIME -

e

a \

ia

SHOULDER DOWN, HIPUR

SHOULDER UP HIP DOWN.

CO

TWIST the Bopy -

HEAD AT DIFFERENT ANGLE TO SHOULDERS.

WHEN CHANGING

4) as

POSITION

C iG

GET

Ye FEETFET CANCAN Come b COME DOWN

On fue SIDE CF Ten FECT

oer S

pe

‘

aes

THEN STRAIGHTEN O47

S

=

| oS

Ae

INTOae The Bopy

MR PYNAMICS

IN :Lf SOME SiePC hy“the Freer AREY

TOUCH The GROUND —

OWN SYNCHRONISING The ACTION TO A MUSICAL BEAT, THERE ARE 2 RULES OF THUMB: ( \

RULE OF THUMB #

HAVE~the VISUAL ACCENT POSITION OCCUR 2 FRAMES AKEAD OF The ACTUAL SOUND — PRECEEDING The SOUND BY 2 FIPAVES. =

(“sued

( SAY ITSA 12 FRAME

:

HIT, )

BEATEU

SO WE CAN EITHER ANIMATE the HIT 2 FRAMES AHEAD OF the SOUND

OR, WE CAN ANIMATE LEVEL WITH he SOUND aw ADVANCE The PICTURE

RULE OF THumR 2.

IN the EDITING, LATER aud GET ITSO IT LOOKS RIGHT: (MUCH PREFFR THIS) MANY LIVE ACTION EDIORS OFTEN PitThe VISUAL Hit AHEAD EY A The LENG

OF TheOVERALL BEAT( Wirt A 12 FRAME BEAT THARS + FRAMES AHEAD oFTe SCUND.)

AS WITH DIALOGUE, |THINK The BEST WAY ISTO ANIMATE LeveL WITH TueSOUND ~THEN FIDDLE WITH IT INTHE EDITING TILL IT LOOKS JUST RIGHT. ALSO WE LEARN

THINGS THIS WAY, AS RULES

OF THUMB, ARE ONLY WHAT THEY ARE —RULES OFTHUMB . TRY IT aud SEE WHAT WORKS BEST:

MAYBE ITS BETTE? ONE FRAME APVANCED, MAYBETWO, MAYBE 3 oR4. MAYBE ITS BEST LEVEL,

(UTS NEVER BETTER LATE.) 272

yee:

ANTICIPATION

IS THERE ANYBODY WHO DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THIS GWS GOING TO Do?

“the GREAT ANIMATOR, BILL TYTLA SAID,

"THERE AE ONLY 3 THINGS IN ANIMATION /

ANTICIPATION

2

ACTION

3

REACTION

AND THESE IMPLY the REST.

LEARN TO DO THESE THINGS WELL and YOU CAN ANIMATE WELL.”

CHARLIE CHAPLIN SAID, | TELL‘EM WHAT YouRE GOING TO Do. 2 3

POTT. TALL ‘EM THAT YOUVE DONE IT.

273

The GREAT FRENCH MIME, MARCEL MARCEAU SAYS,

| “WSE BIG ANTICIPATION? )

WHYS

RECAUSE IT COMMUNICATES WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. The AUDIENCE SEES

WHATIS GOING To HAPPEN -

:

THEY Séethe ANTICIPATION

Bud SO THEY ANTICIPATE IT WITH US, THEY Go WITH US.

WHYS

BECAUSE FOR ALMOST EVERY ACTION WE MAKE THERE IS AN ANTICIPATICN WE THINK OF THINGS FIRST —THEN DO THEM.

UNLESS ITS A PRE-PROGRAMMED RESPONSE LIKE SH FING GEARS ON A CAR OR GETTING

DRESSED WE KNOW THAT WE THINK OF SOMETHING FIRST -THEN Do IT. AS WITH SPEECH, WE KNOW THAT Ole BRAIN FIXES UPON The SENSE OF WHAT IT WANTS TO SAY -THEN GOES INTO A VERY COMPLEX SERIES OF MUSCLE SELECTIONS TO SAY IT. SO,

ANTICIPATION IS The FREFARATION

FOR AN ACTION. ( WHICH ANTICIPATION TAKES PLACE IN ALMCST EVERY ACTIONnd

WE ALL RECOGNISE WHEN )

eee

CERTAINLY IN EVERY BIG ACTION.

{

, IN AN/MATION : aa

ne oe |

{}

4) f i

:

ANTICIPATES

ACTION = GONE

REACTION

= VIBRATES 2ud SETTLES.

he ANTICIPATION |S ALWAYS IN fhe. OPPOSITE DiRECnON TO WHERE the MAIN ACT ON

ANTICIPATES

ACTION = GONE

IS GOING TO GO.

REACTION

= FLOPS

ANY ACTION IS STRENGTHENED BY BEING PRECEEDED BV Irs Opposite, 274

| OFCougse

ee

\TEiMMAT

F

ee

IF ACTION

(S INThe WHOLE BOPY

THEN WE HAVE ANTICIPATION OF TREMENDOUS LATENT FORCE.

USUALLY MMe ANTICIPATION IS SLOWER - LESS VIOLENT THAN he ACTION SLOW ANTICIPATION, ..-, Z/P! = FAST ACTION

Hips

FlestWA

is UNLESS SHES ATHLETIC -O% A SMALLCHILD

;

STARTS SLOW WIND UP

A RUNNER

;

“THEN PLITS Tle COPY INTE IT FOR

WILL GO BACK BEFORE

The THROW

WILL. THROW WITHOUT

soap Bie ik tae

OF COURSE, WITH A ‘CARTOON’ CARTON a a

\

ay

ee

NX

@ DPD

SEES

noe q

ZB ,

==

SOMETHING

ANTICIFATION

ANTICIPATES HIS EXIT

NO

PRAWINGS GOING Cur — HES JUST GONE.

HAPPENS

WITH SMALLER. 2d UNDERSIATED MOVEMENTS. GETTING UP FCM A CHAIR, WE GO.BACK BEFORE WEGO FORWARD av) DOWN

ANTICIPATEE BACK

TO Go FORWARD

SOMECNE MAKING A POINT-

WEAK ANTICIPATE

2

:

os

el rm

Rees

ate

ee

: PA

LINGER

3

NO, A ((

FEATHERS

AS

GOES FOR WARD

BEFORE WE GO UP.

up

and POWN TO GO

NOW, MAKING The ACTION STRONGER -

Om As |

Se [>

aud WEAK POINT

PREPARING

BoDY BACK SLIGHTLY

— BORY Foe@WARp

|

GOING BACK FIRST IN The OPPOSITE PIRECTION MAGNIFI ES We CESULT

TAKE A SIMPLE THING “Like STARTING A WALKITS UNNATURAL TO START A WALK WITH the FARTHEST Foot

FROM “the PIRECTION WE'RE GOING.

The OBVIOUS WAY TO GOTe HIS LEFT (S TO START WaH

/

HIS. LEFT FOOT:

\

WRONG

276

START le. WALK W(TH The Foot NEAREST TO

= WHE He's GOING -

i

ee

Bur HE COULD ANTICIPATE

the WALK WITH HIS RIGHT FOOT

LIKE THIS HIS RIGHT FooT COULD BACK UP

-

i

AS AN

ANTICIPATE -

ae

(Ce ALTERNATIVELY H(S WALK BY BACKING uP WITH HIS LEFT Foor IN ORDER TO

( J =)

HE COULD

ANTICIPATE

FREE

HIS RIGHT FocT Te STEP OVER.

A BALLET PLIE IS AN ANTICAPATION BEFORE JUMPING UP IN The Alle TO Do AN ENTRECHAT = WIGGLING FEET

iN ANIMATION ;

| PoA FIGURED,

DOWN

BEFORE WE GO

uP

A MAN ON A P/VING BOARD ~NTICh PATS

oe

0

O

O ei

O

— Staer WITHWiCRST/LEG

Feer Coup

ANTICIPATE

Pe ARCH ie

ron rs AGAIN )

277

WITH SMALLER ACTIONS — TAKE A HAND

WRITING -

ITS PERFECTLY CLEAR WHATS HAPPENING—

OR WE CAN USE FLAMBOYANT “THEATRICAL GESTURES AS ANTICIPATION . SAY A SHOWBIZ WOMAN IS GOING TO Put HER HAND ON HER HIP (is A FIGURE 8)

ANTICIPATION IS A MAGICIANS STOCK IN TRADE -

IF SOMEONES GOING TO HIT SOMEONE HE WOULD ANTICIPATE BACK BEFORE SWINGING

The ANTICIPATION TELLS US EXACTLY WHATR GOING TO HAPPEN.

FORWARD.

THe “HiT”Was US LALLY

HELD foe

4+ FRAMES,

GIeIM NATWICK SAID, “AT DISNEYS | LEARNED

HOW

DELIVEe A PUNCH FROM ART BABBITT-

ART SAID, DON'T EVER SHOW the HAND HITTING The CHIN. SHOW ‘the HAND AFTER

ITS PAST fue CHIN ud Toe CHIN HAS MOVED OuT OF PLACE!”

WE LEAVE OUT

TODAY WE JUST SHOW the RESULT

the CONTACT aud SHOW “the HAND

THERE |S

PAST tte

NO FOINT

HiTTING

OF CONTACT.

PONT

= [O TIMES “the iMPACT.

KEN HARRIS TOLD ME THIS IS WHAT THEY DIDIN CLD WESTERN FILMS. THEY WOULD EDITOUT Me ‘POINT OF CONTACT “FRAMES TO JUST SHOW The RESULT OF The HIT aad PUTA BIG BANS ON IT:

SO, WE PUT tacSOUND HiT WHEN The FIST1SPAST The FACE — WHEN fhe CHARACTER IS DISLODGED , ud the ARM SWINGS THROUGH, WE GET fhe IMPACT, The STRENGTH FI@OM qlee, DISPLACEMENT:

AGAIN, : The ANTICIPATION (S- WE PREPARE FoR-The ACTION. WE BROADCAST WHAT WE'RE GOING Te Do “fhe ONLY TROUBLE WITH ANTICIPATIONS IS THAT THEY CAN BE CORNY.

fhe AUDIENCE GOFS,"AW SURE, |KNOW, | SEE, NOW YOURE GONGT DO THIS ur BORING: SO THEN The GREAT THING (S$ TO DO SOMETHING

DIFFERENTA

ISEWHICH CAN BE VERY FUNNY(OR SHOCKING.) JUST PONT DO WHATS SURPR EXPECTED. 280

Z

WE COULD SAY THAT AN ANTICIPATION 1S AN EXPECTATION OF WHAT WILL OCCUR. THE AUBIENCE EXPECTS SOMETHING TO HAPPEN BEFORE IT ACTUALLY HAPPENS.

A SURPRISE GAG WORKS WHEN The AUDIENCE READS The EXPECTATION auc) EXPECTS A CBRTAIN THING TC HAPPEN

2u0 THEN SOMETHING

QUITE DIFFERENT

HAPPENS ~

The INHALE (Ss Me

ANTICIPATION

INHALE = ANTICIPATION

ACTION

INHALE = MORE AN TIC /PATION

MORE ACTION

me =Fhug

Aa

Moke ;NHALE =MORE ANTICIPATION

iad

FEACTION Oe RESULT

MORE REACTION

YET MORE REACTION.

281

(Supetse AwrciParons RISE

é

ANT( Ci PATE

WAIT

FoR

o:

STRONGER

ANTICIPATE

iT -

"ap ~

ANTICIPATE

PesuLr

ANTICi PIE

——

ANT(CéPATE REACTION

ANTICIPATE

ACTION

Ll}

MMMM

LLL LLL LIT

-y

f,

282

o

( INVISIBLE ANTICIPATIONS.

}

A WAY TO GET SWAP’ WHICH ANIMATORS: ARE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT IS THIS: SAY A CHARACTER SEBS SOMETHING MILDLY GURPRISING aud) LOOKS UP SLIGHTLY-

2) Sx IFRAME

«| FRAME

ey

WE Put INA VERY FAST ANTICIPATION - A DRAWINGOR TWO IN Tle OPPOSITE DIRECTION

FROM WHERE We WANT 10 GO. ITS TOO FAST FoR the BYE To SEE IT — 18 JuSt FoR, ONE 02 TWO FRAMES — ITS INVISIBLE TO He EVE BUT WE FEEL IT. THIS GIVES IT The SNAP SAY A SOCCER

GOALIE

IS GOING

TO STOP A BALL WH A CIRCULAR FOOT FLOURISH -

/

oe ANTICIPATION Wid EE ANT

THEN —¥ MOVES IN OPPOSITE

DIRECTION

THIS DEVICEGIVER AN EXTRA PUNCH To AN ACTION BY INVISIBLY ANTICIPATING ANY ACTION. ITS The SAME THING AS A ‘WATURAL’ ANTICIPATION —

JUST GO he OPPOSITE WAY FIRST—

BUT ONLY FOR ONE, TWO OR THREE FIRAMES. A BASEBALL PLAYER HAVING CAUGHT A BALL COULD ANTICIPATE Me ANTICIPATION OF HIS THROW FoR JUST 2. FRAMES

-

ANTIC.. FORWARD FOR 2 FRAMES - NOW

GO BACK INTO (he. NORMAL’ ANTICIPATION -

CONCLUSION : WHENEVER

POSSIBLE WE TRY TO FIND AN ANTICIPATION (oRanriciPAro) BEFORE Te ACTION.

BILL TYTLA SAID, &

AND So

\

" BE SIMPLE. BE DIRECT. BE CLEAR. \ BE VERY SIMPLE. MAKE A STATEMENTaud FINISH IT- SIMPLY. 7

| WE ANTICIPATE the ACTION 2 DO IT 3 dud SHOW WEVE DONE IT.

ANTICIPATION LEADS ON NATURALLY RIGHT INTO ‘TAKES aud ACCENTS’ ee 284

TAKES AND ACCENTS A “TAKE IS AN ANTICIPATION OF AN ACCENT WHICH THEN SETTLES. ACCENT

OF eg

A) Y

2 ] \

— SEES SOMETHING

SURPRISING -

:

a

Va GOES DOWN

GogS up

AS

SETTLES

THIS IS The BASIC PATTERN OF A CARTOON ‘TAKE. HERE FOLLOWS A BUNCH OF FORMULAS aud VARIATIONS ON HOLLYwaoD TAXES WORKED OUT IN The [Y2OS dud 40%.....

285

SUT WHILE WERE AT IT, WE COULD STRENGTHEN OUR BASIC TAKE BY APDING iN

A SLIGHT UP ANTICIPATION OF the DOWN ANTICIPATON AS HE TAKES A CLOSER Lock— 4 SHORT ene

ACCENT

Y 4 C2)

SEES E é\

ANTICIPATE

a

4y,

W

SUGEHT uP

\W

TO ANTICIPATE the ANTIC{PATION DOWN

GOES DOWN

HERES A FORMULA FOR AN ORDINARY SiRAIGHT UP oud DOWN TAKE (ASK | ract 7%Sc:) (THsis DISNEY-TYe TIMING )

, Q

We Mf

f

6

A

coe

ates

SS

/

See

i

ae nee

We

POWNTOMIG

cH C

(3s

———_——

aes

ey

Zieh

EG

7

UP ON ONES

/

POWN ONES |_y j 14

(i 8

9

See

SIMILARLY-

f

FoR spe, THEN ITS ALi

oS

DOWN ON TWOS

/

«(§ ONLY THERE

iP

a

On ety" We osimen READ

yyZi

ae)

See

THEACCENT."S

OB

10

Ne

eee:

DOWN ON TWOS

:

6 ISH

Here's the SAME THING KUT WITH (1A FRAMES = :) SEC WARNER SHORTS -TYPE TIMINGAa- [JustST OVER,SE ;

)

on

ip

AGAIN, The ACCENT

FELT OMY Feb ke g's(S ONLY

/()A f

EN ROUTE )

DOWN To* (4.

os.

WA

ex

oA

8qg10

Sat 7738

|

tl

(2134

PGWN ON ONES

ee Lf

)

/ yy

ity _ Vr

Down

/

AS

ontwos ++} }-

Bc

7708

89 10

it.

726

|p -}—+—+-4

1¢

DOWN ON ONES

SAME THING WATH The BODY-BuT ALL ONTWOS .

(TAKES ONE Foot =7% SEC.)

We CAN EXAGGERATE EVERYTHING AS MUCH AS WE LIKE IN The DRAWING BuT THESE ARE STANDARD TIMINGS.

287

AGAIN fe ACCENT?9

HERES A SIMILAR ONE-

IS FELT - LIKEAN ELECTRIC

The CHARTS ARE The SAME AS the MOUSE - ALL ON TWOS -

SHOCK aud ITS ALREADY ON ITS WAY To#(7

a1

TSolSeal

sh

es ee iesoe THESE ARE SOLID WORKING FORMULAS - BUT WE CAN START BEING MORE INVENTIVE —

LER TAKE ONE THAT LASTS JUST OVER A FOOT (19 FRAMES) aud. MOUTH

If GO UP ON ONES 288

[3% (6 (7 [9

DOWN ON TWOS —

NOW LETS MAKE IT KIND OF ‘ ADOUBLE TAKE. .

The HEAD POP SHAPE, EYES

WELL KEEP the SAME CHARTS BUT PRAGThe- HEAD

dud MOUTH

FROM SIDE 10 S(DE ad KEEP IT ‘SQUASHED’

ON ITS WAY UP To *I/.

ONF II

1O

iF

or er

!

DOWN ON TWOS

4) | _|____

GOWG UP ON ONES ————>

/3 a

if

een ess

aud BACK DOWN ON TWOS

MAY 6E (TS

CLEARER SHOWING IT

THIS WAY —

Ho

YAS TFRRIBLY DISTORTED FICAMES.

12 15,719

WE SHOULDNT BE AFRAID OF DISTORTION IN the INTERIOR. OF AN ACTIONONLY SEE the STARToad END POSITIONS. REALLY WE BUT STRANGE, LOOK MAY IMAGES CR OUR DRAWINGS WE FEEL

he DISTORTION WITHIN aud THATS WHAT COUNTS.

THERE IS WILD DISTORTION aud LEAN IN LIVE ACTION aud WE CAN GO FURTHER— GOING

ANTIC.

DOWN

the BELY

INTO AN ANTICIPATION

GOES DOWN AS The LEGs

YOUD EXPECT THIS ~

BEND -

BUT LER DELAY-the STOMACH AREA

FOR JUST 2 FRAMES OR 2 FRAMES OR 4 FRAMES YP AS HE

BALY

the STOMACH GOES DOWN

STAYS Pur-

GIVING INTERNAL STRETCH

aud COMPRESSICN .

the HEAD COULDGO UP AS the LECSGO DOWN WHICH

IS AN

ANTICIPATION

OF

AFTER The HEAD ad BODY HAVE SETTLED the ARMS COULD MOVE INTO

A POSITION Te TAKE The CLiIRSE OFF the HOLD.

AN ANTICIPATIN -

HEAD LEADS -

ALL ELSE

ANTic.-

FOLLOWS

QQ

THIS IS HOW TEx AVERY DID HIS WILD, CRAZY TAKES—EXTENDING ON A SERIES OF COMPOUND ACTIONSDELAYING BITS, OFTEN JUST 2 FRAMES APART —A SERIES OFACTIONS=,CUMULATIVE RESULT 290

ART BARBITT HAD A GREAT EMBELLISHING DEVICE FORTheHANDS AT The END OF ATAKE LOTS OF AN/MATORS

WHICH

UTILISED-

AFTER The TAKE, WHERE HES COMING BACK 7 NORMAL (IF WE HAVE the TIME Foe) HAVE the ARMS MAKE AN ELARORATE FLURRY -ON ONES. -VERY FAST.

THEY CAN MAKE

The ARMS EACH SWING AROUND

A FIGURE 8

IN A CIRCLE COUNTERING EACH OTHER.

AS LONG AS THEY COUNTER FACH OTHER.

The LEFT ARM DOES the SAME AS The RIGHT - BUT STARTS LATER

J

aud COUNTERS IT:

ud

ITs A

e

OPPORTUNITY

=

To BREAK he

KY

@)

2

HIS

LEFT ARM IS 4 PELAYEP WHILE HIS RIGHT ARM 1S UP a

ANOTHER LITTLE REFINEMENT- “The ARM CoLiLD KEEP KNCCKING HIS HAT OFF aud ON AGAINKIND OF CHAPLINES QUE...

1

OTH] Comes =

:

wd KNOCKS

7

“The HAT The .

WED NEED A MINIMUM OF |2 FRAMES FOR THIS STUFF -

OTHER WAY -— OR-PUTS IT

V/

nq

BACK ON.

HIS FEET COULD PEDAL IN THC AIR -

- ENDLESS VARIATIONS-

291

ITS A GCOD IDEA TO LOOK FOR AN EXTRA ‘BREAKDOWN ‘i 2117 LETS SAY A MAN SEES SOMETHING OUTRAGEOUS oad YeLLS “WwHAAAA AAT?! LOOKS ——

i

i

fe a

uP ae

POWN

FoRhe ANTIC.

Ae

\ f }

END POSITION

.

VW.

Oe) zi

3

THIS WILL DO The JOB OK - BuT LETS LCOK FOR ANOTHER BREAKDOWN - ANCTHER POSITION THAT WILL STRENGTHEN (T auc GIVE LIS MORE ‘CHANGE - MORE VITALITY: FCOKS

ACCENT

H( ACT

SO WE LCOK foR WHATEVER CAN GIVE US MORE CHANGE OF SHAPE WHHIN Thre ACTION Lets Put iN ANOTHER ONE. HAVE HiM LOOK UP BEFORE The POWA ANTICIPATION.

AGAIN, WE ANTICIPATE “fe, ANTICIPATION — LCOKS CLOCRR

MAYBE WEIE IN DANGER OF CVERANIMATING ~ OF GILPING-Ike LILY HERE - Bur ITS ALWAYS WORTH SEEING | THERES ANCTHE2 MOMENTARY POSITION POSSIBLE TO

CREATE MORE CONTRAST- MORE CHANGE WITHIN. (ASKIN, THERES NOTHING LIKE TRY INSiT.)

292

|

HAVING TOO MUCH ANTICIPATION CAN BE CORNY SOMETIMES aud CRAZY TAKES UNNECESSARY.

JUSTTO CONTRADICT ALL THIS WILD, UP DOWN @ud AROUND ACTION, ONE OF He STRONG EST TAKES I'VE EVER SEEN WAS IN A FILM WITH BASIL RATHBONE AS the VILLAIN.

HES SMACK IN the MIDDLE OFThe CINEMASCOPE SCREEN dudHES BENG GIVEN INFORMATION BY AN AIDE WHICH SHOCKS HIM.

THERES LOTS OFACTION BEHIND HIM ond AROUND HIM WHICH COULD DEFLECT OR ATTENTION, YET HIS TAKE JUMPS RIGHT OUT AT YOu. HE HARDLY MOVES ANY DISTAACE AT ALL, YET

YOU REALLY See |T! THERES NO ANTICIPATION DOWN 20 NO STRETCHED ACCENT, PART OF THE REASON We SFE IT |S BECAUSE HHS HEAD IS FROZEN IN The MIDDLE OF The SCREEN-

(The ‘SACRED’ CENTPAL OVAL.) HIS HEAD MAKES A SHORT, SHARP MOVE UP THEN CUSHIONS BACKABIT Te HEAD GOES UP 107A (theAccent) IN 3 Francs! -THEN CUSHIONS BACK TO™11 iw A VIETUAL HOLD. THE TAKE, THEN, IS 3 FRAVES LONG WITHA

CUSHION BACK.

*

H(1) RAD

: :

by

e,

2

m1 evr’ ACCENT

2

) the SPACING 1S 4 CUSHION BAC 4

LISTENING...

ai Sue gq

10

56, |F WE DEFINEA TAKE AS A STRONG MOVEMENT TO SHOW SURPRISE OR REACTION, He'S SUCCEEDED WiTHCuT ALL CUR ANIMATION DEVICES, HOWB/ER USEFUL THEY ARE TO US,

LIFE DOESNT FOLLOW OUR CONVENIENT ANIMATION FORMULAS. (JUST STUDY ANYLIVE ACTION.) GETING ACCENTS RIGHT WAS The THING THAT GAVE ME-the MOST TROUBLE IN AN/MATING.

| REALLY HAD TO WORK AT IT—IF (TWAS A SOFT ACCENT WITH A HEAD OR A BODY-OR.

|

A SHARP HARP ACCENT OF A HAND

Me cirome im oe

=

- PLUS HOW LONG

TO READ?

6 FMS

> Gm=s |SEC.

NT TIMES IN A SECOND = 4 ACCENTS. TRY To POI4 ITS PREY HARD To Do. + STATIC HOLDS OF 6 FRAMES EACH - AND HOW DO YOU GET FROM ONE TO The CTHER? ANYWAY, IVE FOUND THAT

YOU NEED AT LEAST GFRAMER TO EAD ANY ACCENT

-

.

4

OR FINGER.

|

SS FMS

SO

:

en

TEX AVERY SAYS ITS S FRAMES. YOU NEED A MINIMUM OF & FRAMES TO READ A HOLD. TEXS STUFF WENT SO FAST THAT | GUESS IT WORKS AS ENOUGH OF

~—A PAUSE IN The CONTEXT OF ALL THAT SPEED. 293

FINALLY | CAUGHT ON- AS USUAL, The SECRET IS KIND OF S/MPLE!

ITS JUST

GETTING oe DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN A HARD ACCENT aud A SOFT ACCENT.

A

-— IT BOUNCES

HARD

ACCENT

&PEEDING IN

7 an

RECOILS

ae

A

ae

eee,

Pa

ON

|

IsACK-

TRY aud POINT RALLY HARD awd YOUR FINGER HAS TO

=

ae

BOUNCE BACK, OR GO UP

vee

OR DOWN OR SHAKE A BIT IT WON'T STAY STATIC.

ea

aud A SOFT ACCENT KEEPS ON GOING. SPEEDING IN

A

|

Sen eae PE OOP ig A SE

— y=

|

a

z

a

Ee ON «GEN T he HAND

.

IT SLOWS To A SIOP

Ss en rN ay) ae

oa.

WILL CUSHION AS

WITH A HARD ACCENT —

[= WE HIT AN ANVIL WAH A STEEL HAMMER, the ANVIL IS OBVIOUSLY NOT AFFECTED BY the HAMMER aud WHEN the HAUMER COMES DOWN It BOUNCES BACK.

A

THis BOUNCE BACK

aes

1234

Fel:

FEL ACCENT

§&

ricer

|

f

WE STILL SPEED INTO OUR ACCENT BUT The MOVEMENT CONTINUES . 295

A KARATE FOOT, AFTER SNAPPING OUT, WILL BOUNCE BACK IN A HAD ACCENTTHEN BOUNCES BACK

ARAIER SPEEDING

/

Out INTO The #

‘FELT

ACCENT

eee a,

ee

"!

mid WE PEAD’ 7a

TAKE SOMEONE SHOOTING - DISPLACE ‘the GUN FOR. [MPACT

POP To hz

WE GET the SOuND

BOUNCES BACK TO

i

ORIGINAL

OF The SHOT AS The GUY POPS BACK

W itHOUT ANY INSET WEENS aud THEN SLOWS BACE TO NORMAL . =

POSITION

[M PACT BACK A SOFT AQQENT

| “1D BE

|

HAPPY

TO-

I7

A

.

tos {+++

1 13 15 7 19 21025 —}—-

rar

ACCENT 296

OEHARD."1 THERE CUTIE-

25 [eh]

4 (3579

COULD BE SOFT

ACCENT

ase “WAY CER TaNLy ”

meed

/I reer

THOS H+} Pina ceie

acc, Mer

H-++—J ce, BOUNCE BACK

[But USUALLY HEAD ACCENTS ARE UP

\ See ‘Dialogue!

TIMING, STAGGERS, WAVE AND WHIP WE HAVE The ART THAT CAN PLAY MOST

FREELY WITH TIME.

WE DONT HAVE TO USE NORMAL TIME.

WE CAN EITHER GO Too FAST-To GET SPASTIC.

HUMOUR ad FRANTIC ACTIV/TY- OR GO TOO SLOW

aud GET BEAUTY aud DIGNITY.

YEARS AGO A SCIENTIST FRIEND OF MINE SHOWED ME FILM HE MADE ABOUND The

WORLD OF MEN aud ANIMALS — NONE OF IT SHOT AT NORMAL SPEED. INTENTIONALLY FILMED TOO FAST OR TOO SLOW.

HE HAD ELEPHANTS

IT WAS ALL RUNNING

LIKE MICE aud VICE VERSA, PEOPLE IN RELIGIOUS RITUALS RACING AROUND AS IF

PLAYING TAG, PEOPLE KISSING IN SLOW MOTION, ETC. AFTER AN HOUR OF THIS YOUR MIND TURNED INSIDE OUT— GIVING A KIND OF GOBS EYE VIEW OF LIFE ond ACTION. THERE WAS A SHOT OF A TRAMP ON A PARK BENCH PUTTING A MATCHRTICK IN HIS EAR-

IT WAS FILMED SLIGHTLY IN SLOW MOTION, SO OR 32 FRAMES A SECOND. AS HE

FIPDLED WITH The MATCHSTICK You SAW LITTLE RIPPLING MUSCLES OF PLEASURE SPREAD ACROSS HIS FACE WHICH YOU WOULD NEVER SEE AT NORMAL SPEED.

STRANGE , BUT COMPULSIVE VIEWING.

SINCE THEN I'VE ALWAYS TRIED To AVOID NORMAL TIMING,

/ ALWAYS TRY TO GO

JUST A LITTLE Too FAST aud THEN SWITCH To GOING JUST A LITTLE Too SLOW —

COMBINE IT. GO FOR the CHANGE, The CONTRAST.

The SLOW AGAINST The FART.

KEEP SWITCHING BACK 2ud FORTH. ITS HARD To DereOCT But MAKES COMPULSIVE VIEWING.

_ STAGGER. TIMINGS THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS To STAGGER DRAWINGS BACK ond FORTH To CAUSE THINGS

TO SHAKE OR VIBRATE, TO MAKE HANDS TREMGLE OR HELP WITH LAUGHING OR CRYING. WE MAKE A SERIES OF DRAWINGS OF NORMAL ACTION and INTERLEAVE THEM BACK aud FORTH

IN DIFFERENT WAYS TO MAKE THEM SHUDDER

md SHAKE. 297

THE SIMPLERT FORM

OF SIAGGER VIBRATION (§ THIS -

SAV WE WANT

A LEAF ON ATREE IN The WIND---

#1 oud #9 ARE The 2 EXTREMES 2ud WE JUST MAKE 7 EQUAL INGETWENS THEN WHEN WE EXRSE

2

- WE SKIP ONE audGO

9—L-

INSTEAD OF the USUAL-

“eT an

COME BACK efe.—-

a mee

[TON OUR X- SHEETS

FORWARD 2nd THEN = —S— es We:

LL q

AND WE'RE NOT LiMiTED

/

TO JUST THAT, FOR VARIETY Z. HOLD SOME FoR 2 ORS FEAMES 24d OTHERS FORONE, 2 —— = EXPOSUREERRATIC AN ITS

VIBEATIONS MISO eevee — ss ee

Ss

IT DEFENDS HOW VIOLENT

WE WANT IT TO BE.

ae g

a eee

ro}

s

|

34 5 ours q

OF SKIP”

ae

AROUND

_S__

EFFECT

——

FOR AMOE = VIOLENT =—=

as

Soe

9

a

g aa

Sy ca a

ae

ee |} ANY COMBINATION CAN WORK.

ee

a

42

THIS. IS The PRINCIPLE OF STAGGERED EXPOSURE

AA

ANOTHER WAY-

J

TAKE A DIVING BOARD VIBRATING AFTER The DIVERS LET IT—

We MAKE “7 md 17 17

>

16 Sse (1S

wis

[4 S

. 2 Zz wi.

/1

38

It SURPRISING HOW MUCH YOU

1O

AND WHEN iT SLOWS To A STOP

yey

CAN REPEAT EACH END #1 ToH7 ee, 298

OF COURSE WECAN MAKE

MORE FLEXIBLE PASSING POSITIONS WITHIN The EXTREMES

5

B

A

Bur |7

e

WILLE WORK WELL

a

EITHER WAY.

THESE ARE The VIRRATIONS MOST

AER:

=

IT ie ae

Be NEAK CK 3) enn nee ae FORTH’ VIBRATION.

CR SHIVERING WHH COLD:

THIS CAN BE USED FOR LAUGHTER OR CRYING:

SIMPLY BECAUSE Tle HEAD EXTIEMES ARE

CLOSE TOGETHER 20d The KNEES FAR APART WE GET A VARIETY OF SPACING IN Te ACTION.

THE ONLY PROBLEM

WITH THIS METHOD IS THAT IT TENDS TO BE A BIT MECHANICAL-

WE COULD BREAK IT UP BY POING MORE INTERESTING PASSING POSITIONS WITHIN IT.

But The REALLY GREAT METHOD |S The ONE DEVELOPED BY NORMAN FERGUSON AT DISNEVS. KEN HARRIS SHOWED IT TO ME aud KEN GoT IT FROM SHAMUS CULHANE WHO GOT IT FROM

FOR LACK OF ANAME, IM CALLING IT

FERGUSON.

( fhe SIDE 10 SIDE VIBRATION FORMULA

)

aoe SAY WE WANTED % HAVE A HEAP WOBBLE FROM S|DE TO SIDE 17 |

WE MAKE A SERIES OF DRAWINGS FROM

ip SAY, 32-

1

AND WE GET VING-

2

S

ACT oh. ora

gy

a INTERLFAVED-

=

JUST SLIGHTLY OFFSET

2

TRACING OF#) aud #33

A SIDETO SIDE

WOBBLE BY

THEN WE MAKE A CAREFUL

=

wdNe aeseNewSARIS [A TO

33A

ex.

GOING UP The OTHER SIDE.

[NTERLEAVING TWO SERIES CF DRAWINGS GIVES US ALL KINDS OF POSSIBILITIES FOR VIBRATING ACTION.

299

KEN HARRIS ANIMATED A SCENE WHERE “the CHARACTER HAD AN" EARTHQUAKE” VIBRATION

GOING UP HIS BODY FROM HIS TOES, TO HIS LEGS, ave) HIS BACK,

USING THIS SYSTEM

IT WORKS LIKE THIS -

SERIES es!

3

IN TERLEAVED

WITH SERIES

IA to 9A

okKs

OnTwos >

OF

ONES

SAY WE WANT AN ARM RAISING IN TRIUMPH OR IN RAGE, VIBRATING

AS IT GOES UR-

Ce

LA

PED

(AND OF COURSE WE CAN BE MORE INVENTIVE WITH OUR PASSING. POSITIONSsndBREAKDOWNS. WITHIN tsACTON SERIES A

SO, BASICALLY ITS JUST TWO SERIES OF DRAWINGS LONE SEPARATELY aud INTERLEAVED WITH EACH OTHER — GIVING ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES OF WOB BLES, JUDDERS, QUIVERS 00d SHAKES.

300

WHIP ACTION

the HAND ON G IS GOoInG

BACK UP -oR Dor

sede

E FRAMthe | RE HERE geFO 4 Og 1M

HAND DRIVES WHIP RORWARD

EnPACT

SNAP ONLY PORONE FRAME

y's

PLACE the SOUND ONE FRAME

5.

AFTER The SNAR

WAYEACTION

ARR

LATER.

aas

oe E

Abel

RELAXES OW the NEXT FLAME AFTER the SNAP

}

SAME KIND OF THING AS the WHIP Bur WitHOUT The SNAP ACOENT. KEN HARRIS USED THS EXAMPLE: A MAN SWINGING ON A ROPE -

—\

ALTHOUGH

ANP OF COURS Ie oy (

AT EACH END.

/ ;

IN REAHTY fie ROPE WOULD

BEPULLED SIRAKGHT EY the WEIGHT OF the MAN-

GOING

OVER

aN

:

Ss

GE

4

7 eee

ud COMING BACK.

301

Heed the WHIP ACTION APPLIED TO A WOMAN BATTING HER EYES - (EXAGGERATED)

> fe HELPING US OUT ON The LAST 2 MONTHS OF \4 CHRISTMAS CAROL’ ABE LEVITOW ANIMATED A WONDERFUL

LirrLe LAUGH ON TINY TIM. AT DINNER: ARE aud | WERE DEMOLISHING the WINE avd | EATILED

ON ABCUT HIS WORK ow) The GREAT LAUGH HED JUST DONE, ABE SAID,“WELL,|M AWFULLY GLAD

THAT YEARS AGO KEN HARIIS SHOWED ME THAT WHIP PRINCIPLE AS A PATTERN foe ALAUGH. 10the STUDIO ad ABE SCAIBRLED SOMETHING "WHAT? SHOWME, SHOW ME! “We STUMBLED BACK LIKE THIS : ? —H4

“wuar?”! BURBLED, “| DONT GET IT. “COME ON, DICK, ITS A WHIP PATTERN OO ALI KET HIS). 207

"THATS WHAT YOu DID ON TINY TIM?” \

YEAH, YOU KNOW, The WHIP ACTION - LIKE THIS... t

%

ARES LAUGH IS ON The NEXT PAGE od) Ii INCLUDING IT TO SHOW Jusr HOW SUBTLY

THESE BASIC THINGS CAN BE USED, The SHOULDERS GO UP and DOWN WHTHIN The LAUGH 20d YOU CANJUST ABOUT