LAYOUT TO ANIMATION WORK FLOW
For TV Animation Production
PLAN YOUR SHOT
Before you start on your layout process, determine what is the purpose of your shot?
• It is an upshot, down-shot or neutral?
• Is it a profile, 3 quarter, or straight on?
• Is it a left or right screen bias?
• Is the lead-space on the left or right, or is there no lead-space?
• Is it a wide, medium, or close up shot?
• Is it over the shoulder or foot? Is there clear foreground, mid-ground and background
elements?
• Are the camera moves fast or slow? Are times with the audio or a pose change?
Are the camera moves rostrum or move live action?
• Is it acting (emotional), exposition*, action, or utility?
• Do a top down drawing and get it cleared by a lead or supervisor if your sequence is
complicated.
* Exposition: a shot or scene that provides the background information needed to understand the characters and the
action. Must have a clear landmark as indicator.
WORK BIG TO SMALL
• Posing/Layout - reproduce the leica as a three dimensional asset.
One pose per panel in the board. Don't use stepped curve for keys when the camera is
tracking (moving). You need to indicate timing with the number of in-betweens you predict
the animation will need. 5 frames is a good average for most transitions between keyframes
(not including breakdowns).
• Apply the formula first!
If you run out of time you have a shot that at least does what it needs to. It won't be brilliant
but it will be serviceable.
CAMERA
• Try to keep the horizon at about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of screen or lower.
• Keep horizons as consistent as possible from shot to shot.
• Keep backgrounds easy to read.
• Focal lengths can be 100 - 500 for close up and 20 - 40 for wide angles.
• If the shot is dramatic... try force perspective (for example: focal length as max as 14mm).
• Almost always compose the tighter fielding first! Even if it it a truck or zoom in, key it first...
then you can go wide by pulling the camera straight back.
POSING
• Go for broad, interesting action, strong poses, and try to make as few poses as possible.
• Find poses that are different from one another (high contrast - opposite line of action).
• Move every controller (slightly) for each pose. This helps keep things alive.
• First, key the hips, upper and pelvis controllers.
• Keep the poses as minimal and simple as possible. Don't rely on too many poses and avoid
too many arm gestures.
• A pose test should include all the necessary poses for a scene. No more poses should be
needed for animation. (You need to know the difference between 'poses' and 'keyframes'.)
THE FORMULA
Create Moving Holds between poses:
• First, copy each pose 2 frames from the next key.
• Turn the curve tangents (in curve editor) to Plateau.
• Turn the holds into moving holds by changing the second key a little, continuing the
character's movement in the direction he was heading.
┌─ 2 fr ─┐
|‹------ moving hold ------›| |‹------ moving hold ------›|
Pose 1 P1 copy Pose 2 P2 copy
Add Anticipation:
• Create antics by setting a new key 4 frames back from the 2nd of each pair of keys.
• Turn the 2nd of each pair of keys into an anticipation.
┌──── 4 fr ────┬─ 2 fr ─┐
|‹------ moving hold ------›| | |‹------ moving hold ------›|
Pose 1 P1 copy Antic Pose 2 P2 copy
Add Breakdowns:
• Create breakdowns by setting a key 2 frames after the first key of the next pose.
• Go 2 frames back and turn the first key into a breakdown between the antic and the next
pose.
┌──── 4 fr ────┬─ 2 fr ─┬─ 2 fr ─┐
|‹------ moving hold ------›| | : |‹------ moving hold ------›|
Pose 1 P1 copy Antic BD Pose 2 P2 copy
Pose copies should be changed in the trajectory of the last transition to create a moving hold.
FOR APPROVALS
• Always keep it clean.
• Never let stuff drift.
• If things explode, fix it right away.
• Don't do rough lipsync... only final.