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"Is CHILDHOOD always the best time ?”
15 years ago
PC Performance – Tip #1
If you are getting lots of errors or system crashes, you could have a problem with your registry. The Windows registry is a database of files that configure things for multiple users, software, hardware, and many other things. It is really easy to corrupt your registry without even knowing it. This is why it is important to do a registry backup or purchase a registry cleaner as a method to improving your PC performance.
Registry cleaners can do a backup and restore corrupted files. Make sure you do some research before you buy one, though. Stay away from free ones. Remember the old rule of buying anything - usually if it is too good to be true, it is.
*Only for Experienced PC Users*
To do a backup with most newer version of Windows, all you have to do is click on the ‘Start’ menu, go to ‘Run’, and type in ‘regedit.exe’. This will open a registry editor built into Windows. Using this, you can backup your registry into a .REG file, and burn it onto a CD for safekeeping. Keeping a good copy is one of the best methods to improving PC performance.
PC Performance – Tip #2
If your PC is running very slowly, it could be clogged with junk files, which leads to the second tip to improving PC performance. As you continually use it, your PC can accumulate lots of little files that you may no longer use. If you surf the Internet a lot or do a lot of downloading, then you PC can become clogged with lots of those little files.
An easy way to get rid of these junk files, thus improving PC performance, is to do a disk cleanup, then a error check and finally a disk defragment. To do this you click on ‘My Computer’ and right click on your main drive (usually C:/), open the menu, click the ‘Properties’ tab. When the next window pops up you will see a disk cleanup button, click this and wait for it to find any unused files, then delete these files to free up some room.
When this has finished then click on the ‘Tools’ tab up at the top, there you will see disk defrag as well as error check. Before you start doing either of these, though, make sure you have all programs running in the background off. Completing an error check before a defragment is always a good idea. An error check will look for any trouble spots on the hard disk, and lead to improving PC performance.
If you are getting lots of errors or system crashes, you could have a problem with your registry. The Windows registry is a database of files that configure things for multiple users, software, hardware, and many other things. It is really easy to corrupt your registry without even knowing it. This is why it is important to do a registry backup or purchase a registry cleaner as a method to improving your PC performance.
Registry cleaners can do a backup and restore corrupted files. Make sure you do some research before you buy one, though. Stay away from free ones. Remember the old rule of buying anything - usually if it is too good to be true, it is.
*Only for Experienced PC Users*
To do a backup with most newer version of Windows, all you have to do is click on the ‘Start’ menu, go to ‘Run’, and type in ‘regedit.exe’. This will open a registry editor built into Windows. Using this, you can backup your registry into a .REG file, and burn it onto a CD for safekeeping. Keeping a good copy is one of the best methods to improving PC performance.
PC Performance – Tip #2
If your PC is running very slowly, it could be clogged with junk files, which leads to the second tip to improving PC performance. As you continually use it, your PC can accumulate lots of little files that you may no longer use. If you surf the Internet a lot or do a lot of downloading, then you PC can become clogged with lots of those little files.
An easy way to get rid of these junk files, thus improving PC performance, is to do a disk cleanup, then a error check and finally a disk defragment. To do this you click on ‘My Computer’ and right click on your main drive (usually C:/), open the menu, click the ‘Properties’ tab. When the next window pops up you will see a disk cleanup button, click this and wait for it to find any unused files, then delete these files to free up some room.
When this has finished then click on the ‘Tools’ tab up at the top, there you will see disk defrag as well as error check. Before you start doing either of these, though, make sure you have all programs running in the background off. Completing an error check before a defragment is always a good idea. An error check will look for any trouble spots on the hard disk, and lead to improving PC performance.
PC Performance – Tip #3
If you do a lot of downloading from the Internet, your hard disk can become full very quickly. Improving PC performance for this is really easy, and you have a few options. You can buy an external USB hard drive and transfer your files to it, thus freeing up the hard disk inside your tower. The other option is to delete any files you are no longer using. Of course, if you do decide to uninstall, make sure you do it properly. If not, you can leave little bits of the program or delete something you actually need from your registry.
Also, some of the freeware or shareware programs can leave behind some residual files that you may need to delete as a method to improving PC performance. A excellent way to keep your registry clean and error free is to use a registry cleaner.......
PC Performance – Tip #4
If you have done lots of different things, and you still don’t seem to be improving PC performance, then you may just have dust clogging up the electronics within your tower. In this case, only a good spring cleaning is necessary.
It is easy to take the outer casing off your tower. It’s just a few screws at the back and sometimes the top or bottom. Once the screws are loosened, it should just slide right off. Once the casing is off, don’t start blowing at the dust (and if you have had you PC for a while, there will be a lot of it). If you blow, you may spit a little which can fry some circuitry. What you should do is buy a can of compressed air. It sort of looks like a can of WD-40. You can spray the air to disperse the dust. Don’t get too close, though, as the components can get damaged which is certainly not a method to improving PC performance.
If you do a lot of downloading from the Internet, your hard disk can become full very quickly. Improving PC performance for this is really easy, and you have a few options. You can buy an external USB hard drive and transfer your files to it, thus freeing up the hard disk inside your tower. The other option is to delete any files you are no longer using. Of course, if you do decide to uninstall, make sure you do it properly. If not, you can leave little bits of the program or delete something you actually need from your registry.
Also, some of the freeware or shareware programs can leave behind some residual files that you may need to delete as a method to improving PC performance. A excellent way to keep your registry clean and error free is to use a registry cleaner.......
PC Performance – Tip #4
If you have done lots of different things, and you still don’t seem to be improving PC performance, then you may just have dust clogging up the electronics within your tower. In this case, only a good spring cleaning is necessary.
It is easy to take the outer casing off your tower. It’s just a few screws at the back and sometimes the top or bottom. Once the screws are loosened, it should just slide right off. Once the casing is off, don’t start blowing at the dust (and if you have had you PC for a while, there will be a lot of it). If you blow, you may spit a little which can fry some circuitry. What you should do is buy a can of compressed air. It sort of looks like a can of WD-40. You can spray the air to disperse the dust. Don’t get too close, though, as the components can get damaged which is certainly not a method to improving PC performance.
*Make Sure Your PC is off before using any compressed air*
Also note not to touch any parts with your hands - if you need to touch anything make sure you earth yourself by touching the power unit first - the power unit should be connected to the wall socket as well*Improving PC performance isn’t hard and can be as easy or as difficult as you want it to be. Just remember to do regular maintenance, and your PC should run smoothly for quite a while.
Sources : Internet
Also note not to touch any parts with your hands - if you need to touch anything make sure you earth yourself by touching the power unit first - the power unit should be connected to the wall socket as well*Improving PC performance isn’t hard and can be as easy or as difficult as you want it to be. Just remember to do regular maintenance, and your PC should run smoothly for quite a while.
Sources : Internet
- Real-Time Animation Tools
Using tools that are designed for non-technical artists, you'll get instant playback of character performances, alleviating the need to preview or render your work. The real-time capabilities of MotionBuilder makes it the character animation software of choice whether for an individual artist, or as the animation backbone of a large production pipeline. - Revolutionary Character Technology
With its powerful full body FK/IK manipulation rig, Autodesk® Motionbuilder provides powerful automated character setup, so you can quickly setup a powerful rig, independent of your character's size or proportions. You can customize the look and feel of a character's manipulation rig easily, without the need for scripting or constraint setups. You can also repurpose an animated motion from one character to another with real-time motion retargeting. - Unified Non-Linear Editing Environment
The story timeline for pre-visualization and layout saves even more production time by allowing you to easily blend, edit and sequence tracks composed of animations, cameras, digital video, and audio. You can also make camera shot decisions and re-order and re-time your shots "on-the-fly", similar to traditional non-linear video editing. - FBX®
Autodesk® MotionBuilder™ 7.5 natively supports FBX, a platform-independent, high-end 3D authoring and interchange format. It lets you acquire and exchange 3D assets and media from a wide variety of sources quickly and easily. FBX is widely supported by the industry's leading software and hardware manufacturers and film studios.
Software (Minimum System Requirement)
Software Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
Apple® Mac® OS X 10.3 or higherMotionBuilder™ 7.5 requires one of the following browsers:
Microsoft® Internet Explorer®, Netscape®, Safari™ or FireFox™
Hardware (Minimum System Requirement)
Intel® Pentium® III or higher, AMD Athlon™ processor, Macintosh® G4 or G5
256 MB RAM
CD-ROM Drive (DVD-ROM drive required foradditional Clip Art)
OpenGL® graphics card with 32 MB RAM
600 MB of hard disk space
Sources : Internet
What is a demo reel for?
A demo reel is essentially a sales tool. You are selling yourself and proving, to an extent, what sort of positive addition you will be to a company. If you can prove you've got oodles of talent and a creative way of thinking about things, your demo reel will get you noticed. If it is exceptionally good, it's your doorway into the industry.
A demo reel is essentially a sales tool. You are selling yourself and proving, to an extent, what sort of positive addition you will be to a company. If you can prove you've got oodles of talent and a creative way of thinking about things, your demo reel will get you noticed. If it is exceptionally good, it's your doorway into the industry.
Who is your audience?
Your audience, obviously, is comprised of those people you want to work for. The thing is, you're not alone. Many, many people want and have tried to get the same job you are applying for. These demo watchers have seen countless reels and guess what, they're tired of seeing the same things over and over again. If you think your 3 minute flying logo is going to win you a job, you better consider it very carefully before putting it on your reel. These people are not obligated to watch your entire reel. If they're dissatisfied, they will hit EJECT and move on, possibly missing your Oscar(tm) worthy animation later in the reel.
What to put on a demo reel SECTION A (general):
Only your best, most amazing work ever. This stuff has to be the best thing since pizza. If you can do it all (model, render, and animate), do it all! You'll earn points for this. Companies are looking for people who can wear many hats and accept many responsibilities. You need to capture their attention and show them you're more than up to the challenge of working in a creative (and crazy) environment like theirs. You want to not only show them you're up to it, you want to show them it'll be a breeze for you.
What to put on a demo reel SECTION B (specific):
You need to get as many strong points across to your audience visually, in as little time as possible. You need to capture their attention, draw them in, and make them forget for an instant that they are watching a demo reel. This can be quite difficult unless you a great deal of vision and a really good story to tell. Currently a lot of business are looking for excellent character animators. You need to bring an object to life, give it a voice, an attitude, "CHARACTER", and have it tell a story. Be fresh, creative, and original (I can't stress that enough). Also, there is a demand for artists who are good at creating low polygon count models. If you have specific skills you want to show off and can, such as adding actual paintings you've created in the real world into a 3d environment, then do it. You are trying to earn as many points as possible. A well rounded artist is always appreciated.
What not to put on a demo reel SECTION A:
Probably whatever you are most likely to think about putting on your demo reel first, is the sort of thing you want to stay away from at all costs. You may think you're being original, but believe it or not, everyone else thinks their name or company logo looks cool flying around the screen too. How about spaceships? They're cool, to be sure...but if you're a demo watcher and that's all you see day in and day out, you're probably dying to see something else. Also, with whatever objects you include in your animation, make sure they are decorated (textured) in the best way possible. Most things in the real world are not shiny and new. Instead they are dented, beat up, scratched, or flawed in some unusual way. Prove your texturing skills by creating your own complex custom textures and make your models even more interesting to look at.
Realize that your audience has seen just about every basic transition and effect out there. These are the things that are only one click away in whatever program you're using. You need to be different and your effects need to be hard won. If it can be done from a simple pull down menu, it's probably not doing to impress them. You need to stand out from the rest of the pack.
What not to put on a demo reel SECTION B (exceptions):
Of course there are exceptions to everything in the computer graphics and animation industry. If the job you are applying for is going to require specific skills, such as flying logos or spaceship battles, then by all means gear your demo reel in that direction. However, if you are going to be applying to a wide variety of jobs, it is best to have something that will appeal and look absolutely amazing to everyone.
How do I create a good demo reel?
Sit, plan, make-up, cross out, plan some more, think, cross out, make up, and then get to work. A good method is to think about what your strengths are and then think about the most effective and entertaining way possible to get those strengths across on screen. Then sit and think about every aspect of what you want to do and storyboard it out. Understand what every scene is going to involve, how long it's going to take, what sort of resources you'll need to accomplish it, and if everything you want to do is really possible. And if it's not possible, how you're going to look that obstacle in the eyes and say "up yours, I'm doing it anyway".
What does a good demo reel look like?
Many companies have their own reels which you could probably arrange to get a hold of. Contact these places and see if they will send you one. If these are places you would like to work for, then pay close attention to the sort of things they do. Otherwise, I suggest checking out many cool animation tapes currently on the market. Look for "The Mind's Eye" series by SMV or "Computer Animation Festival" series also by SMV. Watch the tapes, be inspired, and then think about how you could have done it better...and then do something else, since what you're thinking about doing has already been done. Remember, be original. If you want to do something that's been done before, do it differently (if that makes sense).
Things to remember!
Put your best stuff first. You want to grab your audience's attention as soon as possible. Give credit where credit is due. If you didn't do something, say so. Also, specify the tools you used to create your demo reel.
Sources : www.cgtantra.com
Slow in and out deals with the spacing of the inbetween drawings between the extreme poses. Mathematically, the term refers to second- and third-order continuity of motion.
In early animation, the action was limited to mainly fast and slow moves, the spacing from one drawing to the next fairly even. But when the poses of pose-to-pose animation became more expressive, animators wanted the audience to see them. They found that by grouping the inbetweens closer to each extreme, with only one fleeting drawing halfway between, they could achieve a very spirited result, with the character zipping from one attitude to another. "Slowing out" of one pose, then "slowing in" to the next pose simply refers to the timing of the inbetweens.
The animator indicates the placement of the inbetweens, the slow in or slow out, with a "timing chart" drawn on the side of the drawing. This tells himself, or his assistant who will be doing the inbetweens later, how he wanted the timing to be and where he wanted the inbetween drawings placed.
Timing chart for ball bounce In most 3D keyframe computer animation systems, the inbetweening is done automatically using spline interpolation. Slow in and slow out is achieved by adjusting the tension, direction or bias, and continuity of the splines. This works well to give the affect of slow in and out, but a graphical representation of the spline is required to see the effect of tension, direction, and continuity have on its shape.
With this type of spline interpolation, a common problem is the spline overshooting at extremes when there is a large change in value between them, especially over a small number of frames. This also happens when the direction control of an extreme is adjusted. The danger is that, depending on the variable the spline controls (translate, rotate, or scale), the value will shoot in the wrong direction just before (or just after) the large change in value. Sometimes this effect works out well when it occurs just before a large movement it may appear to be an anticipation. However, more often than not, it gives an undesirable effect.
In Luxo Jr., there was an example of this problem of overshooting splines, Jr.'s base was very heavy and when he hopped, we wanted the base to start stationary, then pop up in the air from the momentum of his jump, arc over, then land with a thud, suddenly stationary again. For the up translation, there were three keyframes, the two stationary positions and the highest point of his jump. The spline software forced continuity, so that his base would move down under the surface of the floor just before and after the jump. The solution was to put two new extremes, equal to the two stationary extremes, on the frames just before and just after the extremes. This "locked" down the spline, so that the up translation stayed the same value, popped up in the air, landed and then stayed the same value again. This gave the desired feeling of weight to his little base.
In early animation, the action was limited to mainly fast and slow moves, the spacing from one drawing to the next fairly even. But when the poses of pose-to-pose animation became more expressive, animators wanted the audience to see them. They found that by grouping the inbetweens closer to each extreme, with only one fleeting drawing halfway between, they could achieve a very spirited result, with the character zipping from one attitude to another. "Slowing out" of one pose, then "slowing in" to the next pose simply refers to the timing of the inbetweens.
The animator indicates the placement of the inbetweens, the slow in or slow out, with a "timing chart" drawn on the side of the drawing. This tells himself, or his assistant who will be doing the inbetweens later, how he wanted the timing to be and where he wanted the inbetween drawings placed.
Timing chart for ball bounce In most 3D keyframe computer animation systems, the inbetweening is done automatically using spline interpolation. Slow in and slow out is achieved by adjusting the tension, direction or bias, and continuity of the splines. This works well to give the affect of slow in and out, but a graphical representation of the spline is required to see the effect of tension, direction, and continuity have on its shape.
With this type of spline interpolation, a common problem is the spline overshooting at extremes when there is a large change in value between them, especially over a small number of frames. This also happens when the direction control of an extreme is adjusted. The danger is that, depending on the variable the spline controls (translate, rotate, or scale), the value will shoot in the wrong direction just before (or just after) the large change in value. Sometimes this effect works out well when it occurs just before a large movement it may appear to be an anticipation. However, more often than not, it gives an undesirable effect.
In Luxo Jr., there was an example of this problem of overshooting splines, Jr.'s base was very heavy and when he hopped, we wanted the base to start stationary, then pop up in the air from the momentum of his jump, arc over, then land with a thud, suddenly stationary again. For the up translation, there were three keyframes, the two stationary positions and the highest point of his jump. The spline software forced continuity, so that his base would move down under the surface of the floor just before and after the jump. The solution was to put two new extremes, equal to the two stationary extremes, on the frames just before and just after the extremes. This "locked" down the spline, so that the up translation stayed the same value, popped up in the air, landed and then stayed the same value again. This gave the desired feeling of weight to his little base.
Just as the anticipation is the preparation of an action, follow through is the termination of an action. Actions very rarely come to a sudden and complete stop, but are generally carried past their termination point. For example, a hand, after releasing a thrown ball, continues past the actual point of release.
In the movement of any object or figure, the actions of the parts are not simultaneous some part must initiate the move, like the engine of a train. This is called the lead. In walking, the action starts with the hips. As the hip swings forward, it sets a leg in motion. The hip "leads", the leg "follows." As the hip twists, the torso follows, then the shoulder, the arm, the wrist, and finally the fingers. Although most large body actions start in the hips, the wrist will lead the fingers in a hand gesture, and the eyes will usually lead the head in an action.
Appendages or loose parts of a character or object will move at a slower speed and 'drag' behind the leading part of the figure. Then as the leading part of the figure slows to a stop. These appendages will continue to move and will take longer to settle down. As with squash and stretch, the object's mass is shown in the way the object slows down. The degree that the appendages drag behind and the time it takes for them to stop is directly proportional to their weight. The heavier they are the farther behind they drag and the longer they take to settle to a stop. Conversely, if they are lighter, they will drag less and stop more quickly.
In The Adventures of André and Wally B., this principle was used extensively on Wally B.'s feet, antennae and stinger. They all dragged behind his head and body. and continued to move well after the body had stopped. To convey that these loose appendages were made of different materials and different masses, the rate of the follow through was different for each type. His antennae were fairly light, so they dragged behind just slightly. His stinger was like stainless steel, so it dragged behind the action more than the antennae. And his feet were heavy and very flexible, as though they were water balloons; therefore, they always followed far behind the main action.
Often, slight variations are added to the timing and speed of the loose parts of objects. This overlapping action makes the object seem natural, the action more interesting. In Wally's zip off (figure 5), his feet zipped off, one after the other, about one or two frames apart. The action was so fast that it was difficult to see each foot going off separately, but it made the action as a whole more interesting.
Perhaps more important, overlapping is critical to conveying main ideas of the story. An action should never be brought to a complete stop before starting another action, and the second action should overlap the first. Overlapping maintains a continual flow and continuity between whole phrases of actions.
Walt Disney once explained overlapping this way, "It is not necessary for an animator to take a character to one point, complete that action completely, and then turn to the following action as if the had never given it a thought until after completing the first action. When a character knows what his 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. For example, the mind thinks, ' I'll close the door - lock it then I'm going to undress and go to bed.' Well, you walk over to the door before the walk is finished you're reaching for the door - before the door is closed you reach for the key - before the door is locked you're turning away - while you're walking away you undo your tie - and before you reach the bureau you have your tie off. In other words, before you know it you're undressed and you've done it in one thought, "I'm going to bed."
In the movement of any object or figure, the actions of the parts are not simultaneous some part must initiate the move, like the engine of a train. This is called the lead. In walking, the action starts with the hips. As the hip swings forward, it sets a leg in motion. The hip "leads", the leg "follows." As the hip twists, the torso follows, then the shoulder, the arm, the wrist, and finally the fingers. Although most large body actions start in the hips, the wrist will lead the fingers in a hand gesture, and the eyes will usually lead the head in an action.
Appendages or loose parts of a character or object will move at a slower speed and 'drag' behind the leading part of the figure. Then as the leading part of the figure slows to a stop. These appendages will continue to move and will take longer to settle down. As with squash and stretch, the object's mass is shown in the way the object slows down. The degree that the appendages drag behind and the time it takes for them to stop is directly proportional to their weight. The heavier they are the farther behind they drag and the longer they take to settle to a stop. Conversely, if they are lighter, they will drag less and stop more quickly.
In The Adventures of André and Wally B., this principle was used extensively on Wally B.'s feet, antennae and stinger. They all dragged behind his head and body. and continued to move well after the body had stopped. To convey that these loose appendages were made of different materials and different masses, the rate of the follow through was different for each type. His antennae were fairly light, so they dragged behind just slightly. His stinger was like stainless steel, so it dragged behind the action more than the antennae. And his feet were heavy and very flexible, as though they were water balloons; therefore, they always followed far behind the main action.
Often, slight variations are added to the timing and speed of the loose parts of objects. This overlapping action makes the object seem natural, the action more interesting. In Wally's zip off (figure 5), his feet zipped off, one after the other, about one or two frames apart. The action was so fast that it was difficult to see each foot going off separately, but it made the action as a whole more interesting.
Perhaps more important, overlapping is critical to conveying main ideas of the story. An action should never be brought to a complete stop before starting another action, and the second action should overlap the first. Overlapping maintains a continual flow and continuity between whole phrases of actions.
Walt Disney once explained overlapping this way, "It is not necessary for an animator to take a character to one point, complete that action completely, and then turn to the following action as if the had never given it a thought until after completing the first action. When a character knows what his 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. For example, the mind thinks, ' I'll close the door - lock it then I'm going to undress and go to bed.' Well, you walk over to the door before the walk is finished you're reaching for the door - before the door is closed you reach for the key - before the door is locked you're turning away - while you're walking away you undo your tie - and before you reach the bureau you have your tie off. In other words, before you know it you're undressed and you've done it in one thought, "I'm going to bed."
Staging is the presentation of an idea so it is completely and unmistakably clear, this principle translates directly from 2D hand drawn animation. An action is staged so that it is understood; a personality is staged so that it is recognizable; an expression so that it can be seen: a mood so that it will affect the audience.
To stage an idea clearly, the audience's eye must be led to exactly where it needs to be al the right moment, so that they will not miss the idea. Staging, anticipation and timing are all integral to directing the eye. A well-timed anticipation will be wasted if it is not staged clearly.
It is important, when staging an action. that only one idea be seen by the audience at a time. If a lot of action is happening at once, the eye does not know where to look and the main idea of the action will be "upstaged" and overlooked. The object of interest should contrast from the rest of the scene. In a still scene, the eye will be attracted to movement. In a very busy scene, the eye will be attracted to something that is still. Each idea or action must be staged in the strongest and the simplest way before going on to the next idea or action. The animator is saying. in effect, "Look at this, now look at this. and now look at this."
In Luxo Jr., it was very important that the audience was looking in the right place at the right time, because the story, acting and emotion was being put across with movement alone, in pantomime, and sometimes the movement was very subtle. If the audience missed an action, an emotion would be missed, and the story would suffer. So the action had to be paced so that only Dad or Jr. was doing an important action at any one time, never both. In the beginning of the film, Dad is on screen alone your eye was on him. But as soon as Jr. hops on-screen, he is moving faster than Dad. therefore the audience's eyes immediately goes to him and stays there.
Most of the time Jr. was on-screen, Dad's actions were very subtle, so the attention of the audience was always on Jr. where most of the story was being told. If Dad's actions were important, Jr.'s actions were toned down and Dad's movements were emphasized and the attention of the audience would transfer to Dad. For example, when Jr. looks up to Dad after he's popped the ball and Dad shakes his head, all eyes are on him.
Another idea developed in the early days at Disney was the importance of staging an action in silhouette. In those days, all the characters were black and white, With no gray values to soften the contrast or delineate a form. Bodies, arms and hands were all black, so there was no way to stage an action clearly except in silhouette. A hand in front of a chest would simply disappear. Out of this limitation, the animators realized that it is always better to show an action in silhouette. Charlie Chaplin maintained that if an actor knew his emotion thoroughly, he could show it in silhouette.
In The Adventures of André and Wally B., André awakes and sits up, then scratches his side. If he were to scratch his stomach instead of his side, the action would happen in front of his body and would be unclear what was happening.
Sources : Internet
To stage an idea clearly, the audience's eye must be led to exactly where it needs to be al the right moment, so that they will not miss the idea. Staging, anticipation and timing are all integral to directing the eye. A well-timed anticipation will be wasted if it is not staged clearly.
It is important, when staging an action. that only one idea be seen by the audience at a time. If a lot of action is happening at once, the eye does not know where to look and the main idea of the action will be "upstaged" and overlooked. The object of interest should contrast from the rest of the scene. In a still scene, the eye will be attracted to movement. In a very busy scene, the eye will be attracted to something that is still. Each idea or action must be staged in the strongest and the simplest way before going on to the next idea or action. The animator is saying. in effect, "Look at this, now look at this. and now look at this."
In Luxo Jr., it was very important that the audience was looking in the right place at the right time, because the story, acting and emotion was being put across with movement alone, in pantomime, and sometimes the movement was very subtle. If the audience missed an action, an emotion would be missed, and the story would suffer. So the action had to be paced so that only Dad or Jr. was doing an important action at any one time, never both. In the beginning of the film, Dad is on screen alone your eye was on him. But as soon as Jr. hops on-screen, he is moving faster than Dad. therefore the audience's eyes immediately goes to him and stays there.
Most of the time Jr. was on-screen, Dad's actions were very subtle, so the attention of the audience was always on Jr. where most of the story was being told. If Dad's actions were important, Jr.'s actions were toned down and Dad's movements were emphasized and the attention of the audience would transfer to Dad. For example, when Jr. looks up to Dad after he's popped the ball and Dad shakes his head, all eyes are on him.
Another idea developed in the early days at Disney was the importance of staging an action in silhouette. In those days, all the characters were black and white, With no gray values to soften the contrast or delineate a form. Bodies, arms and hands were all black, so there was no way to stage an action clearly except in silhouette. A hand in front of a chest would simply disappear. Out of this limitation, the animators realized that it is always better to show an action in silhouette. Charlie Chaplin maintained that if an actor knew his emotion thoroughly, he could show it in silhouette.
In The Adventures of André and Wally B., André awakes and sits up, then scratches his side. If he were to scratch his stomach instead of his side, the action would happen in front of his body and would be unclear what was happening.
Sources : Internet
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