How you can Plan the Timing
Let’s look now on the 4 excessive drawings for this scene, numbers 1, 29, 45 and 61.
| DRAWING 1 |
That is the start drawing, a 12-frame maintain as he hovers over the button he intends to press.
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| DRAWING 29 |
For the appropriate hand, that is clearly the anticipation excessive. The top, in the meantime, has simply eased out of the maintain at 1 and is beginning its flip.
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| DRAWING 45 |
Quantity 45 is probably extra a breakdown sort drawing than an excessive. It merely defines the place the pinnacle and proper hand are at this level of their ahead arcs. But it will be important as a result of it helps to regulate that timing that we’re speaking about.
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| DRAWING 61 |
Quantity 61, right here, just isn’t typical, both, regardless that it’s the final drawing within the scene, as a result of it isn’t a maintain. However there is an ease-in happening with the pinnacle and left arm.
So, in the event you visualize a timing like this, with issues shifting at totally different charges and maybe stopping at totally different instances, how does an animator go about organizing it on paper, in order that an assistant may make sense of it? (Or so that you just, your self, can bear in mind what it was you wished to do?)
Simpler Mentioned than Finished
First, you make your spacing guides. You start that by drawing a line representing the period of the scene between two adjoining extremes, as for instance 1 and 29 right here.
As you see, we now have two guides right here: one for the Proper Arm, the opposite for the Head. Simply look at the decrease one, marked “HEAD” for now. This scene is all on two’s (i.e., two exposures per drawing), so all of the drawing numbers are odd numbers–1,3,5, and so on. If you happen to see even numbers, in all probability one thing is being animated on one’s.
These are the precise guides I drew on my excessive drawing no. 1. They had been achieved for my very own use, and I see at this second that on the HEAD chart, I by no means did write in the #1 on the prime, however faux that it’s there. The opening maintain is 12 frames, so the primary body of motion is body 13: the drawing is given the identical quantity. In case you have already numbered your extremes (and it’s best to have by now, working with a cease watch or metronome), then you realize that it’s essential to place precisely eight drawings someplace alongside this chart.
However simply how do you go about it?
Making a Spacing Information
The next train ought to be informative in case you are not used to doing spacing charts like these.
You start by drawing a vertical line about two inches [5cm] lengthy within the margin of your excessive drawing. Every horizontal mark that you just make alongside this line represents one drawing (assume drawings not frames right here). Your prime and backside marks can have the numbers of the start and ending excessive drawings that you’re timing. Thus, right here you could have 1 on the prime and 29 on the backside.
At this level, your complete timing between these two extremes ought to have already got been labored out: it’s 29 frames, or a little bit greater than 1 1/4 seconds. A look at your publicity sheet tells you that it is advisable to place 8 drawings between drawings 1 and 29. It additionally tells you what the numbers on these 8 drawings will likely be: 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25 and 27.
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| The publicity sheet reveals the variety of drawings and the variety of frames uncovered. It does not comprise details about the timing of the actions inside the drawings. |
What you could have but to work out is how these 8 drawings will likely be spaced out. This data just isn’t in your publicity sheet; it’s only proven within the spacing information which you are actually creating.
What you realize right here is that the pinnacle eases out of its maintain starting with no. 13 after which it maintains a gentle fee all the way in which to 29. In your spacing guides, you’ll want to divide by half wherever attainable, and so you start by dividing the complete distance by half.
Now lets divide every half into half by making two extra horizontal marks.
Be aware that you’re not but making use of numbers to the marks, as a result of you aren’t but positive the place the numbers will fall. However now that you’ve got added three marks, you realize that you’ve got 5 extra so as to add. If you happen to divide every of those 4 areas in half, that can burn up 4 extra of your allotment of 8, for a complete of seven. Thus with just one mark nonetheless to do, you realize that it’s essential to subdivide the primary remaining house to create a small however passable ease out. Now apply the drawing numbers to the suitable marks.
However you realize that the appropriate arm–the one that’s going to press the button–has a unique timing.
Between the identical two extremes as above, you want totally different timing: an ease or cushion at every finish of the batch of extremes. The variety of inbetweens continues to be the same–8, however the spacing is totally different. Right here is that chart on the appropriate, in contrast with the chart for the pinnacle.
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| Head is at left, Hand is at proper. |
Now discover that the midway level on every chart is a totally different drawing. For Head, it’s 21, however for Hand it’s 19. This implies a bit of additional hassle for the inbetweener or assistant.
If you find yourself doing all your inbetweens, you must begin with drawing 21 as midway for the pinnacle and physique, however you do not attract the appropriate arm and hand as a result of the midway drawing for that’s going to be 19, not 21. To accurately observe each timing guides, it’s essential to make partial drawings. One technique to proceed is to do all of the Head drawings with out including any proper Palms. Then you’ll be able to return and add the appropriate arm and hand in keeping with the Hand information, beginning with drawing 19.
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I’m positive that is sophisticated to understand simply by studying about it. The factor to do is to attempt animating one thing with not less than two totally different timing guides utilizing the identical drawings, and you’ll quickly get it. Then while you return and take a look at this description, it ought to all make sense.
I counsel that you just now return to publish No. 169 and play the video just a few instances, watching how the appropriate hand and arm are timed a lot in a different way than the pinnacle and physique.
Timing totally different physique components at various charges is a course of that definitely takes extra work than timing every part the identical (and is little doubt simpler in CGI than in hand-drawn animation!) however the ensuing motion may give your animation the type of depth and richness that’s arduous to beat.
