#13 Animation - Setting aside the MAIN & SECONDARY Characters (A Slightly Technical Paper)
Oh gosh, If I were to ask you to point out to me the Main Character in the shot above, I'd probably just quit animation and stay home watching Mocafurbs. As a junior animator, I often get nagged at for not having the characters move at all times. Because of that, I often tend to animate more than I should. Wanting to have the characters still be part of the scene and always doing something.
Where Do I Draw the Line In That?
There is also a danger to forcing yourself to add that moving hold, that slight breath to the character. Then it becomes just for movement sake and it carries no value or dynamic whatsoever to the scene.
In a scene where there are many characters involved also known as a multi-character shot, it is really hard for the audience to pin-point exactly where to look at. Person A maybe looking at that man with the hat, while person B would be looking at that man clenching his fist. Try spot him.
While the example used was a crowd shot of happy people waving at ya, you'd get the idea. A multi-character shot should always be firm and clear on communicating the ideas, action and story to the audience. It is the Animator's job to direct the eye direction of the audience to where the MAIN character/action is taking place.
You would want to stage the contrast and timing of the action in a way that you are indirectly telling them to look at the girl. NOW...quickly look at what the minions are doing.Otherwise, it will be two spontaneous actions happening together and everyone would be confused as to what's happening. Some may look at the girl giving the instructions to the minions, where as some will look at the minions first.
But How Do I Stage These Shots Perfectly To Tell The Story?
Secondary actions are the actions animated to support the Primary actions. Take for example, the little girl who is giving the command to the minions. The action was reinforced with a secondary action of her bring her hands behind with chest up high like a drill sergeant. AND THAT, helps a lot in telling the story even without hearing the dialogue of what was going on. The Minions then complimented the girl's action with a well timed salute pose right after they received their orders.
Let us talk a bit more about secondary actions and how important it is to have a well-timed and contrasting animation to tell the story shall we?
When you take a look at the minions standing behind the primary minion tasting the jam, you can see all sorts of secondary movements that help reinforce the situation. For example, the minion with the hat on the far left of the screen, gasps as he tasted the jam. He also changed his pose into a 'nervous' pose with his two arms lifted towards his chest. This shot was animated perfectly because the minions behind DID NOT take the eye direction or the limelight out of the main character minion. Instead, they were reinforcing the direction and story.
Remember, let secondary characters be secondary.
Contrast in Dynamics - Like I've mentioned a few times in the beginning, when the main character is moving, the others have to give way to the main and be secondary characters. When it is time for the other character to tell his side of story, a HUGE contrast or a quick action can be taken placed to shift focus from one to another.
Eye Direction - Taken the example given above, you will notice that the main and even the secondary characters all have their eye direction aligned to where the animator wants the audience to see. Eye darts are useful and vital and often moves first to lead the direction.
Staging - The position of the characters,and how the camera moves all affects who gets to be the main character in the scene.
I really think I better stop talking now before everyone falls asleep reading this. I know this is a pretty technical post especially for animators or artists who want to know the difference and importance of a main and secondary character/object. I do hope that you've learnt some of the ways to better guide your audiences in your videos or animations.
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When my kids were little and we'd go to the movies (animation), I often wondered about the work that went into themI love your post, it's so informative; I totally was NOT falling asleep by the end! I used to teach at a Fine Arts School and the students doing animation always said it was very detailed, very difficult work. For whatever reason though, your pictures aren't opening for me?? It's only the writing I can see (which by the way is well done:) As an aside, you just commented on one of my posts and I saw you are also a part of steemit bloggers...such a small world on here:) Cheers!
Thank you for ur kind words! And I always admire people who do fine arts :O Ohhh... I can never do something so detail and good and you're teaching it!! Ahhh, could be Steemit these days are having a little issue with the bandwidth. I saw your conversation in #steemitbloggers too, good to see you here too! :)
You are welcome! And I taught English and History mostly; I left the Fine Arts to the experts:)
And another connection made on steemit!
I can see your pictures now here; you're right, must have been a bandwidth issue
Cheers!
I think this is fascinating, because as someone who has watched a lot of animated movies, I don't think I've ever taken the time to consider these sorts of things. Thanks for taking us through these examples. It's neat to see how the animators chose to do certain things in order to keep my attention on the main actions.
Perhaps the next time I view an animated movie or TV show, I'll pay more attention to the subtle actions of background characters to see if the animators are clever with them.
Great post. Thanks again for sharing.
Ahh! You can definitely be more aware and see how the scenes and characters move. These are the little details that not many will be aware which is good! That means it's done right. Thank you for dropping by @ethandsmith.
Congratulations! This exceptional post has been featured in Episode 4 of The STEEM Engine Express Podcast. Click the link to hear what I had to say, and keep up the good work!
Thank you @ethandsmith for featuring this post! I thought I'd make people fall asleep reading this.
You're welcome! I didn't fall asleep at all. I thought it was a great look at animation from a perspective that I had never considered. I need to go back and check out the rest of the posts in this series. I'm sure I could learn a lot more!
I write comic book scripts (not published yet), and a lot of similar lessons apply to panel layouts in them. You've got to think carefully about how action flows across panels and over the page in order to guide the reader's eye, even as a writer. (Though it's even more intense for the artist.)
Hey @mountainwashere! I didn't know you write comic book scripts?! I thought only geological stuff! That's cool. Hehe, I'm sure you know how all this flows ey.
Just geology and such for steemit, but I write lots of other stuff off steemit!
Wow.. now I know the hard work behind every single frame. I never thought of the use of secondary characters is so important. Later when I watch Doc Mcstuffin with my kids, I will pay attention to the secondary characters, and I till take note on my eye contact with the characters. Just to test myself. haha.
Hahaha, u try take note. See whether what I say applies mou. :D Thanks for stopping by.
This post applies directly to photography... I am thinking of writing a post about secondary objects too... many people do not understand the concept.. good post
Oh wow, let me know when you've written it ok? Would love to have a look at it. Thanks :)
I will tag you and let you know... thanks:)
hahaha awww "I'd rather go home and watch Mocafurbs" XD omg haha I hope one day people will actually say that. kinda like "I'd rather go home and watch Duck Tales." fuck yeah!
nice post as always man.
Though... it's a bit... more superficial than usually tho..
I mean.. there's kind of... like.. a lot more that goes into leading the audiences eye, and also you didn't really mention the problem that most junior animators have way more often than "not animating enough", which is totally overanimating secondary characters.
They need to be kept alive, yes, and if you can support the main action with them, even better, but one of the human brains main properties is that it automatically likes to look where the most movement is.
(this is why when there's a TV screen in a pub, you feel compelled to look at it. it's also why I HATE Tvs in pubs -.- )
So you have to tone the secondary characters movements waaaaayyy down in order not to distract the eye away from the main action, while making sure they don't look dead.
You did speak about keeping the balance, and I think that is what you meant? It just wasn't suuuper clear this time... :P
Ah yes!!! I have not properly explained that side of what the secondary characters ought to be doing. Haha, must've slipped my mind. I kept thinking I did talk about it. But totally agree with you. Gotta screenshot your explanation for my next article or edit this post with it ey? :D
Hahaha up to you my friend, up to you :D
Every time I see an animated movie with a big crowd scene I feel for the crowd animators - talk about an under-appreciated job! But what you say is definitely true for both crowd scenes as well as one-on-ones. Or even single shots with moving background elements... even the wind in the trees in the BG can be distracting if it's out of context!
This is a fantastic post! I know I'm an animation nerd but keep it up anyway! :)
Thank you very much! There are actually way way more to this post. But I can't be covering everything unless I have a weekend to myself :) Hehe, nevertheless, hope it does give some insight to you.
That is the best post in Steemit... Now I vote for you...nice? Voteback😋
thank you