8-5 Animation Basics Explained

Key Concepts of Animation Basics

Animation is the process of creating the illusion of motion and shape change by rapidly displaying a sequence of static images that minimally differ from each other. Key concepts include frame rate, keyframes, tweening, and timing.

1. Frame Rate

Frame rate refers to the number of individual images, or frames, that are displayed per second in an animation. Higher frame rates create smoother motion, while lower frame rates can create a more choppy or stop-motion effect.

Example: A common frame rate for digital animation is 24 frames per second (fps), which is used in movies. For smoother motion, video games often use 30 or 60 fps.

Analogy: Think of frame rate as the speed of a flipbook. The faster you flip the pages, the smoother the motion appears.

2. Keyframes

Keyframes are the specific frames in an animation where the animator sets the main poses or positions of the objects being animated. These keyframes define the beginning and end points of any transition.

Example: In a character walking animation, keyframes might be set at the beginning (character's foot on the ground), middle (character's foot in the air), and end (character's foot back on the ground).

Analogy: Imagine keyframes as the main points on a timeline. Just as a musician might set the main beats in a song, an animator sets the main poses in an animation.

3. Tweening

Tweening, short for "in-betweening," is the process of generating intermediate frames between two keyframes. This technique smooths out the animation and fills in the gaps between the main poses.

Example: In a bouncing ball animation, tweening would create the frames showing the ball in mid-air, smoothly transitioning from the keyframe where the ball is on the ground to the keyframe where it reaches its highest point.

Analogy: Think of tweening as the process of drawing the in-between frames in a flipbook. Just as you fill in the gaps between the main drawings, tweening fills in the gaps between keyframes.

4. Timing

Timing refers to the speed and rhythm at which the animation progresses. Proper timing is crucial for creating believable and engaging motion. It involves adjusting the duration of each frame and the spacing between keyframes.

Example: In a running animation, the timing would determine how long each step takes and how quickly the character moves across the screen. Fast timing might make the character appear to run quickly, while slow timing might make the character appear to run slowly.

Analogy: Consider timing as the tempo of a song. Just as a musician adjusts the tempo to create different moods, an animator adjusts the timing to create different effects in an animation.