is it useful to know scientfic consequences of movements
or is should the animator use enitirely artistic intuition?
does any one here use a scientific backround in thier animations?
I have a friend who is writing a book on the important of real world physics to animation. Yes! Of course its important to know the real-world reactions of things. Animation is an exaggeration of real movement, so you have to know what real movement looks like to exaggerate it.
Hey, that's me! Thanks for the book plug, Ryan. I don't know when I'll finish my physics-for-animators textbook, but when I do, it will be really great and everyone will love it and find it endlessly practical! ;-)
As to the usefulness of physics for animation, allow me to quote Walt Disney on the subject:
"A thorough knowledge of a subject is essential in order to caricature it."
He said this in reference to the head of his effects department, Josh Meador, who studied physical phenomena - things like falling rain, splashing water, bubbling mud, etc. - in order to be able to animate them convincingly. What Walt meant is that animators should know and understand how the real world works so they can better portray it onscreen. Not by studying equations and formulae, mind you, but by informed observation of natural phenomena.
you dont really need to know specific mathematical details - all you need todo - as in every animation and drawing book you will ever read is OBSERVE. And Observe a lot - that teaches you how things move and react - when your in town - dont just look at people - watch them.
there are certain physics rules which can actually put life to our characters and they are very important!!!!! but to go exactly by written rules will make your character look like any other character...
fun part is that each animators style of animating is different...if its not disney! these days there are cartoons like south park, pawerpuffgirls and even simpsons where the script is more important than the animation rules of physics...and all of them are wonderful! its up to you which way you want to go... but one can go for such simplistic styles only after knowing the basic physics laws...so everthing is linked and as an animator we do need to know the laws! disney animation is good. have i confused you??? :)
with your trial and error you will create something new so don't worry!
I agree with you, bangbang, but I must reinforce the necessity of science knowledge, not only for animators, but for everyone. As for animatign with correct laws of phisycs, when you know how things really work it's easier to reproduce them, and even to make them differently.
Science fiction for example, starts out of scientific data to achieve phantasy. But the more complex the original science facts are, the more the author can get far from our reality. It's easier to percieve different universes and realities when you know more about this one we got here.
I'd like to finish by adding a little example of a great use of physics knowledge to achieve fun in animation: Koji Morimoto's "Beyond" short from the Animatrix DVD.
i loved this quote:
"I don't know what it takes to be sucessfull, but I know the best way to fail: just try to please everyone."
you are right daniel about the importance of scientific laws in any field including animation because they are the roots of everythting. thats the basic reality from where fiction and fantasy take birth!! and ofcourse all the animation done with the physics rules is easier to reproduce!
i really liked Animatrix! and who can deny that films like finding nemo and monsters inc are wonderful. they are one of my fav. films! i was talking about another possibility of minimalist animation, for which again, you need to know the laws properly!
what do you think about the short animation films as work of art where people experiment with treatments and try to break the rules??? lot of films from Zagreb school are like that. these films looks like an artist's expression...each film is with an original approach to drawing, animation, content...many russian and Croatia animations looks so different and interesting!
I have a friend who is writing a book on the important of real world physics to animation. Yes! Of course its important to know the real-world reactions of things. Animation is an exaggeration of real movement, so you have to know what real movement looks like to exaggerate it.
In fact, here you go!
http://hometown.aol.com/gilruiz1/physics/index.htm
Hey, that's me! Thanks for the book plug, Ryan. I don't know when I'll finish my physics-for-animators textbook, but when I do, it will be really great and everyone will love it and find it endlessly practical! ;-)
As to the usefulness of physics for animation, allow me to quote Walt Disney on the subject:
"A thorough knowledge of a subject is essential in order to caricature it."
He said this in reference to the head of his effects department, Josh Meador, who studied physical phenomena - things like falling rain, splashing water, bubbling mud, etc. - in order to be able to animate them convincingly. What Walt meant is that animators should know and understand how the real world works so they can better portray it onscreen. Not by studying equations and formulae, mind you, but by informed observation of natural phenomena.
Hope that helps!
you dont really need to know specific mathematical details - all you need todo - as in every animation and drawing book you will ever read is OBSERVE. And Observe a lot - that teaches you how things move and react - when your in town - dont just look at people - watch them.
there are certain physics rules which can actually put life to our characters and they are very important!!!!! but to go exactly by written rules will make your character look like any other character...
fun part is that each animators style of animating is different...if its not disney! these days there are cartoons like south park, pawerpuffgirls and even simpsons where the script is more important than the animation rules of physics...and all of them are wonderful! its up to you which way you want to go... but one can go for such simplistic styles only after knowing the basic physics laws...so everthing is linked and as an animator we do need to know the laws! disney animation is good. have i confused you??? :)
with your trial and error you will create something new so don't worry!
I agree with you, bangbang, but I must reinforce the necessity of science knowledge, not only for animators, but for everyone. As for animatign with correct laws of phisycs, when you know how things really work it's easier to reproduce them, and even to make them differently.
Science fiction for example, starts out of scientific data to achieve phantasy. But the more complex the original science facts are, the more the author can get far from our reality. It's easier to percieve different universes and realities when you know more about this one we got here.
I'd like to finish by adding a little example of a great use of physics knowledge to achieve fun in animation: Koji Morimoto's "Beyond" short from the Animatrix DVD.
danielpoeira.org
That was by far my favorite bit of animation from the Animatrix series.
i loved this quote:
"I don't know what it takes to be sucessfull, but I know the best way to fail: just try to please everyone."
you are right daniel about the importance of scientific laws in any field including animation because they are the roots of everythting. thats the basic reality from where fiction and fantasy take birth!! and ofcourse all the animation done with the physics rules is easier to reproduce!
i really liked Animatrix! and who can deny that films like finding nemo and monsters inc are wonderful. they are one of my fav. films! i was talking about another possibility of minimalist animation, for which again, you need to know the laws properly!
what do you think about the short animation films as work of art where people experiment with treatments and try to break the rules??? lot of films from Zagreb school are like that. these films looks like an artist's expression...each film is with an original approach to drawing, animation, content...many russian and Croatia animations looks so different and interesting!