Today, without too much explanation or annotation I’d like to show how I might look at a scene for study. In this case, it’s a very rough and quick breakdown of an excellent but complex piece of animation to try to get a feel for how an artist/animator may have set up his/her work. Sometimes, in my sessions working with students I will roughly “work over” a shot going through what I feel might be the building blocks — the major animation keys — that dictate the attitude, tempo and overall mechanics involved. This gives the novice/apprentice animator the opportunity to see how a skilled, experienced professional “sees” and how he/she might envision the work as it’s being created. As I’ve always contended, learning art through words is very difficult; it can only be shown.
The loose markings I’ve made in the following screenshots represent the mindset I might take when analyzing a piece of animation — going through the forces, both internal and external. I take the approach as if I, myself, were animating the shot. Separating section by section, as well as visualizing the whole, what is complex is then simplified. I try to feel all the necessary physicality and emotions required. Enjoy!
