Timing & Motion

Research

As timing and motion is very crucial at this animation stage, it is a good time to look back at the animation principles research I compiled earlier-


Timing and Motion
The speed of an action, i.e., timing, gives meaning to movement, both physical and emotional meaning. The animator must spend the appropriate amount of time on the anticipation of an action, on the action, and on the reaction to the action. If too much time is spent, then the viewer may lose attention, if too little, then the viewer may not notice or understand the action.

Timing can also affect the perception of mass of an object. A heavier object takes a greater force and a longer time to accelerate and decelerate. For example, if a character picks up a heavy object, e.g., a bowlng ball, they should do it much slower than picking up a light object such as a basketball. Similarly, timing affects the perception of object size. A larger object moves more slowly than a smaller object and has greater inertia. These effects are done not by changing the poses, but by varying the spaces or time (number of frames) between poses. Motion also can give the illusion of weight. 

In-between frames are what make up the time, so I looked at the difference animators suggest different numbers of in-betweens create in order to imply certain meanings/ emotions-

• No in-betweens - the character has been hit by a strong force and its head almost snappedd off
• One in-betweens - the character has been hit by something substantial, .e.g., frying pan
• Two in-betweens - the character has a nervous twitch
• Three in-betweens - the character is dodging a flying object
• Four in-betweens - the character is giving a crisp order
• Six in-betweens - the character sees something inviting
• Nine in-betweens - the character is thinking about something
• Ten in-betweens - the character is stretching a sore muscle

Examples of cartoons I have found that create a similar movement to what I am aiming to achieve, are:

The PowerPuff Girls

I really like the subtlty of the girls actions. Particularly around 0.30s, when theyre depicted flying to the scene of the crime. The flying is implied  through the change in the background, and the discrete movements of their hair and blossoms ribbon. A classic example of less (animation)= more, and these implications given make it effective in showing exactly what the girls are doing. The body movements when fighting (0.50s) are done in a similar way, and this is the way I wish to move the characters and setting in my animation.

Mai-Hime

This show is another typical example of how subtle movements of elements can imply a lot. The emotions depicted on the characters dont vary a lot compared to the traditional based comic-like cartoons, but we still know exactly what id happening and it still appears believable. The mood is built by the speed of the camera, and the number of in-betweens in each segment. In my work, I will take a similar approach focusing on these minut movements and rapid camera angles to evoke certain moods and realistic animation.