My Little WORLD

In animation, a character is coming to life most often by a group effort and through several stages from rough to final clean-up, encapsulating in clean, precise and define series of line drawings.

But line drawing is like hand-writing. So while everyone is aiming to stay on model, by nature, each artist generates drawings that have slight differences in texture that defines a character.

Where in rough pass an appropriate performance is determined, the tie-down stage refines the action, putting character on model and addresses the overall secondary motions such as clothing articles and hairs.

It is easier for animators to control the look of a character but very difficult to be completely in sync with each other over a more exacting feel of something, such as a loose jacket made of certain type of fabric through motion.

To best maintain a consistency to the feel of movement textures, we opted to have one key animator to tie-down the entire sequence. This workflow would unify all scenes in a sequence, appearing seamless while allowing the performance to be contributed by more than one animator.

(Above, scenes animated by (in order of appearance) - Steve Wong, Mike Nguyen, Casey Alexander, Mike Koizumi and tie-down by Mike N.).

Animating group movement begins with identifying the overall energy ‘feel’. And in this sequence, the chiru (Tibetan antelopes) are purposeful, springy, carefree and unconcerned to the children that are inadvertently blocking their path.

From here, a sense to general texture and pattern of group movement begin to emerge; though still inward and abstract in manner, it will subconsciously dictate how things will unfold.

Since there are 2 main interacting elements- the antelopes and the child, it is best to approach each component separately.

TINY, being the main focal point was animated first, followed by the chiru.

To arrive at an organic texture and not becoming overly busy to overall group movement, (based on scene criteria and length), 3 antelopes were animated each with own individual mindset and mechanic variations but within relation to the herd overall mindset.

They will then placed into scene like straight-ahead without knowing exactly how the whole will look-

- One chiru at a time with Tiny as anchor.

- Adjust placement and entrance points through real-time playback.

- Variations to pattern of repeating chirus.

- Keep in mind the back-and-forth subtle switching of focal point between Tiny and the chiru.

By reusing same chiru animation several times to building herd movement, the repeat pattern generates a calmer feel. But since they’re placed differently in relating to group pattern, they don’t appear as reused animation. (It also saves time and still achieving an uncompromised result).

One thing to keep in mind while animating individual element in a group scene- it doesn’t need to be flawless in timing and mechanic to commanding solid attention on its own, long as it works within overall group. For example, chiru in variation 2 in above clip is a bit stiff and not quite right; (it would need to be further refine if it was the only element in scene).

Likewise in reverse, if all the separate chiru would command full attention on its own including perfect individual timing, the scene might appear overly active when all are combined together.

Here, color exploration of the Chiru sequence by Geefwee Boedoe. (For more images of his work on My Little WORLD, please click here.)

Our view of rough pass is like being in quantum mechanics. To help us be in touch with senses of primal energy, the drawings are freer to finding their organic ways into being, within a general direction given by story intent and a predetermined sense of force.

In tie-down, the raw energy is then encased in definite defined outlines, appearing orderly like looking outward towards movement of the stars.

And like in rough pass, the tie-down lines do have freedom to take shape as they should, but must take cue and build on foundation that has been established by rough pass, with added discipline to bring character into intended model.

Life vibrates, disorderly in definite order, predictable in unpredictability; ONE- made of infinite parts… Subconsciously, these thoughts guide our creative path.

This scene from My Little WORLD was animated by Natalie Kim and tie-down by me

There are moments when one seems to fall into ‘trance’, becoming unaware and not in control of the surface look of the drawing-at-hand, taking dictation from the successive drawings that have already been established.

For me, the paradox of being in control but yet not fully in control of the unfolding frame bring about a very organic texture to movement and best reflecting the elusiveness that is- life.

Organic nature doesn’t arrive at one ‘exact’ location in space and time every time by prediction, but most often within approximate range, so too that there is no 2 identical moments in the unfolding of matter through space and time.

When I’m too conscious of the drawing in frozen mode or surface motion mechanic in first pass, the movement will likely inherit a mechanical feel or stiffed looking. It’s an interesting balance between being deliberate, precise and allowing a margin of unpredictability.

This intricate balance is achieved by placing main emphasis on the force flow of structure in motion and not in frozen mode.

In this animated context, the impression that a movement gives is everything and one single frame is nothing, no matter how beautifully it is drawn.

Yet, the way a movement feels in playback is intricately linked to the surface look of each successive frozen frame; they each must properly reflects-

- Appropriate spacing location of structure in context to its path of action.

- Maintain structural volumes and breathe in context to its mass, make and velocity.

The more self-conscious I am to surface structure and movement mechanic, the more stiff things ‘feel’. It really a lot like in real life when one is too self-conscious of one manner and action.

In this above example, I was more self-conscious to the movement mechanics went approaching this new character, causing scene to be stiff looking both in single drawing and movement (like above 2nd try on the Tibetan antelope).

…It takes a few tries to get more comfortable with a structure. (This set is much looser in 3rd attempt).

(From My Little WORLD production blog)

When approaching a new subject in My Little WORLD, and in this case- the Tibetan antelope or chiru, we began with research study, finding clips, images and books to learn its natures and habits.

When actual footages of the referenced animal is difficult to find such as the case with chiru, we then look for footages of animals that share similar attributes, like a gazelle or others within the antelope family. In this circumstance, a combination of observations from several different animals is utilized to arrive at the film’s specific needs.

Reference study is divided into 2 stages, (through observing freeze-frames, slow-motion and regular playback speed).

First, we begin with searches to understand the ‘feel’ of its make, learning to draw and visualized its structures from various angles and perspectives; much more critically- is to identify its spirit essence through distinct and unique mannerism, both in still-gesture and movement pattern.

Next is to be in touch with a general understanding to the 4-legged movement mechanics, avoiding direct referencing image-per-image to animating.

It is good to take note of the specific condition and emotional nature of the reference footages, which are most likely different from the emotional intent of the animated scene.

For example, (as in the very precious 3 min. footages of chiru we’ve recently found in a BBC documentary entitled ‘Wild China’), the manner of chiru galloping here are at mating season; its speed and gestures are war-like and aggressive; and in our film, the chiru are strolling around, brisk and playful.

For us, key to studying and translating reference is interpreting and not copying, with aims to reflect certain essence of ‘soul’.

Once we’ve found ‘just enough’ insights into a subject matter, then the animating process begins, often still with much apprehension in these first attempts…