Minor Update, Software, and Q&A!

What's this post for?

After a particularly reasonable idea given by my boy Jeremy .L, I realized I never went over what sorts of resources I'm using to animate. The purpose of this post is to note this information down for anybody who would want to try animating on their own, as well as give a general idea of where I'm going to be going next in my media-ventures and answer maybe a few questions anybody has for me. If you want to get a question answered, just post a comment down below and I'll get back to you with an answer.

Equipment

Considering that I am not a part of a major animation studio, but more of a basement dweller trying to learn a hobby, the only item that I had to buy was a Wacom tablet in order to draw better. The main program that I am using, Macromedia Flash 8 Professional (Shortened to Macromedia from this point on), had its plugged pulled by Adobe as they improved on their program. Because Macromedia is no longer being supported, you can easily find a free download online, though make sure to avoid malicious sites.

In order to export flash files into Mp4's, I use a program called Swivel created by my good friends at Newgrounds meant specifically to simplify the process. It's just a Mp4 converter which gets the job done quick and easy. Download it here. (Note that it might be blocked by school filters)

• Macromedia Flash 8 Professional
• A Computer*
• Wacom Intuos S**
• Swivel

*Ideally one that can run Crysis on maximum settings

**Note that getting a more expensive drawing tablet is NOT a good idea. Most of the time, the extra features will be useless, as many bundled programs are meant for professional work and are meant for niche areas of animation.

What's Next?

At the time of posting this, the next principle of animation I have go over is staging. Though I might animate a separate clip illustrating the principles I learn, I acknowledge that I also really need to learn how to blend them together and create a coherent film to show my improvement. To do this, I will probably need to spend a lot of time animating outside of just the clips in my posts, but my main problem now is that I need an idea for something to make.

I've thought of a lot of generic plots for a miniature film, but none of them seem very good. I've gone around in my head searching every drawer I can find, but I keep coming up with trash like "'The Matrix, but with stickfigures" or, "Lord of the Rings, but with stickfigures".

I think I have a problem with not being able to draw anything other than stickfigures.

But regardless, any idea would help right now. Even though I shouldn't be asking other people for help since this is MY project, I've come up with nothing. Even the smallest plot could inspire me to animate something, but now the question is what will that plot be? Please post below if you have any ideas, even the most generic or weird ones, since I don't want to look lonely and depressing if this doesn't end up getting any comments.

Anticipation

Principle 2: Anticipation

I just want to say beforehand that I'm really proud of this clip. I experimented using tweens and direction lines to make the scene more cinematic, which helps emphasize the anticipation. I also wanted to also make the clip longer, but it would have taken too much time to animate.

What is Anticipation?

Imagine somebody jumping, but they do not crouch before they leap. Where is there momentum coming from? Anticipation is the bridge between actions and movements, and is vital in making animation seem deliberate and powerful. Small amounts of anticipation can be used to hint at what will happen next, such as a character closing his eyes before being hit in the face, or they can be as dramatic as pulling back a fist before punching.

*Not by me

Generally, good anticipation allows somebody to know what will happen next, even if they do not see the conclusion of the action. As an aside, it should be mentioned that in the earlier days of animated cinema, movement and actions in animation were far too abrupt, and actions or movements would often go unnoticed. This lead to viewers not understanding what was going on; Where did Mickey get the sandwich? Why is Minnie angry? As a solution to this problem, Walt Disney invented a new tactic to ensure the audience understood what was going on; "aiming", or what would be later called anticipation. The idea was to exaggerate every action to guarantee that the audience could not miss what was happening. Even if Oswald the rabbit was just taking something out of his pocket, he would look at his pants, throw his arm into the air, then plunge it into his clothing to retrieve whatever he had.

Look at the example below. What action he is about to do is heavily defined by the motions he takes before throwing the ball. The forceful step forward to gain leverage, and the movement of his non-throwing arm emphasize the main motion of the throwing arm.

*Not made by me

"The batter prepares himself with a whole series of anticipatory actions, but the one that gives the clout is the final twist and the step forward as the ball approaches the plate. Without that move the mightiest swing is no more than a bunt." (Thomas, Johnston 53)

What is the application of Anticipation?

Anticipation is mostly a single-target principle, though that does not detract from its importance. Some of the uses of anticipation overlap that of squash and stretch, such as exaggerating movement and facial features or emotions, but anticipation focuses more on the build-up to those movements rather than the action itself.

Personally, I prefer a type of anticipation in animation which I can best describe as "deliberate". Often, you will see animated films skip parts of climatic events with jump cuts and flashes to different perspectives, as it is far cheaper than animating a full visual of whatever is going on. This is most often done during full-body scenes that require hundreds of frames, since it cuts down on production costs by large margins. "Deliberate" animations display the full action rather than cutting corners and robbing the viewer of things like exciting combat sequences that is a mainstay in almost all media. In my attempt to learn animation, I will try and avoid shortcuts, so I can actually learn how to animate full scenes.

In the following video, the sheer scale and weight of every movement is astounding, and it is hard to believe a single person had animated it. Instead of cutting corners in the previously mentioned manner, he took the time to perfect everything and show what is happening.

Shine Time

(Click Above for Video)

*Not made by me

That's all for this time! Sayonara!

Citations

Hurtt, Chris. “Anticipation: The 12 Basic Principles of Animation | Animation Mentor Blog.”                        Animation Mentor Blog, 12 Feb. 2019, blog.animationmentor.com/anticipation-the-12-basic-              principles-of-animation/.

Becker, Alan. “2. Anticipation - 12 Principles of Animation.” YouTube, YouTube, 22 Jan. 2015,                    www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8OtE60T8yU.

Thomas, Frank, and Ollie Johnston. The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation. Disney Editions, 1995.