Main content
Course: Pixar in a Box > Unit 10
Lesson 1: Introduction to animation- Start here!
- Math meets artistry
- 1. Straight ahead animation
- Straight ahead animation
- 2. Linear interpolation
- Animation with linear interpolation
- 3. Bezier curves
- Animation with Bezier curves
- 4. Squash and stretch
- Squash and stretch animation with Bezier curves
- Animation 101
- Getting to know Rob Jensen
- Save your animation
- Hands-on activity: animating Luxo Jr.
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1. Straight ahead animation
Straight ahead animation requires animators to draw each frame one after another in order. Then, they scan the pictures into a computer to play it back. You can try this technique in a demo by moving the ball a little bit in each frame.
Want to join the conversation?
- Is there a app I can do animated things on(8 votes)
- I like to use Pencil2d, it's free but I think it only works on PC :)(8 votes)
- what software for the ball bouncing did you use(6 votes)
- I think the software they use might be something that is in pixar in a box if not then it might be some special software they use to make pixar movies better(2 votes)
- As an Animator, what do you believe is your best asset?(4 votes)
- The power of observation. If you are a good observer you can apply those observations into your animations. Even observing what is right or wrong with a movement is very important as an animator. Another great asset is the sense of rhythm and timing that takes years to develop.(4 votes)
- do fish get thirsty(3 votes)
- day live in da wata dude(3 votes)
- What program should i use that is free?(4 votes)
- you should try using blender(1 vote)
- What animator do you admire the most?(4 votes)
- to be honest I don’t know(2 votes)
- How do they scan the paper into a computer?(2 votes)
- You can use a scanner to scan each individual paper.(4 votes)
- Is there a way to add animations or effects to real life videos?(2 votes)
- Yeah there is but I don’t know how to do(2 votes)
- why animations look diffrent on comput and why do they not have the same angles(3 votes)
- I don’t know(2 votes)
- Does decorating your pod contribute to the process of animation? For instance, if you are animating Jungle Book, does the pod look like a jungle or do the pods just fit your personality ?(3 votes)
- The pods are decorated to keep your creativity flowing. So it is decorated however you want.(2 votes)
Video transcript
- So we're gonna delve deeper into the mathematics
of splines in a minute, but first I want to show you around the animation department at Pixar. Even though we work on movies all day, in an animated movie, there's no real set, so our job is basically
sitting in front of a computer. But that doesn't mean it has to be boring. Since our job demands a lot of creativity, we try to make Pixar feel like a place where creativity thrives. The animation department is
divided into different pods, basically groups of offices. Each pod has evolved a different style. This one's the jungle pod,
decorated with vines, plants, a castle, and even an
office made to feel like the interior of a crash landed plane. This one here is kind of a central gathering place for animators, complete with a performance
stage for live music. I spend some of my free time as a DJ, so I helped decorate my
pod as the Vinyl Lounge, complete with turntables. Okay, I'm gonna start by
showing you some techniques used in hand-drawn animation. And then we'll see how those
translate into the computer. Let's first animate a ball using a technique called
straight ahead animation. I'm gonna start with frame one. Now we'll put down another sheet of paper. These pegs help us keep it lined up. And I'll draw frame two here. Now frame three and frame four. As you can see, I'm drawing
one frame after another in order. When I'm done, I'll scan
all of these pictures into the computer so we can play it back. Straight ahead animation works
the same way in the computer. You can give it a try in
the next interactive demo. Start by dragging the ball
where you want it to be at the beginning of your animation. Then step to the next frame and drag the ball where you want it. Just move it a little bit each frame. Keep going like this one frame at a time. When you're done, press
play to see your animation. Now let's see what you can come up with.