Experimental Animation

Abstract Experimentation
69, Robert Breer, 1969-2011

His work is in contrast to the work of Disney at the time. His films are full of disjunctive breaks, Bursts of continuous movements will suddenly stop, jerky irregular rhythms will become continuous unexpectedly.
Sound will be in sync one moment and others it will be at odds with the images on screen, time and space profoundly fragmented.
Films try to hold the audience in suspense as to what might come next.
In this animation Breer explores how one image relates to another within an animation

Article about his work here as well as links to his film and interviews




Object Conversations, Paul Glabiki, 1985
Abstract sounds, Picture and text
Plays with language, viewers memory, assumptions about familiar objects
Objects appear on screen momentarily in one state and then reappear in another state then reappear elsewhere on screen in another form.



OffOn, Scott Bartlett
He is the first to merge video with film, the goal was to "marry the technologies"



Mixed media: Different Styles
Tell Tale Heart, 1953, UPA Studios
Experimental use of kinestasis



Catalog, John Whitney Sr., 1961
Early experimentation with electronically created images by his own invention, The Mechanical Analog Computer.
IBM awarded Whitney with it's first "artist in residence" Status to explore the aesthetic potentials of computer graphics.
Catalog is a collection of his analog effects.




Tron, Disney, 1982
Most extensive use of computer animation to date
20 mins of CG (from magi), large undertaking at the time
Although successful CG, Film unsuccessful and set back CG due to wary investors


Tron Lightcycle scene


Where the wild things are: test, John Lasseter, Disney studios, 1982
After tron John Lasseter began experimenting with more use of 3D graphics and 2D animation. In this test the background environment was created by computer and the characters were drawn to maintain the squash and stretch elasticity needed for cartoon motion.


***Where the Wild things are, Directed by Spike Jonze, 2009
A new take on this story in which Jonze decided to use a different approach to facial animation. In his film the characters are live actors in costume, created by Jim Hensons Creature shop, and the character's static faces are then replaced using Computers by the London based studio Framestore. The technique used is called projection mapping.
To learn more about this ... http://www.awn.com/articles/article/getting-wild-about-facial-animation/page/1%2C1

Where the Wild Things Are website: http://wherethewildthingsare.warnerbros.com/


Lady and the Lamp, John Lasseter, 1979
Done as a student at Cal Arts
The first of two student academy awards
Hand drawn pencil test experimental animation
Show his ability to breath life into inanimate objects early on
No Video found



Das rad ( The Rocks), Chris Stenner, 2001
Oscar nominee
combined puppet animation composited with CG
Portions of landscape created in Maya,


Procedural Animation:
Animation defined and controlled with computer program
Scientific visualization is related in that it is about representing values computed
from programs (computational science)

Evolved Virtual Creatures: Karl Sims, 1994


Ryan, Chris Landreth, 2004
National film Board of Canada animator.
2004 academy award winner
3D computer animation,


Chris Landreth, 2009 Spine, National Film Board of Canada
Director Chris Landreth offers a synopsis of his new animated short, The Spine, and discusses his signature visual style: altering the bodies of his characters in order to make their psychological states visible.

http://www.nfb.ca/film/spine_making_of_trailer/

http://www.nfb.ca/film/spine_making_of_story_genesis/


Beowulf, Robert Zemeckis, 2007
Motion Capture Technology, "Performance Animation"
3D computer generated animation using live action actors to calculate movements of computer generated puppets.
Controversy, Redefine "what is animation" is motion capture "Performance animation" true animation? Some animators disagree but the Academy considers it, at least at this point, as animation.
The controversy continues...
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3232825625/


Cal Arts 20 years of experimental Animation link
http://film.calarts.edu/main/streaming/expanim20.html

Warner Brothers

Warner Brothers
Hugh Harmon and Rudy Isling (from kansas City w/ Laugh-o-grams)
Developed first character Bosko
Bosko the Talk-ink Kid 1929, Harman-Ising
Rudolph Ising, Bosko: voiced by animator "max" Maxwell

Set the standard for the "funny" cartoon
Created more beloved characters than any other studio
Concentrated more on dialogue ( in contrast to Steam Boat Willie)
Dynamic animators, allowed for the personality of the director to shine
through the character

Example-Porky Pig ( 2 color process since at that time Disney had the rights to the three color (Techinicolor) process.
I Haven't Got a Hat, Friz Freleng, 1935



Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett, Mel Blanc, Carl Stalling
Avery directed Chuck Jones and Bob Clamplett ( who were both not enjoying the studio)
All three were placed in a room far away from the main studio ( where Freleng was), Named it termite terrace
They were allowed to challenge the conventional wisdom of cartoons
They were creative, energetic, worked nights, excited to try something new
Tex Avery believed in giving the audience what it would not expect
Mel Blanc provided the voice talent and Carl Stalling provided the music.
The result is to many considered the Golden age of Cartoons (Looney Tunes, Merry Melodies)
Some of the cast of characters created by these men:
Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester the cat, Tweety, Road runner,
Wile E. Coyote,..., Grinch(MGM)
Bugs Bunny being the most popular character

Gold Diggers of '49, 1936,
Warner Brothers, Directed by Tex Avery
This film marks the bridge of the old Warner Brothers with the new style.
This is the first film using the new team of Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, Chuck Jones
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=gold+diggers+of+49&hl=en&emb=0&aq=f#

Wild Hare, 1940
The first WB cartoon that has the fully developed bugs personality
The first time the immortal phrase " What's up Doc?" is uttered.



Chuck Jones
One of the most recognized names among cartoon directors
Abstract backgrounds, Stylized animation, Still Frames, Clarity of timing, clever use of camera angles, gags

Dover Boys, 1942
a true classic where Chuck displays his ideas:
Limited stylized animation
Characters holding still
Drawings smear between poses


One Froggy Evening, 1955, Chuck Jones
In this film he has refined his techniques to subtle expressions (sideways glances, nose wiggles)



MGM
Began with Ub Iwerks Flip the Frog cartoons
Noted animators include Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera (Tom and Jerry, Flintstones...)
Tex Avery, after a few years at Warner brothers ( Schlesinger studios), created even better work for MGM
He left Schlesinger over a censorship issue on one of his cartoons
Tex Avery had an immediate impact on the animation industry. He created fast paced cartoons with outrageous gags. He pushed character takes and typical cartoon shenanigans beyond what had been done before.


Puss Gets the Boot, 1940: Introduced characters Tom and Jerry, and Hanna Barbera Directors

Red hot Riding Hood, Tex Avery, MGM, 1946


Northwest Hounded police, tex Avery, MGM, 1946

Max Fleisher

Max Fleischer has a more free wheeling style than that of the Disney formula.
He was a man of invention: He created a sound cartoon four years before Disney did, he developed Rotoscoping, Bouncing Ball, used 3D turntable of actual 3D object in animation

Betty Boop: introduced in 1930
Considered to be the first female cartoon star, sex object
Fleischer sued by actress claiming imitation


Popeye Meets Sinbad: 1936
Fleischer used a real turntable with 3D object on it for a true 3D background
This was the longest cartoon made at the time 17 minutes
Popeye meets Sinbad part 1


Popeye meets Sinbad Part 2


Gullivers travels: 1939
Fleischer also created full length animated features, notably Gulliver's travels
Popeye was originally slated to be used as Gulliver but instead they chose to rotoscope the character


Gulliver Part 2


Gulliver's Travels part 3


Gulliver's travels part 4



Gulliver's travels part 5



Gulliver's travels part 6



Gulliver's travels part 7 Nice example of rotoscoping technique




Gulliver's travels part 8



Gulliver's travels part 9






Superman:1941 Fleischer used shadows, special effects, unique camera angles and lotsa of action in these cartoons. (Top 50 cartoons)



Fleischer extra:
Max did a version of Rudolph the Red Nosed reindeer in 1948

Principles of Animation

The Principles of Animation are methods and techniques used for successful cartoon animation.
They were discovered and developed in the early days of animation ( taught in Disneys drawing classes)
They matured as principles taught to all animators
They are necessary to create, appeal, emotion, energy, personality of character
Luxo Jr: Pixar 1987 great example of principles as applied in computer animation


Some of the pronciples are:
Squash and stretch:
Objects show movement in shape during action (smiling face , bouncing ball)
Distorting shape during action
Scene mostly in bouncing ball you can add it to fast moving objects as well
the volume of the object remains constant

Overlapping action
Relationship of an action nto the next action
Actions rarely come to a sudden and complete stop
Loose part of character or object during movement move in relation to main form
Also shows mass and weight of different types of objects
maintains continual flow

Drag
Delayed action of part of an object
Different parts of the object move at different rates from same motion
Can be exaggerated to create a more dramatic style

Arcs
Things seldom move in a straight line
Arcs are often the result of some constraint ( pendulum or arm swing, elbow arc from constrained position of shoulder)
Translational movement (walks, Runs) display an alternating arc plotting the top of the object