animation takes a lot of time. i’ve learned the hard way that people don’t always notice the suuuper subtle stuff.

see these tiny pictures? each took me around 40-150 hours to make. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that but also proud? I had to take that time to learn the tools and as an aspiring animator I wanted everything just right. subtle and loop perfectly. that level of perfection is fun but it isn’t a good use of time. I can make more pieces that are more memorable in less time.

the five principles of razzling and dazzling

1. make the motion BIG and clear

here are my favourite animation principles to give characters life.

• Exaggerate movements
• Squash and Stretch for weight and flexibility
• Perfect timing
• Anticipation gives some build up
  
• Secondary action gives more truth to the scene

2. Style

develop a style that is distinct and appealing. Pay attention to character design, colour schemes, composition, and art direction. collect references, scribble rough drawings and look at the principles of design

I really recommend this slideshow for learning about composition. it’s just really great.

3. Story - simple and true

the character wants something. uh oh there is conflict. uh oh, an ironic twist? yay a resolution!

4. Sound

sound effects, music, and voice acting enhance the watching experience. when the sounds sync up with the footage, people are pleased and feel immersed.

5. the missing ingredient

I think there’s something missing from the list. That certain je ne sais quoi that just makes an animation feel special. It’s the sparkle and wonder. I think the movie The Fabelmans was about this (Spielberg’s indulgent movie about growing up and learning the power of film.)

When he popped holes in the film and made it look like the guns were really firing it brought the scene some pizazz. 

when the young actor actually felt emotional during the scene it brought a different kind of pizzazz that comes from emotional honesty. 

sparkles and heart. That’s when filmmaking is actually worth watching. All that stuff on the list above are good but they work together.

so save time ⌛⌛⌛⌛⌛⌛⌛⌛⌛⌛⌛

make more memorable pieces 🖼️🖼️🖼️🖼️🖼️🖼️🖼️🖼️🖼️🖼️🖼️🖼️

and make them sparkle ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨