Before making character animation, animators usually ask themselves several questions about the character, such as: What kind of character is this? What role does this character play in the film? What kind of personality and characteristics does the character have? What is the historical background of the role? What does this role have to do with other roles? And the most important point is: what is the motivation of the role? Most of these questions can be answered by film directors, animation directors or animation producers. But sometimes these answers have to be found in the animation action itself. Therefore, animators should understand the internal and external characteristics of characters before making animations.

The following are some animation regularity techniques studied by Disney, which are now used by most animators in the world.

1, extrusion stretching

This should be the most important technology in animation. This technology can make up objects or characters and reflect their organic or neglected nature. Only this rule does not apply to rigid objects or characters (such as bowling or robots). Software or body movements always emphasize squeezing and stretching. This technology enables animators to create more realistic characters. The squeezed part usually indicates that the object was crushed by pressure or its own strength. Stretching means that the object is pulled out or the object reacts to inertia and collision. Adding these techniques to the movement of an object or character will help to determine what kind of substance this object or character is in your mind, thus helping to maintain the organic and credibility of the movement. The simplest example is the elastic rubber ball. When the ball bounces, it will be squeezed when it hits the ground, but it will be stretched due to collision and inertia when it bounces. The main body of a general object or character must be restored to its original state after being squeezed or stretched, and its quality remains unchanged.

2, rhythm timing

The importance of time is unbelievable. It can describe the movement, weight, size, structure and personality of a character or object. Time can also be used to create a unique movement pattern, from fast to stay. Time includes not only the actions of the character, but also the feelings of the character. For example, there are two extreme movements in the head, looking at the front of the head and turning to one side. According to the number of transitions between two extreme behaviors, we can show different roles and emotional states. The transition in the middle is the transition from one key posture to the next. )

There is no transition, no intermediate link-the role is hit hard by great power. My head is about to break.

A transitional role between the two-the role was hit by a heavy object like a brick.

The two people in the middle of these two transitions have nervous convulsions, pauses or muscle spasms.

Three transitions and three middles-the characters are avoiding the flying bricks.

Four transitions and four middles-the character hears a clear command or a surprised reaction.

Five transitions and five middles-friendly roles. Come here.

Six transitions and six middles-The character sees something he likes or is interested in.

In the middle of the seven transitions-the character tries to look more closely at what he likes or is interested in.

Eight transitions and eight middles-the characters are looking for things on the shelf.

Nine transitions and nine middles-the role is to appreciate things carefully.

Ten transitions and ten middles-painful stretching of the neck muscles of the character.

Now you should see that you can express different roles, actions and emotions by changing the time between key gestures.

2. Step by step

Is how to make people's thoughts and actions clear and easy to understand. The character of a character is the stage when he is recognized. Gestures or facial expressions should be placed where the key points and emotions can be best expressed. If an animation stage is not well divided, the audience will never go to see the action that the animator adds to the character. Staging is where you want to attract the audience's attention, where you want them to see, and where you don't want them to see. If there are multiple characters in a scene or shot, you don't want one character to stand out from the crowd, but you want to guide the audience from one character to the next and enjoy the performance of each character one by one. At this time, staging also played an important role. Staging can also be used for the posture of the role, so that the posture of the role can be interpreted as clearly as possible. A simple way to test whether a role is performed properly is to look at its silhouette. Silhouette is how the positive space of posture fits the negative space of environment. When posing for a character, assume that all the details have been removed, turn it into pure black in your mind, and then look at its outline. If you can clearly understand this posture, it is a well-divided posture in a stage. If you don't know what posture this is, the staging is not good and you need to change it.