The Illusion of Life Chapter Ten: How to Get It on the Screen

The Illusion of LifeThe Illusion of LifeChapter Ten: How to Get It on the Chapter Ten: How to Get It on the

ScreenScreen

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How can an How can an animated animated scene’s scene’s

background background provide an provide an

effective setting effective setting without without

overwhelming overwhelming the characters the characters and the action?and the action? How How

effective is effective is the the

combinatiocombination of n of

backgroundbackgrounds and s and

characters characters in these in these

scenes from scenes from “Bambi” ?“Bambi” ?


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The background may be used to enhance the The background may be used to enhance the audience’s ability to focus upon the characters via audience’s ability to focus upon the characters via

framing and color contrast.framing and color contrast.


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Animating the shifting Animating the shifting surface and splashing surface and splashing

drops of water requires drops of water requires intensive study of the intensive study of the

dynamics of liquids, often dynamics of liquids, often by watching slow-motion by watching slow-motion

films of actual water.films of actual water.


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Shadow effects contribute Shadow effects contribute greatly to a scene’s greatly to a scene’s realism, but are very realism, but are very

difficult to implement.difficult to implement.

One solution was to paint One solution was to paint the shadow cel in black the shadow cel in black and to double-expose it and to double-expose it

with the background and with the background and other cels.other cels.


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Character colors must Character colors must be carefully selected to be carefully selected to

ensure that the ensure that the characters can be characters can be

clearly discerned in clearly discerned in each scene.each scene.

Each character has a Each character has a combination of light and combination of light and

darker colors, but note how darker colors, but note how Flower must be positioned Flower must be positioned strategically to prevent the strategically to prevent the primarily black color from primarily black color from

blending too much with the blending too much with the background.background.


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In Max Fleischer’s “Superman” cartoons In Max Fleischer’s “Superman” cartoons from the ‘30s, Superman is always from the ‘30s, Superman is always

positioned to contrast with the background positioned to contrast with the background color, make him stand out, while Clark Kent color, make him stand out, while Clark Kent frequently is positioned to blend with the frequently is positioned to blend with the

background.background.

Notice the shift in Notice the shift in hair color that hair color that occurs when occurs when Fleischer’s Fleischer’s

Gulliver needs to Gulliver needs to stand out against stand out against

the night sky.the night sky.


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The peasant disguises of the The peasant disguises of the three fairies in Disney’s three fairies in Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty” were “Sleeping Beauty” were intended to be drabber intended to be drabber

versions of their fairy outfits, versions of their fairy outfits, but Merryweather’s black but Merryweather’s black

bodice tended to suck much bodice tended to suck much of the life out of those of the life out of those

scenes.scenes.


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Simplifying the Simplifying the tedious chore of tedious chore of

hand-inking hand-inking sketches for sketches for

scenes was the scenes was the motivation behind motivation behind the xerographic the xerographic

process.process.

““101 101 Dalmatians” Dalmatians” (1961) used (1961) used

xerography to xerography to print the print the

black lines of black lines of drawings drawings

directly onto directly onto the cels.the cels.““The The

Secret of Secret of NIMH” NIMH” (1982) (1982)

extended extended this this

technique technique to colored to colored

lines.lines.

The Illusion of LifeThe Illusion of LifeChapter Eleven: The Disney SoundsChapter Eleven: The Disney Sounds

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As with As with character character voices, it’s voices, it’s critical to critical to

maintain the maintain the tone and tone and mood of mood of

one’s one’s animation by animation by

means of means of music music

selections.selections.

The Illusion of LifeThe Illusion of LifeChapter Eleven: The Disney SoundsChapter Eleven: The Disney Sounds

1010

Animation sound falls into two basic Animation sound falls into two basic categories:categories:• Pre-synchronous Pre-synchronous

SoundSoundSound recorded before Sound recorded before the animated images are the animated images are producedproduced

• Post-synchronous Post-synchronous SoundSound

Sound recorded after Sound recorded after the images have been the images have been producedproduced• Music and sound effects for Music and sound effects for

key actions are recorded key actions are recorded pre-synch and the pre-synch and the animators “shoot to the animators “shoot to the track”.track”.• Most voices are recorded pre-Most voices are recorded pre-

synch to assist with synch to assist with synchronization with the synchronization with the characters and with the characters and with the pacing of action.pacing of action.• Sound effects that establish Sound effects that establish

the setting and don’t impact the setting and don’t impact the scene’s pacing (e.g., the scene’s pacing (e.g., ringing telephones, closing ringing telephones, closing doors, singing birds) are doors, singing birds) are recorded post-synch.recorded post-synch.

The Illusion of LifeThe Illusion of LifeChapter Twelve: The Follow-up Chapter Twelve: The Follow-up

FunctionsFunctions

1111

What do the What do the following people do following people do

during animation during animation follow-up?follow-up?

Animation Checker

Blue Sketch Artist

The Illusion of LifeThe Illusion of LifeChapter Twelve: The Follow-up Chapter Twelve: The Follow-up

FunctionsFunctions

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The Disney The Disney Multiplane Multiplane Camera - Camera -

Explained by Explained by Disney!Disney!

The Illusion of LifeThe Illusion of LifeChapter Thirteen: The Uses of Live Chapter Thirteen: The Uses of Live

Action in Drawing Humans and Action in Drawing Humans and AnimalsAnimals

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Eddie Eddie Collins, Collins,

the the burlesquburlesqu

e e comediacomedia

n, n, served served as the as the

live live action action

physical physical model model

for for DopeyDopey

Margaret Margaret Kerry was the Kerry was the

live action live action physical physical

model for model for Tinker BellTinker Bell

Live actors are Live actors are often filmed and often filmed and

analyzed frame by analyzed frame by frame to achieve frame to achieve

realistic animation realistic animation in characters.in characters.



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Precisely emulating the actions of real humans Precisely emulating the actions of real humans and animals tends to produce rather bland and animals tends to produce rather bland

animation, so caricaturing excessive actions and animation, so caricaturing excessive actions and reactions tends to produce better entertainment.reactions tends to produce better entertainment.

In these two images from “The Sword In these two images from “The Sword in the Stone”, Merlin and Arthur are in the Stone”, Merlin and Arthur are behaving similarly, but their stances behaving similarly, but their stances

and postures are somewhat more and postures are somewhat more exaggerated in the scene in which exaggerated in the scene in which

they are squirrels.they are squirrels.



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Which bird would make the best Which bird would make the best villain in an animated story? The villain in an animated story? The

best hero? The best victim?best hero? The best victim?



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The four fundamental poses of The four fundamental poses of walkingwalking

Stiff and Stiff and unnaturalunnatural

Bouncy and Bouncy and unbelievablunbelievablee

More More natural natural recoil recoil patternpattern

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The Illusion of Life Chapter Ten: How to Get It on the Screen