1. Introduction to 3D Computer Animation
Dr. Midori Kitagawa
University of Texas at Dallas
Arts and Technology Program

2. Table of Contents History: Pioneers of animation
Principles of animation
Types of 3D computer animation

3. 1. History: Pioneers of animation
J. Stuart Blackton ( )
Winsor McCay ( )
John Bray ( )
Max Fleischer ( )
Walt Disney ( )

4. J. Stuart Blackton (1875-1941) Father of animation
In 1896 as a reporter/artist for the New York Evening World newspaper, Blackton interviewed Thomas Edison
Became a "rapid-drawing cartoonist" for a series of Edison shorts.

5. J. Stuart Blackton ( )
Combined stop motion, puppetry, and live action
Enchanted Drawing, 1900
Humorous Phases of Fanny Faces, 1906

6. Winsor McCay (1867-1934) Father of character animation
Already well known for his newspaper cartoons “Little Nemo”,

7. Winsor McCay ( )
Gave believability and personality to his hand-drawn characters
Gertie the Dinosaur, 1914
Sinking of Lusitania, 1916

8. John Randolph Bray (1874-1978) Founder of the animation industry
Reporter for the Detroit Evening News, 1901-
In 1914 Bray’s partner Earl Hurd patented the use of clear cels over background
Hurd and Bray formed the Hurd and Bray Patent Company in 1914

9. John Randolph Bray ( )
Turned artistic work into an assembly-line production
With additional patents obtained by Bray, the company monopolized the animation process
The patents expired in 1932
Much of what Bray claimed to have invented have been credited to McCay and others.
Colonel Heeza Liar’s, 1913

10. Max Fleischer (1883-1972) Inventor of the rotoscope
A cartoonist and photographer for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle 
Art director for the magazine Popular Science
Worked at Bray’s studio

11. Max Fleischer (1883-1972) Rotoscope
Traces the movement of live actors, frame by frame

12. Max Fleischer ( )
Produced the first animation with a synchronized sound track in 1924
Fleischer studio produced Betty Boop, Popeye, and Superman cartoon series
Affected by the Hays Code in 1934
Tantalizing Fly, 1919

13. Walt Disney (1901-1966) Inventor of the family entertainment
Film producer, director, screen writer, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur
Greatly influenced 20th century American culture

14. Walt Disney (1901-1966) Father of Mickey Mouse
Steamboat Willie (1928) was not the first Mickey Mouse cartoon produced or released
Not the first sound cartoon either
The first sound cartoon that achieved wide commercial success

15. History: Pioneers of animation
“Disney’s memory belongs to the public; Max’s to those who remember him by choice.” (Heraldson, 1975)

17. 2. Principles of animation
Created by animators at the Walt Disney Studios in the early 1930’s
Helped to transform animation from a novelty into an art form 
Still today
Guide production and creative discussions
Train young animators better and faster
Applicable to 2D/3D computer animation as well as traditional hand-drawn animation

18. Principles of animation
From Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Ollie Johnson and Frank Thomas
Squash and stretch
Anticipation
Staging
Straight ahead action and pose to pose
Follow through and overlapping action
Slow-in and slow-out
Arcs
Secondary action
Timing
Exaggeration
Solid drawing
Appeal

19. Principles of animation
Physics
Aesthetics
Squash and stretch
Follow through
Timing
Slow-in and slow-out
Secondary action
Arcs
Exaggeration
Solid drawing
Overlapping action
Appeal
Production methods
Straight ahead action and pose to pose
Presentation of action
Anticipation
Staging

20. Principles of animation
Physics
Squash and stretch
Follow through
Timing
Secondary action
Slow in and slow out
Arcs

21. Squash and stretch
While many real world objects, e.g. a rock, have little or no flexibility most organic objects, e.g. a human body, have some flexibility in their shapes
When an object moves, its movement indicates the rigidity of the object

22. Squash and stretch
No matter how squashed or stretched out an object gets, its volume should remain constant

23. Follow through Termination of action Nothing stops at once
When the main body of a character stops all other parts continue to catch up it, such as arms, long hair, clothing, floppy ears, and a long tail

24. Follow through

25. Timing
Timing, i.e., the speed of an action, gives meaning to movement, both physical and emotional meaning
Timing affects the perception of mass of an object

26. Timing Timing gives meaning to movement
A character looks first over the right shoulder and then over the left shoulder. Varying the number of inbetweens can imply:
0: hit by a strong force and its head almost snapped off
1: hit by something substantial, .e.g., frying pan
2: has a nervous twitch
3: dodging a flying object
4: giving a crisp order
6: sees something inviting
9: thinking about something
10: stretching a sore muscle

27. Timing Timing affects the perception of mass of an object
The slower the object moves the heavier it looks

28. Slow-in and slow-out Spacing of inbetweens at extremes
Soften the action and make it more life-like
Without slow-out
With slow-out

29. Secondary action
Smaller motions that complement the main action, e.g. hair flows as a character turns its head
Increases the complexity and interest in a scene

30. Arcs
All actions, with few exceptions (e.g., motion of a mechanical device), follow an arc or slightly circular path
Especially true of the human figure and the action of animals
Arcs give animation a more natural action and better flow  

31. Principles of animation
Aesthetics
Exaggeration
Appeal
Overlapping action

32. Exaggeration
A caricature of facial features, expressions, poses, attitudes, and actions
Makes it more realistic and entertaining
Not arbitrary distortion of shapes nor making an action more violent or unrealistic

33. Exaggeration
“If a character is sad, make him sadder; if he is bright, make him shine; worried, make him fret; wild, make him frantic.” (Lasseter, 1987)

34. Solid drawing Ability to draw weight, volume, and balance
Aesthetic sensibility for forms, textures, lights, and motions

35. Appeal Animated characters must appeal to the audience.
They don't need to be lovely, cute and nice, but they must be interesting, somehow attractive.
Villains as well as heroes and heroines should have appeals

36. Appeal
A live performer has charisma; an animated character has appeal

37. Overlapping action
Starting a second action before the first action has completely finished
Keeps the interest of the viewer, since there is no dead time between actions

38. Overlapping action
"When a character knows what he is going to do he doesn't have to stop before each individual action and think to do it. He has it planned in advance in his mind." Disney

39. Principles of animation
Presentation of action
Anticipation
Staging

40. Anticipation
Preparation for an action, e.g., when a character is about to jump, he first crouches to gain momentum and the takes off
Prepares the viewer for the action that will happen
Longer anticipation is needed for faster actions

41. Staging
Clear presentation of an idea, where the idea can be an action, a personality, an expression, or a mood
An idea should be unmistakably clear to the viewer

42. Staging One idea at a time
A personality should be staged so that it is recognizable

43. Principles of animation
Production methods
Straight ahead
Pose to pose

44. Straight ahead
Starts at the first drawing in a scene and then draws all of the subsequent frames until the end of the scene
Creates very spontaneous and zany looking animation
Used for wild, scrambling action

45. Pose to pose
Planned out and charted with key drawings done at intervals throughout the scene
Action, size, volumes, and proportions are controlled than straight ahead
The lead animator will turn keys over to his assistant

46. Principles of animation
Another way to look at the principles
Before action
Beginning of action
Middle of action
End of action
Anticipation
Slow-in
Slow-out
Staging
Follow through
Squash and stretch, straight ahead, pose to pose, overlapping action, arcs, secondary action, timing, exaggeration, solid drawing, appeal

47. Principles of animation
Essential for 3D computer animation

49. 3. Types of 3D computer animation
Keyframe animation
Motion capture animation
Procedural animation

50. Feature length animation examples
Keyframe animation
Pixar: Cars (2011, 2006), Toy Story (2010, 1999, 1995), Up (2009), Wall-E (2008), Nemo (2003), Mosters’ Inc (2001)
PDI/DreamWorks: Shrek (2010, 2007, 2004, 2001), How to Train Your Dragon (2010), Kanfu-panda (2008)

51. Feature length animation examples
Motion capture animation
Fox/Weta: Avatar (2010)
Sony Pictures: Beowulf (2007), Monster House (2006), Polar Express (2004)

52. Feature length animation examples
Procedural animation
There are short films that are procedurally produced.
No feature length animation that is entirely procedural animation.
Procedural animation is often used as effect animation for live action films and 3D computer animations.

53. Keyframe animation
Keyframe is a drawing (image) of a key moment in an animation sequence, where the motion is at its extreme
Inbetweens fill the gaps between keyframes

54. Keyframe animation
In traditional animation, skilled animators draw keyframes; less experienced animators draw inbetweens
In 3D computer animations, animators set up parameter values for keyframes; software interpolates parameter values between keyframes for inbetweens
Every motion is created by animators

55. Keyframe animation
Different interpolation methods create different timing
Linear interpolation
Spline interpolation

56. Motion capture animation
What is motion capture?
Sampling and recording motion of humans, animals, and inanimate objects s 3D data
Data can be applied to 3D computer models

57. Motion capture animation
Faster to produce animation than keyframing (if an established production pipeline exists)
Secondary motions and all the subtle motions are captured, providing more realism

58. Procedural animation
Motion is generated by a procedure, a set of rules
Animator specifies rules and initial conditions and runs simulation

59. Procedural animation
Provides more realism in natural phenomena than keyframing
Frees animators from generating complex objects and keyframing a large number of objects

60. Procedural animation
Used for effect animation for traditional animation and live action films as well as for 3D computer animation

61. Types of animation
A combination of keyframe animation, motion capture and/or procedural animation is often used to produce animations

62. Midori Kitagawa, Ph.D.