Characters are by far one of the most powerful tools that bring people together, evoke emotion and create likeability and popularity for themselves. They can be as famous as some of the world's best known celebrities without physically existing and can be used as emotive, persuasive gadgets for some of the biggest companies. But how do some of the principles of animation fit into the creation of a successful character?
It can be said by many including myself that we are more attracted to characters that have large, cute, childish eyes. Eyes are the windows to the soul and can show any form of emotion in the easiest possible way. Physical exaggeration is a key part in designing a loveable hero, rogue, or creature - eyes are one of the many ways we exaggerate a character's features. In terms of animation itself, the subtle or extreme exaggeration of one's movement can determine their personality and develop how appealing they are to an audience. It isn't necessarily about having the biggest eyes or most attractive features.
"Zero", (a short animation by Zealous Creative, also the creators of "The Maker" of which I saw last year at Bradford Animation Festival) is a beautiful little animation about a voodoo doll who is an outcast in his community until he finds a partner just like him. The animation in this is really nice and subtle, and takes into account that because he is a string-woven doll, his limbs are restricted and heavy. He has a very clunky and weighty movement about him, and to me this makes him appealing. He doesn't have to go over the top with intense expressions, he is simple and fabulous.
The timing of animation is very important and can make a great difference as to whether or not we "believe" what is shown to us. If the timing is all wrong and not well thought about, it can seem too rushed and flighty, or too slow and dragged out, making the movement of a character (or object) feel jerky and unnatural. "The basics are: more drawings between poses slow and smooth the action. Fewer drawings make the action faster and crisper. A variety of slow and fast timing within a scene adds texture and interest to the movement." - Centre for Animation & Interactive Media If a character or narrative possess nice, accurate timing with variety, it is more likely to appeal to us, even if it subconsciously as most people don't really think about the principles of animation when watching a piece of animated footage.
Lastly, arcs are key to a story if the characters and objects are of a natural existence. It is true that they create popularity for animation if done nicely, but not all characters need to have well-animated arcs as robots for examples don't always move in a fluid, natural motion like the human body does. So there could be arguments both ways as the whether or not arcs are necessary for success. I think that if used for the correct objects/characters, with lots of reference used accurately, then that is all that matters.
Even this wonderful GIF from cdn.tutsplus.com is full of life and personality through using arcs! These few principles are just a some of the many ways character and narrative develops into successful animation.
No comments:
Post a Comment