
There is a comfortable distance between camera to subject matter in scene and is determined by story point and emotional aspect; to arrived at this comfortable distance is a sense that is just as important as everything inside.
It’s an awareness that has direct affect to animation performance and timing sense.
A wrong fielding can really hurt a performance.
For example, take a situation that expresses an intimate conversation between two characters, a closer fielding would feel much fitting than a wider shot.

Likewise, when pencil testing, camera fielding should be set to intended field size. Timing and clarity of movement is closely linked to camera fielding; because a same movement will appear to travel faster and covering larger distance in close-up than in long shot.
As animator, one’s daily life often evolved around graphite lines and lacking visualization in colors; I find this limitation at time confiding. To remedy, I like to letting mind drifts, dreaming of isolated cinematic moments in quick color sketches; they might not be great, but they do stimulate the creative process… Now and then, from them came a new film idea… (It’s a good habit that I’m often in need to be reminded of doing.)
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February 7, 2010 at 7:58 am
Chan Ghee Leow
“… same movement will appear to travel faster and covering larger distance in close-up than in long shot.”
This is a new concept to me. And what a revelation too! I’d be keen to know more about this in detail. Took me a while to think about what you might mean by ’same movement’, but it’s starting to make sense… theoretically. Great post! Thanks for sharing.
February 7, 2010 at 6:08 pm
rainplace
Hello Chan,
You can make an experiment; take the same animation scene that you have, shoot it at a 5 field and then again at a wider field like 12 field; then this will be more clear to you )
Happy animating!
February 8, 2010 at 6:19 am
Chan Ghee Leow
Yeah, will try that. Thanks for the tip!
February 8, 2010 at 6:31 am
Yong Seok Jeon
What a welcome drawing!
Though you already explained about Felding in class,
it’s more understandable and helpful for me! Thanks for posting!
I missed some to note in class, so i worried about that.
But now i’m not worry about missing note any more : )
Rainplace is filled with useful information about animation!
(most of information is that you gave us in class!
now i can obtain the information whenever i forget it! wow~)
Thanks for sharing!
February 8, 2010 at 7:37 am
rainplace
Hello Yong Seok,
I know who has the original
Glad you’ve found Rainplace helpful; please do tell your classmates and friends to refer to this site; much of what I’ve been sharing can be found in writing here.
(You can use internet translation; it will not be perfect but I think the main points might be readable
)
Happy animating!!!
February 8, 2010 at 9:59 am
David McBride
You always post great animation concepts that stick with me. Thanks for all the wonderful posts.
February 8, 2010 at 4:40 pm
rainplace
Thank you David
Glad that you’ve found the posts of interests,
February 9, 2010 at 9:14 am
john lee
Hi Mike,
brilliant work, and resource, amazing key drawings.
best wishes
John Lee.
February 10, 2010 at 8:46 am
rainplace
Thank you John