(This post is from julyfilms.com/blog).
Our animation workflow begins with an in-depth understanding to intent of scene in relation to the approximate scene’s running time, established in the animatic.
Generally, we don’t precisely lock down scene length from the animatic, so to allow room for movements to organically breathe as needed.
To best stay within range, our next step is to find and define an appropriate phrase to flow of scene’s energy by acting out, aiming to be in touch with the right ‘feel’ of movement in accord with scene length.
At this point, the scene is still in abstract stage locked inside the animator’s inward sensibility. This abstraction becomes guide to begin our first pass to roughing out the scene (if needed, we would create thumbnails to further understand scene’s nature).
In this initial pass, the drawing lines are fainter, scratchy, loose and rough, (but stay within volume) as the hand searches for the right spacing and allow character’s structure to breathe accordingly, laying down foundation to movement, not yet taken into considerations for details and draftsmanship of the drawings.
This rough pass is then photographed and drawings are to be assign exposures to reflect intended speed of movement based on visual real-time playback. The rough pass is then analyzed, looking into ways to further define and strengthen scene.
In tie-down stage, movement foundation is further strengthening by definite commitment to outline of drawings and defined details to all parts of character design.
This new scene in our film was originally inspired by Marta, the wonderful Brazilian soccer player (whom we first learned from this passed FIFA Women World Cup in Germany a few months back). Her on-field presence, dance-like and graceful footwork is most mesmerized and inspiring. (Below, a link from womensprosoccer’s Channel on Youtube)-
