Creating New Principles of Animation

Principles of Creature Animation

Animation is a dynamic and ever-evolving field, continuously shaped by new technologies, artistic innovations, and creative insights. At the heart of animation lies a set of foundational principles that have guided animators for decades. These classic 12 principles of animation—ranging from "Squash & Stretch" to "Appeal"—serve as the bedrock for creating engaging and lifelike animations. However, when it comes to creature animation—a specialized area focused on bringing fantastical beings and natural phenomena to life—these principles often require adaptation and expansion.

At the VANAS Conference 2024, Fernando Herrera presented how the classic 12 principles of animation apply to creature animation, examine additional principles that are crucial in this field, and discuss why it’s essential to evolve these principles in light of new technologies and techniques.

Fernando Herrera has over 15 years of experience in animation, with 11 years dedicated to teaching. He has contributed to a wide range of projects across various media. Currently, Fernando is a Senior Animator at Industrial Light and Magic. His previous roles include Animation Supervisor at Framestore and Lead Animator at MPC.

The Classic 12 Principles of Animation

Before diving into the specifics of creature animation, it's helpful to revisit the classic 12 principles of animation established by Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas. These principles include:

Squash & Stretch: This principle involves exaggerating the deformation of objects to convey weight and flexibility.
Anticipation: Preparing the audience for an action by creating a prelude that signals what’s to come.
Staging: Arranging elements within a scene to direct the viewer's attention and ensure clarity.
Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose: Two different methods of animation. "Straight Ahead" involves drawing frame by frame from start to finish, while "Pose to Pose" involves creating key poses and filling in the in-between frames.
Follow Through and Overlapping Action: The technique of continuing the motion of a character’s parts even after the main action has stopped.
Slow In and Out: Gradual acceleration and deceleration of motion to create a more realistic effect.
Arcs: The natural, curved paths that objects and characters follow in their movements.
Secondary Action: Additional movements that complement the primary action and add realism.
Timing: The use of timing to give actions their proper weight and believability.
Exaggeration: Enhancing actions to make them more dynamic and noticeable.
Solid Drawing: Ensuring that characters are drawn with a sense of volume and weight, even in two dimensions.
Appeal: Making characters and designs interesting and engaging to the audience.

Principles of Creature Animation, Expanding the Framework

While the classic principles are foundational, creature animation demands additional considerations due to the unique challenges of animating non-human entities. Fernando Herrera, a senior animator at Industrial Light and Magic with extensive experience in creature animation, provides valuable insights into how these principles are adapted and expanded.

Here are the core principles of creature animation, drawing from Herrera’s expertise and industry practices:

Appeal: Just as in traditional animation, appeal remains critical. For creatures, this means designing characters that are engaging and relatable, even if they are entirely fantastical.
Mixed Workflows: Creature animation often requires blending "Straight Ahead" and "Pose to Pose" techniques. This mixed approach allows for both spontaneity and control in capturing complex movements.
Exaggeration: While still important, exaggeration in creature animation often involves more subtle and organic distortions compared to traditional animation, reflecting the natural, often unpredictable movements of creatures.
Contrast: This principle involves using variation in speed, direction, and intensity to make movements more engaging and believable.
Organicness: Unlike human characters, creatures often need to convey a sense of fluidity and naturalism. Organicness involves creating movements that feel intrinsic to the creature’s design and physiology.
Realism: While exaggeration is used, a balance with realism is essential to make the creature's movements believable within its fictional context.
Mindset Principles: Adapting an animator's mindset to understand and anticipate the physical and emotional behaviors of creatures, which often differ significantly from human actions.
Staging: In creature animation, staging is crucial for showcasing the creature’s unique attributes and ensuring that the audience can follow its actions clearly.
Overlapping Action: Creatures often exhibit more complex overlapping actions due to their unique anatomy, necessitating a nuanced application of this principle.
Timing: Proper timing is essential to capture the nuanced movements of creatures, which may involve different rhythms and speeds compared to human animation.
Spacing: Adjusting the spacing of keyframes to reflect the natural pace and weight of the creature's movement.
Arcs: Ensuring that even fantastical movements adhere to natural, curved paths to enhance realism.
Solid Posing: Emphasizing the creature’s mass and volume, similar to "Solid Drawing," but with an added focus on how these aspects interact with the creature’s unique physiology.
Silhouette Motion: Ensuring that the creature’s movements are clear and distinct, even from a silhouette perspective, to maintain visual clarity.
Anticipation: Applying anticipation to prepare the audience for the creature’s often more unpredictable actions.
Secondary Action: Adding secondary actions that enhance the creature’s main movements, contributing to a more dynamic and engaging animation.
Weight & Gravity: Addressing how the creature’s body interacts with its environment, including how it bears weight and responds to gravity.
Dirtiness: Incorporating imperfections and natural "dirtiness" into the animation to make the creature feel more authentic and lived-in.
Inertia: Understanding how the creature’s movements are influenced by its mass and momentum, extending the principle of "Follow Through and Drag."

Why Evolve the Principles?

As animation technology and techniques continue to advance, it’s crucial to evolve the principles of animation to keep pace with these changes. Here are some reasons why:

New Technologies: Advances in computer graphics and motion capture provide more precise tools for animating creatures, necessitating updates to traditional principles.
New Techniques: Innovations in animation techniques allow for more realistic and detailed animations, requiring a reassessment of how principles are applied.
New Software: Modern animation software offers capabilities that can enhance or alter traditional animation practices, influencing how principles are executed.
More Precision with Computers: Computers provide greater precision in animating complex movements, allowing for more nuanced applications of traditional principles.
New Movies and Animated Characters: Emerging trends and characters in film and games push the boundaries of animation, necessitating new approaches to existing principles.
New Games and Player Experiences: The interactive nature of video games introduces new challenges and opportunities for creature animation, impacting how principles are applied.

The principles of animation have been a cornerstone of the field for decades, guiding animators in creating engaging and believable characters. In creature animation, these principles must be adapted and expanded to address the unique challenges of animating fantastical beings. By incorporating additional principles such as organic-ness, contrast, and realism, and evolving traditional principles to meet the demands of new technologies and techniques, animators can continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of animation.

Fernando Herrera’s insights into creature animation highlight the importance of adapting and evolving these principles to meet the needs of modern animation. As the field continues to advance, staying abreast of these changes will be crucial for animators striving to create lifelike and captivating creatures that resonate with audiences.

For those looking into the world of animation and develop their skills, VANAS Online Animation School offers comprehensive programs in Animation, Visual Effects, and Video Games. Explore how you can launch your career and master the art of animation at VANAS.