Animation 101: REACTIONS

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Reactions should be communicated with CLARITY

      Anticipation is the one of the most important animation principles that plays a main

role in bringing life to a character. In general we use the term to express a waiting of the next move. I would like to bring to attention a less talked about term: the 'reaction'. This might not be a technical foundation of animation but it is essential to an entertaining performance. In the 'reaction' of a character is where the personality of a character can show. A well rounded animator must not only learn how to prepare the audience for an action, but also to relieve them with a reaction.  

      Your animated characters reaction to an action that follows an anticipation will let your audience know how to react. You can notice characters in cartoons using extreme anticipation to engage into a powerful action, such as a sudden run, or hitting with an axe, or playing golf. And then contrast the action with a subdued reaction usually drawing laughter from the crowd. Droopy was one such character whos personality was a superb contrast to over exaggerated actions. Exaggeration is a common factor incorporated in anticipation and reaction. The same can be said with underplaying an anticipation and reaction. Being aware of your characters reaction is essential to creating believable performances in animation which is appealing and enchanting to the viewers eye. 

"Danny we already know this!"

Great, then I go move on to my point. CLEAR REACTIONS! A piece of work lives and dies with the viewer. One will notice pieces of art live longer when they are clear. While the viewer quickly grows uninterested with the messier unclear ones. Clear reactions can resonate with your viewer and leave a lasting impression. A good example of clear poses that relate to the viewers are memes. They are universal and easily recognizable no matter how specific the emotion being depicted is. Take a look at a small collection I have gathered here from the internet. You might recognize some of them.

 

 

 

      These are some awesome expressions that have been shared around the internet hundreds of thousands of times. if you are ever in need of a specific expression look no further! Memes are here to save the day! I mean it, I often reference memes if I'm ever in a bind or need inspiration. 

(quick tip: never go look for help from something generally accepted from the art world, Look for things that resonate with thousands of people on the internet. There will be something about it that makes it connect better. Its up to you to figure out what that x-factor is and use it to your advantage!)

Below I found some memes that can maybe be considered anticipation to something the character might say. They are clear and sometimes exaggerated! (such as the table flip ...which I'm afraid I'm guilty of doing here and there) 

   

   

 

This post is a grossly simplified overview of reactions, but I hope it plants a seed so that you can start to see this concept in a new light. I hope you all enjoyed it and I look forward to doing more posts. Continue to draw, continue to learn!

A Note on Using Reference

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Maybe most of you can relate to this story:
         5th grade, and all your classmates know you are the kid that can 'draw'. You have a little sketch book of drawings of Pokemon and other random things you think are cool. You take pride in your drawings and you kinda let yourself feel like: "hell yea, you know what? I CAN draw" Then one day you are put on the spot, someone asks you if you can draw them a Tiger. You try to say you don't draw in front of people but everyone crowds around because they want to see how you draw a tiger. So you try to draw a tiger and the damn drawing ends up looking like freakin kitty cat.

          Why is it that when you are at home laying stomach down and you have a ripped page from a magazine to look at and copy from, you can draw anything! But when you try to draw from your mind and have nothing for reference all your drawing skills disappear?

WHY?
          Well in my opinion: When one hasn't developed a photographic memory, their mind usually defaults to cliches and generic drawing solutions. While developing as artist, free style drawing is usually their weakest area. People like drawings that breath life and remind them of the real thing. Even if the drawing isn't perfectly photo-realistic, if it has enough detail from your reference, people will accept it. This is probably why life/figure drawings or copied drawings usually get a lot of wow's, ooo's, and Ah's. They were drawn from life/something real and they have details in them that regular people wouldn't think of including into a drawing. Even caricatures and portraits are specific enough where the viewer accepts the drawing enough where they start to invent personalities and feelings to associate with the image.

         Every artist uses reference in one way or another. Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Norman Rockwell and even Disney artists! They all use reference. (they actually used live models, they would sketch them and then use their sketches as reference while working on their final painting) But using reference doesn't mean 'to copy', reference is to be used as a starting point and it should always be improved upon.

IMPROVE UPON?
           Here are a few images from the 1950's I found on the internet. You will see the reference in black and white and the finished painting on the right. You can see the photo the artist used for their foundation and if you study it closely you can see the specific changes the artist made in the final piece of art. Use this chance to test your observational skills and see how many changes you can spot between the reference and the final painting. If you want a greater challenge: Try to figure out WHY the artist made each change.

ARMS: The artist chose to switch the girls arms so that the other one held up the sheet.

LEGS: are more vertical up and down than in the photo. Forces the legs to line up with the vertical arm above them. which makes a line that leads you to the face of the girl. And the face in turn, leads your gaze to the mirror. You might think I'm over thinking it but these are just some of the elements that make a drawing stand out from the rest.

LEANING towards the mirror rather than away. 

EYES: in the reflection her eyes were changed to look down to bring focus on the tan line.

MIRROR: shape is changed. A square is too masculine! A circle is a much more 'softer' shape to compliment the female.

HEAD:Turning the head screen right forces a twist in the body/neck that is visually more interesting than having all the main body parts orientated in the same direction.

LEGS: Are tucked in to simplify the silhouette 

ARMS: Are changed so that the object's silhouette do not compete with the woman's silhouette. The box top is brought in closer to the body.
PILLOW: It's a better decision to tuck it in behind her so that she 'leans forward' more towards the viewer 

Very little difference here

         Sometimes the artist will really like their reference and literally copy it. *GASP* ...and it's not a bad thing! *DOUBLE GASP* Your audience will never see your reference so all they know is that these drawings/paintings have come straight out from your imagination. It might feel like cheating but it's not. When all is said and done it is still your work and your decisions that we see. Keep in mind this is not the right and only way to use reference. I urge you to find your own (but similar) process for using reference. Stay away from stiff character designs and generic poses!! 

GREAT LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES 2013

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QUICK SIDE NOTE: I will be teaching an online workshop on visual story telling starting MARCH 19th If you are interested and want to know how to sign up for it click the link :)

     I'm teaching on this site called SKILL SHARE. There's a lot of things being taught on that sight but not much art, so the site reached out to me and I agreed to host a class for 3 weeks. ITs not crazy expensive at all, you pay $15 bucks or less for the class you want and then you're given access to the class online and you get to hear lectures from me and participate on assignments. Its really straight forward and fun.

     So here's the link for those who would like to learn about VISUAL STORYTELLING. I'm sharing everything I've learned since I started to work at Pixar and Disney. It's going to be dense with a lot of juicy info that I won't share on this blog :)  I strongly strongly suggest you check it out. It might actually blow our mind.

LINK to class
link to site

PS. If you email me and say you are interested in the class I can give you a discount, it use to be a 10 dollar discount, I think now I can just get you a 50% discount, which is still a pretty sweat deal!
UPDATE (March 16th): I have gotten more emails than expected so I have asked the owners of the site if they'd let me give out more discounts, and they said yes! So email me if you would like a discount code. it is now available until that day the class strts WHICH IS THE 19th.
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ANIM SQUAD

LINK TO SCHOOL HOMEPAGE

     I have never been more excited over something in a long time than I am over this (Well thats a lie, I was excited the other day over this ginormous burrito that was soooo good!.. but thats besides the point)  

     Theres a new animation school in Los Angeles. Most if not all the teachers are animators at Walt Disney Animation Studios. This is a tremendous opportunity to learn the tricks and skills of animation from real professionals. Not only are you learning from animators who work at the legendary Walt Disney Animation Studios but you are also learning from the traditions and skills of animators that passed on their knowledge from generation to generation. ANIMATION was out on the map by Disney Animation. forget about if they're movies are timeless or flop from time to time because if you are worried about story take a story-telling class! I'm talking about animation! If you want to learn animation the way Glen Keane, Eric Goldberg and Milt Kahl do it, then you go learn from a Disney Animator.

     There are other animation schools out there but this is the first time ever that Disney Animators are coming together for you! They want to teach and to pass on the knowledge and the ways of animation that have been pioneered since the days of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in 1937. This is a priceless opportunity for those in southern california wishing to learn how to animate.


Where is this school Danny?? How can I find out more??
One of the many amazing things about this school is it's location. It's in the heart of hollywood (Hollywood blvd and Highland Ave., Los Angeles, CA.) Whats more inspirational than being where all the movies are made and being in the middle of everything?

HOLLYWOOD CALIFORNIA

What can I expect from this Animation School, will I like it, what's it going to be like??
     You expect top notch quality. Every single one of our teachers is a supervising animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios. So you will be learning from the best. It's not a hassle to get to the school since its right on the red line METRO subway station in los angeles. You can expect a very intimate student teacher experience bc the class sizes are tiny (8 people) You can expect an experience tailored to you. you can bring in work you are already working, or  to improve your portfolio reel, or start from scratch and learn something new. Its up to you! There will be lectures, Demos, critiques, assignments and much much more! so expect awesomeness.

WHO ARE THE TEACHERS DANNY????
Meet them yourself! HERE, these animators a great and I can not think of a more friendlier bunch of people than these four guys. This school is just getting started, expect new teachers rotating in and out! the site will also be updated soon with videos and all sorts of fun things! The four teachers are:

Nathan Engelhardt;
Focus: Expert level students who want to take their work to a professional level and learn to polish like a boss

Adam Greene; Focus: Beginner students that want a running start on beginning their education in animation

Brent Homman: Focus will be those who are struggling in the middle. Past beginner but not quite expert level. 

Michael Franceschi: for those too far to come to LA but still want to learn!

Wait WAIT WAIT!!! Did I just read an ONLINE CLASS will be available Danny?
     I did indeed. There will be ONE class offered as an online class. they will try it out and see how it works. If your in San Francisco or Utah or the butt crack of no where with no animation school insight? THIS IS YOUR CHANCE to get a first class, 101, professional: "This is how to F***ing animate" can of whoop ass and learn something! :)  I'm kidding about the ass kicking. 

The latest these guys have animated on were Disney's Oscar winning Paperman and Oscar nominated Wreck-it Ralph!

 


THE ANIMATION EXPERIENCE continued:
     You show up and bring your laptop (There's nothing like working with something comfortable and familiar. ) All classes will take place at night. Whats around the school besides everything? (music schools, acting schools, stores, restaurants and everything else you could think of. There's lots of energy around! There are all kinds of artist here in hollywood and you'll get to meet a lot of them too! The walk of fame is literally in front of the building. Since all the studios are in LA and around Hollywood, do you know what that means? NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES.


COMPARE AND CONTRAST
-Animation mentor, a lot of students fall through the cracks and dont attain the skills the need to be hired.
-Cal Arts and other schools (except CCA bc that school kicks ass) Who wants to spend 4 years and close to 50,000 bucks?
-Anim Colab is also a good school and just as good as Anim Squad. you can think of the Anim Squad as southern california's answer to Anim Squad.. but its up north where its cold, and they have like.. nature and shit. Who wants to go see a bear when you could see this accross the street from the Anim Squad location in Hollywood, California.

Last word:
     This is a something you will learn from. your mind will be blown. you will improve, you most likely will be at your highest potential artistically by the time you are done with this school. also take my class I'm teaching on skillshare.com here's the link to my class! CLASS

Also if you do take a class at Anim Squad, mention that you heard it from me and something great should happen :)