AM Part II - Bouncing Ball

So obviously we didn't just make sketches and pose figures the whole time; that was just a small part of the class but not the focus.

The focus of the class was introducing us to animation through a bouncing ball. This is a common exercise that most books on animation will use to introduce the 12 basic principles of animation through the break down of a bouncing ball. So after a lecture outlining those principles and a quick session with Mark further clarifying, I was ready to do my first bit of animation. As would become standard practice, I got video reference of and mapped out what I was about to do on paper before I even got into the computer (planning becomes increasingly important as animations become more complex).

Ball Bounce Plans

With a solid set of plans, putting it in the computer was a breeze. The next exercise was to apply different timing and spacing to balls bouncing to give the illusion of different weight.

Heavy / Light Plans

The final exercise was to take everything we learned and put it through an obstacle course.

Obstacle Course Plans

They may not look like much but what they represent are the fundamentals. THIS is that foundation I was talking about earlier that needs to be solid. If you don't understand this stuff, then you're screwed. That said, this was only the beginning.

Coming Up: Pendulum and Tailor