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Some believe that art and science are rivals or conflicting concepts. The reason for that is that art is liberal, anything and everything is applicable when it comes to art, and there are no limitations to an artist’s imagination. Science, on the other hand, is factual. For a scientist to come up with a theory, they need to find factual proof to support their hypothesis. In a way, this is true, but in another way, there’s art in science and vice versa.
Animation is proof that science and art are related, and when combined, marvels happen. An artist comes up with a concept, a story, or a representation of an object that may or may not be real, and they bring this to life through science and technology by making the objects move, speak, and have a world of their own.
It may be easier to understand the art behind animation, or that’s what people may think, but there’s so much more to animation than drawing various movements and “magically” making them move. Here’s how to better understand the world of animation from a tech perspective.
Understanding Frames
Creating an animated scene where an object moves requires a number of frames. Each movement is created in a frame, and the outcome is the object moving from point A to point B, given that nothing else moves in the scene nor does the object move any part of itself. This means that in a scene with a dog, for example, wagging its tail, it’ll take a frame for each tail movement.
More frames are needed the more complicated the movements are. A simple thirty-second video may take hundreds of frames. An artist creates frames with a computer application, or an animation studio depending on how big the production is, for a whole video. One second takes about twenty-four frames that need to be set up with extreme care for natural, easy movements.
There are Twelve Principles for a Successful Animation
After creating the characters and objects needed for an animated movie, there are twelve principles that need to be followed for perfect quality. These principles are the rules that animators need to abide by for the natural, believable flow of movements of a character or object, and to ensure everything in the movie looks and feels authentic.
The most significant principles are timing and spacing between frames for a natural flow of movement. Exaggeration, appeal, squash, and stretch are about how likable and relatable the characters are, and how the exaggerated actions and comical looks are acceptable and appealing to the viewer. The rest are crucial as well, but these are the most significant ones in an animation project.
The Importance of Animation
The basic idea of animation that comes to people’s minds is that it’s about entertaining children and helping them understand life’s complicated concepts in a simplified, attractive way. This is not the only use of animation though. Both adults and children enjoy cartoons very much, and there are famous animated adult-only shows.
Different types of animated graphics are used in business for presentations of projects and marketing campaigns. It’s been proven to be one of the most successful methods for attracting customers and clients.
Technology and art are not as different as people may think. It takes an open, imaginative mind to create artistic pieces and scientific theories. Through the years, we have seen plenty of proof that both concepts are intertwined, and when combined, they change the world.
