Visual Storytelling Resources

2009-03-28T00:57:00.000-07:00

One the most important aspects of computer animation is the story. All stories have some form of structure and you can read more about it here, including how to create a storyboard.

The main theme for spring '09 Saturday Studios is: Our World, which will be made up of several individual animated short stories about how they perceive the world. They have some freedom to explore various genres (fantasy, sci-fi, comedy, etc.) and styles like seen here:

Adam Phillips: Bitey's Castle

Pixar: Lifted

Other Related Links

A Softer World (webcomic)
http://www.asofterworld.com

Tell a Story in 5 Frames (on flickr)

The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard

Types of Animation

2009-03-25T03:52:00.000-07:00

Muto - ambiguous animation painted on public walls

Human Skateboard - stop motion

Neglected Sky - Flash, frame-by-frame

Game Over - claymation, stop motion

War Games - animated narrative

Animation Resources

2009-03-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

Books*************************************

Animation Art Form
The Illusion of Life
Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston

Animation History
Cartoons:
One Hundred Years of Cinema animation
Giannalberto Bendiazzi

Personal Accounts
Chuck Amuck
Chuck Jones

Talking Animal's and Other People
Shamus Culhane

The Flair of Mary Blair
John Canemaker

How-Tos
The Animation Book
Kit Laybourne

Animation from script to screen
Shamus Culhane

Art Of's
Toy Story
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Spirited Away
Before the Animation Begins
John Canemaker

Links*************************************

Summer Studio's Computer Animation Website:
http://babel.massart.edu/~nettrice/animation

Cartoon Brew
http://www.cartoonbrew.com/
notes: kinda like the New York Times of animation

Here are the links that we looked at in last weeks class:

Character Design Blog:
http://characterdesign.blogspot.com/

Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends Production Blog:
http://fosterstv.blogspot.com/

The Illustration, Animation...Inspiration blog-Drawn:
http://www.drawn.ca/

1 on 1 Animation Website
http://1on1animation.com/inspiration-flip.htm
note: scroll down on this page to see pencil tests
from the Nine old Men. and others!

Character Design Blog
http://characterdesign.blogspot.com/
note: a blog that introduces Character Designers with interviews and expamples of work.

Teaching Simple Animation:
Fun With Thaumatropes and Other Big Words
http://www.youthlearn.org/learning/activities/multimedia/animation.asp
note: basic thaumatrope and animation info with links

History of the Phenakistoscope
http://courses.ncssm.edu/gallery/collections/toys/html/exhibit07.htm
note: Shows movies of Pscope from the 1800's, beautiful.

Make your own Zoetrope
http://www.groeg.de/puzzles/zoetrope.html

Principles of Animation*************************************
The Disney Studio developed a number of principles of animation. These principles are:
1. Squash and Stretch – the animator needs to define the rigidity and mass of an object by distorting its shape during an action.
2. Timing – the animator should space actions to define the weight and size of objects and the personality of the character.
3. Anticipation – the animator creates anticipation through the preparation of action.
4. Staging – the animator presents ideas that are clear.
5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action – the animator terminates one action and establishes its relationship to the next action.
6. Straight Ahead Action and Pose-To-Pose Action – these are the two contrasting approaches to the creation of movement.
7. Slow In and Out – the animator needs to consider the spacing of the in-between frames to achieve subtlety of timing and movement.
8. Arcs – this is where the animator creates a visual path of action for natural movement.
9. Exaggeration – the animator should accentuate ideas via the design and the action of the objects and characters.
10. Secondary Action – the animator considers the action of one object/character which results from another object/character’s action.
11. Appeal – the animator must create a design or an action that the audience enjoys watching.

Welcome!

2009-03-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Computer Animation Resource Blog for Mass Art Summer Studios:
Here are books, tips, quotes and links all pertaining to the world of Animation!

Computer Animation is COOL

Visual Storytelling Resources

Types of Animation

Animation Resources

Welcome!