Essential Technical Aspects of Animation

Course details

Are you working in 2D animation or looking to learn more about it? In this course, Dermot O’Connor pulls together practical advice and time-tested techniques on essential technical aspects of animation. Dermot goes over several important details of animating on paper, such as frame rates, production logistics, timing charts versus digital tweens, color models, and much more. He explains the technical aspects of how to capture what you want to animate, including a number of special effects and useful “cheats.” Dermot concludes with handy production tips on everything from sweatbox notes to common pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Essential technical aspects of animation

1. Animating on Paper

02 - Frame rates, X-sheets, and paper
03 - Frame rates and logistics
04 - Animating on paper
05 - Drawings, frames, and exposures
06 - Timing charts vs. tweening
07 - Straight ahead animation
08 - Pose-to-pose animation
09 - Model sheets
10 - Color models
11 - From rough drawings to cleanup
12 - Cell painting to DIP (digital ink and paint)

2. Camera and Technical

13 - Aspect ratios
14 - Perspective - Introduction
15 - Perspective - Intermediate
16 - Long shot, medium, and close-up
17 - Pans, trucks, and zooms
18 - Fades, dissolves, and cuts
19 - Cheating orbits
20 - When to start a pan
21 - Strobing
22 - Lighting scenes
23 - Cheating depth with color and tone
24 - Cheating depth of field with blurs
25 - Cheating depth with motion

3. Production Tips

26 - Sweatbox notes
27 - Drawing budget
28 - Staging - Introduction
29 - Staging - Advanced
30 - Line of action
31 - Layout poses
32 - Concise naming
33 - Do easy scenes first
34 - Remember your ABC
35 - Puppets and gestures
36 - Puppets and arcs
37 - Dos and don'ts

Conclusion

38 - Next steps

Essential Technical Aspects of Animation

Authors

Dermot O' Connor